WorldCrafter - Building My Underground Kingdom-Chapter 247: Malvek Escape

Ben whistled seeing the explosion, while he still panting out of breath, ’This magic... it’s something else. Elvira really outdid herself with the latest aether enhancements.’

In reality, the fight had been nothing more than a game to him. He only pretended to be tired and bloodied, to fool the spies from the capital watching from the shadows.

Showing his full strength now would be foolish.

His eyes swept the battlefield. The fight was clearly leaning in his favor. His army was winning, tearing through the Gravenhold forces with brutal precision. As for the spectators who’d witnessed his match with Varnak, they were already gone, vanished into the alleys or fleeing the city.

Grinning, Ben walked toward what little remained of Varnak. The sight made him shake his head.

’Barely anything left. I can’t even use his head to lower their morale...’

Then his eyes narrowed.

’Malvek’s already escaping the city... Just as I planned.’

Meanwhile, all across the city, Gravenhold’s lines crumbled.

Vlontera’s forces surged forward, facing no resistance. Above them, flames licked the rooftops. Smoke painted the cavern ceiling red.

A squad of Draknir beastkin crashed through a wall, their fists crushing shields and skulls alike. One grabbed a Gravenhold mage mid-cast, slammed him into the cobblestones, and left behind a crater filled with scorched bone.

Further down, a Shavralk hurled his weighted chain like a serpent. It wrapped around a fleeing officer’s neck, then yanked.

The snap echoed loud over the chaos. Before the body hit the ground, he was already moving to the next.

Flamethrower tanks rolled through the wreckage, spewing hot fire that swept across enemy lines. Screams rose as Gravenhold civilians tried to escape, only to be caught between collapsing buildings and advancing rebels.

Despite only targeting military facilities, some of the civilians in the area still got caught in the chaos.

The ground cracked as Zarnak charged through a collapsing forge district. His spear killed three soldiers in a single sweep, leaving only corpses in his path.

Above him, Vlontera’s mages fired beams of condensed flame and aether from rooftop cover, punching through magical barriers like paper. One explosion sent half a tower collapsing into the enemy formation, burying dozens under stone.

Meanwhile, some distance outside the city, Malvek was inside his carriage, speeding through the dark. It was a specially made vehicle that could run on its own like a surface car, powered by mana.

Inside, he was drenched in cold sweat.

’Just who is he? How could T’zarek gather such strength in that short time... and we didn’t even realize until it was too late.’

In Malvek’s mind, none of it made sense. He believed his artifacts were at least one tier higher than anything in the region. For Ben to dig such long tunnels without triggering a single ward, impossible.

’I need to contact them. He must’ve had help from the surface. An Ashborn could never pull this off alone.’

He had heard T’zarek was backed by Ashborn warriors, but even that couldn’t explain this. Only technology from the surface could.

BAM!!!

His thoughts were shattered as something struck the carriage. The world flipped upside down, his body thrown against the walls. More explosions followed, cracking through his protection wards.

"What the hell!!"

BAM!!!

Another blast ripped through the underside of the carriage, flipping it clean off its treads. Malvek crashed against the ceiling, then the floor, as the vehicle tumbled, metal screaming in protest.

A final explosion sent it skidding sideways, trailing fire and smoke until it slammed against a sharp outcrop. The barrier flickered, shattered... then died.

Malvek groaned, blood trickling from his scalp. His limbs shook as he tried to push himself upright. But before he could even find his balance, the door was wrenched clean off its hinges.

And outside, he was surrounded by familiar face. Ash-black armor. Bone-forged blades. Eyes glowing faintly in the smoke.

The veteran Nephirid. Malvek’s heart sank, he know ever single one of them hate him to the bone.

Kaela. Her blade rested casually across one shoulder, her lips curled into a grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"Nice to meet you again, Sir Malvek," she said sweetly. "Who’ve ever tough this is our next meeting."

"You..." he hissed. "This is treason. You dare raise arms against a high regent?"

Kaela shrugged. "Treason? No, no. We’re just following the new city lord’s orders. You remember him, don’t you? T’zarek? He sends his regards."

Behind her, the others began closing in.

"And you’re not our reagen anymore."

