Yet , they didn’t attack .
No need to draw your weapons! - a man in the middle said , his voice hoarse . - It’s the realm that’s playing tricks on us! We are just looking for people who wish to form an alliance . Small groups stand no chance against the established coalitions . If we join forces , we’ll— -
Thanks , but we’re still going to explore it on our own , - Kruta lazily interjected .
The warrior hesitated a second , but a cold gust swept through the grass before he could act .
Eight ancient warriors appeared out of nowhere . They were not fully tangible humanoids , and some of their body parts shifted in and out of reality . Armor covered every inch of their bodies , so it was impossible to tell whether they were actual humans or some similar species . Zac’s eyes widened a bit as he quickly retracted his aura . He hadn’t expected to see Hero Souls this close to the teleporter .
All eight wielded identical gear and weapons , but they were definitely not some cannon fodder troops . Each had a towering aura matching that of Peak Hegemons with mountains of corpses under their belts . Swirls of resentment and ferocity surrounded them , and Zac sensed how the realm protected and nurtured them .
However , something was off about their strength . Most likely , they had been Peak Hegemons before falling , while they only had the energy equivalent of Early Hegemons right now . They were ultimately just memories , unable to bring forth the full strength of their true selves .
Still , seasoned veterans who were once a full grade higher were not easy to deal with , especially when reinforcement could appear out of nowhere when it came to these Hero Souls . Kruta had already restrained his bloodlust as well , but the Hero Souls still stopped between the two groups . Their stares were quite unnerving , not giving off the slightest hint of whether they were friendly or about to attack .
Cycle your Dao , - Kruta whispered , and Zac let his Branch of the War Axe course through his body .
The effect was immediate . Every Hero Souls ignored him and Kruta and turned toward the trio , who were incapable of harmonizing with the Conflict in the region . The guests backed away , not daring to speak out of fear they’d be attacked . These Hero Souls , all things considered , were relatively weak , but there were eight of them , along with two hostile guests . Fighting would be quite dangerous .
A moment later , the trio was gone , followed by four of the Hero Souls .
Boring , - Kruta muttered . - They had two more hiding in the distance . They probably wanted to lead us into an ambush , but they’re gone now . -
That doesn’t mean they’ve given up , - Zac commented .
True . Preying on solitary warriors is the only thing those kinds of people can accomplish in this type of event . - Kruta snorted , looking at Zac with annoyance . - Of course , this could have been easily solved while also awarding us some Mana . -
Two hours . Then we let loose , - Zac smiled .
That was the best Zac could come up with on such short notice . He’d expose himself after they’d left the starting reaches of the Stand . The farther they headed , the harder it would be to set up a complex ambush—the Stand was too dynamic a region for preparing a bunch of arrays . You couldn’t even lie in ambush for too long . The puppets could sense static energy accumulations and head in your direction .
Conversely , the worst-case scenario was if the enemy stayed by the entrance . They could masquerade as any random coalition if they did , and it was much easier to set up a lethal trap that would be difficult to avoid . He needed to drag the enemy into the depths , where chaos reigned supreme—his home turf .
Fine , - Kruta scoffed , turning to the lingering spiritual warriors .
The barbarian bowed with a reverent expression , something Zac felt wasn’t faked . - Esteemed warriors , Kruta the Second greets you . Are you willing to answer a few questions of mine? -
The Hero Souls looked at Kruta for a few seconds before turning away , heading back toward the depths of the battlefield .
Well , didn’t attack us , at least , - Kruta shrugged . - Pretty good outcome as things go nowadays . Let’s go . -
The two sped off , making use of the starting region’s relative safety to utilize movement skills . Soon after setting out , they heard a scream and an eruption of energy . The Hero Souls had attacked the trio .
An odd storm was brewing above their heads . Dozens of what could be defined as spatial tears had opened up , dragging energy and Dao into the beyond . However , there were no actual tears . The energy was imploding onto itself , creating a shockwave that further stirred up the area . The phenomenon looked a bit like beating hearts of Pure Conflict , and the hearts were beating faster and faster .
See those clouds? - Kruta laughed . - They’re why you have to finish battles quickly and move on . Conflict breeds conflict . It’s an insatiable fire . New souls will be born while there’s conflict and energy , and I’ve never seen this place run out of either . They’re like catnip for the puppets too . We should get out of here . I didn’t expect such a big cloud to appear right at the entrance . -
Zac nodded , and the two ran deeper into the Stand . Powerful ripples erupted behind them , and Zac shook his head . The ambushers had been forced to release skills , but it hadn’t been enough , judging by the continuous eruptions . Releasing so much Cosmic Energy was like pouring gasoline on the fire . It was one thing to use a movement skill to cross large distances occasionally . If you started peppering offensive skills with lethal intent , you’d feed into the conflict of the realm itself .
Such was the danger of the Stand of Saeward . It was easy to get into a fight but hard to extricate yourself . There was a reason this place was not only a Red Zone but one with minimum requirements to enter .
Danger , right! - Zac suddenly warned as his mind screamed of peril .
Zac stepped left with Earthstrider] , but his vision turned white , and his muscles stopped listening to his commands as a sea of lightning bolts swept through him and continued for another five hundred meters . The agony continued for a whole minute before relenting , at which point Zac was left panting as he angrily glared at an inconspicuous mound in the distance .
Not a fan of that one , - Zac grunted .
Really? I feel all loosened up , - Kruta grinned , cracking his neck . - Wait - til you see some of the things waiting for us further in . Good thing both of us are meaty , - cause we’ll lose a few layers of skin before we’re through . -
That’s just great . - Zac exhaled , then swirled around upon sensing a powerful energy fluctuation shooting toward them .
Bad things rarely come alone here , - Kruta grunted as he took out his twin swords . - What’s a Red Cap doing this close to the entrance? This place is really going out of control . -
49
RED CAPS
Zac looked at the creature rushing them at a speed Zac couldn’t match without using Earthstrider] . It appeared eerily similar to the Hero Souls , except this puppet was clearly fully corporeal . The full-body armor was similar in design , except it seemed to be made out of a light black ceramic alloy with a red helmet .
Red Caps were the weakest puppets , named after their bloodred heads . They were the equivalent of Early Hegemons , though their durability was one grade higher . Above them were the Blue Cloaks , and then came the White Sigils . White Sigils were solidly in Middle D-grade and almost impossible to destroy .