Ch. 261..270

Chapter 261

"Sir, I’ve go the report from the scouts."

"Come in," ordered General Toms. "What are we dealing with?"

"Sir, the majority of the fire is made up of illusions, but we still can’t underestimate things. Within the illusions are real patches of white fire, and those are spreading as we speak. If nothing is done, the fire should spread across the entirety of the city walls within a day," reported the captain.

"Hmmm... So, where is the safest place to breakthrough the flames?" asked Toms.

"The largest remaining gap is to the Northeast," explained the captain. "The flames to the west are the strongest and to the east are the weakest."

"How long till that gap closes?"

"The scouts estimated three hours at most, but it could likely close within the hour."

With a grunt of approval, Toms stood up and marched past the captain giving the report. He stepped outside of his tent and saw his army crammed into the city’s main square. Easily being noticed, the general took a deep breath and raised his arm.

"Men! It’s time we make our move and track down the vermin that brought fire to our city! If we don’t break through the fire now, they’ll escape and never be found again! I ask now for your full strength and determination in bringing them to justice! Are you with me?!"

"SIR, YES, SIR!" In unison, almost one thousand troops shouted in praise at the righteousness of their general.

"Now, take up your weapons and line up! Now, we move out!"

Taking the lead, Toms parted the sea of soldiers around him and marched northeast. "Any buildings destroyed by our march will be paid for by the state! Don’t let anything stop your charge!"

Once the general let the soldiers march uninhibited, their speed increased and so did the destruction of the city.

Along the way, a familiar face appeared beside General Toms and matched his pace. Toms chuckled, "About time you showed up."

"Sorry, General, I had personal matters to attend to."

"Dirk, what kind of personal matters would you... Oh, right. You’ve got family here, don’t you?" As Dirk nodded in response, Toms laughed it off, "Forget about it. I can let it slide this once. Just stay sharp, we’ll need to pay attention when we make a break for the border."

"Of course, General."

As they neared the northeast portion of the wall, a scout jumped down from one of the rooftops. "Sir, I’ll lead you to the gap."

"Make it fast!"

Though the army’s reckless sprint for the city limits caused a fair amount of destruction, they managed to reach the wall within fifty minutes, giving them just enough time to squeeze past the spreading fire in the worst-case scenario.

The scout marked the gap as Toms booming voice filled the air, "Men, I know you’re starting to feel tired, but here is where the test of strength truly begins! After we break through the wall, we must keep an eye out for enemies as we follow them to the border! Ready?!"

"SIR, YES, SIR!"

"Captains, now!" Toms gave the order as all the captains stepped forward and activated their strongest attacks, along with Toms and Dirk. In the time of a single breathe, different sorts of energy bombarded and ravaged the city wall. It stood no chance and was pried open wider with each attack.

Once the barrage was over, a three-meter opening was left behind.

"Men, as you pass through, launch your strongest attack the walls! The wider you make it the faster we can get through it and the sooner we catch the fiends who caused this!"

"SIR, YES, SIR!"

"Now move!"

General Toms and Assistant Dirk kept the lead as the army forced their way through the tight opening, expanding it with each passing second.

Now entering the woods that covered the northern part of the Limneer-Trodar border, Toms kept his contact crystal in hand at all times, always ready to give pass a command.

Dirk stayed focused on the trail before them, like the captains behind them

They didn’t follow any set path but were bypassing the roads in an attempt to charge directly for the border. If the newly recruited soldiers had any experience, they would’ve felt their approach to pursuit as a bit strange and rushed. However, they couldn’t understand that Toms’s true intention was to use that fire as fuel for the soldiers’ rage, easily convincing them to charge the border.

"General, when are we meeting with the other troops?" asked Dirk.

"They’re on the way, but I don’t plan to stop," Toms replied. "We’ll let them cover our rear until we conjoin on the other side of the border."

"But won’t an invasion be nigh impossible with only these men? They may have a decent number of bodies, but they’re all green and inexperienced," reasoned Dirk. "They’d be no better than cannon fodder compared to Trodar’s current forces on the border."

"How long did it take for you to realize that?" General Toms laughed quietly, keeping the conversation between the two men. "Wouldn’t that leave Trodar’s forces wide open for attack from our remaining forces?"

Finally showing some emotion, Dirk looked back to the general out of the corner of his eye. "General... You can’t be serious."

"Oh, I’m serious alright. This strategy has worked before, so why not now?" stated Toms indifferently. "With this batch of fresh meat creating the initial breach, our remaining forces will clean through the border easily. I don’t think we’ll reach the capital like I had hoped thanks to those pests from earlier finding us out, but we’ll be able to force Trodar to surrender with help from Prachten and Iscantor."

"... I see. So this was your plan all along, even if the camp had never been attacked?"

With a proud smile on his face, Toms tapped on the edge of his forehead. "Precisely. You’ve always got to think outside of the box."

"Then how come I never heard about this?"

"Dirk, you’re a great guy. That’s why Loire insisted that you shouldn’t be told. But don’t worry, one day you’ll be smart enough to see things clearly." Toms patted the younger man on the back as if to pass down precious, well-aged wisdom.

"Right..." Dirk also chuckled but he shook his head. "I guess I did need time to see things clearly... Sorry for taking so long."

"No worries, Dirk. Besides, now that Loire’s gone, we’ll be working more closely than ever. Just wait till I tell you about my plans for the Trodan villages we’ll be pillaging."

"Alright, but tell me later. For now, we should focus on the surroundings. Who knows where those spies might be hiding?"

"Good. You’ll make a great general one day with that kind of focus. I’ll make sure to teach you everything," laughed the general, again hitting Dirk on the back.

The troops continued their march through the night and into the early morning. Most were exhausted and the army was moving at a snail’s pace by the time the sun was climbing up the sky.

"Men, you’ve got two hours to rest! Make the most of it!" Toms’s shout spread across the camp, causing each soldier to groan in either pain or disappointment. "If I hear any complaints, we’ll take the border right now! What do you say?!"

"..."

"Good, now rest!"

While the majority of the army laid down to try and get some sleep, the captains were relaxing and chatting among themselves. Their higher levels made it much easier to keep the pace with the low-level soldiers.

"Dirk, join me for a quick drink!" laughed Toms. "Before every great battle, I always share a shot. I’ve yet to lose after drinking my good luck charm!"

Like usual, Dirk kept close to the general but not too close as to invade his personal space. He sighed and got up from his comfortable seat against a tree. Shortly after, Dirk was beside Toms with a small glass in his hand.

Toms clinked the shot glasses in excitement. "To the destruction of Trodar!"

"To victory!" Dirk shouted his own cheer before downing the drink along with his superior officer.

Chapter 262

As the two hours came to an end, Toms made sure that no one was able to sleep any longer. "Alright, men, let’s move out!"

Toms and Dirk began their march, not giving their followers any other option than to obediently head toward the border. However, something that the new soldiers noticed but didn’t understand was the relocation of the captains. It was briefly talked about within the ranks and then quickly ignored as no answer was given as to why the captains were now located at the rear of the army’s march.

"Men!" Seeing how the soldiers were a bit confused without their captains guiding them, Toms spoke up to reignite their rage. "We’re almost at the border! Be ready to push through by force! If anyone is too distracted, then they’re sure to die before claiming vengeance for their city!"

There was no call back at that time. Instead, the soldiers quickened their pace and sounded various battle cries as they neared their first bloody battle.

Dirk would look back on the soldiers and feel his heart clench. He couldn’t argue with the effectiveness of Toms’s strategy but he would forever be opposed to the morality of such measures. Looking back, Dirk mentioned, "I’ll walk amongst the soldiers for a while. It should help morale quite a bit."

"A great idea!" Toms laughed. "Just make sure you’re back in position for our maneuver at the border. And keep an eye out for them, okay?"

"Of course, General."

Dirk slowed down and became consumed by the mass of soldiers that were once behind him. All the soldiers were excited to see him among them and they made sure to march onward with a smile. No one wanted to disappoint the assistant or make a bad impression. It was their chance to stand out and get noticed.

After joining the crowd, the assistant seemed to move around the army as if in search of someone. When he was almost in the middle of the army, a hand reached out and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Didn’t expect to see you here."

"Same, it’s been a while, old friend," Dirk replied with a slight smile. "How did you get mixed up in all this?"

"Well, I guess you could say that the aggressive recruiting strategy was quite persuasive. Any tips for a newcomer like me?" joked the aging soldier.

