Infernal Apocalypse

POV Brandon

Pain…that was all I could feel throughout the entire night after finally breaking through to the 2nd Cycle. Of course, the pain was to be expected, but after taking a health potion it was supposed to subside. That probably would’ve normally been the case, but I didn’t take just one, I took three.

I knew the risks, and I knew my body wasn’t ready for that type of pressure, but I was serious in what I told Richard and Raizen. We have to do better. I don’t fully understand how he was able to reach the 4th cycle so fast, and I have no plans of trying to match him, but I couldn’t let the gap become any bigger, and testing out this Dungeon before the new stage came up would be massive for us.

We don’t know exactly what this new stage will bring but getting a chance to find out while not having to worry about it, and not being chased by Goblins on the way there or back was huge.

Richard not wanting us to go without a 2nd Cycle cultivator was understandable, but I felt I could do something about it. I knew I was ready to break through, but I wanted more than that. I wanted to be ready to actually fight in this Dungeon.

And so, I bared the pain and did my best to hold on. By the end of it, I had new scars all over my body that didn’t heal properly. Even as I heard Raizen enter the house I was still in extreme pain.

I took a few moments to practice some swings and movements, but everything brought me pain. It won’t stop me though.

After getting out of the room, and making our way towards the Dungeon, we now found ourselves staring at the back of the Outpost. It truly was a sight to see. Massive wooden walls, actual guard posts with Goblin archers, all sitting under the bluest sky I have ever seen.

Raizen said we would see his distraction but while I believed him, I didn’t really understand just how we would see it from here.

We all continued to wait for whatever was supposed to happen in silence. Even now, the Goblins in the guard towers continued to intently watch the forest and we didn’t want to alert them to anything. Thankfully maintaining this type of silence is something we have been practicing.

It was only a few moments later when we finally felt and heard something.

BOOOM!!!

We heard an extremely loud explosion go off, and the ground beneath us shook for a brief moment.

What…what could that have been…I knew Raizen was strong, but this is something else…

I wasn’t the only one who was shocked, as Trent couldn’t help but say something.

“What the fuck…”

Him saying that, broke me out of my thoughts. We had things to do. Raizen did his part, and it was time to do ours.

“Lance, Trent get that gate open! Micah and Irene bows at the ready! Let’s move!”

Lance and Trent immediately took off towards the massive gate in front of us. It would probably take all of us running at the gate at full speed to bash right through it, and we still might walk away with injuries. That’s why we completely decided against that.

Lance got to the gate first and squatted slightly while leaning his back against the gate for added support. He then clasped his hands together to create a foothold, which Trent quickly made use of.

And with a timely jump and an extra push from Lance, Trent was up and over the gate.

This was a risky maneuver, as if a lot of Goblins were still waiting on the other side then Trent would be in trouble, but we planned for that as well.

If Raizen had noticed a large number of Goblins missing when they rushed out, he was supposed to immediately rush inside the Outpost. Thankfully everything was going according to plan and Trent confirmed that.

“Clear!”

The rest of us finally got to the gate and a few moments later we heard a loud thud, and the gate started opening.

“That beam was heavier than I thought!”

“We’ll talk about it later! Micah and Irene head to the towers immediately, everyone else form up and move!”

Irene and Micah went to the left and right tower respectively, while the rest of us began dashing towards the destruction in front of us.

Nobody said anything but I’m sure they felt the same way I did. That massive gate was reduced to splintering pieces of wood, and there were one or two Goblins, or at least what remained of them lying around the area.

Even the ground had caved in slightly.

This was the type of destruction you would expect to see if a grenade went off. Not something from the strike of another man. And for some reason, a weird feeling sprouted in my heart that told me this wasn’t something I would be able to do at the 4th Cycle.

Raizen was a monster.

But I’m glad that monster is on our side.

By the time we exited the Outpost, we could finally see Raizen and what he was up against.

Three of the massive monsters were constantly attacking him, not letting him rest or run away for even a moment, but I knew he was allowing this to happen. To keep pressure off of us.

I grit my teeth in slight frustration as I realize once again how weak I am. If Raizen wasn’t here we would’ve all died in this Dungeon.

Even if our entire Outpost attacked, most of them if not all of them would die. Tch.

I looked towards each guard tower and both Michah and Irene were in position. It was time.

“Begin shooting!”

We didn’t want to fight them too far away from the Outpost as that would put us out of range of the towers, so we were hoping once they noticed us they would come this way.

And noticed us they did.

Irene managed to hit one of the arches in the back, while Micah’s arrow came close to another. Most of them turned around and began screaming, something I couldn’t understand. I thought they would immediately charge straight at us as planned for, but instead of that happening, one of the big ones promptly disengaged from Raizen and began a mad dash toward us.

No plan was perfect.

“Retreat into the Outpost! Irene and Micah target their archers!!”

Though before anyone could even begin to carry out their orders, I saw Raizen toss aside the two he was fighting before getting in a full sprint and quickly catching up to the one heading our way. He got in front of it and kicked it backward, and it flew a couple of yards before falling on its back.

“Hurry up and get rid of the rest!”

That is all he shouted at us before running after the one he just kicked and proceeding to somehow keep any of them from approaching us.

He was really holding our hands. Dammit.

“You heard him! Let’s not let him do all the work! Lure them into the Outpost and eliminate them!”

The normal Goblins followed us into the Outpost while mages and archers focused on taking down Irene and Micah. Of course, I couldn’t allow that.

“Trent you have command!”

After saying that I took off towards the archers and mage Goblins, the mages would never be fast enough to target me, but I was going to have to dodge a few arrows. Even with my body screaming at me in pain with every motion I made, I didn’t slow down.

I pushed myself until I was in their midst, and my sword didn’t rest for a second until they no longer moved.

I turned around to see that Irene and Micah were both providing timely support to everyone else fighting, and before long they finished up as well, not needing my help.

It was then I heard another shout.

“Good! Now come fight these guys!”

It was Raizen, and I turned around in time to see him literally kick one of them in our direction. It stood up and looked back and forth between Raizen and us, before letting out what I think was a roar of frustration and then dashing towards us.