Free Web NovelChapter 224: _Who’s Next?
Phoenix Flight HQ
After dropping Orion off at school that morning Devon had resumed work at the Guild. Well, not exactly ’work’.
He just came in to review dungeon raid files before sending them to his grandfather. Plus he checked on his old suite... and an old friend.
"I can’t believe you left me behind with this Guild’s madness." Alisha shoved him on his shoulder for the third time as the elevator doors opened to the lobby.
Devon rubbed his shoulder with a dramatic expression of pain. "I didn’t leave you behind, Ali."
"Right. You scurried away with that adorable Guide of yours." She made sure her voice was low at that last part, going further to isolate their conversation strictly between them. "How is Ambrose by the way? I heard he took things to the extreme and quit."
"Yep." Devon nodded. "He’s found a new job though. At the Steel Falcon Guild."
Alisha blinked.
She couldn’t recognise that name for the life of her.
"Steel what?"
"It’s a B-Rank Guild," Devon explained. "Probably why you’ve never heard of them. He insisted on keeping things that way. Anything higher and he’d get unwanted publicity or something like that."
Alisha chuckled. "That definitely sounds like him."
They drew close to the lobby doors when Alisha grabbed his wrist.
She made him face her, ignoring the curious light in his eyes.
"So... it’s real?"
Devon arched his brow. "What is?"
"You. Ambrose... whatever weird trouple dynamic you’ve got going on with Viktor."
"We’re not a tro—"
"I just wanted to say I’m proud of you, Devon." Alisha’s lips stretched with a gentle smile. "You finally let yourself feel. Truly. Not that fake crap with Han Jae-won."
"Pretty sure I got help from that permanent link, you know?"
"Yet," Alisha pressed a hand on his chest. "When I brought up Ambrose your heart beat calmed. Like I was stirring memories of home. Somewhere safe."
Devon found himself smiling broader than he intended.
The sound type wasn’t finished. "I’ve never seen you care about someone like you have with him. Neither have I seen you give as much devotion to anyone who wasn’t yourself."
"Hey! I’m capable of being devoted."
"Your longest recorded relationship so far was with Guide Han Jae-won of all people."
"I mean, he was nice at the time wasn’t he?"
She snorted. "Yeah, right. Except you forget unlike everyone else in this Guild I was never fooled by that annoying smile of his."
They eventually swerved the topic to the Void entity and then talked about safety. Then Devon asked about her girlfriend/permanent Guide.
"Trina’s fine," Alisha beamed. "I think I—speak of the devil."
Devon followed her gaze.
Strutting toward them was Trina, a B-Rank Guide with short hair that complemented her gentle eyes.
"What are you two plotting without me?" Trina slipped an arm around Alisha’s waist the second she arrived.
The latter instantly melted into the embrace.
"Nothing important." Alisha lied shamelessly. "Just bullying Devon for abandoning me."
"Again?" Trina gasped dramatically. "Devon, at this point I think we should report you to the authorities."
Devon rolled his eyes. "Please do. Maybe they’ll finally arrest me and give me some peace."
Both women laughed.
The tension that always seemed to cling to Phoenix Flight lately loosened just a little.
Trina tilted her head. "How’s the kid?"
"Orion?" Devon asked.
"Who else? You talk about him more than some parents talk about their actual children."
"He’s fine."
"That’s suspiciously normal."
"Sorry to disappoint."
Alisha snickered. "At least you’re still a difficult stone head."
A few more jokes later, the three finally drifted toward the lobby doors.
"Take care of yourself," Alisha said.
"You too."
"And tell Ambrose I said hi."
Devon nodded. "I will."
The couple eventually headed toward the elevators while Devon turned toward the exit.
Then—He stopped.
Something squeezed painfully inside his chest. Enough to make him pause.
A strange sense of unease settled over him.
His thoughts immediately drifted toward a certain blonde-haired Guide.
Ambrose.
By now, he should’ve finished his first dungeon raid with Steel Falcon.
Everything should’ve been fine.
Yet Devon couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
That somewhere far away Ambrose was currently standing in the middle of absolute chaos.
His brows furrowed. "Please, don’t die doing something stupid." He muttered under his breath.
Then he stepped outside.
★★★★★
Orc Throne Room
Ambrose dropped to one knee.
His chest rose and fell violently while smoke curled from his body.
The backlash from resisting those black flames had left every muscle screaming. His dragon fang blades weren’t much better.
Both weapons lay shattered beside him.
Beyond repair.
At least for now.
Meanwhile, the phantom orcs continued battling throughout the throne room.
Their shrieks echoed endlessly as they clashed against the living.
Unfortunately, their numbers were steadily shrinking.
The Orc king laughed. "You survive my flames and yet kneel before me anyway."
Ambrose slowly lifted his head.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth yet his eyes burned with irritation. "Oh, shut up."
The king’s expression darkened as aether
exploded around him.
Several black spears formed overhead before hurtling downward.
Ambrose moved.
The spears slammed into the ground where he’d been kneeling.
BOOM!
Chunks of stone exploded everywhere.
Before the dust settled, Ambrose appeared above the king.
Blue flames erupted from his palms.
The king swung his halberd.
The attacks collided.
Another explosion rocked the throne room but neither side gained an advantage.
Instead, the king roared another incantation.
The glowing lines from before returned, surging into every surviving orc.
Their muscles swelled.
Their weapons glowed.
And suddenly the battle shifted.
The enhanced orcs tore through the phantom army.
One phantom got hacked apart.
Another was crushed beneath a hammer.
Within moments Ambrose’s undead forces were collapsing.
"Kill him!" the king bellowed.
The remaining warriors charged.
Ambrose fought back with fists, kicks and bursts of blue flames and frost.
Even then the numbers were becoming overwhelming.
A massive orc slipped past his defences. Its hand wrapped around Ambrose’s head before the giant lifted him off the ground.
Several others rushed forward, victory flashing across their faces.
Then Ambrose smiled.
A terrible smile.
One that immediately made the Orc king’s stomach drop.
Dark blue light ignited inside Ambrose’s eyes as his hand clamped around the orc’s wrist.
"Bad choice."
Necromancy surged through his fingers.
The orc screamed the next second.
Its flesh blackened. Then rotted.
Muscles peeled away.
Tendons disintegrated.
Bone emerged.
Within seconds the entire arm had become an ashen skeleton.
The screaming spread, making orcs stumble backwards in horror. The giant dropped Ambrose immediately.
He landed lightly on his feet.
Blood covered his clothes.
His weapons were gone.
His army had nearly been destroyed.
Yet somehow he looked far more dangerous than before.
Slowly, Ambrose straightened his posture. His glowing eyes swept across the throne room before locking on the king.
Then his smile widened.
"Now," he said softly. "Who’s next?"
