Chapter 131: Arrival
Ruined Amara Town, Holmes Territory
It was around 7 A.M.
A middle-aged man with dark brown hair and brown eyes stood on a 3-meter-tall city wall and looked at the land with nothing but grass and trees. He had a handlebar mustache and a slightly obese body.
If Selene were here, she would've shouted at him in shock!
That was because he was the character she possessed in the dream world. He was none other than Jared Duskbane!
"Haa, once I get the treasure from that sealed door, I'll leave this cursed land."
Jared's gaze shifted forward.
Only a tiny river appeared over a kilometer ahead, flowing westward.
The whole region looked desolate.
He quietly looked at the ruined town below and sighed.
Over a hundred ruined houses and even a mansion were at the center.
But unlike the houses, the mansion appeared to be in good condition.
"More than a decade has passed, but there is no progress," he muttered solemnly, and soon heard a shout from the front.
He hurriedly turned around and noticed a young man in a blue uniform riding a horse and waving his hand.
'Isn't he the scout boy?'
As soon as the young man arrived at the wall, he jumped down from the horse and shouted,
"Trouble is on the way, My Lord!"
"What happened?" A frown appeared on Jared's forehead.
The young man panted heavily and spoke,
"Thomas Holmes is marching here with his knights!"
Jared's frown deepened.
"Oh? That brat has finally come out of his shell? When will he arrive?"
The young man glanced behind and replied,
"He and his knights will be here in less than an hour."
"What?!" Jared stared at him in shock and soon asked,
"Why are you informing me this late? Why didn't Bennett send a warning?"
"I-I don't know, My Lord. When I went to the Humming Villa to scout earlier, I saw a dozen Cavalry Knights preparing to march here," the young man said in a panicked tone.
"Tsk, what an annoyance." Jared clicked his tongue and leaped down from the town wall.
After a swift landing, he made his way toward the center of the town square, where more than fifty people were gathered. Many tents were placed on the half-broken cobblestone roads, making the area look more like a campsite.
At that moment, the people were in the middle of preparing a meal.
Some were boiling water, some were cutting vegetables, and a few were gathering water from outside the town and carrying it in wooden barrels.
As soon as they saw Jared walking toward them, everyone stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads.
"Good morning, Master Jared," a bald man in his early fifties greeted.
"Casper, prepare for battle," Jared ordered coldly.
"Pardon, My Lord?" the bald man named Casper asked in puzzlement.
"I said, prepare for battle. I just received news that the Thomas kid is marching here with his knights. Go and take care of them. But don't kill him."
"How strong are his knights, My Lord?" Casper asked as he signaled his men to get ready.
"I heard he took in a dozen kids from the Spade Knights Academy and has been training them for around seven years. So, their strength should be around Elite Rank. But be wary of the mercenaries he hired. Among the seven mercenaries, six are Radiant Walkers, and the other one is an Apprentice Wizard," Jared said, recalling the information he got from Bennett.
"Just some Radiant Walkers? I alone can take care of them," Casper said coldly.
"Don't underestimate them. They were once members of the Red Sepoy Corps. I heard the leader of the Sepoy Mercenaries wounded an Expert Rank enemy commander during an infiltration mission into the Shadow Nation and earned the title Scarlet Wolf," Jared warned, then started walking toward the mansion.
"Ha, if he's that worried, he should come and participate in the battle," a young man next to Casper commented.
"Shut it, Joe. Although I'm an Expert Rank Walker and strong enough to wipe out tens of Radiant Walkers alone, I'm still not powerful enough to stand even a few seconds against Lord Jared," Casper said sternly, drawing a long sword from his spatial ring.
"Kevin, Jack, Gerald, Larry, Joe, and Samuel will face the Sepoy Mercenary members." He paused for a moment and looked at the rest of the members.
"The rest of you will kill the others and capture the young pup."
Unlike Kevin and the others, the rest were only Elite and Official Walkers. Although they were once citizens of the Empire, most had become outlaws after committing theft or murder and ended up as wanted men.
After Casper began serving under Jared, he gathered these people with the help of Crest Merchandise and Inspector Bennett and turned them into a formidable team.
"Get ready, boys! Once we capture that brat, we can turn this place into our stronghold."
As soon as he said those words, all the men gathered at the town square ran into their tents and came out with different weapons.
But unlike before, all wore either leather or iron armor and had iron helmets and boots.
With a glance, anyone could tell these people were not bandits but skilled warriors.
…
Meanwhile, Raven and the others quietly resumed their journey.
Raven, Franco, and Rebecca were traveling inside the carriage; two more people were present.
One was a young man with red hair and amber eyes, while the other was a gray-haired man with unique rainbow eyes.
Raven slightly adjusted his monocle and looked at the red-haired young man's status.
