Chapter 235: Iron Foundry

The canyon looked like a wound carved into the earth.

Someone had cut through the mountains with brutal force, leaving walls that dropped nearly three hundred feet from the rim to the floor below. Dark veins of iron ran through the stone, some of them as thick as tree trunks, glowing faintly with amber energy from somewhere deep inside the rock. The canyon stretched for half a mile, winding through the frontier mountains like a giant scar. From above, the foundry at the bottom was almost impossible to see unless you stood at the right angle.

Holden lay flat near the canyon’s edge, his chin close to the ground as he scanned everything below. Behind him, the rest of Team Soup stayed low, hidden behind a rocky ridge overlooking the canyon. None of them spoke. They were watching the foundry, studying the guards, the structures, and every possible route into the fortress.

The foundry was a nightmare.

It had been built directly into the canyon floor, with entire sections carved into the surrounding rock. Black iron pipes ran along the walls and connected furnaces, forges, storage bays, and assembly lines. Amber energy pulsed through them, feeding every part of the facility. The deeper Holden looked, the clearer it became that this wasn’t simply a weapons factory. It was a fortress built to keep producing weapons even while under attack.

The furnaces were enormous. Orange flames poured from their open mouths, sending black smoke into the air while waves of heat rose through the canyon. The heat distorted everything above them, making the distant structures appear to shake. The constant glow from the furnaces painted the entire canyon floor in a deep orange light, giving the place an almost hellish appearance.

Between the furnaces, long assembly lines stretched across the floor. Simple Rank 2 enchantments kept the conveyor belts moving as raw materials passed from one station to another. Iron went in. Blades, armor, and other weapons came out. Even from three hundred feet above, Holden could see the dark purple glow of Abyssal energy coating many of the finished weapons.

Weapons were stacked everywhere. Racks of swords stood beside piles of axes and crates filled with arrowheads. Mountains of armor plates covered entire sections of the floor. There was enough equipment here to arm an army of ten thousand, all waiting to be shipped to the Abyssal forces.

Then there were the guards.

Thousands moved through the foundry in organized patrols, their armor reflecting the furnace light. Most were Rank 1 and Rank 2 mercenaries, but there were stronger fighters among them as well. Their movements were disciplined, their patrol routes tight and predictable. This wasn’t a group of criminals guarding stolen goods. They had turned the entire foundry into a military position.

"Maeve," Holden said quietly into his earpiece. "Give me the numbers."

"Already working on it." Maeve’s voice came through clearly from the stealth jet three miles away. She was focused, her fingers moving rapidly over her controls as she pulled information from the satellite network. "I’m matching the guards against Imperial records and the mercenary registry." ℯ𝐥.

A few seconds passed.

"Confirmed. Three thousand, one hundred and forty-seven Rank 1 and Rank 2 guards. Around fifty Rank 3 enforcers are stationed around the important areas. The command structure is centralized. They all answer directly to Korr."

"And Korr?"

"Inside the central forge. It’s at the far end of the canyon, the biggest structure there. You can’t miss it. The armor plating is heavier than everything else, and the energy coming from inside is much stronger."

Holden had already spotted it. The central forge looked more like a fortress than a workshop. Built into the canyon wall, it was nearly the size of a cathedral, with thick metal walls surrounding an enormous furnace. Whatever Korr was doing inside, he had clearly built the place to withstand a serious attack.

"I need the lower levels," Holden said. "Show me where they’re keeping the prisoners."

"I’m sending it now."

The display inside Holden’s armor flickered. A satellite image appeared across his vision, giving him a clear view of the canyon floor. Maeve added a thermal overlay, allowing them to see through parts of the metal structures and into the ground beneath the foundry.

The lower levels were hidden beneath the canyon floor. A network of tunnels and underground chambers had been carved into the bedrock, stretching beneath the foundry. The heat signatures there were different from the guards above. Smaller. Weaker. Packed together in groups.

People.

"Holden," Maeve said, her voice quieter now. "I’m zooming in."

The image sharpened.

The shapes became clearer.

Human bodies.

"Those aren’t arranged like prisoners," Maeve continued. "They’re arranged around workstations. Some are standing, some are carrying materials, and..." She paused. "Some aren’t moving at all." ℴ𝗆

"They’re using them as workers," Lyra said.

