[Notice]

  The target location will come into view at any moment.

  Zeke’s gaze sharpened, his eyes scanning the distant horizon.

  This was the moment of truth. His entire strategy, his entire plan, hinged on his ability to raid this prison. If he could not overcome its defenses, then everything he had worked toward would collapse.

  His eyes locked onto the distant structure slowly coming into view. It was underwhelming, to say the least.

  A rectangular slab of stone, surrounded by walls. The Earth Mages who had built it clearly had not cared much for appearances. Still, Zeke did not believe for a moment that this was all there was to Prison Camp 73.

  More likely, this above-ground structure served only as an entrance. The true prison would be underground. After all, there was no better way to confine people than to bury them beneath the earth. It removed the need for walls entirely.

  “Bring us on top of it,” he ordered mentally.

  There was no need to speak aloud. He was alone in the command center, and Akasha would relay his orders to the appropriate people if necessary. For most actions, however, she held full control herself.

  The Alexandria’s systems were far too diverse and complex for most anyone to operate. Beyond the sheer intricacy of the functions, many of the rituals and engravings did not even have human interfaces.

  Zeke might add physical controls later. For now, he was content to let Akasha handle most of them. The only drawback was that he could not stray too far from the Alexandria without losing control of the ship.

  Even so, it was a price he was willing to pay.

  The structure, once a distant speck on the horizon, was growing larger at a rapid pace. The sheer stone walls came into sharp detail on the screen, and he could already make out individual figures manning the battlements.

  They did not look like ordinary Legion troops. Their armor, bearing, and demeanor were far too different. Elites, perhaps?

  

[Notice]

  Approaching target airspace. Preparing to intercept outgoing communication.

  Holding off on Siege Protocol until detection.

  Zeke held his breath.

  The longer they remained undetected, the more information he could gather before the attack.

  A moment passed, then another, until at last the Alexandria came to a complete standstill with the prison camp directly beneath his feet.

  Still, nothing happened.

  Zeke exhaled.

  So far, so good.

  

[Notice]

  There is no indication that we have been noticed. Should I attempt a preliminary scan of the facilities?

  "Not yet. Analyze the guards first."

  Akasha fell silent for a moment before delivering her report. The words that followed left Zeke unsettled.

  

[Notice]

  Full scan complete. The guards appear to be nonstandard troops. Most show only small traces of Mana. Additionally, they do not appear to be human.

  Zeke frowned. None of it made sense. Non-mages? Non-humans? Since when did the Empire field such forces?

  "Are they Chimeroi?"

  

[Answer]

  Negative. They carry both human and elven blood.

  Zeke focused on the guard closest to him, a man standing atop the highest platform. A lookout. The man swayed slightly, barely staying awake despite the early morning hour. It must have been near the end of his shift. Even so, the behavior was sloppy.

  That was not what truly caught Zeke’s attention.

  His gaze fixed on the man’s ears. Rounded. Lacking the familiar pointed tips of half-elves.

  "What about their ears?"

  

  [Answer]

  The observed structure appears to be the result of physical modification achieved through repeated self-mutilation.

  Zeke went still. Self-mutilation? Did that mean what he thought it did?

  "They did this... to themselves?"

  

  [Answer]

  The angle and pattern of the scarring strongly suggest such a scenario.

  Zeke took another look at the guardsmen. Sloppy. Undisciplined. Careless.

  "Are they... the prisoners?"

  The thought was so absurd that he hesitated to accept it, even though it had come from his own mind. This was a prison, was it not? A prison needed guards.

  How would it even work to have prisoners watch over other prisoners?

  Surely they would revolt. Surely they would band together. Surely, they would...

  

  [Notice]

  Not a single person in range has an elemental or Mind affinity.

  Zeke’s frown deepened. What was going on here? What kind of place was this?

  He forced down the hundreds of questions threatening to overwhelm him. None of that mattered right now. He would get his answers after taking the facility. For the moment, there was only one concern: how this revelation would affect his strategy.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  That decision was easy.

  "Contact David. We are going with a covert infiltration. Have him disable all guards without spilling any blood."

  

  [Warning]

  If they are being controlled by a Mind Mage, this will likely alert them.

  Zeke shook his head. "They are moving far too sloppily for that. This is not the work of Mind Magic."

  Akasha did not question him further. A moment later, Zeke noticed David’s handiwork. He had not seen the Archmage leave the craft, but the result made it obvious.

  Half a dozen [Shadow Puppets] struck at once, each taking down a critical target with a single, precise blow.

  Then again. And again.

  By the time it was over, roughly three dozen guards lay motionless on the ground.

  David's figure materialized beside the body of the careless watchman, stepping out of a dark corner as if he had been there all along. He raised one arm, hand open, and slowly swept it from side to side above his head.

  All clear.

  This had gone so smoothly that Zeke almost suspected a trap. But on second thought, the outcome was obvious. An Archmage fighting a handful of untrained, bottom tier Mages with the element of surprise could only end one way.

  

[Warning]

  I have registered an outgoing communication from inside the prison. Likelihood of detection within the next minute: Over 50%. Awaiting further instructions.

  Zeke did not hesitate.

  "Initiate full siege protocol. Lock down the Space and arm all weapon systems. Nothing goes in or out of this place."

  The exchange between him and Akasha was instantaneous. Before he could even finish the thought, he felt the ritual arrays take effect.

