Bab 51: Chapter 51 - Her Fury, Not Yet Spent
[The battle begins now.]
Atlas stood, spear at the ready. Around the perimeter of the island, shimmering magical fields appeared, expanding the island's boundaries into a battleground known as the Warfare Zone—an extended combat area that would only open during battles like this one.
From every direction, swirling portals lit up, each releasing squad after squad of Soren's troops. Clearly, Soren hadn't been bluffing; from every corner of the battlefield, clusters of a dozen to twenty fighters poured in, swelling the numbers to nearly four times the size of Atlas's forces.
The bell in the watchtower rang out, its sound echoing across the island, signaling all defenders to take their positions. In the distance, Atlas spotted Soren at the rear of his forces, his massive frame clad in formidable heavy armor, looking nearly impenetrable.
Just how many battles has he won to amass this kind of force and equipment?
"Attack and destroy them!" Soren's voice boomed as his troops surged forward.
Soren's troops echoed his shout with a roar, weapons drawn, ready for the clash that was seconds away. But before they could reach the island, they'd face the fireballs launched by the Flame Beacons—a first line of brutal defense.
Atlas clenched his spear tighter, feeling the intensity of the battle rise around him.
"Brace yourselves, fight fiercely, and destroy our enemies!" Atlas shouted, rallying his forces below, his voice carrying strength and determination.
Atlas stood atop his Floating Throne, poised to leap to whichever part of the battlefield needed his support most. But then he froze.
Where's Morganna?
He glanced over his shoulder—she was gone.
Just then, a scream rang out across the battlefield, drawing his attention. He turned, his eyes widening in shock at what he saw.
On one side of the battlefield, Atlas's gaze locked onto a sight that stunned him. Morganna? But not the Morganna he knew—she now wore her Bloodshadow Regalia Armor, and shadowy black and red energy blazed around her, wrapping violently over the entire left side of her body.
In her right hand, she gripped the Bloodkissed Scythe, its blade glinting darkly as she shot forward, her movements ruthless and unrestrained. She spun the scythe in a rapid arc, decapitating the soldier at the front with a single strike.
"Control her! Surround her!" came the frantic shouts from Soren's troops.
But Morganna moved with deadly precision, slipping through their ranks as if she were a living shadow. Attacks missed as she vanished from one spot, reappearing in another, scythe carving through her enemies with terrifying ease.
"Attack! Attack! Take her down!" Soren's voice rang out, desperate.
It was clear now—Morganna wasn't merely attacking; she was forcing her way through the formation, cutting down the nearly 30 soldiers standing in her path. Her gaze, blazing and fixed, was set straight on Soren at the rear.
Soren's troops were thrown into chaos, struggling to contain Morganna's brutal onslaught. Meanwhile, on the other side, Soren's remaining forces began charging forward to launch their own attack.
Realizing the need to shift the momentum, Soren raised his right hand, appearing to grip something invisible. With a swift motion, he hurled it to the ground.
[Spirit of the Grove]
[Summons a guardian spirit from the grove's heart—a massive, ghostly bear that charges through the battlefield, knocking back and disorienting enemies.]
A towering, ghostly bear materialized, easily twice the size of an ordinary bear. Its ethereal form shimmered, translucent yet powerful, with a faint mystical glow and smoky wisps trailing off its massive body as it charged forward, barreling into Morganna forces with relentless force.
It appeared that the beast was a unique System ability possessed by Soren. Possibly allowing him to summon powerful spectral beasts. Just how many he could call upon was unclear, but the summoned bear alone was a massive threat.
Soren's remaining troops surged forward, undeterred by the Flame Beacon fireballs that had scorched some of their ranks. Flames clung to them as they advanced, yet they pressed on, and within moments, the first clash erupted between the two forces.
Seeing an opportunity, Atlas grabbed his Rank-A Item: the Stormcaller's Amulet, preparing to unleash devastating lightning strikes on the densest cluster of enemy troops.
He commanded his floating throne to draw him closer. Gripping the amulet tightly, he prepared to channel its power, ready to bring down bolts of lightning as promised by the item's abilities.
Atlas watched as Morganna clashed relentlessly with the Spirit Bear, her movements blindingly fast and brutal as she landed strike after strike. The Spirit Bear, however, was resilient, a testament to Soren's confidence in his summoning ability.
It seemed Soren's taunts had done their job, unleashing the full wrath of the Vampire Queen.
Atlas raised the Stormcaller's Amulet high into the air, his voice booming across the battlefield.
"Activate the item! Bring down the lightning strikes and punish those who dare to challenge Gacha Haven today!"
The skies grew darker as dense clouds gathered, blotting out the sun. Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the battlefield in blinding bursts, followed by the low rumble of thunder. And then, in an instant—
A massive bolt struck down, splitting the air with terrifying intensity.
Atlas had never seen lightning so close, so devastatingly powerful.
One after another, the lightning strikes hammered into the battlefield, each impact marked by a flash so bright it left spots in his vision, followed by a concussive blast that scattered Soren's troops. Some were flung back, others consumed by flames as the force ripped through their ranks, sending bodies tumbling, charred and smoking.
Only after the destruction began did the thunder truly catch up, roaring over the field in deafening waves, echoing the carnage that had already unfolded below.
The Flame Beacons' fireballs combined with the devastating lightning strikes had left Soren's forces in disarray.
Only a few of Atlas's troops had fully engaged so far—Karian at the front, Garen on one flank, and Kurogasa dashing forward to pick off weakened foes. The others held back, launching ranged attacks and waiting for the enemy to come within range.
And then, in one shocking moment, Morganna succeeded in decapitating the Spirit Bear. The massive creature wavered, standing headless for a heartbeat, before dissolving into nothing.
Morganna, her fury palpable, stood surrounded by Soren's troops, her focus fixed solely on Soren himself, who now stood vulnerable without his summoned guardian.
Morganna moved in a blur, her scythe raised and ready, charging directly toward him.
Just as her scythe arced down, poised to strike—
Morganna froze, her blade inches from Soren's neck.
"What happened?"
[Soren has declared a retreat with 27% damage taken.]
[You have earned 15 rank points.]
[You are entitled to claim 33% of the opponent's resources.]
[Congratulations on your first victory!]
[You have unlocked access to issue a direct challenge to your opponent using your Attack Token. They will be unable to escape or decline.]
In an instant, Soren's forces began vanishing from the battlefield, dissolving into thin air as if swallowed by the very air itself. The battle was over just as quickly as it had begun, leaving Atlas's troops standing victorious.
Atlas stood, taking in the sight of his first victory, relieved to see that none of his troops had fallen in the battle. But… his gaze shifted to Morganna.
She still stood there, scythe in hand, unmoving, exactly where she'd been frozen before delivering the final blow to Soren.
Is her fury not yet spent?
***
(Author's Note:)
Do we even have readers for this series? 😂
Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if I'm just talking to myself here! If you're out there, please leave a review so I know whether to keep uploading or not. 😅
Let's make a deal—1 useful review = 1 chapter! Deal? 😉
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone