Chapter 83 — The Old Fortress
Morning came quietly.
The first rays of sunlight spread across the valley, slowly illuminating the mountains and the countless temporary camps scattered between them.
Azrael opened his eyes.
For a moment, he simply remained seated beside the dying campfire.
Then he looked toward the northern valley.
The old fortress was somewhere beyond those mountains.
Whatever was happening there, they would soon find out.
Azrael stood and stretched.
"Everyone ready?"
Caelan was already checking his spear.
"Ready."
Lyanna folded the map and placed it inside her storage ring.
"Everything is packed."
Orin tightened the straps around his shield.
"I’m ready."
Seraphina finished treating the injured disciple from the previous night.
"She’s stable."
Azrael nodded.
"Good."
The injured girl had been taken in by another group that had agreed to protect her until the expedition ended.
Azrael didn’t know whether they would see her again.
For now, there was nothing else they could do.
The group left their campsite.
The northern valley was noticeably different from the central region.
The grass became thinner.
The trees gradually disappeared.
Large pieces of broken stone covered the ground.
Some looked like parts of ancient buildings.
Others were so old that nature had almost completely consumed them.
Lyanna kept checking the map.
"We’re heading in the right direction."
Caelan looked around.
"There aren’t many participants here."
"That’s probably why the fortress is valuable," Azrael said.
Orin scratched his head.
"Why would everyone avoid this place?"
Azrael glanced at the distant mountains.
"Because it’s dangerous."
"How do you know?"
"I don’t."
Orin sighed.
"That’s not reassuring."
Azrael smiled.
"But it usually is."
Seraphina laughed softly.
"You’re terrible at reassuring people."
"I never said I was good at it."
The group continued walking.
After nearly an hour, Azrael noticed something ahead.
A large stone structure slowly emerged beyond the hills.
Its walls were enormous.
Even from a distance, the fortress looked imposing.
Several towers surrounded the main structure.
Most had partially collapsed.
But the central walls remained intact.
Caelan stopped.
"So that’s the old fortress."
Lyanna checked the map.
"According to the Academy records, this place was abandoned long ago."
Orin looked at the walls.
"Looks abandoned."
Azrael noticed several black flags hanging from the entrance.
"Not anymore."
Everyone became more serious.
They approached carefully.
The closer they got, the more obvious the signs became.
There were footprints in the dirt.
Fresh ones.
Several discarded weapons lay near the road.
A broken Academy token rested beside one of the stones.
Lyanna picked it up.
"It’s damaged."
Caelan looked toward the fortress.
"Someone has been fighting here."
Azrael activated Origin Perception.
Several energy signatures immediately entered his senses.
He counted them.
One.
Two.
Five.
Eight.
Then more.
His expression changed slightly.
"Someone is watching us."
Lyanna immediately looked around.
"Where?"
Azrael pointed toward a ruined tower.
"Up there."
A figure slowly stepped out from behind the broken wall.
Then another.
Then another.
Within seconds, eight people appeared across the ruins.
All of them wore black expedition cloaks.
The person standing at the front looked slightly older than the others.
Short dark hair.
Sharp eyes.
A large sword rested across his back.
He looked at Azrael’s group without any visible fear.
"So you came."
Caelan raised his spear.
"You attacked a team yesterday."
The man’s expression remained calm.
"They entered our territory."
The injured disciple’s words came back to Azrael’s mind.
They were taking everything.
Azrael stepped forward.
"This isn’t your territory."
The man laughed.
"According to the Academy?"
"No."
"Then why are you acting like it belongs to you?"
The man’s smile disappeared.
"Because we’ve taken it."
He spread his arms.
"The fortress."
"The surrounding resources."
"The contribution points."
"Everything."
Azrael looked at the black flags.
"So that’s what this is."
The man nodded.
"We control this area."
"And anyone who refuses to cooperate?"
"They leave."
"And if they refuse to leave?"
The man’s eyes became cold.
"They lose."
Orin stepped forward.
