Read Novel Full Chapter 229: To Your Stations
Chapter 229: To Your Stations
"Good luck, Valentin."
Greed waved to Vale as he sat on the throne.
Level: [10]
Enemies:
[Emergent Mutant: 40]
[Emergent Monster: 20]
[Emergent Wretch: 1]
[Would you like to attempt Level 10?]
"Yes."
[Level 10 will begin in 10 minutes, good luck!]
Three days had passed since Ximena had been freed and Salome lost her arm.
And those three days were certainly a transitional period...
Moving Ximena through the dungeon without killing everything was quite the challenge. All the imps and warriors had to completely evacuate the area when Ximena finally left Mias’ room and retook her post as gate guardian.
And whenever someone wanted to leave, Ximena would have to walk far away.
’Yet another reason to become Emergent...’
Another floor.
A floor that would be separate from Floor One, where Ximena’s position wouldn’t need constant regulation.
As for Salome, she’d already grown quite accustomed to a one-armed fighting style; however, she still fell off balance from time to time, accidentally drifting to her left whenever she soared in the air.
Then there were the forces Vale summoned...
Greed cheered at Vale’s back as he walked away.
"We’ll be here, waiting for your good news!"
Greed’s whole crew had taken to Vale’s core room to stay out of the way.
Well, all except Runcal who was too big to fit down the final passage.
Instead, he was hiding in the ’Football Stadium,’ curled up in a ball while some imps accidentally tried to mine his back.
In any case, Vale was without Sylvia’s help.
’She may save me if it comes down to it...’
But if that situation arose, it was unlikely Greed would let such help come without a price.
Vale continued down the winding corridor until he entered the Grand Hub, where most of his Champions, save for Ximena, had been waiting.
Vale was not one for rousing speeches, but he felt he had to say a few words. They’d already gone over the plan a multitude of times, so there was no need to revisit it again.
Vale looked out at his forces, who now numbered over one hundred after he went on an Archer and Warrior summoning spree, even throwing another Mage into the mix.
It had cost him nearly all of his current Aether, but with all Champions maxed out, and an immediate need for strength, there was no need to hold back on his spending.
’We’re looking like a proper Legion now.’
Vale smiled, then hopped upon the stone diorama of the Terracotta Scar.
"My Legion," Vale clenched his fist. "Our path to this point has not been an easy one. Many of you are freshly summoned and unaware of the obstacles we crushed to get here."
Vale hit his chest.
"But those obstacles are of the past. And past victories have no bearing on the present battle. Those of you who have witnessed our repeated victories, don’t grow conceited."
Vale grew a wild smile on his face.
"That’s not to say our past victories, and the path we paved to reach this moment is meaningless —but that we may only revel in its meaning if we find victory today. So..."
Vale hopped off the diorama, his blood boiling. His lust for battle rising as anticipation clawed at his heart.
"Let’s kick some ass."
His warriors cheered as Awilix laughed at Vale’s corny speech.
Salome, Sivian, and Toy smiled.
Mias, on the other hand, seemed preoccupied.
’You can never really tell what’s up with him.’
Vale shook his head, then walked off. Behind him, his forces followed and took their positions.
As for the positions in question...
Vale’s Legion, under Alpha’s command, was split into eight squadrons of around twelve to thirteen members each, all led by the survivors of the previous generation, plus Sapphire.
Six of those squads were placed at various junctions in the maze depending on their attributes.
Squads like Stacy and Edith’s would block the true path, forcing confrontations, while squads like Edith’s and Diana’s would pick off those who went down false paths.
The secondary point to spreading the forces was to split the Aether concentration, confusing the enemy and making the maze harder to navigate.
As for Champions...
Awilix was going to be given the ’Thunderdome,’ the central part of the maze which had been hollowed out into a large area. One can thank Greed for its odd name.
But it kind of sounded cool...
’So, Thunderdome it is.’
Next was Ximena, who’d be positioned in quite the odd spot.
Knowing the invaders in Level 10 would most likely be the Pisci and Pisci Aps, the fish people who could cause others to slide around, it would be incredibly dangerous if they somehow pinballed Ximena into the rest of the Legion.
As mindless as the beasts were, they weren’t stupid.
The moment they discovered that fact, they would no doubt take advantage of it.
So, Ximena was at the entrance of the maze, positioned along an immediate false path leading to a dead end. However, there was an elevated platform with a wall she could hide behind.
While her ability wouldn’t be instantly lethal to any who passed her position, she could fire off [Frostbite] without restraint. And it was likely a good chunk would try to deal with her, only to fall victim to [Absolute Zero].
Next on the list were Salome, Toy, and Sivian.
Those three were scattered throughout the maze alongside the Legion.
As for Mias and Vale?
Vale was positioned behind Awilix in a secondary, smaller Thunderdome, which had been named Dome.
’How apt!’
And Mias...
Mias was standing at the end of the path to the Grand Hub, with the remaining two squadrons plus a mass of workers.
While a small portion of Mias would be traveling around and helping as needed, his main job was once again to keep up the communication line, with the secondary duty of killing anyone who got through the maze.
Vale looked at his new stone throne, which had been moved to Dome, then sat down in it and waited patiently.
Then he heard the screaming of fish people.
Level 10 had begun.