Chương 99: You will tell me everything

"Kite, we have more ogres incoming! Three-horned ones."

"Thank you, Serene. Dragonfly, can you please intercept them?"

"Leave it to me! Kyyyyyyyaaaaah!"

"We should press on. By the goddess' grace, I can sense the group ahead, but some of their auras are dangerously unsteady!"

"Then we move. Dragonfly will catch up. Will, are you good to go?"

"As long as the priestess doesn't mind providing her usual smidgeon of divine intervention?"" Renew your flesh, return thine song!"

"Excellent, thank you! Then witness me! Heavenly Shaft; Tide of Penetrating Glory!"

"We better make our way over there too, Serene. While that was his most impressive wave of spears yet, there seems to be no end to all the monsters."

"Please don't let the two of them hear you say that, Kite. Otherwise, we'll never get them to start falling back to the fortress in time." Stalwart Bough cursed as he swung both of his arms down in front of him, the wooden claws sprouting out further mid-swing for two thick, glowing vines to slam down like the lash of nature itself, scattering the surrounding monsters and crushing yet another pair of the scuttling glade spinners.

But even as he did, the webs of two others struck him, adding further to the mass already restraining him.

"Heavens, is there no end to them?" Dreaming Pond whined behind him, her words slurred by the acidic venom of one of the bigger arachnids still affecting her since she had been hit squarely by the spray during their last attempts to sprint further back towards the fortress in the far distance. Bough had even thought that they could make it there for a while, but the damn spiders were too numerous and too crafty for their iron rank.

Now he and Pond were left fighting back to back, the prone form of Chalk between them. Bough could still feel his shivering aura, but it was weak.

"Curse you and your weakness," he tried to half-heartedly berate his companion, but his voice failed to find the normal tone of spurring rivalry which had defined their little iron-ranked group so far during the surge.

"We must persevere. The heavens will favor those who make a proper impression-""Heavenly Shaft; Tide of Penetrating Glory!" Everyone present, even the monstrous spiders swarming the surrounding forests, froze slightly at the voice and accompanying aura, its bronze rank sending a wave of relief through Bough even as the sight which greeted him left him stunned.

A blonde elven man, clad in finely decorated armor was fast approaching them, standing at the tip of what looked to be a small tidal wave of golden conjured spears of all kinds and sizes. The wave spread out at least ten meters to each side of the elf, and carried him over two meters up into the air where he stood with an exalted grin on his face. The monsters broke out of their stupor first, spiders chittering wildly as the swarm started to scatter. Too late.

With a triumphant cry, the elf was carried upwards in an empowered leap, carried on what looked like wings of more spears. As he reached the apex of his arc, both the wave and the wings flared even brighter before launching themselves towards the monsters like a volley of heavenly judgment.

The chittering of the arachnids turned to high-pitched screeches as they were pierced, penetrated and perforated all around the beleaguered group of iron-rankers, the trio left unscathed but also distracted enough as not to notice the other people approaching them.

"Wall!" Bough was snapped out of his reverie as a series of mostly translucent force walls sprung up around them, strange symbols shimmering occasionally on their surface. While it could have been considered a cage, the accompanying aura of solidity instead made Bough feel like he was surrounded by a fortress. Accompanying the wall was a gentle song barely noticeable at first but gradually growing as it suffused the area.

Then, two more figures stepped up next to the force walls; a dark-haired human man with a pleased smile and a jade-haired celestine woman seemingly appearing from nowhere, as if it was just then that Bough's mind registered her presence.

"Quite spectacular, isn't he?" the man asked Bough, clearly indicating the blonde elf who merrily kept impaling the arachnid monsters all around them.

"Uuuuhh…" Bough, not feeling like his most eloquent self at that moment, still had trouble forming coherent words as he tried to take it all in.

"Please just remain for a while and rest. The priestess can see to your companion while Will clears up the vicinity," the young man continued, taking mercy on the exhausted iron-ranker.

"You can call me Kite, and we are here to make sure that your paths will not end this day." By then, Bough's mental faculties had started catching up a bit to the situation.

"I- she-" Taking a deep breath, he began anew.

"We had another member. Opal. She got intercepted on the way, and separated. We need to find her." At his words, the man named Kite looked to the woman at his side.

