Chapter 194: Forest Clearance Mission 3

Damian didn't even need to join in. His forces decimated the enemy like monsters freshly unleashed from their bindings, which was fitting enough. The soldiers of Ashenvale had been on edge, exhausted from fighting invisible enemies day and night, rotating through constant shifts on guard duty.

Now, faced with a direct confrontation—the kind of fight they relished—they tore through their enemies, though they didn't emerge unscathed. Five of their own fell, all mundane soldiers. In the chaos of battle, saving everyone was impossible, but considering they were outnumbered, this was a pretty good result.

Sam and Einar were especially impressive, cutting through the enemy ranks like they were made of clay. Yovan, too, played his part well. His support was perfectly timed, and he led the mages with precision, ensuring they contributed effectively. But it was Sam who truly stood out. After tapping into his lightning power, Damian couldn't take his eyes off of him.

Sam moved like a flash of light through the thick of the enemy, burning people alive with arcs of purple lightning. Wherever he struck, charred ground was all that remained. The Ashenvale soldiers tried to flee from him, screaming, but Einar's group flanked them from one side while Sam took care of the other alone.

Though displaying such strength in front of so many witnesses might not have been wise, Sam seemed done with hiding. He had decided to reveal his full power, unwilling to hold back while people were dying. Damian didn't stop him. Not everyone preferred to stay out of the spotlight as he did, blending into the background.

Damian was certain the nobles would take notice of Sam—perhaps even the royal family would ask for his service. If Sam chose to remain in Eldoris after the war, his future was bright. The same went for Einar and Yovan, both of whom were more valuable than many of the nobles and high-ranking soldiers in the royal army.

Once the last of the Ashenvale soldiers had fallen, they swept the battlefield, looting valuables and putting any severely injured survivors out of their misery. Afterward, Damian ordered his men to gather the bodies into a pile, a task that took some time but was simple enough with their numbers. Leaving them just like that was something Damian was not comfortable with.

With the soldiers gathered around him, watching in silence the pile of flesh, Damian approached the pile. He muttered random words as he created four earth runes with his hands, activating them one by one. Walls of thick earth rose up around the pile, forming a giant box that encased the bodies. He made the walls thick enough that even a pugilist would have to work to break through.

Once the pile was sealed off, he drew a fifth rune, closing it with a roof. It took fourth of him mana but it was worth it.

But that wasn't enough.

Damian used his newly learned wood style runic spells to shape the thick brown wood lines originating from under the land and connecting on one side of the wall, where he spelled few simple lines with it. On one side of the square box he wrote 'REST IN PEACE' and another side he wrote,

'RUN AWAY FROM THESE LANDS IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE BURIED IN A NAMELESS GRAVE..'

One of the benefits of wood style spells was that, once anchored to the land, the magically conjured wood would take root and become a living part of the earth. Over time, it would grow into a large tree if left undisturbed. Damian had woven enough wood into the earth for this to happen. As he finished his work, the unit stood in awe of the unique grave.

After completing the burial, Damian walked over to Sam, retrieved his horse, and mounted it. With one last glance at the earthen tomb, he gave the order for the group to continue onward. The loot they had gathered, now stored in Sam's spatial storage, would be divided according to army rules—half for the military needed for war efforts and the rest for the surviving soldiers and the captain.

However, the specifics of distribution were often left to the captain's discretion to maintain loyalty and morale.

They traveled without incident for the rest of the day, darkness eventually falling over them. Damian suspected that the Ashenvale forces had concentrated their troops in one area to resist them or had been planning an assault on the camp before their plans fell apart due to army leaving. Either way, he welcomed the uneventful journey.

Throughout the day, Damian kept his mind alert while pondering his research ideas and spell modifications, jotting down new ideas and things to test. It was the most productive he'd been in days, and he was glad for the opportunity. The runic spell Sam's sword had created was foremost in his thoughts.

The splitting runic circle made no sense to him, and the fact that it used five different elements made it even more complex. Why would the Eldorians give away such a treasure for such a low price?

Of course, the sword only summoned lightning near the caster, with no way to aim or control it, making it dangerous in the wrong hands. But why create such a weapon in the first place? And why give it to the masses? Could the Eldorians really have a stockpile of these weapons they wanted to offload? It couldn't be that simple… could it?

"Give your sword to me for a second.." Damian said once they had set up camp for the night and had prepared the food having a meal, sitting near a campfire.

Sam, sitting beside him and eating his bowl of soup, handed the sword over without hesitation. Damian cast his analysis spell, revealing the weapon's information.

------------------------------------------

Item: Runic Blade of Storms

Tier: Advanced

Origin: The Ancient Stormcaller set's copy made by Limrak of Eldoris

Item Type: Runic Weapon (Multiple Element)

Description:

The Stormcaller was the favorite weapon of Kalganomis, Atraea received it as his show of undying loyalty to her when she spared his life. Inferior copy re-forged in the capital of Eldoris – Celestria by a capable researcher.

Attributes:

Durability: 91%

Activation Time: 45 Seconds

Read exclusive adventures at m_v-l'-NovelFire.net

Cooldown: 24 hours (After each use)

Runic Alignment: Tier III

Special Effects:

Gathering of Storms: Alives the lightning trapped in the vengeful heavens.

Mending Soul 1: Inferior self repair ability.

------------------------------------------

Sёarch* The NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.