The Apocalypse is a Side Quest: Book Three, page 8
Nathan rubbed his chin. “I’ve got an idea.” He summoned a shimmering water drill, its roar like a jet engine.
Bree cracked her knuckles. “Let me try first.” She pressed both hands to the rock, veins in her arms glowing faintly as her cultivation flared. The stone groaned, fissures spreading like spiderwebs—but it held. She exhaled sharply. “Damn. Harder than I thought.”
Nathan smirked. “My turn.”
Stone shattered under the force, cracks spiderwebbing outward. Nathan pushed deeper, the tunnel expanding behind him as supports were reinforced. Heat began to seep into the air—not unbearable, but noticeable.
“Three-quarters there,” the leader called. “Start angling up. We’re probably under the wall now.”
Nathan adjusted the drill’s path upward. The relentless grinding of stone filled the tunnel, vibrating through his bones. When the rock finally gave way to dirt again, he released the water—and immediately staggered, his core burning from the strain. His legs wobbled as he braced against the wall.
A few team members shot him concerned looks.
“I’m fine,” Nathan muttered. “I’ll recover by the time we arrive. Keep going.”
They exchanged glances but obeyed.
Footsteps approached.
“You okay?” Bree asked.
Nathan nodded without looking up. “Just need a second.”
She rummaged in her inventory, then thrust a biscuit into his line of sight.
“Keep your energy up,” she said.
He stared, then smirked, taking it. “Where’d you get this?”
“One of the Delvers is a baker. Got tired of bland rations.”
“Nice of her.”
“Yeah.”
Distant scraping echoed as the diggers worked. Bree shifted beside him, hands in her pockets.
“I never apologized,” she said suddenly.
“For what?”
“Pushing you. Trying to make you some kind of messiah.” She exhaled. “Now that I’m here… it’s a lot to ask, isn’t it?”
Nathan took another bite. “No kidding.”
“You’re handling it well.”
“Hope it stays that way,” he muttered. “Feels like everyone wants me dead.”
“Yeah?”
“I just… It’s a lot. You know? I didn’t really want any of this. The responsibility, the battles. It’s overwhelming. And the way everyone’s against me—”
“Not everyone.”
He glanced at her. She bumped his shoulder with a grin.
“You’ve got people on your side. We’re here to help.”
“…Thanks.”
Footsteps interrupted them. The lead mushroom man approached, giving a sharp nod.
“We’ve reached it. Ready when you are.”
Chapter Eleven
Nathan crawled through the tunnel until he reached the point where a wooden plank blocked his path upward. The mushroom people had removed the stone foundation with extreme care to avoid alerting anyone above. But they had no idea what the room’s layout might be. They needed some way to see what was happening.
Nathan looked down at his allies. He might be able to ask for their help—or he might find a way to handle it himself.
“Lily, can you sense what’s directly above us?”
The flower on his arm twitched beneath his sleeve. “Sense?”
“Can you make out the walls or anything like that?”
“Not really,” she said. “Everything gets blurry when there’s something solid in between.”
Nathan grimaced. He’d have to ask one of his allies—
“But I can feel the glow-y balls.”
“You mean their cores?”
“Yeah, that.”
“What are you seeing?”
Lily was silent for a few moments before he felt another twitch on his arm.
“Only one. There are a few others, but they’re too far away, and I can’t see them clearly.”
That would have to be good enough.
Nathan took a deep breath and smashed his fist through the planks, shattering them. He lunged out and came face-to-face with a shocked man holding a sword. In a split second, Nathan touched his feet to the ground, using the leverage to leap behind the man. He slipped an arm around the man’s neck and tightened into a chokehold. The man gagged, thrashing his feet against the floor, but it was no use. He collapsed in Nathan’s arms and went still. Nathan let him slump to the ground and scanned the room.
He stood in what looked like a barracks. Dozens of beds lined the walls, each with a cabinet beside it.
Luckily, the room was otherwise empty.
A moment later, his friends emerged from the hole one by one. Chad stretched his arms and cracked his neck.
“Man, that tunnel was hell on my claustrophobia,” he said.
Bree climbed out next and rolled her shoulders. “I like solid ground, but I draw the line at being buried in it for three hours.”
Nathan walked to the entrance. He pressed his ear against the door but heard nothing on the other side.
Soon, all fifty of his troops had gathered inside.
“You all know why we’re here,” Nathan said. “Spread out.”
The troops saluted in unison, nodding their acknowledgment.
“I still can’t believe you forced me to use this peashooter.” Mara crept forward, her fingers tightening around the air gun. “It’s not a real gun if it doesn’t make a loud bang.”
“I saw the enchantments on that thing,” Chad said. “Your peashooter has enough stopping power to put down an elephant.”
Mara grumbled but didn’t argue.
A sudden noise made them freeze. Nathan tensed. A shadow stretched around the hallway corner, followed by two figures deep in conversation. One turned—
Nathan lunged. He slammed into the first man, sending him crashing into the wall. A sickening crack echoed as the man’s skull struck stone, and he crumpled to the floor.
At the same time, Mara snapped her gun up and fired. A dart hissed through the air, embedding itself in the woman’s neck. She staggered, swayed, then collapsed.
