Chapter 54: Siege of House Sterling
Thick plumes of black smoke choked the evening sky long before the grand gates of the Sterling estate came into view.
The once pristine sprawling grounds were currently a chaotic nightmare of burning watchtowers and shattered stone walls.
The Eclipse Syndicate had executed a highly coordinated and ruthless assault utilizing rogue mages to blast open the main defensive perimeter while heavily armored mercenaries flooded the lower courtyard.
Stormfang vaulted over the ruined iron gates with a massive leap landing heavily on the cracked cobblestones. The giant wolf crushed a Syndicate spearman beneath its massive paws before skidding to a halt.
The lower servant quarters were engulfed in a terrifying battle. Estate guards clad in silver armor fought desperately against waves of dark robed mercenaries.
The air crackled with lethal magical energy as fireballs and corrosive wind blades tore through the pristine gardens.
Seraphina gripped the pommel of her broadsword with trembling hands.
Her internal pathways throbbed with a dull agonizing ache serving as a harsh reminder of her crippled state. She could not summon her crimson aura to join the fray and the realization tore at her proud warrior spirit.
Leon swiftly assessed the chaotic battlefield using his perfect Night Vision.
His massive one hundred and five points of Strength and one hundred and thirty five points of Agility made him physically superior to almost every combatant in the courtyard.
"The kitchen wing is a highly defensible chokepoint," Leon stated loudly over the din of clashing steel. He spurred the giant wolf forward toward the sprawling stone arches of the servant dining area. "I need to secure a safe location for you to rest while I clear the upper corridors."
They rode Stormfang through a shattered glass window and crashed directly into the grand kitchens.
The culinary sanctuary was in absolute ruins. Wooden prep tables were smashed into splinters and expensive imported flour coated the cobblestone floor like a blanket of fresh snow.
A group of five Syndicate mercenaries cornered the surviving kitchen staff near the massive stone ovens. Garret the hulking bully porter was cowering pathetically beneath a broken cart weeping openly while clutching his bruised head.
Standing bravely in front of the trembling maids was Elara.
The Head Cook looked incredibly fierce in her torn black and white uniform holding a heavy iron meat cleaver in her right hand. A shallow bloody cut marred her striking face but her amber eyes blazed with a tyrannical fury that refused to yield to the invading thugs.
A tall mercenary wielding a jagged runic short sword lunged forward intending to gut the beautiful cook.
Leon did not hesitate.
He vaulted off the back of the armored wolf and activated his Aura Step. He folded the physical space and materialized directly between Elara and the attacking mercenary.
He raised his right hand and utilized a highly concentrated pulse of Kinetic Repulsion. The invisible wall of raw kinetic force slammed into the mercenary’s chest with the stopping power of a siege ballista.
The man’s leather breastplate instantly shattered and he was violently launched backward through the air crashing heavily into the stone wall with a sickening crunch.
The remaining four mercenaries froze in pure shock as the ragged bloodstained attendant seemingly teleported into the room.
Leon drew his ironwood practice sword from his satchel. He channeled his kinetic mana into the wooden weapon using Aura Infusion turning the basic stick into a lethal bludgeon.
He blurred into motion dancing through the attackers with flawless martial precision.
He parried a thrust shattered a collarbone and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick that sent a mercenary spinning across the flour covered floor. In less than ten seconds the entire squad was incapacitated or dead.
Elara dropped her heavy meat cleaver and let out a breathless sob of pure relief. She recognized the broad muscular shoulders and the dark magnetic eyes of the man who had claimed her innocence just two days ago.
"Leon," she whispered softly her tyrannical pride melting away into overwhelming devotion. She threw herself forward and wrapped her arms desperately around his neck burying her flushed face into his chest.
The crystal bell chimed merrily in his skull projecting a glowing pink text box right above her dark hair.
[Quest Issued: The Public Claim]
[Context: The fierce cook has bravely defended her staff but she needs a massive surge of morale. The surrounding servants and the Silver Goddess are watching. Establish your absolute dominance and claim your prize in front of the audience.]
[Objective: Wrap your arm tightly around her waist, dip her low, and deliver a highly passionate bruising kiss while declaring that nobody touches her.]
[Reward: +10 Strength, Skill ’Kinetic Shockwave’, 200 Shameless Points.]
[Failure Penalty: The Host will suffer a massive bout of intense stage fright causing him to violently stutter every time he attempts to sound intimidating.]
Leon read the quest and panicked.
He knew the long grueling ground work he had laid for Seraphina, and he wasn’t certain the best action was claiming Elara in front of her this early
However if he lost the ability to sound intimidating, he is going to embarass himself everytime he spoke.
He wrapped his strong left arm firmly around Elara’s remarkably slim waist and smoothly dipped her backward toward the floor. The surviving kitchen maids gasped loudly as the rugged attendant boldly captured the Head Cook’s lips in a desperate bruising kiss.
Elara eagerly returned the passionate assault tangling her fingers into his messy dark hair. She did not care that her staff or the eldest noble daughter was watching.
She belonged to the monster holding her and she wanted the entire world to know it.
Leon pulled away and hauled her back upright keeping her tucked securely against his side. He turned his piercing gaze toward the trembling servants.
"Nobody touches you under my watch," Leon declared in a deep resonant voice laced with his heavy Intimidation Aura.
[Quest Completed Successfully!]
[Your vocal cords remain smooth and highly intimidating.]
[Distributing Rewards: +10 Strength, Skill ’Kinetic Shockwave’ Acquired, 200 Shameless Points.]
A dense surge of raw power flooded his muscles elevating his Strength to one hundred and fifteen points. The new skill provided him with the devastating ability to slam his kinetic mana into the ground generating a localized earthquake.
Seraphina slid gracefully off the armored wolf and walked over to the gathered staff. She offered Leon a highly complex look that blended annoyance with deep confusing jealousy.
"Barricade these doors and stay behind the wolf," Leon ordered the kitchen staff before turning his attention to the noble daughter. "Stormfang will protect you. I am going to the upper wing to find Beatrice and clear the grand library."
"Be careful Leon," Seraphina whispered softly reaching out to lightly brush her fingers against his torn sleeve, her expression fading from jealousy to concern. "If the Syndicate managed to breach the inner sanctum they brought their heavy hitters. Do not fight a Grandmaster alone."
Leon offered her a charming wicked smirk before activating his Aura Step.
He vanished from the kitchen leaving the two powerful women staring after him unified by their intense desperate hope for his safe return.
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