Chapter 251: Breaking Bad 2

Everyone focused on him.

He pointed toward a position near the base of Eagle Peak.

"I’ll approach the mountain with the War-Breaker Array. Once I’m close enough to cover the important defenses, I’ll activate it."

Emric nodded.

"That should disable the communication networks and bring down the central shield."

"Exactly. But we won’t rush in blindly. Maeve will confirm the disruption from outside the affected area, and we’ll follow the plan we’ve agreed on."

He looked toward the holographic road.

"Once Zahn’s defenses go down, the rest of you move toward the first defensive ring."

Renna frowned.

"Wait. You want us to take the main road?"

"Only after the War-Breaker has done its job."

Holden pointed toward the first set of defensive positions.

"Emric, you’ll lead the group. Keep your shield ready, especially around the sections where soldiers might still be able to fire manually."

"Understood."

"Renna, you’ll cover the higher positions. If anyone tries to operate a cannon or organize an attack from above, I want them stopped before they can cause trouble."

Renna grinned.

"Finally, something I can shoot."

"Preferably without wasting all your arrows."

"No promises."

Holden turned toward Lyra.

"The war-beasts will probably become a problem once the soldiers realize their defenses are down. Use your frost abilities to block the narrow sections of the road and stop them from charging."

Lyra nodded.

"I can freeze the approach paths. That should give us enough time to deal with any soldiers coming down from the upper positions."

"Good."

He looked toward Cora and Sera.

"You two will cover the flanks. Watch the barracks and the paths leading out of them. If soldiers start surrounding the others, cut off their approach."

Cora nodded.

"Understood, Master Voss."

"We’ll make sure nobody gets behind the team," Sera added.

Holden smiled.

"That’s what I want to hear."

Emric studied the map once more.

"What about the soldiers?"

Holden understood the question.

There were roughly five thousand of them inside Eagle Peak.

Not all were necessarily members of the Eclipse Syndicate, and some had probably followed Zahn because they believed he was still their rightful commander.

"Disable their defenses and deal with anyone who attacks," Holden answered. "But we don’t need to kill every soldier on that mountain. If they surrender, let them."

Emric nodded.

"That should also save us time. We can focus on the defensive positions rather than clearing every barracks."

"Exactly."

Holden moved his finger toward the summit.

"And while you handle the outer defenses, I’ll head for the central fortress."

Lyra immediately looked at him.

"Alone?"

"Here we go again," Renna muttered.

Holden smiled.

"Yes, alone."

Lyra didn’t look amused.

"Holden, Zahn is Rank 4, 2-Star. He’s stronger than Draven."

"I know."

"And unlike Draven, he’s an experienced military commander. He’ll probably have backup plans for something like this."

"Which is why we need to move quickly."

Lyra frowned.

"That doesn’t answer my question."

Holden looked at her.

"Lyra, I’ve fought several Rank 4 cultivators already. I know what I’m dealing with."

"That doesn’t mean this one will be easy."

"I never said it would."

He glanced toward the holographic summit.

"Zahn’s greatest advantage is his army. If we take away his communications and shields, we force him to fight without the defenses he’s been relying on."

Emric nodded slowly.

"That’s true, but we shouldn’t underestimate him. He’s a Rank 4 cultivator for a reason."

"Agreed," Holden replied. "I’ll be careful."

Lyra held his gaze.

"You always say that."

"And I’m still here, aren’t I?"

"That doesn’t make it any less worrying."

Holden’s expression softened slightly.

"I know. But I need you with the others. If Zahn has five thousand soldiers on that mountain, they’re going to need your help far more than I will."

She looked toward Emric and Renna.

Then at the Twins.

After a moment, Lyra sighed.

"Fine. But if something goes wrong, you contact us immediately."

"I will."

"Holden."

"Yes?"

"I’m serious."

He smiled.

"So am I."

Lyra shook her head, although some of the tension left her expression.

Renna watched the exchange with an amused look.

"You two finished?"

Lyra turned toward her.

"Renna."

"What? I’m just asking. Some of us are trying to prepare for a war here."

Emric sighed.

"You’re the one who was asleep five minutes ago."

"And it was a very good sleep, thank you."

Holden laughed quietly before returning his attention to the hologram.

The plan was coming together.

It still carried risks, of course.

Zahn was an experienced commander, and five thousand soldiers wouldn’t suddenly forget how to fight just because their communication systems stopped working.

