The Author's Viewpoint
Chapter 155 - High on Bloom

Chapter 155: Chapter 155 - High on Bloom

Hearing the distant echoes of combat, a new wave of demons sprang into motion. They mounted their swift beasts, darting through the forest, leaping between branches and crashing through the trees.

"Those two rats are more trouble than we thought. Surround them. Kill them quickly!"

Others moved with more subtlety, weaving through the underbrush and shadows. The ground quaked with the sound of distant impacts.

"How are they still controlling the golem? We should’ve already weakened it!"

"The golem’s not the problem. We kill the one controlling it, and it falls."

But before they could act on that plan, several arrows slammed into the body of a mounted demon. The force threw him backward, his body smashing into the trunk of a thick tree.

"How the fuck are you getting hit from that far?!" another demon shouted in disbelief. Only to be struck mid-sentence by another powerful arrow that sent him tumbling down from his mount.

"Damn it! They can fire from this distance?!"

And as they hesitated, trying to regroup under the rain of arrows, a figure emerged, rising from the shadows.

The demon nearest him roared and raised his sword to block. But the figure dove low, faster than the eye could track. His sword pierced upward in a deadly arc, stabbing clean through the demon’s jaw and out the top of his skull.

Without missing a beat, Tave shot forward again, flames licking at his blade as he struck another demon pinned to a tree. Cutting him down in one swift, clean blow.

Both enemies fell without a chance to react.

With a beat of his Gaia Wings, Tave launched back into the air, just as the golem crashed through the trees behind him, letting him land once more atop its massive head.

If not for Vanya’s devastating barrage of arrows from a distance, taking down these demons would have been a brutal uphill battle. But paired with Tave’s relentless finishing strikes, the enemy barely had time to breathe.

The golem pushed forward.

Tave, perched atop its head, did everything he could to suppress the flood of adrenaline surging through him. His body felt drained, every muscle aching from the relentless fight. Even though, until now, they had only been clashing with scattered pockets of demons.

But the place they were heading next... was different.

It was the heart of the demon forces, their stronghold. Dozens of them, maybe more, had gathered there, while others still fanned out across the map, hunting for Tave and Vanya.

Even now, as the tension mounted with every step, not once did Vanya question their path. She didn’t ask why they were charging straight into the enemy’s center, when they could have easily continued assassinating smaller groups from the cover of the forest.

In truth, this tight terrain had its own pros and cons. The trees limited the golem’s movement, its massive body struggling to maneuver freely. On the other hand, it allowed Tave more control, more chances to strike.

If they moved into an open clearing, the golem could unleash its full destructive power. But it would also mean facing a full wave of demons all at once.

This charge, reckless, by nearly any standard, wasn’t made blindly.

Tave had chosen this path with careful calculation. Every step, every risk, had been weighed. And he could only hope that this kind of plan wouldn’t fail him... not now.

"We charge to their fortress," he said.

Vanya gave a simple nod in return. There was no hesitation in her eyes.

She wasn’t a foolish girl. She cared too much, perhaps, fought too hard for others, but she wasn’t blind.

Still, Tave couldn’t help but wonder what he’d done to make her trust him so completely. Sometimes, he wished she would challenge him, question him, even in moments like this.

But if she had refused to follow... would he have stopped?

No. He knew the answer.

This was their last bet.

When morning came, the Rift would collapse, and when that happened, staying in the forest would mean certain death.

This... this was the only path left.

They continued their charge down the mountainside, the golem’s footsteps pounding with such force that the forest itself seemed to tremble in response. Each thunderous step was like a drumbeat of war, shaking loose leaves and unsettling creatures deep within the woods.

Yet, even now, the demons underestimated them.

They came in scattered groups, arrogant in their numbers, but no match for the seamless coordination between Tave and Vanya. With Fang weaving through the undergrowth like a phantom, striking with deadly precision, the smaller waves of enemies were dispatched swiftly.

By now, even Fang had reached level 36.

If they kept this pace, it wasn’t unthinkable, Fang might ascend to Tier 5 before the Rift collapsed.

And then, after what felt like an endless descent through chaos and thunder, the golem finally stepped onto the flatlands at the base of the mountain. It crashed forward, smashing aside anything that dared block its path, shattering stone and root alike.

Then came the final stretch, the last line of trees parted as the golem pressed forward, splitting thick branches with its towering frame.

And there it stood, at the threshold of open ground.

Tave and Vanya rose, their postures straight and steady atop the golem’s massive head, ready for whatever came next.

Before them, stretching across the field just beyond the demon fortress, an army had gathered. Dozens of demons emerged, weapons gleaming in the pale, fading night. Some hovered in the air on dark wings, circling slowly, their eyes locked onto the intruders.

It felt like the world itself held its breath.

Was this really a war?

Could it even be called that?

Tave had brought only four.

Himself. Vanya. Fang. And the golem.

And yet, here they stood, facing a legion.

The golem moved slowly, deliberately, like a titan preparing to crush the tiny foes before it. Each step was a warning, a promise of destruction.

And yet... not a single flicker of doubt appeared on the faces of the demons waiting ahead. If anything, they looked eager, almost entertained.

"You haven’t questioned this decision even once?" Tave asked quietly, his voice nearly lost in the wind.

"I trust you’re not leading us straight into suicide, right, Tave?" she replied.

"I haven’t exactly explained much to you."

Vanya paused, her gaze steady on the horizon. Then she said, "These demons... they seem weaker than they should be. There’s no way we should’ve been able to kill them as easily as we have. Do you think they’re still high off the celebration?"

A faint smile touched Tave’s lips. "Yes... they’re still drunk on the aftermath of their feast."

Of course they were.

They had only just finished their grand celebration. The revelry, the euphoria... it still clung to them like smoke. It clouded their senses, dulled their instincts.

And not to mention, the brew.

The very same brew that Tave had carefully laced with Lunaris Bloom.

"And the effects of the Lunaris Bloom... by now, it should’ve fully saturated their bloodstreams," he said under his breath. "That should give us a bit more of an edge."

"Even so, numbers are still numbers," Vanya replied calmly. "But let’s do it. I won’t be holding back."

"Holding back isn’t exactly a luxury we can afford at a moment like this."

Tave gave her a slight nod, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto the mass of demons waiting to greet them.

Then, a flicker of motion above.

From the distant sky, a massive winged figure emerged, larger than the rest, its body a silhouette of brute strength and dark power. The elite flying demon glided silently to the front, hovering just above the others with a cold, unreadable stare.

"Well, well... the two little rats we let scurry away have come back, biting, no less."

His lips curled into a thin, amused smile. "How delightfully ironic. I must say, this is... entertaining."

He hovered a little lower. "I do hope this resistance of yours is real. You’ve managed to catch my attention."

His voice dipped, low and chilling. "Please... don’t disappoint us."

Still, no sign of the Named Demon.

That, at least, was good news.

If even the Named Demon didn’t find this situation urgent enough to step forward... It meant they still had a window.

The golem lifted one massive foot, and began to march again.

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