NOVEL NEXT Chapter 117: The evolved team
Two days ago, when war erupted among the celestials, chaos unfurled like a cosmic storm. At that crucial moment, Thanacrites were launched in rapid succession, alternating between the Flame Astro and the Mountain Astro Aether Glide, relentlessly driving the primordial beasts into a disadvantageous corner.
However, amidst the celestial offensive, two primordial beasts received a cryptic wave signal from an unknown entity, perhaps their master, delivered through an ancient and primal communication link. The message was clear: a diversion was needed. Without hesitation, the monstrous duo veered off-course, their savage instincts guiding them toward an unguarded route, poised to strike from the rear and catch the celestial forces off guard.
Stars plummeted like comets, streaking across the cosmic expanse, their brilliance overshadowed by the looming catastrophe. The once-tranquil night at the clandestine pathway twisted into a maelstrom of fear and urgency with the arrival of the two primordial beasts. Their monstrous frames, illuminated by the distant glow of celestial bodies, tore through the abyss, charging toward their target with unrelenting ferocity.
Nyxander stood at the forefront, his figure unwavering against the incoming storm. Behind him, Kola and Theodric's squads formed a resolute line, ready to provide support. Karl and Lunara, stationed further back, coordinated the unsettled and panicked non-officials, their figures flickering in the dim luminescence of the primodial skies.
The terrain offered only a fleeting advantage, an imposing mountain that split the road into two paths. Karl and his squad braced themselves at the front, while Lunara and her two sisters remained at the rear, soothing the terrified civilians just enough to guide them away, maneuvering them along an alternate route around the mountain to evade detection.
Meanwhile, the colossal beasts charged with reckless abandon, their monstrous visages carved in unyielding determination. Their hunger for destruction knew no hesitation. Then, in a flash of malevolent light, one of the creatures unleashed a devastating beam from its twisted horn, a roaring spear of raw energy, its furious hum akin to a high-voltage current slicing through the air.
The night, once shrouded in silence, was suddenly bathed in a violent glow as the searing energy painted the darkness in hues of brilliant gold and violet. It hurtled toward Nyxander, an unstoppable force of annihilation.
Before Nyxander could react, instinct took hold of Kola. His body became enshrouded in an ethereal pale-yellow aura, his energy flaring to life as though responding to an unseen command. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, a streak of defiance against the incoming doom. Arms crossed against his chest, he intercepted the beam mid-air. The impact was cataclysmic. A deafening roar shattered the atmosphere as the ground trembled beneath the sheer magnitude of the collision.
The energy surged against Kola like the wrath of a thousand tempests, its force akin to a missile strike. His boots dug into the earth, carving deep trenches as he skidded backward, resisting with all his might. Yet, even as the raw power threatened to consume him, something extraordinary unfolded, his very being absorbed fragments of the primal energy, his form glowing with an eerie radiance. But the sheer might of the blast proved too much.
In one final surge, the energy overwhelmed his footing, tearing him from the ground. His body became a projectile, a streak of light soaring above Nyxander, before crashing into the earth with an explosive force. The impact ruptured the terrain, sending shockwaves rippling outward. A towering cloud of dust and debris erupted skyward, momentarily blotting out the galaxy light.
The two primordial beasts finally halted, their guttural growls reverberating through the air, a primal expression of shock at the unforeseen outcome of their attack. Standing before them, unwavering and composed, was Nyxander. Behind him, Theodric stood momentarily paralyzed, not out of fear, but because his mind had yet to process the next course of action.
One of the beasts suddenly opened its massive maw, releasing a deafening sonic roar. The air trembled as a powerful, high-pitched frequency erupted from its throat, a force so immense that it carved deep grooves into the solid ground. Stones crumbled beneath its might, loose earth was tossed into the air, and a storm of dust and debris surged toward Nyxander and his group.
Theodric clamped his hands tightly over his ears, gritting his teeth as the unrelenting sound waves rattled his bones. Wind howled, sand scraped against skin, and visibility was momentarily lost in the whirlwind of chaos. Yet amidst this turmoil, Nyxander stood resolute, unshaken, unbothered, an unyielding force against the storm.
Then, like a streak of silver lightning, an axe imbued with a pale, flickering energy tore through the air, spinning wildly like a fan blade breaking free from its motor. It came from the left, slicing through the Windy thick air and striking its skull with bone-rattling force. The beast's head jerked sharply to the right, its attack abruptly silenced.
Like a boomerang, the axe arced through the air, its return cutting through the fading dust cloud before a steady hand reached out, catching it mid-flight. Nyxander's gaze shifted past the beast, locking onto the one who had thrown the weapon. Karl stood there, his body pulsating with a dominant, golden energy, radiating confidence and power.
