Ambush

After entering Basil, Sessler led the two of them through several streets with practiced ease, arriving at a relatively secluded neighborhood in the western part of the city. Ordinary commoners lived here. The houses were low and dilapidated, the alleys narrow and crowded. It was a world apart from the noble district in the east.

"I've been here before. I know the owner of an inn here. He can keep his mouth shut, and his prices are cheap," Sessler said as they walked. "We'll settle in there first, then figure out how to look into Count Perry."

Linley nodded, his gaze sweeping over their surroundings. A place like this really was well suited for hiding. There were so many people around that no one would pay any attention to a few strangers.

The inn was small, with only two floors. A little tavern occupied the ground floor. The owner was a short, portly man in his fifties. He was startled when he saw Sessler, then hurried over warmly, calling out, "You old geezer, you're still alive!" Sessler laughed and cursed him as they embraced, then introduced Linley and Akes as "friends" and asked for two rooms.

As they went upstairs, Sessler explained in a low voice, "He used to be an adventurer, too. He owes me his life. He can be trusted."

The room wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy. Akes and Linley shared one room, while Sessler stayed next door by himself. As soon as Bebe entered, he leaped onto the bed, rolled around, then flopped down comfortably.

"How do we investigate from here?" Akes asked.

Sessler leaned against the doorframe and stroked his chin as he thought it over. "I watched Count Perry's estate before. I know that every time they transport a shipment, they leave through the east gate and head northeast. Judging by the timing, the next shipment should be coming in the next few days. We can find a place outside the city to lie in wait, then attack as soon as they come out."

"You're sure it'll be in the next few days?" Linley asked.

"Almost certainly," Sessler said. "Before I was caught, I overheard them talking. They said they had to send it away 'before the end of the month.' It's already the twenty-eighth, so the latest it could be is the day after tomorrow."

Linley looked at Akes.

Akes nodded. "We can try."

"Then it's settled," Sessler said. "Get a good night's rest. We'll leave the city early tomorrow and find a suitable place to lie in wait."

Night fell, and the lights of Basil gradually came on.

Akes stood by the window, watching the street outside. The tavern downstairs was filled with noisy voices. Some people were drinking and playing finger-guessing games, while others argued loudly about something. This city was no different from the others he had visited: just as prosperous, just as noisy, and just as full of filth and corruption.

Linley sat on the edge of the bed, wiping down his greatsword. Bebe was curled up on his lap, already asleep.

Early the next morning, the three of them left the inn and exited the city through the east gate.

Beyond the city stretched a hilly region, its terrain rising and falling beneath dense woods. Sessler led them along the main road for a while, then turned into a forest and found a small hill with a clear view of the surroundings.

"Here," he said, pointing at the road below. "We can see for several miles in either direction from here, so we'll spot them before they reach us. And the trees will conceal us, making it hard for anyone to notice."

Linley studied the terrain and nodded. It really was a good spot, about two hundred meters from the main road. They had the high ground, and it would be easy to advance or retreat.

The three of them began to wait.

They waited for the entire day.

The day passed, then evening, and night fell. Aside from a few merchant caravans and scattered travelers, there was no sign of any transport convoy on the main road.

"Could the information be wrong?" Linley asked.

Sessler frowned. "It shouldn't be..."

"Let's wait one more night," Akes said. "If they still haven't come by tomorrow, we'll go into the city and investigate directly."

Sessler nodded. It was all they could do.

The woods were quiet at night, with the occasional chirp of an insect. The three of them took turns keeping watch while the others rested. Akes took the second half of the night. He sat cross-legged beneath a tree, cultivating while keeping an eye on the road.

Just before dawn, the sound of hoofbeats came from the distance.

Akes opened his eyes and looked toward the main road. Through the morning mist, a convoy was slowly approaching. A dozen or so warriors on horseback rode at the front, followed by a prison wagon in the middle and several guards at the rear.

He immediately woke Linley and Sessler.

The three of them crouched on the hillside, watching the convoy draw nearer.

There were several figures locked inside the prison wagon. It was impossible to tell whether they were men or women, but there seemed to be both adults and children. The guards wore matching uniforms, with the emblem of the Radiant Church embroidered on their chests.

"They're Church members," Sessler whispered, his voice tinged with excitement. "And this is quite a big shipment. There are at least seven or eight people in that wagon."

