Kael's report slammed into me like a physical blow: "Volkov's forces! Not an army! A small, elite cadre of mages! They've been detected at the base of the mountains, moving directly towards the pulsing green light! They have a device… it's resonating with the light! They're trying to… to awaken it!" My blood ran cold. They weren't coming for our walls, or our trade. They were coming for the Heart of Rimuru City itself. And they had found the way to awaken it. I knew what I had to do. I had to reach that mountain, that pulsing light, before House Volkov could harness the unimaginable power dormant beneath my city. The true war, for the very soul of Rimuru, was no longer on the horizon. It was here.
"Kael," I barked, my voice sharp with urgency. "Assemble a strike team. Asuna, Lindsy, Stanley, Borin, Thorn, Roric. Gear them for stealth and speed. We move immediately. No delays."
Kael hesitated, his eyes flicking to Lindsy. "Your Majesty, Lindsy's condition…"
My heart clenched, a sharp pang of fear for her and our unborn child, but my resolve hardened. "Lindsy will come. Her knowledge of the mountains is invaluable. She will advise, and provide reconnaissance from a safe distance. Her safety, and our child's, is paramount. Asuna, you are in command of our combat. Stanley, your insight into Volkov will be crucial." I needed them all. This wasn't just a mission; it was a desperate race against time.
Within the hour, our elite team, cloaked and armed, was moving like shadows through the pre-dawn gloom. The air grew colder as we ascended the jagged, familiar paths of the mountains that cradled Rimuru City. The ethereal green light, pulsing from deeper within the peaks, grew stronger, casting an eerie glow on the snow-dusted rocks. It resonated with the subtle hum I felt beneath my feet, a sensation that had become more pronounced with each passing day. This was the "Heart of the Earth," awakening. And it felt… familiar. Like a piece of myself, yet impossibly vast.
"They're fast, Your Majesty," Asuna murmured, his breath misting in the cold air. His axe, honed to a razor's edge, rested easily in his grip. "Volkov's mages are known for their rapid movement spells."
"Which means they won't expect us to be faster," I countered, relying on my memory of old world commando tactics and my team's unparalleled training. Kael, leading from the front, navigated the treacherous terrain with silent grace, his every movement a testament to Lindsy's meticulous training. Borin, Thorn, and Roric, our powerful generals, followed, their heavy strides surprisingly light, their eyes scanning every shadow.
Lindsy, though slower, matched our pace, her gaze constantly sweeping the surroundings. "Their device must be a focal point," she whispered, her voice tight with effort. "Something to channel the energy. We need to destroy it."
After hours of grueling ascent, Kael raised a hand. "Ahead, Your Majesty. A small clearing. The light is strongest there."
We crept forward, hugging the cover of ancient, gnarled pines. The green light pulsated violently now, a beacon in the pre-dawn darkness. In the center of the clearing, a group of figures moved, cloaked in robes of deep violet – the colors of House Volkov. They were performing an intricate ritual around a swirling vortex of green energy. In its midst, a single, ornate device, humming with arcane power, pulsed in tandem with the light, acting as a focal point for the ritual. Its intricate design was unlike anything I had seen, even in my past life. It was a masterpiece of arcane engineering, clearly designed to harness the raw power of the "Heart."
"Five mages," Stanley whispered, his voice low, his eyes narrowed as he analyzed their formation. "And four arcane guardians. They're elite. The mages are channeling the Heart's energy through that device. If they complete the ritual… the consequences will be catastrophic."
My mind raced. Five mages, armed with arcane power that could make our mana-dampening fields flicker, and four powerful guardians. Our team was small, but each member was an expert. This wasn't a frontal assault. This was an assassination.
"Asuna, Borin, Thorn, Roric," I commanded, my voice barely a whisper. "Focus on the guardians. Disable them. Do not let them protect the mages. Stanley, your arcane augmentation. Disrupt their spellcasting." I looked at Kael. "Lindsy, remain here, hidden. Kael, you are with me. We target the device. That is their weakness."
