EPISODE 146: SLAYING CALAMITY 3
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7291. SEASON: COLOR FADING.
Lawruthian moved to the side, his sword flashed, and the head of another [Windbless Roc — ★ ★ ★ ] was removed from its body.
He sent a quick glance at his HUD before his eyes returned to the sky above and the diving birds.
Lawruthian Imperius Koltius Edryani – Level 44
HP: 4725/4725 (+600)
SP: 4658/4658 (+215)
MP: 5400/5400 (+0)
Around him, the soldiers of his army fought, their expressions were one of life and death. The average Imperius soldier was only level thirty-five, while the diving birds were a majority of three starred beasts. Lawruthian knew the only thing halting many Imperius Soldiers from expiring was the buff cast by his mother and the excellent leadership of his Generals.
“(Inspect),” he said, targeting one of the birds. He only focused on the core information and disregarded the rest as a new [Windbless] attempted to use its green glowing claws slice his face off.
[Windbless Roc — ★ ★ ]
Base Atk: 195
Base Def: 45
HP: 870/870
SP: 450/450
MP: 780/780
HP Regen: 70/Hour
SP Regen: 36/Hour
MP Regen: 62/Hour
Power: 650
Endurance: 150
Vitality: 290
Mind: 260
Self: 150
The average [Imperius Soldier] held thirty in attack and nearly the same for defense. Should a Windbless hit them with a skill, then it was certain to immediately slay them. Fortunately, the South Gate Army suffered most of the attacks. This allowed the soldiers of the Imperius Army to focus an entire squad per attacking bird.
“Stay calm Lawruthian, this is only the beginning,” General Alexandria commented.
His golem covered formed turned to look at her, while Nubia stood close by. The golem hadn’t taken any action, its master's orders strict. It was here to provide protection and if things turned for the worse, then it would be able to act.
“I haven’t done anything yet,” he called back, calmly sidestepping the swipe of talons against the Star Suit.
“ Yet, ” Alexandria responded, chuckling.
They were stationed at the center of the army, while General Ameri led from the front. In most situations, they were at the core and most protected spot. In most situations…
Windbless continued to dive against the invaders of their lands. It was late autumn, and winter was close. This was a time they roosted and held low activity. Now, sharp dagger-like talons, nearly half a foot long, struck at the invaders. The Windbless were the size of a standard horse and their wingspans easily hit nearly six meters. Their feathers matched the color of the sky, but their scutes and eyes, were a wild wind green. They held fiercely sharp beaks and easily possessed the strength to lift a grown man, armor and all. When diving, their feet would curl together to strike with extreme speed and force as they used (Falcon’s Punch).
Lawruthian continued to slay any incoming bird. His larger, slightly statured form seemed to draw in multiple Windbless. Perhaps it was the starlight that attracted their attention, both from his golem suit and his weapon. It didn’t matter to him—the buff the Goddess bestowed upon him at the start of the Imperius Grand Summit would last until the final hour on the final day. Then, his mother's strange skill, (Divine Skill: Heart of the Nation — National Unity), raised his strength an additional 50% to his already existing state. He’d never seen a buff do that—never seen a buff stack upon another like this. Lawruthian felt, and believed , he nearly possessed the strength of a demigod in his current state. The only thing he lacked was the corresponding skills.
“I’ll be moving on ahead,” Lawruthian called to his head general. In truth, he’d quickly grown bored at the lack of a suitable opponent—and, the front of the Imperius Army, where General Ameri was stationed, seemed to be receiving much more attention than the core.
General Alexandria signaled the eight [Imperius Knights]. Her eyes locked with that of Tobi, the captain.
“Do not fail me again—if you must die, then die, ” she silently mouthed to her cousin. Her eyes emotionless as she gave this command. Failure on their part could, no —failure on their part would not happen again. Their lives were meaningless in the face of a greater service.
He nodded, the message received, and the group formed a protective circle around Prince Lawruthian. He turned to Nubia, and gave her a silent order before he began to move. General Alexandria returned her attention to the battle. Although the South Gate Army held the main focus of the diving birds, there were still plenty that dove against the soldiers of the Imperius Army. She’d seen and felt nearly a dozen lives fade away, soon they would take their place in the Promised Land.
Lawruthian’s rather large party began to move, the [Imperius Knights] clearing a way through the army for their [Chosen]. Along the way, Lawruthian would silently toss a spell or two when he noticed one of his soldiers in peril. The Star Suit — Mark One was eye catching—not many understood the purpose of the prince encasing himself in a golem, but it was not their place to ask.
His aura reinvigorated the soldiers as he passed through—giving those he neared a boost of power. His words, however, were what made the soldiers find extra strength in the heat of the battle.
