The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 291: Battle on shore (1)

Chapter 291: Battle on shore (1)

Hex sat on the shore, staring at the endless expanse of water.

He heard plenty of stories about the coast and sailing over the sea. He dreamed about a voyage at sea. Only a few people he knew in Grindeston had crossed the sea. Their adventures at sea stoked the imagination of the younger him.

’Tonight I will see whether those old fucks were lying or are the horrors of the sea true.’

His weary mind and body didn’t stop feeling excited. His childhood dream of seeing the world involved the sea a lot. The old men at the Square liked to brag about their experience. In his heart, he wished to encounter something out of their stories. Perhaps a secret island or a drifting barrel that led to an adventure involving a treasure. He wasn’t particularly interested in hearing the songs though.

"What are you thinking about?"

Sterling and Quid sauntered to him and sat on the wet sand beside him. His group lay asleep on the slopes. They ate their rations and fell, waiting for the ship.

"Nothing. Are you certain the ship will come?"

"Of course," Sterling replied. He almost looked upset Hex dared to doubt his information. "I told you. Before boarding the Sky Serpent, I prepared everything with the worst outcome in mind. And I sent a signal out when we arrived here."

"And you are sure the signal will be picked up? I don’t see anything. Not even at the horizon."

"You are naive," Sterling sneered. "Do you still believe things that can’t be seen or sensed, aren’t there?"

"Are you telling me that the person receiving us is an Enlightened Knight?" Hex sneered back. "If the Silver Serpents had multiple Enlightened Knights at their back and call, they would rival the factions.

Sterling and Quid shared a glance and then smiled at Hex. Their behavior caused Hex to wonder whether they really had multiple Enlightened Knights.

"You need to learn about the world. The Silver Serpents don’t have that many. Certainly not enough to spare one for me. But that’s not all who is behind us."

With that, he walked away, with his cousin in tow.

The half-moon hung low in the sky. According to Sterling, the ship would arrive when it hung high in the sky.

Time crept forward. Hex spent the time to focus on the crystal. The abundant energy and elements inside called on him. He wished to tap into it as soon as possible. The obstacle in his way, the remnant Will of the Sand Burial Monarch crumbled with each clash.

Hex gritted his teeth, biting through the pain. The agony of feeling his head split in two drove him to the limit of his tolerance. Sweat drops rolled down his back and head. His body started to heat up. He experienced this a few times.

Once he reached his limit and couldn’t bear his body burning, he moved. With a small sprint, he jumped into the sea. The cold water cooled his body down at once. He discovered that the cold water helped more than using the Ice element. That was the main reason why he was sitting so close to the water.

After a few seconds, he walked out of the water. It felt nice to step on the soft cold sand. Somehow, he felt a deeper connection with the world as his senses connected with the surroundings.

’At the rate the defenses crumble, it will take at least one year to get through.’

A year was too long. Even if Perl didn’t demand the crystal, Hex considered a year to be too long. There had to be a better way. He just had to find it. It would help to discuss this with Sterling. The silver-haired merchant sure knew a ton of tools and resources. Only, Hex didn’t disclose its existence to anyone.

So far, Sterling didn’t give him a particular reason to be wary of him. But at the same time, his purpose wasn’t clear. His gut told him that there was more to his interest in his friendship than he let on. Hex trusted his gut. It kept him alive so far.

’Hmm.’

Hex stepped out of the water and his senses picked something up. The faint tingling alerted him for something incoming.

"Attackers!"

Hex didn’t shout but his voice travelled over. Sterling and the others weren’t far off. They reacted immediately. Quid hurried to wake the ones asleep. Gronke stood in front of the makeshift sleeping bag in which Perl lay unconscious. And Sterling, accompanied by his two female helpers, hurried to assemble an array.

While they prepared their defenses, Hex rushed to the top of the hill. Before ascending to the top, he fell flat and crawled to peer over it. The row of hills around the coast lay higher than the ones before that. It provided enough cover for people on either side.

The feeling intensified as he crawled up. Once at the top, he lifted his head and peeked at the scene before him.

The hundreds of groups closing in from all sides caused his heart to sink. His senses picked the several energy fluctuations. The majority of the groups consisted of Knights. Those didn’t even enter his eyes. He could knock those hundreds on his own. What worried him was the presence of the Refined Knights – there were ten of them.

’A Refined Knight is considered a lord in Edune. They enjoy plenty of benefits in this country. So many would only gather and work together if someone else ordered them. A two-spire lord? Or...an Overlord?’

He looked around his shoulder. The moon had risen plenty by now but he didn’t see any ships at the horizon.

"Shit."

Sterling reached his spot with the array plate in his hand. A small group gathered behind him. Like Sterling, they cursed too. They all reached the same conclusion Hex had. Someone stronger was on their way. Someone they wouldn’t be able to defend against.

"What do we do?"

Sterling looked at Quid and Hex, while Quid and the others looked at Hex. Their reaction surprised him yet made sense. They might view him as a Cursed person, but they agreed he was the only one among them who survived against powerhouses. Hex hadn’t done it once only.

The others increased their pace. He could hear their shouts and the neighs of their horses. At a glance, he saw them as a group of weary and demotivated bunch. And once they heard the thundering noise of the incoming team, they would turn into a scared bunch.

There was but one way to prevent it – action.

"Unleash the array now."

Sterling looked confused.

"Now? Are you sure? The area it will affect isn’t great. Half will surv–."

"More than enough," Hex interrupted Sterling. "Do it."

For a fraction of a second, he saw Sterling hesitate. But he made his mind up in that split second. The array lit up and buzzed.

"Aim at the center."

He pushed in Hex’s hands and fell to the ground, huddled and with his hands on his head. The others followed suit.

’Bastard.’

Hex channeled his Second Blessing and focussed on his throw. Without letting the others know, he also poured some of the souldust he stocked up in the last few days, into the array. The buzzing rang in everyone’s ears.

Without much delay, he aimed at a spot toward the right side out of the center and threw the plate. As soon as he stood, he heard the shouts intensify. They gradually fell silent as they watched the object he had thrown.

Only a few reacted at once by rushing out of its trajectory. The majority remained in their spot. They ignored the shouts of their companions, urging them to retreat.

The object landed, causing a small dust cloud. But nothing happened. Hex stared at it. They stared at it. And then they stared at Hex.

One of the Refined Knights among them smirked and screamed with his arm pointed at Hex.

"Get him!"

He took one step and then...

BOOM!

The array exploded, releasing a wave of chaotic energy. The ground shook. Hex, who stood a couple of hundred meters away, stumbled and had to put effort into maintaining his footing.

Thanks to his superior physical powers, he withstood the ringing in his ears and tried to keep sight of their enemies. Dust and sand blocked his view. The release of such potent chaotic energy affected the accuracy of his senses though.

He heard the people scream and cry. It took a while for the sand around them to stop shifting. It would take longer for the dust to settle. Hex didn’t wait. He started to move. He heard shouts, and people trying to gather, while others groaned in pain and called for help.

This was the perfect opportunity for him to build his counterattack. He ran toward the left side of the center. He knew the people here were least affected. If he let them regroup and mount an attack, they could be a nuisance.

’Let’s hope I can finish them off before someone worse arrives.’