Chapter 1113 Calm River County
Chapter 1113 Calm River County
Bound Camp
Souta arrived at Bound Camp without any issues. He immediately reported to the higher-ups before heading to meet his group.
"You're back," Alice said, eyeing him.
"Yeah, it went quite well. I can do better now," Souta replied. He then glanced at Eztein and Vashno.
The group filled him in on what had happened during his seclusion—the details of their mission and other events.
As he listened, Souta raised an eyebrow when he heard that Alice had used her true form. He looked at her, silently asking for an explanation.
"It's fine. The barrier could block the perception of Gods," Alice replied.
Souta closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
Titan settlements were often protected by similar measures, so he understood the reasoning.
"Alright, now that I'm here..." Souta turned to Eztein and said, "Eztein, go back and complete the task I assigned you. I'll take care of everything here."
"Go back?" Eztein looked slightly surprised.
"Yeah," Souta nodded.
"I understand. I'll complete it as soon as possible," Eztein said.
"No need to hurry. You can take your time. Franklin will probably return soon, so it's better if you go now," Souta waved his hand, dismissing the urgency.
"No, I'll finish it quickly," Eztein grinned. He was laughing inwardly, knowing that his expedition would lead him to discover many valuable things that would be useful for him.
Souta watched as Eztein and the others prepared to leave. Now that he was here, his own mission would be far more challenging, likely involving Hero-rank Titans.
...
Several days passed quickly after Souta's arrival at Bound Camp.
Eztein and the others had left, while Souta, Alice, and Vashno remained, not taking on any new missions. Souta allowed them time to absorb the fruits of their labor.
Alice and Vashno both used the merits they had earned from their missions.
Alice had finally broken through to the Sixth Shackle Realm. Her strength had reached the peak of SSS-rank, just one shackle away from the famed Hero-rank.
As for Vashno, although he remained in the Fifth Shackle Realm, his strength had improved significantly. He was on the verge of breaking through, able to do so at any moment.
Both Alice and Vashno had benefitted greatly from the war against the Titans. The resources and battles they encountered had accelerated their growth.
In the training ground, Souta clenched his fists tightly, blood-colored lightning crackling around him.
"This is good..." he muttered.
'Truly, there's a huge improvement,' Saya's voice echoed in his mind.
"It's not perfect yet, but it's fine. I won't be able to perfect it until I reach the fifth stage," Souta replied, his focus sharp.
The fierce energy surrounding him dissipated as he finished his training.
Souta walked out of the training ground, looking for Vashno and Alice. But before he could find them, someone called his name.
"Grain Leader Souta!"
Souta turned to see a warrior approaching him.
"The higher-ups are summoning you," the warrior said.
Souta nodded in understanding.
...
In the large room, Souta was slightly taken aback. In front of him stood a beautiful woman with long green hair.
He recognized her. She was Kyveli, one of the Heroes of Goddess Athena—a powerful expert at the Ninth Shackle Realm.
'Is it time? It's been days since I arrived here, so...' Souta thought inwardly.
"Let me introduce myself quickly. I am Kyveli, one of the chosen Heroes of Goddess Athena," she said calmly, her gaze observing Souta carefully. "You can call me whatever you wish, as long as it's not disrespectful, Hero-candidate."
"I'm Grain Leader Souta and also a Hero-candidate. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kyveli," Souta replied politely.
Kyveli nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm sure you know that we've already taken control of three more Titan settlements after destroying the one in Mountain Rock City. This time, we'll do the same. We'll support the other camps and launch an attack on another settlement."
She paused before continuing, "We need to eliminate the Titans in the Land of Eternal Spring as quickly as possible. To do that, we must be aggressive. So, prepare yourself. Sir Cicero mentioned something interesting—you'll need to join the frontline."
Souta nodded in agreement, ready to face what lay ahead.
"Then, let me give you a mission. In Calm River County, there's a titan named Arvidal. This titan holds different values. He seeks peace and wants to find a place where his kind can settle. You know what to do, right? Find him and escort him out once the battle breaks out," Kyveli said.
"Arvidal... What does he look like?" Souta asked.
Kyveli opened her palm, and her energy surged, gathering together to form the image of an old titan.
"Is it just about escorting him out?" Souta asked.
"Yeah, but it won't be easy. This titan is a rare formation master and rune master. He's guarded by powerful titans," Kyveli explained.