"Can you feel anyone?" The woman, apparently a priestess, closed her eyes for a moment and Bough realized that he could feel her aura now, springing into existence as if the air all around them turned out to be part of her spirit all along. And it felt vast as it unfolded, just more in every way than the bronze-ranked auras he had felt before during his short time as an adventurer.

"I can't sense anyone other than the monsters," she finally said with a shake of her head, the words seeming to spring into existence from the air itself.

"Also, there is at least one of the bronze-ranked matriarchs further away, guiding the swarm."

"Then your companion has either been able to flee quite far. Or…" Kite trailed off, shaking his head sadly at the implied, grim fate.

"Either way, we will do our best to learn what we can, and retrieve her remains if possible. Please remain here until you are ready to move, and have priestess Serene here notify me when you wish to leave. I will go assist Will in the meanwhile, and see if I can find any traces of the one missing." Before Bough could say more, the man named Kite also walked off, a staff appearing in his hands as he entered the fray.

"It looks so small. Can all that a person is really be contained within?" Kite thought to himself, the melancholy yet beautiful notes of Serene's song echoing over the crowded courtyard of the fortress as those adventurers present formed a solemn circle around the two caskets resting on the ground. Each of the caskets were made from simple, polished local wood bearing only the insignia of the Adventure Society in way of adornments.

A lot of the normal rankers seeking shelter had taken the opportunity to join the somber ring of adventurers and other essence-users in the simple wake, some in genuine sympathy while others were simply glad to have a reason to escape the cramped quarters they had been staying in for the past week. Even with such a crowd gathered, Serene's song made sure that all felt the gravitas of the moment.

One of the deceased was the lost iron-ranker whose group Kite and his team had saved two days before, found dead and wrapped in spinner silk. The other was a man Kite had only seen in passing, slain when he was unexpectedly set upon by a manifestation of five bronze-ranked monsters. While knowing neither of them, Kite still wanted to participate in the show of respect for their struggles against the monsters now appearing in even greater numbers in the lands all around them.

"Are we going out again after this?" Dragonfly leaned in to ask in a whisper as the wake was drawing to a close.

"Yes," Kite replied softly.

"With the numbers intensifying, it will be up to us bronze-rankers to try and thin out the manifestations in the area to keep them from gathering and threatening the walls. The local commander told me that the iron-rankers will be held as defensive reserves from now on, at least until the next batch of supplies arrive to replenish the defenses." Dragonfly's eyes remained fixed on the two coffins as she nodded.

"Then it is good that we are here. Because this has me really itching to tear through all of the heaven-cursed monsters we can find out there." Feeling the emotions leaking through his friend's otherwise controlled aura, Kite gently squeezed her shoulder in support.

"Do not fret. I believe that we will all get our fill before this calamity is over." As the swirls of rainbow energy disappeared, Kite caught what looked to be a jagged maul; its head made of rough, greenish ice affixed to a long wooden handle. It trailed acrid vapor as he swung it around, getting a feel for its weight.

"Anything good?" Dragonfly called from where she was resting on the charred stump of a tree, her own handiwork, her seated form dwarfed by the bodies of the three forest hydras that the team had recently culled.

"While a decent weapon, it is still another one for Peony," Kite replied with a shake of his head.

"This Peony you have been talking about sure sounds like a handy friend to have! You think she could make something nice for me too?" Dragonfly said, rising to join the team as they retreated away from the monster bodies, not wanting to be caught up in the eventual foul-smelling smoke of their dissolution.

"Oh, I do not doubt it. I'll make sure to bring you along to Bastion after the surge. I'm sure that she will give you a nice discount too," Kite said.

"Kite, wasn't that the crafter where you were effectively their business partner, with a part of their earnings going to you?" Will asked archly.

"My friend, I have no idea what you mean," came Kite's most innocent reply. Adelaide stood before the door to the branch director's office and flared her aura slightly to announce her presence. Not long after, she could feel the power of the director's own silver-ranked aura respond, an indication for her to enter. The elven functionary had barely had the time to close the door behind her before Jarvan spoke.

"Another incident?" The director sounded weary, which was unsurprising as the monster surge was nearing the end of its first week, arguably the most intense time in the career of any in the Adventure Society's employ.

"Yes. Several, in fact," Adelaide said, laying the sheathes of paper down on top of the pile already forming on Jarvan's desk.

"Please summarize it for me?" Jarvan asked, still busily writing on another piece of paper.

