Inside the barrier.

Most were sitting down in a meditative pose with an empty bottle next to them, others moved to and fro inside the barrier, doing whatever they thought they needed to do. Healers had the wounded grouped up in one area as they did what they could, which was not much.

The impacts of machine gun fire didn’t simply cut through their victims like a sword, the healers were used to stitching together such wounds. The projectiles ripped apart their target and caused more damage than the healers thought possible considering their size.

Each healing spell was costly, mana urged flesh to re-knit together and the better healers were able to make small amounts of flesh out of mana, however, they couldn’t do anything for the countless men missing limbs.

If you had legs they stopped the bleeding and sent you back, if you didn’t they left you where you lay.

In the center of the barrier, a group of better-equipped men surrounded a group of mages in a protective formation. “we need to stop the assassinations, we should lure them in and strike with area magic” said one of the older mages.

Another countered, “eyewitnesses say there was only one man attacking them, and it was the same in other locations--”

An old mage that had kept quiet up until now interrupted, “It is their King”

“but their king is injured, there is no way he could still be so powerful”

The old mage explained, “I talked to some of those who witnessed the attacker, he fits the Kings description, or at least his armor does. So unless Swadia was able to hide such a powerful warrior from us then its the King, and he has either been healed or wasn’t as injured as we were lead to believe”

“then what do we do” someone asked.

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The original speaker said, “then we should stick to the same plan, lure him in and finish him”

The old mage laughed, “mages are more powerful than warriors, so do you think a warrior on par with the continents strongest mage is that easy to deal with. I think we should retreat and come back with a stronger force”

…

“ this was supposed to be easy, someone remind me to use those nighthawk mercenaries as target practice after this”

Suddenly explosions erupted on the first floor behind them in rapid succession, “what is happening now” one of them exclaimed.

Before they could send someone to scout the barrier flashed sending arcs of magical energy across its surface, along with deep thumps. One of the mages levitated himself to get a better look and gasped, “those boxes are back”

“what!! but we destroyed all of them on this level”

Meanwhile, in the tunnel system above the second floor, Arthus navigated the complex tunnel system. He ran past countless junctions and occasionally changed directions. After shoving mana into a ring onto his hand he said, “how will I know where the reservoir is”

A moment later he heard Ellora’s voice, “It is at the highest point in the tunnels”

Arthus replied, “the slope is so gentle that it is near impossible to tell, it is going to take too long to find the ‘highest’ point in this maze”

Several seconds went by and Ellora said, “you're going to have to figure it out”

“fuck” Arthus cursed, he stopped and looked around carefully. The ground felt flat to him where he was, but that didn’t change much since he started so that wasn’t a good indication. He searched around his storage ring for something to help and found an Arcane orb, it was a powerful artifact from an unknown age and it was the only thing in his inventory that would roll.

Arthus placed the artifact on the ground and watched it. It didn’t move, he nudged it in all the directions and found that it rolls easier and keeps its momentum longer to his left. It could have been caused by erosion in the stone but it was the best idea he had.

Arthus did this several times and got a general direction he needed to go. Explosions softly echoed through the tunnels, he had to hurry up. Arthus cursed once again and pulled out a sword, stabbed it into the cave roof, and sprinted in the direction he figured out.

He was using an ancient artifact as a ball and his precious sword as a digging tool, he ignored the strange feeling and continued.

It didn’t take much longer before his sword hit a soft spot. Green liquid poured out the gash in the roof. Arthus had found the reservoir. Being careful not to let the liquid touch him he put all his strength into smashing the roof, his gauntlet smashed against the roof sending cracks webbing across it, his gauntlet deformed slightly, but he ignored it and started running.

Moments later he heard a crack thump and then a roaring sound behind him. With his job done all he had to do now was get out of here. Arthus ran in one direction to find an outlet for the liquid. The further he went holes became more abundant, however, the holes were only a finger thick at most.

Soon he came to a dead end, he cursed for the third time as the roaring became louder. Using his dented gauntlet again he smashed the floor, it didn’t give, the roaring got louder, “fucking fucked fuck” he cursed as he smashed the ground with his absurd strength.

The ground here was thicker, but cracks turned to fissures and by the time he could see a wall of green liquid coming the ground finally gave way. He fell to the second floor and took a glance around, then dashed to the third floor.