Chapter 317: Midnight Betrayal

They moved through the Safe Zone at a clipped pace, boots echoing across cracked asphalt. For Luke, coming back to this place stirred a strange sense of déjà vu, like walking through a fever dream. The same alleys, but now wrapped in tension instead of routine. At least, he thought, there wasn’t an endless swarm of creatures this time — only the Midnight Wardens stationed at key points, hulking silhouettes lurking in silence.

Roy and his five soldiers kept close. Their nerves were obvious: hands trembling on weapons, eyes darting from shadow to shadow. Distant roars rolled across the streets. One closer than the rest made Luke snap his bow up, instinctively drawing a bead. Explosions rattled nearby blocks, but they soon realized they weren’t under direct attack. Survivors were setting off distractions, pulling Midnight Wardens away from the crowded zones.

“They’ve gotten good at handling invasions,” Luke said.

“Once Marshall was gone, it got easier to train people in simulated drills,” Eleanor replied, running beside him with her bow half-drawn.

Ahead, Quinn split off to coordinate Haven fighters. The plan was simple: hold the creatures at bay and hand out Force Infusion runes to every survivor willing to fight.

Farther up, chaos gripped a street corner. A Midnight Warden was tearing through eight soldiers already on the brink. Luke and Eleanor loosed arrows in unison, both striking the creature’s helm with a metallic crack. Ronan followed immediately, driving both fists into the monster and hurling it back with brutal force.

“Commander?” one of the soldiers gasped.

“Eleanor!” another recognized, relief in his voice.

“Finish it!” Ronan barked, pointing at the fallen Warden. “End it now before it gets back up!”

The soldiers hesitated for a heartbeat, then saw Ronan plant his foot on the monster’s chest, pinning it to the ground. The helm split open, exposing part of its skull. Together they plunged their swords, tearing through the creature’s hide until it spasmed and went still.

Blood sprayed across their armor. The soldiers stared at the group, eyes wide with shock and awe.

“Did you level up?” Ronan asked without missing a beat.

“Y-yes!” one of them stammered.

“Then help the others contain these things,” Ronan ordered.

“We’re not that strong,” another soldier said, shaking.

Ronan glanced at Allison, who nodded.

“Use this,” he said, tossing a handful of runes. Without waiting for a response, the core group moved on, leaving the stunned soldiers clutching the glowing stones.

Roars and screams tangled in the distance. Turning another corner, they caught sight of two more monsters battering a house. Beyond that, Bastion rose against the sky — their true target.

The group paused to take it in. Flames flickered off the walls, the Wardens’ roars vibrating in their chests. Bastion loomed just ahead, its ramparts lit by the glow of ongoing combat.

“Every second counts,” Mason said between breaths. “If we activate the mechanism, the Safe Zone stabilizes and the monsters retreat.”

“But people are in the crossfire,” Eleanor countered, loosing another arrow straight into a Warden’s chest. “Can we even guarantee we’ll end Bartholomew quickly enough?”

“Can you help the civilians?” Allison asked her.

Eleanor met her gaze without flinching. “Of course.”

Allison looked to the others. “Do we split the group or not?”

“I vote yes,” Roy said instantly.

Luke narrowed his eyes at him for a long second, suspicion flickering there.

“You don’t have to split up,” Eleanor said firmly. “I can handle support on my own. As an archer I can back up the Haven fighters and the soldiers, take down the Wardens. You all know I’m more effective than most. If we do it this way, we strip Bartholomew of his biggest advantage. You’re the ones risking your necks inside, not me out here.”

Her gaze flicked to the Wardens. “Besides, I haven’t hit the peak of my rank yet. If I kill a few of them, my race regeneration will restore my HP and mana. I can catch up with you after.”

Another explosion thundered a few streets over, a fireball lighting the night sky. There was no more time to argue.

“Then you’d better catch up fast,” Luke said, adjusting the bow on his shoulder.

Eleanor drew another arrow from her quiver and gave a crooked smile. “Don’t worry. Just don’t die, idiots.”

Before anyone could reply, she was already sprinting toward the two Wardens, her bow glinting in the firelight. The rest of the group turned back toward Bastion without a word.

***

With every stride, the streets narrowed, cracked and littered with debris. Luke checked his quiver through the system interface.

[Arrows in Quiver: 19/20]

He’d left the twentieth arrow unmade on purpose. Five mana points could be worth too much — a second of Wraith Form or a heartbeat of Demonic Predator Hands. Every point of mana was sacred now.

As they neared Bastion’s walls, Luke spotted the massive double gates thrown open, a suspicious invitation.

“The fortress’s main building is sealed,” Roy called, lengthening his stride. “Commander Ronan, we’re going to have to climb.”

Luke raised an arm, signaling the group to stop. Roy and his soldiers obeyed, confused.

“What are you doing?” Roy protested. “If we don’t activate the mechanism soon, innocent people will keep dying.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed. “How did you get out of the fortress if it’s sealed?”

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The soldiers exchanged uneasy looks. Luke drew an arrow and leveled the bow at Roy’s head.

“What the hell are you doing?!” one of the soldiers barked, while Roy swallowed hard.

“Answer or die,” Luke said, voice cold, bowstring taut.

“Luke!” Ronan snapped. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“You’ve got two seconds,” Luke warned.

“I left before it was sealed!” Roy blurted, panic creeping into his voice.

Luke didn’t lower the bow. “Yeah? Then how did you know it was sealed at all?”

Roy gave a thin, strained smile just as Ronan stepped in front of Luke, trying to block him.

Suddenly, all five soldiers slammed their hands to the ground. A blue glow flared beneath their feet, the pavement rippling like cloth. It coiled around them like serpents, dragging at their legs. Luke felt the ground give way, sucking him down.

“Tailoring has its perks!” Roy shouted, leveling a crossbow at the group.

Before he could fire, a shadow burst from Luke’s body, spinning with a blade.

[Princess Charlie has slain a…]

The scream cut the air.

Evangeline tore free of the cloth snare and lunged with her spear, impaling one of the soldiers. Allison drew her sword, and Luke loosed his arrow straight at Roy.

[You have slain a Human…]

[+1 Soul Fragment acquired]

In seconds, the ground was carpeted with bodies. Roy lay sprawled with his crossbow at his side. Ronan stood frozen, eyes flicking between the dead, unable to process the sudden slaughter.

Luke exhaled slowly and checked his arrow count.

[Arrows in Quiver: 18/20]

He slung the bow across his back and drew the twin kukris from his inventory, the scent of scorched cloth still rising from the ground. Ahead, Evangeline’s raven landed with a sharp caw.

“Past the gate, there’s a group hiding,” she reported.

Ronan turned to Luke. “H-how did you know? Since when?”