Chương 56: Guild war (4)

"Wait!" Ethan heard someone shout behind him. He could hear them trying to move closer, but they couldn't get within range of the corrosive field surrounding him. His body ached horribly, every muscle screaming from the strain, and he knew he had pushed himself too far. But he couldn't stop yet. He wasn't finished. His statement still needed to be made. So, with a primal effort, Ethan brought his sword down. Desmond was on his back, frozen. He had tried to get away, but now there was nowhere left to run.

His eyes shut tight, as if that would somehow save him. Ethan didn't hesitate. The blade punched through his stomach, driving clean through and into the sand beneath him. Ethan watched for a brief moment as the wound began to fester, his aura eating into it, the flesh breaking down under the unnatural energy. He would have to study that later. But right now, his reserves were nearly gone. So he left it and pulled upward. The blade tore through Desmond's torso until it met resistance at the ribs. Ethan didn't stop.

He forced it higher, muscles straining, until Desmond's body lifted from the ground, impaled and hanging in the air. Ethan turned, the last of his aura flaring as he looked over the battlefield. From his position on the slope, he stood elevated above the chaos, and the effect was immediate. The fighting had slowed. People from both guilds were staring. Fear, anger, and disbelief spread across both sides. Ethan forced the remnants of his aura into his voice, pushing it outward so it carried across the battlefield.

"Your leader is dead. You have lost. Lay down your weapons and surrender, unless you want to join him." To emphasize the point, Ethan ripped his sword free and flung Desmond's body from the blade. It hit the dunes and rolled down the slope before coming to a stop. Ethan stood there, waiting. He didn't want to kill anyone else. His body was already breaking down from the aura usage, his limbs heavy, every muscle feeling completely spent. The thought of continuing the fight left a bitter taste in his mouth.

His aura flickered and faded, retreating back into him. The pressure lifted, bringing some relief, but the damage remained. The sand around him stayed blackened, corroded, as if permanently scarred. Ethan frowned slightly. His aura had never behaved like that before, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He lifted his gaze. Nivia stood nearby, her sword pointed at Alice. Somehow, during everything, Alice had managed to close the distance.

Both of them were staring at where Desmond's body lay, though the emotions on their faces couldn't have been more different. Ethan scanned the battlefield. The Valkyries had faltered. Their formation had broken, their confidence gone. Now they stood uncertain, glancing between each other, waiting for someone else to act. Around them, the Broken Dawns began closing in, but even they hesitated, watching to see how this would unfold. Ethan spotted Thane further out.

The ground around him was torn apart, bodies scattered where he had fought. He was breathing heavily, but when he noticed Ethan watching, he straightened. For a moment, Ethan wasn't sure if it would be enough. Then one of the Valkyries closest to him dropped his weapon. The sound was small, barely noticeable, but the relief Ethan felt was pure bliss. Others followed. One after another, weapons fell to the sand. Ethan let out a slow breath but didn't relax. He stayed where he was, watching, making sure it held.

When it became clear no one else intended to fight, he finally sheathed his sword and removed his helmet, dragging in a deep breath of air. His body felt unbearably heavy as he stepped down the slope toward Nivia and Alice. Alice wasn't looking at him. She was staring past him, toward the dunes behind him. The same direction Desmond had been trying to reach. The same direction he had kept glancing during the fight. Ethan felt a sinking weight settle in his stomach.

"Why did you tell me to stop?" Ethan asked, his gaze locking onto Alice. She hesitated, struggling to meet his eyes. Nivia shoved her lightly, forcing her attention back.

"He needed to be alive to call off the attack."

"What attack?" Alice spat at him, her frustration boiling over.

"It's all your fault. If you had just left the book with me, none of this would have happened. I could have shown Armon. He would have believed me and handled everything!"

"What attack?" Ethan repeated, ignoring her pointless words.

"The second wave!" she shouted. Ethan's stomach dropped. He turned back toward the dunes.

"What are you talking about? Tell me now."

"There were two forces," she said, her voice shaking now.

"I don't know where he got them from, but our people were just the first assault. More are coming." Nivia looked around, panic flashing across her face as members of the Broken Dawns began collecting weapons from the surrendered Valkyries.

"Get people scouting that direction," Ethan said, pulling her focus back.

"And get Thane over here." Nivia nodded, removing her sword from Alice's shoulder before rushing off. Ethan watched her go for a moment, his mind already turning over what he had just heard.

"Tell me everything. It sounds like you don't want this attack to happen. So help me understand." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Alice dropped her head, then let herself fall backward into the sand, her blonde hair spilling out around her shoulders.

"I tried to stop it," she said, her voice quieter.

"I tried to tell Armon what was going on, but Desmond got to him first. I don't think it fully worked. Armon was already wary of him. But by that point, it was too late. He had already converted most of the Valkyries to his side. Promises of higher positions, power, better gear… it didn't take much." She let out a bitter breath before continuing.

"By the time Armon realized something was wrong, he didn't care enough to fight it. And without proof—without something solid to show how messed up everything was—I had nothing. So I had to find it myself." She paused, watching Ethan closely. He rubbed the back of his head, his eyes flicking briefly toward the battlefield before returning to her.

"Armon told me to stay behind when he left," she continued.

"Said I was to keep things in check. And if what I was saying turned out to be true, then I was to gather evidence and bring it to the higher-ups on the next level. That was the plan." Her expression tightened.