But the War-Breaker Array would give Team Soup an opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise have.

A chance to attack before the fortress could respond properly.

And against a defensive position like Eagle Peak, that chance could make all the difference.

"Maeve," Holden said. "How long until we reach the northern frontier?"

"Approximately three hours."

"Can you get a better look at the fortress before then?"

"Already working on it. I’ll have updated satellite images and a full map of the defensive positions ready before we arrive."

"Good. I also want to know where Zahn keeps his main command staff. If he has backup command posts, mark those too."

"Understood."

Emric looked up from his notebook.

"I’ll work on the assault routes. We should have at least two options in case the main road is still heavily defended after the Array activates."

"Exactly what I was thinking."

Holden glanced at the others.

"All right, everyone. Three hours until arrival. Check your equipment, get some water, and rest while you can."

Renna stretched her arms above her head.

"Finally, an order I can follow without getting shot at."

"Don’t get too comfortable," Emric replied. "You’ll need to help me with the approach routes."

She stared at him.

"Emric, please. I’ve just been told we’re attacking a mountain full of cannons. Let me enjoy my last peaceful nap."

"You already slept through half the briefing."

"And I intend to sleep through the next half too."

Holden shook his head, smiling.

"Just make sure you’re awake when we land."

"No problem, Captain."

The meeting gradually came to an end.

Maeve closed the holographic display, and the mountain disappeared from the center of the cabin.

The jet continued flying through the clouds, its engines humming steadily.

Emric returned to his seat and immediately opened his notebook again.

This time, he wasn’t recording the previous mission.

He was planning the next one.

His pencil moved quickly as he drew the mountain’s defensive positions and marked possible routes through the outer ring. His enhanced thinking ability helped him compare different approaches, but he still took his time checking the details.

One mistake on Eagle Peak could put the entire team in danger.

Across the cabin, Renna began checking her arrows.

She removed them from her quiver one by one, examining their tips and shafts before placing them back. The sand-rated arrows she’d prepared for the Southern Wastes were still in good condition, although she would need to choose which ones were most useful for the mountain assault.

After counting them twice, she looked toward Emric.

"Hey, do you think my storm arrows can disable those cannons?"

Emric glanced up.

"If you hit the exposed parts, probably. But the War-Breaker should already take care of the connected enchantments."

"Good. Because I don’t fancy shooting at a cannon that’s shooting back."

"Neither do I."

Renna nodded.

"See? We agree on something."

Emric smiled and returned to his notebook.

Lyra sat by the window again.

Her frost-spear rested across her knees as she watched the landscape below.

The red desert had gradually given way to rocky plains, and beyond them, distant mountain ranges were beginning to appear through the clouds.

She studied the peaks for a while before turning her gaze toward Holden.

He was leaning back in his seat, looking unusually relaxed for someone who had just been told they were about to attack one of the most heavily defended military positions on the continent.

Lyra shook her head slightly.

Honestly, how does he do it?

She had known Holden long enough to understand that his calm expression didn’t mean he was taking the mission lightly.

He simply had a strange habit of finding solutions when everyone else was still worrying about the problem.

And somehow, those solutions usually worked.

She hoped this one would too.

At the rear of the cabin, Cora and Sera had finished checking their swords.

The Twins exchanged a few quiet words about the mountain’s narrow paths and the soldiers they might encounter, then settled into their seats.

Neither seemed particularly nervous.

They had already fought alongside Holden against powerful enemies, and their trust in him had only grown stronger with every mission.

But they also knew that Eagle Peak would be different.

This wasn’t another isolated Syndicate operative hiding behind a handful of guards.

Commander Zahn controlled an entire army.

And that army was waiting inside a fortress designed to withstand an invasion.

Holden closed his eyes for a moment.

The War-Breaker Array remained safely stored in his Inventory.

One use.

Ten-mile radius.

Enough power to cripple the magical systems supporting an entire military base.

He thought about Eagle Peak again.

The winding road.

The twenty-eight cannons.

The three defensive rings.

The five thousand soldiers and two hundred war-beasts.

And Commander Zahn, the Rank 4, 2-Star cultivator waiting at the summit.

A difficult mission.

But not an impossible one.

Holden smiled faintly.

Let’s see how well you fight without your toys, Commander.

The jet continued toward the northern frontier.

Three hours until arrival.

Two names remained in Vespera’s journal.

And somewhere ahead, an entire army was waiting for a battle it didn’t know was about to change.