Divine Beast Ascension

Chapter 328: Another Traitor

But Bicard wasn’t satisfied. He stared back at Hurman, waiting for a responding order. Yet no order came. Bicard watched from the rear as his army broke past the trenches, only leaving the large, parting trenches that divided the clear path from the sides of the road filled with ditches.

“Something’s off...”

“Sir?” the assistant asked, also expressing some concern. “Is this... too easy?”

“He should’ve given another order by now... What’s he up to?” Bicard asked, trying to imagine what was coming next. He hastily simulated the battle in his mind while searching for what the enemy commander could be up to.

“CAPTAINS! ...”

Before continuing his order, Bicard blinked. He then noticed a silencing barrier around him and his assistant. Glancing at his assistant with a smug frown, Bicard shouted, “What are you–”

But before Bicard could finish his shout, two walls of earth burst out of the ground. They made up a dome as they rushed to collide and become one. At the same time, two gorilla hands reached out of the ground, pulling Bicards legs into the dirt. All while the assistant darted into the sky before the dome was fully closed, also slapping a paper seal on the outside of the dome to create a second silencing formation.

.....

“TRAITOR!!!” Bicard shouted in rage, but he was only heard for a moment before the assistant had escaped the dome and the silenced space.

Those nearby were startled to see the dome suddenly appear and surround their commanding officer. They were on edge as they could only see the second in command escape from the supposed trap.

“HURRY!! Advance at full-speed!” ordered the assistant, showing urgency and concern on his face. “The general won’t be trapped in there for long, so he’ll be right behind us! He’ll handle the ambush personally!”

As the assistant surrounded himself in wind essence and rushed through the air on the left side, the captains shouted and joined the sieging charge. They gave questioning glances to the earthen dome but followed orders all the same.

Inside the earthen dome, the general didn’t seem concerned whatsoever. He quickly covered his entire body in flames and forcibly pulled himself out of the ground.

“You’re after me?!”

The moment Bicard left the ground was the moment the gorilla from below did the same. This caught Bicard’s attention immediately, surprising him but still putting a smile on the general’s face.

“You want a duel?” laughed Bicard.

“Don’t you want to avenge your son?” Rathe chuckled even louder, meeting Bicard’s gaze without any loss of confidence.

“My son... then you know–”

“I didn’t expect a little guild like Blood Moon to have connections after death, but I guess I can be wrong,” snickered Rathe. “Now come on, this is your chance, you cowardly king!”

Bicard’s eyes widened slightly, as did his grin. “You know? You finally dealt with the snitch? Yet you–”

Before Bicard could finish his taunting statement, his grin flickered. A new type of energy abruptly exploded around Rathe’s massive, three-krin frame. It didn’t blend with the earth essence around the gorilla, instead, the earth essence drastically intensified while the ethereal energy began to burn violently without giving off heat.

“Soul–”

“Shut up and fight!” Rathe roared, throwing himself at the general without fear. He felt strength unlike ever before pulsing through his entire body. His arrogance was at an all-time high as his speed and power were boosted more than he had anticipated.

Bicard took out a sword, covered it in flames, and blocked the speedy gorilla’s fist. But he was surprised to be pushed back a couple of krin before the next punch was thrown.

“What are you–”

“FIGHT OR DIE!!!” Rathe roared with laughter, not caring about anything except his goal. Kill a king cultivator.

Outside the dome, those at the front of the army were at the walls. Many hadn’t noticed the dome at their rear and the few who had looked to the captains and assistant for orders. The captains felt that something was off but the assistant charged with a solemn frown.

“BREAK THE WALLS!!!” order the assistant. As second in command, the general’s assistant threw up a wall of wind to help deflect all projectile attacks aimed at the left side. “HURRY!!!”

Seeing the assistant’s defensive actions and feeling his concern for them, the soldiers at the front followed orders. They hurriedly attacked the walls with everything they had. Those with wind affinity were the first to crack the walls, being much thicker than the army had anticipated.

And the moment the cracks appeared, they began to expand rapidly. But not as a result of the army’s attacks...

“LOOK OUT!!”

“RETREAT!!”

Some captains finally acted on their gut feelings, seeing the walls act abnormally. But it was too late.

Those cracks speedily burst open and a familiar, terrifying sight appeared before the army.

“LAVAAAA!!!”

The soldiers retreated as fast as they could, but the sudden shift in momentum wouldn’t be smooth. Streams of lava plumed out of both sides. The plumes weren’t as tall as the ten-krin wall, the largest being five-krin tall, but that didn’t matter too much with them retreating down the synthetic hill. And the largest trenches separating the divided army from the wide-open road were the first to fill with magma, deterring the army further.

“Wind users, up the walls!” the assistant shouted, enacting his own command.

Those with wind essence were grateful as they either leaped over the magma-filled trench to safety or climbed the wall to reach the top along with their commanding officer. And with the General’s Assistant at their side, they were more confident than many trapped below with the others.

At the same time, the captains finally began to act on their own thoughts without blindly following orders. It became easy to spot hidden perennials as they rushed to the front to help stay the lava threatening the army.

Now, with the general in the dome at the rear and the assistant on top of the fortress, the perennials and captains were forced to rethink everything and act according to their own thoughts.