"With your skills, you should be fine. But if any of your comrades joined as well, I’d try and band up before the border. Increase your odds a bit more."

"Will do, Dirk. I’ll stop getting in your way now," laughed the man.

Dirk laughed as well, playfully slapping the man’s shoulder. "Anytime, old friend. If I get the chance, I’ll find you again to help you out if needed."

After the short exchange, Dirk found his way back to the front of the army.

’Everyone, we’re going with plan B,’ the aging soldier calmly stated in his mind.

’And what about Dirk?’ Rydel’s voice responded.

’He’s ready to make a move when the time comes,’ replied the soldier. ’Daliea, you’ll make the first move, but don’t be afraid to back off. You still need to recover after all of the illusions you cast yesterday.’

’Thank you, Jack. I’ll keep that in mind,’ Daliea replied shyly. ’Is everyone ready?’

’Ayden and I are in position,’ stated Rydel.

Eliza followed, ’So are me and Keela.’

’And I’ve been waiting for too long,’ Jack added. ’Let’s get this done so we can finally sleep and be done with this mission.’

’Alright. We’re starting in 3... 2... 1...’

Right on cue, a massive orb of blackness appeared and covered a sixth of the army near the front, stopping just before it reached Assistant Dirk.

Toms quickly noticed it and turned himself around. "Men! We have spies among us! Be merciless and attack anyone suspicious!"

As he was giving the order, the army came to a grinding halt, trying to create some space between them and the darkness. For those inside the shadowy world, they were able to hear the general’s orders, but they couldn’t even see the hand in front of their faces. Without any kind of light magic to counter it, they were lost within the abyssal darkness.

The soldiers readied themselves to attack, but something caught them off guard.

Only a few seconds after the darkness appeared shouts of the trapped soldiers rang out. Everyone could hear their pain and suffering. Soon, they too understood what was happening inside that darkness.

White fireballs emerged from the darkness, flying haphazardly into the surrounding army. Both fear and rage-filled the hearts of the soldiers as they recognized those flames.

Toms paid close attention, nodding silently as if to give credit to his enemy for their cunning and tenacity. "Men, don’t be afraid, just attack! Throw everything you have into that black sphere! And be ready for more surprise attacks from anywhere else!"

As if to follow the general’s orders, more cries of men rang out but from the rear this time. A third of the captains were now laying across the ground in a pool of blood. Each had an arrow jutted out of their neck or skull.

The captains had planned to stay back and disappear before entering enemy territory, that way the general wouldn’t lose the few veteran soldiers he did have.

Now, having sectioned themselves off from the rest of the army, they were easy targets. But they still had no idea how those first captains had died. They didn’t know where the arrows had come from, nor did they hear anything besides the faint whistle of an arrow, but they were too fast to see.

One captain retrieved his contact crystal and reported, "Sir, we’ve lost a third of the captains."

"What?!" Toms heard the captains’ cries but hadn’t recognized who they belonged too. "How?! Who caused it?!"

"Sir, we don’t know," the captain frantically replied. "They were killed by arrows, but we never saw where they..."

"Speak up! What’s happening?!" Toms tried to get another response, but the dead captain would never be able to speak again after taking an arrow through his throat. "Dirk! Get back here!"

Following orders, Assistant Dirk dashed toward the general, staying close like they had planned. "What now, General?"

"Now we let Trank’s men make an appearance," groaned the general. "Looks like I’ll have to pay him double after all."

The fireballs continued, completely disregarding the hundreds of arrows launched into the darkness. And the invisible archer continued to pick off the captains since they had made his job easier.

Within the army, a few men weren’t attacking but slipping through the ranks and approaching the dark sphere. As they reached the gap between the army and the orb, they each took out a staff. Immediately, their staffs began to glow and amass a lot of energy, drawing the attention of the soldiers and stopping them from attacking.

Jack also saw them, but he was unable to see through their levels, marking them as the men he was warned about.

’Everyone, the experts are making a move on the orb. Bowzer, get back in Daliea’s ring. Daliea, take to the air. Rydel, you know what to do.’

Following the plan, the fireballs ceased just before the secret mages launched their attack.

Not taking that as a coincidence, Toms and the still hidden Trank understood that there had to be someone keeping an eye on everything outside of the darkness, likely another spy hidden among the army.

Finally, the charged up spells were hurled into the dark sphere. A raging blizzard was launched, a tidal wave was created, a storm of boulders was thrown, and a slashing whirl of wind was set off. The dark orb was quickly blown apart by the collision of the four peak-tier spells.

However, when those spells pierced the orb, something else did as well. At the top of the orb, a large blur streaked through the darkness, leaving behind only entry and exit points.

Also, there was suddenly someone riding that incredible beast as it exited and disappeared at an incredible speed.

Again, the army had been attacked and the attackers had escaped their grasp. At least, that’s what the majority of the soldiers thought.

 

Chapter 263

While most soldiers were disillusioned by the sudden attack that had devastated their ranks, Toms was pondering what to do next. "Dirk, what do you think we should do?"

"General, are you wondering if we should either move on or search for more spies among us?" Dirk asked. "I think we should press on."

"Are you sure? If they attack us again, it will be at their advantage so long as they have a spy or two among our ranks," argued Toms.

"But weren’t you the one who said they were after time? That they would delay us as long as possible, giving us all the more reason to push forward with the attack?" reasoned Dirk. "If we stop now and run a thorough search, it will take time. The spies will slip through the cracks if we rush the search."

"Hmmm... You do make a good point... Right, let’s press on without any delay. Whether we stop or push ahead, they’ll attack either way. Might as well not waste time."

Toms took another deep breath before giving his orders, "Men! Hurry and take one of your potion rations! We move out now!"

Almost the entire army looked up to the general with some level of disdain. Not only were they not allowed time to properly heal, but they weren’t able to do anything for their fallen comrades either. But the inexperienced soldiers didn’t say anything to refute their cold general as they saw him turn and resume the march.

"Men! This is war! We won’t always have time to gather dead or loaf around to heal!" Toms added. "Now, we follow those who escaped to the border! You all saw it, so don’t forget the culprits we’re after!"

Feeling more at ease with the general, the soldiers complied and marched on with the few captains that remained.

Jack marched alongside his temporary comrades, never waning from the role he had to play. He was surprised by how easy it was to follow the plan, but he knew the toughest part was yet to come.

The march continued as the refocused army paid close attention to their surroundings. No one wanted to face another surprise attack.

All that remained of the army’s trek to the border was a single valley. After crossing it, the army would officially enter the Trodar border and invade.

What the army didn’t know was that camped on both sides of the valley were two halves of an army, one bearing a Limneer flag and the other a Sandros flag. They had arrived the night before and were waiting for the diversion army to attack and create an opening.

Those two camps were divided as they struggled for complete cohesion after the fire incident back at the camp. But they still shared the same goal and agreed to continue their planned attack.

However, they had been spotted by a sneaky hunter.

’Everyone, be careful,’ Rydel warned. ’Above the valley up ahead, we have the secret army on both sides. Be ready to adapt and flee the area as soon as possible.’

Glad to have that knowledge, Jack ran through their plan in his mind. After some quick thinking, he relayed some possible alterations to the original plan. ’Remember, we only need to delay for a few more hours. Tralon’s army is already en route for the border. All we have to do his stall and run.’

’Keela, Eliza, you two will have to be very careful not to come out unless necessary. And if you’re needed, you’ll have to disappear as quickly as you appeared. Got that?’

’Sure thing, Jack. I wouldn’t want to leave my husband a widower so young,’ joked Eliza.

’Seriously, be careful you two,’ Jack stated sternly. ’Daliea, if you should wait by the side and only do as we had planned. You’re practically out of mana and you’ve already taken too many potions recently thanks to your plan back at Zurden, so I no further attacking from you..’

’Fine... But if something goes wrong I won’t hesitate to act,’ replied Daliea.

’Okay, but if we tell you to leave, then you leave,’ Jack sighed, both glad and annoyed at Daliea’s stubbornness. ’Rydel, do you need to make any further changes?’

’I’ll be fine.’

’Everyone, keep an eye out for those bounty hunters mixed in with the soldiers. According to Dirk, they should all be our level or higher and they’re being coordinated by Trank from the shadows,’ Jack explained. ’If you’re caught in any kind of confrontation, then get out immediately. Understood?’