The signal was given. Asuna and his generals moved first, a blur of motion. Asuna himself was a whirlwind, his axe striking with terrifying precision, deflecting spells and cleaving through the arcane guardians' defenses. Borin, Thorn, and Roric engaged the remaining guardians, their raw strength and combat experience making up for any magical disparity. Blades flashed, sparks of mana flew, and the clearing erupted into a contained, deadly skirmish.
Stanley, a silver gleam about him from his arcane augmentation, moved with surprising speed. He lunged at the nearest mage, his dagger glinting, not to kill, but to break their concentration, to disrupt the flow of mana. A mage screamed as Stanley's arcane-infused strike caused their spell to backfire, a chaotic burst of energy erupting around them.
As their attention was fully engaged, Kael and I slipped through the chaos. The pulsing green light intensified, making the ground hum, causing a strange disorienting sensation in my head. Volkov's Head Mage, a towering figure cloaked in elaborate robes, roared, sensing our approach. He began to chant, arcane symbols glowing in the air around him.
"The device!" I hissed, pointing to the ornate focal point. "Now!"
Kael moved with a silent, desperate speed. He threw a series of specialized throwing knives, imbued with a mana-disrupting powder Johnson had developed. They slammed into the device, making it crackle erratically. The green vortex of energy wavered, the ritual sputtering.
The Head Mage diverted his attention, a look of pure fury on his face. He launched a torrent of dark energy towards Kael. But I was faster. Instinctively, without thinking, my hand reached out, and a surge of raw power, a familiar, deep thrum, erupted from my palm. It wasn't mana, not exactly. It was something else, something primal. A wave of pure force, unseen but undeniably present, slammed into the incoming spell, shattering it harmlessly. The Head Mage stumbled, his eyes widening in disbelief. He had never encountered a power like this.
Kael seized the moment, pulling a small, mana-charged explosive I had given him. He slammed it against the device. It detonated with a sharp crack, not a loud explosion, but a focused burst of energy that tore through the arcane contraption. The green vortex of energy sputtered, fractured, and then collapsed inward with a sickening shriek of tearing mana. The pulsing light dimmed, fading rapidly, leaving the clearing in sudden, profound darkness.
The Volkov mages screamed, their ritual shattered, their connection to the "Heart" severed. They stumbled, disoriented, their power suddenly drained. Asuna's team, seizing the advantage, moved in for the kill. The battle, so intense moments ago, ended swiftly.
As the last mage fell, silence descended upon the clearing, broken only by the ragged breathing of my team. The air still tingled with residual mana, but the terrifying green light was gone. We had succeeded. We had stopped Volkov.
But the victory felt hollow. I looked at the shattered remains of the device, then at the lingering, faint hum beneath my feet. The "Heart of the Earth" had been agitated, its power almost fully unleashed. Volkov had sought to harness it, to control it. And in doing so, they had brought it to the very precipice of full awakening.
Suddenly, a new sound, deep and resonant, echoed from the depths of the mountain. It wasn't the violent pulse from before. This was different. A gentle thrumming, like a colossal, living heart settling into a new, powerful rhythm. The air itself seemed to grow clearer, crisper, and a strange, invigorating energy filled my lungs. The ground beneath our feet began to glow, faintly at first, then brighter, with a soft, ethereal green light, emanating from the very stone. This was not the chaotic surge Volkov had invoked. This was something… natural. Something ancient. Something… alive.
And as the light intensified, I felt it. A direct connection. Not just a hum, but a resonance within my very soul. A vast, intricate network of knowledge, of raw, primal power, flooded my mind. It was the "Heart of the Earth" reaching out, acknowledging me. And with it came a chilling realization: Volkov had not failed. They had simply been too crude. Too forceful. They had awakened the Heart, true, but they had also awakened it to me. This boundless energy, this living signature, was now attuned to my presence, a part of my unique ability, inextricably linked to my very being. I had defended Rimuru City from a great threat, but I had also, unknowingly, bound myself to a power beyond my comprehension. And what would happen now that the Heart of the Earth was truly awake, and inextricably linked to its new king?