Nathan jerked his thumb toward the corner. “Keep moving.”
They pressed on, neutralizing guard after guard. Yet the entire time, an uneasy knot twisted in Nathan’s gut. Something felt wrong.
Had B32 warned him for no reason? Surely not. There was something Nathan was missing…
Soon, they reached a vast central hall. Black marble pillars stretched upward, supporting an ornate dome.
“They really went all out on decorations,” Chad remarked.
“That we did.”
A man strolled into the center of the room, hands in his pockets.
The town lord.
Winchester.
Nathan panicked for a moment before he calmed down.
Looks like we’ll be taking this guy out instead of capturing the palace. Works for me.
“So,” Winchester said, “am I supposed to pretend I don’t know why you’re here?”
Nathan narrowed his eyes. Winchester’s tone was casual, almost amused. No surprise. No fear.
“You’re awfully relaxed for someone with intruders in his home.”
“I had warning. Not much, but enough.” Winchester shrugged. “You’ve pissed off some pretty scary people, you know? Mysterious dust monsters? Damn.”
This is what B32 did. Shit.
Nathan pulled his fishing rod from his inventory. “I’m sure we can handle you.”
“Maybe. But can you do it before reinforcements arrive? You did well planting your men in my keep—it keeps the guards out. But once the full force of the Harrowed Hand gets here, it’s over. And it’ll only take five minutes, tops.”
“We’ll manage. You’re outnumbered three-to-one.”
“Am I?”
A chill shot down Nathan’s spine. Behind them, the chamber doors swung open.
A massive figure stepped inside, his expression unreadable.
“I’m afraid your story ends here,” Reckson said.
Nathan’s gaze flicked between the two men.
This just got a lot more complicated.
All the other thoughts in Nathan’s mind melted away. Last time they met, Reckson had been strong enough to keep Chad at bay. On the other hand, that time, Reckson had Clarence on his side.
There was the additional fact that at the current moment, everybody on Nathan’s team was in far better health than they were last time.
“I’m a bit surprised Gabriel didn’t show up himself,” Nathan said.
“Gabriel does not know you’re here. All we received was an emergency warning from Winchester.”
Winchester glared at Reckson. “A warning that requested his personal presence.”
“We serve at the pleasure of the Head Hand. You know this.”
Winchester looked like he was about to snap back, but he stopped, his face hardening into cool steel. “Well, it doesn’t matter. The intruders are going to be eliminated anyway.”
Reckson merely settled into a fighting stance.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
“Oh, cut the mind games!” Mara shouted. “I’m finishing this!”
She pulled the revolver from her inventory and cocked the hammer in a split second, aiming at Winchester. At the same time, Winchester pulled a semiautomatic pistol from his pocket.
Both fingers slammed their triggers.
The two bullets fired simultaneously and collided in midair. A loud screech split the air as shards of metal exploded across the room, accompanied by a flash of bright light.
Reckson lunged at Chad, leg reared back for a kick. Chad yanked his longsword from his inventory, the blade flashing out like lightning. The sword intercepted the kick, blue flames erupting around them.
Nathan swung his fishing pole at Reckson’s head mid-leap. Somehow, the man pivoted in midair, kicking the hook into the ground. He landed on his feet and sprang toward Nathan.
Old instincts flared. Nathan raised his arm to block. The kick slammed against his forearm, rattling his bones from the sheer force. He absorbed the blow and rolled aside, dropping his fishing rod.
Nathan narrowed his eyes. “You’re the one who taught Callen.”
Reckson stepped back, keeping both Nathan and Chad in his sight.
“You recognize the fighting style,” Reckson said. “I’m surprised you remember that.”
“How could I forget? He almost killed me.”
“He was always one of my better students. But you know something?”
“What?”
“He never did surpass me.”
Reckson took two steps, closing the distance. Nathan braced to block. As expected, Reckson feinted left before driving a kick toward Nathan’s ribs. Nathan blocked the first strike but barely caught the follow-up, the impact forcing a grunt from his lips. He staggered but stayed upright.
A second later, Chad charged Reckson’s exposed back, longsword arcing toward his neck.
Reckson’s eyes flicked left. He ducked and lashed out with a backward kick, his foot slamming into Chad’s stomach. Chad wheezed, doubling over.
Before Reckson could press the attack, Nathan drove a punch into his gut. The blow landed deep, but Reckson didn’t flinch. He just planted his foot and whipped around for another kick. Nathan leaped back, positioning Reckson between himself and Chad.
Nathan’s gaze flicked to Mara and Winchester.
Mara leaned out from behind a pillar, revolver trained on Winchester—who was crouched behind another column. The two traded shots in rapid succession. Mara growled and reached into her inventory.
“Screw this!”
She hurled a grenade. It arced through the air toward Winchester’s position.
“Oh, shit!” he shouted.
He dove behind another pillar and away from the grenade. A deafening boom shook the chamber as marble shattered in a cloud of dust. The moment Winchester was exposed, Mara fired again, and the bullet punched through his shoulder, drawing a pained gasp.
Nathan took a few deep breaths, his eyes darting between Winchester and Reckson.
