Chapter 630: Foothold (1/2)

Zac was ready for war, but the cultists were perhaps even more so. Not a single zealot had moved on toward the next bridge by the looks of it. They had instead taken defensive positions while one sun after another ignited and rose into the air like a fiery sentry. Not only that, the whole edge of the mountain was lit on fire, with flames reaching over twenty meters into the sky.

It looked like the Church of Everlasting Dao had figured out their plan, or at least didn’t want to take any risks.

“Have anyone seen Ogras or Thea?” Zac asked as he surveyed the army.

He couldn't be certain about Thea, but Zac knew that Ogras was somewhere on the mountain. They had seen a huge eruption of shadows around twenty minutes ago, but it was swallowed by an even larger fire. The demon was probably trying to help them out, but Zac hadn't seen a hint of either him or Thea since they reached the square.

“I've looked, but I haven't spotted them. But I'm sure they're fine,” Joanna said. “They might be waiting for an opportunity to strike.”

Zac solemnly nodded as he imprinted the defensive measures in his mind. Whoever entered first would find themselves right in the crosshairs of over a hundred attacks. Not only that, he could clearly sense that there was some sort of array at the edge of the mountain, but neither [Cosmic Gaze] nor [Primal Polyglot] could tell what it was.

That wasn't because the skills were too weak, but rather that he couldn't see the situation too clearly. The surface of Taboo Mountain was roughly 20 meters above their current platform, so he could only see the thick crust beneath. The only reason they could spot the army at all was thanks to the incline and the fact that the mountain was far enough.

“Can you change where the other portal appears? Like on the other side of the mountain?” Zac hesitantly asked.

Even if he couldn't see everything, he could see enough. Even he wasn't certain he'd walk out unscathed from an all-out attack that the whole cultist army had prepared for almost five minutes.

“No,” Kenzie sighed. “I can only drill a straight line. That’s why the Cartava Clan needed to get to a specific spot to escape this place.”

“Alright,” Zac nodded with a somber expression. “I’ll go all-out from the start and try to create a safe zone right next to the exit.”

“We will be right behind you, Warmaster,” Rhubat said. “We’ll secure this lifeline for our warriors no matter what. Here, take this.”

The enormous Anointed took out a small spike, though in the hands of Zac it would look like a proper spear. Zac took it in his free hand and turned it over curiously. It didn’t look like something from the System, but rather an ancient weapon from the Zhix homeworld. It was exceedingly beautifully crafted with dense scripts covering the long metal shaft, and its bladed spearpoint was made from some purple metal he had never seen before.

“What’s this?” Zac asked with confusion.

“It is [Judgement], the symbol of the crusade. Stab it into the ground, and we’ll do the rest. The ancestors will protect us. I hoped to save it for the final battle, but we’ll have to make do without it.”

“This…” Zac hesitantly said as he looked at the spear in his hand.

It seemed like an artifact of extraordinary value. But that value, unfortunately, seemed to be largely cultural. There was something mysterious about the runes, but he couldn’t sense any spiritual fluctuations from it. This was a battle of life and death, and he wasn't sure he could trust some pre-integration weapon to save their hides.

“Do not worry, Warmaster. I know what you are thinking, but the energy gathered in this weapon would easily kill those miscreations we’ve fought on the way here. It is simply sealed. It will take a second for it to awaken, which is why you need to activate it immediately. We’ll follow right behind you and take charge of the activation,” Rhubat explained.

“Okay,” Zac slowly nodded as he looked at the spear.

He still couldn’t figure it out, but Zac guessed it was like the Sanskrit on the Mountain Everlasting Peace. It had been consecrated with Zhix conviction for over a thousand years, which might have created something magical. In either case, stabbing it into the ground wouldn't take any time, and if it didn't work he would simply have to figure something else out.

“Is it offensive or defensive in nature?” Zac asked.

“We do not know,” Vanexis said with a shrug next to Rhubat. “It has never been activated before.”

“Great,” Zac wryly smiled as he looked at the elite soldiers standing behind him.

Billy stood with the group of elite Anointed that would enter right behind himself, and he had an unusually somber expression. The demons and Tal-Eladar were right behind them, and Emily stood in their ranks. Zac felt bad about pushing a teenager to the frontlines, but her totemic ability was just too useful. Thankfully she knew enough to not actually enter battle, but rather focus on buffing

This small elite squad would be responsible to take control of the edge of the mountain, after which the rest of Port Atwood's forces would enter.

“Any second now, get ready,” Kenzie said, dragging Zac's eyes back to the portal. “And stay safe.”