Chapter 87: The Ancient Coordinates
"Would you like me to polish your boots, boss?"
Holden stopped walking. He turned slowly to look at Henry.
The noble’s melted visor was hanging around his neck. His armor was covered in acid scars. Dirt and purple dust matted his previously perfect hair. And he was holding Holden’s pack like a dutiful servant.
"Henry. I said stop calling me boss."
"Right. Sorry. Holden."
"Better."
"And I don’t need my boots polished. They’re already resistant to acid."
"Of course. I should have thought of that."
Holden pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just... walk. Please."
Henry nodded eagerly and fell into step behind him, practically marching.
The rest of the Vance squad fell in line behind Henry like ducklings following their mother. One of them was already trying to carry Renna’s pack alongside his own. Another kept offering to set up tents. A third was asking Emric if he needed his shield polished.
"Your shield looks dull, sir. I have a cloth."
Emric clutched his shield tighter. "Please stop touching my shit."
Renna leaned close to Holden. Her voice was barely a whisper. "This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen."
"Don’t get used to it. They’ll go back to being insufferable once the fear wears off."
"Are you kidding? Henry offered to brush my hair this morning. My hair! He called it an honor!"
"I heard."
"It was weird but also kind of nice?"
"Keep your voice down."
They made camp in a small clearing near a stream. Henry’s squad immediately started working. Tents went up in record time. A fire was built. Water was collected. Food was prepared.
Holden sat on a log and watched five nobles scramble to serve him lunch.
"This soup tastes good," he said, tasting it.
Henry practically glowed. "Really? I made it myself! The recipe has been in my family for generations!"
"It needs salt."
"Right away!" Henry grabbed the salt shaker and practically dumped the entire thing into Holden’s bowl.
"That’s too much."
"I’ll make a new one!"
"Just stir what’s already in there."
"Of course. Apologies."
Lyra sat beside Holden, eating her soup calmly. She didn’t comment on the chaos. She just enjoyed the show.
Bzzt!
Holden pulled out his radio. The frequency was encrypted, keyed only to Maeve’s personal channel.
"Holden." Maeve’s voice was tight. Not panicked, but close. "We have a serious problem. The Abyssal corruption is spreading faster than projected. A massive wave of corrupted beasts is heading straight for the base camp. The instructors are holding the energy barriers, but the sheer volume of attackers is straining the system."
"How bad?"
"The shields will hold, but they can’t do anything offensive. They can’t locate the Source Hive. Every time they send scouts, the scouts get swarmed and pulled into the corruption. They’re blind."
Holden’s hand moved to his jacket. Inside, tucked against his chest, was the metal cylinder from the ancient ruin.
"I might be able to help with the blind spot."
"What do you mean?"
He pulled out the cylinder and broke the seal. The ancient map unrolled in his hands, the material surprisingly flexible despite its age. Faded ink covered most of the surface, but certain lines glowed with faint red light. Ancient runes that had survived centuries of decay.
He studied the map.
The red lines traced a clear route across the map. They stretched from the eastern woods, snaking through the same area they’d spent the day in, and stopped at a location marked by a small icon of a broken gate.
The path matched the corruption trail perfectly.
"Found it," Holden said.
"Found what?"
"The Source Hive. It’s in a canyon about two miles northeast of here. There’s an ancient sealing gate at the bottom."
Maeve was quiet for a moment. "That matches the seismic data. The corruption is definitely originating from that exact location."
"The teachers can’t handle it because they can’t find it. But I can."
"Holden, the Hive is going to be packed with Abyssal creatures. You can’t take that alone."
"I’m not. I’m going to close the gate."
"That’s incredibly dangerous."
"So is staying here while a monster horde pounds on the shields with my sister sitting inside the camp."
Another pause. Maeve’s voice softened slightly. "Be careful."
"Always."
He rolled up the map and tucked it away.
Holden stood up from the log and looked at his team.
Emric was showing Henry’s squad how to properly maintain formation angles. Renna was telling stories to an overly attentive audience. Lyra was cleaning her spear with practiced efficiency.
"Listen up," he said.
Everyone went quiet.
"Base Camp is under attack. The instructors are pinned down defending the walls. The Abyssal corruption is spreading from a Source Hive two miles northeast. Maeve is in that camp."
Emric pushed his glasses up. "Are we abandoning the expedition?"
"No. We’re splitting up." Holden pointed at Lyra. "You’re taking everyone back to Base Camp. Help the instructors hold the line. Protect Maeve."
Lyra stared at him. "And you?"
"I’m going to scout the perimeter. There’s something I need to check out in the northeast."
"A solo scout mission?" Emric asked. "The danger level of operating alone in Abyssal territory is..."
"Not negotiable," Holden cut him off. His voice was calm but left no room for argument. "You take the team. You protect the camp. I’ll meet you back at Base Camp before midnight."
Emric closed his mouth.
Lyra looked at him for a long moment. Her eyes searched his face for something. She saw the calm confidence. The relaxed control. The lie he was telling everyone.
She saw right through it.
But she didn’t call him out.
"Be careful," she said softly.
"I will."
She turned to the group. "You heard him. Pack up. We’re moving."
The camp exploded into motion. Tents collapsed. Packs were secured. Weapons were checked.
Henry rushed to Holden’s side. "What about us? We’re coming with you!"
"You’re going with Lyra."
"But..."
"Henry." Holden looked at him. "The Base Camp needs every fighter it can get. My sister is there. So is half the academy. Go help."
Henry swallowed hard. "Yes, sir. Right away, sir."
"And stop calling me sir."
"Right. Sorry."
The team formed up and started moving through the forest toward Base Camp.
Holden watched them go until they disappeared into the trees.
Then he turned northeast.
The forest was darker here. The trees were twisted, their bark blackened by Abyssal corruption. The foul smell grew stronger with every step. Strange sounds echoed in the distance.
He started walking toward the Source Hive.
The trees thinned out ahead, revealing the edge of a massive crater. Purple smoke poured from its depths. The ground trembled with the movement of countless creatures below.
Holden stopped at the rim.
The crater was enormous. Hundreds of Abyssal bugs swarmed the walls like ants on a sugar cube. They poured out through a cracked gate at the bottom, heading into the forest to join the horde attacking Base Camp.
The ancient sealing gate. Exactly where the map said it would be.
Holden drew his sword.
Red-gold energy blazed to life along the blade. He let Asura’s Ignition climb to its absolute maximum. Heat shimmered around him like a desert mirage.
He stepped off the edge and dropped into the crater.