Shroud Arcanum

Chapter 41: Chapter 40 - Wrong Intel

In the present moment, Liam felt a shiver run down his spine as he recalled the past events. He thought to himself, No wonder Irys is so close to Zalya. They both have that dangerous, unpredictable edge.

The journey continued, and soon, they approached the outskirts of the village. Alric, Liora, and Caelum disembarked while Zalya took over the driving duties, steering them toward their predetermined destination. Earlier, during their planning phase, they had meticulously studied the terrain maps, identifying a specific route the enemy army would most likely traverse, which passed under a cliff.

Upon approaching the cliff, Zalya parked the vehicle a fair distance away. "From here, we'll go by foot," she instructed. Liam and Irys exchanged a glance and nodded, closely following Zalya. As they neared the base of the cliff, Zalya briefed them further, "Our primary strategy is to set up mines in this area," she indicated specific spots on the ground with a discerning eye. "Meanwhile, I'll rig a secondary trap atop the cliff as a backup."

With their roles clear, Liam and Irys proceeded to their designated location to begin their work while Zalya ascended the cliff to set up her trap. As they worked, Liam's thoughts went back to their earlier discussion, with Zalya confidently pointing out their proposed ambush spot on the map. "The enemy's route will most likely take them under this cliff. We'll strategically place mines beneath the surface here," she had said.

Liam had responded with skepticism, "Will that even work? If this tactic is so effective, why hasn't the military used it before?"

Zalya raised an eyebrow in response, "The technology in this trial area is fairly advanced, true, but it's still not on par with what we have in Shroud. Our mines are better; I'm quite confident their detectors won't pick up their presence."

Liam examined Zalya closely. She had shown him some small cubes earlier, which could morph into various devices. From what he had observed in the area so far, other than the unique runic language and the levitating vehicles, the technology did seem a step below that of Zalya's. Intrigued, he inquired, "How many mines did you bring? We're talking about a troop movement of 5,000 soldiers here."

Irys chimed in with a smirk, "You seem to forget who you're talking to. This is Zalya. She doesn't just prepare for the expected, she over prepares for every imaginable scenario."

Alric nodded in agreement, adding, "Plus, remember she's a Saint Candidate. She has vast resources and access to the best equipment available."

Zalya glared at Alric, "It's 'candidate'. And would you please stop flaunting the fact that I'm a future Saint Candidate? It gets tiring."

Alric shrugged with a cheeky grin, "No outsiders here.Zalya."

When they arrived at the designated spot, Irys pulled out a bag, revealing a cache of mine. Liam glanced at how Irys pulled the bag out of nothing, an internal note marking his curiosity. 'The first thing I'm doing when I get to Shroud is finding one of these storage items,' he mused to himself.

Turning to Irys, Liam gestured towards the mines, "Alright, let's get started. I'll place them in."

Irys nodded in acknowledgment and focused her energy, activating her earth-manipulating abilities. The ground beneath them began to stir, opening up small, precise holes. Liam picked up one of the mines, examining it for a brief moment. Each mine was spherical, roughly the size of a tennis ball, intricately adorned with patterns that hinted at the technology within.

He gently placed the mine into one of the holes. As soon as it was positioned, Irys channeled her power, directing the earth to close over the mine. The ground sealed seamlessly, leaving no trace that anything had been buried there at all.

As they continued their task, they could hear a distant rumble of engines. Irys quickly retrieved a pair of binoculars from her bag and peered into the distance. Handing them to Liam, she warned, "The intel was off."

Liam's eyes widened as he observed through the binoculars. The Kingdom of Daedalus's army was much closer than anticipated. By his estimate, they'd reach their location within thirty minutes.

Without wasting a moment, Liam turned to Irys, "Let's go underground, now."

Without a word, Irys channeled her power, causing the earth beneath them to soften and mold, creating a passage leading them deeper below. She sealed the opening above as they descended, shrouding them in darkness.

They couldn't be certain if the Daedalus army possessed technology capable of detecting life signatures. Fortunately, Zalya had left them with stealth devices. Whereas Alric's looked like a watch, Liam and Irys' devices were more discreet, taking the form of black obsidian rings.

These rings, intricately carved with patterns, served not just as adornments but were imbued with technology to render them virtually invisible to most detection methods. By channeling energy into the ring, they activated its cloaking capabilities. Liam estimated that their energy reserves would power the stealth feature for about five minutes before the drain became excessive.

Liam's cautious nature prevailed as he leaned closer to Irys. "Irys, let's activate the stealth rings, just to be on the safe side," he whispered. Although they were already deep underground, he wanted to take no chances.

Engaging her stealth mode, Irys turned to Liam, her voice a hushed whisper. "Liam, what do we do next?"

Liam's face tightened, "There's no turning back now. With communication severed, abandoning the mission isn't an option. Our best play is to detonate the mines, which should serve as a signal for Zalya to spring her trap."

Irys frowned, "But we don't have the remote detonator for the mines. How do you plan to set them off?"

Liam's eyes sparkled with resolve, "Create a small tunnel, just large enough for me to fire through. One good shot should cause a chain reaction. Once I fire, you need to seal us off and go deeper instantly. We can't risk the blast reaching us. After the explosion, we'll wait for five minutes to ensure it's safe.Let's time this carefully; in 29 minutes, we make our move."