Elydes-Chapter 309: Extreme Measures

Rain tapped the rocky wall with his less bandaged/injured arm. “The cavern vault looks pretty sturdy. And I know Earth Magic isn’t one of your strongest elements. It'll be hard to bring it down.”

Kai blinked as his brain attempted to make sense of what he heard.

Is he worried not enough boulders will fall on our heads?

“I can give you a hand,” Rain said, head tilted to stare at the ceiling. “I’ve never destroyed anything this large outside the sea, but a Gravity field should add a little oomph to your spell…”

A little umph…?

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this!” Kai said all too quickly, then softened his tone to not sound ungrateful. “I’ve had some experience cutting stones inside a cavern. I can manage it.”

His experience mainly consisted of building shelters in the Hidden Sanctuary. Not the same, but he only needed to collapse one tunnel—how hard could it be?

“If you’re sure…” Rain turned to the farthest tunnel.

Kai was almost certain he detected a hint of disappointment in his tone. “I’m sure. Just cover me. I’ll focus on blocking the passage that the others took first. Depending on how it goes, we might have to run and lead the cultists elsewhere.”

“Okay. I’ll leave it to you…” Rain raised his good arm to his face, a gold-speckled marble suddenly in his hand. He popped it into his mouth and grimaced as if he had bitten a lemon. “I still won't be able to run for a while.”

“That’s fine… I can carry you…” Kai frowned. Where did that golden candy come from? There hadn’t been on him anything when he had bandaged his wounds. “What was that?”

Rain arched his split brow. “You mean the rejuvenation pill? Liquid potions aren't very practical underwater. And the ones you gave me weren’t strong enough… Not that I don’t appreciate it!” He hurried to add, wiping a drop of blood running down his cheek. “I would have taken hours to wake up alone. I didn’t share the pills because I don’t know if they’re safe for humans.”

“I see…” Kai nodded and buried a dozen questions threatening to spill from his lips. “But where did you take that pill from…?”

“Hmm… my storage space?” Rain unwound the bandages around his wrist to show a bracelet of seashells that Kai was certain hadn’t been there a moment ago. “It got hidden when I lost consciousness. Uh… yours doesn’t?”

No… Is there anything it can’t do?

Kai assumed the cultists had stolen the spatial artifact since Rain often used it in front of Caeli. How could he have forgotten to consider the anti-theft guarantee that came with underwater purchases?

Note to self: Never touch Rain’s stuff without permission.

One day, he might trigger some anti-snooper ward and get turned into a pupperfish without knowing why.

“They’re here.” Rain's cold tone slid between his thoughts.

A flickering glow lit the passage across from them. Boots scraped the ground, and jumbled whispers echoed. Hobbes’ disdain confirmed their identity—the cultists were here.

Stay hidden, I can handle this. Well, probably.

Kai kept the last thought to himself. If they got buried under a few tons of rock, he’d rather his familiar stayed well away.

C’mon, I can do this.

There were three tunnels leading into the cavern. The one the main group used to flee on his right, the one lit by the cultists across from them, and the smallest one where he and Rain stood.

With just seconds left, Kai started gathering Earth mana toward the ceiling.

Guess getting crushed is better than drowning, at least. Hmm… can a siren breathe underwater in human form?

He didn’t remember seeing any gills on Rain, though the siren was a bottomless pit of mysteries. Even now, slouched against the stone, he shaped streams of blue mana into strange patterns with no sign of nervousness. Kai would hardly be surprised if breathing were optional for him.

Okay, let’s focus on bringing down the cavern.

Exhaling out to clear his mind, he focused Mana Observer on the ceiling five meters above them. While the rock to collapse was massive, a few cracks in the right places could easily cause a chain reaction. The issue was ensuring those cracks didn’t extend over their heads.

He was still tweaking the spell when fourteen people with masked faces entered the chamber. Two trackers opened the formation, followed by rows of armed warriors and casters with gnarly staffs of ebony in the back. The ease of their postures showed their readiness to fight.

Kai was relieved to have sent Kea away. These weren’t amateurs; ambushes or tricks wouldn’t have worked. The cultists slowed upon seeing them waiting, their auras pulsing with eagerness.

“…told you we were close.”

“Only two of them?”

“These two rats probably got ditched by the rest.”

“Do the flesh knitter need them alive?”

The cultists chatted among themselves as if Kai and Rain were of no consequence. But despite the sneering comments, they didn’t lower their weapons or break formation.

Kai was too busy weaving streams of Earth mana to complain about the extra time. Not a dark brown mote remained in his veins—he had one shot at this. If the spell was too weak to block the tunnel, the cultists would chase after Kea and Flynn, making his gamble useless; if it was too strong, he risked a very unpleasant death.

It’d be easier if I could see through those damn rocks…

The distance and dense ambient mana blurred his senses. It was like drawing a portrait blindfolded, and one wrong line would kill him.

He wouldn't attempt it without Hallowed Intuition. Whispers buzzed in his mind, swaying widely every time he tried adjusting his spell.

“They’re getting close.” Rain said with just a hint of impatience. “I can’t hide your casting much longer.”

