Chapter 383 — Treasure II
7 min read ·
The clearing was drenched in blood and Aura.
At the center, a fruit pulsed with blinding light, growing from a crystalline formation that jutted from the earth like a spear of pure energy.
The fruit itself was the size of a human head, its surface shifting between translucent white and deep violet with each pulse, veins of concentrated Aura running through it.
Around it, B+ rank elves stood in perfect formation.
Sword bearers formed the front line, their blades moving in synchronized patterns, each strike flowing into the next like water. When one elf stepped forward to cut down a charging beast, another filled the gap instantly, maintaining an unbroken wall of steel.
Behind them, archers stood in rows, their bows humming with power.
FWOOOSH FWOOOSH FWOOOSH
Aura arrows materialized on their strings, glowing the same silver-white as their weapons.
The arrows flew in waves, each volley timed perfectly to cover the sword bearers’ movements.
A C+ rank wolf leaped at the formation.
Multiple arrows punched through its skull before it crossed half the distance.
Thud
The body hit the ground and slid.
More beasts charged from the tree line, driven by the treasure’s pull, by the instinct that whatever was forming at the center could elevate them beyond their current limits.
A B rank panther tried to circle around the formation’s flank.
SLASH
An elvish blade opened its throat before it took several steps.
The elf who killed it didn’t even look down, already repositioning, sword rising to block the next threat.
"Maintain formation." The command came from one of the sword bearers, his voice carrying authority. "The treasure nears maturity! Hold the line!"
"Understood, Commander!" The responses came in perfect unison.
Another wave of beasts surged forward.
A massive boar, B+ rank, its tusks glowing with earth Aura, charged straight at the center of the formation.
FWOOOSH FWOOOSH FWOOOSH
Arrows hit its head simultaneously.
The boar’s charge didn’t slow.
Its skull was too thick, its rank too high, the arrows only punching shallow into bone.
Then the sword bearers moved.
Multiple elves stepped forward as one, blades angling down, and when the boar reached them–
SLASH SLASH SLASH
Simultaneous strikes severed its front legs.
The boar crashed face-first into the ground, momentum carrying it forward, plowing through dirt.
Before it could recover, more elves stepped in from the sides.
SLASH SLASH
One blade took its head, the other opened its chest to the spine.
Blood sprayed across the formation.
The elves didn’t even flinch.
They returned to position immediately, maintaining the defensive wall.
In the distance, beyond the clearing, the real battle raged.
BOOOOOOM
The impact shook the ground, sent trees toppling, rattled teeth even from hundreds of meters away.
General Broddy, an S rank human awakener, moved like a force of nature.
His opponent was a bear.
Not just any bear, an S rank beast that towered over the trees, its fur the color of molten stone, each step leaving craters in the earth.
The bear’s roar split the air.
ROOOOOAAAAAR
The sound alone killed nearby beasts, their bodies simply shutting down from the pressure.
Broddy didn’t roar back.
He just moved.
BOOM
His fist connected with the bear’s jaw, the impact generating a shockwave that flattened everything around them.
The bear’s head snapped sideways.
Then it lunged, jaws wide enough to swallow a house.
SLASH
Broddy’s blade, a massive greatsword that glowed with compressed Aura, carved through the bear’s shoulder, opening a massive wound.
Blood poured out like a waterfall.
But the bear didn’t slow down.
Its massive paw came down where Broddy had been standing, cratering the earth, turning everything to powder.
But Broddy was already gone, already moving, already striking from another angle.
The S ranks fought in a different dimension than the B ranks defending the treasure.
Every exchange reshaped the landscape, turned forest into wasteland, made the air itself dangerous to breathe.
Closer to the treasure site, the Major General fought his own battle.
Kethran was A+ rank, his dark skin marked with luminous tattoos that pulsed with power, his twin swords moving faster than most awakeners could track.
He faced three B+ rank bears, each one massive
SLASH SLASH SLASH
His blades wove patterns in the air, each strike precise, each cut finding gaps in natural armor.
One bear lunged.
Kethran sidestepped, his movement almost lazy, and his sword opened the bear’s side from shoulder to hip.
The bear roared and collapsed, blood pooling beneath it.
The other two attacked simultaneously from opposite sides.
