CHAPTER 308: 308

BANG!

Kael dodged Baldur fist ganging on him.

Kael’s boots skidded across the muddy ground as he barely avoided Rhys’ slicing blade.

Her eyes were wild, not of her own will. From behind her, Baldur came charging like a rampaging beast, his heavy steps shaking the ground beneath. Kael blocked the blow just in time, sliding back with gritted teeth as the shock of the punch numbed his arm.

Kael’s eyes darted past them, over their shoulders. His focus wasn’t just on surviving the fight anymore. In the distance, just beyond the flickering torchlight, he caught sight of a figure—cloaked and hooded—holding a strange wooden rod.

His fingers moved almost rhythmically, controlling thin, almost invisible threads that shimmered faintly under Kael’s enhanced mana sense.

’That must be it... that artifact. Or maybe it’s him.’

Kael’s breath grew heavier as he kept dodging, his body twisting and turning with tight precision.

Each strike from Rhys came with deadly speed, and Baldur’s brute force followed like a hammer.

He clenched his jaw, mind racing. He had seen this kind of control before mana threads that tied into a person’s life force. It was ancient magic, difficult and dangerous. Only someone with intense training and a sick mind would ever use it on people like this.

Sweat clung to his brow as Kael let Rhys’ blade graze past his side, just enough to avoid being cut. Then, as her sword passed him, he leaned in close and whispered in a hushed voice, low enough that only she and Baldur could hear:

"Rhys... Baldur... if you can... hit me with everything you’ve got. Don’t hold back."

The two halted for a breath, stunned. For a split second, their pupils seemed to flicker. Rhys’ blade trembled in her hand.

’Has he finally gone insane?’

"Stop giving me that look and just do what is asked for?"

Baldur gritted his teeth as if resisting something deep inside. They didn’t know why Kael would ask such a thing, was he giving up?

But Kael’s eyes were clear,calm and focused.

And for some reason, they trusted him.

Rhys let out a small breath and tightened her grip. She twisted her sword back and let out a loud scream as mana surged through her limbs. With a clean, explosive slash, she hurled a crescent-shaped blade of energy toward Kael.

Right behind it, Baldur let out a guttural roar and slammed his fists together, sparks flying as a burst of kinetic force charged up. He stomped the ground and punched out, sending a crackling shockwave trailing just behind Rhys’ sword slash.

Kael didn’t wait.

As the attacks surged forward, he spun around on his heel and dashed straight toward the controller—the one with the puppet stick. His movement was swift and unpredictable, his body twisting just in time to avoid the streaking sword slash and the explosive punch wave. The wind from the dual attacks howled past him as he jumped away from the impact zone.

The attacks screamed through the air and slammed right into the part of the tunnel where the controller and his guards stood.

"WHAAATT?!"

The cloaked man shrieked, his hands trembling as he saw Kael vanish from the strike zone. He turned to the guards in panic.

"PROTECT ME! NOW!"

The two bodyguards, both cloaked in crimson and wearing heavy shields strapped to their arms, rushed forward and slammed their shields into the ground. Mana poured out of them in waves as they began to chant, old words that twisted in the air like writhing worms. A semi-transparent golden barrier began to form, wrapping around their position like a dome.

But it was too late.

The sword slash struck first—razor-sharp energy cutting through the air with a piercing screech. It hit the barrier with a thunderous crash, light flaring outward like a star bursting underground. Then Baldur’s kinetic wave followed, hammering into the same spot. The sound of it was like a mountain collapsing.

A deafening blast echoed through the tunnels, shaking the very walls.

The shielded dome cracked.

Then it shattered.

The force of the dual attacks exploded outward in a shockwave that blasted the controller and his guards off their feet.

Stone cracked, support beams snapped, and part of the tunnel wall caved in from the impact. Debris rained down like hailstones, choking the air with dust and rubble. Fire licked the ceiling where the shock had ignited an oil vein in the wall.

When the smoke cleared, the cloaked controller was on one knee, coughing blood. His face was pale, and one eye was bleeding. He looked toward where his guards had been and saw them slumped forward—one crushed under debris, the other wheezing with broken ribs and a shattered arm.

He staggered up, holding his side.

