Chapter 63 - The Battle For Chateau Meso Part 1 (2/2)

Ben had stopped at the peak of the hill on the main road to the Chateau. Looking down, he could see the Chateau, albeit covered in a shroud of darkness, as the violent, stormy clouds above it were still in full effect. Vast amounts of electricity were shooting down, hitting the peaks of the towers, and even an unnatural mist that more resembled a locust swarm.

The minute outlines of creatures could be seen roaming the area, even as far out as the remains of Dimiwood. As much as Ben squinted, he couldn’t exactly see any details.

Jerry momentarily climbed atop the van, looking glass in hand, while Le’Vieux positioned his horse near the driver's side door before waiting for a response.

“I can see around two dozen enemies down there. They appear to be scattered and look like they could easily surround us. Using my archer sight skill, there appears to be more within the walls of the Chateau; however, many are in the obscured areas.” Jerry explained before hopping down and passing the glass to Le’Vieux.

After a moment, Le’Vieux shook his head. “This isn’t good. We must figure out how to take those creatures out and siege the Chateau without engines.” He turned to Ben, “You’re the one who comes out with last-minute plans. Do you have any ideas in mind?”

Ben let out a sigh before spending a few minutes going over a few ideas. “Hmm, I think I have something that could work, but I’ll need someone ballsy to bait them together and bring them towards us.”

Le’Vieux shrugged before giving a stern frown. “I see what you’re getting at with that. It will help us eliminate most of them, but I don’t see how it’ll help us siege the Chateau.”

A wide grin filled Ben’s face. “Oh, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Just wait and see.”

***

Ben sped down the cobbles. The latest upgrades had worked wonders, making it feel like he was gliding across a surface that was as flat as a pancake. The additional Armor plating he had upgraded and its additional weight fortified his confidence.

A small group of fairies were heading in his direction, and within moments, they whizzed above the van. The enemies huddled up like sardines in a tin and stampeded towards the van. These new variants were quadrupedal with long, extended torsos, which made them look like centaurs. Their skin was pitch-black as if every inch of their bodies absorbed the surrounding light, and whatever they touched seemed to decay instantly.

Seeing them made Ben sick, and he knew he needed to remove as many of them as possible lest his friends suffer severe casualties. As he was a dozen meters away, Ben pressed the gas pedal down. The first enemies he crashed into were crushed with their goo slattering the front and sides of the van.

Flicking the switch, Ben cleared the windscreen while continuing to crush the enemies ahead. Curious to see what the [Exponential Mass] skill would do, he activated it.

The next enemies he contacted were decimated and launched like cannon balls running on rocket fuel. Like ragdolls, they spun, hitting the other enemies behind them with such force their body parts were dismembered or, worse, turned into dark mist.

As Ben approached the Chateau, the last few remaining enemies were flung into its stone walls, some even hitting the wooden gates. The stone palisades at the front were soon covered in the decaying mixture, and the wooden gate slowly fizzled away with a hissing smoke—it was like a strong acid had been poured all over it.

[+1800XP. +36MP.]

[You are now Level 10: +2 Skill points available.]

[A stat boost is now available.]

[Order of the Hollow Moon (Faction): You have been promoted to Knight Lieutenant I.]

[Mechanical Mage Class is now Level 3: New skills and abilities are now available.]

Luckily, the van's Armor plating held up to the corrosive effects of the black goo, but the rest of the main path wasn’t as lucky, as deep creators began to melt through the cobbles. Ben felt a wave of worry for his comrades and wondered if they were doing alright. Looking back through the side mirrors, he saw them marching through the treeline, avoiding the damaged areas while burning all that remained of the creatures.

Ben sighed in relief as a ton of pressure was lifted from his shoulders. Most arrived without much damage to their bodies. Soon, they had all gathered near the van parked just before the bridge across the river, where a few empty stone dwellings were situated.

Le’Vieux galloped his horse towards the driver's side window. “That was some great work running them over before damaging their walls with that black goo. We were able to take the remaining ones out on the way here. A few of my knights were hurt and have already been sent back to receive medical aid. The real battle will begin when that gate melts, so prepare yourself.” He twisted his neck and looked like he was about to start yelling orders when he was interrupted.

The Chateau’s walls shook and rumbled, and bits of stone and rocks fell into the river below. The dark aura surrounding the fortified structure began to get denser before it saturated the entire structure.

Ben couldn’t see what was happening, but suddenly, a loud crashing sound shook the air, followed by the cracking and splintering of wood. A plethora of demonic red eyes emerged from the other side before the gigantic outline of a disfigured head appeared over the palisades of the Chateau.

What! They’ve got a fricking titan!

“Damn it!” Le’Vieux cursed before yelling, “Everyone, get into defensive formations.”