Soul of the Warrior

Chapter 202: Zero

Reivyn ran through the streets, picking up the pace from a simple jog as his blood pumped through his veins. He could feel and hear his heart pounding with the excitement and adrenaline coursing through him. He wasn't afraid for his life or anything, but something in his gut told him he needed to get back to his men.

My gut instincts are rarely wrong, Reivyn thought. It doesn't always manifest in the most obvious way, but that doesn't make it inaccurate. I might just be anxious from being away from my post for all I know.

He had complete confidence that his father, the officers and NCO's, and if push came to shove, the two cultivators, would be able to solve any dire situations the company found itself in. That didn't lessen the slow creep of anxiety he felt as his feet pounded on the pavement.

He badly wanted to open his Notification Window to see what the blinking was all about, especially after his perception of Mana had taken that weird shift earlier, but even though he had Divine Sense and was able to focus on a lot of different things at once, he didn't want to take the chance that he would stumble into something dangerous if he focused too much attention away from his task. He was pretty confident that the whatever was hidden in the Notification Window right now would take up a lot of his mental capacity, whatever it was.

The weird shift in his perception of Mana persisted the entire time, so it wasn't something that he had to activate. He only thought of it as a weird shift because he had gotten so used to the constant view he had of ambient Mana that any kind of difference would be a deviation of the norm no matter what form it took, but he also couldn't quite put his finger on what the exact difference was. He was perceiving the difference, but at the same time, it was more of an instinctual feeling that arose from his sense. The ambient Mana felt more intimate to him.

The feeling was restricted to a bubble surrounding himself. It wasn't infinite off into the horizon, but the bubble was an odd combination of the limits of his different Mana Skills and Divine Sense. Without diving into specifics, he couldn't tell if there was any concrete formula or correlation, but the bubble of intimate ambient Mana was definitely tied to the other ranges.

His Mana Sight and Sense Mana weren't absolutes. At a certain distance, the Mana motes turned into fuzzy impressions that got more and more indistinct until he couldn't see or sense anything at all. It wasn't the same as the wall of darkness of the absolute edge to his Divine Sense range, but there was a definite limit that he could see with the naked eye.

His new intimacy sat somewhere between those limits and the range of his Divine Sense, though it was closer to the latter.

He didn't really have the time to think about it too much, and he definitely couldn't stop what he was doing to do any experiments. The thoughts about his new sensation were in the back of his mind, though, not taking up any of his concentration.

Reivyn continued to angle further and further away from the central command center as he ran along the streets, most of them devoid of any other people. The civilians had been evacuated as soon as the alarm bells had sounded, and they were most likely miles and miles down the road by now. Reivyn also didn't sense any stragglers staying behind in their homes for whatever reason, but that wasn't to say that there weren't foolish people elsewhere in the city who had ignored the warnings. Reivyn just hoped there hadn't been any in the huge portion of the city they had destroyed to create obstacles for the enemy.

Off in the distance, as Reivyn ran out of a narrow alley onto a more broad street running perpendicular to his path, he saw soldiers engaged in fierce combat as they attempted to disengage the enemy soldiers with everything they had. The wounded soldier who had warned them of the deceit of the runners had mentioned breaches in the line, and not every company had a smooth time of trying to reach the exit. It didn't seem like there were any other nearby soldiers who were inclined to intercede on their behalf, either.

Reivyn muttered under his breath about responsibility and foolishness, but he grit his teeth as he sprinted toward the sights and sounds of combat.

The enemy soldiers weren't going for the kills. Reivyn's allies were clearly exhausted, and they could barely put up a concerted resistance, though they continued to fight valiantly. Those that ran out of Stamina and collapsed to the ground, however, were quickly swarmed by the enemy soldiers.

Reivyn watched in horror as one enemy soldier trussed up a downed soldier as another brought out a branding iron from somewhere and unceremoniously thrust it against the downed man's head.

The smell of burning flesh was in his head, but the screams of torment were very real.

It was happening all over the street, and as the enemy soldiers made more and more headway, those that had been left behind by the initial captors were hauled away toward the enemy front, never to be seen again.

Reivyn reached out with his new ability and gained control of the basic Mana in the vicinity of the fighting. He gathered the Mana together on the far side of where he was charging them from, and several soldiers on either side immediately jerked their heads up to see where the sense of Mana gathering was coming from. All of them paused in confusion, though, when they didn't spot anything.

Everyone knew that gathering Mana to launch a Spell was done within one's body, and it was nigh impossible to do so without giving one's self away to those sensitive enough to the Mana. Reivyn didn't even have a Skill that would help him obscure his own Mana signature when he was Casting, and he didn't know anyone who did. That didn't mean it didn't exist, and Reivyn's experience lent him to believe it did.

