From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Chapter 586: New Faces

Wei nodded, his expression calm. "Understood. I’ll be in and out."

Alexander’s eyes moved to Meilin. "Meilin, your focus is on controlling the field. We need chokepoints, blockades, anything to limit their movement and force them into vulnerable positions."

Meilin nodded, her eyes sharpening with determination. "The ground will be ours."

Finally, Alexander turned to Jui-Lao. "You’re with me. Titan’s Resilience will keep us steady at the front. When we make contact, use Tremor Burst to disorient their formation. We need to draw as much of their attention as possible."

Jui-Lao smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You know I enjoy making a scene."

Alexander looked at each of them in turn. "We move in two hours. Every detail matters. We’re not here to prove anything—we’re here to win. Eliminate the King, and pull back. Precision over everything."

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps approached the tent. The flap opened, and a scout stepped in, saluting Alexander. "Commander, we’ve located the Midnights’ stronghold. It’s twenty-five miles from here, directly ahead. We estimate we can have the entire perimeter surrounded in an hour."

Alexander’s eyes sharpened with purpose. "Good. Get your team ready. Everyone else, prepare. We rally in two hours."

The scout nodded and quickly exited. Marcus clapped his hands together, his grin growing even more mischievous. "Looks like it’s showtime, folks. Hope they’re ready for us."

Wei slipped back into the shadows, his presence almost vanishing. "They won’t see me coming."

Meilin gave a small nod, her eyes already focusing inward, mentally preparing. "The earth will obey us."

Jui-Lao, standing beside Alexander, gave a relaxed, almost lazy salute. "No mistakes, just execution. Let’s show them what it means to challenge us."

Alexander watched each of them, their readiness clear in their expressions. "Remember, we’re not here for glory. We strike fast, strike hard, and get out. We kill the King, and let the rest tear each other apart."

Marcus gave a nod, his grin turning serious for a moment. "Understood, Alex. We’ve got this."

Alexander took a deep breath as the room emptied, his gaze falling to the table for a brief moment. "Just a bit closer," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible. A flicker of uncertainty passed through his mind, an odd feeling that wouldn’t quite settle. He clenched his jaw, dismissing it. "I suppose I shouldn’t worry too much."

He looked down at his hands, watching as bits of green energy pulsed and circulated across his fingers. With one last glance at the map, he turned and stepped out of the tent.

Outside, the camp was a storm of activity—squads preparing, warriors getting into formation, readying themselves for the strike. Alexander’s eyes scanned the area until they fell on the figures of Wei and Meilin, standing near a supply cart, discussing something in hushed voices.

Alexander approached, catching Meilin’s eye first. She straightened, nodding in acknowledgment. Wei turned towards him as well, his expression serious, as always.

"Let’s get moving," Alexander said, his voice firm. "It shouldn’t take long to get into position. We need to be ready before Marcus kicks off the diversion."

Jui-Lao leaned against a nearby tree, his eyes on the fortress. "Think they’re going to put up a fight?"

Alexander didn’t look at him, his gaze fixed ahead. "It won’t matter if they do."

Meilin rested her hand against the ground, her fingers feeling the pulse of the earth beneath her. "Once Marcus starts, I’ll make the first move. Block their routes, make them scramble."

Alexander nodded. "And Jui, when they’re disoriented, you make sure they stay that way."

Jui-Lao gave a thumbs-up, his smile widening. "Got it. Let’s make some noise."

Alexander looked at each of them, his gaze sharp. "This is simple. We strike hard, and we strike fast. We’re not giving them time to react."

Meilin’s eyes met his, a hint of determination in her gaze. "Understood."

Suddenly, a deafening crack of thunder echoed across the sky, drawing their attention sharply to the mock castle below. The sky darkened rapidly, clouds swirling above the fortress, and before anyone could react, a bolt of lightning crashed down, tearing through the top of the castle.

The flash illuminated the forest for an instant, followed by the sound of stone shattering, the entire upper part of the fortress collapsing in on itself.

"What the hell?" Jui-Lao muttered, his eyes widening as he watched the scene.

Alexander’s gaze remained locked on the castle, his eyes narrowing. "That wasn’t part of the plan," he said, his voice tense, though his composure didn’t waver.

Wei moved closer, crouching beside Alexander, his eyes scanning the castle and the sudden chaos below. "You think it’s one of theirs?" he asked, his tone calm but questioning.

"I don’t know—" Alexander began, but his words were cut off as a bright, shining light erupted from the top of the castle. A figure shot into the air, flung far above the fortress, hovering against the dark sky.

"What the hell?!" Jui-Lao exclaimed, his eyes wide as he squinted up at the sky. "Who is that? Do they have someone with air-walking skills?!"

Alexander’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he watched the figure soaring higher. "I’m not sure, but why the hell would he leave the castle alone?" He pulled a pair of binoculars from his side, bringing them up to his eyes for a closer look. "It’s one of the Midnights. He’s not flying... someone or something flung him out of there."

Meilin frowned, shifting her gaze between the castle and the airborne figure. "You think he’s trying to get to our side? Heading for our King?"

Alexander lowered the binoculars, his gaze focused and cold. "Could be. Either way, we can’t let him reach our stronghold." He looked to the side. "Do we have anyone with a long-range attack? Shoot him down."

Jui-Lao snorted, a smirk pulling at his lips. "The person playing our King has a pretty decent skill—one that’d make killing him a long, drawn-out process. Besides, it’d be two against one if anyone did reach him. We took care of all the Midnight advanced teams on our way here. No one’s getting to our King without us knowing."

Meilin nodded in agreement, her eyes still fixed on the figure above. "We pushed them back and forced them to regroup. There’s no way they saw us coming. They’re just scrambling now."