’Predictable.’
Kethran’s body blurred.
He was between them suddenly, both swords extended, and–
SLASH SLASH
Both bears’ throats opened at once.
Gurgle Gurgle
They fell together, twitching.
Kethran’s expression didn’t change.
He simply turned back toward the treasure, scanning for the next threat, his movements economical and efficient.
’The fruit is pulsing faster... where is the princess? She should have returned with the–’
Light exploded behind him as Kethran spun immediately, both blades raised.
Then he saw her.
Serath’ana materialized on the ground, her body crumpled, tears streaming down her face, entire frame shaking violently.
"PRINCESS!"
Kethran crossed the distance in a heartbeat, his body positioned between her and any potential threats, both swords extended.
His eyes scanned the perimeter, searching for whatever had triggered the emergency artifact.
"What happened?" His voice came out sharp, tactical. "Where are Kaleth and the others? Why did you activate the–"
Sob
Serath’ana couldn’t speak.
She just curled into herself, hands pressed over her face, entire body wracked with sobs.
"Princess." Kethran’s voice softened slightly, though his eyes never stopped scanning. "I need you to report... What happened?"
"D-demon." The word came out broken, barely intelligible through tears. "There was... in the forest... he killed them... he killed them all..."
Kethran’s grip on his swords tightened.
"Killed who? The warriors I sent with you?"
Serath’ana nodded frantically, unable to form more words, the memory too fresh and too horrifying.
"All of them? Kaleth, Thalas, Ralen... all dead?"
Another nod.
"How? What killed elite B+ warriors? Was it the raven? Did the beast–"
"No! Not the raven! A demon! He wore a mask and he... he..." Her voice cracked completely. "He ate them... he tore them open and ate their organs and he... he..."
She couldn’t continue as her voice just dissolved into incoherent sobbing, entire body shaking so hard she could barely remain upright.
Kethran’s jaw clenched.
’A demon? Here? In the human world? Impossible!’
Suddenly, the fruit pulsed, each pulse sending ripples of concentrated Aura outward.
Kethran’s head snapped toward the treasure.
"It’s maturing."
The words barely left his mouth before the forest around them exploded with movement.
ROOOAAAAAR ROOOAAAAAR ROOOAAAAAR
Every beast within a kilometer felt it.
The treasure was about to ripen.
Whoever consumed it would gain what it offered.
They surged forward as one.
C ranks, B ranks, even A ranks, all driven by instinct, by hunger, by the promise of evolution.
The elvish formation braced.
"INCOMING!"
The commander’s voice cut through the chaos.
"HOLD THE LINE! DO NOT LET THEM REACH THE TREASURE!"
Arrows filled the air, dozens per second, each one finding flesh.
But there were too many.
For every beast that fell, three more took its place.
The sword bearers moved faster, their formations compressing, each elf covering the others’ gaps with perfect coordination.
Blood was sprayed and bodies fell.
Both beast and elf.
One archer took a C+ rank wolf’s claws to the chest, his ribs cracking, blood spraying from his mouth.
He fell.
The elf beside him stepped into position immediately, maintaining the formation despite the loss.
The fruit’s light intensified, the violet becoming dominant, the white fading.
"IT’S ALMOST READY!" Someone screamed.
The beasts went into a frenzy.
They stopped avoiding attacks, stopped caring about survival, just charged forward with single-minded desperation.
A B+ rank bear crashed through the front line, taking three swords to the torso, dying even as its momentum carried it forward.
Its corpse slammed into an archer, crushed him against a tree.
Crack
The formation wavered but Kethran moved.
SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH
Four B rank beasts died in as many seconds, his blades painting arcs of blood in the air.
But more kept coming.
Serath’ana remained on the ground, curled into herself, crying, unable to process what was happening around her.
Kethran stood over her, both swords moving in defensive patterns, protecting her while his formation fought for their lives.
’What’s taking you so long, General Broddy?’ His thoughts flashed to the human general. ’We need S rank support. If this continues–’
The fruit pulsed one final time and then stopped.
"..."
Complete silence fell across the clearing.
Every beast froze mid-charge and every elf stopped mid-strike.
The fruit hung there, no longer pulsing. It had matured and was ripe to be taken.
Then the real chaos began.