Chapter 1055 Worst-Case Scenario

While the name "Thieves Den" was unofficial, it carried a certain logic behind it. As the ten of them began levitating into the air, Arthur gained a better understanding of the enemy forces they were up against.

For most of their ascent, Koby had to navigate through the trees to ensure they remained unseen. However, even the tallest tree had its limits, and beyond that point, they risked being spotted.

"I used to be in the Scouts Division," mentioned one of the six soldiers, a tanned young man with three scars running across his face. "I can bend light around us, making us blend into the surroundings."

Arthur felt grateful for the presence of these men. Most of them belonged to either the Scout Division or the Golden Division, making them reliable in various aspects.

Light bent in unnatural ways around them, creating a marble-like sphere that blended seamlessly with the cloudy sky. However, this prevented them from seeing below them, a problem solved by another member who directed Koby using his detection skills.

"Is there a task for me this time as well?" asked Dorian, surprisingly devoid of his usual arrogance, which caught Arthur"s attention. Upon closer examination, Arthur noted that Dorian appeared calmer than when they first met.

"Did something happen?" Arthur asked, genuinely concerned. Although he wished for Dorian"s maturation, it was occurring at an alarming rate, and Arthur feared it might twist his perspective. "We didn"t fight again for you to owe me a favor."

"...because I know I would lose," admitted Dorian, tightening his grip on his spear as he turned toward Arthur. "I lose every time I hesitate about fighting you. This cowardice is... humiliating."

Arthur understood the reason behind this sudden transformation in the arrogant man. Being in Arthur"s company humbled Dorian with every pa.s.sing moment. Even if he wished to flaunt his strength, which was by no means insignificant, Arthur"s presence made him appear inadequate.

"You"re not a coward," Arthur a.s.sured him with a smile. "Knowing which battles are worth fighting is a form of wisdom. Strong men don"t engage in hopeless battles; otherwise, we"d never see any of them. Take your time to train and challenge me when you"re ready."

"...is there any chance of that happening?" Dorian inquired with genuine curiosity rather than despair. Arthur studied the furrowing of his square eyebrows above sincere eyes and couldn"t bring himself to lie.

"Anything is possible, but given who I am... no, you don"t stand a chance against me," Arthur stated as humbly as he could, but Dorian suddenly burst into laughter. Arthur watched him with intrigue as the man"s laughter echoed through the sky.

"I wouldn"t have believed you if you said otherwise!" Dorian exclaimed, slapping his knee before standing up with his spear. He then aimed his weapon at Arthur, though devoid of any hostility; instead, he reverted to his usual demeanor. "I can"t defeat you now, Alexie! But if defeating you were easy, I"d be bored!"

"...does the impossibility of the challenge excite you?" Arthur mused, sporting a similar grin as his golden eyes glowed with a similar, unknown excitement.

"My name is Dorian Stormblade," the arrogant man announced with his spear pointed toward Arthur. "I"m the man who will one day conquer everything beneath this blue sky! But before I do that, I"ll defeat you!"

The other soldiers turned toward them with confusion and unease, as their voices had grown too loud. Arthur gazed into Dorian"s hazel-colored eyes and saw the beastly excitement for glory within them. His overflowing self-confidence made Arthur wonder how this man might eventually surpa.s.s him.

"I apologize, but no matter how much I ponder it, I am the one destined to conquer the heavens," Arthur a.s.serted, emitting an overbearing aura. Dorian"s hand shook as it held the spear, but his grin remained intact. "You are nothing more than a character in my story, Dorian Stormblade."

"How strange it is for me to feel the same way," Dorian remarked, his face devoid of fear as he waved his spear and set it aside. "Until the day I become strong enough to defeat you, no one else is allowed to do so!"

"I will not be defeated by anyone, ever," Arthur declared, his grin oozing with excitement as he rose from the ground. "As long as you don"t get flattened by my overwhelming presence, I"ll be glad to wait for you."

