Chapter 35: 34. Operation Nest

“Hey, Mora. Are all missions usually like this?” Jake asked, swallowing a lump in his throat.

“Not always, but pretty close, yea,” Mora spoke with a calmness to her voice, as if everything happening around her was routine. To Jake, it was anything but.

After returning to the Scout compound, Jake found his way back to the Pharos team room. Inside, Pharos Squad went through its necessary preparations for the upcoming mission. The members checked over all of their gear, verified a few formations they might need to switch to, and then went over the Operation requirements again to ensure all members understood the expectations. Two hours passed rather quickly and then the team left together to meet up in the staging zone outside of the Association building. There, the sight before Jake made him feel nauseous. Pharos Squad was one of four Red-Tier scout teams organized to be present during the operation. The compound grounds were full of these teams as they organized themselves and made their final preparations.

“Nervous?” Mora asked, glancing down at Jake. He wanted to lie and say no to try and save face but he wasn’t about to give himself false confidence. Especially when his armpits were feeling a bit extra moist.

“A bit,” he uttered. Mora smirked and patted his back. Jake huffed from the gesture and swatted at her arm.

“You’ll be fine. Just do your job and we’ll do ours,” she said. It was the most obvious piece of advice she could have given but it would be the key to their success. Each member had their role. As long as they didn’t fail at their tasks, the team would achieve success no matter the foe they faced. At least, that was the expectation. Dozens of unknown variables lay in between them and survival. Jake had no idea how to prepare for those. All he could do was hope for the best at this point.

“Most missions are just us with one or two other teams,” Tau piped up suddenly on Jake’s left. The man fiddled with a gauntlet on his left wrist, his face void of emotion as he tightened the straps. “Don’t lie to him, Mora. This is anything but normal.” He shot the woman an odd look before looking down at Jake. “Other than that, she’s right. Do your job. Keep us in the fight and we’ll do fine. Sorry that your first mission is so chaotic.” Tau smirked and placed his hand on Jake’s shoulder. It was a massive, thick paw. Not as big as Mur’s, but there was a tamed strength behind that grip.

To do Tau’s job, the warrior needed a mental fortitude most others couldn’t match. With the massive shield attached to his back and the long sword on his hip, Tau’s purpose in the fight would be to become the unmovable wall. In the face of any enemy, large or small, weak or strong- he would face it first and he would place trust in everyone behind him to finish the job. It took a unique individual to do such a thing, didn’t it?

“Better than filling his head with nonsense and stressing him out,” Mora rolled her eyes and then adjusted a pair of hand wraps she had put on. They helped support her wrists and the leather hilts of her blades wouldn’t rub into her palms after prolonged periods of use. Though she was rough around the edges, Mora was still a lady at heart. Keeping her hands looking pretty was probably a tough ask with this kind of job.

“Is everyone here?” Nuro called out as he approached the team, stealing Jake’s attention. The team leader was dressed a bit differently this time around. Rather than wearing fashionable clothes, his attire was rather simple. He wore a toughened leather top, armored wrist guards, and thick gloves with pieces of metal sewn into the knuckles. His legs were similarly protected by leather guards and he wore a pair of well-kept black leather boots. From the sound of his steps, the boots were heavy and likely armored as well.

“Everyone except Fien,” Mora glanced around the area again for the missing mage. Nuro sighed and looked down at Pari. The girl’s eye blinked before she raised a hand into the air. A small blue orb appeared in her palm and then fired off into the sky. It exploded midair, flashing brightly for a few seconds as the mana dissipated. Moments later, Jake heard a familiar voice trying to nudge their way through the crowd.

“I’m here!” Fien squeaked as she popped out of a nearby cluster of people. The girl was out of breath, likely from having to exert energy to push through the bodies.

Each member of the team was dressed for the operation accordingly. Tau had his full set of metal armor and his shield. Mora was wearing toughened leather with chainmail beneath her clothes. Wyicks, with his tough body, only wore leather over his chest and the top halves of his arms. Fien was dressed in dark robes with thin chainmail beneath them to protect her vitals. Pari was dressed in light armor with chainmail and leather around her midsection.