"Of course, director. There have been four new reported incidents of adventurers out on contract drawing near to the domain of the Descending Star sect, only to be met by patrols acting quite hostile. While a spell has been cast in one situation, there have so far not been any incidents where violence or damage has been inflicted directly upon any of the parties involved. At least, not yet." This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"If only they could patrol as diligently for monsters, then we could at least rest easier and leave them to it during the surge," Jarvan said wearily.

"But should things escalate…" His final words trailed off, the implication clear.

"Also, there has been another report from our eyes and ears out in the city. Apparently, someone has been starting to make inquiries after a specific adventurer and his whereabouts."

"Oh? While I believe that I can hazard a guess at the identity of said adventurer, please enlighten me."

"Kite flown in on Winds of Fortune. Which in turn leads to the ones seeking him. While we are still trying to trace the request back throughout the different information brokers, it does not take a genius to suspect that the Descending Star sect, or at least members of it, would be involved," Adelaide reported succinctly.

"While it disappoints me, it does not surprise me," Jarvan said, tapping a finger against his paper-covered desk as he got a thoughtful look on his face.

"Director, with all respect, you have to warn him. And maybe pull him back from active duty. If one of our members-" Adelaide began, but stopped as Jarvan's aura pushed against her slightly. While not too rough, the rebuke was still clear.

"Adelaide, I am a bit disappointed that you would think so low of me that you needed to point that out," Jarvan said gently.

"I will of course make sure that he knows, and we will see about making sure that he is as safe as can be, at least from any machinations of the sect. There is still the surge going on, after all. If memory serves me he and his group is currently out defending one of the safeholds, correct? Then make sure that his team is prioritized to return to Gilded after their contract has run its course, ostensibly to rest and recover while also making sure to include a meeting with me."

"Understood, director," Adelaide said, looking chastised but also relieved as she turned to leave." Let the song of thine soul purge the disharmony." Kite felt the tingling wave of Serene's cleansing spell wash through him, wearing away the accumulated afflictions which had continued to destabilize his body.

Since bronze rank, the spell also gathered the cleansed remnants of the afflictions into a magical charge which the 'song' burned to fuel the cleansed target's next attack to deal additional resonating force damage upon their foe. The foe in question was a writhing, ever shifting mass of greenery vaguely shaped like the upper body of something humanoid. Where the hips and legs would normally be, the thing instead just seemed to melt and spread out over the surrounding ground, undulating tendrils carrying it around.

Even as he closed in again, a projected attack carrying Chakra implosion and Void-Sunders-Firmament, Kite could see a vine grow out of the side of the monster, the vine sprouting bright red flowers which in turn started sprouting long strands of grass even as the original vine was decaying.

Without any more warning than a slight pulse of aura beforehand, the monster emitted another wave of green energy which washed over the adventurers, the life-affinity energies leaving behind afflictions which once more started dealing damage through rapid mutations. A leap assisted through his spear-wings made Will able to avoid the discharge, while the rest of them simply had to endure until Serene was able to cleanse them anew.

"Dragonfly, how is your progress?" Kite called to his friend, the fierce axe-wielder still busily cutting and burning her way through a small horde of gyrmlings and gyrmling brutes who had accompanied the monster Kite was currently fighting, called a burgeoning shambler.

"Just a - kyaaaaaah - little bit more!" came Dragonfly's excited response, her body aglow with her inner fire.

"Take your time! I, for one, still relish the fight with my first silver-ranked monster!" Will butted in as he dove towards the shambler among a rain of glowing spears.

"I will remind you that we cannot tarry. The fortress might soon need us, so may Warrior ensure that your strikes are swift!" Kite called just before bringing up his barrier and deflecting a cascade of chaotically growing vegetabilia. True to its name, the creature embodied growth, albeit wild and unhindered, lashing out with parts of its body and regularly emitting waves and bolts of some unstable life energy which started causing its foe to devolve into an unrecognizable mass.

And while it also came with potent regeneration, the group was fortunate in one thing; said regeneration was an active boon which increased as the burgeoning shambler doled out its own afflictions. This meant that when Kite slashed into the creature with his sword, not only did its soft form suffer from the explosive rending damage but his Disrupting strike also once more made sure to cancel most, if not all, instances of the regenerative boon.

