Chapter 72: Gatebreak [1]
Jaden’s eyes widened as he looked outside. Buildings and streets were covered in flames, and nightmares with dark flames wiggling on their bodies roamed around, spreading disaster everywhere.
Screams of old and young, child and adult filled the place under the assault of these dreadful creatures. However, a single voice deafened all of it, and it was a warning announcement.
<ATTENTION! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!>
An Adept-ranked dream gatebreak has been detected! All Arcane knights within the vicinity are requested to assist in the containment and evacuation of civilians.
<REPEAT: ATTENTION! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!>
A deep frown etched across Jaden’s face as he listened to the loud feminine voice behind the announcement. He wasn’t unfamiliar with the method but...
"Wasn’t I supposed to be in a historical era-like world? With kings and nobles?"
He mumbled before shaking his head.
"Wait... I never asked others about the world and simply assumed it to be like the ones I’ve read in novels..."
Just as he spoke, his frown deepened.
"Where are the others? They should be nearby, no...? Ugh! I didn’t even ask about this... what was I even doing for the past month?"
He questioned himself, but soon his gaze landed on a brown haired child, who sat leaning against a corner wall while burying his head in his knees, thinking that doing so would hide him from the harrowing nightmare.
A few steps away from him, a lanky humanoid nightmare with rock-like skin, molten lava-like cracks all over, its hands ending in burning claws and dark flames wiggled above its round head that had three sun-like eyes burning with insanity.
Jaden looked around but there was no one to help the child. He heaved a sigh and jumped from the window.
Cobweb-like cracks appeared on the ground where he landed. Lifting his hand he called out to the [All-severing Moonlight (Replica)] flowing inside his veins. A blue moonlight-like liquid flooded out of his hand and he commanded it to take the shape of a spear.
He gripped the spear at the centre, twisted his body and hurled it towards the nightmare with all his might, the spear whistled through the air. The nightmare’s flame froze as the spear came near it and pierced its chest.
"Crap. I missed the headshot." Jaden added with a frown and walked towards the child as he called out.
"Oi, kid."
The child, still trembling in fear, lifted its tearful head and looked at Jaden as it stuttered.
"P-please h-help! M-mom..." he pointed towards the street beside.
Hearing those words, Jaden’s face turned solemn, he walked near to the child and spoke reassuringly as he bent down to ruffle his hair.
"Heh. You are a strong one. Others would have just run away... okay, I’ll help you but you would have to give me something in return."
The child looked at him with a determined look as if he was ready to fight wars for that and asked.
"What you want, mister?
Jaden chuckled and spoke.
"It’s simple, I just want you to leave this place with this friend of mine and keep whatever happened here a secret."
’Summon.’
His grimoire appeared beside him, and black sparks fell out of it, before they transformed into a dark green furred wolf. The wolf let out a howl and looked at the child.
"Wah!" The child fell on his butt after seeing the ferocious wolf appear out of nowhere.
Jaden stepped forward and picked him up, he placed him on the wolf’s back as he added strictly.
"Hold its fur tight and make sure not to fall... ah! I forgot to ask... what’s your name?"
The child nodded with a serious look and answered before the wolf began to run away from there.
"Elora."
"Elora... huh, such a curious name."
Jaden called his blue spear, which melted once again and slithered towards him.
"I should test out this legendary weapon."
He said with a wide grin. He ran towards the street, and at the far end of it, he could see a hole as big as a car within the space itself. It gleamed with vibrant colours that made one’s head spin.
"That must be the dream gate."
He shifted his gaze to the horde of nightmares that were destroying and burning everything. At the same time, his eyes fell on other Arcane Knights; however, most of them were E or Initiate rank while a few were Adept rank.
He inhaled deeply, the smoke brushed his nose, the loud screams and sound of a siren entered his ears, and the slight heat touched his skin. He lifted his hand and commanded the ice elementals to hide his face... Ice elementals shifted, forming a plain, faceless mask across his face.
"Let’s do this." He muttered before his expression turned serious, the blue spear melted and reshaped into a sword, and he began attacking nightmares.
He stepped near them using his [Gust step ★] and [Gale Steps ★★] and cut through them using a sword style forged through real combat.
The dark flames of the nightmare sizzled as they froze under the cold of [All-severing Moonlight (Replica)], and steam rose whenever he reaped the life of a nightmare.
And so did the experience points as each kill brought him near to his advancement.
Seeing the unbridled slaughter unfolding at his hands, the other arcane knights stopped and looked at him with surprised looks. One of them questioned.
"What rank is that faceless guy?"
"Adept..."
"Huh? Are Adept supposed to be that strong?"
The one who had answered him before shook his head, and another man, who stood near them, answered instead; he was also an adept, his voice full of admiration.
"No... I’m also seeing someone like him for the first time... he is like a faceless ice phantom..."
Everyone looked at how the faceless, arcane knight used his ice-like sword and wind magic to reap the life of nightmares like a phantom, and couldn’t help but agree with the man’s words.