  The air around him grew heavy. So heavy that he could not pierce it at all. Only overwhelming force could break through such a barrier, and Zeke had no concern about that happening. Nearly two dozen Grand Mages were powering the array at that moment. That was enough to contend with any Archmage.

  Only an Exarch, or several Archmages working together, could hope to break through. And the chance of encountering such a force inside this prison camp was almost nonexistent.

  That was only the beginning. "Send in the shock troops. I want Zelkara down there right now."

  

[Notice]

  We will likely lose connection with them as they descend—

  "No, we will not," Zeke replied before Akasha could finish. "Because we are joining the assault."

  

[Notice]

  I will lose control over the arrays.

  "It's fine. Leave them at full power. We control the only exit anyway. It is far more important for you to coordinate the assault."

  Even as he spoke, Zeke never stopped moving. He descended from the command bridge, taking the stairs two at a time and reaching the ramp in moments. He arrived just in time to see the last of the Bloodguard jump.

  Only one figure remained at the exit.

  "With me, Raileh," he ordered as he passed the elven Archmage.

  Raileh fell into step without a word, leaping from the ramp alongside him.

  They landed on the highest platform of the small fortress, where David was still waiting.

  Zeke did not slow, turning his fall into a brisk walk. David followed without a word. Together, the three of them descended into the inner sanctum of the prison.

  The first underground room was a vast cavern, filled with guards wearing the same uniform. All of them already lay on the floor, some bleeding profusely.

  Zelkara's people had been far more heavy-handed than David. Zeke did not blame them. He would rather see a hundred of these guards lying dead than take any chances with the safety of his people.

  Thankfully, it seemed he would not have to make that choice.

  "Stabilize them. No more," he said as they passed.

  Raileh obeyed without a word, applying just enough healing to ensure the subdued guards would not die, but not enough to let them cause further trouble.

  The trio reached the center of the hall. From here, two paths diverged. Both were already teeming with Bloodguards.

  

[Notice]

  I sent Zelkara down the left path. She is encountering minimal resistance.

  That was all he needed to know. His steps carried him to the right. In a surprise attack, speed was paramount. Despite how smoothly everything had gone so far, he refused to give the enemy any chance to stage a comeback.

  They moved down a dark corridor. On either side, images of half-elves flickered into view, live projections that allowed the prisoners to be observed from the outside without their knowledge.

  Interesting.

  It seemed there were still actual prisoners left in this place. He also noted that their ears were intact, free of the mutilation he had seen on the guards.

  The corridor ended at a massive iron door.

  Zeke's brows furrowed as they approached it. He could feel Time Mana seeping from behind it, in vast quantities. Far too much for a single Mage. There was also a strange, sterile quality to it, one he recognized all too well. This was pure Mana, produced by enchantments and rituals, stripped of will and intent.

  There was some kind of large-scale Time ritual taking place behind those doors.

  Before he could investigate further, Zeke felt a presence approach from behind. It moved with lightning speed, reaching the end of the corridor in barely a moment.

  The figure stopped behind him, already down on one knee before he could even turn.

  "...I have cleared the eastern route according to your orders, Progenitor," Zelkara reported.

  Zeke nodded, pleased with her swift work. She had arrived just in time, too. There was likely no one in his employ who could match the Pureblood in sheer physical strength, and he had a task that would require exactly that.

  "Can you clear the way?"

  Without a moment's hesitation, Zelkara rose to her feet and strode past. Her eyes bore into the heavy metal door blocking the path as if it were a sworn enemy. It was clearly sealed by magic, and the surrounding walls had been reinforced as well. With space locked, there was no way to know what awaited them inside.

  Even so, Zeke could feel several active minds beyond the door. One of them was especially powerful, possibly even an Archmage...

  A dense, pale blue mist streamed from Zelkara's body, filling the space before her and clinging to the metal door and the wall around it. Then, with a single step, she drove her fist forward.

  The iron shattered, cracking like thin ice struck by a stone. The sudden change in temperature had made it brittle enough to break.

  At last, the space beyond came into view.

  [Sanguin Clarity]

  Time seemed to slow to a crawl as his thoughts accelerated manyfold, allowing him to assess the situation inside the room instantly.

  A massive iron contraption stood there, shaped like a giant metal crucible. Eight figures were bound to it, their hands attached to its surface.

  He dismissed them at once. They might possess the strength of Grandmages, but he felt no real threat from any of them.

  That left four others. Two wore guard uniforms and seemed just as weak as the guards he had encountered outside.

  That left only two, standing side by side.

  One was a half-elf with mutilated ears, radiating the presence of a Grandmage. The other was a figure with blond hair and blue eyes.

  A Geistreich...

  Zeke's instincts flared at the sight, urging him to kill this enemy at once. However, something made him pause. This person was not the presence he had sensed from outside.

  Like any competent Mind Mage, the Geistreich had shielded his mind, making it impossible to detect. Then who was the presence he had noticed? Where was the Archmage?

  Zeke focused, narrowing in on the source of the remaining mind.

  It came from... inside the crucible?

  Was this some kind of ritual meant to strengthen an ally? His eyes followed the visible runes, trying to grasp as much of the device's inner workings as possible. In his accelerated state, not even Akasha could match his speed of comprehension.

  ...Mana isolation runes.

  ...Some kind of Time construct.

  ...Reinforced walls.

  Zeke's eyes widened at the realization of what this was. But... if his assumptions were right, then the person inside would not be an enemy at all.

  Zeke felt the strain on his mind increase, signaling the end of his accelerated state. That was fine.

  He had already learned all he had to know.