Chapter 296
The entire city boiled in unrest, the streets thick with tension and fury. The Priests of the God of War were on a rampage. Word had spread that intruders not only infiltrated one of their sacred vaults but fought their way out, mocking their authority. It wasn’t about the stolen goods—no, it was the sheer audacity that enraged them.
"Lock down the gates!" one of the senior priests bellowed as his war axe slammed into the stone floor.
"Since the gods have graced us with battle, we must indulge!" roared another, veins bulging across his neck.
"Anyone who captures or defeats them shall be granted a divine mark!"
Meanwhile, in the dark, filth-ridden underbelly of the city, Kael crouched beside Ariana behind a moss-coated pipe. The echo of water dripped endlessly, and the faint clatter of boots above made their hiding place feel like a coffin.
"This was supposed to be a simple retrieval but for you we need to suffer?" Kael whispered harshly, his brows furrowed in frustration.
Ariana didn’t respond immediately, only handed him a flask the size of her palm and flicked it open. A quiet shimmer of flame lit the narrow tunnel, revealing patches of aged stone, winding ducts, and rotting vines that clung like fingers to the walls.
The stench of rot and iron lingered thick in the air as Kael and Ariana trudged through the ankle-deep sludge of the underground drainage network. Cracks above filtered dim beams of light, slicing through the gloom like pale blades.
The walls were moss-covered, wet, and lined with streaks of filth. Rats squeaked in the distance, their shadows scuttling across the damp stone. Every drip of water echoed like a whisper of warning.
Kael held his breath, glancing at Ariana who walked silently ahead, her posture stiff. She uncorked a small flask, and a soft amber flame flared from within, revealing more of the path ahead. The flame didn’t flicker—protected by some strange alchemical field.
"You were prepared for this?" Kael muttered, raising an eyebrow.
Ariana didn’t look back. "Always. I don’t like dark places."