Jake didn’t have such protective gear. The money he’d earned was just enough to pay for his blade, so he would have to rely on the others for protection once the Maedra decided to show face. Or, he would need to ensure the Maedra never earned the opportunity to strike at him. He would never have to worry about being hurt if there were no enemies to hurt him! Though, he didn’t mind the idea of having the armor. It certainly would help ease the itch.

“Good, let’s head to the tunnel. Since we’re number two, we’ll be leaving right away.” Nuro lead the way out of the compound and the team fell in behind him. Jake assumed his position at the rear both by choice, and he figured he might as well get comfortable looking at everyone from behind. His position in every formation they went over placed him last, behind even Fien. The only three people that rotated at all were Mora, Tau, and Wyicks. The others remained in place, which made sense. Fien was their magic caster and Nuro was the commander, so neither of them could be near the front. Pari was the rearguard and positioned herself beside Fien and Nuro.

Jake wondered if his position was out of need. As the healer, he would need to manage the team’s fighting capabilities. If he was so far behind them all, he wondered how effective his spot would turn out to be. Or, had they put him to the rear to keep him out of trouble? Maybe due to his age and inexperience, Nuro found it fitting to keep him as uninvolved as possible. That way, Nuro could focus on the core members of the team and not have to sweat over Jake potentially making a mistake.

Wait, someone was missing.

“Uh, where’s Lao?” He asked, looking through legs and around bodies to try and see if he could find the small Oryk. Despite his effort, Lao was nowhere in sight.

“He doesn’t do any fighting,” Fien muttered, practically grumbling as she shook her head. Jake found that a little odd but fitting. Lao seemed keener on tinkering and questioning things, and his tiny frame wasn’t made for combat. Jake thought he might be some kind of strong support mage or something but that didn’t seem to be the case. He was more likely the team’s brain and scientist-type. At a second look over the party’s equipment, Jake could tell some of it was hand-made and custom suited for each person. Lao might not participate directly but his presence was certainly felt.

“I see,” Jake responded. He tried to keep his questions to a minimum. He wanted to minimize any extra attention he could. After his poor showing with his first lone mission, Jake didn’t want to draw any unnecessary looks. If he could get through this without causing a scene and could ensure the safety of his teammates, he would be satisfied.

On his fourth pass through the village for the morning, it was a lot quieter. The rowdy morning dining areas had calmed and the streets were mostly empty. The shops were open but the number of patrons walking the streets was low. Those who were around quickly made themselves scarce. Pharos squad’s appearance was just the first of many teams that would be passing through and Jake could feel the tension in the air as they walked down the main strip. The village had never seemed so empty until now.

The far side of the village was where the excitement had moved to. Upon leaving through the welcoming archway, the team was met by several individuals holding small baskets and wrapped items. The villagers had gathered at the exit of the village and offered up food, snacks, and small items to help the teams on the upcoming mission. The others accepted the gifts with smiles and plenty of gratitude, but Jake felt a bit odd when a young girl handed him a small container containing a meal. It smelled delicious, was warm to the touch, and was full of wishful thinking. Her warm smile added to his unease.

He thanked her, and he thanked a man who passed him some extra medical supplies he had- a few bandage wraps, a cold pack, some moist wipes in tiny packets, and a small blanket. But as he placed it all into his backpack, he couldn’t help but grimace. He wiped the depressing expression off his face when he stood back up and hurried to catch up to his team.

“I never get used to that,” Wyicks sighed.

“Me neither,” Mora added.

“Consider it a blessing the people are so kind. I know in Nux the Scouts there are practically spit on,” Tua waved off their grumbling with his tidbit. But, Jake couldn’t agree. He didn’t quite see that moment as a blessing. If anything, he now felt even more pressured to succeed. There were so many people counting on them to fend off the Maedra.

While failure wouldn’t immediately lead to the village’s ruin, it would certainly happen eventually. The Maedra would wander ever closer to the village and at some point, one of the creatures would stumble down the wrong tunnel. The guards would do their job but the corpse would be the trigger. Even with the proactive strategy of keeping the Maedra at a distance- the inevitable was still inevitable. The Maedra would find the village at some point. The Scout and Warrior numbers would decline, and the Guards would grow weary. New generations would grow comfortable in their peace and at some point forget about the Maedra. Then, the Maedra would come.

