Interception

Deke County City is a mid-sized city; its walls are not particularly high, but they are remarkably sturdy. Outside the city lies an expansive plain, dotted only by sparse patches of woods that look like ink blots congealed upon the earth in the twilight.

Linley and his party arrived just as evening fell.

The setting sun hung low, staining the horizon a dark, bruised red, like silk soaked in blood. The silhouette of Deke County City emerged in the dusk, and the figures of patrolling soldiers were faintly visible atop the walls. The main road outside the city was already devoid of travelers; only the night wind swept past, swirling up dust in its wake.

They found a secluded grove outside the city to set up camp. The woods were small but dense enough to provide cover. Linley stood at the edge of the trees, his gaze sweeping over the terrain—to the north lay the open main road, to the south a dried-up riverbed, and to the west, rolling hills. If the situation turned, there were at least two routes for retreat.

"This will do." Sessler looked around, his withered fingers stroking his staff. "It's not far from the main road, and the line of sight is clear. Their convoy should be coming from the north; we just need to wait here. This old man can deploy a few undead scouts; no movement within a mile will escape our eyes."

Linley nodded, his gaze fixed on the main road stretching into the distance.

The Rebecca sisters were settled deep within the woods. The two young girls had been jostled throughout the journey and looked pale, yet they never complained. Rebecca held her younger sister, comforting her in a low voice while wiping the dust from her face with a handkerchief. Jennings built a small fire nearby to boil rations, glancing at the sisters occasionally with pity in his eyes.

"Drink some hot water." He handed over the boiled water.

Rebecca took it and whispered her thanks. Her sister had already fallen asleep in her arms, her small face weary but peaceful.

Akes leaned against a tree, took a sip from his waterskin, and let his gaze drift past the young girl toward the distance. He remembered that in the original story, Rebecca was a stubborn girl who fled with her sister after their parents died, suffering greatly along the way. Traveling with Linley this time, at least she wouldn't have to worry about being caught by the Radiant Church.

"Is Lampson's intelligence accurate?" he asked.

"It should be fine." Sessler sat down beside him, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "This old man dug it out of his mind using soul-searching; it can't be fake. The convoy is escorting five people, supposedly 'cargo' the Church deems important, to be sent to headquarters. Lampson doesn't know exactly who they are, only that the five are quite strong—all seventh-rank warriors—so the escort team is formidable. The leaders are two ninth-rankers, along with a dozen eighth-rankers and a Radiant Mage."

Akes remained silent, though a suspicion began to form in his mind.

Five people, all warriors, seventh-rank, valued by the Radiant Church—the description was all too familiar.

The Barker brothers.

In the original story, these descendants of the Undying Warriors were captured by the Radiant Church and later rescued by Linley, becoming some of his earliest core subordinates. Only, these five likely didn't know their own bloodline yet, considering themselves mere mercenaries. Their ancestors were powerhouses from the era of the Dragonblood Warriors, and the blood of the Undying Warriors flowed within them; even without awakening, their physical bodies were far tougher than those of ordinary warriors of the same rank. The Radiant Church capturing them was likely not just for the sake of transporting common prisoners—they coveted these five physical vessels, which could serve as hosts for the descent of angels.

"Let's wait," Linley said.

He sat on a rock, closing his eyes to rest. A Dragonblood Warrior's senses were even sharper at night; he could hear the chirping of insects in the distance, smell the scents carried on the wind, and feel the faint vibrations of the earth. Bebe lay on his lap, his small ears twitching, his black, bead-like eyes darting around, vigilantly monitoring the surroundings.

The night deepened.

Sessler finished deploying his undead scouts and leaned against a tree to doze. He was old; although his strength was formidable, his stamina couldn't match that of the young, and he needed to conserve his energy for the potential battle ahead. Jennings curled up with the Rebecca sisters and fell asleep as well. The fire was extinguished, leaving only the faint glow of embers.

Akes did not sleep.

He sat leaning against a tree, turning the Soul-Fixing Bead over in his hands. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, plating the bead in a silver luster. The blood-red patterns within the bead flowed slowly, as if alive. He could feel the soul energy contained within—vast and pure; if he could fully refine it, it would be of immense help in tempering his soul.

He put the Soul-Fixing Bead away and cast his gaze toward the main road. Nothing could be seen in the night, only the sound of the wind and the chirping of insects. But Linley had said the convoy should pass through tonight. In Lampson's memory, the escort team followed a fixed route and would certainly take this road tonight.

