Affinity: Chaos

Chapter 2129: Growing Fame

Old Humphrey stood in silence for a long moment, eyes fixed on the thinning ranks of the retreating Gnomes. The number of Ninth-stage Sovereigns still standing among them was far lower than he had expected. He had known Grey was dangerous, yet the sheer count of bodies left behind still left him momentarily speechless. Once the mental attack came into play, resistance had collapsed with almost mechanical efficiency. Looking at the result now, it felt inevitable.

Odelia’s reaction was deeper. She knew exactly how long Grey had been gone from the Peak battlefield. The idea that he had cut down so many Ninth-stage Gnomes in that narrow window bordered on the absurd. She glanced at him once, then looked away, a quiet sense of relief settling in her chest. He was on their side. The thought of facing him as an enemy was not something she wanted to entertain.

The Gnomes had arrived in force, filling the sky like dark grains of sand scattered across the desert. Now, though many still lived, the loss of so many Peak and Ninth-stage powerhouses had gutted their strength. With Half-God experts kept out of the fighting, those two ranks formed the true backbone of any army. Their absence would be felt for a long time.

The withdrawal continued in careful order. Every Gnome moved with one eye on the humans, half-expecting a sudden charge the moment their backs were turned. Dust rose in long, thin trails behind the columns as they pulled away across the open plain.

Old Humphrey and the others watched without speaking. Only after a full minute passed with no sign of the enemy did the first fists rise into the air. Cheers followed, raw and loud, rolling across the sand. Most of the soldiers had entered the battle already resigned to the possibility they would not return. Some of them had not. Compared with the losses inflicted on the Gnomes, the human cost still felt bearable.

Grey, Reynolds, and the three women were the first to leave the field. Exhaustion hung on all of them, heaviest on Odelia. Her ruined arm needed attention as soon as possible. Rowena and Blaire carried their own injuries, though none matched the severity of hers. Old Humphrey’s wounds ran deeper still, yet he remained behind. Even after he finally stepped away from the battlefield he would have to sit through the casualty reports.

...

Serepolis City

The Mayor’s manor

Grey and Reynolds rested in separate rooms while their bodies slowly recovered. A servant arrived later that afternoon with news of a banquet planned for the evening, a public celebration meant to pull the city out of the shadow of the attack. Old Humphrey wanted the soldiers and citizens to begin moving forward, and a shared meal under lantern light was the simplest way to start.

Reynolds refused to let Grey skip it. That night they ate and drank more than either of them needed, the noise of the celebration rising around them like a temporary wall against everything that had happened.

Three days passed.

Life inside Serepolis began to settle. People who had fled from the smaller oasis towns started packing their belongings and turning homeward. The streets grew quieter. The air no longer carried the constant edge of fear.

On the morning of the fourth day Grey and Reynolds stood in a wide square marked by four stone pillars, one at each corner. Old Humphrey and the three women faced them. The teleportation array beneath their feet had already begun to glow with soft, steady light.

"Thank you both for the help against the Gnomes," Old Humphrey said. "Serepolis will welcome you whenever you return."

Odelia still held Void in her arms. She passed the small black cat to Grey with care.

"Keep giving him his favorite food. And come visit when you can."

Grey’s mouth curved in a small smile. "We will."

Light from the array rose and swallowed both young men. When it faded, the square was empty.

Old Humphrey and the three women remained where they stood for a short while longer.

"I hope they reach the Aurora Continent safely," Rowena murmured.

Blaire gave a short, dry laugh. "With Grey walking into that continent, the Gnomes there are going to have a miserable time."

Odelia glanced at her. "You think so?"

After watching what Grey had done on this battlefield, she could already picture the chaos he would bring. Everyone knew he had spent the war so far on the Azure Continent. The Gnomes of the Aurora Continent would have no warning and no accurate measure of what he could do.

"Of course," Blaire answered. "None of us can beat him in a straight fight. Imagine what happens when they underestimate him the way everyone always does."

She had seen enough of Grey’s combat to know he was not weaker than any of them. They stood at the Peak of the Sovereign Plane, one step from Half-God. Grey was still only Ninth stage, yet the gap that should have existed simply was not there. Most Peak Sovereigns would never take a Ninth-stage opponent seriously. That habit was going to cost the Aurora Gnomes dearly.

"None of us can beat him," Old Humphrey confirmed.

Odelia already accepted the statement. Rowena did not.

"You’re all giving him too much credit," she said. "He’s stronger than most Ninth-stage Sovereigns, I’ll grant that, but equal to a Peak Sovereign? I don’t believe it."

Old Humphrey shook his head. "I’m not saying he’s as strong as we are. I’m saying we cannot beat him one-on-one."

"I understand the difference," Rowena replied. "But I still don’t think he’s on our level. The only reason he can kill Gnomes of equal or higher rank so easily is that mental attack. Anyone who had the same ability could do the same things. I’m not denying his talent. I just don’t think he’s as strong as the three of you keep claiming."

They continued the argument in low voices as they walked away from the now-dark array.

...

Somewhere in the Aurora Continent

Grey and Reynolds appeared in an open square of pale stone. Two Sovereigns stood nearby. The moment they noticed the newcomers, one stepped forward.

"State your identities."

Grey produced his token. "Grey Dawson. This is my friend Reynolds."

Both men froze. Grey’s name had already traveled far beyond the Azure Continent. Word of the battle at Serepolis had spread quickly, tens of Ninth-stage Sovereigns cut down in minutes, a Peak Sovereign among the dead. The young man standing in front of them was no longer just a rumor.

"Lord Grey," one of them managed at last. "We weren’t expecting you. I’ve informed the Mayor. He is waiting at the manor."

Grey had not planned on a formal visit, but the invitation had already been issued. Refusing would have been more trouble than it was worth. He and Reynolds followed the guides through the streets.

To Grey’s mild surprise, a banquet had been prepared. They sat with the Mayor, gave a brief account of the fighting in Serepolis and the state of the Azure Continent, then asked for news of the Aurora Continent in return.

Unlike the Azure Continent, which had been heavily overrun, the Aurora Continent still belonged mostly to humans. Many cities remained intact. Some of the great families had fallen over the years, yet the overall situation was far more stable.

They left the city before nightfall. The Mayor pressed them to stay longer; they declined. They had not crossed continents for rest.

...

A stretch of dense forest deeper inland

Grey and Reynolds stood on a thick branch high above the forest floor. Leaves shifted around them in a light breeze. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in broken patches.

"Where did you sense them?" Reynolds asked.

Grey closed his eyes for two seconds, then pointed left. "That direction."

Reynolds followed the line of his finger. Earlier, while they were still in the air, Grey had mentioned catching the faint presence of either Necromancers or Gnomes. It was not the first time the ability had led them to a hidden outpost.

"Let’s take a look. A few minutes won’t hurt."

They dropped from the branch and moved through the trees in the direction Grey had indicated.

A short while later the forest shook with a series of heavy explosions. Smoke and shattered stone rose from the side of a mountain that had looked ordinary only moments before. When the dust began to settle, Grey and Reynolds walked out of the ruined entrance.

Reynolds was still laughing. "Did you see their faces when we appeared?"

Grey’s mouth twitched. "They never expected anyone to find the place. The hideout was well chosen."

If a person was informed of the hideout, even if they passed through this place a hundred times they would not be able to sense it. Had Grey not been able to sense the precise location of them, they would’ve never been able to locate this place.