Empire Ascension: The Rise of the Fated One-Chapter 251: Battle of Ladakh part -9

The squad leader’s grip tightened as he spoke with a sneer, "Just when I was looking for an errand boy, I run into you. Come with me."

Never in a million years would Shivraj have expected to stumble upon the very man who had caught him the first time. This was absolute rotten luck for being caught by the same guy again.

Time was slipping away, and at any moment, the explosion would go off. He had to escape. But there was no room for error. One misstep, and everything would be over.

Forcing himself to remain calm, he controlled his demeanor and muttered a few words as he tried to slip away from the squad leader. "Medicine... urgent... need to go..."

At the mention of medicine, the squad leader’s grip loosened slightly. His suspicion wavered as he began to ask, "What kind of..."

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted from the basement of the stockade. Though the blast wasn’t strong enough to collapse the structure, it sent violent tremors through the ground, shaking the walls as thick smoke billowed out.

Guards stationed outside yelped in panic, their instincts forcing them to retreat to a safer distance. As the dust settled and the confusion subsided, they rushed back toward the stockade, scrambling to assess the damage.

Seizing the opportunity, Shivraj slipped away in the chaos, disappearing into the shadows before anyone could register his absence.

Everything had happened within mere seconds. The sudden commotion left everyone momentarily stunned, their eyes drawn toward the rising smoke.

The squad leader, still reeling from the blast, instinctively peered into the stockade to assess the situation. But when he found nothing immediately alarming, he turned back—only to realize Shivraj was gone.

Recognition dawned on him in an instant. His face twisted in fury as he bellowed, "INTRUDER ALERT! I saw the one responsible! Catch him before he escapes!"

Some of the guards had already started running in the direction he pointed, searching for any suspicious figures. However, the majority remained frozen, their expectant gazes demanding more details.

The squad leader clenched his fists in frustration. "What? He looked like a fool!... lean figure, no mustache, average height, pale skin! Now move!"

One of the soldiers hesitated before speaking. "Sir, we all look pretty average like that. Anything distinguishing?"

"You dare!", The squad leader snarled and smacked the soldier on the head as he continued," He has a broken front tooth! Now stop wasting my time and get moving! If he escapes, none of you will walk out of this unharmed!" He shoved the soldier forward.

The sense of urgency finally sank in. Understanding the weight of the threat, the rest of the soldiers scattered, searching for anyone matching the description.

But Shivraj wasn’t foolish enough to keep running in a straight line. He had anticipated that the pursuers would chase him along the obvious escape route. His past experiences as a food thief had honed his instincts—back when the unit chef and others used to chase him down for stealing, he had learned how to switch directions midway, slipping into areas where no one expected him to be.

Using this tactic now, he veered off course, heading toward the bustling trade store. The crowd provided the perfect cover—people rushing about, engaged in their own frantic business. It was easy to get lost here.

After weaving through the crowd and taking several sharp turns, he spotted a few deserted tents. Most of the camp’s occupants were too busy handling the growing crisis to pay attention.

Checking his surroundings to make sure no one was nearby, he swiftly planted the last grenade, setting a long fuse. Without wasting another second, he changed direction again, slipping southward toward his escape route.

Commander Chewang’s POV

By the time the explosion occurred, Ladakhi Commander Chewang and his team of twenty elite guards were on their way to inspect the southern perimeter along the blockade. Their task was to reassess the situation and formulate a new defensive strategy.

However, when the sudden blast erupted from the central stockade, it immediately caught Chewang’s attention—especially since that area hadn’t been within the range of the earlier rocket barrage.

One of his men glanced toward the rising smoke and spoke urgently, "My lord, it seems some sort of attack has occurred. Should we turn back and check the situation?"

Before Chewang could respond, another soldier, eager to impress, cut in dismissively. "But, Lord, there’s a chance this is just a minor accident caused by some fool. That’s our main stronghold—no way the enemy would be lucky or foolish enough to infiltrate so deep inside our camp."

This reasoning seemed to calm the initial tension among the group. All eyes turned to Chewang, awaiting his decision.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Chewang nodded. "There are other higher-ups who can handle the situation. If this were a full-scale attack, there wouldn’t be just one explosion."

The men nodded in agreement, reassured by his words. Even nearby soldiers who had been alarmed by the blast seemed to settle down, though a few still rushed toward the central area to check for themselves.

With their focus returning to the inspection, Chewang and his team continued forward. Five minutes passed as they checked key areas and ensured proper defensive positions.

Then... Boom!

Another explosion ripped through the air.

This time, the tension was palpable. The same soldier who had dismissed the first explosion as an accident now blurted out in panic, "This is the second time! It has to be an attack!"

Chewang’s expression darkened. He feared it as another enemy bombardment and wasting no time took command.

"Cover each other and retreat to central checkpost! Move quickly but stay organized!"

His men immediately sprang into action, helping scattered soldiers fall into formation as they moved back toward safer ground. They maintained strict discipline, ensuring that no one was caught exposed in the open.

However, just as they were moving, one of Chewang’s soldiers spotted a fellow soldier inside a tent. The man appeared to be sleeping, but when the soldier attempted to wake him, he found the body as cold and lifeless.

A chilling realization hit Chewang.

Unknown to them, Veeren and his team had passed through this area mere moments earlier. Any soldiers they couldn’t avoid were swiftly eliminated and their bodies placed inside deserted tents, disguised as resting troops. Because of the earlier chaos, no one had noticed. But now, with soldiers moving frantically, the illusion fell apart.