“You are mighty! Today, we can say a calamity will fall by our hands,” Lawruthian commented to one soldier. He extended a hand and pulled the young woman up, her station as the tank for her squadron clear.
“Steadfast, my soldiers—our Goddess watches and praises your efforts,” he said to another squad as they managed to survive the initial (Falcon’s Punch) and slay the [Windbless] behind it.
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His [Imperius Knights] continued to protect him, Eniola was propelled into the air as she jumped from Atlas’s heavy war shield. Her large double-edge ax sank deep into the flesh of a [Windbless Roc] under the strain of her fellow [Imperius Knight]. The Oni was a bear of a man and, like Atlas, he focused on defensive-based skills.
On the other side, Aurelia threw her short ax at a second [Windbless Roc]. The blade sunk deep into the roc’s eye and slayed the beast immediately—saving a young [Imperius Soldier] in the process.
“The battle has only just begun. Fight ! Do not let the glory belong to another! Your position in the Promised Land is guaranteed through your own hands—your own actions. Fight !”
Tobi led the way, his prince chose to head in the direction of the front of the army—he was not one to lead from the comfort of safety. This was a habit Tobi came to understand. Crown Prince Lawruthian Edryani was a man who wanted to lead Edryan from the front—to be the example, the model, the ideal that all Edryans should strive to be. He had yet to punish them, but the promise was kept. Tobi would ensure that promise was fulfilled and that the prince was protected no matter what.
Lawruthian pushed on, the battle was far more intense as he moved to the front and closer to the South Gate Army. He paused for a moment, surprised , as he saw an silver armored figure distinctively different from the dark armor his soldiers wore.
Lorde Drumian seemed to sense his gaze as he removed his blade from the neck of a slain [Windbless Roc]. He nodded, and returned his attention back to the battle. Lawruthian continued to move forward, his steps taking him in the direction of the Drumian. He moved at a slow pace, to give his knights time to clear the soldiers before him.
Lorde continued to fight, the squad assigned for his protection seemed to follow his orders as he pointed toward an incoming roc. The tanks of the group prepared themselves, loudly smacking their shields to activate a (Taunt). The moment the diving bird's attention was hooked onto the target, two backline soldiers prepared (Fireballs) which they subsequently shot under the order of Lorde Drumian. The (Fireballs) missed, but the early explosion was enough to force the bird’s speed to lower and partially disrupt its diving skill. The tank would take the hit, as the main attackers would strike critical hits upon the roc. It was a picture-perfect execution.
“The Drumian’s fame for knighthood and leadership does not disappoint,” Lawruthian commented as he pulled up next to Lorde. He only continued his approach once their current enemy was defeated.
Of the ten soldiers assigned to protect him, none were dead or injured, a sight uncommon as Lawruthian traveled to the front. Most of the men and women he passed suffered an injury or two in the defense of the [Windbless Roc] attacks. Lorde’s squad seemed perfectly healthy, without a hint of fatigue.
Lorde smiled, although his face was covered, his voice conveyed how he felt. “It is the excellent training these young men and women have that allow them to showcase these abilities. I haven’t done much.”
Overhead, the sky continued to crackle—distant titanic clashes echoed through the air. Lorde’s gaze flickered to that slightly distant battlefield. The [Thunderwing Lord] freed itself from the (Life-Drain Chains) and its rage was apparent. There was no rain, but the constant lightning flashes told a story within themselves. In the distance, seven different colored auras surrounded Zephyron, its length and width easily crossed into the territory of colossal. Lightning crackled over its body and the wind surged underneath it as it appeared to be a beast from legends. A title and feat, that the [Thunderwing Lord] should truly hold. It was the youngest of twenty-five known calamities in the Edryan Queendom. The youngest matured and fully maxed calamity, but its age did not mean it would be simple or easy to kill— not with the world behind it.
Lawruthian’s gaze followed Lorde’s as he responded. “They would not have gotten this far with little to no injuries if not for your leadership. Take pride in what you’ve accomplished—at the rate you’ve slayed them, you may just win the competition.”
As Lawruthian said this, he conjured an (Earthen Spike) and launched it with precision at a passing [Windbless Roc]. The bird died on impact and its sudden fall hit a second roc causing it to crash to its death.
Lorde smirked, shook his helmed head and looked away from the scene of their families fighting. “At this rate, I’m lucky if I manage to stay within range of you.”
“Well then, it’s best I allow you to continue,” Lawruthian said.
Lorde gave a salute and the prince continued his approach to the front of the battle. Along the way, he slayed half a dozen more [Windbless Rocs]. The battle had yet to reach its peak, Lawruthian looked up at the larger birds circling in the sky like vultures over downed prey. The four starred beast had yet to descend, and once they began, Lawruthian knew the battle would take a turn.
