Chapter 164: The Serpent’s Trail

The morning sun had climbed well above the canyon walls by the time the cart rolled out of the bandit camp’s territory and onto a proper road. The terrain, while still rough, was noticeably more traveled—packed earth rather than scattered rocks, with occasional wheel ruts from previous caravans.

Seraphina held the reins with practiced ease, her injured arm now properly bandaged and moving more freely. “It seems we’ve finally reached the main route through the gorge,” she observed, nodding toward the road ahead. “This section is regularly patrolled—or at least, it’s supposed to be. The bandits must have been intercepting travelers before they could reach this point.”

Adam glanced ahead, noting the relative smoothness of the path. “Finally. Back to normal roads.” He stretched, his joints popping. “Though ’normal’ is relative out here.”

Seraphina’s expression darkened slightly. “This route is known to be dangerous even without bandits. Unstable terrain, aggressive wildlife, sudden weather shifts…” She shook her head. “I never imagined there would be an entire bandit encampment hidden within it.”

Adam shrugged, a faint smirk crossing his features. “Well, lucky for this kingdom that I happened to pass through and exterminate them. They should send me a thank-you letter. Maybe a medal.”

Seraphina opened her mouth to respond—

And froze.

A whistling sound, thin and high, cut through the air. Adam’s head snapped up, his crimson eyes widening as he registered what his ears had already identified.

Arrows. Dozens of them. Falling from the canyon rim like deadly rain.

“AMBUSH!” Adam roared, already moving.

But Lilith was faster.

Sovereign Silk exploded from her fingers in a radial web, threads weaving together above the cart in the space between heartbeats. The first wave of arrows struck the web—and stuck, caught in the invisible strands like flies in a spider’s trap.

Elise’s hands were already moving, crimson light flaring as she chanted. “ELEMENTAL BARRIER!”

A shimmering dome of interlocking hexagons snapped into existence around the cart just as the second wave descended. Arrows that slipped past Lilith’s web shattered against the barrier, their tips sparking harmlessly against the magical defense.

But it wasn’t over.

From the canyon rim, concentrated spheres of flame bloomed—each one the size of a man’s head. They streaked toward the cart in a blazing arc, trailing smoke and heat.

Seraphina snapped the reins. “MOVE!”

The horses surged forward, the cart lurching as wheels bounced over uneven ground. The first fireball slammed into the spot they’d just vacated, exploding in a shower of sparks and scorched earth. A second, third, and fourth followed, each one narrowly missing as Seraphina wove the cart through the bombardment with desperate skill.

Adam’s mind raced, his Hunter’s Tri-Sense pushing outward—and finding nothing. No heartbeats. No psychic imprints. No trace of the attackers at all.

’What the hell? Where are they coming from? I can’t detect anything!’

He spun to Lilith. “Can you sense them?!”

Lilith’s eyes were narrowed, her threads retracting and extending in complex patterns as she scanned. “I detect… several signatures ahead. On the road itself. They’re moving to intercept.”

Ignis’s head popped out from the cart’s interior, flames already wreathing her hands. “They picked the wrong cart to mess with! Let me at ’em!”

“Not yet!” Adam snapped. “We don’t know their numbers or capabilities.”

Another volley of fireballs arced toward them. Elise’s barrier flickered, cracks spider-webbing across its surface. Her face was pale with strain.

“This magic… it’s powerful. More controlled than the bandits’ spells.” She gritted her teeth, reinforcing the barrier with another pulse of crimson energy. “We’re dealing with trained battle mages. High-tier.”

Seraphina’s jaw tightened as she guided the horses through another evasive maneuver. “How do they know exactly where we are? We haven’t been followed!”

Lilith’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “They’re not following us. They’re anticipating us.” Her gaze swept the canyon walls, the road ahead, the scattered rocks. “They have a detection method. A spell, or more likely—” She glanced at Adam. “—an artifact. Adam, the orb from the bandits. The one that masked their presence.”