Linley's gaze fell on the prison wagon, and his expression turned cold.

Akes was observing them, too. The warriors near the front had powerful auras, at least Eighth-level Warriors. There were several even stronger ones farther back, probably ninth-level.

"Six ninth-levels," he said quietly. "The rest are eighth- and seventh-level."

Sessler drew a sharp breath. "That many?"

Linley rose to his feet, already drawing on the Dragonblood power within him.

His draconic transformation was complete.

Black scales covered his skin. A thick tail lashed behind him, his hands became dragon claws, and his eyes turned into vertical slits. A violent aura rolled off him, making the surrounding trees tremble.

Sessler's eyes widened. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

He had known Linley was a Dragonblood Warrior, but witnessing his transformation with his own eyes still left him stunned.

"Don't just stand there," Akes said, pulling him back to reality. "It's your turn."

Sessler came to his senses and took a deep breath before beginning to chant.

Obscure syllables spilled from his mouth, and the temperature around them plunged. One black magic circle after another appeared on the ground, dense death energy surging out from within them. Skeletons climbed out of the earth, followed by zombies, ghosts, and several enormous undead creatures.

An undead army.

The guards soon noticed something was wrong. Their warhorses began to whinny, and the warriors drew their swords.

But it was already too late.

Linley charged out first.

He moved with incredible speed, reaching the front of the convoy in the blink of an eye. His dragon claw came down, and an Eighth-level Warrior was knocked flying before he could react. The man slammed into a tree by the roadside and went still.

The remaining warriors finally reacted and immediately formed a battle formation. Three ninth-level warriors advanced on Linley at once, their swords flashing as Dou Qi erupted around them.

Linley faced all three without giving ground. His transformed body had astonishing defenses; the ninth-level warriors' swords left only faint white marks on his scales. His attacks, however, were ferocious, and every swipe forced his opponents to dodge in disarray.

Meanwhile, the undead army had begun to move.

Hundreds of skeletons and zombies surged toward the convoy. They weren't very strong individually, but there were so many that they seemed impossible to kill. The seventh- and eighth-level warriors were tied down, barely able to defend themselves and unable to break free. Several ninth-level mages tried to clear the field with magic, but ghosts silently drifted behind them and disrupted their spells.

Sessler stood on the hillside, constantly changing hand signs as he directed the undead army. His face was somewhat pale, but his eyes were bright. This was the first time he had summoned so many undead in actual combat, and the results were better than he had expected.

Akes didn't rush into the fray. Instead, he stood on the hillside and watched the battle.

Linley had already gained the upper hand. The three ninth-level warriors were being driven back step by step. Although the undead army was quickly depleted, Sessler kept replenishing its ranks, and the Church members couldn't break through for the time being.

His gaze swept across the entire battlefield, finally settling on three figures at the back of the convoy.

They hadn't moved at all, simply standing there and watching the battle ahead. Judging by their auras, they were all ninth-level, and the strongest three in the group—probably the leaders of this transport.

One of them wore a red robe embroidered with intricate golden patterns. A cardinal.

Akes moved.

He didn't charge down the hillside. Instead, he immediately cast Teleportation. His figure blurred, and he appeared ten meters behind the three men.

All three sensed him at once and spun around.

The Fallen Heart Flame had already gathered in Akes's hand, forming a long spear of fire. It was deep red from end to end, and the air around it warped from the heat.

"You're asking for death!" the cardinal roared, raising a hand to unleash a beam of holy light.

Akes didn't try to meet it head-on. His figure flickered again, dodging the holy light and appearing to one side. He hurled the flaming spear at one of the ninth-level warriors.

The warrior reacted quickly and raised his sword to block. The instant the blade collided with the flaming spear, his expression changed. This was no ordinary flame. The heat was terrifying; his sword turned red-hot in an instant, and the impact left his hand numb.

The flaming spear dissipated, but Akes's second spear was already on its way.

This time, he held nothing back. He drove the Fallen Heart Flame to its full power, and the flaming spear was twice as thick as before, its shaft wrapped in a strange crimson glow.

The warrior had no time to dodge and could only raise his sword to block again.

Boom!

The flames exploded, engulfing the warrior completely. He managed only one scream before he was burned to a charred lump.

