Chapter 165: Neither Ally Nor Enemy

Everyone was on their way to the second fortress. They moved through the Wild Zone in tense silence, descending a steep trail along the cliffs until they reached the lower ledge. At the bottom, a clean jump sent them straight into the cold river waters. Time was working against them—according to Allison and Evangeline, it was vital to activate the second mechanism as soon as possible and occupy the fortress, bringing in civilians to reinforce the position.

Luke walked at a distance, keeping himself slightly removed from the main group. From afar, he watched as Allison led them with ease. She answered questions, gave instructions, listened to advice, delegated tasks. There was a natural flow around her—people moved in small clusters, operating under her quiet authority.

Those closest to her were the same ones from the meeting room earlier—key figures, leaders within the Haven. Their presence beside her formed a kind of informal command circle.

When they finally reached the second fortress, an unspoken hush settled over the group. The structure was imposing, built of dark stone, flanked by symmetrical towers and sharp battlements. Some stood slack-jawed, unable to hide their awe.

“It’s identical to Bastion…” someone whispered, staring at the construction with a mix of wonder and reverence.

To many, the sight of the fortress wasn’t just architecture. It was a symbol. A concrete doorway between the present and the possibility of returning home. After years trapped in that world, this structure represented a real first step toward leaving. And with that came emotions too complex to name.

Allison climbed a small rise near the entrance and raised her voice to address them all.

“All right, everyone. We don’t have much time. You know what to do. Eat. Rest. Prep your tools. Use Meditation to recover mana and stamina. Meet up with your squads, review strategy, and be ready. We go after midnight—gives the others time to arrive by morning.”

She paused for emphasis, then added with conviction:

“Dismissed.”

People scattered immediately. Groups broke off and moved with practiced efficiency, each heading to their designated zones. Luke remained where he was, watching the others pull tents, pots, tables, and chairs out of their dimensional storage items with practiced ease. It was like watching a city rise from nothing.

While everyone seemed to have a task, he just stood there. Eventually, he made his way toward Allison, who was speaking with Mason.

“What do I do? What’s the plan?” he asked.

She didn’t even fully turn. “I’ll explain later. It would take too long now.”

“Right…” Luke muttered, standing awkwardly nearby.

The silence between the three quickly grew uncomfortable. Mason gave him a look—polite but edged.

“We’d appreciate a moment alone,” Mason said firmly, but not unkindly. “We have something important to discuss.”

Luke nodded. “Sure.”

He turned and walked off with no destination in mind, until he spotted a building he recognized—an old house he had once used as a hideout. But as he neared it, he saw people entering, already claiming the space.

“Perfect,” he muttered, glancing around.

The camp was coming alive around him. Tents rising, patrol routes being discussed, weapons tested, armor adjusted. Everyone had a role.

Everyone but him.

“Guess I’m the spare part,” he mumbled. “No job for me.”

Without much thought, Luke wandered toward the fortress entrance.

“Stop!” a voice called out.

It was Quinn, stepping from behind a tree, flanked by a few archers, bows already strung.

“The current mission is clearing alarms around the fortress,” he said, with a tone that clearly placed him in charge. “We’d appreciate it if you didn’t accidentally trigger one.”

“Understood,” Luke replied calmly, stepping away and altering his path.

He left the paved stone and entered the treeline, finding a wide moss-covered rock. Sitting down, he closed his eyes and began channeling Meditation, trying to recover some energy.

Behind him, Quinn pointed toward an odd indentation in the earth along the side of the fortress wall.

“Was that hole already there?” he asked, puzzled.

“No,” Evangeline replied, approaching casually. “Luke dug it a few days ago.”

She walked over and sat beside Luke on the same stone.

“Looks like we’re on Team ‘Rest and Don’t Get in the Way,’” she said with a crooked smile.

“Seems like it,” Luke replied.

They sat there in silence for a while, watching the constant movement around the fortress.

“Now that they’re sort of going to help us… what was your original plan?” Evangeline asked, turning to him with a curious expression. She pointed at the hole in the ground on the side of the fortress—discreet but noticeable.

“Secret,” Luke replied simply, eyes still on the horizon.

“Come on. That plan’s gone now. At least feed my curiosity.”

“Maybe someday,” he said, crossing his arms. “Truth is, my plans usually aren’t… let’s say… elegant. I play dirty. Which is why I prefer not to share them until the time is right.”

She looked again at the tunnel.

“I don’t get it. It’s just a hole.”

“Keep thinking that,” Luke said with a half-smile. “By the way… do you know their plan?”

Evangeline met his gaze, raised an eyebrow, and answered with a smirk:

“Secret.”

“Fair,” he chuckled, the laugh low and effortless.

“But it’s nothing fancy. The usual formula: go in and kill things,” she added casually.

As they spoke, a few people passed by carrying large pieces of metal. Luke noticed a group setting up what looked like an improvised workshop. The sound of hammers striking steel echoed nearby, while mages conjured controlled flames to light the forges. The air was thick with smoke and the sharp tang of oil.

“Over there they’ve got weapons scavenged from orcs… and armor from the undead in the wall dungeons,” Evangeline commented. “Imagine what else they’ve collected.”

Luke studied the scene more closely, watching the almost choreographed flow of the workers.

“Stealth or brute force?” he asked.

“Bit of both. What about yours?”

“Walk through the front door, trigger every alarm, and stroll casually up to whatever’s waiting inside.”

Evangeline raised an eyebrow, somewhere between skeptical and amused.

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“Doing that alone? Against whatever’s lurking in there? Sounds… risky.”

Luke shrugged.

“I plan half… and leave the other half to luck.”

They both fell silent for a while, watching the camp unfold around them. People darted from station to station, carrying supplies, coordinating roles, sharpening blades. The air buzzed with purpose. With urgency.

And part of that urgency was his fault—Luke knew it.

His return had reignited Bartholomew’s attention on the region, and that meant plans had to accelerate. The rest that should’ve followed the fall of the Orc Lord had been cut short. Everyone was tired, but there was no room to stop.

Eventually, Evangeline was called over to one of the central tents—a large one that had been set up for leadership strategy meetings. One by one, the core team began gathering inside, discussing roles, routes, and final logistics.

Luke stayed where he was, silently watching it all unfold.

“The feeling of being ignored isn’t exactly great,” Artemis muttered. “I think I preferred it when it was just us… and the lunatic trapped in the stone.”

“I’m not a lunatic!” snapped a male voice, coming from the pendant around Luke’s neck, full of barely restrained indignation.

“Sorry. Mr. Shitpants. How could I forget?” Artemis teased, her voice laced with a smirk.

The spirit inside the stone clicked his tongue in irritation.

“I’ve been gone for months. It’s normal for things to shift a bit,” Luke said, trying to ease the tension as he addressed Artemis.

“Hey, human,” interrupted the voice from the stone. “Why don’t you go in there alone?”

“You want me to die?” Luke asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No. I want you to prove you’re strong. Kill the metal soldiers. Win the group’s respect, crush the weak… and eliminate anyone who disagrees with you.”