It would be a massacre.

Jake clenched his teeth and took in a long, controlled inhale. On his exhale, he pushed away the negative thoughts and the pessimism he was feeling. There was no need to think so far ahead or assume the worst for these people. The villagers trusted in their success and hoped that they would all return in good health. Jake should have felt happy about that, so he forced himself to do so.

“Nuro!” A voice cut into Jake’s inner downward spiral and the boy looked up to see a grinning Oryk standing by a tunnel exit. Six other Oryks were standing around him, all geared up and ready to leave.

“Hello, Jax.” Nuro strode up to the friendly Oryk and the two embraced for a few moments. Mora and Wyicks split off and similarly began to chat with a few of the other scouts, while Tua and Fien walked over to the other heavily armored fellow. Pari kept next to Nuro, leaving Jake by himself. The boy didn’t mind and he found it acceptable to be left out of the loop. He was new, so what else was there to expect?

“Are you the replacement healer?” Just as Jake had found somewhere decently comfortable to sit, a woman approached him. She was dressed scantly and her body radiated a fearsome scent of perfume. The strength of the smell was overpowering. Was this assault?

“Ah, yea. Hello,” Jake instinctively leaned away a bit from the woman who loomed over him. She seemed friendly enough, but the perfume…

“I’m Lucia, healer for Taurus. You look rather young to be here.” The woman, Lucia, knelt rather gracefully as she smoothed out her skirt beneath her. Even though she looked like a doll and was far cleaner and softer looking than anyone Jake had come across, she didn’t seem afraid of the dirt on the floor.

“Old enough to do the job, I guess,” Jake said. To try and keep his eyes from wandering too much, Jake turned his attention to the others. “I’m Jake.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jake.” Jake could feel her eye burning into him. Maybe it was because she was also a healer that she didn’t get along with the others. Or was she just interested in him? “You say you’re a healer, but what is a healer doing with this knife?”

Jake glanced over at the woman and noticed that she was toying with his dagger. His eyes widened as he looked down at the empty sheathe on his hip. How did she…?

“Uh, excuse me?” Jake raised a hand and extended it out a bit, but hesitated when the thought of accidentally touching the woman crossed his mind. While she seemed nice enough, he felt in danger while being so close to her. Something about her made him feel like prey in the presence of a predator.

“Sorry.” She smiled and returned the weapon. Jake grabbed it by the hilt to minimize the chance of incidental contact and then slid it back into its sheathe.

“I’ve dealt with the Beasts before. Even as a Healer, I won’t go unarmed,” Jake explained. While he hid the actual reason, he wasn’t entirely lying to her face. The Maedra were scary and it took a lot of guts to go into the tunnels without a way to fend them off.

“Interesting…” She hummed. Then, without warning, Lucia leaned over to whisper in his ear. ”…but those runes on your blade tell me more.” Her voice sent a shiver down his spine. It was as though he had been doused in cold water. The boy leaned away and glared at the woman. His jaw locked shut as he teetered on how to react. The woman’s eye narrowed as her lips curled into an unpleasant, twisted smile. There was something off about her and he was beginning to feel it.

“Lucia, stop messing with the boy.” One of the other scouts called out and the woman’s expression returned to normal. That’s also when Jake noticed that the hand on his dagger was still there, clenching the hilt of the weapon. Her proximity had set off his natural response to defend himself.

“Ah, but he’s just too cute! The way his face twists!” Lucia leaned away and wrapped her arms around herself. She bit her bottom lip and her fingers gripped onto her pale flesh, her sharpened nails scratching at her skin a bit as she massaged and rubbed her body. Her face was flushed and she let out a heated breath through her teeth and nose.

“He’s barely a man. Let him be. Take out your hormones on the Beasts.” The scout detached himself from his group and marched over to grab Lucia’s arm. With a yank, he pulled her up to her feet and then gave her a friendly shove back towards their group. She let out a strange noise as she waltzed away. Just before she truly was gone, the woman looked over her shoulder. She winked and dragged the tip of her tongue along the edge of her lips. That expression of hers was that of a hunter and she was looking at Jake as if he was the finest slab of meat on the menu.

