Chapter 55: The Hour of Chaos
Raigar’s POV:
17 July, Year 2550. The Island of Beasts, Beastriheim. Eastern Region, Wynthalor.
Location: World Association Building.
A man stood on the top floor of the massive Association building, looking out of the wide glass window toward the bustling city. The streets below looked peaceful. The faint sounds of children playing and the busy market crowds echoed from the distance.
The atmosphere felt calm, almost too calm for a day when a Bishop was lurking hidden somewhere inside the city limits.
Footsteps approached from the corridor, and the door swung open.
*CREAK—!*
A tall man with a slim build and a furry tail protruding from his back stepped into the office. He bowed instantly upon seeing the commander standing there. Raigar did not turn around to look at him. His sharp eyes remained fixed on the peaceful city outside, a city that was soon going to turn into a chaotic battlefield. His senses could already feel the presence of many enemies gathering on the outskirts of Wynthalor.
"Speak," Raigar ordered.
The slim man straightened up, staring at the commander’s back. His expression was tense, clearly struggling to find the right words, but he forced his mouth open.
"Commander Raigar, it seems they have finally decided to stop hiding. An army of heretics is on the move. There are nearly seven hundred Shrivens and three hundred Acolytes! And to make matters worse, they are marching toward us from every single direction."
"How did they climb the Great Wall?"
The man bit his lip and looked down at the floor, shaking his head.
"They didn’t climb it. It seems they were already hiding inside Beastriheim for a long time. Almost all the heretics are local citizens of our own region. Some of them are the people who went missing during the recent incidents. The temples mutated all those innocent people into those disgusting monsters. They created hidden factions across Beastriheim and planned this coordinated strike on the city from the inside."
Raigar’s expression turned grim. He turned away from the window, walked over to the head seat of the long meeting table, and sat down, leaning back into the leather chair.
"Tchh! They have finally shown their true colors. Damn heretics. Now we have to stoop to such a low level and kill our own people who were turned into those mindless monsters."
The subordinate looked at him, his face growing even more anxious.
"Commander... There is also urgent news from the forest where the Arcane Academy students were taking their practical exam. Information just came in that a few students faced a Bishop out there."
Raigar’s eyes widened in shock. A fiery rage started building inside his chest at the thought of innocent students getting caught in the dark temple’s skirmish.
"Are there any casualties? How many students died?"
The slim man shook his head quickly.
"No, sir. It seems the Bishop did not present his real body there. He forcibly possessed one of the students to spread chaos. The professors are searching the entire forest right now, but they haven’t found the Bishop’s real body yet. The enemy must have a very high mastery of stealth."
Raigar narrowed his eyes, processing the flood of bad news. Just as he was figuring out his next move, loud noises erupted in the distance. The deafening sound of several blasts shook the windows, instantly grabbing his attention!
*BOOOM!* *BOOOM!*
The outer walls of the city were breached! Hundreds of terrifying Shrivens flooded through the broken gates, pouring in not just from one side, but from multiple directions. The horrifying sounds of destruction began echoing from every corner of Wynthalor.
Raigar’s expression turned fierce.
"How is this possible? How can they just breach the city wall like that? What are the soldiers stationed at those posts doing?!"
The subordinate looked out the window, his face pale with utter shock.
"Shit! There are even more of them coming from the mountains! That is the only reason the soldiers might have pulled back!"
*Thud!*
Raigar stood up in blinding anger. He slammed his fist down onto the wooden table. A massive web of cracks spread across the surface before the entire desk shattered into pieces!
The slim man stepped back in fear and bowed his head.
"F*cking nonsense! Are they running back to save their own skin while the citizens are in danger?! I will deal with those cowards later. Get ready! Inform all the A-rankers in the city to mobilize immediately. Secure the residential areas and save the citizens. Send an emergency signal to the other S-rankers to join us here as soon as possible!"
Raigar prepared to depart. The air around him grew heavy and suffocating as he took a battle stance. Just the sheer pressure radiating from his body caused the floor to crack and the windows to shatter.
