bookpower Chapter 410: Dilemma (7)
Chapter 410: Dilemma (7)
Chapter 410: Dilemma (7)
Once, twice, three times, four times.
With each attempt to contact the main force, a sense of dread washed over me.
But there was nothing else I could do.
"Try again."
"Yes, sir..."
We could only keep trying.
But no matter how many times we tried, we couldn't reach them.
'...What's going on?'
Our original plan was simple.
1. Infiltrate and attack Noark's base.
2. Contact the main force at the Dragon's Mountain Range using the Sky Eye.
3. Destroy the target and escape, rendezvousing with the main force.
The main force would create a breach in the enemy lines and meet us at the rendezvous point. They would then escort us back to safety.
But...
"It's not working."
We couldn't contact the main force.
'Did they abandon us?'
That thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.
Would they really abandon a force this large?
It didn't make sense.
Something must have happened to them.
And even if they had abandoned us, there was only one thing I could do.
Survive.
"Leader! How long do we have to hold out?!"
"Priest Cambel says he's at his limit!"
Time was running out.
We had to make a decision.
What was the best course of action for our survival?
I made my decision.
It might not be the best choice...
But it was the only one I could think of.
"Akuraba."
"Yes, sir."
"Remove the communication coordinates."
We had been trying to contact the main force at their designated frequency.
But...
"Sir? That means our messages will be broadcast across the entire continent..."
"That's what I want."
There was no point in leaving unanswered calls.
"...I understand."
Akuraba hesitated, but eventually agreed.
And...
"It's done. I've set the bandwidth to maximum."
She handed me the message stone.
Click.
I pressed the button.
I was a bit nervous.
This was like broadcasting on a radio.
Anyone with a message stone, friend or foe, would hear our message.
But...
"Listen up."
[Listen up.]
The message echoed from every active message stone in the vicinity.
It was the main force's fault.
They weren't answering our calls.
What else could I do?
"The Sky Eye is destroyed."
[The Sky Eye is destroyed.]
I had to force them to listen.
_______________________
A barren plain, shrouded in a gloomy haze.
And...
"..."
The shattered remains of the Sky Eye.
Swoosh.
A man removed his robe, revealing his disfigured face.
His skin was scarred and blistered, as if it had been burned by acid.
"...What happened here?"
The man's gaze swept across the area, and those who met his eyes quickly looked away.
"You."
He grabbed the nearest explorer by the throat.
"G-g-guh! P-please spare me! Regal Vagos, sir!"
"If you want to live, tell me what happened."
"I-I'll tell you everything! Everything!"
The explorer's desperate plea made Regal Vagos loosen his grip.
He had to hear his story before punishing him.
[I repeat, the Sky Eye is destroyed.]
[We're heading to the rendezvous point.]
It was firmly under Noark's control, and the royal forces had never breached its defenses.
And...
Our rendezvous point.
"..."
We waited in silence.
We believed that the main force would come for us.
"..."
We hid among the branches of giant, withered trees, our hearts filled with anxiety.
It had been three days.
"They should have arrived yesterday if they left immediately after receiving our message."
"Why... why aren't they coming?!"
"Kaislan, keep your voice down! We can't use the voice control magic anymore."
We had been encouraging each other, hoping for a swift rescue... but the mood was starting to turn sour.
It was understandable.
That morning, we had our first casualty.
'Philip Aintropy.'
He was an explorer on Melend Kaislan's team.
A navigator.
He had specialized in navigation skills like [Current Control], [Weight Reduction], and [Over Supply].
He had died during a battle that morning.
We had enough mana to maintain the stealth magic... but the mages were exhausted.
The spell had momentarily deactivated.
Noark explorers, who were searching the area, had spotted us.
We had been forced to fight, and Philip had been killed instantly. His skull had been crushed.
And now...
"Schuitz, this place isn't safe anymore."
The team members were panicking.
They knew that Noark would eventually realize that one of their members was missing.
They would intensify their search.
We had already noticed an increase in enemy patrols.
"We have to make a decision."
"Wait, what do you mean? A decision?"
"We can't stay here forever. If the rescue team isn't coming, we have to leave."
"...What?! Are you saying the royal family abandoned us?!"
"I didn't say that. But... they're not responding to our messages... If something happened to them, we have to adapt."
"That makes sense, but I disagree. We're exhausted. How far can we go in this state? We'll be wiped out if they find us."
"So you're saying we should just wait here? For how long? The mages' mana will run out in two days! We'll be wiped out then!"
The team was divided.
'Damn it...'
I sighed inwardly.
I already knew.
We had to make a choice.
'This is driving me crazy.'
We had three options.
First, stay here and wait.
The best-case scenario was a swift rescue.
But the worst-case scenario...
'We'll die here.'
Second, break through to the royal faction's territory.
Deadwood was less important than the Dragon's Mountain Range, so the enemy defenses would be weaker.
That's why we had chosen it as the rendezvous point.
It wasn't a completely impossible plan.
But...
'We're outnumbered.'
Even if 10% of us survived, it would be a miracle.
And the worst-case scenario would be the same as the first option.
'Should we go somewhere else?'
The third option was a waiting game.
Just like their base was empty while the main force was at the front lines... there might be a safe haven somewhere else in the Dark Continent.
'We destroyed the Sky Eye, so they won't know our exact location.'
But it was the riskiest option.
We would be exposed to countless variables for a longer period of time.
Even if everything went perfectly, there would be casualties.
'We're all dead if it goes wrong, no matter what we choose.'
I couldn't help but laugh.
If we were all going to die anyway...
Shouldn't we choose the option with the best chance of a good outcome?
The royal family was responsible for this.
They should take responsibility.
"...What?! No! We can't just give up! The main force will come for us...!"
I ignored Kaislan's protest and spoke.
Even if I wasn't sure about the choice.
"Get ready. We're leaving."
"You're not waiting for the main force?"
"Yes. We've waited long enough."
I looked at Kaislan and smiled.
"Don't worry. I'll take responsibility."