“W-What…” He spat, unsure of how he was supposed to feel other than concerned for his health and wellbeing. The scout ally of Lucia let out a heavy sigh and placed his hands on his hips.

“She’s a bit strange but she’s harmless. Sort of. Don’t mind her.” The scout said. He reached a hand towards Jake and smiled. “Names Ryun. You?”

“Harmless? I thought she was going to jam my dagger into my neck,” Jake grumbled as he grabbed Ryun’s hand firmly. The man nodded and pulled Jake up to his feet. “I’m Jake.”

“She gives off that feeling to you too, eh?” Ryun sighed again and shook his head. “Not surprising but don’t worry. She only stabs Maedra.” The man shrugged and then looked over towards Lucia. He seemed on edge.

“I thought she was a healer?” Jake asked, confused. Then again, he really shouldn’t have been. If Lucia was just trying to get closer to him and used the healer premise as a way in, then he was an idiot.

“She is but she’s also a criminal thief who’s good with knives.” Ryun laughed and grinned as he started to make his way back toward the group.

Ah- that explained how she was able to snatch his dagger without alerting him. Now he got it. Silver-tongued, sticky fingers, and the alluring perfume to attract the weak-hearted. She was a vixen, no doubt. He hadn’t fallen into her trap and the warning signals in his head had kept him from falling into her palm, but he could see why she might be a problem for others who were less aware of themselves.

Jake found another place to sit, this time closer to Mora and Wyicks, and waited patiently for the rest of the teams to arrive. He spent his time prepping his dagger and cultivating his mana, ensuring his equipment was ready for the upcoming fight. By the time the Warrior teams, Support squads, and other Scout teams arrived, Jake had gone through all of his kit twice. He was as ready to go as he would ever be. Nuro also went over their formation again as well as the mission expectations, ensuring everyone was on the same page one final time. When it was time to head off, the Taurus squad fired off a signal flare.

In total, there were four main scout teams involved: Taurus, Pharos, Orn, and Gyn. Taurus would lead to the staging area and then act as the Scouting party for the main force of Warriors. Pharos and Orn would secure the side tunnels. Gyn would split up and act as runners for the three scout teams. The main force consisted of four Warrior teams: Thun, Hydir, Lux, and Tomb. All four teams would push into the tunnel containing the Maedra nesting area. Support teams Ash and Ida would remain in the staging area to provide communication support, a medical station, and a centralized command area. The support teams would contain a few workers who would collect the Mana Crystals after the fighting was complete. Overall- it would be one of the larger operations Ewana Village put together.

While there were plenty of other teams and dozens of other available individuals that could participate, widespread daily conflict in the tunnels limited the fighting power the village could send out. After a certain point, too many bodies would impede progress or even make the situation more dangerous, as retreating with a larger force would be slower with more people. By lowering the number of participating teams and focusing on the necessary tasks at hand, the village could ensure higher efficiency and raise the possible success chance.

However, there were no warrior teams on standby. No extra scout teams were going with them. The two scout teams in the tunnels were all by themselves and there were only a total of ten or so competent healers apart from the Support teams. While the main force was certainly powerful and likely to succeed, the rear was fragile. If the Maedra attacked in force down one of the side tunnels, it would be a disaster. Jake knew this. As did everyone else in Pharos. Each of them understood the risk, and here they were. Leaving the village anyways. 

“Nuro,” Jake spoke up as they approached the exit tunnel. The team leader looked back to stare at the boy. “What happens if we can’t win?” He asked. At his question, a few others glanced over. Nuro’s jaw tensed for a brief moment and Jake could see a hardening of his expression. However, he didn’t flinch.

“We send a runner to the rear to notify the guards.” As he spoke, he turned away. But, it wasn’t quite enough. Jake swallowed the unease and opened his mouth again. He asked the one question he felt he wasn’t the only one thinking about.

“What about the rest of us?” This time, Nuro didn’t look back.

“We fight to the last,” he said.

