Chapter 109: The Shockwave!

The Four Valkyries woke to the world trying to throw their camp into the forest.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The Warning Array flared violently around the Moon Pools as the earth trembled beneath their bedrolls, but the danger had already announced itself through a distant flash so bright that night briefly became day.

"Everyone, wake up!" Eunice shouted as she rolled from her bedroll, golden eyes snapping toward the southeastern horizon.

Paulina was already moving, the Wolf Beastwoman planting both feet against the ground and grabbing one of the tent supports before a violent rush of displaced air tore across the campsite.

Julia caught the opposite side while Janet flew out of her own tent wrapped halfway inside her blanket, disappeared through the shadows and reappeared beside the supply packs just in time to stop several from being blown into one of the empty Moon Pools.

Then, the shockwave arrived properly!

WHOOOOOOOOM!

Trees bent almost ninety degrees, with their leaves ripped from branches.

Their campfire died instantly while several tents strained against their anchors, and even the Warning Array’s outer nodes flickered as the sheer environmental disturbance passed across them.

Thankfully, the worst lasted only several seconds, then silence returned.

The four women remained frozen in the darkness.

Far away, the horizon glowed white-yellow.

A massive cloud of flame slowly climbed over Moonveil Forest like something had decided to install a second sunrise in the wrong direction.

Janet slowly lowered the supply bag she was hugging.

"...What the fuck?"

Nobody corrected her.

Julia’s excellent eyesight narrowed upon the distant cloud while her pointed ears twitched nervously. "That wasn’t ordinary magic. Even from here, the blast covered an enormous distance before the shockwave reached us."

Eunice stared toward the glow, her expression becoming increasingly grim. "Something at that scale would require an absurdly powerful magical artifact, a Legend-level ability, or magic approaching the highest recognized spell tiers."

Paulina’s ears flattened. "Level 9?"

"Possibly. Or at least, something comparable to that." Julia replied uneasily.

Janet’s eyes widened.

There were not many people operating anywhere around Rosewood who could casually produce something that ridiculous.

Her mind immediately reached the obvious conclusion.

"Lady Selene?" She asked.

Julia hesitated before nodding. "She’s a Legend Mage, and this entire operation concerns an ancient Fey crossing. If she encountered something dangerous enough to force her to intervene personally..."

That made uncomfortable sense.

Paulina finally released the tent pole.

"Then whatever she fought is probably dead."

Nobody argued with that either.

Eunice looked around the camp, intending to check their equipment and perhaps send a message through their Guild Cards.

Then she stopped as her eyes moved toward one particular bedroll that was empty.

Paulina followed her gaze, and Julia did too.

Janet’s face slowly changed.

"...Where’s Damian?"

Four women stared at the empty place where Damian Baines had supposedly gone to sleep.

Nobody answered.

Then all four looked toward the distant mushrooming cloud.

Their expressions became remarkably similar.

............

Much farther west, the Ash Jackals had also abandoned sleep.

Their campsite was considerably uglier than the Valkyries’, consisting of compact tents, traps, a low smokeless fire and enough hidden alarms to make any approaching monster regret possessing feet.

The shockwave had still nearly flattened half of it.

Silas stood outside with his dark leather coat thrown loosely over nightclothes, staring at the distant glow while four other Silver Adventurers gathered nearby.

Kade, the party’s broad Warden, had braced one arm against a tree during the shockwave and now inspected the cracks running through the bark.

Nessa, their Cleric, held one hand against the holy symbol at her throat while quietly sensing the disturbance.

Tovis, a sharp-eyed Ranger with close-cropped brown hair, had climbed halfway up another tree for a better view.

The final member, Mira, was the party Mage, and her expression was easily the worst of them all.

"No..." Mira muttered.

Silas glanced toward her. "No what?"

"No, I cannot do that. Before you ask." Mira replied immediately, still staring toward the horizon.

Silas snorted.

Tovis dropped down from the tree.

"The whole southern sky lit up."

"How far?" Kade asked.

"Very far."

"Excellent estimate."

"You want a better one, climb up yourself."

Nessa ignored them.

"Whatever happened, the mana disturbance is still moving through the forest. Something very powerful was released." She reported carefully.

Mira folded her arms.

"Very powerful is understating it. If that was one spell, we’re talking about high-tier magic. Level 9 is possible, or a Legend using something equivalent."

