Chapter 568
His sleep must have been deep and long because when he woke, the sun was already setting. The familiar smell of fresh blood overwhelmed his nose as he saw the whole fortress being dismantled and moved further into the lands won in today’s battlefield exchange.
Still not wanting to stay with Kaelen and his crazy ideas, Rattan found a reason to help move the camp and contribute. He even worked alongside the mages to build the wall for the new fortress.
As usual, after the fortress was built, one of the sixth-tier mages appeared and erected a psychic barrier around it. Everyone held their breath, clutching their nightly rations, as they looked at the shimmering wall of energy. This was Rattan’s first time witnessing the onset of a psychic attack; it was a truly weird and unsettling feeling, like waiting for a nightmare to unfold.
It had become the norm for soldiers to expect such harassment every night. In Rattan’s observant eyes, it was as if the very land outside the barrier began to move, as if something was stirring beneath it. Then, a dark, smoke-like substance released itself from the corrupted soil. Soon, the entire view was usurped by the black smoke, and from within it, ghost-like entities began to appear, launching their constant assault on the barrier.
Almost like a relief, the soldiers began to eat their rations. Rattan was no general, but it wasn’t hard for him to understand the grim reality from their reactions. The soldiers were relieved yet tense, occasionally glancing at the thin shield to see how it was holding up. It pained Rattan to admit it, but Kaelen might be right. For his own survival and the future of his people, Rattan had to believe Kaelen’s words, as they offered a slim chance of survival.
Sighing, Rattan tore his gaze from the shield and headed toward Kaelen’s tent. Along the way, he was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice when he collided with another mage.
The mage figure was shrouded in robes, their face obscured by the hood. Rattan, jolted back to his senses, immediately began to apologize for his carelessness. "I apologize, I was lost in thought." He quickly scanned the ground to ensure he hadn’t made the mage drop anything.
Finding nothing, and to his surprise, the mage said nothing in return, instead standing as still as a tree. It was then that Rattan noticed how remarkably tall this mage was, especially for a goblin mage. Might be because of the path chosen by the mage, Rattan thought to himself. Seeing no response, Rattan shifted slightly out of the way, about to continue his walk. Just as he moved past the mage, he felt a hand, surprisingly strong, grip him. Rattan halted mid-step, a frown creasing his face.
He turned to the figure, anger ready on his tongue, but stopped instead as his eyes widened. The figure briefly shifted their cloak, revealing a glimpse of something before concealing it just as quickly. It was Rattan’s turn now; he grabbed hold of the figure and began to look around with caution. "Follow me," he said, pulling on the figure, but then, remembering something, he let go. Instead, he started to walk normally, keeping a watchful eye, with a new destination in mind: his tent.