Chương 24: A Debt to Repay

Ch 24 - A Debt to Repay Two jet-black vehicles looked exceptionally sleek as they came to a stop on a dry stretch of land covered with withered shrubs. A moment later, the doors of the vehicles opened, and several people stepped out. Among them was a man with short brown hair and a firm gaze. He walked forward in a slight hurry before eventually stopping and looking toward a certain spot in the distance. Not far from there, a swirling portal hovered in the air. The man stared at it with a serious expression.

"A Tier 1 Rift that evolved into a Tier 2 Rift?" the man said.

"This is the first time I've ever seen something like this happen to a low-tier rift." He then turned to the person standing beside him.

"What about the people who went inside?" The man beside him opened a tablet-like device and checked through several files before responding.

"This rift was originally being handled by a fairly experienced team, even though they were only Rank 1 Awakeners. They had already completed several Tier 1 Rifts and maintained a respectable record. However, an unusual incident appears to have changed the situation. Right before they entered the rift, two teenagers purchased one of the team's slots. On top of that, another individual secretly slipped in and took the place of the expedition team's leader."

"Took his place?" the brown-haired man asked.

"What are the chances that they can clear this rift?" The man beside him shook his head.

"Almost zero, sir." The brown-haired man let out a long sigh.

"Prepare three teams of Rank 2 Hunters. Put them on immediate standby in case the rift fails and the situation worsens."

"Sir, but three teams is excessive for the current circumstances. We're already facing a shortage of available personnel."

"Then do whatever it takes. Bring in a Rank 3 Hunter team if necessary. This is an emergency. An anomaly like this cannot be treated as a normal situation."

"Yes, sir. We'll get it done immediately." The man with the brown hair gave a slight nod before walking forward once more. A few moments later, he came to a stop directly in front of the swirling portal vortex.

"One of them is already dead," he murmured quietly.

"And if this situation continues, the rest may not make it out either." ** Zeph was half stunned and completely frozen. Why was this happening like this? He had not even felt the usual sense of danger that always warned him whenever something like this happened. But this was truly an emergency, and the situation was far more serious than he could ignore. He looked toward the other team members, who seemed panicked as they readied their weapons. In the distance, a large group could be seen moving toward them.

And their numbers were enormous. It was a group of undead from another faction. A Green Attribute Undead Army. And there were a lot of them! Zeph broke into a run and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Don't do anything! Don't attack!" he yelled loudly. But no! They refused to listen! Several of them were already preparing for battle. One of the archers released a flaming arrow toward the undead army. Others even activated protective buff skills to shield their allies. The undead army began to pick up speed. Their formation shifted as they advanced. They broke into a run, ready to fight back if necessary. Zeph then turned around and saw another group of undead marching toward them from behind.

"Lena! What's going on with Lena?!" Madou shouted.

"Madou! Hold yourself back! Lena is fine!" Zeph yelled as loudly as he could. Then the Red Undead Army marched toward them and passed right by their position. Zeph could see the tension written clearly across Madou's face as it happened. Zeph quickly grabbed Madou's shoulder, making sure he would not launch a reckless attack against the undead forces. After the army had passed, they could see Lena running toward them from the distance.

She was moving so fast that the cloak she was wearing was thrown open by the wind. And at that moment, Zeph finally noticed it. Lena's right arm? He stared in shock, his mouth hanging open as he looked at her. Her entire right arm was gone. The thing they had discussed before, about cutting off a body part that had been affected by the curse. It had happened to Lena. They had cut off Lena's right arm completely. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Not long after, Lena caught up to them and stopped right in front of Zeph, her face filled with panic.

"Zeph, what are we supposed to do? We can't just stand here and watch this happen!" she said anxiously. Zeph then glanced toward the other team members. They were already trapped between the two warring undead factions. Without wasting another second, they started running, trying to catch up and find some way to deal with the situation.

"We don't have any other choice except to kill those undeads and fight our way through," Madou said a moment later. Zeph shook his head. He did not even know how to respond. He had been in a similar situation before, but back then the solution had been to lure nearby monsters toward the battlefield so the undead would switch targets. He had even explained that strategy to everyone during their journey here. But... They had already attacked the undeads.

And he did not know what consequences they would face because of that decision. He did not know what risks awaited them now that things had gone this far. However, one thing was certain. If this battle continued, and the rest of their team remained trapped between the two undead armies, every single one of them would die. As they kept running, Zeph noticed a faint glow appear at the back of Madou's neck. In the very next instant, something materialized around both of his fists.

They were a pair of massive gauntlets that looked incredibly solid, forged from shining silver metal. Sharp spikes protruded from each knuckle, giving them a brutal and intimidating appearance. It was Madou's First Sigil, known as Ironbreaker Gauntlets. It granted him a set of heavy combat gauntlets that dramatically enhanced his physical strength, explosive striking power, and close-quarters combat ability. [Epic Grade Transformation Sigil: Night Cavalry Activated!] A dark mask formed over Zeph's face, while an oversized sword appeared in his hand. The massive blade scraped against the ground as he sprinted forward with the others. Meanwhile, Lena drew her sword from the sheath at her waist with her left hand. Lena was actually a support-type fighter. According to what Madou had told him, the abilities of her First Sigil were primarily focused on healing. Even so, Lena was also a skilled swordswoman.