"Commander, where are you going?!"
A cold, thrilling smile tugged on Raigar’s lips as he looked toward the rising smoke in the distance.
"To hunt."
*BOOOM!*
The moment the words left his mouth, he vanished from the room with an explosive burst of speed. The entire wall where the windows used to be was blown apart by the force of his launch!
The slim man was left standing alone in the ruined office, dreading the chaos that was about to unfold across the city.
...
Inside the central city hospital of Wynthalor, on the second floor, Room 203.
Alden lay resting on the hospital bed. Beside him sat Alicia, her eyes fixed on his helpless figure as he rested in a deep, dreamy sleep.
Her face was blank and unreadable, her attention focused solely on him. Just as it seemed like he was going to sleep forever, his fingers twitched. He showed signs of waking up. His eyelids fluttered, and he opened his crimson eyes, looking around the hospital room with a dazed expression. His gaze finally landed on Alicia as she stood up and walked closer to the bed.
"Are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?" she asked softly.
Alden looked at her, his mind finally catching up to reality. He quickly sat up, but a sharp pain assaulted his head. He winced and clutched his forehead.
"Where are we? How did I get here? What is the current status of the city? Is everyone okay?"
Alicia sat on the edge of the bed. Her voice was gentle, creating a sharp contrast to her expressionless face.
"You were found unconscious at Spot 4. Thanks to Sarah’s magic, your wounds are fine. The professors brought you here to the hospital." She paused, tilting her head, trying to analyse his words.
"By everyone, who are you talking about?"
Her eyes narrowed as she caught his slip-up. Did he know an attack was happening in Wynthalor right now? If yes, then how did he know, when he was unconscious all this time? Her suspicion deepened as he quickly tried to dodge her probing question.
"Oh, never mind that. Did you all reach safety?"
Alicia pursed her lips and leaned a little closer to him. Her eyes turned intensely cold.
"Don’t dodge the question. Do you think I am some idiot who doesn’t realize you are hiding something? I won’t pressure you to give me all the answers today, but do not pretend in front of me. I only want to hear the truth, Understand?"
Alden looked into her intense eyes. Seeing this fierce, demanding look for the first time instead of her usual calm demeanor sent a strange shiver through his spine. Still, he maintained his cool attitude and whispered back.
"Don’t try to meddle in my business. You should focus on your own things. You will get nothing but endless trouble by staying around me."
He slid off the bed and grabbed his academy coat hanging on the nearby wall rack. He slipped it on smoothly. Alicia sat there on the mattress, absorbing his cold words as Alden walked toward the door, ready to leave.
"Where are you planning to go?" Alicia asked. She looked out the hospital window, knowing this building was the safest place in the area right now. Her voice was much lighter than her previous cold tone.
Alden slowed his steps as he reached the door. His fingers wrapped around the doorknob. A small smile tugged on his lips, contrasting with his distant eyes.
"Maybe to go save some maiden?"
Before she could ask any more questions, he opened the door and stepped out, walking away toward the chaotic, burning city. As the door clicked shut behind him, Alicia was left alone in the quiet hospital room.
She placed her hand on the warm bedsheets where he had just been lying.
"Your business, you say? You don’t know it yet, but your every business is also mine. Your problems are my problems. There is nothing else in this world for me to focus on except you. Do you really think I just want to stay close to you for fun? No. I want to stay so I can share my everything with you. If you think that affects your life, then so be it. I am not moving an inch away from you. If you think I am just going to let you walk away alone like last time, then you are wrong. That won’t happen. Not ever again."
She stood up from the bed, turned around, and marched toward the door. Her expression was terrifyingly cold, looking as if she was ready to strike down anyone who dared to stand in her way.
*Thud!*
The hospital room fell back into total silence. Only the distant sounds of roaring monsters and crumbling buildings could be heard through the window. Evening started to fall over Wynthalor, spilling a beautiful orange light across the city as the setting sun slipped down between the distant mountain peaks.