Chapter 250: Open the Gate

Evren walked out onto the stone terrace, with Dr. Morrow right behind him. The cool mountain wind blew past them, carrying a sharp smell of wild mana in the air.

Zephyra and Petal were already standing by the railing, staring down at the valley below.

From the high ridge, they could see the whole Oakhaven valley spread out in front of them. Down in the basin, near the southern entrance and the big apple orchards, a sharp crack of green lightning suddenly split the air.

Thick green rift mist poured out across the grass, blocking out the sunlight. A few seconds later, the loud ringing of the village warning bell echoed up the mountain.

"It’s right next to the lower mill and the orchards," Petal said, her face turning pale. "The farmers are still down there working."

Morrow gripped the wooden rail, his brow furrowed in anger. "The pressure from that break at Eagle Gorge traveled under the mountain and cracked open down there."

"The garrison in Highfall will take three days to send help," Petal said, her voice shaking with panic. "And the only awakeners down there are the Gorgewatch Mercenaries."

Evren looked over at her. "Are they no good?"

"They’re vultures," Petal said, gripping the strap of her bag tightly. "They’re a gang of thugs who run the southern toll gate and force everyone to pay protection money."

"They pretend to protect the valley, but they only bully regular people," Morrow said coldly. "If a weak monster shows up, they demand extra cash just to draw their weapons. Against a real rift, they’ll lock their gates and let people die."

Petal turned toward the stairs, tears filling her eyes. "I have to get down there. My friends are still out in the fields."

Evren placed a calm hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"You won’t make it in time on foot," Evren said. "And you can’t fight the monsters coming out of that mist."

Petal looked up at him desperately. "Then what are we supposed to do? We can’t just stand here and watch them get killed."

"You stay here," Evren told her. "Doctor, take your granddaughter inside and lock the door."

Morrow nodded and put an arm around Petal. "Listen to him, Petal."

Evren glanced at Zephyra, and she met his eyes. They shared a quick thought through their soul-bond, and dark shadows started swirling around her feet.

Before Petal could say another word, Evren and Zephyra vanished from the terrace.

Using Umbral Blink and shadow-stepping, they blurred down the mountain slope at blinding speed. They covered the entire trail in seconds, leaving behind only faint wisps of black smoke and gold sparks.

Petal stared in complete shock at the empty spot where they had just been standing. She had never seen anyone move like that before.

She looked down toward the woods, her worry getting the better of her. Before her grandfather could stop her, she ran down the stairs and hurried into the trees to follow them.

Down in the valley, total chaos had broken out along the orchard road.

Dozens of farmers and fruit pickers were running for their lives, dragging crying kids and pushing carts. Behind them, the thick green mist rolled through the trees, filled with the loud shrieks of monsters.

At the southern entrance to the town, the Gorgewatch Mercenaries had set up a big wooden barricade. Sturdy logs with metal spikes blocked the road between two stone towers.

Instead of opening the gate to let the people inside, ten armed mercenaries stood on top of the wall with their crossbows pointed down.

Leaning on the railing was their leader, a scarred man named Garth. He carried a big broadsword over his shoulder and grinned down at the panicked crowd.

"The gate fee just went up, folks!" Garth yelled over the noise. "Fifty silver coins each if you want us to open up!"

"Captain Garth, please!" an old farmer shouted, holding his crying granddaughter close to his chest. "We were out picking fruit, and we don’t have that kind of money on us!"

"Then run back to your house and get it," Garth laughed, spitting on the ground. "We don’t work for free, and keeping monsters away costs good money."

The thugs around him laughed along with him, not caring at all about the people screaming below.

Suddenly, the bushes nearby shook violently. Three huge mutated crawlers burst out of the trees, their black shells dripping with acid as their sharp claws clicked against the dirt.

The biggest beast, as large as a horse with eight spiky legs, locked its eyes right on the old farmer and the little girl.

"Open the gate!" the old man screamed in terror, turning around to shield the girl with his back.

Garth just crossed his arms and watched with a grin. "No coin, no help, old man."

The huge crawler jumped into the air, aiming its sharp front claws straight down at them. Right at that exact second, the air went completely freezing cold.

A massive wave of pressure from Evren’s Gravity Domain crashed down like a falling boulder. The three charging monsters were slammed straight into the dirt with a loud crunch, crushed flat into paste.

Before the dust could even settle, black shadows gathered next to the crater. Zephyra stepped out with a cold look. Her black whip-blade cut through the air in a clean circle, slicing two more emerging beasts right in half before they could even hit the ground.

The dead monsters dropped into smoking piles, turning into black ash within seconds.

A flash of golden light sparked next to the old farmer, and Evren stepped out. He stood there calmly with his hands by his sides, bright golden lightning crackling across his fingers.

The old farmer fell to his knees in the dirt, holding his granddaughter tight as tears rolled down his face.

Up on the wall, Garth’s cocky grin vanished instantly. His hands began to shake on his sword as an intense, suffocating aura pressed down on the entire gate.

Garth was a rough frontier fighter, but his gut told him right away that these two people were on a level he had never seen before in his life.

Further up the mountain path, Petal came running out of the bushes, out of breath. She stopped dead in her tracks, staring in shock at the stranger who was just in her kitchen a few minutes ago.

A deep, angry roar shook the ground from the middle of the apple orchards as the green rift tore open even wider. Over a dozen high-level rift beasts rushed out of the mist, baring their fangs as they charged toward the town.

Evren didn’t even look back at the monsters. He glanced over his shoulder at the shaking mercenaries standing behind their wooden gate, his mouth curling into a cold smile.

"Watch closely, cowards," Evren said, his voice ringing clearly over the field. "This is what real protection looks like."