He came upon the Romus twins next. Lawruthian pushed mana into his eyes and viewed a world full of colors. The green of wind mana was the most prominent, but one glance down would reveal the brown of earth mana. There was more, blue for water, reddish orange for fire, and the charged lightning within the air was a stark yellow. The mana that usually felt comfortable and came willingly to support the spells of the magi was anything but at this moment. A barrier seemed to form around the bodies of each magi, Lawruthian included. The mana shied away, like a small child frightened by a new setting. As Lawruthian reached out, it drew back.
He turned his attention to the area the twins found themselves in. What appeared to be a bigger version of the barrier the magi held around themselves was now before him. He studied the runic script written on the ground before calmly stepping over the letters and making his way towards the twins. They’d long since noticed his approach and Selene gave him a warm smile and salute as he arrived.
Lawruthian glanced at the pile of dead [Windbless Rocs] as he spoke, his eyebrows raised. “You’ve… been busy.”
Although his expression was hidden, Selene heard the surprise and question within his voice.
Over a dozen of the birds lay dead, piled into a growing corner. Selene smiled at his words as her brother continued to fight alongside the squad of [Imperius Soldiers].
“A simple ward that inflicts a flight height restriction, similar to what is used in the big cities, does wonders. The Windbless are immediately confused and lose the power they held in their dives. Most do not focus on defense as they have high attack—they are the hunters and never the prey. It is simple to score a critical hit that will end their lives using a {Mortal Reminder}.”
Lawruthian nodded, “It looks like if I don’t step my game up, then I may lose our little wager.”
Selene looked away, back toward the ongoing conflict. “It’s from a war game we… the Little Greats used to play as children. Ade’s always been competitive, so we’d have wagers when playing Conquer the King—and I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge . Usually, I would play Queen on one side and Lorde would be King on the other—the winner would win a prize depending on whose family compound we were at.”
Lawruthian stayed silent for a few moments. He looked to the sky at the continuously diving rocs, his thoughts drifting to the past. Tens of thousands of the creatures and other variants were still within the sky—children and grandchildren of the Thunderwing Lord, who claimed a portion of the Ro’Joan Rocks as its own territory.
For a single moment, he wondered if all that time he spent as a child working toward a future he envisioned was right. In two of his lives, he only truly experienced one childhood. But, in the first he wasn’t a prince reborn into a new world through the power of a Goddess. Just as he returned his attention and opened his mouth to speak, the voice of Queen Titiana rang over the battlefield as the sky shifted once again.
“(Alluring Presence).”
Her voice was like that of a siren, it sang of sweet nothing but drew the attention of sailors anyway. At that moment, the sound of battle paused, and even Lawruthian felt an irresistible desire to head towards his mother. For a single moment, a single step, he did.
INTENT CHECK!
You have successfully resisted (Alluring Presence).
That moment was broken. Lawruthian paused in his steps, but others around him did not. Their feet shuffled forward like zombies as they viewed the glowing pink woman in the distance. Even Selene, who was just conversing with him, held a glow of pink over her eyes as she walked toward where the battle against the Thunderwing Lord took place. The same happened to the birds in the air. Their flight patterns were skewed, but they made their way toward the battle regardless.
“HOOOoops,” Queen Titiana said. Her voice was easily heard as if she was speaking right before Lawruthian. He’d never heard his mother say oops before and a half smiling, half confused look was on his face. A pulse spread and as it passed, the magic-humans returned to their senses while the rocs did not.
Selene shook her head and looked in shock toward the Queen and her mother’s battlefield.
“Don’t hesitate—strike Selene,” Lawruthian called.
Selene looked back toward the [Chosen of Madris] but found herself surprised at a figure that quickly rose into the air. As he rose, he easily slew any of the roc variants he came across. Their bodies dropped to the ground dead. His destination was obvious… as even the rising calamities, mates of [Raid Boss: Zephyron — Thunderwing Lord] were caught by the skill of his mother.
The Star Suit — Mark 1 twinkled like a star in the night sky, [Legacy] followed suit. Left on the ground near Selene were the shocked [Imperius Knights]. Lawruthian used (Velocity Stride) and a smaller armored figure traveled next to him using the same skill—it was ready to protect its master in the case of danger.
Tobi let out a long, heavy sigh. The [Imperius Knights] weren’t at the level where their movement skills unlocked a flight function. That was reserved for the higher levelers—at least one hundred unless casting flight-based spells. Or if you happened to be a [Wind Mage] flight was guaranteed early on in the path of progression.
The knights looked at him in puzzlement, unsure of how they were supposed to protect their prince.
“Move quickly… follow him on the ground!”