NOVEL NEXT Chapter 116: The shift in war
At the Northeast frontline, the galaxy gradually surrendered to the encroaching darkness as night seized dominion from the remnants of day. The wind howled, carrying dust in its restless embrace, mirroring the storm of tension thickening beneath the celestial expanse. The Lumina and Dunstan Astro teams stood firm at the vanguard, poised to confront the tide of primordial beasts sprinting towards them with a frenzy born of desperation.
Like twin comets diverging across the battlefield, Aqua Astro Aether glided left while Dunstan and his team veered right. Suspended in the air, their bodies hummed with charged energy, anticipation coiling within them like a drawn bowstring, ready to be unleashed. At Lumina's command, the Aqua Astro team loaded the Miasmothrower's chamber with Thanacrites, the volatile payload gleaming ominously under the fractured starlight. Without hesitation, two rounds were fired, streaking through the sky like meteors before detonating into an expansive storm of bone dust, the pale particles churning half a meter ahead of the advancing beasts.
From the right flank, Dunstan's team unleashed three more, their cascading explosions fanning out like ghostly eruptions in the void. Yet, despite the growing cloud of destruction, the beasts did not waver. Their relentless charge was not driven by blind aggression, but by something far worse—a terror lurking behind them, compelling them forward with an urgency that eclipsed the peril ahead.
Lumina's gaze sharpened, her thoughts racing as she assessed the impending collision. A sense of resolve flickered across her features. "Prepare to launch another round," she commanded, her voice slicing through the wind's restless murmur.
Beorn hesitated. "But ma'am, we only have two Thanacrites left. Shouldn't we conserve them?" His concern was measured, but Lumina's expression remained unwavering.
"I understand your hesitation," she replied, her voice carrying the weight of certainty. "But look at them. They aren't slowing. If we hesitate now, we may not get another chance. Trust me, this isn't a reckless order. It's part of the plan."
The sharpness in her tone brokered no argument. Beorn swallowed his apprehension. "Yes, ma'am."
With swift efficiency, the next round was prepared. Then, 'BAAM!'
The Thanacrites shot forth from the Miasmothrower with a force akin to pressurized thunder, the muzzle exhaling tendrils of swirling smoke in the aftermath. The projectile carved through the dense air like a ship cleaving through a storm-tossed sea, its trajectory precise, unwavering.
But Lumina did not wait for the Thanacrites to detonate on it own, instead she summoned her divine bow in a single, fluid motion, she anchored her stance. As the Thanacrite sailed through the void, she drew the string taut. Energy coalesced at her fingertips, manifesting into an arrow of radiant blue. The night shuddered under its glow.
"Arrow of Frostfire: Frostbite Arrow."
The moment she released, the arrow became a streak of cerulean fury, cutting through the night with no resistance, its luminance momentarily banishing the darkness. Upon impact with the soaring Thanacrite, the combined force triggered a devastating detonation. The bone dust from the Thanacrite merged seamlessly with the thickening fog of bone dust already present, transforming the battlefield into an eerie, spectral abyss. The energy burst from the Frostbite Arrow surged through the dust cloud like lightning fracturing a storm-laden sky, illuminating the battlefield in ghostly flashes of incandescent frostfire.
"I hope this works," Lumina muttered under her breath, her voice barely above a whisper. She watched with bated breath as the primordial beasts sprinted headlong into the thick, swirling toxic fog. The entire Aqua Astro force stood in hushed anticipation, eyes locked on the monstrous creatures vanishing into the dense haze, awaiting the longed-for result.
A tense silence settled like a suffocating shroud. Seconds stretched like eternity. Then, emerging from the other side of the fog, the beasts charged forth, undeterred, their pace unbroken.
A cold bead of sweat slid down Lumina's cheek, her lips pressing into a thin, tight line. At the far right flank, Dunstan's lower jaw slackened in disbelief, his widened eyes reflecting his shock.
"Wait… why isn't the bone dust working?!" His voice cracked with bewilderment. "The effect should have kicked in the moment they inhaled it! What's going on?"
A collective unease gripped their forces. Subordinates found their throats dry, their bodies giving involuntary shudders. Their hands, steady in the face of countless battles, now trembled ever so slightly.
But there was no room for fear. "It's too late to second-guess. Prepare to form a convergence formation!" Lumina's command rang through the air, her voice woven with unwavering confidence, a beacon of authority that snapped her warriors from their daze. "Yes, ma'am!" they responded in unison, the initial hesitance melting into resolve.
At the far right flank, Dunstan, having read Lumina's intentions, swiftly followed suit. "Get ready to form the convergence formation!" His own forces snapped to action as he strode to the front edge of the Aether Glide.
With a fluid motion, both Lumina and Dunstan leaped down, their feet striking the ground with determined grace. But just as they braced to engage.
