The soldiers brandished their weapons.

They barely reacted to the turn of events, facing the enemy with solemn expressions.

The closest to Noble sneered, the scar between his eyes pinching as his brow furrowed. He lunged at her, ready to end the fight before it could fully begin.

Feeling his emotions spike a moment before the action, Noble shifted as his sword came at her head.

Her intent manifested a moment before her dagger flew. A cut appeared on the man's hand a second before the blade hit it to complete the strike.

The cut did not slice through the hand, but was deep enough to sever the tendon on the back of the palm. His grip slackened, and the sword fell a couple of centimeters.

Then, as if gaining a life of its own, the weapon hovered and aimed itself at the assailant's neck.

He flinched, gripping his injured hand with a curse. His eyes flicked to the hilt of his blade as he contemplated trying to grab it with his good hand.

Noble clicked her tongue. "I wouldn't do that."

"Moving seems like a very dangerous proposition," Flint agreed with a sinister smile.

The other men lowered their blades and laid them on the ground.

The soldier closest to Syrce removed his helmet, displaying the shock of silver-grey hair underneath. The captain was a Transcendent, but his powers were heavily suppressed either by his own will or a charm.

Noble frowned. The man has said that he could bring the whole place down. He was actively trying not to do so.

The Captain raised his free hand in surrender.

"There is no need for violence," he spoke evenly, without any fear in his voice. "I am Stratos."

Syrce's eyes burned as her aura filled the room with an oppressive force. Even Noble found herself straining for breath.

"No need for violence? You are Imperialists! All you know is violence and death. I will make yours quick. That is a mercy you don't give your victims."

'Imperialists? Does she mean the followers of the War God?'

Noble had read a few reports on the brutality of the followers of the God of War. Their vicious tactics were frightening.

'Not good,' Flint struggled even in his mind to send the message. 'If green-haired lady and boss man fight, the rest of us will be collateral damage.'

"Wait!" Stratos gritted his teeth as he raised his helmet in the air. "Allow me to explain!"

"Please," Noble intervened. "Maybe there is a misunderstanding."

Syrce's anger subsided slightly. Her aura receded, and the third man, who was only an Awakened, gasped as he fell to one knee. The fourth man remained alert, ready for whatever came next.

"A misunderstanding, you say?" She narrowed her gaze.

"Yes, as the young miss says, there has been a mistake. Let us go back to the surface where we can discuss it in the daylight." Stratos suggested.

"We will discuss it here. You have one minute, no more," the beautiful commander held up a single finger. "Say whatever you like, but make it quick."

"We stole these uniforms! We are not Imperial soldiers at all!" The one on his knees cried out.

It was a lie, and so badly delivered that even his Captain rolled his eyes.

"Silence, Vharn. There is no need to deny who we are. The war is over, and the Empire is no more. If anything, we are refugees." Stratos bowed his head.

"Then you should have found a new home," Syrce pursed her lips. "Instead of poking around the ruins of mine."

"We mean you no harm." Stratos placed his hand on his chest. "If you will allow us, we will be on our way. We can leave this Realm and find a more hospitable place."

"But Captain!" Vharn whimpered, earning a less-than-gentle kick from his scar-faced companion.

Syrce stepped forward, forestalling the incoming argument. "No one is going anywhere until you explain how you know about the Source."

"Source?" Stratos raised his eyebrows. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Such an obvious lie," Noble had felt the man's emotions spike, but there was no need. Even if he wasn't the one who had spoken about the source, he was very aware of the reason for their visit.

Flint eyed them incredulously. "Why would you come this way if you did not know what you were looking for?"

"Oh! You mean the power behind the dam. It is famous!" The Captain backtracked quickly. "We had heard many tales of Northgate's magnificence and came to view this glorious sight for ourselves. Alas, the city was in ruins when we arrived. So we decided to explore."

"And find the source of the dam's power…" Syrce tilted her head.

Stratos nodded. "It is just as you say. Only before we could, we were accosted by that Monstrous Eel. Surely you saw it!"

Indeed, Noble and the others had seen it. It had alerted them to these people's presence.

The man with the scar held his hand to his chest. Already, the tendons were beginning to heal. He forced a neutral expression.

"Perhaps you would like to join us?" He offered.

"Yes, that is a wonderful idea, Rhagus." The captain nodded at the wisdom of his subordinate. "If it is as powerful as we were led to believe, then we should not leave it unattended for monsters to claim."

"We do not want any monsters to become more powerful." The Saint lowered her sword a few centimeters as her brow furrowed. "Can you take us to this Source?"

"Absolutely!" Stratos placed his fist on his heart. "We have the exact location on good authority. We will bring you there immediately."

"Oh, isn't that wonderful! That does save me a lot of time." Syrce smiled. "Did you hear that, Bel?"

Noble nodded slowly. "I did, my lady." Sparks appeared around her wrists.

"Step aside and let them through," the Saint ordered.

Flint's eyebrows rose, but he silently let the four men reclaim their weapons. Stratos's chest filled with comfort and confidence as he sheathed his blade.

"It should be on the next landing." He informed them after a glance at Vharn.

"You may go first," Syrce swept her hand in the direction of the next set of ladders.

With no other choice, the Imperial soldiers took the lead.

But they were not unhappy. They were positively blissful! They not only had regained their weapons, but they also were so close to unspeakable power that they could almost taste it.

They would have to figure out how to divide the Source once it was found, or discover a way to keep it for themselves... but that was a problem for later. Just now, they were on the edge of a magnificent find.

The Empire might have been lost, but there was still treasure to be claimed!

They could reclaim their former glory if only they were patient. Patience was key…

The next landing was different from the previous ones. It was larger than the others, seeming to encompass far more space than the cliffside should allow.

"Is it here?" the beautiful Saint asked, her expression genuinely curious.

Vharn muttered something under his breath as he surveyed the cavern. Then his eyes lit up as the Lucent Taper shed light on a nearly imperceptible crack in the rock.

"There!" he hurried to the spot in question and pushed his hand into the break in the stone.

'Seems like this meeting is off to a rocky start,' Noble cut her eyes at Flint.

'A rock pun? Is that the best you could dig up?" The man shook his head.

Noble shrugged. 'You are right. Next time I will be a little boulder.'

With the others, they gathered around as Vharn's hand twisted back and forth methodically.

"Almost got it!" he strained.

Finally, a loud click resounded, and the break in the rock grew to reveal a hidden passage.

Stratos puffed out his chest. "You see? My informant was right. He said that it is down this hall and to the right."

Syrce nodded. "Indeed, it is!" she chirped. "Unfortunately, there is one problem."

The captain tilted his head, confused. "What is that?"

The goodwill drained from the Saint's radiant face. "Only one man knew this passage was here. And my father would not have told you willingly..."