When Lord Winter saw the blood-coloured handle and the entire length of the sword neatly sheathed, his pupils trembled.
He recalled the vision he had seen when he used foresight and peered into the future—this very sword had been on Asher’s waist!
Did this mean that sending him to the spirit world hadn’t altered the future, but instead brought Asher one step closer to it?!
If someone observed Lord Winter closely, they would see that his fingers, which were wrapped around the staff, were trembling violently.
Asher was already a saintly being. That left only the Imperial, Ancient and finally the Exalted ran before he ascended into the ranks of the Awoken Ones. And considering his powerful talent, Lord Winter doubted that day was much far from now.
Did it mean something would happen during this period that would make Asher even colder than the broken man who had arrived here?!
One of his greatest reasons for living was to make sure Kryos never became like his brothers—because if he did, the world would once again face destruction.
After a long moment of thought, Lord Winter’s eyes gleamed and his confidence returned.
Meanwhile, the others remained cautious of Ithamar because of its oppressive aura. Asher grabbed the sword, slung it over his shoulder and gestured for Lord Winter.
“Shouldn’t we proceed into the castle?”
Lord Winter smiled.
Unbeknownst to him, while he had foreseen the future, there was one unpredictable variable…
The system!
A force that had escaped even his extraordinary talent without him being aware of it.
_____
Days later…
Clas in a hooded cloak, Asher felt his hair bounce as he rode atop Sirius’s back, the wind whipping past him. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
They traversed the grassy plains while his sharp gaze remained fixed on the tall, grayish-white mountains a mile ahead.
Behind him, 300 paladins rode on their horses in formation, their cloaks billowing like banners in the wind. Cynthia, Moses and Simon rode alongside him, but due to Sirius’s height and speed, Asher was naturally ahead of them, leading the way.
The sun shone brightly overhead, casting a glorious golden light upon the mountains while leaving dark shadows across the plains.
“We’re on Ashbourne soil once again, buddy.” Asher ran a hand over Sirius’ head, a handsome smirk tugging at his lips.
Sirius squinted, then, as if to express his delight, shot forward at a faster pace, increasing the gap between him and his men.
Suddenly, Asher’s eyes sharpened. He could sense something tearing through the air and it was incredibly fast!
He couldn’t even see it because it was carefully concealed in the brilliant glow of the sun!
Puchi!
A massive projectile buried itself into the ground beside him, kicking up dirt and grass. Asher turned his head, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the enormous bolt—large enough to kill a rider and his mount!
It was the ballistic bolt!
“A ballista!”
Asher’s eyes flickered. Four months ago, there was no such thing as ballistas in his county—only trebuchets existed.
But now…!
“Ready for combat!”
He said, slightly excited to see what his soldiers could do against a supposed invader. He would never try such with other troops, not even the King’s Swordsmen—but the paladins, they were a resilient bunch.
There was a reason they called them Transcendents!
At his command, the paladins seamlessly shifted their formation into a phalanx—without even breaking their full-speed charge!
They pulled out their shields and leaned forward, bracing for the incoming bolts.
And as expected, about six bolts came in the next volley—but three froze mid-air. In the next moment, the wooden shafts of the bolt burst apart and the steel heads crumpled inward, collapsing into small, dense balls!
Seeing this, Asher’s gaze flicked to the brown-skinned man beside him, his golden braids tucked beneath his helmet. His right hand was raised—a silent declaration that he was the one responsible for such a miraculous feat!
The knights clad in impressive black armor, their pauldrons adorned with a single spike and white cloaks bearing the sigil of House Ashbourne, stared in disbelief. Bolts capable of killing beast knights had been halted mid-air as if caught by an invisible force.
To be able to execute such fine control, they had to be facing a saintly being!
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the captain who stood behind the man manning the ballistas turned to his left. “Send word to commander Adam. We have invaders from Edom.”
Every Frontline Legion knight stationed at the ballistae regimen possessed the talent of great eyesight, but amongst them stood a boy clad in leather armour—small yet formidable.
His eyesight was even sharper than that of an eagle and standing atop the mountain, he was like a king in his realm of power.
He was the same boy who had once fought Nero for a place among Asher’s castle guards. Fortunately, he found his own spot. Soon, he’ll be twelve yet he was already valuable in a city that had a population of over a hundred thousand civilians!
“Captain.” Lucas, the eagle-eyed boy turned his head toward the captain.
The captain also turned toward him.
“The man leading them… he rides a wolf. A white wolf.”
Upon hearing that, the captain’s expression darkened beneath his helmet, his lips curling into a sorrowful smile.
“Sirius is dead.”
Lucas nodded.
“Reload the fire rune arrows. Don’t let them cross the three-hundred-yard mark!”
The captain’s orders rang sharp, and Lucas responded without hesitation.
“Understood!!”
More bolts rained down again—but the paladins evaded each and every one of them, eliciting a frown from the captain.
His squadron was one of the best long-ranged units in the Legion and dealt the highest damage. And yet, here they were—being made a mockery before these invaders!
His pride as an Ashbourne elite took a hit.
“They’ve crossed the two-hundred-yard mark! They’ll soon reach the gate!”
Lucas exclaimed.
“Even if they do… they’ll meet their end there.”
Right now, they stood a thousand feet above the ground, perched atop the mountain!
Just as the captain said Asher reached the gate below—only to be met with an unyielding shield wall.
And before that wall stood a man, his arms crossed, his breathing deep and thunderous, like that of a primordial dragon.
It was Commander General Adam!