And with Kite now being well on his way to having ground down the last of the shambler's rank-induced defenses, he said a quick prayer to Fortune in thanks that the first silver-ranked monster to appear was of a species and number that they could handle. Because from what he felt and saw of Dragonfly at that moment, the handling to come would be quite rough.

"Heavens, witness me and my path!" Dragonfly called, leaving a small burning crater behind as she used her empowered leap to leave the last flailing gyrmlings behind to perish in her flames. While airborne, she started her spinning special attack before she shot off towards the burgeoning shambler.

The flames surrounding her burned hotter than Kite had ever seen before, her motion making Dragonfly look almost like a comet descending from the skies as she trailed tails of flames in addition to her conjured flaming axe which followed in her wake." Wall!" Just as Dragonfly was about to impact the monster, Kite conjured his walls around it except for the side from which his friend was approaching.

This helped to both curtail its movements somewhat as well as to further focus and concentrate the flames which billowed out from the impact. The burgeoning shambler had never shrieked or made any noise before during the battle, and neither did it do so now. But from its more frantic flailing, it was quite obvious that it considered the experience beyond unpleasant.

Finishing her attack, Kite was impressed to see Dragonfly remain somewhat airborne as her conjured axe struck as well, lodging itself into the monster at a location and angle which allowed her to touch down on it, empowered bronze rank balance on full display as she sprung from it again as the conjured weapon loosened to follow. Meanwhile, Kite and Will did not stay idle.

While the monster's flailing and Dragonfly's furious onslaught constantly caused cracks to form in Kite's barriers, the two young men joined their friend in assaulting the shambler; Will through barrages of conjured javelins and Kite through projected attacks to sunder its body and eat away its magic. Dragonfly, now with her very enhanced attributes, seemed to manage the weakened monster just fine and neither Will nor Kite felt much inclination to go up close and brave her flames.

Even beneath the onslaught, it still took the group over a minute to put down the beleaguered monster, Kite's walls of force having long since crumbled and been resummoned only to crumble again soon thereafter. At one time, they even thought the creature to be dead before a burst of vitality from deep within it brought the shambler back from the brink.

"Its song has truly faded," Serene finally confirmed, as the creature finally stilled once more. Her perception power granting her the ability to see the life force of other beings was quite a common one, and ever useful for a healer such as the priestess.

"And as its song has ended, another stanza has been added to the hymn of the rising Saint of Spears," Will added, practically beaming with pride at their accomplishment.

"Oh it is quite flattering to have been with you during your first time," Dragonfly added a bit teasingly.

"Yes, you should all-" Will said before halting and looking at his companion with narrowed eyes.

"Now wait a moment. This is more of that base commoner humor, right?" Dragonfly's look of utter shock turned into one of disbelief and mock outrage as she turned to Kite.

"You- I- what have you done?"

"I am sorry, Dragonfly. We really had to have the talk with him," Kite said apologetically, hands raised.

"As a witness, I can ensure that Kite was gentle, but thorough," Serene chimed in primly.

"But- but- you've ruined him! Our sweet and pure Will!" Dragonfly protested, although not for the reason anyone who overheard the exchange might have thought.

"I'll have you know that I have still chosen to remain aloof from the base jokes of you peasants," Will informed her, a glint in his eyes.

"My path is much too strong for base innuendo to break it." Dragonfly was about to respond once more, but they all suddenly turned toward the fortress in the distance as a bright light flared out over the area. While Kite's first instinct was to order a swift retreat back towards the holdfast, he soon relaxed as he realized that it was the magical barrier that had once more been activated, its green glow soon settling down to a steady shimmer.

"The delivery seems to have arrived," Serene noted, closing her eyes briefly as her aura welled outwards for a moment.

"And I believe that it is someone we know that has brought a few weeks more of salvation to this place."

"Uncle Walker!" Kite couldn't help but to call out as he finally saw the man in the distance, speaking to the bronze-ranked commander of the fortress. As the group had drawn closer, he too had recognized the familiar aura, providing both relief at the upcoming reunion as well as a new appreciation for just how far Serene's aura senses could reach.

"Little Kite!" Walker called, not caring about the looks they were getting as he closed in and clasped arms with his young protegé.

"From what the commander here told me, you were just out intercepting a silver-ranked manifestation. I almost thought that I had to go out and drag you out of trouble, but it seems that the worries of an old man are becoming quite unnecessary these days."