’Jack, what about you?’ asked Keela. ’You’re in the worst position of all. How are you going to get out if things get dicey?’

’Don’t worry, I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve if worst comes to worst. Just stick to the plan and don’t worry too much about me. I mean, I am Jack J., the Legend of Trodar. Don’t forget that,’ boasted Jack, trying to calm their nerves.

’Why shouldn’t I worry about my husband...’ whimpered Eliza. ’Just don’t die, promise me that.’

’I promise that I won’t die, okay Eliza?’

’Call me ’Dear.’’

’Eliza, I’ve told that--’

’Jack, please.’

’... I promise I won’t die, Dear.’

’Thank you, Darling.’

’Now that you two are done with the chit chat, Jack, can I let this thing loose?’ Rydel interjected, a sense of excitement obvious in his voice.

’Once the back of the army has made it at least fifty meters into the valley, then let it rip.’

The army had to slow down at the valley’s narrow entrance but quickly sped back up once inside. The natural cover of the valley made it an ideal spot for the invasion of Trodar, hence Trodar placing an army not too far from the valley’s exit.

Within the ranks of the army, an aging soldier gradually slowed down. He trickled toward the back, almost reaching the captains by the time everyone had entered the valley.

At the front of the march, Toms chatted with Dirk. "Once we enter the border, keep to the side. We’ll create an opening for the soldiers and then retreat to our other forces."

"Understood, General."

"Dirk, you know you don’t have to keep calling me that, right?" laughed Toms. "Loire and I never bothered with titles or formalities when we were alone, so you can do the same."

"Alright, Toms."

"That’s more like it." Toms’s laughter grew louder and louder. "After all this, we’ll finally be able to pressure Trodar into surrendering. It’s about time."

"But what about after that?" questioned Dirk. "How will the three nations divvy up Trodar, and what about the higher-ups in Trodar? Won’t they still put up a fight?"

"Those old fools are too soft to do that. So long as the people of Trodar agree to surrender, then those senile men are likely to agree to our terms." Toms’s laughter could now be heard by all the soldiers on the front line. "Imagine that, politicians that let the people control them instead of keeping control over the people. Crazy, right?"

"Yeah... That’s just crazy..." Dirk laughed as well, but without any gusto or real emotion.

Suddenly, Toms quit laughing and grew serious. "Dirk, be ready. We’ll be crossing the border shortly and even with our levels, we can’t guarantee our retreat. You’ll have to be on your toes. I don’t want to lose my last assistant."

"Thanks for the tip, General... Toms."

"You’ll get used to it soon enough. Now keep an eye out for the next ambush," Toms stated. "If they’re smart, those pests should attack soon now that we’re contained in the walls of the valley."

Not too far ahead, a man invisible to the naked eye stood atop one of the ridges above the valley. In his hands was an unraveled scroll containing a sealed spell. Softly speaking aloud, he uttered the words written in large, archaic font.

"Tempest Slash."

 

Chapter 264

Toms was completely on guard, fully expecting another attack to come at any moment.

Dirk was also on guard, but not to his surroundings. He was already warned of what came next and he had no interest in getting swept up in the massacre that was about to ensue.

The assistant was against unnecessary slaughter, but Dirk also understood that Jack and his team had to take certain measures if they were to face an army on their own. They had no choice but to fight to kill. There was no other way for their plan to succeed. And it would be better for a chuck of the small army to die, then to have the entire army sacrificed.

Not much later, Dirk heard a single phrase go off in his head from his contact crystal.

"Get out now."

Looking to the incredibly aware Toms, Dirk nodded and darted to the side of the valley without any more hesitation. He understood that if he wavered now, it was likely that he would die.

Toms saw the retreat of his assistant and was left baffled. However, just as he planned to speak up, he caught glimpse of something not too far ahead of him.

Near the edge of the ridge, a vortex of air was forming and growing at an alarming rate. Within a single breath, a whirlpool of wind had taken shape before the army.

Following Dirk’s example, Toms dashed to the other side of the valley in an attempt to avoid whatever attack that was. He hadn’t the slightest clue what was going on, but Toms felt like he was looking death in the eye whenever he focused on the strange wind formation.

Just as the general started to run, the wind vortex quickly neared the verge of exploding. It unleashed a few pulses of wind as it grew more ferocious.

Though they were small compared to the massive wind storm itself, those pulses slashed through the valley walls like butter, scaring the army witless.

The initial waves of wind sliced unimpeded through the walls of the valley, also destroying a portion of the camp on that ridge. As for the army trapped inside, they were far too close to the windstorm to hope for escape as it instantly killed the soldiers at the front of the march.

There was no order for retreat yet all soldiers had turned to run away at top speed. There was no organization to the retreat, only bodies being trampled over and men forcing their ways past one another. Those at the back struggled to not be overtaken by those trying to pass them.

Only the captains were fast enough to escape the rampaging retreat, apart from a single aging soldier who suddenly outran the captains.

That aging soldier had cast Feather Walk and disregarded his need to remain in disguise. Though he kept the appearance, it was obvious to the captains that the man before them was no regular soldier.

But as soon as they realized that, it was too late to do anything. And to top it all off, the captains had suddenly found themselves within a world of pure darkness.

The already terrified soldiers froze in place as the familiar orb of darkness appeared around the exit of the valley. They wanted to cry in self-pity as the horrid situation only got worse.

Behind them was a massive whirlpool of wind threatening to claim all of their lives and before them was an unknown darkness that earlier was filled with the most terrifying flames they had ever witnessed. It was an impasse at both sides, leaving death as their only option.

Some brave souls ran straight into the darkness, only to join in the captains’ screams of terror.

With no other choice, the soldiers attempted to climb the valley walls. It wouldn’t be too difficult for the able-bodied soldiers, but the chaos of their retreat led to most soldiers frantically pulling each other down in an attempt to escape all the more quickly. That cycle only led to a few soldiers escaping and most of the army remaining trapped.

Finally, the vortex exploded.

Waves upon waves of razor-sharp wind lashed out across the valley and the ridges. The nearby camp was devastated, killing plenty of the Sandros army lying in wait there. On the other side, the Limneer camp was also ravaged by the winds, albeit not as badly.

The army trapped in the valley cried in fear as the unguided and unpredictable pulses of wind whipped the valley floor and carved through any soldiers in their path.

Toms acted fast enough to climb the valley walls the moment he saw the wind take shape, letting him flee to the Limneer camp above.

However, he didn’t come out unscathed. A few pulses of wind had caused plenty of rubble to fall on him during the climb and he was unlucky enough to take a pulse head-on. Toms managed to evade it for the most part, but he lost a portion of his left hand along with his ring and pinky fingers.

The general bandaged it up on the run, not daring to stay anywhere near the incoming waves.

Amidst the chaos, Toms only caught a glimpse of another blur streaking across the sky like before. He assumed the invisible caster of the spell had gotten away again, but Toms had no time to think of anything beyond his own survival at the moment.

Everything happened within the span of seconds, not even letting a minute pass. In less than a minute, nearly half of the remaining soldiers in the valley had been cut down and there were plenty of wounded as well. And that was without taking into account the casualties of the two camps.

Once the storm cleared, the dark orb at the valley’s exit soon faded, leaving behind giant scorch marks assumed to belong to the former bodies that had burned away.

Toms walked back to the scene of the crime, red with anger as he looked down at the remnants of his army. After everything that just happened, he didn’t have the gall to order an immediate charge, which would only infuriate the few men he had left. Even the men in the camps were too shocked to willingly enter battle against that kind of threat so quickly.

With nothing left but to let some time pass before the invasion, Toms took out his contact crystal.

The general nearly broke the crystal to bits in his palm as he shouted, "TRANK! Tell me you’ve found them already!"

"Don’t worry yourself, Toms. I’m already in pursuit," Trank calmly replied. "But I’ll need to ask you something? Do I have permission to kill that silly assistant of yours?"

"WHAT?! Of course, you can’t! Don’t be absurd!"

"Then I’ll have my hands full, seeing as he’s currently escaping with those behind the ambush."

"..."

"Toms?"

Without thinking, Toms had instinctively clenched his fists even harder and shattered his contact crystal. Too angry to care, he let all his frustration and anger out through his voice.

"DIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRKKKKK!!!!!"

The survivors in the valley felt their souls shake as they saw their general shouting from above. All soldier in the camps did their best to get a good view as well.

"YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS!! YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!! I’LL SELL YOUR MISERABLE CHILDREN TO DARTO SO HE CAN TOY WITH THEM ALL THEIR LIVES!! AND YOUR WIFE WILL BECOME THE ARMY’S WHORE!! AND YOU’LL BE DISMEMBERED AND FORCED TO WATCH THEIR SUFFERING, YOU FILTHY TRAITOR!!!"

With the general’s true nature being revealed for all to see, the armies also started to understand what had happened.

They were betrayed. And not just by anyone, but by the general’s very own assistant. That mark of shame would forever be worn by General Toms, regardless of what happened now. It showed that the general and his two armies had successfully been delayed.

 

Chapter 265

Now burdened with four people on her back, Ayden wasn’t able to reach her top speed, but it was fast enough to run from the decimated army behind them.

Jack, the last of the four people to have climbed onto her back, let loose a long sigh of relief. "Finally... It’s over."

"Jack, don’t relax yet," stated Rydel. "It’s not over until we’re gone and out of Limneer."

"And don’t forget about Trank," Dirk added. "He and his best men weren’t hidden among the army. They stayed silent and hid in order to search for you guys. If he’s caught onto our trail, then we won’t escape without a fight."

Seeing Dirk unsheathe his sword, Jack understood how much the former assistant feared the famed bounty hunter of Limneer. "Dirk, do you know Trank’s level?"

"It should be at the cusp of lv. 39, but he’s always kept it hidden. All I know is what’s on his official report, but he’s well-known within the criminal underworld so that record was probably falsified."

"Do you think he’s on our trail?"

"Yes, he’s too skilled to make it this easy."

"Is he fast enough to catch us?" Jack’s relaxed expression faded.

Dirk simply nodded. "He’s known for his expertise with lightning, making him inhumanly fast and powerful. If anyone could catch up to this beast, it would be him and his men."

"It would be best to remain vigilant than to accidentally fall into an enemy’s hands," said Rydel. "Don’t let Eliza and Keela come out yet. Let them stay hidden for now."

"I guess that might be best," Jack agreed.

’Eliza, Keela, stay hidden for now. We may have someone on our tail.’

’Okay... But what if you need support?’ asked Eliza. ’Without us, you three will be much weaker in team combat.’

’That... If we’re attacked, then you can come out. But until that happens, we don’t want anyone finding you. It’s better for them to attack us and have you come as support than for you to be attacked while we hurry to help you.’

’So, you’re that worried about your wife?’ thought Keela. ’Then I’ll make sure she and I are safe in our hiding place.’

’Thank you, Keela. Please, Eliza, don’t do anything without getting permission first,’ Jack plead.

’Fine... But if my husband is in trouble, then I’m coming to save him.’

With that worry suppressed, Jack returned to his conversation with those on Ayden’s back. "Daliea, how are you feeling?"

"I’m fine."

Jack shook his head. "Daliea, be honest. If you’re not honest with yourself, that will only make things worse if a battle breaks out."

"I’ve got the Flame Tiger so I can hold my own," replied the goblin girl.

"No fighting for you," Rydel added his two cents. "Daliea, you’re in no condition to fight. The Flame Tiger should be your means of retreat, not your means of defense."

"He has a point. I’m not sure how strong your tiger is, but against Trank, it probably won’t matter," added Dirk.

"But--"

"Daliea, if we get into a confrontation, we’ll create an opening so you can flee. If not, then you’ll just be a burden to the rest of us," Jack insisted, making sure that Daliea felt a sense of duty in retreating.

"Fine... I’ll flee if necessary."

"Thank you." Jack bowed his head to her.

"Here he comes."

When Dirk said that, a bolt of lightning flew past Ayden, clipping a piece of her wing. Trank’s figure still remained hidden within the trees below, but his presence was now unquestionable.

Ayden was already being burdened with four people on her back, so the minor damage to her wing was all the more prevalent. With each flap of her wings, she grew slower and slower. It was only a matter of time until she would be overtaken.

Rydel ran his hand through Ayden’s soft feathers as he looked back with a grim expression across his face. "Jack, I don’t think we’ve got anymore say in the matter. He’s better than we estimated."

While Jack tried to imagine the possible scenarios-to-come in search of a means to escape, Rydel added, "We should call Eliza and Keela. Wouldn’t it be better to fight on our terms instead of theirs?"

"... You have a point."

’Girls, come out now. We’re about to fight.’

’We’re on our way!’ shouted Eliza, tones of gladness and anxiety mixed within her voice.

Annoyed to face a final confrontation despite their success in delaying the enemy army, Jack looked down into the trees and shouted, "Hey, Trank! How about we talk this over?"

A body covered in obscene amounts of static electricity emerged from the trees and followed them along the treetops. Trank snickered loudly, "Well, aren’t you a surprise? It’s not often that my prey is smart enough to speak with me. What do you propose, hm?"

"How about we buy you off?" Not bothering to fluff his words, Jack cut right to the point. "I pay you something you’d want and you let us off without any physical confrontation."

"As intriguing as that sounds, I’ve already been hired to slay you and your band of comrades... And I’m a man of my word."

"Wow, I didn’t realize that such a twisted bounty hunter could have a sense of honor."

Trank laughed even louder, "Oh, you are a smart one! I like that. All the more fun to play and break."

"You think you’ll have it easy? I can assure you, we’re not like most adventurers," argued Jack.

"That’s why I’m intrigued. Most adventurers wouldn’t carry a mythic-tier spell on them or have a means of total invisibility at your levels," stated the bald man with a twisted grin. "I’d be too bored to bother with regular adventurers. But since you’ve caused so much trouble for poor, old Toms, I struggle to imagine how much fun I can have with you."

With a better understanding of the famed bounty hunter’s personality, Jack struggled to come up with a better argument.

"What do you plan to do to us?" Daliea shouted as Jack was caught up in thought.

"Usually I extract all the emotions from your bodies through every means imaginable. And since you’re all strong-willed, I’d like to try some group experimentation instead of my usual solo sessions," Trank admitted his true feelings without an ounce of shame, only adding to how perverse a man he was known to be.

"If you don’t hurry and come down from up there, then you’re beautiful roc will be too tired for escape later. Why not come down and try your luck, seeing as you’re oh so confident," joked Trank.

Rydel nodded, directing Ayden to descend gradually. Once near the treetops, Rydel rubbed Ayden one last time before storing her away.

The party dropped to the ground but immediately took a defensive formation and retrieved their weapons.

Trank also dropped to the forest floor, smiling wide for the party to see. "Now, only one question remains. Whose support will arrive first? Will it be your friends or my men?"

Jack scoffed but said nothing.

"What? Are you not happy that my men couldn’t find your friends first?" Trank joked. "We tried, but we inevitably failed to locate them. So once you all ran from that beautiful spell, it was clear that no more spies remained in the army. And since we couldn’t wait any longer, I was forced to pursue you and have my team hurry back."

"No offense, but you’re rambling is very stereotypical. Can we just start fighting, now?" Jack insisted.

"Sorry, but I want you to understand the situation from my point of view," Trank stated. "Also, if you haven’t noticed, I’m quite calm even though I’m without any teammates. Don’t you wonder why?"

Jack sighed, "I’d be lying if I said no."

"Then let me explain a bit," Trank continued. "I’m quite experienced in combat. In particular, I specialize in fighting groups, so much so that my team only hinders me for the most part."

"So, long story short, you sent your team to do some other task so you could fight with us all by yourself? Sounds like your pretty cocky," laughed Jack.

"Oh, I’m very cocky, I’ll admit to that. But you would be too if you were in my shoes. I mean, just look at you. You easily outnumber me yet none of you have moved in the slightest. Are you that scared of me?" reasoned Trank.

"I wouldn’t say scared is the right word... You’d probably understand it more as praise for your reputation," Jack mentioned, still not losing his composure.

Trank’s twisted grin returned. "Oh, then I’ll gladly accept your compliment. You really are smart, knowing just what to say to get me excited... I may have to share some of you with my men after I’ve subdued you, but I’ll make sure to keep you all to myself. I’m sure you’ll be the toy of a lifetime."

A chill ran down Jack’s spine as the utterly perverse man called him such a thing. "Well, then what are we waiting for? Don’t you want to wrap this up before your men arrive."

"Oh, I have plenty of time," Trank cackled as sparks of electricity started to gather around his body. "Show me a fun time worthy of the expectations you’ve set."