Jake’s hands curled into fists and he steeled his heart. Victory or death, was it then? He couldn’t accept that. The Maedra were powerful in large numbers. They were quick, violent, and ferocious- but they were beatable. They could be obliterated with powerful magic and cut down by competent fighters. A single crack in their crystal cores would mean death and it didn’t take much for a direct hit to cause that damage. The Maedra were a foe that should never come out on top. Their bodies were fragile, weak. Their flesh was soft and mushy. Their entire existence was given a timer the moment they came to life. From the first second of their life, their flesh began to rot.

Yet, these people were planning to fight these creatures to the death? Creatures that were so fragile, so weak, and ones that shouldn’t have been feared? Creatures whose existence was a joke compared to life on the Surface? In this dark, forsaken pit beneath those lush green meadows and golden sands- the Maedra were a threat to everything that lived. Fight to the last? To hear such a thing made Jake angry. These people should be preparing to massacre the Maedra, not try to stop them.

Jake could feel the mana in his body boil with power as he felt the anger behind his eyes grow. The Maedra were a nuisance. If given the opportunity, he would show his team just how easy it was to crush the Maedra. He wouldn’t go it alone this time. He wasn’t foolish to fight the Maedra all by himself again, not until he was sure he could slaughter them. However, he wouldn’t sit by and watch the Maedra get the upper hand. Not again.

“Time to go,” Nuro spat. The guards suddenly stepped aside and Taurus’s team leader pulled a helmet over his face. The members of the Scout team darted into the dark of the tunnel, leading the way as Pharos ran after them. The thunder of armor and heavy footsteps followed as the main force jogged a little ways behind.

The first phase of the operation began- the initial approach. Taurus led the way into the tunnels with Pharos fifty meters at their tail. The lights in the tunnel led the way to the initial junction. Taurus hooked left into the properly marked side tunnel. Pharos held their position at the junction until the main force caught up before chasing after Taurus. Taurus reconned the path up to the cave in, which was only five hundred meters away from the junction. A guard team of four warriors, three scouts, a healer, and a sole runner greeted Taurus.

The team informed Taurus of any changes to the upper area and then peeled back to take their well-earned rest. Pharos caught up shortly after the changeover, and then both scout teams pushed up into the upper area. A large tunnel stretched in both directions. One side was blocked and sealed off by rocks and boulders placed by a worker team while the other led into a massive open cavern. Massive pillars of rock stretched upwards and dangled from the ceiling, but the real threats were the three massive maws leading into dark holes spread around the room.

Taurus moved left towards the target tunnel. Pharos split into two teams to check the other two. The side tunnels were clear of Maedra while the target tunnel had a wretched stench radiating from it. The sign of the Maedra was fresh. With the sentries in place, the teams eased into the silence as they waited for their compatriots to arrive. It took time but the main force eventually rumbled to the base of the cave-in and started to ascend into the upper area. Once inside, Orn moved up from their positions at the rear and replaced the sentries on the central tunnel. Pharos regathered at the right tunnel and members of Gyn divided themselves into all three of the other scout teams. The main force organized itself into one massive wall of power at the left tunnel, with the leaders positioned evenly throughout to give orders.

In the center of the room, the Support teams organized themselves neatly in the area. The healers quickly established a square where they could treat the wounded and began to prepare for even more troublesome injuries. The communication area was similarly established and runners were organized and provided with water and small snacks for energy. In the middle of it all, a cluster of individuals sectioned off a place on the ground to lay down a map of the area. They quickly set up their icons, marked off a few portions of the map, and began to send runners to the different tunnels to distribute the orders.

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“Everyone ready?” Nuro asked, his eyes settled on the command team in the middle.

“Can’t be any more so,” Tua answered, tightening the strap of his helmet. The Oryk pulled his hulking shield off his back and strapped it firmly to his arm. He then pulled his sword free. After a moment, he glanced over to Mora. “You smell it?” He asked. She nodded.

“They’re here, Nuro,” Mora muttered. Nuro nodded.

“As we knew they’d be,” he said.

Jake triggered his Sensory magic and fired it directly down the tunnel. There, just beyond the veil of the dark, he could see them. A dozen Maedra sat just on the edge of his spell. Whether that was on purpose or just where they had positioned themselves was unclear, but they were there.