"Master Walker! It was a most splendid battle, if I may say so myself," Will happily filled in, proceeding to narrate their clash with the burgeoning shambler. The commander was just left standing awkwardly next to them, apparently not wanting to interrupt what were apparently people close to the silver-ranker currently present.

"Well, well, it does sound like you have all worked hard since the expedition," Walker said approvingly as the young scion finished.

"But remember, complacency can be your bane should you let it. The-""-tempering of one's path is never truly done," Kite filled in, echoing the oft repeated proverb.

"Truly wise for your age," Walker chuckled, before turning more serious.

"And as I was just telling the commander here, your team has received a new contract. You are to return to Gilded before setting out again, with a group from the Victorious Sunset sect already on their way here to shore up the defenses. We have to leave some tempering for everyone, no?" Even as Walker finished, one could hear the roaring of beasts outside, hinting that there should still be plenty enough for everyone to get more than their fill.

Kite looked at his uncle, getting a sense that there might be something else, and was just about to ask when he felt an aura nudge from Serene which interrupted him.

"A question best saved for later," came the ever so silent whisper in his ear as the words manifested only for him to perceive. Or so Kite thought, as Walker gave the both of them a knowing look and a slight nod of approval. As such, Kite chose another line of inquiry.

"Then will you too return to the city, or are we to make our own way?"

"I will indeed, which should make the trip quite a lot faster for you younglings," Walker confirmed.

"So I suggest that you make sure to retrieve your belongings, as we shall leave at once. Maybe there will even be some more opportunities for you to further temper yourselves along the way." Muscles rippling with lithe power, the bronze-ranker started ripping at the chains constricting her, seemingly uncaring for the jolts of pain which River caused them to emit.

The disciple of Pain continually conjured more of them to further wrap around her lone, remaining prey, but had to give it to the pleasure-fanatic; they sure could find a burst of power when they needed it. Teeth gritted in frustration, River had three of her chains braid together to form the spike of one of her special attacks before the flexible links drove themselves into the forehead of the struggling woman.

She had to repeat the process two more times before the adherent of the path of pleasure finally stilled.

"It is not like you would have known anything about your reason to be here anyway, useless flesh-worshiper!" River all but snarled as she threw the corpse of the woman away. The last two weeks had been little but traveling the wilderness to find what little isolated cells she could, often getting nothing out of it but ramblings and violence.

There had been some few snippets of information that she had been able to extract here and there, but those following the path of pleasure always seemed the least caring about actual details as they were too engrossed in their path. Turning to leave, River was surprised to find herself stopping in her tracks after taking but a step, as a croaking voice spoke out.

"I- She - s-said-" Whirling around, two of River's chains snaked out to wind themselves around one of the normal-ranked wretches that the pleasure-fanatics kept as their playthings. So far, all of them had been beneath River's notice, either just mewling pathetically for help or just staring catatonically at her. But the woman currently being lifted off the ground had a bit more strength left in her mostly cracked aura, and her eyes were clearer than River would have expected.

Walking close, River's aura clamped down on the woman's like a vice, and she could see the normal-ranker shudder and twitch under the pain of contact. But River was impressed to find that the wretch remained both lucid and staring back at her with wide eyes.

"You know something." It was a statement, one that River was quite sure of after having sifted through the woman's aura.

"The- they-" the woman began anew, but her weak body failed her as her throat seemed to seize. For expediency's sake, River produced a bottle of water which she fed to the still constricted captive. Deeming her to have had enough, River pressed again.

"You know something. And I will know it from you. Now."

"They- I heard them. They mentioned waiting for word from someone. Between what they… They did to us… Such-" The woman's words were cut off by another jolt of pain, clarity returning to her eyes as they had started to drift.

"Continue," River said, voice flat.

"They seemed to have some kind of contact at 'the sect'. But they did not know who. It sounded far removed from them, but still someone they waited to hear from." The words, while still rough, brought some more clarity to the woman's haggard eyes. At her words, a chill went through River's body. Now this, this was something. Something real. Something more tangible than the mists River had felt herself chasing for the last few months.

Her chains twitched violently as they grew further, tearing away the captive's bindings. Ignoring the other wretches littering the lair of the pleasure-cultists, River took a step closer to the bound woman.

"It seems that you are quite the fortunate one, trash. I will bring you with me, and you will tell me everything. My lord will ensure that."