"Damn it... DAMN IT!"

The rod had snapped. The threads were gone.

The control was broken.

The man groaned, trying to push himself up from the ground when a sudden chill raced down his spine. His body froze.

"What..." he managed to whisper, gulping in a breath of air as he turned around.

Crimson eyes glowed in the darkness, staring straight at him. Before he or the others could react, a slash of red light cut through the air. It swept across the narrow space like a flash of death.

The two guards froze, unable to comprehend what had just happened. A second later, a red arc followed, and one of them screamed in horror. His scream was cut off midway as his head slowly rolled off and hit the ground with a dull thud. Blood spurted from his neck like a broken fountain, splashing against the stone walls.

Kael stepped into the light, his sword still dripping with blood. He looked at the scene, unfazed.

"My... My... Let’s have some fun, shall we?"

The two remaining guards immediately raised their other shields, stepping in front of the other man to defend him. Without wasting a breath, they charged. One swung his shield like a hammer while the other thrust his forward like a spear.

Kael’s feet moved lightly, sliding back and to the side. His body leaned out just enough to avoid the attack. In the next breath, he twisted low and slashed upward. His blade met the first shield—and sliced straight through it like it was made of paper. The guard’s arm, which held the shield, dropped limp to his side.

Before he could scream, Kael’s sword swept around in a reverse arc, cutting cleanly through the second guard’s shield and into his chest. Both men crumpled to the ground, their eyes wide in disbelief. Kael stood in the middle, silent and still, while the sound of blood dripping echoed in the quiet.

He took a breath, standing at the edge of the impact zone. Dust and smoke still hung in the air. The lingering energy from his blade made the surrounding mana buzz faintly, and heat shimmered over the cracked stone.

His eyes locked onto the dead controller. The man had fallen back, shaking, hatred and fear burning in his eyes. But Kael didn’t say anything. He simply walked forward and bent down, gripping the man by the collar and lifting him slightly.

"Is it still working?" Kael murmured to himself as he checked the man’s belongings. "I should keep it."

He tucked the strange item he found into his belt pouch, scanning the scene once more.

"This place really is a treasure."

He glanced toward a section of the wall that had been blocked off by collapsed stones. Walking toward it, he raised his voice.

"Hey! Is everyone alright? Rhys? Baldur? Are you freed?"

There was a pause. Then a deep voice replied from the other side.

"Yes, we’re alright. Thanks to you."

"I can now freely control my movement."

Kael let out a quiet breath, then asked, "Are you going to rest or keep going?"

A short silence followed, then Baldur’s voice came again.

"We should clean this filth. They already know we’re here. If we rest, they’ll escape."

Kael nodded to himself.

"In that case, stay back a bit. I’m going to break through this thing."

He raised his sword again, gripping it tightly. But just before he swung, a familiar voice called out from the shadows.

"Stop. Don’t break it."

Kael paused mid-swing, lowering the blade slightly. His eyes narrowed.

"Lord James? Is that you?"

"Yes, it’s me," the voice confirmed. "I’ve brought the rest of the forces along with some priests from other churches."

Kael stood silently for a moment, thinking. Then he asked, "What about my mother?"

"She’s safe. I left a good number of A-rankers to guard her."

Kael gave a slight nod. That was a relief, at least. From the way this place was set up, it didn’t look like anything would crawl out for now—but being cautious never hurt.

"Then what did you mean by telling me not to break this?"

"It’s better to leave it sealed for now. Once we’ve taken care of the cultists, we can uncover it. If you break it now and go alongside us, who knows if someone sneaked an attack on us."

"We’re moving left from here. There’s a path that leads to E4. We’ll meet at that spot. Just follow the route behind the barrier."

Kael frowned, raising an eyebrow.

"Isn’t this guy putting a bit too much faith in me?" he muttered under his breath.

Still, he grunted and turned around, eyes scanning the blocked path deeper into the tunnel.

The place ahead was darker, more silent. It felt like the walls were closing in, like something was waiting deep within. Kael adjusted his gear and checked his ring.

He still had a good stock of potions—both healing and mana.

It was risky. He knew that. But there was another thought stirring in his mind.

"I can use this chance to devour more," he whispered to himself.