Beyond the Apocalypse-Chapter 597: Into the inner ring

The battle outside the outer walls grew so intense that even Janus and Agamenon’s teams felt it from where they stood, far within the city. Although the runic formation on the outer gates had not been simple, the Runic Masters on Valeria, Scipius, and Cato’s side should have managed to overcome it fairly easily—especially considering it had already been opened once.

However, as the men and women of Janus and Agamenon’s squads took in the sounds of distant combat, a knowing light appeared in their eyes. They turned in unison to look at Vlad and Tyron, remembering how these two Runic Masters had tampered with the formation just before sealing the gates behind them. At the time, everyone assumed it was a waste of time, but now, they realized how cleverly Vlad and Tyron had rigged the formation. Awe and admiration flashed across their faces.

Janus and Agamenon could not suppress broad smiles of pride, silently congratulating themselves for choosing such capable Runic Masters. Even though they had not explicitly asked the pair to sabotage the gates for their pursuers, Vlad and Tyron had taken it upon themselves to ensure Valeria, Scipius, and Cato would face a nasty surprise, delaying them even further.

Oblivious to the attention and praise, Vlad and Tyron were in the final stages of unraveling the inner gate’s runic formation. Their entire focus lay in the intricate webs of glowing lines pulsing with ancient power. Sweat beaded on both of their foreheads, and their eyes had grown bloodshot from the intense concentration.

At last, the runic lines flared with one final burst of brilliance. A collective smile spread across the faces of the onlookers as the massive gates began to slide apart, revealing the entrance to the inner ring.

The moment the gates opened, everyone was greeted by a scene that defied their expectations. Where the outer ring had shown clear signs of decay—crumbling buildings and shattered streets—the inner ring still gleamed with a vestige of its former glory.

Tall, pristine structures rose on either side of broad avenues, each building constructed from a material that resembled white marble infused with a faint, otherworldly glow. Even from a distance, the energy in this area felt remarkably dense, pooling in the atmosphere like shimmering fog.

A single breath in this place made them feel slightly stronger—their internal power stirred as though responding to the energy saturating the air. One could easily imagine that spending just a few years cultivating here would push a Sage’s energy reserves to unfathomable limits.

But they all knew they had little time. The entire expedition was constrained by the portal that would close in less than two days, cutting them off from the outside world.

Without further delay, the teams pressed forward into the inner ring, keeping an eye out for any arcane sensors or hidden devices that might register them as intruders. Yet, for the moment, the environment remained calm.

Just as they had done with the outer ring, Vlad and Tyron approached the towering gates from the inner side, already making preparations to seal them behind the group. From their prior success, everyone now understood exactly what these two Runic Masters were planning.

Once more, the runic lines flickered and shifted under Vlad and Tyron’s ministrations. Then, with a heavy clang, the gates behind them closed.

"Hahaha!" roared a two-headed ogre from the Imperial Prince’s team, breaking into a guttural, triumphant laugh. "I’d love to see that harpy Valeria’s face when she tries to open this door! She’ll trigger a new trap from the old man and the kid!"

Many of the gathered warriors chuckled, appreciating the ogre’s blunt satisfaction. However, Tyron simply shook his head.

"Sugar," he said, addressing the ogre by name, "you’re giving us far more credit than we deserve."

The ogre’s laughter died, replaced by confusion. He tilted one of his heads to the side while the other continued staring at the duo of Runic Masters.

Vlad stepped in to elaborate, wiping sweat from his brow. "The runic formation on this gate is at a Legendary Level. We only managed to bypass it because centuries of neglect weakened its original complexity. If it had been maintained, we’d need an actual Legend-tier Runic Master—or far more time than we have."

He exhaled, then continued, "As it is, we did enough damage to the runic array that even a weak Rank 4 Runic Master could unravel it in a few minutes if they spot the correct pattern."

"Then...why bother closing it?" Sugar asked, the perplexity in both his voices impossible to miss.

Before Vlad could answer, Janus stepped forward, a glint in his eyes betraying how impressed he was with Vlad’s cunning.

"You must learn to think more strategically," the Imperial Prince said, glancing toward the ogre. "Not every problem is best solved with brute strength. Focus on this problem and try to figure out the intent by yourself."

Sugar grunted and gave a quick nod to Janus, evidently determined to learn from this lesson. The ogre was mighty in combat but had not yet honed the ability to read the complex layers of strategy that went into an operation like this, but he could learn.

With the gate now sealed, Janus and Agamenon exchanged contemplative looks. Tensions always ran high when treasure was in the mix, especially in a place as rich as this. Although the two leaders had complete faith in each other’s character, they also understood that greed could sour even the strongest alliances.

In unspoken agreement, they stepped aside to confer. Moments later, Janus addressed the entire group.

"We’ll split up," he said, glancing at Agamenon. "I’ll take the left sector of the inner ring..." freёwebnoѵel.com

"And I’ll take the right," Agamenon finished, a faint smile on his lips.

They both understood that dividing their forces would allow them to cover more ground and find more valuables in the limited time they had left. If they searched side by side, they’d have to share every discovery between twice as many people—potentially causing competition and resentment within their teams.

"Let’s reconvene at this spot in thirty hours," Janus continued, tapping a point on a glowing map projected by one of the mages. "If anything goes wrong, break your life crystal. We’ll come to your aid."

Everyone murmured agreement, understanding that life crystals were their failsafe—a last resort if they encountered something too dangerous to handle.

With that, the two leaders clasped their forearms in a quick show of mutual respect. Then, with a shared sense of purpose, they led their squads in opposite directions, delving deeper into the mysterious and energy-rich expanses of the inner ring.

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