Chapter 14: The Inflitration
The moon hung high in the sky, its silvery light spilling over the sprawling expanse of the Earth Clan’s estate. The crisp night air carried a faint hum of power from the wards and barriers lining the perimeter. Even from the outer gates, the sheer scale of the fortress city was undeniable. Towering walls stretched endlessly, enclosing a bastion of stone and magic.
Alex stood at the edge of the main street leading toward the gates, his figure cloaked in shadow. From his vantage point, he could see the estate’s inner city sprawling beyond the towering entrance, a labyrinth of streets illuminated by enchanted lanterns.
High spires and domes loomed in the distance, their surfaces glinting faintly under the moonlight, while smaller buildings clustered around the estate’s heart-like veins feeding a living organism.
Nyxara crouched low on his shoulder, her black-striped tail flicking against his cloak in silent agitation. "Big place," she muttered, her golden eyes scanning the distant towers. "You sure you want to do this tonight? Feels like they built this to keep people like you out."
"They did," Alex replied, his voice low. His gaze swept over the patrols pacing the walls and the guards at the gates. Each was armed with enchanted spears, their movements disciplined and sharp.
Runes shimmered faintly on their armor, likely wards designed to amplify their strength or detect intruders. The scent of charred ozone clung to the air—residual energy from the protective enchantments.
Nyxara huffed. "Sure, not perfect. But they’re close."
He didn’t reply; his focus remained locked on the timing of the patrols. Nova’s voice echoed softly in his mind, calm and measured.
["There’s a blind spot approximately 12 meters west of the main gate. It’s small and fleeting—a three-second gap between the guard’s line of sight and the ward’s detection radius. If you move quickly, you’ll pass unnoticed, I have already disrupted the runes drawn to stop you"]