That was why, despite her support-oriented abilities and the fact that she had lost her right arm, she still chose to fight on the front line with her sword gripped firmly in her remaining hand. They kept running until the clash between the undead armies was no longer far from them. It was almost impossible to accurately determine the condition of their teammates amid such a chaotic battlefield. Explosions erupted constantly, accompanied by flashes of skills and attacks from every direction.

The intensity of those attacks made it obvious that the others were putting up fierce resistance. As for the undead, from everything Zeph had observed, they relied mostly on overwhelming speed and raw strength. They did not use flashy abilities or spectacular combat skills like humans did, but their physical capabilities alone were more than enough to make them terrifying opponents. Then, as the three of them finally drew close enough to join the battle, they abruptly came to a halt.

The first thing they saw was one of their teammates. A skeletal blade had pierced through the man's chest from behind. The tip protruded from his chest as blood spilled from his mouth. They froze in shock, but there was no time to process what had happened. Madou gritted his teeth.

"We have to break through!" The next moment, he launched himself forward. His movements were incredibly agile as he slipped through the battlefield before delivering a crushing punch. The spiked gauntlet slammed into an undead's skull, shattering it instantly. A second punch followed, then a third. Several undead were knocked down with alarming ease. Zeph rushed in right behind him. He pulled his oversized sword forward as though the blade possessed a will of its own.

It felt less like a weapon and more like an extension of his body. The sword moved naturally with him, responding to every instinct. Accelerating, Zeph unleashed a powerful overhead strike. The attack came down like a falling executioner's blade. The impact shook the ground beneath them. Two undead were destroyed instantly, their bodies crushed apart by the sheer force of the blow.

"We have to retreat!" someone shouted from deeper within the battlefield. Several team members were already moving toward the opening Zeph and Madou had created, trying to escape the encirclement.

"Someone got left behind!"

"We can't wait for the others! They're beyond saving!"

"We can't just abandon them!"

"If we go back, we'll all die!"

"There are still people alive in there!"

"And there are dozens of undead between us and them!" The arguments erupted almost immediately. Some wanted to retreat while they still had the chance, while others refused to leave their comrades behind. Zeph continued swinging his greatsword, smashing apart every undead that came within reach. Whenever Madou knocked one off balance or sent one crashing to the ground, Zeph followed with a devastating finishing strike. Yet no matter how many they defeated, the undead seemed endless.

A dozen undead suddenly surged toward Madou at the same time. They lunged from multiple directions, surrounding him in an instant. Their claws and weapons came crashing toward him simultaneously, threatening to overwhelm him before anyone could react. Zeph gritted his teeth and rushed forward.

"Madou, retreat!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. But it was already too late. Madou was immediately swarmed by the undead. Zeph forced his way into the horde while several of the people they had been trying to save finally managed to retreat from the fighting.

"Damn it! I told you not to attack them!" he shouted angrily.

"Why are you all so damn stubborn?!" He pushed forward relentlessly. His greatsword swung again and again, smashing undead aside and carving a path through the battlefield. He forced his way deeper into the horde no matter the cost. A slash struck his back. Another cut landed across his arm. Blood splattered across his body, but Zeph ignored the pain and continued advancing. Madou was being overwhelmed from every direction. The undead surrounded him completely, their attacks raining down one after another.

Yet Zeph refused to stop. He kept forcing his way forward. Then suddenly, several undead were blasted away at the same time. Zeph looked up and saw Lena. Despite having only one arm, she was cutting through the undead with astonishing speed. Her sword flashed repeatedly as undead after undead was sent flying away from Madou's position. Madou lay on the ground, barely moving. Then someone suddenly shot forward and lifted Madou onto his shoulder. It was the team leader.

"We have to leave right now! If we stay any longer, we're dead!" he shouted. Lena immediately dashed toward Zeph.

"Zeph, we have to go!" Zeph swung his sword once more, smashing an undead out of his path before turning to retreat. The moment he did, the undead surged after him. He broke into a sprint, but several undead continued chasing closely behind, refusing to give up as they pursued him across the battlefield. The undead would keep chasing them. They would not stop until their targets were dead. Zeph had to kill them first. As he glanced ahead, his heart sank. There were only six people left. Including himself.

The rest were gone. Then, in that moment, someone suddenly dashed past him and headed toward the pursuing undead. Zeph turned in surprise. It was the leader. The same man who had carried Madou on his shoulder moments ago.

"I failed to lead this team. Let me make up for that," he said. As he passed, he gave Zeph's shoulder a firm pat before allowing him to run past. Zeph's eyes widened. No way. Absolutely not. He refused to let anyone else die!