Gunmage-Chapter 50: Midnight sabotage

12:00 AM.

Under the cover of darkness, on the night of a full moon, a platoon-sized squad of twenty soldiers advanced through dense forest, their figures ghostlike beneath the swaying canopy. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and river mist.

Their uniforms had been altered to a mottled black, and they all wore masks to obscure their features. In the moonlight, they seemed more like shadows than men.

Among them were Lugh, the elf Vaelith, Lyra, and the priestess Xhi. The only other living person in their ranks was Captain Renshaw, personally assigned by the Prince for this mission.

The rest? Puppets.

Lugh could only control two at a time, but the same couldn't be said for the priestess.

The bodies used had been sourced from the Heieg soldiers they captured during the landing operation some 7 to 8 months prior.

The squad climbed a steep incline of rock and sand until their vantage point granted them a clear view of the target.

The dam.

A colossal wall of stone stretched across the Great Roch River, its structure imposing even under the dim moonlight. The waters behind it surged sluggishly, restrained by its sheer bulk.

Two puppets and a person dug in, their large modified rifles at the ready. It was the priestess Xhi. She positioned herself well, adjusting her aim with calculated precision.

"30 minutes"

Renshaw stated

With that, the squad burst into motion, sliding down the slope in controlled silence. They landed on soft grass and moved like ghosts, low and swift, toward the cabins at the dam's edge.

Voices were heard.

Half the squad went prone, the tall grass swallowing them whole, the rest hid behind trees and bushes.

Renshaw caught Lugh's eye and flicked his head toward a cabin. One of the puppets slithered forward, crawling to the window before peering inside.

Lugh spoke

"Three soldiers, playing cards, possibly drunk, two rifles, one machine gun."

Renshaw made his decision in a split second.

"Take them out!"

Bang!

Three shots, all at the same time, three bodies hit the floor before the echoes faded.

The gunfire shattered the night's peace. Searchlights snapped on, beams slicing through the dark. Shouts rang out.

"Plant the charges."

The command was given, and they complied.

Swift, precise and silent. Once finished, they withdrew into the dense foliage.

Lugh's squad split into two. Xhi's puppets veered off to execute their own objectives while the soldiers of Heieg rushed toward the cabin, weapons drawn.

They stormed inside and found three of their comrades. Dead. Their minds froze for a second. That second was all it took.

"Now!"

Boom!

The explosion ripped through the building, sending a fireball into the sky. The shockwave hurled nearby soldiers through the air like ragdolls, rattling the grasses and trees.

That was the signal.

Gunfire erupted.

"Xhi"

Renshaw whispered to the air, and in the next moment, a well-placed shot sent the brains of a machine gunner splattering across the floor.

"Vaelith, provide cover fire! Lugh, Lyra, on me!"

They surged forward. The burning cabin painted their surroundings in flickering red and gold, but darkness still swallowed the edges of the battlefield.

For some, that meant blindness. For Vaelith, it meant nothing. Her enchanted eyes saw through the dark as if it were midday. Each squeeze of the trigger found a mark, cutting down enemy soldiers before they could react.

Lyra's long hair, animated by her magic, twisted in the air to form a shield. Bullets that should have torn through her instead clattered harmlessly to the ground.

Lugh, bringing up the rear, let his Mawglass survey the battlefield while simultaneously controlling two other bodies to act on the feedback.

Xhi's sniper support was methodical, a steady rhythm of death that ensured the squad's advance remained uncontested. The west bank fell quickly.

But the element of surprise was gone.

On the eastern bank, reinforcements poured onto the dam, rushing to cross and bolster their faltering comrades.

"We have to get there first!"

Vaelith chanted, her hands forming sigils in the air. The strong winds produced by the river amplified several folds until it transformed into a massive hurricane.

The enemy staggered, clutching at whatever they could to avoid being hurled into the rapids below.

"It won't last long!"

Her voice carried through the storm, but Lugh was already on the move.

He sprinted for the dam with reckless abandon, dragging a machine gun with him. His boots skidding against the stone as he slid into cover.

He risked a glance back. The dam stretched before him, a massive stone bridge. The enemy, still struggling against the wind, had no cover.

Perfect.

Lugh inhaled sharply, steadying his focus

"^@#@^&*"

His right eye burned with cold power as phantoms gathered around him, their spectral forms coiling in the dark, awaiting his command.

"Black"

He stated

The world obeyed.

The stars vanished. The searchlights flickered and died. A thick, impenetrable darkness swallowed everything.

But Lugh could see.

He pulled the trigger. The muzzle of the machine gun made no flashes, but the roar was deafening, and the bullets fatal.

The soldiers of Heieg were quickly mowed down. Their body armor did nothing to stop the absolutely destructive power of the large caliber rounds.

When the last enemy on the dam collapsed, Lugh exhaled sharply, and the world returned to normal.

Renshaw nodded approvingly

"12 minutes left, Xhi, updates."

A moment later, her voice echoed in their minds.

"They're all dead, no one was able to send a tele... tele, what was it again? Anyways, no communication requests went out. I made sure of it."

"Good. You can mop up the remnants, replenish your forces. We'll set up the explosives."

A pause.

"Alright."

Throughout the entire battle, Xhi's puppets were the only casualties.

Lyra approached Lugh.

"You okay with using that much magic? The main fight is still ahead"

"I'm fine,"

Lugh responded. He hesitated, glancing back at the field of corpses.

"There are a lot of dead."

She gave him an understanding look.

"Just don't overdo it."

Then she set to work.

By the time the explosives were set, Renshaw approached Lyra and placed the detonator in her hand.

"We're counting on you... Princess."

She froze.

"What?"

"Sorry, that was a lame joke."

He hurriedly retreated.

Lyra rolled her eyes, then removed her mask. Her mouth moved, but no words were heard.

She pressed the detonator, the earth convulsed as explosions tore through the stone, unleashing the river's wrath.

The waters, finally freed, surged forward in a tidal wave of destruction.

The dam shattered, the world shook, and yet, there was no sound.

When the noise returned, it was only that of a regular flowing river.

Lyra panted heavily

"There goes the person telling me not to overdo it"

Lugh muttered.

She grinned sheepishly.

Renshaw's voice cut through the moment.

"Right on time."

Visit frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓ for the b𝘦st novel reading experience.

From the north, a fleet of ships approached, gliding silently through the water. At the forefront, a vessel bore a large patchwork sail. A white flag, emblazoned with a burning rose, fluttered high.

Major General Lovainne and the 14th Division had arrived.