“There’s at least ten,” Jake spoke up. The team glanced at him. Nuro smirked.

“Oh, that’s a nice trick,” he chuckled. Jake’s eyes had likely changed color, as Nuro was staring at him fairly hard.

“I thought you said he was a healer?” Wyicks spat, looking at Mora. She laughed and shook her head.

“I said he could heal. Not that it was his job. He beat Pari, you know.”

“What?!” Wyicks stiffened and looked at Jake. Then, he looked at Pari. The girl’s cheeks puffed up and she growled at Mora.

“Oopsie!” Mora smiled sheepishly and turned her attention forward towards the tunnel.

“Focus.” At Nuro’s command, the chatter was silenced and everyone turned their attention back toward the dark. The only person who turned away was Nuro as he waited for the signal to begin. The main force continued to adjust itself and a few runners bounced back and forth as they made final preparations. Then, one of the leaders lobbed a flare into the air.

Phase two began.

“Go, go, go!” Nuro snapped around as he spotted the flare. Tua raised his shield and charged, leading the way into the black walls. Jake pushed out his held breath and followed behind, his eyes widening as he focused his mana down the tunnel. The smell of rot was faint but it was hard to ignore now. The Maedra continued to sit at the edge of his vision and as the Scouts closed in, the numbers only increased.

“There’s more than ten!” He shouted.

“Doesn’t matter!” Wyicks belted in response. He twirled his four blades and then dragged a thick purple tongue over one of them. Blood leaked over the blade and he spat the blue liquid onto the other blades. They shimmered and began to glow faintly, the runes carved into their edges flaring to life.

“Kill them all!” Nuro ordered. Fien stopped and raised her hands.

“Sulpera tul iek, Ignarus!” A bright yellow flame appeared in her hands. It morphed into the shape of a spear, twirling around her head before firing forward, launching into the dark. Her incantation was different than what Jake had learned but Ignarus remained the same. Maybe the elemental sign was universal but the words could be different?

The fire spear pierced the black and cut through the tunnel like a knife. When it reached the Maedra line, it flew over the heads of the initial group and illuminated them brightly for the team to see. When it finally struck home, it exploded brilliantly and spread fire onto the rock. Several Maedra melted away and screeched as they met their end.

“Runner, we’ve found the Beasts!” Nuro shouted.

“Understood!” One runner from Gyn quickly stopped his advance and then turned to relay the information. The second hovered towards the rear, just behind Jake, and continued forward.

“Tau, here!” Nuro barked. Tau stopped in his tracks and then slammed the base of his shield into the floor. It cracked the rock, cutting a line in the stone as the Oryk dug in his heels. 

This was where they would make their stand.

“Fien, Jake. Magic. Lots of it.” The order which included Jake was unexpected but he would oblige.

“Yes, sir!” Jake stepped up to Nuro’s side, opposite Fien, and planted a hand into the ground. He used rock magic to elevate himself, giving him a better view of the tunnel. Then, he did the same for Nuro and Fien.

“Whoa,” Fien squeaked, her arms flailing a bit as the ground beneath her suddenly jerked upwards.

“Hurry!” Nuro shouted. The Maedra screeched from up the tunnel and Jake could see them begin to charge. Nuro lit a flare, then chucked it ahead of Tau to illuminate the space. The rotting bodies of the Maedra came into view and they were met by a wall of fire.

The mana inside of Jake’s body vibrated powerfully as he put it to work. He held his hands straight ahead of himself and stretched four tails out from his lower back. Fire blazed around him as he filled the tunnel with a devastating display of firepower. Fien stared at him from her side of the tunnel, her eye wide as she watched him.

“W-What?” She muttered. “N-No… No incantation?!” She yelped.

“Fien!” Nuro shouted, glaring at her.

“Sorry!” Fien turned her attention forward, summoning another fire spear to lob down the tunnel. It was barely anything compared to Jake’s spells, but it was helpful and she would do her job.

“Just a healer, eh?” Tau looked over to Mora, who shrugged and gripped her daggers.

