Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 354

Chapter 354: Ritual III

“We don’t have to,” Aiden replied. His mind raced, piecing together a plan. “Reia, find a vantage point and pick off their mages. We’ll need to disrupt their focus. Arlen, you’ll plant charges along the outer pillars. If we can’t destroy the node, we’ll bring the whole chamber down on it.”

Reia nodded, already moving to find her position. Arlen, a demolition expert, gave a grim smile. “Consider it done.”

Aiden turned to the remaining operative, a lithe swordsman named Cyris. “You’re with me. We’ll draw their attention and buy Reia and Arlen the time they need.”

Cyris smirked, drawing his twin blades. “Sounds like fun.”

Aiden gave a final nod before activating the communication crystal again. “Kael, change of plans. I need you and your team to hit the guards from the eastern entrance. Keep them occupied.”

“On our way,” Kael’s voice came through, calm but determined.

With everything in place, Aiden signaled the team to move. Reia disappeared into the shadows, her presence like a ghost. Arlen slipped toward the outer pillars, his movements precise and deliberate. Aiden and Cyris waited for a moment before stepping into the chamber.

The reaction was immediate. The guards tensed, weapons raised as they shouted warnings. The officer near the node turned, their piercing gaze locking onto Aiden.

“You dare trespass here?” the officer bellowed, their voice echoing through the chamber. “This is the domain of the Celestial Court. You will not leave alive.”

Aiden smiled faintly, his daggers glinting in the swirling light. “Bold words. Let’s see if you can back them up.”

With a flick of his wrist, he hurled one of his daggers. The enchanted blade spun through the air, striking one of the mages and disrupting their spell. The vortex of light around the node flickered, momentarily unstable.

“Now!” Aiden shouted.

Chaos erupted. Reia’s shots rang out from the shadows, precise and deadly. Each bolt of energy she fired struck true, taking down mages and guards alike. Arlen worked quickly, planting charges along the structural supports, his movements undetected amidst the confusion.

Cyris darted forward, engaging the guards with a fluid grace that was almost mesmerizing. His twin blades moved like extensions of his body, cutting down enemies with a lethal efficiency. Aiden followed, his daggers flashing as he weaved through the chaos, his strikes precise and unrelenting.

The officer charged toward him, their aura flaring with raw power. Their sword cleaved through the air, a wave of energy erupting from its edge. Aiden dodged, the attack narrowly missing as it carved a deep gouge into the stone floor.

“You’re persistent,” Aiden remarked, his tone calm despite the chaos around him. “I’ll give you that.”

The officer sneered. “You’re nothing but a nuisance. The Court will crush you.”

Aiden smirked, his eyes glinting with defiance. “Let them try.”

The two clashed, their weapons colliding in a shower of sparks. Aiden moved like a shadow, his speed and precision matching the officer’s brute strength and skill. Each strike was a test of wills, neither giving an inch.

As the battle raged, the energy around the node grew more unstable. The chamber trembled, cracks spiderwebbing across the stone as the leyline energy threatened to spiral out of control.

“Liam,” Aiden barked into the crystal. “Status on the charges?”

“Arlen’s almost done,” Liam replied. “But you’re running out of time. The energy build-up is reaching critical levels.”

“Understood,” Aiden said, deflecting another strike from the officer. “Tell him to hurry.”

With one final push, Aiden drove the officer back, his daggers slashing in a flurry of strikes that forced them to retreat. He glanced at the node, its light pulsing erratically.

“Fall back!” Aiden shouted to his team. “Arlen, detonate the charges—now!”

The team disengaged, retreating toward the exits as Arlen activated the detonator. The charges exploded in a cascade of light and sound, the force collapsing the outer pillars and sending the chamber into chaos.

The node shattered, releasing a massive surge of energy that tore through the ruins. Aiden and his team barely made it out, the ground shaking violently beneath their feet as the structure began to collapse.

When they emerged into the forest, the ruins behind them were little more than a smoking crater. Aiden exhaled, his heart pounding as he surveyed his team. They were battered but alive—a victory, however small.

Liam’s voice crackled through the crystal. “The ritual is completely disrupted. They won’t recover from this anytime soon.”

Aiden nodded, his expression grim. “Good. Let’s move before reinforcements arrive. This war is far from over.”

