Chapter 1064: Destruction of the Ekatoe City: Damages
Chapter 1064: Destruction of the Ekatoe City: Damages
The Gluttony Army.
The instigators of the war were now attacking the city.
Knowing this, Alice frowned as she stood back, scanning her surroundings. People were running in every direction, desperate to escape the chaos.
Bang!!
A deafening sound rang out as a man with white hair collided fiercely with Kessa.
"Kessa can handle this. I'll go help the others," Alice muttered, determination flashing in her eyes as her body soared into the sky.
Swoosh!!
The man with white hair cast a fleeting glance at Alice but made no attempt to stop her. He knew full well that the Nine-Headed Hydra standing before him wouldn't allow it.
He turned his attention back to the hydra and said, "So this is the famous Lernaean Hydra that the Blood Lightning Monster subdued."
Without hesitation, his body shot forward, clashing fiercely with the monstrous beast. He moved at incredible speed, dodging and blocking the hydra's relentless attacks.
But then-Bang!-several powerful elemental beams rained down from above, striking his body.
The impact sent the man with white hair crashing into the ground. He quickly stood up, his gaze locking onto the gaping hole that had been blasted into the barrier above.
"Tsk," he muttered, his tone laced with annoyance. "They need to destroy the barrier formation immediately. Its suppression is still so strong that I can hardly use my full strength."
They had sacrificed an artifact just to punch a hole through the barrier, and yet it continued to exert formidable power. There was no doubt-this was a high-level barrier formation.
The barrier formation was none other than the [Five Elements Barrier Formation], which Souta had obtained after completing a quest to help Alexander take control of the Multiple Element Realm.
The man with white hair took a deep breath, his frustration evident as he prepared himself for the ongoing battle.
...
Meanwhile, chaos engulfed Ekatoe City. Explosions erupted in multiple areas, sending waves of panic through the streets as people frantically fled from the danger zones. The oppressive pressure radiating from the clash between the mysterious man and the Nine-Headed Hydra was palpable, suffocating the city.
Ordinary citizens trembled under the intensity, their bodies almost paralyzed by the overwhelming energy.
Astros' soldiers moved swiftly, working tirelessly to evacuate the civilians from the battlefield. Yet, despite their efforts, the devastation was already mounting-hundreds of lives had been lost in the early stages of the conflict, the casualties piling up unnoticed amidst the chaos.
Smoke and flames billowed into the sky, casting a grim shadow over the city.
On the shattered remains of a building, a lone figure stood. Slowly, he pulled back his hood, revealing his features. His green hair shimmered faintly in the light, his piercing red eyes filled with resolve. A pair of wolf-like ears twitched atop his head, adding a fierce edge to his already striking appearance.
Suddenly, the man turned his head, sensing something. His sharp eyes caught sight of a group of three people who had just appeared, their expressions tense and wary as they stared at him.
"So, you've arrived... Well, I might as well kill you," he said with a wicked grin before his body vanished.
Swoosh!!
The three soldiers widened their eyes in shock. Despite their finely honed senses as members of Astros, they couldn't track the man's movements.
In an instant, massive holes appeared in their chests, their hearts completely obliterated- leaving nothing but emptiness where their lives had been.
"Too weak..." the man with wolf ears muttered, his tone filled with disdain. He lifted his gaze to the horizon.
Their objective was clear: locate and destroy the core of the formation. As long as the barrier remained active, it severely restricted the strength of any outsider within its range.
"That's the plan," he murmured to himself. "Arden is already fighting the hydra. I can feel the intense energy fluctuations in the air. Now, all that's left is to find the formation's core... and the Blood Lightning Monster."
Arden-the man with white hair locked in battle with Kessa, the Lernaean Hydra-had a specific role: to confront the city's strongest creature and destroy its critical facilities.
In truth, Arden was the only direct member of the Gluttony Army present. A Seventh-Circle officer, his rank reflected his formidable strength. The others accompanying him were mercenaries and operatives from various organizations, mere tools for the larger scheme. The main forces of the Gluttony Army were preoccupied with something far more dangerous.
Moreover, this wasn't an isolated attack. Hundreds of locations across the continent were under siege simultaneously.
This was a full-scale war. The Gluttony Army wouldn't stop until their leader's ambition was fulfilled.
...
In the southern part of the city, Vashno and Eztein stood opposite a striking woman with pure white hair.
Her piercing blue eyes and sharp brows conveyed a commanding presence. In her hand, she held a green-covered book that radiated a strange, otherworldly light.
"This woman is strong..." Eztein muttered, his gaze fixed on her as he readied himself, his wariness evident.
"Yeah," Vashno agreed, nodding at Eztein's words.
"We don't have a choice but to fight. The city is already half-destroyed, and countless lives have already been lost."