Time ticked away.

In the second half of the night, as the moon slanted westward and the darkness reached its peak, Akes suddenly opened his eyes.

The sound of hooves came from the distance—very light, but it could not escape his perception. He stood up and looked toward the main road. In the night, a convoy was slowly approaching; the light of their torches was particularly conspicuous in the darkness, like a swimming dragon of fire.

"They're here."

Linley and Sessler woke simultaneously. Bebe jumped off Linley's lap, pricking up his ears and emitting a low, rumbling growl.

The three of them crouched at the edge of the woods, watching the convoy draw near.

The torchlight grew closer, allowing them to see the general scale of the team—in the lead were a dozen mounted warriors in leather armor, swords at their waists, watching their surroundings vigilantly. In the center was a prisoner carriage pulled by four horses, the wheels creaking as they ground against the road. Behind the carriage were several escorting soldiers holding long spears, their expressions numb.

The configuration was similar to the last time.

But the situation inside the carriage was different. Last time, seven or eight people were crammed together; this time, there were only five. Each was bound by thick chains that wrapped around their entire bodies, securing their hands and feet tightly. Under the moonlight, faint magical patterns could be seen on the chains, shimmering in the dark.

"Those chains..." Sessler narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the carriage. "They're inscribed with sealing runes, specifically designed to suppress warriors. Bound by these, no matter how much strength they have, they can't use it. Moreover, the chains are biting directly into their flesh; over time, even their blood circulation will be hindered. These five fellows have suffered quite a bit."

Linley's gaze fell upon the five men.

At this distance, he couldn't see their faces clearly, but he could tell they were all burly men—sturdy in build, and even while bound and sitting in the carriage, they exuded a sense of oppression. One of the largest among them, with broad shoulders and thick arms, kept his back straight even while chained, refusing to bow his head. Another, who looked younger, was leaning against the carriage railing, muttering something to himself.

"Shall we strike?" Akes asked.

"Wait a little longer," Linley said, watching the convoy. "Wait until they get closer. Sessler, have your undead ready; as soon as the signal is given, surround them immediately. Leave the knights to your undead, and I will handle the two ninth-rankers and the mage."

Sessler nodded and began to chant silently, communicating with the undead beneath the earth.

The convoy drew closer and closer.

The knights at the head of the column were whispering to each other, occasionally letting out bursts of laughter. They clearly didn't expect an ambush here and were not particularly vigilant. This stretch of the main road had always been peaceful; no bandit group dared to provoke a Radiant Church convoy. These knights had escorted prisoners many times and were long accustomed to such tedious journeys.

When the convoy entered range, Linley stood up.

The power of the Dragonblood surged, and cyan-black dragon scales erupted from beneath his skin, covering his entire body. His aura climbed from the eighth rank all the way to the peak of the ninth. His muscles bulged, his dragon claws sharpened, and his pupils turned into vertical slits, glowing with a ghostly light in the darkness.

He did not rush out immediately, but looked at Sessler.

Sessler nodded and struck his staff heavily against the ground.

The earth cracked open, and skeleton after skeleton crawled out from underground, ghostly green soul-fire burning in their eye sockets. Following them were zombies, wraiths, and several massive undead creatures—a bone wolf, two ghouls, and a rotting giant. The undead legion appeared silently at the edge of the woods, looking exceptionally ghastly in the night, yet they did not make a single sound.

"Attack."

Linley was the first to charge out.

He moved with incredible speed, reaching the front of the convoy in the blink of an eye. His dragon claws swept down, accompanied by a sharp shriek as they tore through the air. One knight didn't even have time to scream before he was swatted away, crashing into the prisoner carriage with a collapsed chest, dying on the spot. Blood splattered onto the carriage railings, still warm.

"Enemy attack!"

The remaining knights finally reacted, drawing their swords in succession. But the undead army had already flanked them from both sides; skeletons and zombies surged into the crowd, while ghosts drifted through the air, emitting piercing shrieks that disrupted their senses. Several warhorses panicked, rearing up and throwing their riders to the ground.

The battle erupted in an instant.

Akes did not rush to strike, choosing instead to stand at the edge of the woods and observe. He noted three individuals in the group with stronger auras—likely of the ninth rank—two warriors and one mage. The two ninth-rank warriors were currently locked in combat with Linley; sword light flickered and battle qi exploded, but Linley's dragon-transformed body possessed astonishing defense, and their blades left only shallow white marks upon it.

