Chapter 90: Ruined Carriage
Before Seraphina could walk over and praise his monumental victory Leon’s newly acquired Vibration Sense screamed a frantic agonizing warning directly into his brain.
He whipped his head toward the high rocky ridge overlooking the highway. Standing near the edge of the cliff shrouded in a dense swirling mist of pure dark magical energy was a mysterious figure wrapped in tattered grey robes.
The sheer suffocating gravitational pressure radiating from the silent observer was astronomical dwarfing the aura of the previous Syndicate leader and signaling the terrifying arrival of a truely dangerous threat on their journey.
The suffocating magical pressure radiating from the high rocky ridge instantly paralyzed the remaining survivors. The mysterious figure wrapped in tattered grey robes looked down at the ruined highway with a cold calculating detachment.
Leon felt his Danger Intuition screaming frantically inside his skull.
This was not a standard mercenary or a common thug hired for a quick assassination.
The swirling dark magical energy surrounding the observer felt incredibly ancient and profoundly lethal. It was a dense overwhelming gravity that actively warped the afternoon sunlight.
"You possess a very strange brand of power boy," a raspy echoing voice drifted down from the cliffside. The voice seemed to bypass physical distance entirely to vibrate directly against Leon’s eardrums.
The grey robed figure slowly raised a pale skeletal hand from beneath his tattered cloak. A massive sphere of compressed black lightning rapidly formed right above his outstretched palm.
Seraphina gripped her steel broadsword with trembling fingers. Her violet eyes widened in sheer unadulterated terror as she recognized the terrifying magical signature.
"Leon move!" Seraphina screamed frantically. "That is an Imperial Executioner! You cannot block a void strike!"
Leon did not activate his Aura Step to flee the impending devastation. He knew the blast radius of a compressed void strike would instantly vaporize the noble daughter standing behind him.
He firmly planted his leather boots into the muddy earth and stared defiantly up at the ridge. He tapped deeply into his expanded magical core drawing out every single ounce of his kinetic mana.
He activated his newly upgraded Kinetic Shockwave skill. He did not stomp the ground this time. He channeled the raw concussive force directly through his massive muscular arms.
"I make a habit of surviving the impossible," Leon muttered fiercely. He aggressively thrust both palms forward into the empty air.
The Imperial Executioner casually flicked his wrist. The massive sphere of black lightning plummeted toward the highway with the speed of a falling star.
Leon released his Grandmaster tier Kinetic Shockwave to meet the descending void strike. The invisible wall of raw kinetic repulsion collided violently with the black lightning in midair.
The resulting explosion defied natural physics.
The sky temporarily inverted into a blinding flash of negative colors. The deafening concussive shockwave flattened the surrounding trees and completely blew away the heavy highway mist.
Leon was violently pushed backward carving deep trenches into the dirt with his boots. His massive one hundred and ninety five points of Strength strained desperately against the monumental kinetic backlash.
He gritted his teeth and held the line ensuring the lethal dark magic did not touch the Silver Goddess. When the blinding light finally faded the highway was left heavily scorched and completely silent.
Leon lowered his smoking hands and looked back up toward the rocky ridge. The cliffside was entirely empty. The mysterious Executioner had vanished into thin air leaving behind a profound sense of lingering dread.
Seraphina slowly walked over to him her athletic body trembling slightly from the residual magical shockwave. She stared at the massive smoking crater located just ten feet away from their position.
"You just deflected a void strike from an Imperial Executioner," Seraphina whispered breathlessly. Her passive Lie Detector aura wildly flashed with intense blinding shock and a deep terrifying realization. "They are the Emperor’s personal assassins. Why would they attack a Sterling carriage?"
"It seems the political game is much deeper than we thought," Leon replied smoothly projecting a calm magnetic confidence. He turned to inspect the ruined wreckage of their royal transport.
The beautiful enchanted carriage was completely shattered beyond repair. The heavy ironwood frame was splintered into useless kindling and the six armored warhorses had scattered into the dense forest during the ambush.
Stormfang trotted out from the tree line letting out a low rumbling growl.
The giant armored wolf had wisely retreated during the chaotic magical bombardment but remained fiercely loyal to its master.
"The carriage is ruined and we have a very long road ahead of us," Leon noted practically while retrieving his heavy star iron greatsword from the dirt. He effortlessly strapped the colossal weapon back onto his broad shoulders.
Seraphina let out a highly frustrated sigh and rubbed her temples.
The reality of traveling hundreds of miles through hostile territory without a secure transport was a logistical nightmare.
"We will have to ride Stormfang to the nearest trading post," the noble daughter declared trying to restore her strict aristocratic composure. "We need to secure fresh supplies and a discreet wagon. The capital is still weeks away."
Leon nodded and began salvaging whatever useful rations he could find from the shattered debris.
He collected a few waterskins and a bundle of dried meats securing them tightly within his leather satchel.
The pervert system had remained surprisingly quiet during the brief apocalyptic standoff. Leon knew the digital entity was simply biding its time waiting for the perfect secluded moment to escalate his conquest.
They mounted the giant armored wolf leaving the smoldering ruins of the Syndicate ambush behind. The journey to the Solarian Capital had officially begun and the stakes were now astronomically high.
Leon wrapped his strong arms securely around Seraphina’s narrow waist pulling her back flush against his broad chest.
He enjoyed the familiar comforting scent of sweet lavender radiating from her skin.
He activated his Vibration Sense expanding his awareness to monitor the surrounding forest for any approaching threats.
The wilderness was vast and unforgiving providing the perfect isolated environment to break down her remaining walls.