Chapter 266

The moment electricity around Trank took a visible form, Rydel launched the first attack. His arrow flew true to his aim, piercing Trank’s forehead. Yet, as the arrow pierced the lanky man it never took hold of anything and phased through him without a trace.

Such a display forced the party to reevaluate the man standing before them.

"Since you’re so eager to play, then allow me to oblige." Trank licked his lips. Next, he vanished.

Right in front of them, the tall, hard-to-miss man had disappeared without leaving any footprints or a single sound. The party’s opinion of Trank soared all the higher as they readied themselves for his attack.

"I expected more."

With a sigh, Trank reappeared behind Rydel. Lightning coated his finger as the man’s long arms extended with the speed of a gunshot for the hunter’s forehead.

Rydel fought his body to forcibly evade the attack. He managed to avoid the finger, but his balance was thrown and Trank’s second hand was already hurtling toward the hunter.

"Not bad," snickered Trank. "But too slow."

Just as the finger was about to drive itself through Rydel’s chest, a blade appeared to parry the electrocuting finger.

"Oh... So you’re not just the party leader by name, but also in terms of ability." Trank’s face twisted even more as he got a good look at Jack, who had appeared in front of the vulnerable hunter. "I’m definitely keeping you to myself."

"Yeah, good luck with that. Some say I’m too much to handle," Jack bantered.

Like Trank had done earlier, Jack also disappeared in the blink of an eye using his Sudden Death skill. Flanking the bounty hunter, Jack reappeared with his sword already swinging down on the man’s right arm.

Surprisingly, Jack managed to make contact. Or so he thought. His blade glided through Trank’s figure as if the man was a ghost, unable to be touched by anything physically.

However, just moments ago Jack had managed to not only touch Trank’s finger but block it from killing Rydel. The hero quickly deduced what may be the cause and prepared for Trank’s counterattack.

With his smile intact, Trank swung the same illusory arm at Jack. That time it made full contact with Jack’s sword and forced him back a couple of meters. The leftover static electricity on Jack’s sword numbed his hand, feeding some of Jack’s fears and proving that the four versus one scenario may not give them an advantage.

"You’ve got some strange skills, huh Trank?"

"Indeed." Trank proudly bowed to Jack, not fearing any possible attack that might come as he did so.

Jack explained his thoughts out loud, "I’m guessing that your phasing ability is a skill you’ve either paid a high price for or you’ve developed yourself. It lets you use your speed to the fullest, making minute movements to dodge an attack while still appearing to receive it."

"You’re correct. You’re one of the few who managed to deduce that," stated Trank. "Then again, most don’t live long enough to properly witness it in the first place."

"But that’s not why you specialize in facing groups," Jack continued. "Even when I block your attacks, I still feel a numbing effect from the overwhelming static electricity. You don’t need anyone to support you because you’re able to support yourself by controlling the flow of any fight you’re in."

Trank’s eyes widened as he again bowed. "Splendid, absolutely splendid. Now that you know of my abilities, have you come up with a strategy to face me?"

"I may not look it, but I have a lot of PvP experience, so I think I already understand your build."

"PvP? My build?" Trank finally showed some confusion. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I know you’re a glass cannon," Jack explained with a smile of his own. "You’ve increased your speed and attack power to their limits, but you’ve ignored your defenses completely. And to make up for your lack of defense, you’ve created a strategy that mixes your incredible speed with your ability to stun opponents. But if even one attack lands on you properly, then you’re done for."

The man’s smile twisted all the more as Trank spastically popped his neck to loosen up.

A moment of silence passed as Jack’s party members took his words to heart in an attempt to better prepare themselves.

Daliea soon heard a voice in her head. ’When I signal, you run with the Flame Tiger.’

She said nothing in response but quietly nodded as she kept a close eye on the threatening presence before her.

"To deduce all that so quickly... Who are you, anyway?" Trank asked giddily.

"Nobody, just a guy who wants to make sure Trodar stays safe," replied Jack.

"Then I guess I’ll have to coax the truth out of you... But I’ll have to save that for later when we’re alone. For now, I should get serious or you might force me to share my prey."

A pulse of electricity burst from Trank, hitting each of the party members and forcibly tensing up their bodies. At the same time, Trank struck back at the hunter who had first targeted him.

Jack managed to again block the attack, but it was much cruder and sloppier due to fighting the static electricity coursing through him.

"You must be the one who nearly killed Toms, correct?" Trank giggled as he pointed to Rydel. "I’ve never seen such an arrow used on a human before. It was quite amusing to see old Toms writhing in pain for once."

All while speaking, Trank lunged back to the hunter. "Too bad I had to save the man."

Rydel was forced to defend himself as Jack was too slow to perform consecutive blocks while fighting the static. The hunter chose an interesting tactic, one that caught even Trank off guard.

As Trank lunged toward Rydel’s chest, Rydel merely leaned to take the blow directly with his shoulder. The finger pierced his flesh and rendered his left arm useless, but Rydel’s right arm held a dagger aiming for Trank’s extended elbow. However, he was too slow to disable the bounty hunter and Rydel only managed to wound Trank, hindering the attack speed of his right arm.

"You... You’re fun too..." Trank laughed as he jumped back to avoid further damage. "Are you all like this?"

Again, Trank disappeared but he resumed the conversation. "You... You were the illusion man?"

He struck forward with his left arm, aiming for Daliea’s neck. Trank’s face showed an expression of pure pleasure as he relished in the excitement of finding such wonderful playthings.

’Now!’

That shout went of in Daliea’s head as Jack appeared between her and Trank. But unlike before, Jack wasn’t attempting to block or parry the attack. Stealing Rydel’s strategy, he made sure to protect Daliea with his chest as he swung his glowing sword across Trank’s torso.

The two men traded attacks as Daliea brought out her Flame Tiger and mounted him.

More riled up than ever, Trank stepped back and ran a finger along his bloodied chest before sucking it clean. "Oh... I’m going to enjoy you."

But as the Flame Tiger dashed away, everyone heard the crackle of a lightning bolt.

Electricity ran over the bodies of Daliea and the Flame Tiger as they fell to the ground, barely moving. What followed was the sudden disappearance and reappearance of Trank, who now stood over both of them.

Jack watched in horror and groaned as felt his body fight the numbing blow he had just taken. And his mind was rattled, trying to understand who Trank was unaffected by his Stunning Blow attack.

All the hero could do was watch as Trank thrust his finger into the Flame Tiger’s skull, extracting its life.

Daliea, fully incapable of moving, looked back to Jack and the party. She noticed the arrow heading toward Trank, as well as the defensive position of Dirk. What she focused on was the agony on Jack’s face.

The goblin girl smiled. That was all she could do after taking that lighting bolt

 

Chapter 267

Trank’s finger crackled as electricity ran over it and the man let the arrow phase through him. "That’s one down." He mocked them as he reached forward for his next killing strike. However, he found himself unable to move either of his arms.

Vines from the nearby undergrowth had started to wrap around him.

"Stay away from her!"

That familiar voice shouted as more vines reached out and pulled Daliea away from the bounty hunter.

Jack forced himself to stand up, bearing the pain as he saw Eliza and Keela descend from Appa above. Some water in his eyes still ran but in gladness, not sorrow.

While Trank destroyed the vines crowding his body, Keela waved her staff and removed the stun placed on Jack and Daliea. With both supports to back them up, the party was feeling a bit more optimistic about the situation.

"So, you won the race, huh? No matter. My men will be here shortly," stated Trank, now acting more serious than perverse. "You’ve earned my respect lasting this long and somehow keeping her alive, despite losing such a precious Flame Tiger. I can accept killing the others, but please don’t make me have to kill you, Mr. Party Leader."

Not saying a word verbally, Jack refocused himself and stored Appa as Keela healed him and Rydel. Though Rydel’s wound wasn’t fully healed, at least he could use a bow now, albeit slower than he would wish.

’We need to hurry and kill him. His team will be here any second, and there’s no telling what will happen if they help him.’

’Then you’ll need Bowzer, Jack,’ Rydel flat out stated his opinion. ’We don’t want to reveal ourselves, but would you rather die? Bowzer’s the only one he can’t touch, and if you use your flame body then it’s the same as revealing Bowzer.’

Not disagreeing with Rydel, Jack ordered, ’Bring out your companions. Do it now while you have the chance.’

All at once, more beasts appeared to join the battle. Eliza’s dryad emerged with an aura of life and vibrant energy to bless the party members with increased mana. Keela’s fairy shone a light on the entire party, blessing them with partial health regen.