"That’s not how an expedition works."
The man looked at him.
"Then complain to the Academy."
Orin’s expression tightened.
"We will."
The man smiled.
"After the expedition."
Azrael understood.
The group was exploiting the rules.
As long as they didn’t openly kill participants, the Academy probably wouldn’t intervene immediately.
They were challenging weaker teams, taking their resources, and forcing them away from valuable areas.
It was technically competition.
But barely.
Azrael looked around.
The eight people weren’t standing randomly.
Two occupied the ruined tower.
Three guarded the main entrance.
The remaining three were positioned behind them.
A formation.
They had expected someone to come.
"They’re trying to surround us," Azrael said.
Caelan immediately understood.
"Everyone, spread out."
The black-cloaked leader’s expression changed.
"They noticed."
Azrael drew Astraeus.
"So much for talking."
The leader reached for his sword.
"Fine."
He pulled the weapon from his back.
"Take them."
The eight disciples moved simultaneously.
BOOM!
The first attack came from the left.
Caelan raised his spear.
CLANG!
The impact forced him backward several meters.
Another enemy rushed toward Lyanna.
She disappeared.
The attack struck empty air.
Lyanna reappeared behind the attacker.
Her daggers flashed.
Slash!
The disciple barely blocked.
At the same time, a massive axe came toward Orin.
He raised his shield.
BOOM!
The impact shook his entire body.
Orin grinned.
"My turn."
He pushed forward.
His shield slammed into the attacker.
CRASH!
The man was thrown backward.
Seraphina raised her staff.
"Genesis Shield!"
Golden light spread across the battlefield.
A barrier appeared around Lyanna and Caelan.
Several attacks struck it simultaneously.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The barrier held.
Azrael moved.
His Eclipse Wings opened.
He disappeared from his position.
The leader immediately raised his sword.
CLANG!
Astraeus collided with the heavy blade.
The impact created a shockwave.
Dust spread across the ruins.
The leader’s eyes narrowed.
"So you’re Azrael."
Azrael smiled.
"You’ve heard of me?"
"Everyone has."
The leader pushed him backward.
"You defeated several strong participants during the previous floors."
Azrael steadied himself.
"And?"
The man smiled.
"I wanted to see whether the rumors were true."
He attacked.
The sword came from the right.
Azrael blocked.
Another slash followed immediately.
He stepped backward.
The man’s sword was heavy.
But surprisingly fast.
Azrael watched his movements carefully.
The man’s shoulders barely moved before each strike.
His footwork was efficient.
His attacks weren’t wild.
Every movement had a purpose.
"Experienced."
The leader suddenly changed direction.
A horizontal slash came toward Azrael’s waist.
Azrael ducked.
The blade passed over his head.
He countered.
Astraeus struck toward the man’s shoulder.
The man blocked.
CLANG!
Both stepped backward.
The man smiled.
"You’ve got good reactions."
"So do you."
The man charged again.
Three attacks came in rapid succession.
Azrael blocked the first.
Dodged the second.
The third grazed his shoulder.
A thin cut appeared.
Seraphina immediately noticed.
"Azrael!"
"I’m fine."
The wound wasn’t serious.
More importantly...
Azrael had learned something.
The man’s greatest strength wasn’t his physical power.
It was his recovery.
Whenever Azrael forced him backward, the man immediately regained his balance.
Azrael activated Combat Insight.
[Combat Insight]
Target Analysis: 38%
Fighting Style: Heavy Sword
Primary Strength: Explosive Force
Secondary Strength: Recovery
Weakness Detected: Recovery Window
Azrael’s eyes sharpened.
"There."
The man attacked again.
Azrael blocked.
The heavy sword crashed against Astraeus.
The force pushed him backward.
The man prepared another attack.
This time...
Azrael didn’t retreat.
He stepped inside the man’s range.
The heavy sword became difficult to swing.
Astraeus struck his ribs.
BOOM!
The man staggered.
Azrael followed immediately.
Another strike.
The man barely blocked.
