Chapter 108 — No Way Out
Outside the City of Trade, a strange magic circle appeared on the ground.
Its symbols glowed faintly, spreading a pale light across the grass and stones. The air above it shimmered as if the world itself had been disturbed.
Then, a figure emerged from the circle.
A woman.
She held a staff in one hand and looked toward the distant city walls. For a moment, she stood still, taking in the sight of Helios Reach.
"I'm finally here…"
Her voice was quiet, almost lost in the wind.
She tightened her grip on her staff.
"Ryze is somehow in that city."
She looked toward the gates.
"I need to find her."
The woman paused, then shook her head as if correcting herself.
"No. I will find her."
Her expression turned serious.
"She has our only hope."
With that, she began walking toward the City of Trade.
Inside Helios Reach, the atmosphere had changed completely.
The streets were still busy, but the usual sense of freedom was gone. Imperial soldiers marched through the city in groups, patrolling the roads, checking the alleys, and watching the entrances to buildings.
Their armor and weapons stood out against the ordinary crowd. Some soldiers carried spears and shields, while others held swords or bows. Their eyes moved constantly, scanning every passerby.
It was hard to miss them.
And it was even harder to avoid them.
I watched from behind the curtains of our inn room, carefully pulling the fabric aside just enough to see the street below.
Another patrol passed.
Then another.
I let the curtain fall back into place and stepped away from the window.
"...This is bad."
Volt was sitting near the table, looking over the supplies and equipment we had managed to keep with us. He glanced up when I spoke.
"What is?"
"The patrols. They're everywhere."
I returned to the window and peeked outside again.
Yesterday, the city had been thrown into chaos by the fight between an Administrator Orion and Blaze... The battle had left enough of an impression that the Empire seemed determined to make sure nothing like it happened again.
And now, the soldiers were taking no chances.
Before yesterday, patrols had been easy to predict. They usually followed regular routes, and there were plenty of blind spots between their paths. If we watched long enough, we could find a moment to slip through.
But today?
There was no pattern.
The soldiers were moving in different directions, changing routes, and checking places they had ignored before. Even the narrow streets and side alleys were being watched.
I leaned closer to the window.
A pair of soldiers stopped outside a nearby building. One of them spoke to a civilian while the other kept his eyes on the street.
I pulled away from the curtain.
"There's no opening. Every blind spot we could use is being watched now."
Volt leaned back in his chair.
"Well…"
He scratched the back of his head.
"The plan was to get SK, restock our supplies, and leave."
"I know."
"Good thing I already moved the supplies into the tank outside the city."
I looked at him.
"At least something went right."
"Yeah, but…"
Volt turned toward the window.
"How do we even get out of here now?"
I didn't answer immediately.
My eyes drifted toward the door, then back to the window. We were staying in an inn, surrounded by Imperial soldiers, in a city that had suddenly become one giant checkpoint.
And we couldn't just walk out.
If the Empire recognized us, there was no telling what would happen. We were already on their radar, and after yesterday's incident, they were probably watching everyone who looked even slightly suspicious.
Volt folded his arms.
"So, any ideas?"
I stared at the floor, thinking.
There had to be a way.
A side entrance. A hidden route. A distraction. Maybe we could wait until the patrols changed shifts, or find a way to get outside without passing through the main gates.
Then a thought came to me.
"Teleportation skill?"
Volt looked at me.
"What?"
"Could we use a teleportation skill to get outside the city?"
He shook his head.
"Nope. None of us can do that."
I frowned.
"Not even a short-range one?"
"Not one that can get us out of here. And even if someone could teleport, we're not leaving the tank behind."
Right.
The tank.
Our supplies were already outside the city, along with the vehicle we needed to continue traveling. Leaving it behind would mean losing more than just transportation. We would be abandoning the equipment we had prepared for the road ahead.
I sighed and leaned against the wall.
"So we're stuck."
"For now," Volt replied.
I glanced back through the curtains.
Another group of soldiers marched past the inn.
Their footsteps sounded heavier than they should have.
I pressed my lips together.
Sneaking out was impossible. Teleporting was out of the question. And waiting around didn't guarantee anything would change.
We needed our supplies. And we needed to leave Helios Reach before the Empire decided to tighten its grip even further.
But right now, I couldn't see a way to do any of that.
"...Great," I muttered.
Volt gave me a look.
"What?"
"Nothing."
I returned to the window and watched the patrols once more.
There had to be a way out.
There had to be.