…
[Name: Roland
Title: Apprentice Seer
Rank: Acolyte Wizard (7th Circle)
Attributes:
Strength- 7.6
Agility- 6.9
Vitality- 7.8
Spirit-19
Luck- 2
Spells: Seer's Intuition, Accelerate Thoughts, Future Glimpse, Past Look, Blink, Spatial Slash, Space Pocket.
Affinities: Time- Intermediate, Spatial- Intermediate.]
…
'7th Circle Acolyte Wizard… Not bad.'
[But he has too many supportive spells and not enough combat ones. From now on, he should focus on constructing defensive and attack spells. Or else, he might be the first one to die during battle.] Zera said in his mind.
"Ronald, I want you to be the strategist and lead the battle. Whatever you do, there should be no casualties on our side," Raven said.
Ronald froze for a second, then spoke.
"Without any information about the opponent, it is hard to guess, My Lord. How many enemies are there? Will there be any wizards?"
"There should be around 50 enemies. I'm unsure about their ranks, but I'm certain there will be an Expert Rank Walker." Raven paused for a moment, then added,
"As for a wizard, I'm not sure. That's why I'm planning to send Rebecca to accompany you."
"I'll try my best to meet your expectations, My Lord," Ronald said while organizing his thoughts.
Meanwhile, Raven turned his gaze toward the young man with rainbow eyes.
…
[Name: Sam
Title: None
Class: Archer
Rank: Radiant Walker (4th Circle)
Attributes:
Strength- 37
Agility- 39
Vitality- 38
Spirit-90.2
Luck- 2
Elemental Skills: Wind Step, Whistling Arrow, Gale Shot, Silent Mark.
Additional Skills: Basic Archery
Affinities: Wind- High, Fate- Low.]
…
'Although he can become a skilled Ranger thanks to his elemental skills, his archery is mediocre. What's the use of powerful arrow shots when he can't aim properly?' A deep sigh escaped his lips.
'Thankfully, Lady Anastasia's gift came in handy.'
"Sam, drink this," Raven said, taking the 'Hawk's Eye' potion from his inventory and handing it over.
Although puzzled, Sam didn't question the order and instantly drank the potion.
As soon as he did, a mysterious power surged, and his eyes mutated.
He felt a stabbing pain in both eyes and tried to rub them.
"Don't rub your eyes. Endure," Raven ordered.
Nodding, Sam gritted his teeth and endured.
He kept clenching his jaw and groaning for five minutes.
Slowly, the pain started to fade.
But it was just the beginning.
The potion had triggered his eyes to mutate, awakening the innate power hidden within.
Sam began to feel a strange network of threads, like a web.
He focused on one thread attached to Raven's body and soon saw him adjust his monocle and mutter—
"I didn't expect the potion to awaken the Fate Sense skill."
As soon as Raven spoke, Sam noticed Raven was staring at him.
Then, a strange déjà vu occurred.
Raven moved his right hand, adjusted his monocle, and spoke again—
"I didn't expect the potion to awaken the Fate Sense skill."
"W-What?" Sam was baffled and soon realized he had glimpsed his Lordship's future!
"I know you're confused by this ability. But it will allow you to look into the future momentarily." Raven looked again at his status screen and continued.
"Hmm, your Hawk Eye skill increased your accuracy multiple times. So, you only need time to get used to your new skills and raise your archery from basic to intermediate."
Meanwhile, Sam stared at his hands and then at the strange threads connecting everything.
"Don't use—"
"I'll keep that in mind, My Lord," Sam interrupted before Raven could warn him not to overuse the skill.
"Haa," Raven smiled and took the Starflare-3R Rifle from his inventory before issuing another order.
As the convoy started to move, Sam and Ronald bowed and exited the carriage.
The road beyond Humming Villa was desolate. The further they traveled, the more the landscape changed.
Twisted shrubs, feral bushes, and spiny weeds grew everywhere. Trees—mostly conifers like pines, spruces, and firs—had spread across the open fields, invading what was once farmland.
As they marched further, they saw abandoned cottages half-swallowed by nature, with caved-in roofs and leaning chimneys. The land was rocky and poor, with thin, acidic soil.
It looked more like a forest than a habitable region. Without the dirt path leading to Azmar Town, Raven would've thought they had entered the Azmar Forest.
As they traveled, Raven occasionally stopped the carriage to study the surroundings and the soil.
"You'd need to spend a lot of money to clear these plants and make this land suitable for cultivation," Franco murmured as he looked outside.
"Forget these plants. The land is rocky and poor, and the soil seems acidic too. I understand why my ancestors gave up on farming here," Raven said as he took out a document and checked the data.
"As I thought, they planted beans, corn, cabbage, peas, tomatoes... Tsk, no wonder they failed."
"What do you mean?" Franco asked in puzzlement.