Adam’s eyes widened. He reached into the Pouch of the Hoarding Gnome, his fingers closing around the cool, smooth surface of the Null-Sense Ward Orb. In one fluid motion, he pulled it free and activated it.

The effect was immediate.

A pulse of invisible energy rippled outward from the orb, enveloping the cart and its occupants in a bubble of sensory nullification. The next volley of fireballs—already mid-flight—suddenly wavered, their aim faltering. One exploded against the canyon wall fifty feet away. Another veered wildly and dissipated against empty air.

And then, silence.

The attack stopped as abruptly as it had begun.

Adam let out a slow breath, the orb still clutched in his hand. “They lost us. The artifact is working.”

Seraphina slowed the horses, her eyes scanning the canyon rim with wary intensity. “But for how long? Whoever they are, they’ll realize we’ve vanished from their detection.”

Elise lowered her hands, the barrier fading as she sagged against the cart’s frame. “Who were they? That wasn’t random banditry.”

Adam’s expression darkened. He looked at the orb in his hand, then at the empty canyon walls around them.

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

Then—

The arrow struck without warning.

One moment the horses were galloping, the cart lurching forward as Seraphina urged them on. The next, a sharp thwip cut through the air, and the left horse screamed—a horrible, high-pitched sound of agony as a black-shafted arrow embedded itself deep in its flank.

The animal reared, its balance shattered. The cart twisted violently, wheels leaving the ground.

“SHIT!” Adam lunged, one arm hooking around Seraphina’s waist and yanking her from the driver’s bench as the world tilted. They crashed against the cart’s frame, Adam’s scales absorbing the impact as splinters exploded around them.

Lilith moved faster than thought. Sovereign Silk shot from her fingers in a dozen directions—some anchoring the cart to the ground, others wrapping around Ignis and Elise like cocoons, cushioning them against the brutal tumble.

The cart hit the ground on its side with a thunderous CRASH that echoed off the canyon walls. Wood groaned, metal screeched, and for a moment, everything was chaos.

Then silence.

Adam pushed himself up, Seraphina still clutched against his chest. She was pale but conscious, her eyes already scanning for threats despite the crash. He released her, rolling to his feet in a low crouch, his crimson eyes sweeping the canyon walls.

“Damn it… that arrow came out of nowhere.” His jaw tightened. “They’re not just attacking—they’re trapping. We’re pinned.”

He was right.

From behind rocks, from crevices in the canyon walls, from the shadows they’d somehow missed—figures emerged. Dozens of them. Men and women in matched armor, their movements coordinated, their weapons drawn. They formed a loose circle around the wrecked cart, cutting off every possible escape route.

And Adam recognized them.

At the front stood a man with a stern, weathered face and an axe already in hand. Derek. The leader of the expedition team.

Beside him, a woman with a scar on her neck—a scar in the exact shape of a serpent’s bite. Ellen. The one Adam had bitten during that first, desperate fight in the dungeon depths. Her hand rested on the hilt of her dagger, and her eyes burned with cold recognition.

And next to them, a mage in dark robes—Westin, his staff glowing with gathered power. The same mage who had thrown spells at them in that first encounter.

Behind them, a full contingent of soldiers and adventurers spread out—at least thirty in total, their armor bearing the unmistakable crest of Solaria.

Elise’s voice came from within the wrecked cart, thin with horror. “That crest… the symbol of Solaria’s royal military.” Her face appeared in the gap of the overturned canvas, pale and shocked. “The Duke… he sent royal soldiers after us.”

Adam’s mind raced, pieces clicking into place with terrible clarity. The “expedition team” the Duke had mentioned. The “patrols” on the main route. They hadn’t been given a choice of paths at all—both led to this.

Derek stepped forward, his sword held in a relaxed but ready grip. His eyes locked onto Adam with an intensity that spoke of months of waiting, of hunting, of finally finding prey that had eluded him for too long.

“Long time no see,” Derek said, his voice flat and cold. “Monster.”

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