The forest was eerily quiet as Aiden’s team moved further away from the ruins, the distant glow of the shattered leyline crystal fading behind them. Though victorious, the weight of what had just transpired hung heavy in the air. The Celestial Court wouldn’t let this loss go unanswered.

Myne matched Aiden’s pace, her shadowmancy still cloaking the group’s movements. “That was one hell of a show back there,” she said, her tone light despite the tension. “Didn’t think we’d make it out in one piece.”

Aiden glanced at her, his sharp features softened slightly by a faint smirk. “We’re still breathing. That’s all that matters for now.”

Behind them, Arlen was double-checking his explosives bag, muttering curses under his breath. “Next time,” he grumbled, “can we not have a node about to explode while I’m trying to set charges? Feels like I shaved ten years off my life.”

Reia snorted, her sharpshooter rifle slung across her back. “You’ll live. Besides, you like the rush.”

Arlen shot her a glare but said nothing, focusing instead on keeping up with the group. Cyris, meanwhile, was silent, his twin blades still in hand, the edges glinting faintly in the moonlight. He had an air of calm about him, but his sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, ever vigilant.

“Liam,” Aiden said, touching the communication crystal again, “any sign of pursuit?”

Liam’s voice crackled back almost immediately. “Not yet. Their forces are still in disarray from the explosion. But don’t get comfortable—they’ll recover quickly. I’m picking up movement from their southern outposts. You’ve got a window, but it’s closing fast.”

“Understood,” Aiden replied. “We’re heading to the secondary rendezvous point. Stay on overwatch and alert me to any changes.”

“Will do,” Liam said before the connection went silent.

The team continued their trek through the dense forest, the moonlight filtering through the canopy above. The tension eased slightly as the sounds of pursuit failed to materialize, but Aiden’s mind remained sharp. He knew better than to assume they were safe.

After nearly an hour of silent movement, they reached the secondary rendezvous point: a secluded clearing surrounded by jagged rocks, hidden from sight. Aiden motioned for the team to stop and rest, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger.

“We’ll regroup here for now,” he said. “Stay alert, but get some rest if you can. It’s going to be a long night.”

The team nodded, each member finding a spot to settle in. Arlen collapsed onto a flat rock with an exaggerated groan, while Reia leaned against a tree, her rifle resting on her lap. Cyris, ever disciplined, remained standing, his blades sheathed but within easy reach. Myne, meanwhile, sat cross-legged near Aiden, her emerald eyes studying him.

“You’re quieter than usual,” she remarked. “What’s on your mind?”

Aiden didn’t answer immediately, his gaze fixed on the faint glow of the ruined node in the distance. Finally, he spoke, his voice low. “The ritual wasn’t just about tapping into the leyline energy. There was something else—something they were protecting.”

Myne raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“I don’t know yet,” Aiden admitted. “But the officer I fought wasn’t just guarding the node. They were stalling, buying time for something—or someone.”

Myne frowned, her expression thoughtful. “You think there’s another piece to this puzzle?”

“There’s always another piece,” Aiden replied, his tone grim. “The Court wouldn’t risk something like this unless the payoff was worth it. We need to find out what they’re after before it’s too late.”

Before Myne could respond, Liam’s voice came through the crystal again, this time urgent. “Aiden, we’ve got a problem. Scouts are reporting movement—lots of it. The Court’s mobilizing a strike force, and they’re heading straight for your location.”

Aiden’s eyes sharpened. “How much time do we have?”

“Maybe twenty minutes, tops,” Liam said. “And it’s not just foot soldiers—they’ve got elites with them. You need to move. Now.”

Aiden rose to his feet, his expression hard as he addressed his team. “We’ve been made. Pack up and get ready to move. We’ll head north, away from their projected path.”

The team moved quickly, their exhaustion forgotten in the face of renewed danger. As they prepared to leave, Myne glanced at Aiden, her voice low. “You think this was a coincidence? Or is someone feeding them our movements?”

Aiden’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t answer. The thought had already crossed his mind, and it gnawed at him. Trust was a rare commodity in this war, and betrayal was a constant threat.

“Let’s go,” he said finally, his voice firm. “We’ll deal with the Court—and any spies—on our terms.”

The team vanished into the forest once more, the weight of the Celestial Court’s pursuit pressing down on them. The battle was far from over, and Aiden knew the path ahead would only grow darker. But he thrived in the shadows, and he wouldn’t stop until the Court’s plans were nothing more than ashes.