Chapter 2358: Benched
Chapter 2358: Benched
Sam joined up with three others and blocked its escape route.
He planned a formation and made them execute it along with them. He operated the core of course, while the rest of them are operating the nodes to strengthen the formation.
The skeleton looked around lost, not knowing which way to go. The formation blocked all kinds of senses. Just when Rashma was about to pin it down from behind...
"To the left. Hold on to it properly. Your node is fluctuating. The illusion will collapse. If it even gets a semblance of sense, it will break out. You won't be able to stop it."
Sam's words resonated throughout. As if on cue, to the left of him, the guy holding the node seemed to have tripped.
The energy fluctuation was huge enough to trigger a gap in the defense.
*BAM*
The skeleton rammed through that gap and escaped. While its body is passing through, the formation barrier closed in on hurriedly. Sam filled that gap. However, the sudden influx of energy seemed to triggered something in the trinket on the skeleton's back.
At the same time, Rashma's attack coincidentally hit the skeleton at the exact same spot as the trinket.
It loosened and fell, right next to the guy who tripped the formation.
*BOOM*
The trinket exploded with all the excess energy stored up inside of it.
The explosion blew him away with that weird death energy completely corroding his body. The formation broke completely, but that also crashed the skeleton to the ground.
The skeleton was captured, but one of them is down. He was immediately taken back to the hide out where he was being treated by the healers.
The necromancers were sent to examine the skeleton.
Meanwhile, in the meeting room.
Drik charged at Sam who stood there calmly.
Just when he was about to punch, Rashma made a move and stopped his charge with just two fingers.
"You did that on purpose. That formation fluctuation story is bullshit. That trinket you placed on the skeleton exploded because you wanted it to explode."
Sam just smiled and said.
"I can understand why you think I did it on purpose. And I am not going to convince you otherwise. However, just know that if I really want to create a hole for one of your guys, I don't have to go through so much trouble.
I could do it a lot more easily and efficiently. You wouldn't even know what is happening before I am done with it."
Drik didn't know what to say to that.
"How do you explain the trinket?"
Sam threw one and said.
"Examine it yourself. Believe it or not, it was just an accident"
"I don't believe you. You are sitting the next one out." Sam just shrugged and sat on a chair. Rashma looked at him in askance and he just gestured for her to go and continue the task.
Drik went to the formation team and gave them the trinket to check it out. He then asked them.
"Is it really not possible to use a stationary formation for this? Why can't we just use a defensive formation to lock the skeleton down? Why do we even need a formation that needs our actual physical presence there to control it?"
"The black skeletons are way too powerful. Their energy levels are way past second grade. To set up such a formation we need equipment like the metal pillars Sam used to create that large formation around.
However, those pillars are not good for locking down a smaller area.
On top of that, we don't know how the skeletons will move. We need to adapt and improvise. Of course, it is not impossible to create a formation that meets the criteria, however we need
someone who is an actual expert on the formations."
"And you guys are not?" Drik asked in frustration.
"Drik, we are good with formations. Great in fact. But what you need is not good and great. You need perfect. In fact, you need to go beyond perfection and absolute masters who can deliver it a hundred times out of hundred attempts.
This is a team combat competition, not the formation competition. In here, only Sam is capable of achieving what you want."
Drik pursed his lips and asked again.
"What happened before, do you think it is an accident? Or did he do it?"
"It could be either to be honest. He is capable of doing both. In fact, he is capable of doing it without getting caught as well."
"You have way too much praise for him."
"It is still not enough. I understand since you are not an expert in other auxiliary professions,
so you wouldn't be able to grasp the depth of it.
To reach my current expertise, you need to be damn good at everything related to that profession. Talent, energy control, imagination, calculations, everything. But to be as good as Sam... you have to be built different.
Just from what I saw in the formation competition.... That guy's brain works hundred times faster than mine and I still believe it is an understatement.
If I were you, I would be wondering why he let such a blunder happen instead of being pissed
about it.
And decide if you are either going to throw him out or get his full cooperation. Having him on the same team and being an enemy at the same time, with this many formations working around, he can chew you up and spit out your damn skeleton out and you wouldn't be able to detect shit."
Drik didn't know what to say or even think at the moment.
Someone else came to him to execute the next trap. Meanwhile, back in the hide out. Sam and Crow are sitting in the room.
The latter had so many questions but he knew better than ask all of them. Of course, his curiosity still got the better of him and he yapped a bit.
"Why did you do that?"
"Because they are idiots. I ran the oldest trick in the book and they still fell for it. He should
have kicked me out immediately along with Rashma and you.
But he didn't. I guess, he deserves whatever that is about to come to him just because of that."
"What are you planning?"
"Something that is not your concern. The transference token I gave you at the start. The one
that will lead you to our first rendezvous, you still have it."
"Of course, I didn't use it."
"Keep it. You might want to use it soon."
"When."
"You will know when the time comes. Don't worry.
For now, guard for me. Make sure no one disturbs me."
Sam said and sat on the floor. He closed his eyes and went into a meditative state. He activated earth elemental fusion and he looked in the same color as the soil in the ground
around them.
Some people did come to check on him. However, they never got past Crow. They did take a glimpse at him. However, they just assumed he is cultivating. They cannot really say anything against it when they are all cultivators.
Time passed.
It is way past the twenty four hours limit.
Drik, Hari and Rashma and coordinating the people well and captured the black skeletons. However, to their dismay, the black skeletons are increasing in number. And even the number of skeletons are also increasing much much faster than their speed of capturing them. The situation became extremely complicated. Drik didn't know what to do. He took the lead
proactively and now even though they are making progress, the size of the job kept on
increasing with every passing second.
Finally, after hours he came back to the hide out and knocked on the door where Sam stayed.
"I need to talk to him." He asked Crow.
"He is cultivating. You have to wait."
"There is no fucking time to wait. Situation is getting out of control."
"Let him in."
Sam opened his eyes and called out.
Crow let him in. Drik looked at Sam who is still on the floor. He didn't raise up and he didn't
stop his cultivation. He just opened his eyes. That is all. Of course, he also deactivated his
fusion mode.
"What do you want?"
"I need your help."
"For what?"
"To figure out a solution. The number of black skeleton..."
"Increased? By my calculations, it should be thrice the amount that you already captured and
it would soon be four times. You are actually a lot more efficient than I thought."
"How do you know that?"
"I am not going to answer that. What do you want from me and what price do you want to pay
for it? Just discuss that and that alone."
"Price?"
Drik along with the rest of the members are all confused.
"You are seriously negotiating now?" Drik asked with gritted teeth.
"In your own words, I am an opportunist. I have a reputation to live up to."