EPISODE 147: SLAYING CALAMITY 4
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7291. SEASON: COLOR FADING.
(Velocity Stride) propelled Lawruthian through the air, and Nubia easily kept up alongside him. Her version of the skill happened to be superior and held all functions for aerial combat. Although golems held no gender, this one was designed with feminine features in mind. For all intents and purposes, Nubia Blackwater appeared to be an extremely dark lady from a distance. Only as you drew closer would you see the more obvious mechanical features.
She was well-equipped—as she held the [Blackwater] weapon set which included a dory long spear, apsis spartan shield, a single-edge kopis sword, and a tri-fall whip. Two horns emerged from her helm appearing head while her arms were bare as her ‘armor’ appeared like a Roman’s Lorica Musculata. Her lower body remained covered by a skirt. Long wave-like patterns were carved as decorations into the golem, giving those who gaze upon it a reminder of the sea.
Occasionally, Nubia would release a small burst of mana into the air. The mana rippled outward like waves from a still pond before returning to Nubia.
Lawruthian wasn’t certain what the Hero Golem was doing, but he paid it no heed as he drew closer to the Rising Calamity. He glanced at his [Nova Stacks], his altitude rising past a hundred meters and steadily increasing. Below, he could hear a commotion and after a glance downwards, he’d confirmed the commotion to be that of the South Gate and several other figures rising into the air. Those figures were noticeably the members of the Little Greats—not all of them but those of the warrior professions rose into the air.
Overhead, the sky was dark—only the occasional flash of lightning provided extra light for the fighting occupants to see by. It was still midday, but the dense cumulonimbus clouds blocked out the light of the sun. It seemed to be in a calm state, a storm ready to be unleashed at the slightest provocation.
Nova Stacks: 19
His [Nova Stacks] were aligned with his kills and without hesitation, he passed countless roc variants under the control of his mother’s power. From the two skills she showed off, the Law of Love so far functioned similar to an [Enchanter] class while also possessing a powerful control skill. Not only had the Queen bypassed the Intent of all present and inflicted an instance of control on them, but she’d also done it while in battle with a calamity.
"Could it be that Mother's skill targeted Zephyron and everyone else was just an aftereffect?"
Lawruthian put the thought to the side as he finally drew even with the first of his targets. Zephyron’s mates were far smaller than the calamity. From wingtip to wingtip, Zephyron neared the latter end of four hundred, nearly five hundred meters. His mates were less than half with Lawruthian’s target being the larger of the two. Lawruthian appeared like a small pebble next to the larger creature.
He sucked in a deep breath, circling to just above the roc. It flew lazily toward the area where its mate fought, as did hundreds of its brethren. The South Gate Army was moments away from reaching the lowest-flying birds. It seems they too planned to strike in a method similar to Lawruthian, as members began to position themselves above the birds.
[Legacy] began to glow in his hands as [Nova Stacks] slowly drained from his counter. With each stack added, the blade shook. The power gathered too much for the blade to handle at its current evolution. His surroundings seemed to light up with bright yellow light, similar to the starlight his blade was releasing.
Lawruthian’s eyes flickered to the counter, which dropped by seven stacks. [Legacy] vibrated in his hand. If he didn’t strike soon, he’d fear he’d lose control over the blade.
He didn’t hesitate to release the powerful area of effect attack. Fortunately, the rising calamity below him was large enough for the entire wave of starlight to hit.
Just as he released the attack, Lawruthian felt his life to be in danger. It was only after he released the wave, did he notice the surrounding light wasn’t produced by the function (Supernova) of his blade. Yet, just as quickly as it appeared, the surrounding light dimmed to the point it appeared to be night.
Lawruthian looked up, confused, a sense of danger rising only now as the darkness descended upon him. What he saw made his red-gold eyes widen in panic—it didn’t even allow him to see the damage he dealt to the rising calamity. He barely held any time to activate any skills as a roc, nearly as large as Zephyron, descended upon him.
“(Aegis Guard),” a feminine, but clearly mechanical voice stated. A figure, on the petite side for a golem, appeared before him.
“A second calamity…,” Lawruthian whispered. He let out a small chuckle as he and his golem were impacted by the attack.
***
General Ameri shook her head as she watched her prince rise into the sky. A moment later, after giving command to her second in charge, she rose into the air after him. A follower quickly tailing her.
“Go back cousin—the sky above is too dangerous for you,” she said as she flew. Her eyes glancing down at her follower.
The moment she rose, her cousin who fought next to her quickly followed. His eyes were bright with excitement. “I am more than capable of taking care of myself. If the prince can rise to combat our enemies above—then, why not I?”
Ameri shook her head, the irritation apparent as she next spoke. “ He —is the Crowned Prince and [Chosen of Madris]—with a buff from our Goddess that triples his current strength. You —are Ade Oni, Young Master of the Oni clan. There is a difference in your station. Lord Oni may have overcome his station, but you have not. Crown Prince Lawruthian was— NOT —supposed to do anything like this.”
Without another word, she increased her speed, leaving Ade Oni to slowly follow. She naturally propelled herself through the air. Small burst of chi erupting from her feet.
Just below her were the members of the South Gate Army who rose, commanded by General Yûah. The tall, thin woman at their head. Her eyes on the [Chosen of Madris] as she frowned. “…impatience will get you killed. Although the opportunity to strike is now—His Highness should not have been the first to move.”
As Ameri reached the halfway mark to where Lawruthian gathered energy to strike a blow at the controlled Rising Calamity, the sky turned bright.