"Hey! Are you planning to just stand there and admire the scenery?" Theodric's voice cut through the lingering hum of the dissipating attack.
As the dust gradually settled, Kola rose to his feet, rolling his shoulders with a series of satisfying cracks. He wiped the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, his eyes dark with renewed resolve. Without hesitation, he clenched his fists and began closing the gap between them, his presence adding to the growing tension in the air.
The beast that had previously unleashed the beam blast attack snarled in rage, its glowing horn pulsing with power as it prepared another devastating energy blast. It turned its massive head toward Karl, preparing to fire, but before it could, Lunara struck.
She descended from the air like a shadow wreathed in moonlight, landing with fierce precision on the beast's head, just inches behind its glowing horn. With practiced ease, she plunged her twin daggers into the pulsating energy source. The sudden impact caused the beast to thrash violently, its focus shattered as it shook its head wildly in an attempt to dislodge her. Lunara twisted in the air, using the force of her fall to somersault off the beast, landing gracefully in front of Nyxander.
"Boss, leave this to us," Karl declared, stepping forward, his golden aura flaring with intensity. "Take care of escorting the non-combatants."
"That's right. We've got this," Kola added, stopping just a few steps behind Nyxander, his knuckles tightening with anticipation.
Nyxander's lips curved into a sharp, knowing smile. His gaze swept over them, measuring their resolve, testing their conviction. Finally, with a small nod, he relented.
"Fine then," he said, his voice a quiet storm of authority. "But don't you dare disgrace me by throwing your pitiful lives away."
"You don't have to worry," Theodric interjected, his once-conflicted expression replaced by the hardened gaze of a seasoned warrior. "We know what we're capable of. We won't fall that easily."
Without another word, Nyxander turned away, joining the group of weakened celestials and the subordinates of the four squad leaders. He moved forward, leaving the battlefield in their hands. The ground beneath them, still scarred from their battle, bore silent witness to the storm yet to come.
At the southern frontline, the horde of unaffected primordial beasts stood like silent sentinels, their monstrous forms looming behind the dispersing bone-dust fo, a ghostly veil dissolving into the air. They waited, their breath hot and heavy, eyes gleaming with primal hunger as they watched the fog clear like a curtain rising before the next act of battle. Among the ten infected, only two had clawed their way back to fragments of sanity, their bodies trembling with rediscovered strength.
Facing them stood Kal, Seraphina, and Vega, their postures unyielding, their gazes locked onto the impending threat.
"Infernal Edge: Flame Surge Dash!" Kal was the first to strike. A roar of fire erupted from the darker side of his blade, igniting like a volcanic explosion. The sheer force of the flames launched him forward, no, catapulted him, through the sky like a meteor on a collision course.
The wind seemed to part for him as he streaked toward one of the colossal primordial rhinos. His blade, forged from primordial bone and burning with celestial fury, arced downward in a devastating strike.
The moment it met the beast's armored skull, it carved deep into the thick hide, a spray of molten blood hissing into the air. The force of the impact sent the rhino staggering back, hooves skidding across the cracked battlefield, nearly toppling under its own weight.
A second beast, its massive form trembling with raw energy, retaliated. A concentrated beam of pure destructive force erupted from its maw, aimed straight at Seraphina. The air vibrated violently as the beam cut through the battlefield like a death sentence.
But before it could reach her, Vega moved.
Unlike the other celestial warriors, Vega did not wield a blade or staff. No, she fought with her legs, her strikes carrying the precision of a seasoned footballer and the impact of a war god. As the beam tore through the air toward Seraphina, Vega pivoted sharply, Her leather, bone-forged-soled boots slammed against the ground as she twisted her frame mid-air, aligning her body like a masterful striker preparing for the final goal. With a perfectly timed motion, she swung her leg, meeting the oncoming energy blast with a forceful kick.
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the battlefield.
Like a striker hungry for the final goal, she redirected the beam, its trajectory shifting unintentionally at an impossible angle toward the already-wounded beast Kal had struck moments ago. The redirected energy blast struck its head with brutal finality, vaporizing flesh and bone in an instant. The towering creature let out a guttural, warping cry, its final lament before its lifeless body crumpled to the earth, collapsing into lifeless ruin.l, shaking the ground like an earthquake.
However, the force of the impact sent Vega spiraling backward, her body flipping through the air in rapid, uncontrollable rotations. She crashed onto the battlefield, rolling across the cracked terrain before skidding to a halt, her back pressed against the unyielding ground. Dust plumed around her like a whispering storm, but her unwavering gaze remained locked on the enemies ahead, the embers of battle still burning within her eyes.
For a moment, silence.