Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 133: Royal Guard (IV)

Chapter 133: Royal Guard (IV)

Mitcher and the soldiers at the base of the mountain, as well as the Warrior in black armor and the Mages in dark robes, were shocked to see the large man fall to his knees, his entire face pale as a ghost.

Rodrick was just as shocked as the rest by the sudden fall. He did not understand what was happening, but suddenly, he turned to the large cauterized wound on his arm and felt a numbness in it. Realization appeared in his eyes, along with terror, as he stared at the woman as if she were a monster.

"Poison!" That was the last word the man uttered before falling to the ground unconscious.

Amara’s impervious expression finally faded, showing a cold smile as she saw the man had finally collapsed.

Rodrick was right, yet it was not a normal poison that had infiltrated his body. Amara had used the power of the Rune of Venomous Strike engraved in her hands. It was a core piece of the Shadow Assassin Runic Set and allowed her to imbue her weapons with a demonic poison capable of debilitating power that could paralyze or even kill a man.

All this time, the Royal Guard had been buying time, waiting for the demonic poison to reach its critical point and affect the man’s body.

’It took a little longer than expected, but it worked perfectly. Now it is time to act,’ Amara’s smile faded, replaced by her impervious and cold eyes as she glanced at Mitchel with a sharp gaze, her intent clear.

Mitchel felt the gaze of the Royal Guard capturing the message, and immediately, his eyes burst with determination and killing intent. "Warriors, charge! Mages, cover us!"

The soldiers from the Xaos Kingdom were stunned by the sudden fall of the enemy leader, but as soon as they heard Mitchel’s order, they acted.

The Warriors made their Force burst, covering their bodies as they marched forward. They needed to take advantage of this opportunity to reach the enemy, taking away their terrain advantage.

On the other hand, the Mages fired the spells they had been charging. Each soldier raised their hands, and the ground began to rumble and crack.

"Earth Spear!" all the Mages shouted in unison as massive spears made of jagged rock and hardened earth erupted from the ground and soared into the air.

The warriors in black armor could only react to the sudden loss of their leader when they saw the spears piercing through the air, flashing toward them with immense speed and force. They immediately made their energy explode and raised their shields in order to defend against those powerful projectiles.

"¡Boom!" "¡Boom!" "¡Boom!" "¡Boom!" "¡Boom!" "¡Boom!" "¡Boom!" "¡Boom!"

Blasts echoed across the mountain peak as the Warriors endured the crushing power of the spears. They managed to maintain their foothold, but their arms trembled. Before they could break their formation and attack the incoming soldiers, a new barrage of projectiles was already on its way.

At this point, the Mages in dark robes should have burst into action, firing their own spells against the enemy’s spellcasters or focusing their power on the Warriors rising the mountain. However, before any of them could even think of doing that, Amara flashed into the fray.

The best path for the Mages in dark robes would have been to remain calm and wait for Amara to get close enough so they could enhance their chance of a certain strike. However, they had lost their leader, and the Warriors were too busy defending against the Earth Spear, so no one was guiding or protecting them.

"Ahhh! Die!" Under that pressure, one of the Mages in dark robes could not endure and shouted before firing a Magic Missile.

It only took one to fall under pressure for the others to follow suit, all unleashing their Magic Missiles against the Royal Guard of the Xaos Kingdom.

Amara’s eyes narrowed as she saw the spells. It was the classic Mage spell imbued in the cultivation rune that the Plane Will granted. However, the ones that Mages in dark robes fired were more powerful than normal, and their firing speed was also higher.

’Their dark robes,’ a sharp light appeared in the eyes of the Royal Guard as she immediately figured out the key behind their enhanced magic power. However, even with that enhancement, Magic Missile’s pattern was too crude and easy to figure out, and since they fired without any form of formation or plan, they were not a real problem.

Amara made sure to be close enough to force the Mages to focus on her, but with enough distance so she could keep dodging the spells. Her goal was simple: keep them distracted long enough for Brigadier General Mitchel and the rest of the soldiers to reach the mountain peak.

Luckily for Amara, it did not take long for the Xaos’ warriors to reach the mountain peak, and they immediately blasted through the enemies in black armor.

While the enemies’ equipment was better, they had consumed nearly all of their Force defending against the barrage of Earth Spears, their arms and legs numb by the point that Mitchel and the soldiers arrived, so their formation was immediately broken.

The Mages in dark robes were shocked to see how their side was overwhelmed immediately. That lapse in focus was the only thing Amara needed to flash forward, immediately appearing in front of the five men.

The Royal Guard used her short sword and dagger to kill three of the men before using her punches to knock the other two out cold. Immediately after handling the Mages, she turned her focus to the clash of the Warriors and flashed forward.

The Warriors in black armor were already overwhelmed by Mitchel and his soldiers, so the moment Amara joined the fray, they were either killed or struck unconscious. In less than a minute, the battle had ended.

Mitchel’s breath was rough, as he had put every ounce of strength into that charge and fight. He looked around, and a smile appeared on his face. Their soldiers had wounds, but none were severe or life-threatening. They managed to take out a force that nearly equaled them in power without losing a single man. There was no better news for a commander than that.

The brigadier general then turned to the figure that made it all possible and could not hide the feeling of awe that the young woman generated in him. Still, he did not lose focus and clasped his hand before performing a small bow. "Thanks for the help, Royal Guard."

"Royal Guard!" The rest of the warriors also responded to Amara’s presence. While Mitchel would only need to bow, they needed to kneel as a Royal Guard represented royal might.

Amara felt a little awkward at such a display, but she had been taught the importance of it. This sort of behavior was not just pleasantries; it was part of the customs of a kingdom, useful for reinforcing their identity.

Chief Counselor Alonz imparted this knowledge. According to the man, customs and traditions are a significant part of a kingdom’s cultural heritage. They foster a sense of identity and belonging among the citizens. Shared customs and etiquette create a collective identity, promoting unity and pride in the kingdom’s heritage and values, which was very important in a new kingdom.

Truthfully, neither Vlad nor Grand Marshal Anglius paid too much attention to these things, but they respected the wisdom and insight of the old political beast and supported him in his endeavor.

Amara did not let them kneel for long. After a few seconds, she signaled for them to rise before turning toward Mitchel.

Mitchel did not waste time as he turned to the soldiers. "Take out their armor and anything valuable. Bury the corpses and tie the arms and legs, and blindfold those that are unconscious."

"Yes, Sir!" The Warriors did not waste time; they immediately burst into action.

Amara and Mitchel moved to the side, away from the soldiers, so they could talk.

"Once again, thanks for the help, but what is the reason for a Royal Guard to be here? Is there a mission taking place around this area?" Mitchel was the first one to speak. The man was respectful but expressed his question directly, fitting his military rank.

Although her status was higher now, Amara respected the young man, so she did not leave him waiting, "There is no mission. I have been following your group for the past fifteen days. There was an incident in a town near the border close to Frozen Town, so I was tasked to guard you and the refugees."

Mitchel’s eyes narrowed as he heard that information, and his mind immediately darted to the border. Something dangerous was clearly looming over Constantine Country, so they needed to be careful.

As for the reason why Amara had not shown herself, that was simple. She was an assassin, and it was best if no one knew of her presence, even her allies.

After taking care of everything, the group carried on their journey back to the military base.