"Everything spiraled when Desmond announced the attack on Highrocks. I didn't know what to do. So I waited. I thought I'd find an opportunity to stop it." Ethan nodded slowly, his attention splitting between her words and the movement around them. Thane was getting closer, and the remaining Valkyries were being grouped together under guard. At the same time, Ethan kept his senses stretched outward, listening for anything that might signal another threat.

"If I'm going to believe that," Ethan said, "then how do you explain how close you were to Desmond?" Alice glanced toward Desmond's body and brushed her hair from her face, her fingers lingering there for a moment.

"This is all so fucked," she muttered under her breath. Then she looked back at him.

"I was close to everyone in the guild. Desmond and Armon especially. We all entered the trials together. We were a team at the start. I didn't show him the book. You should know that. I was hiding it from him. Waiting until we got back to Mountford so I could show Armon myself." Ethan hummed, considering that, just as Nivia and Thane arrived. Thane gave him a solemn nod. Ethan gestured toward Alice.

"Tell them what you just told me."

"They know?" she asked, her voice tightening.

"About the book? Of course they do. I gave it to their leader." Alice visibly deflated at that but nodded and began repeating everything. Ethan tuned her out, shifting his focus inward as the system notifications flooded his vision. Skill leveled [Steadfast Lv. 11] Skill leveled [Steadfast Lv. 12] Skill leveled [Advanced Sword Mastery Lv. 5] Skill leveled [Keen Sense Lv. 8] … Skill leveled [Keen Sense Lv. 10] Skill leveled [Mana Infusion Lv. 3] … Skill leveled [Mana Infusion Lv. 6] You have defeated [Warrior Lv. 17] … You have defeated [Elemental Mage Lv. 32] Congratulations! You are now [Knight Lv. 23] Str +2, End +2, Ag +1, Per +1, Will +2 Congratulations! You are now [Knight Lv. 24] Str +2, End +2, Ag +1, Per +1, Will +2 Ethan dismissed the notifications with a bittersweet feeling. The gains were good. More than good. But the way he had earned them left a sour taste in his mouth. These weren't monsters. This wasn't progress through the trials.

All of this was avoidable, and it sucked knowing that it had netted him a good profit. He exhaled sharply and turned to the remaining notifications. Skill learned: [Aura Overload] Do you wish to incorporate this skill Yes/No Ethan felt some relief at seeing the familiar skill. Even if he hadn't seen the first evolution form of it in some time. He selected yes and pulled the description up. Aura Overload Overload certain areas in your body with aura, forcing your body to mend damaged areas.

It was exactly how he remembered it. Back then, it had been a staple. Something he had relied on constantly. A skill that let him keep fighting long after he should have gone down. The downside was obvious—it didn't extend to others. It was purely selfish in its use. Ethan had thought about this moment before. Whether he should take it or wait for something broader. Something that could help others too. But in the end, the choice had been simple. He needed to survive.

And with mana now in play, there were other avenues he could explore later. As he read over the description, the knowledge settled into his soul, filling another slot. He could feel the space tightening. Each slot mattered now, and he already had plans for what would come next. Healing had been a priority. Now it was secured so he could focus on other aspects of his build. The notification faded, leaving one more.

Skill learned: [Aura Field] Do you wish to incorporate this skill Yes/No Despite the pain still running through his body, Ethan felt a flicker of satisfaction. He confirmed it immediately. Even if his focus was shifting toward mana, aura still had its place. It always would. And this skill had the potential to be one of the most powerful abilities around. Especially at higher levels. It was the ability to impose his will outward. To affect the world around him and bring it under his influence.

The skill settled into his soul, bringing the total to seven. Ethan dismissed the system and returned his attention to the present. Alice had finished speaking. Thane looked more than a little agitated.

"What do you think, Ethan?" Ethan glanced at Alice, who still sat on the ground looking completely spent.

"Whether she's telling the truth or not doesn't matter," he said.

"We assume she is. Plan for another group." Thane nodded.

"That was my thinking as well." He turned to Nivia.

"Take her to the others. We'll question her properly later." Nivia gave a firm nod.

"Let's go." She grabbed Alice and pulled her to her feet before leading her away.

"That was a good call," Thane said, looking back at Ethan.

"You saved a lot of lives with your original plan." Ethan gave a faint smile, but it didn't last.

"That's only true if there isn't another force about to hit us." His body wavered slightly as the weight of everything settled in. He struggled to keep his balance, aware that more eyes were on him than he liked.

"Are you alright?" Thane asked. Ethan nodded.

"I'll be fine. Just overused a skill."

"The one that did this?" Thane gestured to the blackened ground around them.

"Yeah. That one." Thane opened his mouth to respond, but a scout came sprinting over the dune before he could. Both Ethan and Thane moved immediately.

"There's more! There's more!" the woman shouted, barely able to catch her breath.

"Where?" Thane demanded.

"How close?" The scout forced herself to steady.

"They passed us. They're not coming here. They're heading somewhere else."

"The non-combatants?" someone nearby asked. Ethan felt his stomach drop. Leah was with them.

"Worse," the scout said.

"They're heading to Highrocks." Ethan let out a breath. In his opinion, that wasn't worse at all. At least not for him. But still, he knew it could turn bad if the group had larger numbers than what was displayed here. It seemed he wasn't finished quite yet, though if they had bypassed them completely, it was clear their goal was something else. But the only thing in Highrocks was the guildmaster. Ethan paused. Remembering the writing in the Farscribe book.

The group had wanted the complete destruction of both guilds. He looked over the battlefield. Then back to the distant rock formation. Were they supposed to take each other out while this hidden group finished off the Broken Dawns at Highrocks?

"Fuck."