Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 354: Volde Dorn

The old man arrived quietly, as though he did not wish to draw attention to himself despite the overwhelming presence of the army around them. His steps were steady now, no longer dragging or uneven like before, and the faint instability in his aura told a clear story of a cultivation that had been restored but not yet fully settled. When he reached Lucas, he did not hesitate. He lowered his head and bowed deeply, both hands clenched in front of him with a restraint that spoke of discipline rather than fear.

Lucas turned toward him and studied him for a moment. There was no hostility in his gaze, only recognition and a faint sense of satisfaction. He nodded in return, acknowledging the bow without ceremony.

"I am glad you came," Lucas said calmly. "I was beginning to wonder if the message would reach you in time."

"It did," the man replied respectfully, lifting his head. His voice was firm, though there was a trace of gratitude in it that he made no attempt to hide. "I was assigned to a rear formation temporarily. When the word spread, I came immediately."

Lucas gave a small approving hum. "Good. We are about to move, and I will need every capable hand I chose personally."

The man straightened slightly at that, his eyes burning with quiet resolve. "I am ready to serve. Even if my cultivation has not fully returned to its former peak, I will not be a burden."

Lucas waved the concern aside gently. "You are already far from a burden. You would not be standing here otherwise."

There was a brief pause, and then Lucas frowned slightly, as though something had just occurred to him. He looked at the man more closely, searching his memory, and then let out a soft breath that carried a hint of self reproach.

"Tell me something," Lucas said. "I realized just now that I never asked you this."

The man tilted his head slightly, attentive. "Ask, young master."

"What is your name," Lucas asked simply.

For a fraction of a second, the man looked genuinely startled, as though he had not expected the question at all. Then his expression softened, and he bowed once more, this time not as deeply, but with sincerity.

"My name is Volde Dorn," he said. "Volde Dorn."

Lucas repeated it quietly, letting the name settle. "Volde Dorn."

"Yes," Volde replied. "I was once known by it. I did not think it would matter again."

"It matters," Lucas said without hesitation. "If you are to fight beside me, I should know the name of the man who does so."

Volde’s throat tightened visibly, and he lowered his head again, though his fists trembled faintly this time. "Then I will make sure that name does not disgrace you."

Lucas met his gaze, his voice steady and clear above the distant noise of the army. "Do not worry about disgrace. Just survive, fight well, and do what you are told. That will be enough."

Volde nodded firmly. "I will."

Lucas glanced toward the Abyss in the distance, where the land darkened and the air itself seemed to recoil. "Stay close. When the movement begins, I will call for you again."

"I will be ready," Volde answered without hesitation.

Lucas turned away then, his mind already shifting back to the complex plan ahead.

Lucas gestured for Volde to come closer, guiding him a short distance away from the surrounding noise so that their conversation would not be drowned out by the clatter of armor and the restless movement of soldiers preparing for the crossing. Volde followed without hesitation, his attention fixed entirely on Lucas, as though every word spoken next would be etched into his mind.

"I have already explained this to the king, to Commander Alexander, and to Captain Varran," Lucas began calmly, his voice steady and deliberate. "But I want you to understand it as well, because you will be involved directly once the movement begins."

Volde inclined his head slightly. "I am listening."

Lucas raised his hand and pointed toward the blackened horizon where the boundary abyss stretched endlessly, its presence oppressive even from afar. "Crossing that place in the way we had done months ago would bleed us dry. Even with powerful cultivators, the death miasma and distortions would slow the army to a crawl, and we would lose men before the war even truly begins."

Volde’s eyes narrowed as he followed Lucas’s gaze. "I know the abyss well. Many have underestimated it and paid dearly."

"That is why we will not underestimate it," Lucas replied. "I will go through first, alone. Using my spatial abilities, I will establish multiple fixed points within the abyss, each one anchored and stabilized by the ice belle’s pure energy."

Volde’s expression shifted subtly, surprise flickering through his eyes before settling into thoughtful admiration. "You intend to turn the abyss itself into a controlled passage."

"Exactly," Lucas said. "Once the points are marked, other capable cultivators will amplify the ice belle’s power, forming a continuous tunnel of frozen essence that suppresses the abyss’s corruption and shields those moving through it."

Volde crossed his arms slowly, thinking deeply. "And the army moves through in rotations."

"Yes," Lucas continued. "Groups at a time. They will be transported to a marked location, walk only a few miles within the protected tunnel, then enter another spatial gate. Step by step, without panic, without exhaustion, and without unnecessary losses."

Volde let out a slow breath, the tension in his shoulders easing as the full picture became clear to him. "This would reduce what normally takes days into a controlled sequence of movements. It would also keep morale intact."

"That matters more than most people realize," Lucas said quietly. "Men who walk through death for too long begin to carry it with them."

Volde nodded firmly now, his earlier doubt completely gone. "It is a great idea. No, it is more than that. It is the only sensible way to move an army of this size through such a place without crippling it."

Lucas looked at him briefly, measuring his reaction. "You agree, then."

"I do," Volde answered without hesitation. "If this plan had existed in the past, many lives would have been spared. You have thought this through carefully."

Lucas allowed himself a small, restrained nod. "Good. When the first wave moves, I may need you to help maintain order on the other side until the next group arrives."

Volde placed a fist against his chest in a restrained salute. "You can rely on me. I will hold whatever position you assign until the last man crosses."

Lucas met his eyes, seeing not the crippled cultivator he had once encountered, but a man who had regained both strength and purpose. "Then prepare yourself. Once I step into the abyss, everything will begin."

Volde straightened fully, his posture firm and resolute. "I will be ready."