The Maedra melted and scattered as the flames ripped into the first rows. However, as the flesh bags melted and their crystals shattered, the beasts behind them climbed over the corpses. The wave of rot washed into the tunnel, surging and barreling through the wall of fire. Jake maintained his casting and lowered the trajectory of his spells to keep the Maedra’s advance back as best as he could but their stubborn approach was impossible to stop.

“One more!” Jake shouted. He shoved mana into the floor and channeled it forward. As the Maedra stepped into the space Jake couldn’t hit without potentially harming his allies, Jake filled the floor and walls with mana. The kill zone was established and as the bodies filled the space, Jake triggered his trap. The walls sharpened and hundreds of spikes jutted forward, crushing and piercing the Maedra within them from all directions.

“Damn,” Tau muttered, lowering his shield just a bit as he watched the spikes collapse and break apart. The Maedra caught in the trap dissolved and melted, their crystal cores pierced and shattered by the stone spears. However, with the trap gone and the fire overhead unable to keep the area clear, Tau gripped his shield tightly again and readied himself. A few breaths later, the first Maedra tasted iron as he smashed his shield into its face.

“Can you maintain that and heal?” Nuro asked Jake, who continued to pummel the backline of the Maedra with fire. As much as Jake wanted to multitask and do both, he was feeling the strain already.

“No,” he answered honestly. Nuro nodded.

“Then stop now. Fien, take over the magic duties. Jake, focus on recovery.” At his order, Jake collected his mana into a final set of large fire spears, copying Fien’s spell, and then launched them into the Maedra. The spears drove into the bodies, the tunnel, and speared through the black. Just after impact, the collected mana within the spear-tips ignited and exploded brilliantly, filling the tunnel with heat and light. The screams of Maedra waned for a few moments as the tunnel shook.

Afterward, Jake ceased his offensive spells and sat down. He closed his eyes and began to cultivate his mana, aiding with the recovery of his expended fuel. At the same time, he attached strands of mana to all three of his vanguards. He fed them a steady flow of recovery mana to aid with their stamina and fatigue and used the mana to monitor for wounds and injuries. In doing so, Jake found that he could replenish mana quicker than he could expend it on tending to his teammates. It wouldn’t be long but he would be able to return to the offensive.

They just needed to hold out.

“Beast Mages!” Wyicks shouted. Jake opened his eyes and spotted several blue lights igniting in the distance of the tunnel.

“Nuro, you sure this isn’t the tunnel they needed to attack?!” Wyicks shouted again, glancing over his shoulder as he sliced a Maedra into pieces.

“I’ll handle it!” Fien shouted. She knelt and closed her eye for a moment. When she opened it again, her iris glowed red. Above her, three fire spears began to form as she chanted a spell in Seraphym. As she finished Jake felt a slight pulse in the air as the spears launched down the tunnel, one after another. The blue lights flashed as the Maudraga fired off their spells, but the initial spear cut through the blue balls and caused them to explode. The second spear slammed into the front Maudraga, blasting it and two others apart. The third drove into the second row, splattering them all with heat as it exploded.

Jake glanced toward Fien and he could see the strain on her face as she began to conjure another set of fire spears. They came forth and she was able to fire them down the tunnel, but she was at her limit already. When Jake used his Sensory magic to look at her mana flow, he could see it was weak. The spell she was casting was causing a lot of stress on her. However, she kept her breathing steady. She was quite experienced in casting under pressure. The last three spears tore into the Maudraga and cleaned the backline of opposing mages.

“Take a break, Fien. Good work,” Nuro said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She nodded and collapsed onto her backside. She let out a heave of exhaustion as she tried to rest. Jake, on the other hand, continued his work. “How many more?” Nuro asked, glancing down at the boy. Jake peered forward with his Sensory magic and stared into the dark.

“Not many. Those spears took care of most of them.” The Maedra in the tunnel had largely been dealt with by Jake’s initial assault and Fien’s fire spears. The rest were either being cut down by the three down below or were rushing forward to be dealt with. Unlike on Jake’s mission, the numbers weren’t endless.

“Almost there, then,” Nuro muttered quietly. Jake looked up at the man and for the first time, he could see relief in his eye. Jake didn’t envy him. The amount of stress weighing on Nuro’s shoulders was far higher than Jake’s. Nuro’s role wasn’t to fight. His task was to lead, organize, and control the chaos. Thankfully, his team was strong enough to handle the stress of their tasks.

