NOVPUB
Chapter 67: The Infiltration Plan (I)
Tobias smirked. "You complaining?"
"Not at all."
And then —
A horn blew.
They both turned.
Through the rain, figures emerged.
Adventurers.
On horseback.
Clad in armor, weapons drawn, they cut through the horde, pushing back the creatures in an organized formation.
One of them, a mage in dark robes, dismounted and approached Kara and Tobias, his robes whipping in the wind.
His piercing eyes took in the battlefield before finally speaking.
"We’re from the GUILD," he announced, his voice firm. "This town is in serious danger. If we don’t control this situation, it will be destroyed."
Tobias let out a breath, running a hand through his wet hair. "Tell us something we don’t know."
The mage didn’t react to his sarcasm. Instead, he gestured behind him.
"We brought three weather mages to help alleviate the rain. Once they clear the storm, the battlefield will be in our favor."
Kara crossed her arms. "What’s stopping you? Do it now."
The mage’s jaw tensed. "It takes time. We need to protect them while they cast."
Tobias wiped the rain from his face, nodding. "Then we’d better get to work."
...
Zayn had absorbed the monster and the soul energy residues were still racing within him.
His breath was ragged, body buzzing with residual energy.
That thing had been a monster among monsters, but now —
It was his.
He clenched his fist, golden arcs of soul energy flickering across his knuckles.
Beside him, Bran stretched his shoulders, rolling his neck.
"That was a workout," he muttered, his axe resting against his shoulder.
His aura was still fading from the battle, the last traces of his blue energy retreating.
The two of them had fought like hell.
Now, it was time to regroup.
They sprinted through the mud-soaked streets, past wrecked stalls and toppled carriages, the remnants of the sudden sky-borne dungeon break still evident.
The town was a battlefield, but the adventurers had arrived in full force.
Kara and Tobias were in the thick of it, still fighting — though the tide had turned with the arrival of reinforcements.
The adventurers, clad in weathered armor and battle robes, pushed the remaining monsters back.
When Zayn and Bran reached them, Kara was standing atop a broken pillar of stone, slamming her foot down to launch boulders toward the creatures.
Tobias, now covered in blood and rain, was cutting through monsters with lightning-enhanced swings, his sword humming with every attack.
Kara spotted them first, grinning. "Took you long enough."
"Sorry," Bran huffed, "The monster was far stronger than we expected."
Tobias gave a small sigh.
"Now we have to wait for the weather mages to do their work,"
Zayn exhaled, his gaze scanning the battlefield. "Where are the weather mages?"
Tobias jerked his head toward the center of town. "Over there."
Zayn followed his gaze —
A circle of figures.
The weather mages.
They were seated on the muddy ground, right in the middle of the carnage, their black robes nearly blending into the darkened surroundings.
Their hands were pressed together, delicate fingers forming intricate seals as they began their ritual.
Their faces were young, yet their expressions were focused.
Their small frames trembled as they channeled power, mana coiling around them like an unseen force.
Zayn frowned. "They’re just... sitting there?"
Kara smirked. "Cute, huh?"
Zayn glanced at her. "...I didn’t say that."
But he smiled shortly after.
"They’re flat, but they’re working hard."
Kara rolled his eyes. "You and your weird observations."
Before he could say more —
A monster charged toward the mages.
One of the adventurers standing guard barely managed to deflect its claws, but the creature’s strength sent him skidding backward.
Zayn didn’t hesitate.
He moved.
Soul energy flared around him as he closed the distance in a flash, his sword slashing outward —
SCHLICK!
The monster’s head flew clean off.
The weather mages didn’t flinch.
They remained perfectly still, hands pressed together as their mana continued to accumulate.
Zayn backed up, standing guard now. "How long is this gonna take?"
One of the adventurers nearby wiped blood from his face. "They need time to gather enough mana. But once they release it, the storm stops."
"Then we hold the line," Bran said, hoisting his axe.
The four of them took position around the weather mages.
More monsters came.
And they fought.
Kara’s fists collided with bone and flesh, her earth magic sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
Tobias wielded his lightning like a blade, every swing of his sword sending thunderous energy crackling through his enemies.
Bran’s raw strength carved through the creatures, his axe splitting them apart like paper.
And Zayn —
He fought differently.
He could feel the influence of the soul he had absorbed, his attacks sharper, movements more unpredictable.
His golden soul energy coiled around him, extending his reach, letting him slash faster, dodge quicker.
And then —
A blinding light.
From the center of the battlefield, the weather mages finally released their spell.
A single, concentrated beam of mana shot skyward, piercing through the storm.
The energy pulsed, rippling outward like an unseen force —
And suddenly, the rain stopped.
The howling wind ceased.
The dark storm clouds vanished.
The sky was clear.
Zayn exhaled, lowering his sword.
Zayn glanced toward the weather mages.
They were exhausted, their small frames trembling from the amount of mana they had just used.
One of them collapsed forward, panting.
Kara crouched beside them, smirking. "Good job, little witches."
One of them groaned. "D-Don’t call us that..."
Zayn shook his head, amused.
But that clearly wasnt the end of the battle, the dungeon gate still swirled in the air, the monsters were still dropping and the GUILD Master, the man that owned the adventurer’s GUILD was talking with Tobias.
"The only way to stop this is to enter the dungeon," The man said with a short sigh, "I hope you and your party will join us in this expedition, Dear Hero,"
Tobias looked at the swirling gate in the sky, they needed to settle it once and for all.
"Let’s go,"
