Chapter 107

“Positions!” Eugene roared, rallying them. “Shield wall! Archers, release!”Men scrambled to obey; the wounded dragged themselves upright while the uninjured rushed to help form a defensive line. Nick whipped his wand from his belt, unleashing four in quick succession, targeting those he knew should be dead.

Unfortunately, a ripple of silver light preceded the riders, and as it made contact with Nick’s magic, he felt it unravel.

His failed attack did give Arthur time to get a clean shot, so Nick didn’t feel too dispirited.

The old man raised his sword, and Nick sensed the charge in the air as he prepared to unleash another lightning barrage. Eugene mouthed some words, audible over the roar of battle only because Nick had active. “Shield them!”

Nick didn’t need any more prompting. He flicked his wand in a tight arc, creating a around the entire strike group and layering it as thick as possible. The men, accustomed to his interference, quickly lowered their weapons, shielding their eyes. Some crouched behind the lines of shields, expecting a repeat of Arthur’s attack on the Oni.

“Brace yourselves,” Nick hissed. “And close your eyes.”He saw Arthur shift and his blade shimmering with arcs of electricity. Nick could feel the electric hum building, making his hair stand on end. “Close them!” he repeated.

Dozens of eyes squeezed shut just as Arthur whispered, “For Floria.”

A rumble, deep and resonant, filled the clearing. Lightning rained from the sky.

Nick had seen Arthur fight several times by now. He had witnessed him hurl spears of lightning, conjure thunderous shockwaves, and even annihilate entire stretches of forest. This attack wasn’t as powerful as the one that killed the Oni, but it was a close second. Bolts as thick as tree trunks fell from the heavens, searing everything in their path. The glare was so intense that even with their eyes closed, some men cried out in pain as the afterimage burned through their eyelids.

The ground shook violently from the assault. Trees exploded into shards, and the earth was instantly turned to glass. Nick’s barrier quaked with each thunderous impact, and more than once, he feared it might collapse despite not receiving a single direct hit.

Inside the protective dome, the men cowered. Some prayed while others gritted their teeth. Nick could only pour more mana into the shield as sweat rolled down his face. He battled to maintain his composure and keep the barrier intact, even as lances of electricity bombarded them.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the storm abated.

Nick exhaled. His arms shook from the exertion of funneling so much power. Still, he allowed his shield to linger a few seconds more, just in case.

A spear of silver light whistled out of the clearing, smashing before his eyes into the barrier with enough force to make Nick’s ears ring. It cracked under the impact, and shards of shimmering energy rained down like broken glass.

That spear would have taken his life if Nick had lowered it just a second earlier.

Nick stared across a stretch of burnt land, searching for those who had attacked him. Smoke rose in thick columns, swirling against a backdrop of gloom, and at least a dozen fae knights had been struck down by the lightning, reduced to little more than charred husks.

His eyes flicked to the silver spear, half-buried in the now-crystallized earth. Then he saw it dissolve into motes of ethereal light and return to its caster.

Nick glanced up to see the motes reach the Hunt’s leader, who was now battered but still very much alive and had seemingly chosen to enter the fray. The fae’s regal face burned with hatred, and a savage snarl twisted his once beautiful features.

He pointed a gauntleted finger at Arthur, seemingly not caring about his failed attack. “You who dared spill true immortal, scum of the realm, will die. I shall take great joy in ending your miserable existence.” His voice boomed unnaturally, reverberating in Nick’s bones. And from thin air, another spear of silver coalesced in his grip, brighter and more potent than before.

Arthur didn’t seem impressed, merely cocking his head. “Oh?”

Without another word, the fae kicked his mount forward, charging. Nick saw Arthur brace himself, raising his sword in preparation for a one-on-one duel.

The surviving fae knights began to gather, clearly waiting for their chance to charge at them once more. The men exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain whether to help Arthur or hold their position. Eugene, positioned closer to Arthur’s flank, gritted his teeth but evidently chose to respect the old adventurer’s skill, allowing him to confront the leader alone.The fae had sent four companions to face Arthur last time, so how had he gained such confidence?

As they clashed, a blinding flash erupted from their weapons. The ground splintered under their feet, and the shockwave forced the watchers to stagger back.

As if waiting for the signal, the fae knights began riding the second the first clash ended without a clear victor, flowing around the duel without a care, forcing Nick to set aside his observations.Dozens of mounted knights were an intimidating sight, especially because their sure-footed steeds seemed to gallop over the air as much as the earth. Whenever one of the beasts pounded the soil, the ground rippled as if it were liquid.

Even though the frenzied movement threatened to overload him, Nick had grown adept at parsing the data and managed to focus on the whole field instead of just the most obvious one.

A blur of motion brought his attention to a gap in the frontline where a root-like arrow exploded upon contact with the ground and knocked aside two soldiers. The fae knight leading the charge lunged for the opening, eager to carve deeper into the formation. Nick flicked his wand, gathering air in a tight spiral and sending a quick at the knight’s flank.

