CHAPTER 183: EX 183. MAD DASH

The silence that followed was sharp and absolute. Liam’s lips parted slightly, but no sound came. Zoe froze mid-motion, her hand clutching the edge of her staff. Chloe’s cross bow, usually resting casually against her knee, nearly slipped from her grasp.

An Azure Colonel.

To even hear such a rank mentioned here, in the mortal zone, was absurd. With that kind of battle power, an Azure Colonel could stride through the Trial Wilds alone, reducing armies of beasts to ash without needing so much as a squad. If they had known about false crystals they would have suspected it’s use, and that would have made sense.

But the truth was different.

It was the raw, unshackled strength of that officer as an E rank that had carried him to that level.

The fire popped, sending a spark into the air, but none of them moved to speak. The weight of it was too much, pressing down on their chests, setting their thoughts racing.

Ethan’s fingers curled around the hilt of his mace. Even he still struggled to believe the words he had spoken.

****

The squad had fallen into a thick silence, the earlier revelation about the Azure Colonel still weighing heavily on their minds. No one spoke, with their breaths hushed as if the forest itself had leaned in to listen.

Then,

"I have found the place."

The voice cut through the stillness like a knife. Ethan jolted up so violently, his heart leaping into his throat.

"Holy stars!" he shouted, spinning around with wide eyes, only to see Caleb standing there in his usual shadowed calm.

Liam smirked instantly. "Zoe, describe his expression. I want to picture it."

Zoe pressed a hand over her mouth to hide her laugh. "It’s the same one he always makes when Caleb pops out of nowhere. That wide-eyed, about-to-pass-out look."

"Priceless," Liam muttered, grinning.

Ethan straightened his uniform, forcing down the embarrassed flush on his cheeks with an awkward cough. "Right... anyway. Caleb. You found the trail?"

"Yes," Caleb replied, his voice low, almost hollow with that unsettling calm of his. Then he added, "And I believe it leads to a Rank D Tier VII altar."

Ethan froze for a heartbeat before his eyes lit up with urgency. "What? Lead us to it now."

Caleb gave a simple nod and turned, moving ahead without another word. The squad followed quickly, weaving through tangled brush and uneven ground until the trees thinned, revealing an open clearing.

There it stood, an immense temple-like pyramid rising against the sky, each stone gleaming faintly with a strange pressure that rolled through the air. The moment their eyes locked onto it, instinct pulled at them, whispering the truth: this was indeed a Rank D Tier VII altar.

Chloe’s steps slowed as her gaze sharpened. Her face tightened with unease. "The beasts surrounding it... they’re no joke. Most are peak E-rank. Some... even mid to high D-rank."

Ethan’s jaw set, but his answer was steady. "It’s fine. We don’t need to conquer it. All we have to do is report its location to Commander Ben."

Relieved, the squad began turning to leave,

But the ground rippled in front of them. As a creature shimmered into view, its scales shifting from the colors of the earth to a grotesque, reptilian gleam. A chameleon beast.

Ethan’s eyes went wide. "A camo.."

The creature’s throat bulged, and before he could finish the order, a piercing scream tore from its maw, sharp enough to rattle their bones.

The forest trembled with answering roars. One by one, every trial beast near the altar turned its gaze toward the squad. Hundreds of eyes, gleaming with hunger.

Ethan’s lips parted with a curse, his pulse hammering.

"Shit."

****

The air was thick with the stench of blood and sweat as Ethan’s squad tore through the jungle, boots slamming against the uneven earth. Behind them, the thunder of claws and guttural howls roared like a wave that would not break. The hoard of beasts was endless, their snarls snapping at their heels.

Ethan gritted his teeth, his shield shimmering faintly with every clash against the horde. Spotting the weak link in the tide of monsters, he barked a sharp order, slamming his shield forward with brutal force. The impact rippled like a quake, cracking through the weaker beasts and tearing a gap wide enough for them to slip through.

"Now!" Ethan growled.

Zoe’s cross bow sang, each arrow streaking like silver flashes in the chaos, piercing eyes, throats, and joints with deadly precision. Beside her, Chloe’s spells unleashed, wide arcs that burnt anything that broke too close to their flanks.

And always, like a wall of raw violence, Liam was there. His head turned as if listening to whispers only he could hear, his blind eyes unseeing yet he was locked on every movement. Every time a beast darted close, his fists answered in fire and bone-shattering force. One lunge, one strike, one corpse.

Up ahead, Caleb wove through the dense terrain like a phantom, leading them down a path that somehow skirted the thickest concentrations of enemies. His calm voice broke through the madness.

"How long until we lose them?" Ethan shouted, raising his shield to block another pounce, the claws sparking against steel.

"Almost there," Caleb replied, his tone maddeningly relaxed for the hell they were in. "I set a trap ahead. Once it goes off, we’ll have our chance."

Just then, a monkey-like beast launched from the treeline, its jagged claws extended. But Liam was already there. His body twisted, one fist igniting with a violent red glow. The strike connected with a crack like stone breaking. The beast’s skull caved under the force, its body flung back into the underbrush as blood sprayed across the dirt.

"Almost there," Caleb called again, sharper this time.

But then, the earth betrayed them. The ground up ahead split apart in a violent eruption. Soil, rock, and shards of roots exploded upward as a hulking mole-like creature burst free. Its body was a mass of muscle and jagged armor-like hide, its claws long as blades. Its presence was suffocating, its aura screaming one truth: Peak Rank D Trial Beast.

The beast reared, a guttural screech rumbling from its maw, before it brought its massive claw down. The ground trembled, air shuddering at the incoming strike.

"Brace for impact!" Ethan roared, planting his feet and slamming his shield forward. Aura surged across its surface as he prepared for the crushing blow.

But the claw never landed.

As a flash tore across the battlefield, an arrow, blazing through the air with lightning speed. It struck the mole square in the chest. In the same instant, the creature’s body erupted, blowing apart in a violent shower of gore. Blood, flesh, and shattered bone rained down, splattering Ethan’s shield and coating his squad in warm filth.

For a heartbeat, silence reigned. Only their heaving breaths and the soft drip of blood from Ethan’s shield broke it.

Then Chloe whispered, eyes wide, "That... wasn’t us."