Chapter 16: Preparing the Plan

My team was finally forming into something real.

Aside from Terrence, Benson, Barnaby, Michael, and Dennis, I now had Katarina, Adrian, and Serana standing with me. And after the earlier spectacle, eighteen more warriors had stepped forward, drawn in, not because of me, but because of them. The champions. Their presence commanded trust. Authority. Hope.
Now it was my turn to earn that trust.

Because none of them, none of us, could access our powers yet. Not until I used my glitching ability to unlock them.

I stepped forward, my hand hovering uncertainly over Benson’s shoulder. He gave me a curt nod, nervous but willing.

I placed my hand down gently.

Then I focused.

A soft static hum bloomed from my palm. The strange, shimmering distortion of glitching pulsed through me. I pushed it outward, feeling it seek out the arcane lock in Benson’s body, the spell placed on his magic. It resisted, as always. But I concentrated harder, pushing through its layers, until—

Crack.

The seal shattered.

Benson jerked slightly as the magic rushed back into his veins. He looked down at his hands, flexing them, breathing hard like someone who had just surfaced from underwater.

"I feel it," he whispered. "I can now access my Magic for the first time."

A wave of quiet awe spread across the room.

I turned to move toward Barnaby, but before I could reach him, Katarina stepped in front of me.

She approached with that same graceful calm she always carried, but this time, her eyes were curious.

"Are you going to do it one at a time?" she asked.

I blinked. "I… I don’t think I have any other option."

She looked thoughtful, then tilted her head.

"What if you try extending your arms outward, like you’re giving the room a big hug?"

I stared at her, confused. "A… hug?"

She gave a tiny, knowing smile. "Trust me."

I took a deep breath and lifted both arms, opening them wide like a strange messiah about to bless his followers.

Nothing happened.

I stood there like an idiot for a full ten seconds.

Nothing. Not even a spark.

Terrence snorted.

Benson lost it.

Both of them doubled over laughing, their cackles echoing in the vaulted chamber.

"You done charging the Spirit Bomb, Goku?" Terrence wheezed.

I rubbed my face in frustration.

Katarina wasn’t deterred. She folded her arms and tapped her staff against the stone floor, deep in thought.

"Ah. I think I see the problem," she murmured. Then she turned to the group. "All candidates—join hands. Form a circle."

There was a long, painful silence.

Michael and Dennis turned beet red on the spot.

Barnaby looked like he’d rather be executed.

"You can’t be serious," Michael muttered. "This is so—"

"Lame," Dennis whispered.

Terrence and Benson were losing it now, practically holding each other to stay standing.

"Do it," came the Queen’s voice, low, cold, and sharp.

Everyone snapped upright like they’d been hit by lightning.

The room shifted in tone. The Queen didn’t shout. She didn’t need to. Her glare alone said it all.

Disobey her, and you might as well dig your grave.

So, with great reluctance, the candidates linked hands one by one. A few of them exchanged awkward glances. Even the tough ones looked uncomfortable. But eventually, a full circle formed.

I stepped toward Barnaby once again, placing my hand on his shoulder.

Just before I activated my glitching powers, Katarina raised her staff and pointed it at me. Her lips moved quickly, murmuring a spell I couldn’t catch. Silvery light danced along the wood of her staff and flowed toward me.

I felt a jolt, like energy threading into my spine.

Then I glitched.

The power burst through my body like a flood. I reached into each candidate through the circle, feeling the chain reaction ripple from Barnaby outward. The seal within each one cracked, snapped, unraveled.

But for every power I unlocked, I could feel my own strength slipping.

Energy drained too fast.

My fingers trembled. My knees buckled.

Then the flow surged back into me.

It was Katarina.

Her spell was feeding me, pumping magical stamina into my veins just as fast as I burned it. It created this impossible sensation—like I was dying and resurrecting, over and over again.

We were in sync.

My vision blurred. My breath grew ragged.

But I kept going.

One by one, the seals broke.

Magic returned to all of them. I could see it in their eyes, in the sudden, overwhelming flush of emotion across their faces. They looked reborn.

Several of them dropped to their knees, overwhelmed by the rush.

Others shouted, laughed, or simply stared at their own hands, glowing with the light of power long denied.

Around the hall, other warriors—those who hadn’t volunteered, watched in awe.

Jealousy flickered across more than a few faces.

They’d doubted us. Mocked us.

Now they watched as we lit up the chamber like the rising sun.

I turned to Katarina, my breath still shallow, my body sore.

"Thank you," I whispered.

She smiled softly, like the moon smiling through the trees.

"You’re welcome."

The Queen stepped forward, her tone cutting through the murmurs like a blade.

"It is done," she said. "The candidates have been chosen. Their power is theirs again."

She turned to the hall.

"Everyone else—leave. Only the chosen remain."

