Marcus stared at the crumpled bodies of his escort lining the aqueduct floor. He squeezed the hilt of his broadsword until his knuckles turned white. Golden light erupted from his plate armor and banished the shadows from the tunnel.
'Pathetic,' Marcus thought. 'I have to do everything myself.'
He sprinted across the sludge. Kicking up sprays of corrupted water, he charged directly at Novus.
"You think a piece of bug shell can stop me?" Marcus shouted.
He brought the glowing blade down in a massive overhead strike. Novus planted his boots wide and hoisted the Centipede Shield. The golden steel crashed against the bronze artifact.
A violent shockwave blasted outward from the point of impact. The magical force transferred straight through the shield and slammed into the surrounding architecture. Brick walls on either side of the tunnel cracked open to rain debris into the water.
