The calm after the morning skirmish was deceptive. By mid-afternoon, the system flickered insistently, alerting Kael to a disturbance that pulsed far stronger than the scouts he had faced earlier.
System Notification:
Threat Detected: Advanced Elite Operatives — Unknown Faction
Soul Sea Capacity: 3/4
Runes Mastered: Ice Bullet, Ice Bind, Barrier, Frost Spear
Estimated Life Span Drain on Failure: High
Kael's heart tightened. The earlier scouts had been a test; now the real faction was making its move. Their essence signature was overwhelming, and they moved like a coordinated strike force. Unlike the erratic scouts, these operatives were disciplined, each a master of battlefield tactics.
He activated his soul sea fully, essence coursing through every thread of it. The soul sea responded with a luminous glow, pulsating as if alive. Kael could feel its readiness to manifest the runes he had painstakingly inscribed.
From the northern gate, shadows emerged. Ten figures, clad in layered armors that shimmered with spiritual energy, moved in perfect formation. Their leader, a tall figure with a cloak that seemed to drink in light, raised his hand, and a faint ripple in the air indicated a barrier-forming technique.
Kael's mind calculated instantly. Using a brush would be far too slow; in this fight, every fraction of a second counted. He relied solely on the runes etched in his soul sea, ready to summon them by thought.
"Grade 1 Rune: Ice Bullet!"
Shards of ice launched in rapid succession, striking the formation. Several operatives twisted mid-air, deflecting some, but the sheer speed forced them to split, breaking their cohesion slightly. Kael followed immediately with Ice Bind, chains of frost shooting out to entangle the outermost operatives.
The leader did not move. Instead, he activated a blocking inscription, an ancient-like rune that radiated a pulse, resisting Kael's Frost Spear. Kael grimaced; this was beyond anything he had faced before.
I can't rely on brute force alone, he realized. I have to manipulate the battlefield, force them to make mistakes.
He raised his hand, activating Ice Bind in a complex pattern. Chains spiraled into the air, snapping shut like a cage. The operatives adjusted but could not anticipate the speed and combination of the attacks. Several were slowed, their movement hindered, while others forced the barrier to absorb excess energy from Kael's Frost Spears.
The leader's voice carried over the courtyard:
"You're strong for a mortal, but strength alone won't save you."
Kael's system panel highlighted the danger zones, estimating potential breaches in his defenses. He decided to shift strategy, moving beyond single-runic attacks.
"Ice Bullet — rapid succession! Barrier — frontal defense! Frost Spear — detonate in mid-air!"
The courtyard erupted. Ice shards flew like hail, barriers formed and dissipated in milliseconds, and Frost Spears exploded mid-flight, forcing the operatives to scatter. Essence strained against his soul sea's limits, and cracks began forming briefly. Kael's willpower surged, reinforcing the vessel with sheer focus and essence. Pain lanced through him, but he forced control, refusing to let the soul sea fracture under pressure.
One operative managed to slip past, striking with a dagger-shaped rune. Kael sidestepped, countering instantly with Ice Bind, wrapping the intruder in frost and slowing him to a crawl. Another operative tried a direct charge, but Kael anticipated it, forming a temporary Barrier that absorbed the kinetic force and redirected it safely into the ground.
Despite the chaos, Kael remained calm. Every rune summoned from his soul sea was a calculated tool, every movement deliberate. The operatives were skilled, but Kael had the advantage of unpredictability. His soul sea allowed him to weave combinations no ordinary fighter could anticipate.
After ten minutes of relentless combat, the leader's formation faltered. He gestured sharply, signaling a retreat. The operatives melted back into the shadows, leaving faint traces of their essence behind. Kael's chest heaved as the soul sea gradually stabilized, absorbing ambient essence to repair minor fissures.
The system panel updated:
Threat Neutralized: 10 Advanced Elite Operatives
Soul Sea Capacity: 2/4 → 3/4 (Recovered via essence)
Battle Runes Executed: 17
Experience Gained: High (Strategic Combat & Multi-Target Runic Weaving)
Kael wiped the sweat from his brow. The faction was testing him, pushing him to adapt. He had survived, but he knew this was just the beginning. The true faction assault would be larger, more coordinated, and likely aimed at testing his limits and knowledge.
As the mist of the battlefield cleared, Kael crouched, examining his soul sea. The pain from strain lingered, but so did the exhilaration of victory. He had proven something vital: mortal or not, a soul sea and mastery of runes could turn the tide against even formidable elite operatives.
He looked toward the horizon. The faction's threat was not over, but he now had insight into their tactics. And Kael, with a soul sea as his foundation, would meet every challenge with precision, strategy, and the unyielding will to survive.