Chairs scraped. Footsteps echoed.

And slowly, the hall emptied, leaving only those who would fight beside me in the battle to come.
The very same chamber, now dark.

The lights had been dimmed, and even the tall stained-glass windows were shut tight, casting the room in a heavy, expectant gloom. A quiet hum filled the air, low and mechanical, unnatural in this ancient place.

In the center, where once stood nothing, now rose a massive circular table, emerging smoothly from the floor like stone being summoned by magic. It looked almost ceremonial, reminiscent of something I’d seen in Arthurian tales, a roundtable meant for knights.

Then, above the center of the table, a glowing hologram ignited into life.

A brilliant projection of the land Ashalondaria hovered over the surface ,its mountains, rivers, forests, and cities rendered in glowing detail. Even in its illusionary form, the land looked vast and full of mystery… and danger.

Everyone gathered around silently as the map shifted, zooming in and highlighting the Kingdom? right in the center of the continent.

Surrounding it were five glowing points, each pulsing with ominous red light. They were positioned in such a way that, from this vantage point, they formed a near-perfect pentagon or perhaps, more accurately… a star.

"Three of the five targets have been neutralized," the Queen’s voice echoed through the chamber.
"The Windstalker Great Galoong, Talas the Iron Titan, and Kumodokuro the Beast of the Bones. That gives us a crucial advantage."
My eyes flicked to the red points. Two still glowed bright. Unyielding.

"Two remain," she continued. "And according to our scout, we can assume they are the most dangerous yet."

She circled the table slowly, hands folded behind her back, regal and composed even in the darkness.

"We once believed dividing the Champions among these threats would be effective," she said, her voice steady but cold. "We were wrong. We sent hundreds—thousands—alongside our chosen heroes, and they fell. Many never returned. Four Champions are now held hostage between the final two spawn of Niobeorth."

The hologram shifted again, now focusing on the western edge of the kingdom. Mountains rose like jagged knives, the terrain darkened and swirled by storm-like colors.

"Our next destination: the Khaterinth Mountains."

As the name echoed, I felt an involuntary chill crawl down my spine.

"Two Champions are held captive there," she continued. "Neryssa Velora, of the Aquafolk—graceful, cunning, and gifted with the tides. And Galtor Bloodjaw, proud warrior of the Stonequake tribes."

I frowned slightly.

"Wait," I spoke up. "I thought Grulk was the champion of the Stonequake?"

The Queen stopped and turned toward me.

"He was the second best," she explained. "After Galtor’s capture, the Stonequake were forced to name another. Grulk was… ambitious. He stepped forward. He does not carry the tribe’s honor—but he was the best they had. For better or worse."

She paused, her lips tightening just a little.

"At least now, thanks to recent events, he is out of commission."

Terrence leaned in beside me, his arms folded, wearing a smirk of pure smug satisfaction.

"You can thank our boy later," he said while clearly pointing at me.

The Queen turned back to the map.

"Along with the Champions, a large number of innocents have been taken. Entire villages nearby were seized. Over two hundred Outerealmers are trapped inside the mountains, including refugees, settlers, and adventurers."

I stepped forward slightly, eyes narrowing.

"But… is it even possible for us to get in? Back at the Dungeon of Bones, we couldn’t even go through the exit. The system Niobeorth put in place wouldn’t let us leave."

"Yes," the Queen answered. "That’s the nature of his cursed system. A trap. You can enter… but once inside, it will not let you leave."

The tension in the room thickened.

"The Khaterinth Mountains are also called the Mountain Maze," she added. "The terrain is ever-shifting. Storms howl unpredictably. Fog rolls in without warning. But worst of all—there is a purple gas."

She looked up, her gaze sweeping across the room.

"An invisible mist—one that breeds hallucinations. Even the strongest minds falter within it, wandering in circles, doubting what is real. Many have perished chasing nothing but shadows.

Our scout shall carve a safe path for you through that cursed place. Yet beyond the mist lies uncertainty, we know little of the creature that guards the Khaterinth Mountains. What we do know is this, it must not be taken lightly. Work as one. Save the civilians. And strike down the beast that stalks those peaks.

You depart in three days," the Queen declared at last. "Use that time well. Train. Rest. Plan… and endure."

The map dimmed. The table sank into the floor.

The chamber slowly brightened again.

The spell was lifted.

As she moved toward the exit, the Queen paused at the doorway. Her voice came calmly, almost too casually.

"Oh, and one last thing," she said. "Another warrior will be joining your mission."

She turned her head slightly, her silver crown catching the light.

"Speak of the devil… it seems she’s arrived from her scouting."

The heavy doors creaked open.

I turned, unsure of what to expect—

And I froze. She stepped into the chamber without hesitation, her expression unreadable as always.

Weiss Shi?!