Ayden and Appa were kept away, as to both offer a getaway and to also not reveal their location due to the giant bird that’s visible at a distance.

Bowzer finally emerged, more anxious than ever to get out and join a fight instead of only spitting out a few fireballs. His bestial instincts took over the moment he saw Trank standing over the corpse of the Flame Tiger, the beast that had only recently befriended.

"That’s... Wait, are you with the Adventurers Association?" Trank couldn’t help but ask when he saw the fox.

Rumors of an adventuring hero named Jack and his companion Hell-flame Fox were traveling across the continent. They were only rumors and most didn’t believe them, but Trank felt it was too much a coincidence considering the skill of the young man and the sudden appearance of a fire-red fox.

Jack’s only response was the activation of his flame body as he used Sudden Death to charge the man.

Not daring to take that flame unprotected, Trank evaded the attack, but only to notice the fangs of the now flaming fox barreling towards him. Again, he dodged the attack and created some distance between him and his fiery opponents.

"I don’t like the idea of antagonizing the association, but if it means playing with you two then I won’t be able to help myself."

While Trank gathered more and more electricity around him, a few figures appeared from the forest.

"Men, these two are mine. No matter what, don’t interfere with my game!" Trank shouted ecstatically. "Now I can focus on my true prey."

Not wasting a moment, the six new arrivals leaped into action. Two targeted Dirk as the remaining four fought alone.

’Protect Daliea!’ Jack’s order blared in Bowzer’s head.

’But Jack--’

’Now!’

Unwillingly, Bowzer snarled at Trank before darting back toward the other party members.

Jack kept a grasp of the big picture and understood that while the others were very capable, two supports and a weakened Rydel wouldn’t be able to handle protecting Daliea on their own. They needed someone who could attack head-on, and the usual candidate for that was either in Prachten, busy with Trank, or completely out of mana. Dirk could possibly fill that role, but he was already being double-teamed, making that highly unlikely.

Trank also understood this, which is why he hurled himself at the turned-around fox. However, he was met with the reappearing Jack who was covered in living flames.

Backing away, Trank asked, "That ability of yours resembles that of the fox. How are you able to use it?"

Jack cast both Feather Walk and Flame Burst as he charged his opponent. Though Trank narrowly avoided it, some of his clothes were catching fire as the flames got too close for comfort.

"Can’t we discuss this like men, not only with our fists but with words also?"

Still ignoring Trank’s statements, Jack focused on attacking and attacking alone. His Sudden Death allowed him to appear behind Trank, nearly pinning the man against a tree.

Anticipating the predictable attack, Trank pushed off the tree to increase his speed but was rudely interrupted as Jack had not attacked but instead used Sudden Death again to cut him off. And since he was already in motion, Trank’s perverse smile reemerged as he was forced to trade blows with Jack.

Jack’s Penetrating Fist boosted by his flame body bore into Trank’s chest, but he was forced to accept five piercing fingers from the lanky man in return.

Somewhat regretful of his attack choice, Trank noticed the terrible burns across his hand. Most of the skin was gone and a lot of his hand’s muscles were nothing but char. He also took notice of his bare, burnt chest as he spat up blood from the internal damage.

Jack didn’t appear to have taken any damage thanks to his flame body, but he wasn’t faring any better. His flame body meant he sacrificed defense for strength, just like Trank’s glass cannon build.

"I see... You felt that it would be better for your fox to help defend the others and were confident in your own abilities," stated Trank, still licking his lips. "That was a smart bet. But either way, you won’t come out victorious."

Cracks of thunder rang out as two bolts of lightning rained down from the sky and consecutively struck Jack.

"Aah!"

Not missing an opening, Trank lunged at Jack, who managed to step back and avoid the slash of electricity.

Shaking the stun off, Jack’s high-temperature blood was coursing too quickly to be permanently slowed with his flame body active. But he did feel a sharp pain in his chest from where Trank had swiped just a moment ago.

That was when Jack noticed Trank licking blood from a pair of steel claws adorned on his hands. "So, you still bleed in that form? Then you can still die."

A brilliant flash filled the area, blinding not only Jack but everyone else, including Trank’s own men.

On guard and ready, Jack braced himself for the next attack while keeping his depleting mana in mind. When the light faded Jack activated Penetrating Fist, ready to trade blows yet again. But he couldn’t find Trank.

"AAAHH..."

That cry took the life out of Jack’s eyes. The hero deactivated Penetrating Fist and instead activated Sudden Death as he raced to his party.

However, Bowzer beat Jack to the punch. The flaming fox grew larger, catching the trees on fire as his anger caused Bowzer’s flame body to turn white-hot. He attacked at full speed while abandoning defense entirely.

Trank only snickered as he dodged the attack and licked the blood of his most recent victim from his claws.

 

Chapter 268

While Bowzer remained at Eliza’s side, Trank backed away toward the incoming Jack.

"You seem to be quite attached to that one. Show me your rage," Trank mocked Jack while licking his lips, savoring the reactions he was receiving.

In a fit of anger, Jack’s charge was coming at full power. However, that left him wide open to a counterattack from the nimble Trank. Jack’s fist glanced the man’s side in return for Trank’s slash across Jack’s back.

"Not bad for losing control. But you’ll need to be smarter than that if you want any hope of saving yourselves."

As the two party leaders faced each other in the growing heat of battle, faint red light started to envelop Eliza’s fallen body. Bowzer defended her as Trank’s men were in shock of the sight. The red glow soon amassed into an ethereal lily at her bosom and sank into Eliza’s chest. Once it was fully absorbed into her corpse, the energy dispersed rapidly and the hole in Eliza’s neck resealed itself.

Breath rushed back into Eliza’s lungs and her blood started to pump anew. Her paling face had blood rushing through it yet again.

Out of reflex, Eliza shot back up. As she sat on the ground, a look of confusion and worry filled her eyes.

"Eliza, don’t waste any more time!"

Her attention was brought back to the current situation as Eliza looked back to Keela. "But... How am I--"

"No time for that! We need you!" Keela shouted while keeping track of everyone’s health and status, directing her efforts to keep her comrades alive.

Eliza refocused herself and rejoined the battle she had been forcefully removed from, bewildering Trank’s men and causing them to worry.

"Men, don’t mind her!" exclaimed Trank for all to hear. "That only proves how wealthy these travelers are. They had such a powerful recovery item that could revive one’s self... I wonder how many more they have?"

Jack calmed down slightly as Eliza got back on her feet, feeling all the more grateful to Argyle and his generosity to sell him the Phoenix Lilies. On the other hand, he despised Trank all the more.

’Eliza, stay alive... Please.’

’... Of course. You too.’

After a quick mental exchange, both Eliza and Jack returned to the action.

"Come, boy. Don’t tell me that’s all you’ve got? How can the association’s rising hero be so simple and boring?"

Looking Trank in the eye, Jack took out a dark red sword. It didn’t give off any special aura or seem too expensive, but it wasn’t showing any sign of damage in the fiery hands that wielded it.

"What an interesting blade... Show me what it can do, or I might get bored and kill one of your friends to pass the time."

Unaffected by Trank’s trach talk for the time being, Jack jumped forward. As Trank sidestepped, Jack activated Sudden Death and flanked him. The blade started to glow blood-red as it tried to pierce through Trank’s chest.

"Still too slow." Trank leaned back as the blade reached full extension. But to his dismay, the blood-red glow left the blade and continued to drive itself into Trank’s torso.

Somewhat startled, Trank activated his skill to vanish and reappear a ways back.

As he caught his breath, Trank felt proud of his choice to waste a skill to evade the attack. He took note of the blood-red glow’s reach so he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

"Too slow."

Trank looked back to see Jack behind him, resetting himself for another Blood Thrust attack. Seeing Jack’s leading arm about to pierce his back, Trank decided to dodge to the side of the thrust in order to be most efficient.

As the glowing blade neared the evading Trank, it stopped. And then, it started to go backward.

What Trank wasn’t expecting was Jack’s deactivation of Blood Thrust and his use of its momentum to hurl a Penetrating Fist with even more speed. It wasted more mana, but it gave Jack the opening.

Eating the flaming fist, Trank coughed up more blood as he was launched into a nearby tree.

Jack looked closely at his almost empty mana bar. Even with the dryad’s blessing in place, he was practically running on empty.