Both of them could feel it-the overwhelming energy fluctuations radiating from Kessa and her unknown opponent. The power was immense, almost suffocating. If Kessa unleashed her released form, only those with a certain level of strength would be able to withstand the pressure. That was why the soldiers of Astros were racing to evacuate the civilians before it was too late.
The woman with white hair shifted her gaze, locking eyes with Eztein and Vashno. She studied them for a moment before speaking.
"Where's the core of the formation?" she asked plainly.
"Huh? Do you think we'd actually tell you?" Eztein replied, his frown deepening. He couldn't help but feel insulted by her casual tone, as if she didn't take them seriously.
The woman let out a sigh. "I gave you a chance, so don't blame me for what comes next," she said, her voice calm but laced with menace. "Even with this barrier formation suppressing foreign beings like me, I still have more than enough power to kill you."
As soon as the words left her lips, she vanished from sight.
Eztein's eyes widened in alarm, and he instinctively turned around-but he was too late. A sharp pain tore through his arm as a brilliant flash of white light erupted.
Swoosh!!
"Ugh!" Eztein groaned, his face contorted in pain as he watched his severed right arm spin
through the air.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
The speed was overwhelming. He could barely react, even with his heightened senses. And yet, this woman wasn't even using her full strength. It was absurd.
"I'm Arie," her voice rang out, cold and confident. "Leader of the Fiery Dawn. The one who
will kill you."
Eztein gritted his teeth, rage and pain coursing through him. Tendrils of flesh began to writhe and extend from his body, attempting to mend his injuries.
Before he could recover, Arie's overwhelming force slammed him into the ground.
Bang!!
The earth trembled violently from the impact, sending shockwaves through the area as a dense cloud of dust shot into the air, obscuring everything in its wake.
The woman who called herself Arie stood above, exuding an air of dominance. She raised her hand, and dozens of small dots of light materialized around her. With a simple motion, the glowing orbs shot out behind her, targeting someone in the distance.
Boom!! Vashno emerged from the cloud of smoke, his sharp gaze locked onto Arie.
"Damn, she already detected me," he muttered under his breath, wiping the blood from the
corner of his mouth.
...
Elsewhere in the city, at the location of the Guardian Fortress:
Torkez stood before a bank of glowing screens, his expression grim as he took in the severity
of the situation.
"The formation has sustained twenty-five percent damage," he reported, his tone heavy.
"The enemy breached through the hole in the barrier, but it's still active. It can still provide us with some support."
A soldier approached and reported the latest updates to Torkez. He nodded, his expression
steady despite the chaos.
"Then use our reserve mana stones to power the formation," Torkez ordered firmly. "Focus
on supporting those fighting the enemy."
The soldier nodded and quickly left to carry out the command.
No one had anticipated an attack on the city today. The sudden assault caught everyone off guard, resulting in hundreds of casualties in mere moments.
Torkez turned his attention back to the situation at hand. "What's the status of the damage to
the fortress?" he asked.
"Sir," a witch reported, "the fortress has sustained fifty percent damage. It's no longer
capable of performing a spatial jump. The surrounding facilities have also been severely
affected."
"The facilities?" Torkez's eyes widened as realization struck him. "Does that mean we can't contact Athena's Champion?"
"It appears so, sir," the witch confirmed grimly.
Torkez sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. This was one of the worst-case scenarios.
It meant they were on their own-reinforcements from Athena's Champion wouldn't be easy to come by.
It seemed the enemy had planned this meticulously. Torkez couldn't help but admire the strategy. If he were attacking a city, cutting off the reinforcement route would be an effective
tactic.
He glanced at the screen, his expression hardening. "Kessa is keeping their strongest forces occupied. There are four more enemies remaining, and they're strong-stronger than any of
us. But the formation is still active, so we might be able to hold them off until reinforcements arrive."
The key now was to manage the current situation.
"Use the formation to assist those fighting the enemies," Torkez ordered.
In the central part of the city, Kessa was locked in battle. She was powerful enough not to need
any assistance. Moreover, the area around her was the most dangerous in the city due to the intensity of their fight.
In the southern part, however, Vashno and Eztein were already engaged with an enemy. They were in desperate need of help-their opponent was simply too strong.
Torkez looked at his subordinates and gave his orders, his voice steady but urgent. "Tell our
men that if they spot Franklin, direct him to the southern part of the city. Also, make sure to evacuate everyone from that area."
Once he had finished giving his instructions, Torkez turned his attention back to the
projection, his mind racing.
After Alice left the central area, she moved to the western part of the city to confront an
enemy there. She was alone, and her opponent was far too strong for her to hold off for long. "We don't have enough men," Torkez muttered through clenched teeth. Several capable witches had been deployed to the eastern and northern parts of the city to
deal with the enemies there. But before Eilish had even arrived to lend a hand, there had
already been casualties.
Eilish was stationed in the east, while Yuko, along with capable witches like Leef and others who had participated in the tournament, was stationed in the north.