Chapter 682: Waves [Ko-fi Donation Bonus Chapter]
Sylas didn't seem to see the approach of the Grimblades; his focus was still on the formation. 'I see... they must have Aether Stone mines hidden somewhere within this mountain range. They're drawing from them...'
When Sylas turned his attention back to the small squad rushing through the mountain toward his location, he was surprised to find that it was actually a familiar person leading them.
Butler Joseph.
The butler was the very man who had welcomed Sylas and his family to the Grimblade compound and even led them to their accommodations, a location Sylas' family should be living in even now.
Now, however, he looked far less like a posh butler and far more like an assassin weaving through the lines of trees.
The group probably thought that they were well hidden, but they had no idea that their target was high above their heads. By the time they noticed the bird in the skies and the man that
stood on its back, they were already within two kilometers.
Their expressions changed.
The distance was too far for them to get a clear look at Sylas' face. Even Sylas himself only recognized Butler Joseph not through his face, but the cadence of his movement and his figure.
The small elite group was shocked for a moment, but they were well trained and drilled on how to deal with every situation.
Butler Joseph began to speak into what looked like a communication device and a shimmering sliver of light caught Sylas' attention.
BANG!
The echo of the sniper shot came too late. But the blaring warning of Sylas' Luck did not.
Sylas' head shifted to the side, a coldness blooming in his eyes.
A sniper would usually aim for the chest, but with the peacock below him, they didn't have the angle. It was also clear that this sniper was very confident in their abilities. If Sylas didn't move ahead of time, he would be dead.
The heat whistled by his ear and blood trickled down from his lobe. His visualization couldn't track the bullet at all, he had to rely on instinct purely.
Realizing that this could be trouble, Sylas' mind flickered through several thoughts.
The Aether in the region was too sparse. The next shot, after he managed to dodge, would certainly either come from a closer location where even he wouldn't be able to react, or it might target the peacock directly.
Sylas wasn't very worried about the peacock dying. In its current form, it was practically immortal. For all intents and purposes, the peacock itself was already dead, and all that was left was the Symbiote.
But that didn't mean that it couldn't be harmed and injured. If it lost the ability to fly, that would cause its own host of issues.
Sylas thought fast and he realized that the only solution was actually the formation in front of him.
There was a flash in his eyes as the reflection of Runes danced within.
His hand, still outstretched onto the barrier, suddenly shook with a pulse of his Will.
The formation was powerful, but it was too large and its centers of power were too far away.
In addition, it was only forged with 30 Foundation Runes, impressive by normal standards, but all but worthless in front of Sylas.
BANG!
The second echo came, and as Sylas had deduced, it came for his peacock. However... BANG!
A clash reverberated as the bullet rippled off of the barrier it had just once been able to pass clean through.
Sylas stood unmoving, watching as the bullet deformed, drilling against the barrier before it slowly fell to the ground.
He hadn't done much. After realizing that the formation could easily allow bullets to target him while he had no ability to pass through it, he just...
Reversed it.
Now...
Sylas' hand passed through the barrier like it wasn't there at all.
'This takes quite a bit of effort.'
Sylas' mind felt like it was tugging against a strong resistance band. The Runes he had manipulated were twisted out of the locations they wanted to be in and had a tendency to want to flip back.
That said, he could still easily expand the region and pass right through.
He stood in silence, thinking for a moment as a third echo resounded for the same result. The bullet was stopped in its tracks, unable to harm either Sylas or the peacock.
The question was quite obvious...
How much did he want to antagonize the Grimblades?
If he passed through their formation and closed in on their compound, it would no doubt be an act of antagonism. Right now, things could still be chalked up to a misunderstanding. But that was only if he chose to swallow the insult.
That was just how things in the world went. Of course, things could be smoothed over if the little guy just rolled over.
Sylas, though... didn't see himself as a little guy.
That said, he also wasn't someone who acted based on his emotions either.
Sylas' lips parted and he spoke out with a booming voice.
"I am Sylas Grimblade."
The words passed through the formation and toward the mountain range. Using some of the Runes that formed and, Sylas was able to project his voice so far and wide that the snow almost seemed to shake.
And sure enough...
There wasn't a single Grimblade in the compound that didn't hear his voice.
...
Lucius was sitting in his office when he heard the booming voice. There likely wasn't a single person who hadn't heard it.
He looked up toward the windows, his eyes narrowing.
Although he had known that this moment would come, he didn't expect that it would be right
here and now.
It seemed that he had completely misinterpreted the purpose of Sylas' visit. But whether he knew the real reason or not... the end result wouldn't be changed much at all.
Lucius stood to his feet, his expression calm.
With his cousins not present, almost everything about the normal functioning of the family ran through him. He would go and see personally what sort of waves Sylas could drum up.