Chapter 107. The Blackstone Road

Carlos pressed confirm.

The black surface of the Conquest Portal pulled his hand forward. Cold darkness passed over him for less than a second before hard ground struck his boots.

Kaia appeared beside him with her shield already raised. Brann and the other Bearkin came through next, followed by Nessa, the two Woodland Archers and Two.

Nobody moved away from the portal until all ten had entered.

Carlos looked ahead and saw a road made from dark stone running between two steep walls of grey rock. It was wide enough for three cars to travel beside each other, but there was nowhere to leave it. The cliffs rose too sharply on both sides.

Several hundred metres ahead, the road crossed a deep ravine over a black bridge. A fortified station covered the other end. Wooden barriers blocked the road while two raised platforms stood behind them.

Carlos could see armoured figures moving across both platforms.

--

[Hellbound Conquest Level 5 begun]

[Objective: Claim the Blackstone Supply Road]

[Claim requirements]

[Secure the only crossing]

[Break enemy control of three Road Anchors]

[Preserve at least 50% of the crossing]

[Enemy reinforcements will continue while the road remains under hostile control]

--

Carlos read the preservation condition again.

"It seems we cannot be too destructive here."

"We take it!" Brann shouted with excitement, and the other Bearkin roared too.

Carlos decided to start moving forward to see if he could check anything. Kaia followed him while Brann stopped.

Carlos ignored him and used Inspect on the closest structure, but the distance between them was too great, and nothing appeared.

Kaia crouched beside the edge of the road. Wheel tracks covered the black stone. Some were old, but several lines were clean and deep.

"Heavy wagons passed recently," she said.

"Wagons not cars?" Carlos asked only to confuse Kaia.

"What’s a car?"

"Never mind, I will tell you later."

Nessa pointed toward the cliff on their right. "There is movement there."

Carlos looked in the direction she pointed. He saw nothing for a few seconds, but then a dark shape separated from the rock.

"Shields!"

Three bolts struck the road.

Kaia’s shield caught one. The shield-bearing Bearkin stepped in front of the Archers and took another against the thick metal covering his arm. The third passed between Carlos and Garr.

Figures rose from narrow cuts in both cliffs.

They were shorter than humans, with grey skin and long arms covered in fitted leather. Flat black helmets protected their heads, and each carried a compact crossbow.

--

[Blackstone Skirmisher]

[Level 4]

[Common Grade]

--

There were twelve of them, all scattered but almost in a line ahead.

"Archers, right side," Kaia ordered. "Carlos, left. Bearkin hold the road."

Nessa fired before the enemy finished reloading. One Skirmisher fell from the rocks. The other Archers followed her shot, forcing the right group back into cover.

Carlos ran toward the left wall with Kaia beside him. He had a shield in hand too, which made him feel relieved.

Another bolt struck his shield while he was moving. The force was weaker than the Iron Fang Captain’s cleaver, but the narrow road left him nowhere to avoid it.

Two bounced past his leg and its body compressed.

The water blast entered the cut in the cliff and threw one Skirmisher onto the road. Carlos reached it before it could stand and drove the end of his spear into its chest.

Kaia entered the opening first and bloodied the first one that came in front of her.

When Carlos followed, two more enemies were already down and the final one was trying to climb a carved path through the rock.

The Warden Chain moved from Carlos’s arm, caught the Skirmisher around one ankle and dragged it back.

Carlos ended the fight with his spear.

The right side became quiet soon after. Nessa and the two Archers had killed four. Brann had crushed another when it tried to run across the road. The survivors escaped through paths too narrow for the Bearkin.

Even though Carlos wanted to pursue them, Kaia did not give the order, and he listened to her. She had more knowledge of battle formations than he did.

Carlos returned to the centre of the road. A shallow channel ran beside its left edge. Clear water moved through it toward the bridge.

Two dropped into the channel and flowed along it for several metres on its own, making Carlos frown.

"Stay close," Carlos ordered.

Two stopped near black iron bars built into the road wall.

Behind the metal bars, the channel continued through a low tunnel.

Kaia examined it and spoke. "It’s a drainage route. It should take us somewhere inside, my lord."

"That makes sense, but the Bearkin will not fit."

"You might, and Two will too."

Carlos looked toward the bridge again.

The Skirmishers had not tried to defeat them. They had fired, revealed the party’s formation and escaped.

Suddenly, a deep horn sounded from beyond the crossing, and movement appeared on the road behind the fortified station. Four covered wagons came into view, each pulled by a thick grey beast. Armed troops marched around them.

The wagons seemed to be moving toward the bridge.

Another panel appeared.

--

[Hostile supply convoy detected]

[Arrival at the crossing: 18 minutes]

[Convoy arrival will reinforce all active Road Anchors]

--

Carlos tightened his hand around his spear. They had found the road less than ten minutes ago, and it was already bringing more enemies toward them.

"We stop those wagons before they reach the bridge," he said.

Kaia looked at the drainage tunnel and then at the exposed road ahead.

"For that, we need to move now, my lord. We have the numbers this time, and as long as everyone protects themselves well, we will be able to win this."

Carlos looked at everyone after hearing this. He couldn’t help but say, "Always remember, I can fix your wounds in a matter of seconds if we have the time. But I can’t do anything if they hit your vitals. Protect them, especially your head, got it?" he asked in a domineering voice while looking at everyone.

Their reactions were different, but one emotion was shared: they all agreed.