Reivyn kept an eye on his dwindling pool of Mana points. Just because he was manipulating Mana outside of his direct control didn't mean it was free. He noticed that it didn't put a strain on his Mana pool, though, either. It was a one-to-one ratio for Casting Spells, though he instinctually knew that if he didn't detonate the Spell he was weaving and let it dissipate like he would with his own Spells, the cost wouldn't be realized.

A weak memory of a phrase about something about some law conserving energy flitted across his mind.

He was able to weave and knot the Mana just as expertly as he could with his own reserves residing in his body, but there was a fatal weakness to what he could accomplish with this ability. He could only work with what Mana was there.

If he was in a lower Tiered Region, this ability would be almost useless aside from some niche utility Spells. As it was, he was in a unique situation where he could freeze the ambient Mana in place with his Will, and there was a constant stream of more Mana entering his range due to the circumstances suspected to have been caused by the invaders.

The soldiers on both sides of the fighting that could sense the Mana could tell that it was culminating into something, and they warned their compatriots to be prepared. Neither side knew who was conjuring the phantom Spell, so a brief standstill occurred in the fighting as everyone braced for the fallout.

Reivyn didn't slow his steps down, though he did activate his Silent Steps Skill in order to draw less attention to himself now that it had grown more silent. It wasn't a Skill he had dedicated a lot of time to, but it did audibly muffle the noise he had been making.

The Mana grew to a crescendo, and he flexed his Will to release the Spell he had woven. Soldiers on both sides activated their group Shield Skills and raised actual shields to protect themselves, though the invader's defenses were noticeably more potent.

Stolen novel; please report.

It didn't matter, though, and a molten ball of fire appeared out of thin air and rotated in the air slightly above everyone's heads, though it was below the roofs of the second story buildings.

It was a Spell he had used many times to great affect before, the first time in a similar situation of fending off an invading force.

Lances of super-heated Plasma and Fire began to rain down on the enemy forces, and Reivyn could see tension visibly leave the shoulders of his allies.

Reivyn wasn't done, either. He activated his Multi-Cast Skill and launched even more fiery lances from his fingers, trapping the enemy in a pincer attack single-handedly, taking them by surprise.

The defensive measures the enemy soldiers erected in front had a tangible affect on his limited Spell Cast from a distance, though the ones punching into their backs wasn't defended against at all. There were too many of his own side's soldiers in every which way, though, so he wasn't able to achieve a perfect barrage against their side.

The distance between him and the enemy never slowed, either, and he charged right into their midst, laying about himself with his Mana Sword enhanced with multiple Affinities. He was finally beginning to run low on Mana, having spent a large portion in his attacks against the retainer, but he didn't anticipate he would need to keep it up for long.

His allies cheered as they witnessed the magical and martial carnage Reivyn wrought just by himself, and most of them turned and began jogging away again. Those still closest to the enemy soldiers continued to cover their friends' retreat, though, and Reivyn mentally nodded his head at their bravery.

Spears and swords slashed and stabbed at Reivyn as he danced through the enemy lines, though he was moving about so much and so quickly, they only ever touched his shadow. He continued to take opportunities to launch Spells at more distant enemies, and soon the street was clear of enemies.

More were on their way down the alley they had come from before spilling out onto the main thoroughfare, but Reivyn kept them at bay with Blast Spells for a moment as he assisted some of the captured soldiers that hadn't been taken away, yet.

With his Will empowering his Mana, he was able to sever the ropes binding the men, though he wasn't sure if it was even necessary. None of the binding instruments used by the regular soldiers gleamed with the same light as the one the retainer had used, and he didn't get any kind of feeling of danger from them.

He was confident he would have been able to break through the retainer's rope with his Veridical Affinity, but it had been annoying to deal with without resorting to such a thing.

Reivyn began helping the downed soldiers up from the ground, and several others raced forward to help. They were all panting, covered in sweat and blood, but they didn't shirk their responsibilities and leave their own behind.

Reivyn had seen it with his Divine Sense, but he got a good look with his own two eyes as he helped the would-be captured soldiers to their feet.

The brands on their foreheads were "0's."

I'm not sure what that implies, Reivyn thought with a grim expression, but it can't be anything good.

The enemy soldiers with "1's" branded on their heads had been used as canon fodder, willingly rushing to their deaths. They weren't easy deaths either, as they intentionally impaled themselves on spears and other weapons to weigh them down with their bodies.

If "1's" are treated like that, I can only imagine what that means for "0's."

"Get these men out of here," Reivyn commanded the soldiers as the last was helped to his feet. "I'll cover you for a time."

"Yes, sir!" One of the soldiers noticed the rank insignia of Reivyn's armor.