Chewang’s sharp mind quickly pieced it together. The enemy had infiltrated deep into their camp and was using this path to advance. His gaze snapped toward the blockade. If the enemy was trying to escape, they had to be heading for one of the weaker points.

Without wasting a second, he turned to his men. "Move quickly! The enemy’s escape route must be near the blockade!"

His guards immediately followed, no longer questioning his orders.

When they arrived at the blockade, they found the area still heavily guarded. The stationed soldiers were startled by the sudden arrival of a high-ranking officer. Their expressions turned tense, clearly sensing something was wrong.

One soldier stepped forward hesitantly. "My lord, do you have any orders?"

Some of Chewang’s men began asking random questions, but something about the situation felt off. If the enemy wasn’t trying to break through here... then where were they?

Then, it hit him.

A realization dawned on him like a bolt of lightning.

Half a mile ahead, further south, there was a narrow mountain path. It was difficult to scale from the outside, which made it an unlikely infiltration point—but from their side, it was climbable. That area was barely guarded. If the enemy had scouted it beforehand, they would know it was their best escape route.

Chewang’s eyes widened. He turned to his men and barked, "Come with me, quickly! The target location is different! If we don’t hurry, we’ll lose them!"

Without hesitation, his men obeyed, rushing forward at his command.

The blockade guards, still confused by the abrupt departure of their commander, hesitated. They had hoped for further orders, but since none were given, they remained at their posts, unaware of the true danger unfolding beyond their watch.

As time passed, a growing uneasiness gnawed at Chewang’s chest. First, the rocket barrage, then the explosion inside the central stronghold, followed by the dead bodies placed inside the tent—everything pointed to a single conclusion. Yet, there was no trace of the enemy. Even he began to doubt his instincts. That was until he stumbled upon the corpse of a soldier.

This time, it hadn’t been moved. The more they hurried, the more bodies they found—soldiers lying lifeless on the ground, killed instantly upon contact.

A surge of anger flared in his heart. Quickening his pace, he finally reached the scene, catching Veeren and his group off guard. One man was even scaling the mountain, carrying a cage wrapped in white cloth.

Chewang unsheathed his sword and bellowed, "STOP RIGHT THERE!! There’s nowhere left to run! Surrender or die!"

His guards swiftly surrounded the enemy, shields raised and swords drawn, advancing cautiously with unwavering vigilance.

On Veeren’s side, everyone froze, their faces stricken pale. Without hesitation, Veeren pulled out a small fuse grenade and ignited it.

Chewang’s men tensed. They had no idea what it was—Rudra’s army had never used such weapons before. The lack of intelligence from Commander Gyatso, who had fallen to these very weapons, left them completely unprepared. Yet, an ominous feeling settled over them as they braced for Veeren’s next move.

Chewang shouted again, "A futile attempt! There is nothing..."

His words were cut short. Veeren hurled the grenade straight at him, having quickly identified him as the leader. His aides reacted instantly, forming a tight shield wall in front of him.

But it was in vain.

BOOM!

An explosion, stronger than ten cannons combined, tore through their ranks. Bodies were flung through the air, many dying instantly, while others lay writhing, limbs severed. Shields and armor were reduced to scrap. Almost everyone was as good as dead.

But Chewang survived.

His vision blurred, his mind ached, and as much as he tried to stand, his body refused to obey but somehow he made it. The cries of his men echoed in his ears.

Through the chaos, he spotted a figure moving like a hawk—swift, precise, deadly. The enemy was cutting down the last of his men. A glinting blade flashed in his vision, and relying on pure instinct, he deflected it with his wrist armor and raised a punch but missed it. But in that brief moment, several arrows struck his torso.

As his vision finally stabilized, he saw Veeren’s dagger hurtling toward him with terrifying speed.

A sharp pain.

Then the world turned upside down as his neck rolled down.

Meanwhile, at the central stockade...

Prince Sidkeong stood over the lifeless body of his Tibetan cousin, his grip tightening around his bloodstained sword. Nearby, another corpse lay still—the medic servant he had just slain. The man had been accused of poisoning the prince with boiled water, but his real crime was sheer incompetence.

Despite the presence of royal medics and antidotes, they had failed to save the Tibetan prince—a disgraceful failure. Sidkeong had lost not just a political ally but a brother in all but name.

Today was turning into an unrelenting nightmare. Reinforcements had arrived, yet his cousin was dead. Earlier, he had received grim news as Commander Lobsang (tibetan) had been killed, and Commander Gyatso (ladakhi) had lost a vital stronghold. Now, this cowardly assassination only worsened the blow.

The situation had spiraled due to a misdiagnosis. The poison wasn’t in the medicine but the water itself. By the time they realized, it was too late. Enraged beyond reason, Sidkeong had driven his sword through the incompetent medic without hesitation.

As if fate hadn’t punished them enough, their entire grain supply had been destroyed as some of it got incinerated, the rest got contaminated by the gunpowder of an unknown explosive. The squad leader responsible for capturing the saboteur stood before him, trembling, his voice failing him.

Sidkeong leveled his sword at the man and hissed, "If he escapes, I will skin you alive."

Just then, another soldier rushed in with an urgent report. Already seething, Sidkeong barely had the patience to listen, but he forced himself to.

The soldier hesitated before stammering, "C-Commander Chewang has been assassinated, Your Highness."

The words hit him like a thousand bolts of lightning.

Chewang was the man who had repelled countless invasions, his most trusted commander, the backbone of his operations—was gone. A deep, piercing agony tore through his heart.

And then, all hell broke loose.