Silas’s permanent half-smile faded slightly.

"Selene?"

"Who else around Rosewood? A fire effect at that scale from a Mage?" Mira asked with a snort.

She sneered. "Unless Rastia Kingdom sent another Legend without informing the forward teams, she’s the obvious suspect."

Silas looked toward the light again.

The operation had suddenly become much more interesting... and considerably more dangerous.

He rubbed one thumb against the scar along his cheek before another thought entered his mind.

That damn Otherworlder.

Damian Baines had been assigned beside the Four Valkyries somewhere deeper along another forward route.

The pretty bastard had climbed from Level 1 into absurd territory almost faster than Silas could properly complain about it, acquired noble status, expensive equipment and enough influential people circling him that every reasonable question somehow turned into Silas being treated like the unpleasant bastard in the room.

He still didn’t trust him.

Perhaps that was him being a stubborn sore loser, but also perhaps not.

Silas preferred surviving long enough to discover the difference.

"I wonder how our pretty little miracle is doing on his side." Silas muttered with a dark smile.

Kade glanced at him. "You really dislike that fellow."

Silas’s smile widened slightly.

"I dislike mysteries that keep getting richer, stronger and more important every time I look away."

He turned toward his party.

"Pack up. If a Legend just started throwing around that kind of power, sleeping through the rest of tonight seems optimistic."

............

Across Moonveil Forest, similar scenes repeated.

A Gold-ranked party stopped halfway through treating a wounded Ranger and collectively stared toward the burning horizon.

A Silver team clearing a Goblin burrow emerged one after another from underground.

"What in the gods was that?!"

"Was that an explosion?!"

"You call that an explosion?!"

A pair of Mages at a temporary communication station watched every crystal on their table flicker simultaneously.

Several Beastfolk Adventurers flattened their ears.

A Dark Goblin patrol simply turned around and ran.

Farther north, a group transporting captured monsters saw the distant light and unanimously decided that whatever was happening over there was someone else’s fucking problem.

Then the shockwave kept traveling beyond the deepest operating teams and Moonveil Forest’s outer edges, across fields, roads and scattered settlements.

Until Rosewood Town itself saw the horizon burn.

People emerged from taverns, homes and night businesses while guards climbed walls and watchtowers.

BOOOOM!

Then the distant thunder arrived, causing windows to rattle throughout Rosewood.

Somewhere in the pleasure district, Stephen was having another excellent evening.

The carriage driver had somehow ended up in the same brothel he repeatedly insisted he visited only because "a man’s social network requires maintenance," and at that exact moment he had one attractive woman sitting beside him while another poured wine into his cup.

The windows suddenly shook.

Stephen froze while everyone in the room looked toward the distant orange-white glow through the curtains.

One woman whispered, "What was that?"

Stephen stared for several seconds, then he slowly drank the entire cup. "None of my business."

Elsewhere, Agnes was off duty for once.

The veteran receptionist sat inside her daughter’s home with her babbling grandson bouncing happily upon her knee, the boy gripping one of her fingers while producing an endless stream of sounds that apparently constituted important toddler politics.

Then the room flashed.

Agnes immediately stood, pulled the child close and looked through the window as distant thunder rolled across town.

Her old eyes narrowed.

"Moonveil Forest..."

Her grandson pointed excitedly toward the glow.

"Ba! Ba! Baaa!"

Agnes looked down at him dotingly.

"Yes dear, very insightful."

The child laughed, but Agnes did not.

Across another district, Marissa sat alone before a small memorial prepared for her parents.

A quiet meal rested untouched nearby while two candles burned before the few belongings she still possessed from Boar Village.

Then the distant horizon illuminated, and Marissa looked toward the window.

The shockwave arrived moments later, disturbing the flames without extinguishing them.

For a long time, she said nothing.

Then her gaze returned toward the memorial.

"Please let this mean it’s ending." She whispered.

............

Central Lane reacted next.

Several of Damian’s thirteen employees had remained late to complete stock counts for the following morning.

Tana immediately ordered everyone away from the windows while Kevin rushed toward the secured inventory room, because apparently his instinct upon witnessing a possible magical catastrophe was to protect the fucking ledgers!