The two men shook hands as their overpowering spirits seemed to collide in the sky above Thieves Den. By the time their exchange concluded, they were almost at their destination.

"Are they always like this?" one of the soldiers whispered to Joey, casting a curious glance at the two men who were laughing heartily. "I heard rumors about the young lord being a hotheaded youth, but Alexie seems no different."

"No different?" Joey echoed, glancing at the pair. "In my opinion, Alexie is far worse than Dorian. Dorian is just a cat who meows occasionally, but Alexie is a tiger that sleeps most of the time."

"Is he stronger?" the soldier asked with confusion, taking a double look at the lean man who appeared anything but threatening. "He seems as young as my boy."

"You"d do well not to compare him to your child, or you"ll be sorely disappointed," Joey replied with a grin. "Just know this: This division needs Alexie more than he needs us."

Although the man still seemed unconvinced and slightly offended, he refrained from saying anything further. The group reached their destination just as the tanned scout dispelled his light-bending ability. As they looked down, they found themselves directly atop the mountain"s summit.

"Release the signal," Arthur ordered, gazing down at the summit. As the soldier followed his orders without hesitation, Arthur turned to Koby, who appeared as shriveled as an old branch. "You didn"t disappoint me, Koby."

"I"m not done yet," the one-armed man said as he rose, clutching his shoulder. "I still want to be part of this battle."

"It won"t be necessary, but I"d like you to take care of some of the weaker bandits to earn some reward points," Arthur said, patting the man"s shoulder. "You"ve already done more than enough."

After the signal was released, battle cries echoed in the distance. The three lieutenants charged down one of the main roads and engaged an unaware group of bandits patrolling the mountain. Bells rang, and runic lines appeared in a dome around the entire mountain.

"As expected, there"s a powerful array surrounding the mountain," Dorian observed, swirling his spear in the air several times as he prepared to jump. "There"s only one way to find out what this array does."

"Don"t rush in, Dorian," Arthur cautioned, frowning as he examined the array. "These runic lines are connected to the artifact. I believe that the moment you step into the array, it will trigger an explosion."

As soon as Arthur"s words reached their ears, a deafening explosion shook the sky, tearing through the clouds. The soldiers looked down and saw the explosion emanating from the lieutenants" location, filling them with horror.

"Our lieutenants were hit! We need to descend and—" one of the soldiers began, attempting to jump in their direction, but Arthur grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"What are you doing?" the soldier protested.

"It was their mission to lure out the artifact user, and they succeeded," Arthur said, his expression cold as he looked down at the agitated soldier. "If you can"t even fulfill your sole mission, then you"re not fit to be a soldier."

His stern words shocked the group, but they also stirred determination in them. Each soldier began scanning for the artifact user responsible for the attack on their lieutenants, but their efforts proved fruitless.

"There"s nothing down there, Alexie," Joey reported, frowning as he searched for anything suspicious. "I thought the artifact user would use the mountain"s summit as a vantage point, but no one is there."

"That"s because the bandits are aware of our plan," Arthur surmised, raising his head toward the sky. "There"s something descending from above."

A ma.s.sive portal suddenly materialized in the sky above them, raining down a thousand arrows, followed by a thousand more. As the arrows descended toward the group, each one lit up with runic lights.

"Each of them has a bomb," Arthur muttered with terrifying calm as the rest of the soldiers began to panic. "Our plan has somehow been compromised, or these bandits are more than they appear. Either way, we"re facing the worst-case scenario."

"This is no time for a monologue!" one of the soldiers shouted, rushing toward Koby and grabbing the mage by his single arm. He shouted at Koby, trying to pull him away. "Mage, get us out of here!"

"Don"t interrupt our squad leader," Koby said coldly, slapping the soldier"s hand away. "If he"s calm, why aren"t you?"

"That"s my disciple," Arthur commented with a grin as he took a step forward, golden mana erupting from his body like flames. "The worst-case scenario involves me stepping in and ending them. But this scenario will befall them, not us."