The Power Of Wrath-Chapter 35: Superior

It was betrayal that came at the worst moment. With his back to her and the enemy to his front, Gamblesdon, who was watching the fight, had all the colour drain from his face.

To him, Gale who wasn’t aware of the Iscariot behind him, was a dead man.

Without incident, Tess’s blade made contact with Gale’s back, but rather than slice into him, it went right through. Her eyes widened as she found two Gales rushing toward her and Borne from their sides.

Quickly, they both turned from the Gale who was obviously a fake, to the one incoming.

With the transformations to the world, it didn’t take both Tess and Borne long to guess that Gale could either make clones or illusions of himself.

Not taking any chances, they both charged the Gale attacking them cautiously. However, when they clashed with their respective Gales, they found themselves passing through them.

"Another illusion," they both thought at the same time, and immediately their eyes snapped to the first Gale at the center who had already been certified as an illusion.

The moment their eyes went to him, his image wobbled and then shattered, revealing another Gale now moving in the opposite direction of the previous illusion—his destination, Tess.

"Fuck," the woman called in her mind as Gale shot toward her, his speed turning him into a blur in her eyes.

Tess found herself unable to track him, and the next time she got a view of him, he was in front of her, his blade aiming for her throat.

He didn’t question her on the reason for her betrayal, nor did he seem disappointed. When Gale appeared before Tess, his eyes were cold, no feeling radiating off them.

Death would have claimed Tess if, at the last second, she hadn’t been able to push away, moving just enough for Gale’s blade to graze the side of her neck rather than pierce it.

Tess had been Gale’s sergeant for four years, and in all this time, he had always been a calm individual. Never could she have thought there was such a monster in him.

Today, if not for her special attribute, Dexterity and all the points she had been putting into it, she would have died.

As Tess rapidly retreated from Gale, keeping her eyes on him and readying for a second attack, she wondered if she had made the right choice in betraying him.

"No, the writings are clear. I need to follow the child of the dark," Tess thought, remembering what she had seen on her system screen, and then looked to Borne.

Tess’s narrow dodge surprised Gale, considering he could see her level and basic stats, but he quickly narrowed his eyes.

Not wasting a second, he pivoted on his right foot, ready to go after Tess, who had retreated to the left. But then, just as he took a step, Borne appeared to the side, and with a vicious strike of his stake, had Gale retreating.

"Already able to use qi techniques. Seems you’ve benefited a great deal from the intense energy concentration in this area."

Remaining silent, Gale let Borne push him back a few steps with his savage swipes, and then he burst out with an attack.

After dodging a downward swing from Borne, smashing his feet on the ground to stop his retreat, Gale released a knee followed by a kick at Borne. After his hits sent the man stumbling backwards, he released a sword slash at his neck.

With his form imbalanced and the short length of his stake, Borne seemed like he had no way to escape this attack, but then Tess popped from the side and parried the strike. Borne, free of danger, attacked Gale from the side.

Borne’s stake extended, lengthening at rapid speed, its pointy end looking to pierce Gale’s left side. But while holding back Tess, Gale’s left hand flew to his belt, and retrieving a combat knife, he parried Borne’s attack, pushing the stake away.

Not giving up, Borne moved to thrust the stake in his other hand, wanting to extend it as well. But in a show of skill, while still busy with Tess, Gale spun the knife in his left hand and threw it straight at Borne’s chest.

"Fuck!"

Without a second thought, Borne cancelled his attack and rolled out of the way. But as he stood and moved to join Tess in attacking Gale, who was proving to be more than a match for both of them, a gunshot rang out.

Bang!!

Everyone froze, their gazes flying toward the origin of the sound, Gamblesdon standing at the entrance of the tent with a shotgun in hand.

He had been ignored at the beginning, but now his threat level had just risen to the highest of anyone in the room.

Before a word could be spoken, Tess fell to her knees, grasping her bleeding side in anguish and releasing heavy breaths.

"Surrender," Gamblesdon said, his gun pointed at Borne. But the man had something else on his mind, not even the noises from the roused soldiers outside the tent fazing him.

"How did you get that gun to fire?"

"Surrender," Gamblesdon repeated, but before Borne could reply, Gale spoke.

"Both of you, get out of here."

Both Gamblesdon and Borne turned to him.

"Leave before the soldiers get here."

"Oh," Borne smiled, understanding Gale’s worry. The man did not want dissent to erupt amongst the soldiers. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"I’ll go, but I’m taking both myself and Captain Han’s men with me."

"That won’t be happening," Gale said, glancing at Han’s still-warm corpse.

"It’s mine and Sergeant Tess’s words against her crazy captain and an old man.

Your choice."

"You win."

"I’ll also be taking the trucks."

"Okay."

"But lieutenant..." Gamblesdon tried saying, the words in his mouth dying when Gale shook his head.

Though it seemed like he had conceded much, Gale wasn’t too worried. Other than his own men, he could see no way of convincing the others that it had been Borne who killed Captain Han especially with Tess now against him.

As for the trucks, what was their need if he planned to not just save everyone but actually keep control of the portal? Besides, in a few moments, the trucks would no longer be functional.

While the task might seem impossible, Gale believed he had a way which, while narrow, could be the key.

"System."

[Name: Gale Stram

Species: Human

Level: 8

Strength: 15

Speed: 17

Blank Points: —

Profession: Shepherd

Will: Awakened

Affiliation: Nimravidae

Abilities: Spectral Pride]