Also, Jack noticed something wrong with his left hand. He wasn’t able to use it or even clench it in a fist.

"Not bad... for a young boy," coughing blood between words, Trank stood himself back up on slightly shaky feet. "You’re good, I’ll give you that. But you should be out of mana by now, at least in a few moments. What will you do then?"

That thought was already being pondered in Jack’s mind. He understood that Eliza wasn’t close enough to their current battleground to support Jack, and he was also against getting closer to her as she had already been killed by Trank, using up her Phoenix Lily.

Jack pulled out an elixir and tried to hurry it to his lips, but Trank suddenly appeared before him.

"Not while I’m here," Trank chuckled.

Jack managed to avoid Trank’s assault, but the bounty hunter wasn’t targeting Jack. He was targeting the bottle.

While Jack gained some distance, the bottle had already broken and the elixir spilled.

Working at full speed, Jack’s train of thought plowed through every idea and strategy it could create to win the current encounter.

Trank casually tilted his head, ignoring the massive amount of damage that his torso had taken thus far. "What is it? You’re really out of mana? I’m not sure what level you are, but I’m certain you’re lower than me. But I must say, you’re mana reserves must be quite vast for your level."

Not daring to respond, Jack stayed focused on Trank. He had enough mana to activate one last attack.

Taking all things into consideration, Jack finally reached a conclusion as to what he could do.

’Rydel, use the life spring jewel.’

’Huh... Whaaaaat?!’

Rydel said more, but Jack paid the hunter no mind. He was busy trying to execute a plan for Trank’s death.

"Well, are you coming at me?" Trank asked nonchalantly. "Or shall I come to you?"

Jack was unfazed and gave no response.

"Very well, then here I cooome," joked Trank.

Trank flashed his twisted smile as he lunged at Jack. The hero remained unmoved so Trank continued his assault as planned.

Lightning flickered across his claws as the first one reached for Jack’s thigh, easily piercing and wounding him. But Jack was still motionless.

As the first claw was retracted, the second plunged toward Jack’s heart, a blow that Jack wound be forced to evade at least partially. But instead, Jack took the blow head-on without flinching. The blade bore into Jack’s chest and hit its target despite Trank’s anticipation.

However, Trank saw the blood-red glow of Jack’s blade rushing toward his own heart. Only then did he realize Jack’s plan.

Both attacks cleanly entered their targets, and both targets remained motionless.

On the other side of the battlefield, those on both sides paid close attention to the battle of their leaders. When they saw the final exchange, their fighting ceased.

No one could believe what just happened.

Trank’s men found it unfathomable that Jack had managed to kill their leader, even if it was by sacrificing his own life. And Jack’s party was shocked by the reckless tactic that Jack chose.

Jack had decided that so long as he managed to kill off Trank, it would give his team the edge over Trank’s men. He would need to be resurrected, but his corpse would carry such an item anyway. With him eventually coming back to life, he felt that being killed was a fair trade and a victory.

Of all the party, Bowzer was the one who was hit the hardest by the sight.

The fox’s previous anger to Eliza being killed was dwarfed by his sudden surge of rage. He trembled at the thought of losing Jack. Imagining a life without him had become unthinkable for the fox.

 

Chapter 269

Bowzer’s flame body trembled. It suddenly started to grow rampantly and uncontrollably. The tinge of red in Bowzer’s flames was growing darker and darker, nearly becoming black. The Hell-flame Fox soon grew to a height well above the trees’, terrifying everyone below.

Trank’s men were shaken. Not only had they lost their boss, but now, just like in legends, a Hell-flame Fox was about to rampage against them.

The party members were also mortified, especially Dirk who didn’t know about Bowzer or his origins.

All Bowzer could think about were the people who caused all of this. He pictured General Toms and the army that forced Jack to take action without any real support from Trodar. He pictured Trank’s men and how they forced Jack to fight alone against Trank. And he also pictured Trank, but he was only angered further by the fact that Trank was already dead, not letting Bowzer have the chance to slaughter him.

While Bowzer was turning his full attention to Trank’s men, who had already begun to run ion fear, the other party members heard a distant laugh that sent chills down their spines.

They looked away from Bowzer as the enraged fox chased after the frantic bounty hunters and Trank tilted his head to get a better look at them.

"My, that was close..." Trank removed his hand from Jack’s chest and kicked the limp body away, forcing Jack’s sword out of his own torso. "That has to be closest anyone’s come to doing me in."

"B-but... How..." Eliza’s eyes were already overrun with tears. "How are you..."

"Take a look."

Trank ran his claw along his torso, revealing the wound that Jack had just given him. It was a clean jab on the right side of his chest, not the left.

"I may not have been able to dodge it with my phasing skill, but it allowed me to redirect it." Without wasting another second, Trank retrieved a fancy bottle from his storage and downed its contents in one go.

Everyone was mortified as they saw the opening in his chest start to close up.

"That full potion may not be able to heal all the internal damage that boy caused me, but it restores enough HP and mana to play with the rest of you," cackled Trank.

"Huh?"

One more voice broke the party’s stupor and caught Trank’s attention. "So, you did have a means of resurrection like your lady friend."

Red energy dispersed from around Jack’s newly revived body, just as it did when Eliza revived before. But he and most of his party members were far more shocked than Trank.

"But before I deal with you, let’s even the playing field a little."

As Trank laughed, Jack was suddenly reminded of the threat he and the others faced but his confusion upon revival already gave Trank an opening to attack.

"Do you have another one?"

That question warned Eliza of the danger looming behind her. She did her best to move away from the twisted man, only to see his hand reaching for her chest.

But that hand never reached its target.

Blood was spilled as the hand bore into its victim’s flesh, claiming yet another life. The corpse was falling on top of Eliza, having anticipated Trank’s attack and pushed Eliza out of harm’s way.

Trank stepped back and licked his blade clean. "Smart move. I’ll give her that."

"Keela!" Eliza’s watery eyes were given no rest as she looked at Keela’s paling face. Even as the blood left Keela’s cheeks, Eliza could feel the warmth in Keela’s slight smile.

Jack was already back on the warpath, having received more health and mana somehow upon his unexpected revival.

Trank smiled delightfully as he parried Jack’s attacks. And since Jack hadn’t yet reactivated his flame body, he didn’t have to waste any mana to use a skill and evade.

"You’re feisty. I like that. Maybe I should kill all the others to see how reckless you become."

As Trank finished his taunt, he created another blinding flash to hide his next movements.

Jack turned and rushed back to his party, making sure to get close enough to use Sudden Death and protect anyone who would need it. However, as he darted for his companions, Jack spat up blood. A bladed claw had pierced his side.

Falling to his knees, Jack looked back to see Trank licking Jack’s blood from the removed claw.

"You’re still too green and easily goaded, my toy," stated Trank. "Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to play with your friends while you recover."

Not giving Jack a chance to react, Trank disappeared again, unafraid of Jack’s interference.

’Drink a potion, now!’ Rydel’s voice echoed in Jack’s mind.

Jack followed it out of reflex and noticed Rydel throwing a slew of knives at the reappearing Trank. Jack put the potion to his lips while Rydel dove to cover the vulnerable Daliea.

"Close." Trank scoffed at Rydel’s vain attempts to slow him down. He allowed the knives to phase through him before Trank struck with lightning speed. "But not close enough."

In a fraction of a second, Trank thrust his claw into Rydel, Daliea’s meat shield.

Without any hesitation, Trank moved quickly to the other side of Daliea, effectively flanking her. He swiped for her neck with the aim to kill. Based on how much the team focused on protecting her, Trank assumed that she had no means for resurrection.

"NOOO!!"

Jack was back in action after healing enough to fight with his wounds and he was already halfway through a Blood Thrust toward Trank’s side.

Trank side-stepped again, narrowly avoiding the blow and creating a small space between him and Jack. Then he laughed, "You were so close."

Not understanding what Trank meant, Jack squinted angrily at the man. But he suddenly felt something hit the back of his leg.

"Go ahead, look. I won’t make a move," Trank chuckled. "Remember, I’m a man of my word."

Curious what that was, Jack stole a peeking glance at the back of his feet only to find himself unable to look away.

There lied Daliea with blood running from a slit in her neck.

Trank continued to mock Jack, "Oh, and you should take a look at the other one too. I thought she’d be back up by now considering how she threw herself to save that woman."

Jack looked back to Keela, only to see that no red energy had gathered around her. She remained lifeless in Eliza’s arms.