The last of the Maedra thinned. Tau’s wall remained unbroken and his two assistants made easy work of the stragglers. When the numbers dropped into the single digits, Wyicks and Mora lunged past Tau. The hunt began and the two ended the slaughter in a gory fashion. Tau took a knee once his task was done and stabbed the base of his shield into the ground, using it as support to hold his tired body up.

“All clear,” Jake announced as Mora and Wyicks finished off the last two Maedra. Jake couldn’t sense any others in front of them and the crystals scattered on the floor were void of life. Mora lit another flare and hurled it further down the tunnel, lighting more of the space for them to see. The area lit was still within Jake’s Sensory range so there was no change. However, with eyes on the space, the lack of Maedra was confirmed. Mora and Wyicks returned to Tau’s line and stepped back across into safety.

“Good, now we can rest.” Nuro sighed, releasing the stress on his shoulders as his team stepped back towards them.

However, just as Tau turned, Jake’s Sensory magic triggered.

“Wait,” he muttered. Nuro immediately looked at him and the others paused. Jake cut off all other mana usage and funneled it into his eyes. He stretched his Sensory magic forward another hundred meters and there, just beyond his initial range, a single figure stood.

“There’s… something out there,” he muttered.

The figure was dark in his view. A terrifying black. The amount of mana within it was massive and its presence was heavy on Jake’s mind. The figure loomed in the dark, staring straight at Jake as he focused down on it. The figure was thin but its armor was thick. It carried a heavy sword on its hip. Its helmet was a full-face one so Jake couldn’t see what kind of creature it was. A long bundle of flowing black mana dangled down from the top of its helmet to its neck. A powerful plume that identified the individual as someone Jake didn’t feel comfortable dealing with. A Black Knight.

Just as Jake tried to identify more of the individual, he felt a powerful pain shoot through his skull. A pair of bright red eyes glared back at him from beneath the Knight’s visor and Jake’s Sensory magic fizzled out. He let out a yelp of pain and cut the flow of mana to his eyes. He grabbed onto his head and immediately funneled recovery mana into it to ease the pain.

“Jake!” Nuro shouted as he knelt next to the boy. “Fien, do you have mana?!”

“Yes!” Fien lifted onto a knee and conjured up a single fire spear as quickly as she could. When her incantation was finished, she launched the spear into the dark. It whistled through the empty, quiet air of the tunnel. There, in the distance, the spear illuminated the knight. The pair of dangerous red eyes glared at the oncoming spear and the knight drew the sword on their hip. Black mana coated the blade and with a powerful swing, the knight sliced the spear in half. The mana dispersed into the dark, the spell negated.

Fien sucked her teeth and created another spear. However, when she launched this one, there was nothing to see at the other end. The spear soared through the tunnel, illuminating the rock walls. As it flew into the space where the knight stood, it soared past without impacting anything. The spear eventually struck a distant rocky outcropping and exploded. The knight was gone.

“Are you alright?” With the knight gone, Nuro put his attention on Jake. The boy nodded and finished dealing with the throbbing pain he felt in his head.

“Did you see it?” Jake asked.

“Yes. A knight. I’ve never seen that before,” Nuro said as he stood back up.

“Glad he’s gone. I didn’t want to fight that,” Wyicks spat. After seeing the knight slice the fire spear in half, none of them probably wanted to deal with it.

“Pari, Mora, Wyicks, start collecting the crystals. Runner, go signal for support. Tau, move to the far side just in case the Beasts come back. Jake, Fien, you two rest. Jake, if you can, continue to watch the far side of the tunnel.”

The team dispersed with their orders and Jake collapsed onto his backside. He stared off into the distance and then extended his Sensory magic to bring it all into view again. The knight was indeed gone, but Jake felt uneasy knowing something like that was still out there. What was that thing? Was it a monster, another warrior of some kind? He doubted it was living. Nothing about its presence told Jake it was there to help. Either way, it was gone now.

He hoped that for the rest of the operation, it stayed that way.

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