When the battlefield suddenly stilled. Every single beast that had barreled through the toxic fog abruptly froze in place, their bodies stiffening unnaturally as if shackled by unseen chains.
Their momentum had betrayed them. Though they snarled, their limbs refused to obey, leaving them stranded in mid-charge, their bodies betraying their will.
The reason is that he effect had already taken root. The bone dust had indeed infiltrated their lungs, but due to their heightened proprioception, their powerful bodily awareness, it had taken longer for the paralysis to manifest, giving the illusion of resistance.
Yet this was no ordinary paralysis. Initially, the bone dust should have merely drained their strength, dulling their mental sharpness. But Lumina's energy arrow, imbued with a frostbite effect, had dissolved into the toxic particles, mutating its effects.
Now, the beasts not only stood frozen but numb, their very connection to their own bodies severed. They were trapped in the cruel paradox of motionless agony, awake, aware, but utterly helpless.
This sudden action ignited a surge of energy within the Northern Force, an unspoken fire sparking in their chests. Their will to battle swelled, their faces masking an unspeakable excitement, as if they had been waiting for this very moment to unleash the storm brewing within them.
"It's too early to celebrate. We don't know how long the effects will last," Lumina's voice climbed the Aether Glide, a commanding ripple that stretched far and wide, reaching the ears of her subordinates like a divine decree.
"Yes, ma'am!" they responded in unison, their voices merging like the hum of a great machine. "Form the convergence formation." She said. Without hesitation, they moved in sync, forming a seamless formation, their energies converging with hers. A rush of dominion surged through Lumina's body, her very presence now radiating an overwhelming force, a beacon of command and unshaken will.
At the far right of the formation, Dunstan moved with calculated precision. He stretched his right leg sideways, bending his left knee before switching, testing the resilience of his stance. A slight hop followed, warming up his lower body, his joints cracking like a prelude to war. He exhaled slowly, his gaze locked onto the frozen beasts ahead, his eyes sharp as a blade poised to strike.
"Listen carefully," he commanded, his voice steady, unwavering. His subordinates turned their attention toward him, but their focus remained tethered to the battlefield, their minds steeled for what lay ahead.
"We may have won the first step, but that does not mean victory is ours. The tide of battle can shift at any moment. However…" He paused, letting the weight of his words settle like an anchor in their spirits. "…your unyielding determination, your will, that alone can turn fate in our favor."
"Understood!" they responded, their voices like a war drum beating in perfect harmony.
"Then form the Convergence Formation!" Dunstan ordered, his tone carrying the gravity of an unshakable command. Immediately, they moved in perfect synchrony, their positions falling into place as the formation took shape.
A ripple of power coursed through them, feeding into Dunstan, his body now glowing with an unfathomable energy. The very air trembled in response, the battlefield tightening under an invisible grip, as if the earth itself awaited the carnage to come.
Back in the South, along the winding route where Nyxander and his team navigated while escorting the weaker celestials, the encampment stood in a meticulously organized pattern. Tents, like silent sentinels, trembled under the gentle caress of the cold breeze rolling down from the nearby mountains. The wind whispered through the camp, rustling the fabric of the shelters, as if murmuring secrets carried from distant lands. The team remained ever-vigilant, split into four squads, two stationed at the front, two guarding the rear, an unyielding formation against the uncertainties of the night.
At the heart of the encampment, where the non-combatants sought refuge, soft murmurs and subdued laughter wove into the night air, a fragile illusion of peace in an unforgiving world. Near the resting Aether Glide, Nyxander lay sprawled atop its sleek surface, his arms folded behind his head, gaze fixed upon the celestial tapestry above. Stars shimmered, dancing in cosmic rhythm, a hypnotic display of light weaving through the abyss of the galaxy.
Then, an abrupt shift. His instincts screamed. A shadow of unease slithered down his spine. His body tensed. Without hesitation, he leaped down, landing soundlessly at the front of the encampment, his presence a sudden ripple in the tranquil night. Kola and Theodric's squads, stationed nearby, turned sharply at his unexpected movement, eyes narrowing in alarm.
"Boss, what's wrong?" Kola's voice carried the weight of concern, but Nyxander's gaze remained locked on the distant road, his expression carved from stone. A tempest of tension coiled within him.
"Tell everyone to prepare for engagement." His voice, though calm, carried the chilling certainty of an approaching storm. "We have visitors… and they won't be asking for permission to pass."
Before another word could be exchanged, the air trembled with an ominous resonance. A sound, guttural, feral, rose from the unseen depths of the distance. The earth quivered beneath them as the roaring of beasts swelled like a war cry, an eerie symphony of hunger and malice. It was not just a mere encounter, a voice of declaration, demanding for surrender. The beasts were coming, and they were making their presence known.
And the night, once painted with the serenity of twinkling stars, now braced itself for the chaos to come.