Three minutes left.
They were burning time. The longer this dragged on, the worse their odds became.
Winchester wasn’t even fighting—just tying Mara down.
Nathan’s eyes widened. That was their strategy. Reckson wasn’t going for the kill, and neither was Winchester. They were stalling.
An idea struck him.
“Chad, Mara—switch!”
Mara turned, scowling. “But I almost had him!”
Chad raised an eyebrow. “I think we’ve got him on the ropes.”
“Just do it!”
Reckson stiffened. Nathan smirked.
Chad sprinted toward the injured Winchester. The man peeked out and fired. Chad deflected the bullets with his sword—since when could he do that?—and cleaved downward. Winchester ducked, and the blade sheared through the pillar like it was made of paper.
Winchester stared up at the ruined column. “Holy frijoles.”
Reckson gritted his teeth and launched two rapid kicks. Nathan blocked the first, then dodged the second by diving for his fishing pole. He yanked the line, sending the hook flying toward Reckson’s back. Reckson spotted it and veered right—
A thunderous crack rang out as a bullet grazed Reckson’s leg. He hissed and retreated behind a pillar.
“Oh, come on!” Mara said. “It’s just a flesh wound!”
“Remind me again how we’re supposed to be the bad guys?” Reckson muttered.
“Look, you’re outgunned. Surrender.”
“No, I don’t think I will.”
Something glowed from behind the pillar, and Nathan frowned intently.
There was something gleaming.
Reckson stepped out, revealing a new pair of combat boots—bright white and spiked at the tip. Fear ran down Nathan’s spine.
The combat boots lit up with a red glow.
“Congratulations, you forced me to get serious,” Reckson said.
He ran forward toward Mara. She reloaded her revolver in a few quick movements, cocked the hammer, and fired two shots in rapid succession.
The bullets struck Reckson’s chest dead center, but instead of piercing flesh, they sparked bright red flashes where they hit. He grunted but barely flinched. Mara’s eyes widened. “How—?”
The spiked boot shot toward her head.
Blood flew into the air.
Chapter Twelve
Mara jerked back just in time, the tip shaving the edge of her nose and tearing the skin off. The force of the kick sent a gust of wind rushing through the air, lifting her off the ground and hurling her backward.
Reckson tensed, ready to follow up.
Hell no!
Nathan swung his fishing rod at Reckson’s head.
Another bright red flash erupted on impact—but again, no damage. The hook bounced off and slammed into the ground.
Reckson laughed. “Nice piece of equipment, yeah? I try not to use it—has its weaknesses—but once it’s active? Victory’s pretty much guaranteed.”
“…How does it work?”
“You really think I’d tell you?”
“Probably not.
“But what are the odds I can convince you to tell me how you fell in with Gabriel?”
“You want me to tell you?” Reckson said. “Aren’t we busy?”
“Humor me.”
“My story’s the same as many others. Gabriel saved me. Gave me purpose. Before him, I’d lost hope. Thought reaching the Ninth Circle was impossible. He proved me wrong.”
“So that’s why you’d kill for him? Massacre innocents?”
“We don’t massacre anyone. We do what we must in a cruel, unfair world. And when this is over? Maybe things finally go back to normal.”
“Sounds like self-serving hypocrisy to me.”
One minute left. Sweat dripped down Nathan’s brow.
“You don’t get to judge us. You don’t have the faintest idea what we’ve been through.” Reckson paused. “Wait, why are you even asking me about this—?”
Five grenades clattered at his feet. Off to the side, Mara grinned, her hand outstretched. He looked down.
“Oh. I see.”
The explosion rocked the chamber and sent dust flying everywhere. Nathan shielded his eyes, his eardrums throbbing from the blast. The world swayed as he struggled to focus.
Dust cleared.
Reckson stood unharmed, glowing bright red amid the obliterated ground. He was breathing hard despite the lack of damage. His eyes looked bloodshot and he swayed back and forth like a palm tree.
Nathan’s lip curled upward.
His ability has a cost. He’s blocking damage, but it’s straining him.
Reckson cracked his neck and raised a finger to flick it.
Huh?
Every alarm in Nathan’s mind screamed.
He lunged left.
Wind ripped through the air where he’d been, carving a line of destruction through the floor before obliterating the far wall into rubble
Reckson’s glow had faded, though it was still visible.
“Now then,” he said, “I believe our time is—”
A wet gurgle cut through the air, off to the side.
Chad yanked his sword from Winchester’s gut and flicked the blood off his blade. “Thanks for the distraction, guys.”
A window flashed in front of Nathan:
[Town Lord Defeated. Town Transfer Completed. Congratulations, Nathan Lee!]
One town down. Five to go.
Nathan pulled up Dither and sent the confirmation: Lettuce. Simultaneously, he accessed the town controls and threw open every gate.
On his mini-map, hundreds of his soldiers appeared at the town’s outskirts.
He looked up at Reckson. “So. You surrendering?”
“I forgot about the streamer. Didn’t think he’d take down Winchester so quickly.”
“He’s full of surprises.”
Chad perked up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Nathan tightened his grip on the fishing rod.
“So? How’s this gonna go?”
