Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 605: Enemies closer

Chapter 605: Enemies closer

The Sky Seed Depravitas moved at extreme speed, pushing themselves to the limit to return to the plaza. Despite their efforts, Vlad, Jormungandr, Ouroboros, and Fafnir arrived nearly fifteen minutes past the arranged meeting time.

All four frowned, displeased by their lateness; they believed respecting someone meant respecting their time. Fortunately, they saw only Agamenon and Zalasar waiting. There was no sign of Hadrina—the paladin—or the twin mages, Titus and Crixus.

Agamenon and Zalasar cast a brief glance at the approaching Depravitas. Neither seemed bothered by the delay nor did they show any hint of disapproval.

In truth, arriving late was bad, but being the last to arrive was worse. And from the visible injuries on Vlad, Jormungandr, Ouroboros, and Fafnir, it was obvious that they had run into complications.

"Are you all fine?" Agamenon asked, his tone genuinely concerned. He knew the constitutions of Depravitas were formidable, but any lingering weakness could threaten the group’s overall well-being in such a hostile environment.

"We’ll be fine, thanks," Vlad replied, offering a short smile. He appreciated Agamenon’s concern, but his focus quickly shifted to the condition of Agamenon and Zalasar. Despite the dangers of the ruins, neither man seemed to have any injuries, nor did they appear fatigued. "You two look like you had an easier time," Vlad noted, curious.

Agamenon and Zalasar both sighed and shook their heads in evident frustration. "We faced no danger at all," Zalasar explained. "On our route, we only found some old residences, and there wasn’t much else. No traps...no enemies...nothing."

In theory, avoiding peril was fortunate; however, from their expressions, Vlad could tell Agamenon and Zalasar felt annoyed. Encountering no enemies often meant discovering no treasure, runic relics, or anything truly interesting. The entire expedition was here for resources and knowledge—facing zero opposition usually suggested the potential spoils were minimal.

Before the conversation could continue, everyone’s attention shifted to three approaching figures. Even from a distance, Vlad recognized Hadrian and the twin mages Titus and Crixus. As they drew closer, the severity of their wounds became undeniable. Hadriana’s left arm hung limply at her side as though her shoulder had been shattered. The twins sported numerous cuts and bruises across their bodies.

"Do you need help?" Agamenon asked the moment the trio reached them, his voice filled with concern. Hadriana’s injuries appeared the worst of all, so he focused on her.

"I’ll be fine, thanks," Hadriana said. She settled onto the ground gingerly, her posture stiff. Reaching into a small pouch at her waist, she withdrew a peculiar red pill and swallowed it. Then, she pressed her right palm against her injured shoulder, calling upon a golden radiance that began to mend her broken bones.

Vlad narrowed his eyes as he took in the faint glow. ’A Divine Spell,’ the power drew his attention. Nonetheless, he soon turned his gaze to Titus and Crixus, curious about what they had encountered.

The twins, exhausted and bleeding from multiple wounds, nonetheless seemed in better shape than the paladin.

"We found a building," Titus began, his voice tense. "Initially, it didn’t look like anything special, just another old structure. But on the higher floors, it turned out to be the lair of some kind of necromancer."

Crixus exhaled shakily, picking up where his brother left off. "We managed to destroy them, but it was a nightmare. The corridors were cramped, so we had trouble moving. They resisted a lot of our spells."

Agamenon nodded, brow furrowing with comprehension. "No wonder it took you longer to get here."

Hadriana leaned her head back, allowing the golden glow around her shoulder to intensify. Though her voice was weary, a note of relief resonated in her words. "We finished them off, but the price was steep. I’ll need a little more time before I can fight at full strength again."

"Let’s rest for ten minutes," Agamenon declared, breaking the silence. "Use your potions if you have them. Time is precious, but it won’t do us any good to push forward if half of us can barely stand."

With that, he settled onto the ground and began cycling his energy in order to restore their stamina and optimize recovery in a short window. No one voiced any disagreement. They all formed a rough circle, close enough to watch each other’s backs. Even in this partially cleared plaza, danger might lurk around any corner, so they had to be careful.

Hadriana concentrated on her shoulder. The twins shared a potent restorative potion, grimacing at the taste but clearly grateful for its effects. The Sky Seed Depravitas, likewise, tended to their wounds, consuming a lot of powerful potions and taking advantage of their formidable life force.

The ten minutes slipped by in relative peace, though the tension in the air remained tangible. The story of the paladin and twins made clear that the city’s danger was present everywhere. Every so often, one of them would glance over the ruined buildings, scanning for any signs of movement.

When the short rest concluded, the entire group looked visibly better. Although none of them were at their peak, the healing and quick recovery gave them enough strength to push onward and continue with their plundering. Of course, the impressive recovery speed had come at the cost of precious potions and resources, but that was the price of being the first to take on a secret plane. There was danger everywhere, and you had to burn money to make money.

They were beginning to stand and prepare to move again when they heard rumbling noises far away from their location. The entire group tensed, eyes narrowing. In the distance, they could see gates opening—an unmistakable sign that more people were entering the inner ring of the city.

"It seems Valeria and her allies have finally made it to the inner ring," Agamenon said. His calm voice barely concealed the undercurrent of concern. Everyone present shared the sentiment. None of them believed a peaceful greeting would await them if they met those three teams; after all, they were surely not happy about being left behind.

"They’re faster than I expected," Vlad muttered in annoyance. He had put a considerable amount of effort into delaying Valeria and, more importantly, Decimus.

Vlad and Tyron had sabotaged the outer ring’s gates, which forced the women and the other teams to face the dino golems, and they had also taken measures to complicate entry into the inner ring.

It would have been easy for Valeria and the others to use the same gate Vlad and Tyron opened to reach the inner ring. However, their previous experience made them paranoid upon seeing the gate closed, forcing them to waste time opening another gate.

Agamenon’s gaze swept over his gathered allies. "There’s no point wasting time fretting about them. Either we’ll see them or we won’t—but our main objective remains the same." He exhaled slowly, as if trying to expel any lingering tension. "Let’s go."