Steel scraped stone. The crackle of flame lit the air.

Malvek’s trembling hand reached for an artifact, but Kaela’s boot stomped on his wrist before he could activate it. "Ah-ah," she said softly. "None of that."

Than Malvek saw before the butt of a spear slammed into his face.His body jolted back as the spear struck, but it didn’t knock him out. His hand twisted under Kaela’s boot.

Crack.

A pulse of red lightning exploded outward. One of Malvek artifact prepared in case emergency. It automatically activated when detect incoming danger when he’s powerless.

Kaela was thrown backward with a shout, her armor sparking. The air burned with the sudden scent of scorched metal.

From beneath his robes, Malvek rose, cloak whipping back as a glowing artifact flared to life on his chest, a crystalline device etched with gold and runes pulsing like a second heart.

The air warped around him. As orange aura glowing on his vein. "You will pay for this!" Malvek snarled.

With a motion of his hand, dozens of chains shot outward, a constructs of crimson light. They wrapped around the nearest Nephirid, pinning his limbs, digging into his flesh.

One of the veteran nephirid run forward, Malvek eyes narrowed. Raising his palm. "Die!"

A blast of force exploded shattering the road beneath their feet.

Kaela cursed, landing in a roll, spitting blood. "Be careful, that artifact is dangerous!"

Another Nephirid leapt from the side, grasping his twin blade. Malvek’s fingers snapped, and a magic circle erupted beneath the soldier’s feet.

Chain shoot out pulling him down. The Nephirid slammed into the earth, bones cracking under the pressure.

The other nephirid than come forward, The ground shaked beneath their charge.

Malvek snarled, eyes burning with fury and panic. "You think old dogs can bring me down?!"

He slammed both palms into the ground. Magic circle bloomed outward in a ring of molten red, erupting in a barrier of kinetic force that sent the first wave flying like leaves in a storm.

One veteran flipped midair and landed on all fours, immediately leaping again with blades drawn.

A Nephirid dual-wielding axes spun into the fray. Sparks exploded with every swing, as Malvek hold on with his magical barrier.

Behind him, a second veteran swept in low, aiming for the knees, Malvek responded with a pulse of force from his artifact, hurling the attacker into a nearby wall.

But for each warrior he knocked away, two more took their place. One veteran slammed a weighted chain around Malvek’s ankle, yanking hard.

Malvek staggered, but a twist of his wrist sent the chain flying, and the veteran with it. Another tried to tackle him from behind. Malvek ducked, pivoted, elbowed him in the throat, and sent him crashing into rubble.

Still, they came. Kaela darted through the crowd like lightning. She slid beneath the shockwave, slashed at the tendons behind Malvek’s knee, and vanished again into the chaos.

Tharn came from the other side, his hook-blade locking around Malvek’s wrist, trying to pull him down.

Malvek roared, veins glowing as the Obsidian Heart burned brighter. "You’ll regret this, ALL OF YOU!"

He lifted a veteran clear off the ground with one arm and hurled him into a trio trying to flank from the rear. The impact flattened them in a spray of shattered stone.

The air was thick with heat and dust.

A Nephirid smashed his shoulder into Malvek’s ribs, another stabbed downward at the artifact, but the force field pulsed again.

A wide arc of magic sent three warriors flying, their armor dented, their bodies smoking. Another charge met a barrage magic that hovered in the air, slicing through anything they touched.

Kaela dashed through the chaos, spinning to avoid a burst of energy and diving low under the attack. She came up close, too close, and slashed across his ribs.

CLANG!

A hex-shield blocked the blow, barely cracking.

Malvek backhanded her, creating a shockwave explosion. She flew, skidding across the dirt.

"You’re wasting your time," he spat. "None of you are strong enough."

A Nephirid tried to stab from behind, but the moment the blade touched Malvek’s, it’s repelled in shockwave.

Kaela staggered upright, wiping blood from her mouth. "That artifact turn him into some kind of mage."

"I know? Any idea? Don’t forget we cannot kill him." Tharn grunted, slamming a hooked chain into Malvek’s barrier, holding it just long enough for another three to close in.

The goal wasn’t to win, it was to wear him down, and capture him. Ben had given his orders clear: Take him alive.