She said a few more things before dismissing him. Souta walked out of the room, deep in thought.
Although he knew he was a Hero of Goddess Athena in the game and had some knowledge of the events, Souta still didn't know every detail. There was something going on here that seemed out of place.
It felt like they were rushing things.
Souta shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. He needed to focus on his mission first.
"Titans who want to settle down and coexist with other races..." he muttered to himself.
They could probably survive this battle, but their population would remain small, and they would face discrimination because of the war they'd started.
...
Souta told Alice and Vashno to prepare, as they had received a mission. He briefed them on the details.
"So, another big battle is about to happen?" Vashno asked.
"Yeah..." Souta nodded.
"It feels like they're rushing things," Alice muttered.
Souta glanced at Alice and replied, "I think so too. But we can't get involved with that kind of information. It won't come to light until I become a Hero of Goddess Athena."
"Our mission this time is to escort a titan out of the battlefield. We'll probably have to defeat the other titans guarding him as well. However..." Alice paused, then continued, "This time, they don't plan to eliminate all the titans. They want some with different values to survive."
"There's no need to overthink it," Souta shrugged.
The three of them prepared for the mission.
By the next morning, Souta was summoned by Kyveli once again. She informed him that they would be invading Calm River County, and that he only needed to focus on his mission. He was advised to avoid unnecessary confrontations with other titans.
Afterward, Souta left and checked his system.
[Escort]: Escort Arvidal out of the battlefield in Calm River County alive.
Reward(s): 8 skill points, 12 free attribute points, and 10,000,000 exp.
He had triggered another quest. The rewards seemed modest given his current strength, so it shouldn't be too difficult. However, he would have to be cautious—this battlefield involved Hero-ranked titans.
Preparations were complete.
A massive battle was about to erupt.
Souta, Alice, and Vashno stood on the ground, their gazes fixed on the sky above. Countless figures soared through the air, heading toward one destination—Calm River County.
Leading the charge were Hero-rank powerhouses. Below the Gods, they were the strongest warriors in this war.
Souta turned to glance at Alice and Vashno, then launched into the air.
Swish!
The two followed him without hesitation.
The atmosphere buzzed with tension and power. Every warrior in the sky was prepared. Ready for war.
Soon, Calm River County came into view.
At its center stood a titan settlement, shrouded by a glowing barrier—just like Mountain Rock City.
At the front of the formation, Kyveli raised her hand.
Everyone halted in midair.
Ohm!
A pulse of energy rippled through the sky.
A middle-aged man appeared before them, floating effortlessly. He had slicked-back red hair and wore robes of red and black.
The pressure he exuded was immense—crushing.
The warriors instinctively straightened their backs. Even Kyveli, a Hero of Goddess Athena, gave a respectful nod.
Souta narrowed his eyes.
"Even the Division Commander is here…" he muttered.
That's right.
The man who had just appeared was Savas—one of the Six Division Commanders of Athen's Champion.
A Demigod powerhouse.
Savas raised his hand. A jade staff materialized in his palm, gleaming with divine energy.
A heartbeat later, his power erupted like a volcanic storm.
BOOM!!
The skies trembled. The sheer force of a Demigod's presence shook the very air.
The moment Savas finished his chant, the sky lit up with divine brilliance.
A massive magic circle rotated beneath him, pulsing with divine runes.
At the same time, explosive energy surged from all over the Calm River County—dozens of titans responded with their own pressure, glaring across the sky at the invading force.
"Oh Goddess, give me your blessing and let me destroy our enemies!!"
Savas's voice thundered across the battlefield like a god's decree.
OHM!!
A divine light engulfed everything in sight—sky, land, and warriors alike.
[Fallen Barrier]!!
A wave of pure energy surged from the magic circle, expanding in every direction like a tidal wave. The barrier protecting the titan settlement trembled as cracks formed across its surface.
Crack! Crack!
Some of the warriors instinctively closed their eyes, but to their surprise, the light had no effect.
Not just them—even the titans remained unharmed as the radiance washed over them.
"What... happened?" Vashno muttered, confusion flickering in his voice.
Crack!
The barrier surrounding the titan settlement began to fracture, breaking apart into hundreds of shimmering fragments.
Bang!
"That spell won't harm anyone," Souta said quietly. "[Fallen Barrier] is a forbidden spell crafted solely to shatter barriers. And this time, it was amplified by the power of a dark-grade artifact—[Boosted Spell]."