“I’m almost done.” Kai let the world fall into the background as he focused on manipulating the threads of Earth mana toward the ceiling. His mind honed in on his intentions.

The danger from the approaching cultists mixed with the whispers from his spell. In seconds, they would be upon them, but Kai continued to tweak the spell without hurry. Like when keeping his breath underwater, panicking only worsened the situation when your lungs screamed for oxygen.

Almost… there!

A thread of mana pushed deeper into the stone, making the whispers fall by more than half. Kai released the spell before some twitch ruined the precarious balance.

Opening his eyes, shattered ice, shouts and whistling projectiles assaulted his ears. Frozen palisades and bubbles had risen against arrows and crackling black fire. Rain sent icicles flying in retaliation while the cultists advanced behind walls of inky water and spears.

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Kai just managed to grasp the mayhem when a dry groan echoed through the cavern. The cultists slowed to watch their surroundings, not realizing the danger came from above. A web of cracks spread on the ceiling.

It’s working!

The fissures kept expanding. Crumbling dust and rock lifted every eye as the first massive slab of rock began falling.

There wasn’t time to run. Kai flattened his back against the wall and cast a layer of ice to protect them from the debris. His panic was mild compared to the cultists scrambling to escape with shouts and curses. Instants seemed to stretch.

Crash!

The slab shook the cavern with a loud rumble upon impact, and many lost their footing. Cracks continued to spread in the ceiling on his right, and boulders rained amidst the thundering crashes.

Shit, it worked!

The crystal lights shattered, and darkness engulfed the cavern. Kai protected his ears from the deafening rumble and pressed himself harder on the cold rock.

Spirits, why did I think this was a good idea again?

The gods of the archipelago were too far to answer, but rational thoughts were remarkably difficult at the moment. He’d even take Zervathi’s help at the cost of listening to his narcissistic nagging.

A rock shattered not far from his feet, showering him with pebbles. He felt like suffocating. The ceiling and walls were closing on them; meters of rock and water lay above their heads. Craning his neck, he wished to see the sky instead of dust and darkness.

We’re gonna be fine. We’re gonna be fine. We’re gonna be fine.

Only one person remained unbothered while the underground shook. Crouched on the cavern wall beside him, Rain used his good arm to aim ice spears at the fleeing cultists. His first spell pierced a swordsman in the leg. As the man turned to seek his attacker, the second spear impaled him through the chest.

With a serene smile, Rain moved to the next target through the rising cloud of dust. He never once glanced at the falling rocks, either incurant or confident they’d be safe.

I wish I had his confidence.

Kai unclenched his teeth, forcing a thread of calm through his drumming heartbeat. Why did the cultists have to build their hideout beneath a lake?

I hate this place.

It seemed an eternity before the cavern stopped shaking, though it probably wasn’t more than a handful of seconds.

We’re alive. Never doubted it.

Kai tasted the rock dust on his lips and coughed into his elbow. The passage on their right had been buried under tons of debris, and he couldn’t see any leak from the lake.

I did it… We’re not going to die drowned in the darkness!

Unfortunately, the cultists also escaped the collapse. A falling rock was too slow to catch someone at their level, though they hadn’t been as lucky with Rain’s spells. Three corpses lay with their hearts pierced beneath the debris of the cavern. The survivors had retreated to the furthest passage.

Eleven left. Still too many.

“I couldn’t aim properly.” Rain clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Why did they run without trying to fight? The boulders were easy to dodge.”

Yeah, I really can’t imagine why…

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Kai helped him stand up, careful not to press his injuries. “Let’s go before they organize or more of them come.”

“I can take down a few more.” Rain stared at the passage where their enemies took cover, jaw clenched. “You’re quite skilled in Earth Magic. How did you make sure no rocks fell on us?”

Well…

“I’ll tell you when we get out of here. We have to move now,” Kai tried to pull him along.

The goal was to lead the cultists away and escape—they couldn’t get embroiled in a fight. Kai considered throwing Rain over his shoulder before deciding on a more cautious approach. “C’mon, you can shoot anyone who chases us.”

Rain broke his cold stare. “Okay, you’re right.”

He must really not have liked getting abducted…

The cultists had finished regrouping and were moving out in a tight formation. Their auras flickered with anger.

Kai all but threw Rain on his back and started running. “Hold on tight.”

Seeing them flee, the pursuers abandoned caution to chase.

He had worried the cultists might split to track down the main group, but capturing the guy who collapsed the ceiling on their heads must be far more appealing than a faraway prey.

Hobbes, lead us away.

The bond quivered with grumpiness at being ordered around, though a path immediately appeared in his mind—the furball had been busy scouting.

Thanks, bud. I appreciate your efforts as a valued member of the team! No… I'm not teasing you… For real.

Kai chuckled at Hobbes’ suspicion. Mana rushed through his veins to let him dash through the twisting tunnels as he took a sharp turn. They’d have to cross back into the heart of the hideout for another way out, still, he was more relieved than stressed. With Kea and Flynn safe, he just had to keep himself alive—he was good at that.