"You... What have you done?" muttered Jack.

"Me? I’m just doing my job, so why get so flustered," Trank’s laughter got louder. "If anything, you should’ve expected me to be a heartless killer that always gets my prey. Didn’t Dirk warn you?"

"Shut up..." Flames burst forth from Jack. "Shut up already..."

"Oh, and if you want to save your little pet you should hurry," added Trank. "He’ll kill my men but he’ll eventually be done in by General Toms if he continues--"

"Shut up!"

Jack charged Trank directly again, which the lanky man narrowly avoided like always. However, Trank still felt a burning sensation in his side.

Trank looked down to find that the fist which never made contact still caused him damage, leaving a terrible burn in his side.

Looking back to Jack, Trank noticed that something was off. Jack’s flame body was still growing, and it wasn’t bright red flames like before. The flames were now white-hot with streaks of dark red coursing through it, exactly like the rampaging Hell-flame Fox that was setting the forest ablaze by simply walking through it.

"You and that fox... How are you--"

"SHUT UP!!"

Jack barrelled his way to Trank, getting faster and larger all at once.

Trank could still evade the blows but had no way to counter the sheer heat that Jack was giving off. Every time the man glided past a thrown punch, the residual heat from the nearby fist would still cause serious burns.

The confidence in Trank’s eyes started wain. It was the first time, for as long as he could remember, that he felt the true threat of death looming over him.

 

Chapter 270

Jack plummeted further and further into a rage, instinctually gaining speed and power.

In contrast, Trank was gradually losing more health and mana with each exchange. Though he could evade attacks, he couldn’t fight the overwhelming heat that Jack’s flame body produced. And he couldn’t fight back either. Jack’s sword had already melted and been forgotten while Trank’s claws were gradually melting from being in such close proximity to Jack.

No matter how he thought of it, Trank knew that he had driven himself into a corner that would most likely be his end.

Not paying attention to the serious terror that Trank was revealing with his face, Jack attacked again and again with reckless abandon. All that mattered was that Trank was still breathing and he needed his life snuffed out.

"As much fun as you are, I don’t think I can play anymore." Trank pulled out a spell scroll and darted away as quickly as possible. "Next time, I’ll come more prepared to roughhouse."

"Time Stop!"

Just before Trank activated the spell sealed within his scroll, Jack activated his only mythic-tier spell without thinking.

The entire world froze in place, similar to what would happen during Jack’s conversations with Daruun. This time, however, it would only last for a single second. But in that second, Jack could do anything.

Without wasting a moment, Jack rushed the still Trank and drove his massive, flaming fist into the perverse man’s skull.

As the punch connected, it didn’t stop. Jack drove his fist into Trank’s head and then into the ground, crushing his skull without any opposition.

That second quickly passed, leaving the other party members perplexed.

When Trank appeared to have the ability to escape, dashing their hopes of revenge for their fallen comrades, the entire suddenly scene changed. Jack had practically teleported to exactly where Trank stood, only Trank was now a headless corpse with his brain matter sizzling away under the exposure of Jack’s intense heat.

And to make matters worse, the moment Jack appeared to have killed Trank, his flame body disappeared and Jack collapsed on top of the burning corpse.

"Jack!" Eliza was the first to run to the unconscious hero.

Rydel grabbed Daliea’s corpse and nodded to Dirk, who did the same for Keela. "Eliza, grab Jack. We’ve got to go."

"But--"

"Take the storage ring off that scoundrel and let Appa out of Jack’s ring," continued Rydel. "We’re getting out of here."

"And what about Bowzer?" questioned Eliza as she followed Rydel’s orders.

"So long as we can let him know that Jack’s alive, we should be able to stop him before his mindless rampage reaches that army."

Both Rydel and Eliza bottled up their emotions and stored their beast companions, as well as Keela’s worried fairy and Daliea’s fallen Flame Tiger. They hurried away on Appa, not wanting to remain in the forest now covered in unstoppable white flames.

Next, they easily spotted the massive Hell-flame Fox not too far away. Rydel took a deep breath before shouting, "Bowzer! Jack’s alive!"

At first, it didn’t faze the fox, but as Rydel repeated his shout and Appa got a bit closer, Bowzer turned to look at them.

As Bowzer eyed them, everyone felt a strange pressure overwhelm them. The only thing similar to that feeling was how Lunara had looked at them while in her Nine-headed Hydra form. They felt immobilized, so much so that Appa almost stopped flapping his wings.

"B-Bowzer!" Eliza was the next to shout. "Jack’s alive, but we need to leave now! Please stop and come with us!

Hearing those words again from a second source brought some sense back into Bowzer’s mind.

The fox squinted and took a better look at the many bodies atop Appa, including the unconscious Jack. But unlike the last time when Bowzer saw Jack’s corpse, he saw red in Jack’s cheeks and no holes in his chest.

With a booming howl that the party was sure the army camp had heard, Bowzer finally ceased his rampage. His shrinking body soon returned to normal before the fox collapsed due to exhaustion.

Appa descended and allowed the party to pick up their final party member. With everyone gathered and aboard the giant bird, they fled the scene of white fire overcoming the forest.

Dirk looked down, holding back his emotions as the party left the burning forest behind.

"We didn’t mean for this to happen, Dirk. I’m sure you can understand that," Rydel spoke up, not wanting Dirk to misunderstand."

"I know..." sighed Dirk, still not looking away. "I had no clue that Jack had a Hell-flame Fox, one the disastrous beasts of legend."

"Are you regretting joining us?"

"No... I’m actually feeling better about that decision after seeing you all fight together. I’m just... overwhelmed with a mix of emotions and memories I guess," explained Dirk. "In all my time with the Limneer military, I’ve never met a bunch of idiots like you guys."

Rydel broke out in laughter, glad that Dirk wasn’t so easily broken. "Idiots, huh? Care to explain?"

"You all threw yourselves over one another, disregarding your own safety for that of your companions’. Sure, I’ve met fools like that before, but never an entire party’s worth," Dirk laughed as well. "Then again, I’m one of those idiots too."

"Then you’ll fit right in back at Trodar. We’re glad to have you." Extending his hand with a smile, Rydel added, "And don’t worry about that fox. This was the only time he’s gone crazy like that. He’s actually a playful pup that prefers laying on someone’s shoulders to walking."

"That beast rides on someone’s shoulders?" Dirk gave Rydel a confused look.

Rydel paid the look no mind. "That pup only recently evolved. Before, he used to hide away in Jack’s coat pockets most of the time."

"Oh? So, Jack had that thing since it was a pup?"

"That thing is named Bowzer," Eliza interjected. "I’m glad to have you helping our cause, but don’t discriminate Bowzer like that."

"I-I’m sorry. It’s just that after seeing that... After seeing Bowzer become a natural disaster I’ve only heard legends about, it’s hard to imagine him as anything else," explained Dirk.

Eliza continued to run her fingers through Jack’s hair as his head laid across her lap. "That’s what Bowzer hates most, though. No one sees him as anything other than a natural disaster. And Jack’s done well to keep Bowzer from being exposed to the level of hate he would normally receive."

"I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you." Dirk bowed his head to the thoughtful young lady. "And I’m sorry for saying such a thing. Also, I wish Jack a full recovery. You two must be close."

"He’s my husband."

Dirk swallowed the words he was about to say. He looked to Rydel, who passed him a bottle of brundy.

"Right now, things didn’t go as we expected, but that’s fate I guess. The least we can do is wait for Jack to come to and figure out what’s next. Why sulk more than our fair share?" reasoned Rydel as he put a similar bottle to his lips. Yet, as nonchalant as the hunter acted, neither Dirk nor Eliza could see any sort of enjoyment in his dull eyes.

While Dirk did the same, Eliza was lost in thought. Her eyes wandered over the bodies of Jack, Keela, and Daliea.

She had almost lost Jack for good, making her so glad that she had given up her Phoenix Lily. But she couldn’t help but feel guilty for Keela. Eliza understood that Keela had done for her, what Eliza had done for Jack. In that little letter that Keela had handed Eliza must’ve been Keela’s Phoenix Lily.

And when she thought about the loss of Daliea, she remembered how Daliea refused to take a Phoenix Lily and how much Daliea has constantly done for the party. Then Eliza remembered how hard Daliea worked to learn massages and how sincere she was with Jack and everyone else.

No matter how she thought about it, Eliza didn’t want to lose either of them.