The cardinal and the other ninth-level warrior's expressions changed drastically. They finally realized that the young man before them was far more dangerous than they had imagined.

"Attack together!" the cardinal said in a low voice. The two of them attacked at once.

Holy light and Dou Qi intertwined into a great net that swept toward Akes.

Akes didn't meet them head-on. He cast Teleportation again and instantly escaped the encirclement. At the same time, he swept his hands out, sending more than a dozen fire arrows flying at the two men and forcing them to dodge.

In the time it took to do that, the battle on Linley's side had already ended.

The three ninth-level warriors lay on the ground. Two were dead, and the third was gravely wounded and unconscious. Linley was covered in blood, but it was all his enemies'. He turned toward Akes and charged straight over.

Seeing Linley charging toward him, the cardinal's expression darkened further. Akes alone was already hard enough to deal with, and now there was that draconically transformed monster—

"Retreat!" he decided at once.

The two of them turned and fled.

But they hadn't run more than a few steps when a huge Black-Striped Cloud Leopard suddenly sprang from the woods and blocked their way. Haeru bared his sharp fangs and let out a low growl.

Behind them, Linley and Akes had already caught up.

With Haeru in front and their pursuers behind, the cardinal gritted his teeth, pulled a scroll from his robes, and prepared to tear it open.

Sessler's voice suddenly rang out. "Trying to run?"

The ground split open, and a gigantic bone hand reached up from beneath it, seizing the cardinal's lower leg. Its grip was immensely strong. The cardinal stumbled, and the scroll flew from his hand.

Linley seized his chance and struck the cardinal in the back with a claw.

The cardinal spat out a mouthful of blood and fell face-first to the ground.

The remaining ninth-level warrior was utterly desperate. Haeru, Linley, and Akes had surrounded him, leaving him nowhere to run.

"I surrender!" He threw away his weapon and raised both hands.

Linley ignored him and smashed his head with a claw.

The battle was over.

On the hillside, Sessler dropped onto the ground and panted heavily. Summoning so many undead, then casting that bone hand, had nearly drained all his magic power. But he wore a smile, laughing with unrestrained delight.

"That was great, just great!" he panted. "It's been so long since I've had this much fun!"

Linley emerged from his draconic transformation, his face somewhat pale. Although the transformation was powerful, it also put a heavy strain on his body, especially after such a long battle. He walked over to the prison wagon and opened the door.

Eight people were locked inside: four adults and four children. The adults were all young; even the oldest looked no older than thirty. The children were younger still, with the smallest seeming only five or six. They huddled in the corner of the wagon, their eyes filled with fear.

Linley looked at them and fell silent for a moment. Then he said softly, "You're safe now."

A young woman asked in a trembling voice, "You... who are you?"

"The people who came to save you," Linley said, then turned and walked away.

Akes went over to the cardinal and crouched to examine him. He was still alive, but Linley's claw had left him badly injured. At least three ribs were broken, and he also had serious internal injuries.

Sessler walked over, kicked the cardinal, and sneered. "Lampson, never thought you'd end up like this, did you?"

The cardinal struggled to raise his head. When he saw Sessler, a trace of resentment flashed in his eyes. "It's you... you necromancer..."

"That's right. It's me." Sessler crouched and patted his face. "When you captured me, did you ever think you'd end up in my hands?"

Lampson gritted his teeth and said nothing.

Sessler wasn't in a hurry. He stood up and said to Linley and Akes, "This man's a cardinal. He must know plenty. Let me question him at my leisure. We can make use of whatever we get out of him."

Linley nodded.

Akes stood to one side, watching Sessler summon undead to drag Lampson away and begin the interrogation. The people they had rescued were undoing one another's ropes. Some were crying softly, while others murmured prayers.

He turned away and walked over to Linley.

"Are you all right?"

Linley shook his head. "I'm just a little drained. I'll be fine after some rest."

In the distance, Sessler had already begun his interrogation. The torture methods of necromantic magic were far more brutal than ordinary punishments. Lampson's screams echoed through the valley, startling a flock of birds into flight.

Akes took a small bell from his pocket. It was made of bronze and covered in densely carved runes. This was the item from the sign-in prompt that had just sounded in his mind—the Gate of Eternal Life's Cleansing Bell.

He gently shook it, and a clear chime rang out. The sound seemed to pierce the soul, leaving the mind clear and calm.