"The land isn't suitable for common crops. However, adding manure and lime or rotating crops can improve its acidity. Some crops like berries, potatoes, radishes, and oats can be grown," Raven answered before looking outside.
Along the way, they saw a small river running through the land.
For another hour, they pressed on. Eventually, a towering stone wall came into view on the open plain. Thankfully, there weren't many trees or bushes near the town, giving them a clear view. Standing three meters tall, the wall encircled what remained of Azmar Ruined Town.
"I see humans on the town wall, My Lord," Fiona said as she rode the horse ahead.
"Five humans, to be exact," Felicity responded.
"Halt," Jacob ordered as they approached the entrance gate of Azmar Town.
They were only 500 to 600 meters away.
Before long, the metallic gate opened from the other side, followed by many people walking out of town carrying various weapons.
Raven opened the carriage door and stepped out.
Franco and the others also exited and quietly stood beside him.
"My dear fellow Knights," Raven began as the Sepoy Mercenaries whipped the horses and moved a few meters ahead of the young Knights.
All the young Knights turned their heads to look in his direction.
"I know some of you are nervous and even scared. But always remember—if you hesitate to take a life, your head or your comrade's will be the next to roll," he said, glancing slowly at Ronald, who sat mounted on his horse.
"It's your turn to do your job."
"Y-Yes, My Lord." Ronald nodded.
Raven then turned his gaze toward Sam and spoke.
"You know what to do, right? The tide of this battle will depend on both of you."
"Yes, My Lord." Both nodded.
"We should do our job, Mr. Marcellus," Raven said with a smile, moving toward the horses pulling the carriage.
"We'll be borrowing the horses for a bit." Without waiting for the coachman's nod, Raven untied one and hopped on.
Marcellus did the same and drew his sword.
"What is the plan, sir?" Marcellus asked as he rode ahead.
Meanwhile, Raven adjusted his monocle and focused on the enemy group.
"We'll move once Robert gives the order." Raven paused for a moment and added,
"Only one Expert Rank Walker and six Radiant Walkers in the enemy group. The rest are all Elite and Official Walkers. Is this information enough?" Raven glanced at Robert.
"More than enough, My Lord." The corner of Ronald's lips curled upward as he whipped his horse.
"Rebecca, you will be coming with me." Ronald moved his horse closer to hers and pulled her up.
"Try your best to protect me from now on."
As he spoke, he rode ahead of the other horses and gave out more commands.
"Spearmen, to the front as vanguard." Quincy, Lorelai, Brynn, and Albert immediately moved ahead.
"Alexis and Skyler, you will be joining them too," he added.
Then, turning toward the left flank, where a few bushes and trees were located, he ordered.
"Fiona, you'll move to the left flank. Support the main team with your marksmanship. Scott and Westin will accompany and protect you."
He then looked straight ahead and continued.
"Felicity, Alexis, and Augustus will move toward the right flank. Take out as many as possible with your archery, Madam Felicity."
"Roger." Felicity and the two Knights immediately moved to the right flank.
"Sir Jacob, Madam Leona, and Sir Reece will follow the Vanguard Knights from behind. Act only when the enemy's elite members or commander intervenes."
"Yes." Jacob and the others instantly positioned themselves behind Quincy's Knight team.
Then, he turned his gaze toward the Wizards and spoke.
"Miley will accompany Liam, and Memphis will accompany Pierce. Miley's team will support the vanguard from the left, and Memphis's team from the right. Your job is to disrupt enemy morale by casting large-scale spells or creating confusion. But don't get too close."
"Memphis, you protect the main squad from arrows or other long-range weapons. Use your Wind Shield spell wisely. At the same time, use your 'Fire Orb' spell to disrupt the enemy. If an enemy gets close to Pierce, use the 'Wind Bind' spell to immobilize them and help Pierce finish them. If the situation turns unfavorable, use 'Feather Steps' and retreat to the rear with Pierce."
He paused and turned his gaze to Miley.
"Miley and Liam, stay close to the main team on the left and use AoE spells like Ice Shards and Frost Pulse as we approach the enemy. Your job is to restrict their movement."
Robert thought for a moment, then added.
"Jeffery and Jamie will act as backup and rescue injured personnel from the frontline."
"Edgar and Drake will stay behind the main team and serve as healers."
"Yes!!!" Everyone shouted in unison.
He then glanced at Raven and added,
"Move stealthily along with Fiona's team as soon as I give out order, My Lord."
Raven nodded.
Meanwhile, Robert raised his hand and shouted:
"March!"
As soon as the command was given, the main team, led by Quincy, began advancing.
Liam and Pierce whipped their horses and moved to the right and left, carrying Memphis and Miley behind them.
At the same time, Fiona's and Felicity's teams moved to their respective flanks.
Raven, Marcellus, and Sam quietly followed Fiona's team and hid behind a large rock.