The enemy soldiers being held back by the explosions of Mana didn't have fear on their faces as they hunkered down in the alley. They didn't have rage or any other kind of emotion on their faces, either. They were just being pragmatic when they noticed they weren't able to get closer to Reivyn and the other soldiers temporarily, so they decided to wait. Reivyn wouldn't be able to keep it up forever, and even if he could, he wouldn't as he would want to retreat at some point, too.

Reivyn kept an eye on the invaders he was holding back as he scanned the road on both sides. Everywhere he looked, he could see soldiers running through the streets. Most of them were orderly and not being hounded by the enemy soldiers, but he could see pockets of fierce fighting in the distance on either side.

More and more allied soldiers were taken down and branded, and there wasn't anything Reivyn could do about it. He knew he wouldn't be able to affect every part of the battle just by himself intellectually, but knowing that he could if he was close enough didn't help with the sinking feeling in his gut.

This is why they didn't flank the city, Reivyn realized. With the runner disrupting communications and relaying false information, their plan was to wear us down in the city where we would be confident in our preparations in order to capture as many of us as possible. If they had left it up to a flanking maneuver to gain the upper hand, we wouldn't have been as tired, and the casualty rate would be higher.

It seems like they care more about our lives than their own. I guess it makes sense when they call themselves the "Deathsworn." There's some sort of fanaticism in their eyes while they fight, and Xudrid had mentioned that they considered people as a resource. Wouldn't want to harm the merchandise.

Reivyn chuckled at the dark humor. He didn't necessarily find it funny, but one learned to deal with stress in dark ways.

Reivyn couldn't see around all the bends in the alley the soldiers fled down, but he kept a focus on them with his Divine Sense. He started counting down in his head after the last one disappeared beyond his range. He needed to give them a head start to converge with more soldiers. There would be protection in numbers, and the city walls weren't that far away anymore. Soon, they would be running across the open fields to their secondary fortifications outside the city, and hopefully that would allow them a breather to regain their Stamina.

With how close this fight has gotten, I don't see it as viable to use the fallback position to continue the engagement as originally planned, Reivyn thought. Best to use it to catch our breath before retreating further. They can't chase us forever. I'll have to wait and see what Prince Allik thinks about it, though.

Reivyn reached an arbitrary number he had set for himself, gave one last glance at the enemy soldiers hunkered down in the alley, and turned and sprinted after the retreating soldiers. The invaders immediately streamed out of their protective position in the alley after him, and Reivyn lobbed a few more Spells their way over his shoulder. He didn't need to look back to take aim, and he took out the first couple of rows of men that had chased after him.

Their eyes permanently reflected astonishment where they lay on the ground.

The brief skirmish to help those in need escape their pursuers hadn't taken that much time, and it was in the direction he was headed, anyway. He didn't lose much ground considering he had sprinted such a distance to close with the enemy. He didn't continue to follow the soldiers he had saved. He continued taking turns down various main streets and alleys to angle toward the direction he would find his own company.

They had trained extensively with climbing and using ropes, so they weren't planning on getting bogged down waiting at one of the gates. They were simply going to go straight up and over the walls to escape the city, so Reivyn knew exactly where to go to meet up with them. He just had to line up the proper position on the back wall with where his company had been placed earlier in the battle, and they would converge with each other.

Reivyn wasn't running along empty streets anymore, though. More and more soldiers filled the alleys and streets as he ran toward his destination, but they were much more orderly than the pocket of soldiers he had rescued. Most of the companies were retreating in good order under supervision of their officers. The ones he had rescued had either been a delaying force that had volunteered to cover one of these companies, or they had lost their leadership in the breach, because there hadn't been anyone in apparent charge that Reivyn had seen.

None of that mattered to Reivyn, though, and the wall kept getting closer and closer. He didn't run into any more situations where he felt obligated to get himself involved, and he made a beeline for where his men would be.

Reivyn was anticipating reuniting with his father and men when a towering aura shot up into the sky just ahead, directly in his path. Another, slightly smaller, aura rose up to meet it. Reivyn recognized the signature of the slightly smaller aura. It was his father.

Reivyn's lips formed a line as he realized some old monster had stepped forward to confront his father. Reivyn didn't know anything about the other person's capabilities, but the aura he was giving off indicated that he was at least a higher Level than Refix.

The two auras clashed in an invisible struggle that could only be perceived and not seen, and Reivyn picked up his pace. He could feel thumps in his chest indicative of the clashes between the two strong warriors, and he could hear the sounds of metal ringing even through all the building still obstructing his view.

Reivyn burst through the final line of buildings between him and the walls, and he almost came to a stop at the carnage the two behemoths were wreaking as they engaged in an intense battle.