Chapter 176: Final Battery

Leon did not bother looking for a ladder or a staircase. He simply stepped off the jagged edge of the marble crater dropping like a stone into the dark abyss. He landed heavily on the subterranean stone floor bending his thick knees to flawlessly absorb the massive kinetic impact.

A few moments later the rest of the women dropped down beside him utilizing their various magical arts to slow their descent.

The catacombs were a sprawling terrifying maze of narrow stone corridors. The walls were lined with ancient burial niches filled with grinning yellow skulls and decaying bones. The air was incredibly stagnant tasting heavily of sulfur and the sickening sweet rot of corrupted earth mana.

Faint glowing violet runes were etched into the ceiling pulsing with a slow rhythmic heartbeat that guided them deeper into the labyrinth.

"Keep your auras tight," Leon warned leading the formation down the main corridor. "The ambient magic down here is highly volatile. A stray spark could ignite the stagnant gas pockets."

They moved with silent predatory caution. The catacombs were deathly quiet save for the soft scuffing of their boots against the dusty stone.

As they navigated a particularly narrow twisting passage Valeriana suddenly stopped raising a delicate hand. The beautiful spy held her glowing compass her dark eyes narrowing in concentration.

"Wait," Valeriana whispered her voice barely carrying in the tight space. "There is a massive fluctuating energy signature just around the next corner. It is a rotating magical sensor. If it detects our body heat it will trigger a cave-in."

Leon paused pressing his back against the cold damp stone wall. He peered carefully around the jagged corner.

A heavy iron archway blocked the path forward. Embedded in the center of the arch was a massive glowing violet gemstone that slowly rotated casting a sweeping beam of dark light across the corridor like a sinister lighthouse.

"The beam sweeps the entire tunnel every ten seconds," Leon observed tracking the rhythmic movement of the light. "The blind spot is incredibly narrow. We have to move past the archway one at a time pressing flat against the left wall."

"That leaves very little room for error," Isolde murmured stepping up closely beside him to inspect the trap.

The digital interface hummed cheerfully in his vision projecting a bright pink text box right over the rotating violet gemstone.

[System Notice: The Claustrophobic Tease]

[The dark narrow tunnels are fraying the nerves of your strike team. A true warlord uses confined spaces to build intense undeniable romantic tension.]

[Objective: As Isolde prepares to move past the sensor, grab her waist and pull her into the dark corner with you. Press her firmly against the wall and whisper that she needs to wait for your command before moving.]

[Reward: +15 Charisma, 500 Shameless Points.]

Leon smirked his dark eyes flashing with chaotic amusement. The mission was deadly serious but he refused to ignore an opportunity to mentally unbalance the proud Emerald Knight.

The sweeping violet beam rotated away casting the corridor in momentary darkness.

Isolde tensed preparing to sprint past the heavy iron archway.

Before she could take a single step Leon reached out. He firmly grasped her narrow waist hauling her forcefully backward into the deep pitch black alcove where he was hiding. He pressed her athletic curves flush against the cold stone wall caging her completely with his towering muscular frame.

Isolde gasped sharply her bright green eyes flying wide open. The blistering heat radiating from his broad chest violently collided with the damp chill of the catacombs sending a massive blinding jolt of electricity straight down her spine.

"Wait for my command Isolde," Leon whispered darkly leaning his handsome face dangerously close to her ear.

The sweeping violet beam passed harmlessly just inches away from his broad back.

The Emerald Knight was completely paralyzed. The scent of his dark tailored suit and the heavy intoxicating pressure of his masculine gravity scrambled her strict military discipline. A brilliant furious red flush conquered her pale cheeks. She bit her lower lip fighting a desperate losing battle against the sudden overwhelming wave of breathless submission.

"You are a terrible distraction Warden," Isolde breathed weakly her hands instinctively resting flat against his solid chest.

"I am just keeping you safe," Leon murmured offering a dark wicked grin before slowly stepping back to grant her some breathing room.

[Quest Complete. Stat Rewards Distributed.]

A rush of raw magnetic appeal flooded his features elevating his Charisma and making the dense dark air of the catacombs feel heavy with romantic tension.

Seraphina cleared her throat loudly from the back of the formation her violet eyes narrowing suspiciously in the gloom. "If the two of you are quite finished inspecting the architecture we have an anchor to smash."

Leon chuckled softly gesturing for the Emerald Knight to proceed.

One by one the strike team flawlessly bypassed the rotating magical sensor timing their movements to perfection. They slipped through the heavy iron archway continuing their descent into the deepest forgotten levels of the Divination Court.

The narrow corridors finally gave way opening up into a massive cavernous subterranean chamber.

The air in this room was thick and suffocating saturated with an overwhelming amount of corrupted earth mana. In the very center of the chamber resting on a raised stone dais was the third and final Syndicate anchor.

It was a colossal jagged violet crystal pulsing with a blinding chaotic light.

But it was not unguarded.

Curled around the base of the massive obelisk sleeping in a pool of dark toxic sludge was a creature straight out of a nightmare. It was a massive mutated chimera standing twice as tall as a carriage. It possessed the muscular heavily armored body of a giant lion the twisted horns of a demonic goat and a thick thrashing tail ending in a venomous serpentine head.

The beast opened its glowing violet eyes letting out a deafening earth shattering roar that violently rattled the catacomb walls.

The final battery was heavily defended and the strike team was about to face the most terrifying monster the capital had ever seen.