Soulbound: Dual Cultivation-Chapter 68: Great horde

When Lucas finally stepped into the grand hall with Lira at his side, the thick tension in the air struck him like a wall. The once composed officials now wore grim expressions as they rushed back and forth between messengers and officers. Even the palace guards stood differently...more alert, their hands twitching by the hilts of their weapons.

His eyes scanned the room until he spotted her, Princess Nyx, standing near a large window that overlooked the distant walls of the city. She wore a silver and navy battle cloth, elegant yet ready for conflict, and her brow was furrowed as she spoke to a captain by her side.

Lucas approached her swiftly, Lira walking close behind him. "Princess Nyx," he called softly, so as not to interrupt but still be heard.

She turned, and for a brief moment, a flicker of relief crossed her face at the sight of him... but it quickly vanished, replaced by a seriousness that made Lucas straighten instinctively.

"What’s going on?" he asked, his voice low, cautious. "What’s happened?"

Nyx inhaled, her eyes flicking toward the large arched doors at the end of the hall, beyond which chaos stirred in the outer city. "It’s a beast attack," she said, her tone hushed yet weighted. "A horde of them. They’re nearing the city walls even as we speak."

Lucas blinked. "A horde?" he repeated, more to himself than to her. He glanced at the nearest guards, at the worried scribes and scurrying aides. This was no routine disturbance.

It hit him then....he had heard of beast attacks in this era, especially outside fortified regions, but since arriving in Xavier’s body, he hadn’t encountered a single one. And from the look on Princess Nyx’s face... this wasn’t a trivial matter.

"What kind of beasts?" he asked quietly.

Nyx shook her head. "We don’t know yet. Scouts were sent, but the fog came down over the valley just after the first horns were blown. All we know is that they’re moving fast and there are too many for the outer watchtowers to hold. Father has summoned the elite units to prepare for defense."

Lucas exhaled slowly. Beside him, Lira stood still, her expression unreadable, but he could sense the spike of tension in her Qi. She was scared. They all were.

"Has the king ordered an evacuation?" Lucas asked.

Nyx shook her head. "Not yet. He’s hoping to hold the walls. If they break through, then we’ll send the signal."

Lucas didn’t speak immediately. He turned toward the towering window where Nyx had been standing. In the far distance, beyond the inner wall, the outer border flickered with scattered lights.

Lucas didn’t hesitate. The moment Princess Nyx turned to leave, he followed her without a second thought. He could see the determined look in her eyes. Lira reached for his arm gently, eyes full of concern.

"I’m coming with you," she said quickly.

He stopped, turned to her, and shook his head. "No, Lira. Not this time."

Her brows furrowed, her lips parted as if to protest.

"I need you to stay," Lucas said firmly. "The palace might still need healing hands if this gets worse. He offered her a reassuring look, one filled with a quiet resolve. "I’ll be back."

Then he turned, mounted one of the waiting horses behind Nyx, and the two of them galloped out of the palace gates. The pounding of hooves echoed off the stone as they rode through the capital’s inner roads. Guards saluted the princess as they passed, citizens scrambled in every direction, panic spreading quickly. freёwebnoѵel.com

Lucas turned his head as he rode beside Nyx, raising his voice above the roar of chaos.

"This isn’t normal, is it?" he called.

Nyx didn’t look at him, her focus ahead, jaw tight. "No. It’s not. Not like this."

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "So many at once..."

She nodded grimly. "Beast hordes are wild by nature. They attack sporadically, without focus or rhythm. But this....this was coordinated. The scouts say they’re all moving together. Like they were sent."

Lucas’s mind immediately jumped to her earlier words. "You think it’s the Blackmare Kingdom?"

"It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve tampered with wild magic," she said. "But we don’t have proof. Not yet. Just suspicion. And in war, that’s enough to bleed a kingdom."

They turned a corner, nearly running down a pair of citizens dashing across the road in panic.

As the two of them passed through the final gate toward the outer district, they could already see the smoke rising in the distance. The city’s soldiers were beginning to form ranks near the wall. Some are already ascending the stairs up the wall in neat formation, they were coordinated and prepared.

Nyx pushed her horse faster. "Come," she shouted over her shoulder. "Let’s not be late to the front."

Lucas and Princess Nyx dismounted as soon as they reached the foot of the massive outer walls. They moved quickly, the wind at the top howled at their faces, and the sounds of alarm horns carried stronger up there.

When they reached the top of the wall, the commanding officer, an older man in special armour turned with a start. He immediately strode toward them.

"Your Highness," he said, voice laced with worry. "You shouldn’t be here. This place is no safe perch for a royal...please, return to the palace. We’ll handle this."

Nyx’s face hardened. "I’m not going anywhere, Commander Alexander. If the wall falls, what good is the palace? I was trained for this. My blade is ready."

Commander Alexander, looked at the both of them for a moment, he knew the princess was stubborn, too much like her father...but seeing her there with fire in her eyes and this other young man beside her, he relented with a frustrated sigh.

"Very well," he said. "Then keep your heads low and follow my command."

Lucas nodded.

Commander Alexander turned and pointed beyond the wall. "Take a look for yourself."

Lucas and Nyx stepped closer to the battlements, resting their hands on the edge of the stone. The view before them made their skin crawl.

From the darkness of the wild expanse that lay beyond the outer fields of the city, a monstrous tide was rolling in.

Hundreds of low-tier magical beasts surged together...beasts with long sinewy limbs, skin like bark covered in veins of glowing green, eyes that shimmered with savage hunger. They moved in unnatural rhythm, their clawed limbs skittering rapidly across the terrain like swarming insects. Some crawled while others leapt in manic bursts. Their shrieking cries echoed, piercing and relentless, a maddening symphony of bloodlust and hunger.

And they were fast. Too fast.

Lucas’s throat tightened as he took it all in. The horde was closing in rapidly, kicking up clouds of dust beneath their frenzied charge.

"They’ll be on us in minutes," Lucas muttered beside her, his eyes narrowing. This was the first line of defence, he knew most of them would be dead soon. Even though the beasts are low-tier, their dense population would made it difficult to fight them.

Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at (f)re𝒆we(b)novel.com Only