The compressed blast of wind smashed into the rider, knocking him from the saddle. His mount staggered, whinnying in a voice far too high and musical to be normal. Nick followed up with another to disrupt the mount’s attempts to trample the downed soldier. The spell struck the beast’s legs, and it tumbled onto its side with a shriek.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

A second later, Nick whirled, hurling a gust at a spear aimed for a guard’s back. The air deflected the spear’s trajectory, letting the guard pivot and thrust his sword through the fae’s arm. Then, another of the cavalry swooped in to yank their comrade free, preventing a killing blow.

Everywhere, the men fought valiantly. Their progress in the dungeon had made them stronger, but the mounted fae never allowed them to recover from a mistake without dealing punishment. Each time the humans began to push them back, a new wave of horsemen would flank them and attempt to attack from behind.

Nick glanced toward Arthur’s battle and noticed that the four elite riders had joined in. He saw arcs of lightning dancing along the old adventurer’s blade, each strike forcing the fae riders to scatter or counter in unison. Whenever Arthur’s sword flared too brightly, both friend and foe scrambled to give him space lest the electric discharge scorch them. With some awe, Nick realized that Arthur’s presence alone dictated the flow of half the battlefield. Without him, the leader of the Hunt and his guardians would have decimated them.

Meanwhile, Eugene tore through the mass of lesser knights, leaving a blazing trail of embers behind him. He burned hotter with each passing moment as if drawing power from his adrenaline. Nick watched as the same two knights that Eugene had defeated in the earlier skirmish as they attacked him again, but clearly with less strength. The swords that once parried against Eugene’s flames were now batted away with little effort, and it didn’t take long before he put them down, ensuring they wouldn’t rise again by turning them to ashes.

Still, even Eugene couldn’t be everywhere. The men at the back and sides began to buckle under the coordinated flanking attacks. Nick could see the cracks forming in the shield wall as the men were forced to cluster too closely together. Another wave of riders crashed in, and three men fell to hooves and lances.

Although the overall battle was not a loss yet, it was clear that the enemy was trying to win through gradual attrition. Unfortunately, Nick didn’t see a way out unless something changed.

For a moment, he seriously considered using the secret weapon that Ogden had given him. He had no idea what it would unleash, but the situation was dire. The entire group would be cut down if they lost control of the battle now, and Arthur still seemed stuck in a standoff despite having maneuvered the duel far enough that he could use more power.

Before he could decide, he caught a faint murmur from within the shield wall. The two priests who had traveled with them were quietly chanting a prayer in soft voices. Their heads were bowed in unison, hands clasped as they recited a litany in Sashara’s name, barely loud enough that he could hear them.

Nick arched an eyebrow, wondering if they were just praying for guidance. But the air around their feet rippled with embers. A faint red glow flickered, swirling into being. It was small at first but became more pronounced with every word.

“O Sashara, guiding flame,

Cleanse us in your radiant name.”

The chanting went on, and Nick felt the hair on his arms stand up. He recognized the familiar buildup of potent magic. Flames licked the priests’ boots, rising with each line of their incantation. Something had been spilled at their feet, he realized—a catalyst of some sort.

A few yards away, fae knights noticed too. One let out a short bark in their alien tongue, and three riders peeled off from the main fight, angling to eliminate the priests before they could finish whatever they were doing.

Nick had no idea what the priests were trying to do, but he was willing to give them a chance. He whipped his wand forward, summoning row after row of . The second wave hit the leading fae knight in the chest after he batted the first aside and knocked him from his mount. The second knight swerved in time, but Nick followed up with a against the mount, sending it tumbling. The third knight circled, deflecting Nick’s spells with an elegant slash of an enchanted spear.

By then, the two priests’ chanting had grown more fervent.

“Burn our sins in glorious fire,Lift us beyond mortal desire.”

A surge of heat swirled around them. The flames now reached up to their thighs, flickering a bright crimson-orange. Nick felt the power increase and realized they were doing something reckless. No matter what catalyst they were using, he doubted they could channel that much power given the level of strength they had shown so far. The forest itself seemed to recoil from the holy blaze as leaves on distant trees blackened at the edges.

The last knight roared, urging his steed forward to break through his defenses. Nick lunged to intercept, creating a wall of wind that battered the creature from below. The knight refused to yield, jumping off and twisting in the air so that he could smash his blade against Nick’s , baring his pointed teeth in anger. For a moment, Nick thought he might succeed as he felt his spell buckle. But then, a spear from a nearby soldier struck the knight in the side, sending him rolling back against his mount.

Nick didn’t let the chance go to waste and rained upon him until the System dinged to inform him of his victory.

Meanwhile, the priests kept chanting. More men parted to protect them, forming a makeshift guard around the swirling pillar of flame. Nick’s lungs burned from exertion, but he gritted his teeth, unleashing another wave of wind to knock away a cluster of fae who had tried to circle around to a weaker spot.

All at once, the priests’ voices peaked in a resounding crescendo. A wave of heat washed over the battlefield, intense enough that Nick felt sweat pouring down his neck. He blinked, struggling to see through the glare of the sudden fire.

Then, in the midst of that blaze, he felt something else. A presence. An overwhelming aura of divine origin. This wasn’t the subtle, almost background-level presence he associated with a domain or temple rites, but something much greater.

A hush fell. The fae seemed uncertain, their steeds stamping nervously. Even the leader glanced away from Arthur for a single, telling second.

A face formed within the flames, and her smile was terrible to behold.