Carrying Rain barely slowed him. His companion was unusually light. Did sirens weigh far less than humans, or…

Is he using Gravity Magic?

His curiosity was interrupted when arrows and magic whistled behind them. Several blazing presences were trying to catch up to quickly close the chase.

Yep, they’re definitely pissed.

Kai focused on running, trusting Rain to deal with the bugs. Where water met fire, a hissing filled the tunnel with fog. Before he could offer to help, a wave slammed into the pursuers and drowned their shout.

“Why are they acting so cautiously?” Rain snorted when the cultists fell back.

It’s anyone’s guess, really.

Sweat trickling down his face, Kai increased the pace to shake off the cultists for good. Deeper in, the presence of wards forced them into an increasingly convoluted path that doubled down on itself. Just as he thought they were free from pursuit, Hobbes warned him to backtrack.

Another team was cutting the path ahead of them.

Dammit.

Enchanted doors and chambers lined each corner of this level, and the stark blue lights made him feel exposed. The bond rang with Hobbes’ growing frustration at the humans’ inability to cross solid stone.

Any attempt to leave the central areas of the hideout made them run into more patrols. Kai stopped at the intersection of two corridors. Soft whispers of danger came from every direction —they were surrounded

“They’ve blocked. All. The paths.” Kai heaved to catch his breath and pulled back his sweaty hair.

“Can’t we charge through them?” Rain asked. Though he never complained, many of his wounds had opened in the rough run and dotted his bandages with fresh crimson patches.

Kai shook his head. “They have all eight or more fighters. If we stop to deal with one, the other groups will catch up.” Any wound he took would make him too slow to escape. And he didn’t have enough Earth mana to collapse another tunnel. “Uh… Maybe I’ve got an idea.”

Hobbes, can you find a path to lose them like that? Yeah… you were right.

If his idea failed, they’d be forced into a hopeless fight.

It’s our best shot to escape.

They had survived a collapsing cavern. What was one more gamble? His familiar jumped on the idea with a mix of eagerness and skepticism.

Don’t worry. I can do it.

“This way.” Kai slowed his run to draw the patrols closer. He had no breath or time to explain. They headed toward the worn door at the end of a corridor. It was a deadened, the steps of several patrols echoing close behind.

I’ll make this work.

The rusty lock opened with a kick. Inside, the room was filled with all manner of dusty cabinets. Kai cast a thick block of ice over the door and pushed the furniture aside to reach the flat wall beyond.

“Why are we here?” Rain stirred, realizing there were no other exits. “Can you cut through the stone?”

“No, the walls are warded against Earth Magic. It’d take too long. And they could easily follow,” Kai said and grinned over his shoulder. “We’re going to blink through.”

For the first time, the siren looked speechless. Several emotions flashed in his gaze before settling on the most important question. “Have you done this before?”

“Of course.” Once, alone, over a month ago. Kai gave him his most confident smile. Surely, his skills had improved enough since then.

No time for doubts.

Rain glanced back at the door as if considering fighting two dozen cultists. “Alright.” He sighed at last. “I trust you know what you’re doing. Do you need me to do anything?”

“Just stay close and don’t resist my mana.”

He won’t be too upset if he misses a couple fingers or toes, right?

The cultists were gathering in the corridor outside. Confident they had cornered them, they approached with caution.

C’mon, I can do this.

The wall was only a few meters thick, a negligible distance according to his familiar—and over twice what he had crossed before.

Resting his palm on the smooth stone, Kai collected every speck of Space mana he possessed. His mind reached through the bond to share a fraction of Hobbes’ innate understanding. The furball warned not to disgrace him.

Thanks for the support, bud.

He wove the spell around himself and Rain, intentions clear in his mind. Hallowed Intuition buzzed with every adjustment—they wouldn’t die, though he couldn’t say about losing any appendages.

Crack!

Shards of ice shattered from the door under the cultists’ attacks.

Too late, bastards.

The iridescent mana enveloped them, pulling his body in a hundred directions. Then—in a blink—he landed on the floor of an empty chamber, all his fingers still attached.

You’re right, Hobbes. Blinking is the superior mode of transportation.

“You okay?” Kai turned to check on his companion.

“Yeah…” Rain had a green tinge beneath his bruised face. He stared at his surroundings and cautiously pinched his own cheek. “We’re on the other side… Alive.”

His disbelief filled Kai with pride. “I told you.”

“You did. Any other secret talent I should know of?”

“Hmm… this is probably the last one.” Kai wished he had longer to enjoy his achievement. “We must go before the cultists realize what happened.”

Hobbes had specifically chosen to cross here because reaching this chamber from the other side would take minutes. They had to hide their trail before the cult organized another encirclement.

Exiting the chamber, Kai cloaked them in Shadow and gathered more Space mana through Astral Pathway so he wouldn’t get detected. Having an emergency stash proved quite useful.

They crept forward, mindful not to leave tracks. The rooms on this side seemed emptier. They had just crossed into a vast cavern when Kai heard an unexpected jingle.

I thought I silenced the notifications. What is it?

Body stats

Boons:

Profession Skills:

He had maxed his last profession skill, the last hurdle to evolve it.