A third.
The man’s feet slid backward.
He realized what Azrael was doing.
"You’re forcing me to move."
Azrael smiled.
"Exactly."
The man tried to retreat.
Azrael stepped forward.
Another attack.
The leader blocked.
Another.
His balance weakened.
Azrael wasn’t trying to overpower him.
He was controlling the distance.
Every step reduced the man’s ability to use his heavy sword effectively.
Finally, Azrael kicked his knee.
The man’s stance broke.
Astraeus stopped against his chest.
Azrael could have continued.
He didn’t.
The man slowly lowered his sword.
"You could’ve injured me."
"I know."
"Why didn’t you?"
Azrael stepped back.
"Because I don’t need to."
The man’s expression changed.
For the first time, there was genuine respect in his eyes.
Then—
BOOM!
A golden shield appeared between them.
Caelan’s voice echoed from nearby.
"Azrael!"
Azrael turned.
"What’s wrong?"
Caelan pointed toward the fortress.
"More people are coming."
Azrael looked.
The main gate was opening.
Slowly.
Heavy stone doors moved apart.
GRRRR...
Footsteps echoed from inside.
One figure emerged.
Then another.
Then several more.
Azrael counted.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
His expression became serious.
Orin stared.
"You’re kidding."
Lyanna landed beside them.
"There are more inside."
Caelan tightened his grip on his spear.
"How many?"
"At least twenty."
Seraphina looked toward the fortress.
"They’ve been gathering people."
The leader wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
His earlier smile returned.
"You thought there were only eight of us?"
Azrael looked at the fortress.
Then at the growing number of black-cloaked disciples.
He slowly smiled.
"No."
The Eclipse Wings spread behind him.
"I thought there were more."
The leader’s eyes narrowed.
"You’re not afraid?"
Azrael raised Astraeus.
"Should I be?"
The surrounding disciples began moving.
They weren’t rushing.
They were forming another encirclement.
Caelan stepped beside Azrael.
"Everyone, stay together."
Seraphina moved to the center.
Golden energy gathered around her.
Lyanna disappeared into the shadows.
Orin raised his shield.
"How exactly are we supposed to fight this many?"
Azrael looked at the enemy formation.
"We don’t."
Orin blinked.
"What?"
"We break the formation."
Azrael pointed toward the left side of the fortress.
"Their numbers only matter if they can surround us."
Caelan immediately understood.
"We create a gap."
"Exactly."
Lyanna smiled.
"And then?"
Azrael looked toward the fortress gate.
"We push through."
Seraphina raised her staff.
"Then let’s do it."
The black-cloaked disciples charged.
BOOM!
The battlefield erupted.
Caelan moved first.
His spear flashed forward.
Piercing Spear!
A concentrated attack struck the front line.
Three enemies were forced backward.
Orin charged behind him.
CRASH!
His shield smashed into another disciple.
Lyanna moved through the opening.
Her daggers flashed twice.
Seraphina raised her hand.
"Genesis Bloom!"
Golden flowers erupted across the battlefield.
The roots wrapped around several enemies, slowing their movements.
Azrael opened his wings.
He shot forward.
His sword flashed.
CLANG!
One enemy blocked.
Azrael twisted his wrist.
The weapon was knocked away.
He struck the man’s armor and sent him flying.
Another rushed from the side.
Azrael turned.
Astraeus blocked the attack.
Seraphina’s golden projectile struck the enemy from behind.
He fell.
"Thanks."
"You’re welcome."
The group continued advancing.
They weren’t defeating everyone.
They didn’t need to.
They only needed to break through.
Within moments, they reached the fortress entrance.
The leader stood before them.
His sword was raised.
"You won’t enter."
Azrael stopped.
The two stared at each other.
Then Azrael smiled.
"We’ll see."
Behind him, Caelan, Seraphina, Lyanna, and Orin formed a line.
The fortress stood directly ahead.
Whatever these disciples were protecting...
Azrael intended to find out.
The battle had only just begun.