The Guardian gods-Chapter 568

His sleep must have been deep and long because when he woke, the sun was already setting. The familiar smell of fresh blood overwhelmed his nose as he saw the whole fortress being dismantled and moved further into the lands won in today’s battlefield exchange.

Still not wanting to stay with Kaelen and his crazy ideas, Rattan found a reason to help move the camp and contribute. He even worked alongside the mages to build the wall for the new fortress.

As usual, after the fortress was built, one of the sixth-tier mages appeared and erected a psychic barrier around it. Everyone held their breath, clutching their nightly rations, as they looked at the shimmering wall of energy. This was Rattan’s first time witnessing the onset of a psychic attack; it was a truly weird and unsettling feeling, like waiting for a nightmare to unfold.

It had become the norm for soldiers to expect such harassment every night. In Rattan’s observant eyes, it was as if the very land outside the barrier began to move, as if something was stirring beneath it. Then, a dark, smoke-like substance released itself from the corrupted soil. Soon, the entire view was usurped by the black smoke, and from within it, ghost-like entities began to appear, launching their constant assault on the barrier.

Almost like a relief, the soldiers began to eat their rations. Rattan was no general, but it wasn’t hard for him to understand the grim reality from their reactions. The soldiers were relieved yet tense, occasionally glancing at the thin shield to see how it was holding up. It pained Rattan to admit it, but Kaelen might be right. For his own survival and the future of his people, Rattan had to believe Kaelen’s words, as they offered a slim chance of survival.

Sighing, Rattan tore his gaze from the shield and headed toward Kaelen’s tent. Along the way, he was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice when he collided with another mage.

The mage figure was shrouded in robes, their face obscured by the hood. Rattan, jolted back to his senses, immediately began to apologize for his carelessness. "I apologize, I was lost in thought." He quickly scanned the ground to ensure he hadn’t made the mage drop anything.

Finding nothing, and to his surprise, the mage said nothing in return, instead standing as still as a tree. It was then that Rattan noticed how remarkably tall this mage was, especially for a goblin mage. Might be because of the path chosen by the mage, Rattan thought to himself. Seeing no response, Rattan shifted slightly out of the way, about to continue his walk. Just as he moved past the mage, he felt a hand, surprisingly strong, grip him. Rattan halted mid-step, a frown creasing his face.

He turned to the figure, anger ready on his tongue, but stopped instead as his eyes widened. The figure briefly shifted their cloak, revealing a glimpse of something before concealing it just as quickly. It was Rattan’s turn now; he grabbed hold of the figure and began to look around with caution. "Follow me," he said, pulling on the figure, but then, remembering something, he let go. Instead, he started to walk normally, keeping a watchful eye, with a new destination in mind: his tent.

Along the way, Rattan tried to put on a smile, hoping to avoid drawing attention, but his heart was restless and far from calm. Thankfully, the cloaked figure seemed to understand the need for discretion; to the casual observer, it didn’t look like they were heading for the same place.

Rattan walked into his tent, taking a quick, shaky breath. His cube was already in his hand. After a moment, the cloaked figure followed him inside. A flash of light erupted from the cube, momentarily enveloping the tent before disappearing just as swiftly.

Rattan turned to the figure, his voice cold, his eyes steely. "Who are you?"

The cloaked figure slowly lowered their hood, revealing their face. Standing before Rattan was a ratman with spider-like features: four eyes, no hair, but covered in scales.

"It’s been a long time, boy," a deep, familiar voice rumbled from the ratman.

Hearing the voice, Rattan was shaken, but that did nothing to quell his suspicion. He waved a hand, and chains erupted from the tent floor, wrapping around the ratman and pinning him to the ground. "I have no idea who you are, and why you’re impersonating someone I may have known from the past." Squatting down close to the figure’s ear, Rattan whispered, "Even a sixth-tier mage can’t see through my current disguise."

Hearing Rattan’s words, the figure, still calm, raised a brow and said, "No wonder, but with your words, I can really confirm that it’s you, boy."

The figure chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "In my eyes, I see a goblin, but my soul—or rather, the spider—is screaming at me that you are the rat-boy who was so naive and eager to learn about our people’s tech workings from me."

Hearing the figure’s words, Rattan’s eyes glowed with a faint blue light. From within the depths of his vision, he saw a colossal spider staring directly at him, its monstrous maw opening to utter a single, chilling phrase: "Found you." For some reason, Rattan knew the words weren’t meant for him. True to his intuition, in the very next moment, the figure, who Rattan had tied down and whose face had been blank, stood up. The chains binding him dissolved into shimmering dots of light.

Before Rattan could react, the figure placed a hand on his forehead and pushed. Just like that, Rattan lost consciousness and fell onto the bed.

Meanwhile, Phantom, who had been watching the entire ordeal, could only sigh as a female figure materialized in Rattan’s consciousness, the space where he had been residing.

For Rattan, even at the peak of the fifth stage, it was difficult to remain composed when facing a sixth-tier being, especially one as ancient as Vorenza.

Vorenza gazed at the arch-curse before her. "Your talent is great. Most beings would have been deceived by your perfect disguise, but it’s lacking slightly when faced with a demon of a higher hierarchy like me."

"I’d say it’s more impressive that he’s managed to survive under the watch of dozens of sixth-tier powerhouses," a deep voice rumbled from behind Vorenza, startling her. With a flirting smile, she turned around.

Ikenga stood before her, a bored look on his face. Vorenza dared to walk closer, her hands tracing his bare chest and chin. "This is our first time meeting, the rumored Origin God. I bet you’re even more impressive in your physical form."

Ikenga took hold of her hand. "What are you doing here?"

Vorenza gave the hand holding hers a blissful look, which prompted Ikenga to let go and subtly distance himself. "I came to ask for your help."

Ikenga’s frown deepened. "I have no obligation to help you, and what gave you the confidence to ask?"

Vorenza sighed before directing a cold look at Ikenga. "I truly wish we had met under different circumstances, but we can’t all have what we want."

"The Abyss is fair to those who dare challenge it, but it’s truly hard to win against the Abyss at its own game." Ikenga briefly raised a brow at her words, a flicker of past actions in his memory, but Vorenza continued.

"I was doubtful at first, what a few outsiders could do to change the outcome of the battle to claim the Abyss layer throne. But right now, as I stand wounded and my progress made thus far is being undone while Zarvok is making braver moves and greater progress, I slowly understood."

Looking directly at Ikenga, Vorenza stated, "I have no confidence that you will help me, but I am ready to do anything to make sure you will. And with that said, the life of your pawn is in my hand."

Before Vorenza’s words were even finished, her feet were off the ground, a hand clamped around her throat, tightening its squeeze. Ikenga’s one eye glowed with a furious purple light as he spoke in a voice that sounded overlapped with multiple voices: "I don’t like being threatened."

Vorenza gripped the hand at her throat, her calm, cold expression unchanged. "I don’t like being choked either, but I let you do as you please because right now I’m in a desperate position and my life is at risk."

"The rat-boy is important for your deal with Zarvok and the Abyss. It’s only right for me to use him to get you to help me," Vorenza stated, yet the immense pressure from the two powerful beings threatened to shatter Rattan’s consciousness.

Phantom, who had wanted to remain hidden from this confrontation, had no choice but to speak up. "My lord, look around you." Hearing Phantom’s words, Ikenga snapped from his trance and released Vorenza.

He looked at her and said in a slow, calm tone, "I won’t be offering my help to you, but he can." With that, he fell silent, and with a wave of his hand, Rattan’s space of consciousness returned to normal.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr(e)𝒆novelkiss