She lay beside Holden, her spear resting within reach. Her blue eyes stayed fixed on the foundry below, but the calm expression on her face had changed. There was anger underneath it now, carefully restrained.

Maeve continued. "The foundry isn’t fully automated. The conveyor belts only handle basic transport. Everything else is done manually. Forging, enchanting, sorting, quality checks, all of it."

She zoomed in again.

"I’m counting around two hundred people in the lower chambers. Their body temperatures are below normal. They look malnourished, and some of them are barely moving."

Her voice tightened.

"They’ve been working them to death."

Emric stood behind Holden, his shield strapped to his arm. His fingers tightened around the shield strap.

"Those are Vanguard uniforms," he said. "They’re wearing the same underclothes used by our soldiers. These people were captured."

"Two hundred Vanguard soldiers," Renna whispered.

The usual excitement in her voice was gone. She held her bow tightly, staring down at the foundry with a cold expression that Holden rarely saw on her face.

"They’re using our soldiers as slaves."

"We’re getting them out," Lyra said.

Her voice was quiet, but there was no hesitation in it.

"Every single one."

Holden looked across the team. Lyra’s eyes were cold with fury. Emric’s grip remained tight around his shield. Renna already had an arrow resting against her bowstring. Behind them, Cora and Sera stood silently with their short swords ready, waiting for their master’s command.

"Here’s the plan."

Holden brought up the satellite map and projected the layout onto the ground between them. The canyon appeared first, followed by the foundry, guard positions, tunnels, and the central forge.

"Two teams. Emric, Lyra, Renna, Cora, Sera, you take the lower route. There’s a service tunnel about fifty meters from the canyon entrance on the south wall. Maeve says it connects directly to the underground levels."

His finger moved across the map.

"You get inside, find the prisoners, and get them out through that tunnel. Once they’re clear, move them toward the canyon exit and keep them protected."

Holden looked at Emric.

"You’re leading. The 10x buff should make you the best person to handle the tunnels and keep everyone organized. Lyra, you cover them with frost. Renna, take anything that tries to stop them from a distance. Twins, stay with the group and handle anything that gets too close."

Emric nodded. The uncertainty that sometimes came with his analytical nature was gone. His eyes stayed fixed on the map.

"The tunnel should connect to the main work chambers through several vertical shafts. We’ll descend, clear the guards, free the prisoners, and use the same route to get them out."

"How long?"

"Twenty minutes if we’re lucky. Thirty if the lower levels are heavily guarded."

"Take thirty."

Holden turned his attention back to the foundry.

"I’ll keep everyone busy."

He pointed toward the center of the canyon, where the main courtyard sat between the furnaces and assembly lines. It was a wide open area large enough to hold hundreds of soldiers.

"Team two is me. Alone. I drop into the courtyard and make as much noise as possible. Every guard in this place will come running to see what happened."

Renna glanced at him.

"So you’re volunteering to get surrounded by an entire army?"

"Exactly."

Emric adjusted his glasses. "That’s a terrible plan."

"It’s a very good plan."

"It’s a terrible plan that happens to be useful."

Holden smiled. "I’ll take it."

Lyra looked at him. "You’ll have three thousand guards around you."

"Yes."

"And fifty Rank 3 enforcers."

"Also yes."

"Then there’s Korr. A Rank 4 metal manipulator who can control the iron throughout this entire canyon."

"Correct."

"Holden."

"I’ll be fine." He summoned his Eclipse-Sun Sword e. "I’ve got a Rank 4 sword, a Rank 4 bracer, a Rank 4 Echo-Mirror, and an 8-Star body. Remember the fifteen-ton robot?"

Renna snorted. "You mean the one you punched until it stopped moving?"

"Exactly."

Lyra didn’t smile.

Holden sighed. "I’ll be fine, Lyra."

Her blue eyes stayed on him, searching his face for any sign of doubt. She found none.

"Thirty minutes," she said at last.

"Thirty minutes."

Lyra reached over and placed a hand on his arm. Cold spread through the contact as a thin layer of frost formed across his Phantom-Weave Armor.

"Come back."

Holden looked at her and smiled.

"Always."

She slowly pulled her hand away.

"Move out," Holden ordered.