The mage stood at the rear of the group, having already begun to chant a spell. Holy light condensed in his hands, growing brighter by the second, clearly on the verge of being released—it had to be a purification spell from the Radiant Church, specifically designed to counter the undead.

Akes raised his hand, and an arrow of fire formed from the Fallen Heart Flame shot out.

The flame traced a bright trajectory through the night sky, heading straight for the mage. Sensing danger, the mage hurriedly interrupted his chant to erect a holy light shield. The fire arrow slammed into the shield and exploded with a roar; the shield instantly filled with cracks before shattering. The mage was knocked back several steps, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as he looked toward Akes's position in terror.

But Akes's second arrow had already arrived.

This arrow pierced straight through his chest, exiting his back and bringing with it a spray of blood mist. The mage looked down at the bloody hole in his chest, his lips trembling, but he could not utter a sound before slowly collapsing to the ground. The holy light dissipated from his body, turning into scattered specks of radiance.

The two ninth-rank warriors were shocked to see the mage killed. One of them roared, "You hold him off, I'm going to kill that mage!" With that, he prepared to disengage and charge toward the woods. But how could Linley let him leave? A dragon claw swept horizontally, forcing the man to turn back and parry.

"Do you think you can leave?" Linley sneered, his offensive growing even more ferocious.

The other ninth-rank warrior seized the opportunity to thrust his sword at Linley's back, the tip piercing the dragon scales and sinking in half an inch. Linley didn't even frown; he spun around and lashed out with a claw, forcing the man to retreat in a panic. The Dragonblood Warrior's physical recovery was astonishing; such a minor wound would heal in just a few breaths.

Sessler's undead army had already seized control of the situation.

Those seventh and eighth-rank knights were entangled by skeletons and zombies, struggling to defend themselves and unable to break free. Several bone wolves darted through the crowd, specifically targeting the horses' legs. The warhorses neighed as they collapsed, throwing their riders, only for them to be swamped by the surging zombies. A few knights tried to charge toward the prisoner carriage, but their minds were disrupted by the ghosts, causing them to turn their blades on each other; swords bit into comrades, and blood splattered on the spot.

Screams, the clashing of weapons, and the low growls of the undead intertwined, echoing through the night sky.

Akes did not watch the battle on Linley's side, instead walking toward the prisoner carriage.

The chains on the carriage were thick, wrapped around the bars to seal the door shut. Complex runes were carved into the chains, glowing with a faint golden light under the moonlight—it was a sealing spell of the Radiant Church, specifically designed to suppress warriors. He reached out to grasp the chains, channeling the Fallen Heart Flame.

The flames instantly enveloped the chains, emitting a sizzling sound. The metal turned red-hot, the runes flickered a few times, and then shattered. After a few breaths, the chains snapped apart, falling to the ground with a clatter.

The five burly men inside the carriage were stunned.

They looked at the young man before them, at the flames still dancing on his hands, and for a moment, they didn't know what to say. The man with the injured arm was the first to react, struggling to stand up and crawling out through the broken chains. The other four followed, climbing out of the carriage and stretching their stiff limbs.

"Many thanks for saving our lives, brother!" the burly man said, cupping his hands in a salute. His voice was resonant, clearly audible even over the chaotic battlefield. He looked to be in his early thirties with a face full of stubble and a blood-stained cloth wrapped around his arm, but his eyes were bright, revealing a heroic spirit.

Akes waved his hand, said nothing, and turned to look at the battlefield.

The battle on Linley's side was nearing its end.

The two ninth-rank warriors were dead and wounded—the injured one had been knocked unconscious by a swipe of Linley's claw and lay motionless on the ground. The corpse of the one who had died lay in a pool of blood, his chest pierced by a dragon claw. Linley reverted from his dragon-transformed state, taking a few deep breaths to calm the surging dragon blood within his body.

The remaining knights were either dead or wounded, no longer posing a threat. Sessler's undead were still hunting down those who had fled, but most had been killed on the spot. A few who tried to escape were caught by Bebe; the little Shadow Mouse was astonishingly fast, biting each of them once on the leg. With the poison entering their systems, they collapsed to the ground after running only a few steps.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the battle ended.

Sessler directed the undead to clear the battlefield, dragging the corpses into the woods to be disposed of. Most of the knights' horses had been spooked and run off, but he gathered the remaining few and tied them to the edge of the woods. They were fine horses, well-trained, and did not wander off even without riders.