Lisa, Getty, Elsie and Kat crowded near the rear doorway anyway, staring toward the distant glow.

"What kind of spell does that?" Kat whispered.

Nobody knew.

The retainers assigned to shop security were more useful.

Cassian emerged from the second floor already carrying his Mage staff, while Bram, David, Dax and Jory immediately began checking doors, customers, staff and surrounding streets.

There was no visible threat inside Rosewood, so they waited.

Elsewhere in town, Marek stood upon the roof of an unremarkable building while five shadows gathered around him.

Corvin arrived first, followed by Masen, Bria and Olan.

Illya simply appeared, and nobody saw where she came from.

The five Zephyrs stared toward Moonveil Forest while Marek’s forgettable face became unusually tense.

"Report."

"No attack within town." Corvin answered immediately.

"The Hounds are scattered according to standing assignments. No unusual movement from the various factions." Bria added.

Olan squinted toward the horizon. "That came from deep inside Moonveil Forest."

Masen gave a crooked smile that contained no humor. "Our Lord went into Moonveil Forest today."

Nobody spoke for a moment.

Illya’s dead eyes remained fixed upon the light.

Marek finally exhaled. "Do not speculate. Confirm Rosewood Town’s status, then prepare for orders."

............

Vivienne had not been professional at all.

The Seneschal of the Baines Noble Family was lying in bed wearing considerably less than she would ever allow any servant to see, her long chestnut hair loose around her shoulders while one hand had somehow wandered beneath the blankets.

Her thoughts had also wandered, mostly toward her Lord.

More specifically, toward Damian catching her when she fainted, his arms around her body, that amused voice telling her to finish the business report before collapsing.

Vivienne bit her lower lip.

Then the entire bedroom flashed white.

BOOOOM!

The windows rattled.

Vivienne shot upright so quickly that the blanket fell to her waist.

"...What?!"

Whatever indecent fantasy had been developing died instantly.

She rushed toward the window, then remembered her current state, rushed backward, grabbed a robe, put it on incorrectly, corrected it and finally reached the glass.

Moonveil Forest glowed brightly in the distance.

Vivienne’s face paled.

"Lord Damian..."

............

At another Baines property, Stella’s greatsword slammed downward.

CLANG!

A smaller practice blade intercepted it at an angle.

"Again." Ronan instructed.

Stella immediately reset her stance.

The Half-Tiefling had spent the evening refining her bladework under the older Fighter’s instruction, because being strong enough to carry a sword roughly the size of agricultural equipment did not automatically mean every swing needed to resemble attempted demolition.

Ronan had been teaching her finer control, foot placement, and recovery.

He especially focused on how to redirect rather than restart, as well as how to make enormous strength economical.

Then the sky flashed, and both stopped.

The shockwave arrived several seconds later.

Ronan’s head turned toward Moonveil Forest while Stella’s wine-red eyes widened.

Neither joked.

After several seconds, Ronan lowered his training sword.

"That was Legend-level power."

Stella’s tail stiffened.

"Lord Damian is inside that forest."

"I know."

The older warrior stared toward the distant cloud for another moment.

Then he quietly reached for his real swords.

............

Two people in Rosewood did not need anyone to explain what they had felt.

Roland Hammond was standing inside the Adventurer’s Guild command room when the distant magical eruption crossed his senses.

The enormous Lionman froze.

Several officers were speaking around him, but he heard none of them.

Across another district, Selene Vael stood within the Mage Association.

A crystal shattered beside her, causing the mature Mage’s crimson eyes to widen as the magical disturbance arrived.

Impossible!

Nobody currently assigned to the southern Moonveil Forest operation should have been capable of releasing something of that magnitude without every command authority in Rosewood Town knowing beforehand!

Selene vanished from where she stood, and almost at the same moment, Roland disappeared from the guild command room.

To the ordinary people watching, both Legends simply became ghosts.

They crossed Rosewood Town’s walls within moments and entered Moonveil Forest at speeds ordinary Adventurers could barely perceive, neither bothering with roads nor established operational routes.

Roland’s expression was grim while Selene’s was worse.

Both had sensed the same thing.

A release of power deep inside Moonveil Forest large enough to make Rosewood Town’s windows shake.

Something had happened.

Something enormous.

And as the two Legends raced toward the burning horizon, only one question mattered.

Who the hell had caused it?