General Yûah’s helmed face lit up, her large war bow already pulled back as several nocked arrows prepared themselves for flight.
For a moment , Ameri’s flight slowed as she stared at the brightly outlined figure of a giant roc. Its wings and body were bathed in lightning as it seemed to just complete an evolution. The roc was slightly smaller than Zephyron, but not by much. Unlike its mate, the descending bird was colored brown by its feather vanes, but its rachis was a stark yellow.
That moment vanished as Ameri yelled the name of her prince—her voice trembling… “La-LAWRUTHIAN.”
Ameri hadn’t blinked, yet the golem that was beneath Lawruthian now stood before him. The new calamity struck, its balled talon’s vicious in their blow against the golem.
Nubia’s shield held, then like glass shattering, the glowing aegis that appeared to protect her and her master shattered. Three arrows passed her as Nubia’s body impacted into Lawruthian’s and together, they shot from the air like a falling meteor right past Ameri.
RAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOC!
The pink light that shone in the eyes of the Horde of Zephyron dispersed.
“ STRIKE NOW! ”
General Yûah ordered, another three arrows already in flight for the descending calamity.
“Tsk, where are Caimen and Pancratius—useless bastards. Jetta, go confirm the safety of our prince,” Yûah ordered, her Intent sending her message to a distant lieutenant.
“At once,” her lieutenant responded.
The battle, which had steadily followed the plan outlined by General Yûah, began to shift as the Horde of Zephyron awoke to the magi amongst their midst.
***
Lawruthian groaned, and irritatingly, several notifications flashed before his face.
SELF CHECK!
You have fallen from a tremendous height.
-1000 HP.
“Fuck… I’m going to kill that thing.”
Nubia Blackwater:
-1536 HP.
-1000 HP
Star Suit: Mark 1:
-1536 HP.
-1000 HP
Lawruthian Imperius Koltius Edryani – Level 44
HP: 4325/4725 (+0)
SP: 4240/4658 (+0)
MP: 5260/5400 (+0)
‘ Foolish—Did I Not Warn You? ’
A voice spoke into his head—he could hear the amusement within it.
“Nubia— Attack! ”
Lawruthian ignored the voice of the Sage in favor of ordering his golem to attack. The grounded golem stood protectively in front of her downed master. It needed much less time to recover from a fall of a few hundred meters. Lawruthian glanced at its status bar displayed in his HUD.
He’d activated (Golem Commander) long before the battle began.
(Golem Commander)
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Function:
+100 Base Attack and Defense to golems under your direct command. +30% increase effect for buffs. +30% HP/MP.
Cost:
200 MP.
Description:
Under your command, no golem shall falter. No magic will break them. No swords shall shatter them.
[Golem Corp: Nubia Blackwater – ★★★★★ ]
Base Atk: 2250 (+663)
Base Def: 1050 (+363)
HP: 10800/10800 (+704)
MP: 10200/10200 (+3060)
HP Regen: 333/Hour
MP Regen: 315/Hour
Power: 7,500
Mind: 3,400
Vitality: 3,600
Self: 3,500
The skill’s extra Health Points hadn’t even cracked for the special golem. Now, as Lawruthian stood, he prepared a reply to Goddess Madris.
‘If you knew—then, why not be direct?’
A condescending voice responded immediately. “ Should I Feed And Bathe You As Well? ”
Before he could retort, countless figures converged on his location. He hadn’t landed too far from the Imperius Army, and there were two figures who decided to stay amongst the backlines.
“Even in the Hall of Attributes, you acted recklessly—I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Madria stated, but her eyes conveyed the concern she felt.
“Madria, we can berate him later—heal his injuries first,” Amaya urged.
Lawruthian chuckled, his gaze warmly settling on Madria. They shared a look, and the young woman could just imagine Law’s confident face underneath the golem suit’s face.
“I’m fine—just some light scratches. Thank you for checking on me ladies, but you should return to the safety of the army,” Lawruthian responded, momentarily glancing from Madria’s eyes to nod at Amaya.
Madria observed him as she placed a glove covered palm on his armored chest. Moments later, Lawruthian felt a warm heat begin to flow through his body and his HP steadily began to tick up.
“I’m the one who determines that,” Madria responded. She opened her mouth to speak again, but halted as a hundred figures descended from the sky. Ameri was the first to land. She didn’t speak, but instead, she removed her horned helmet and glared. Her red-eyed gaze, able to say far more than words could. As the members of the South Gate Army began to land, Ameri Oni returned her helmet and silently moved behind Lawruthian.
The lieutenant of the South Gate Army saluted before a health potion appeared in his hand. “Your Highness Lawruthian, is there any need…,” he asked hesitantly.
“I’m fine, just a scratch.”
Calmly, gently, he placed the golem's hands over Madria’s before slowly moving her hand away. Above, the sky crackled and the gravel that covered the floor slowly began to rise. Massive rocks erupted from the ground, tugged upward like a gardener removing weeds. The ground shook with each pull, and Madria stumbled, but was steadied by Lawruthian. These stones, which hadn’t moved for centuries, and held ecosystems above and below them, followed flight paths that took them directly above. Shock waves, from both air and ground, created a strange harmonic noise. Bodies, both magi and roc, fell from the air as a chaotic struggled ensued between both parties. The latter was far more prominent than the former.
Nubia Blackwater:
-2446 HP.
“(Divine Skill: Trinity — Falling Swords).”
The harmonic sounds seemed to pause as the voice of a second demigoddess finally emerged. Her voice was light, ecstatic , like a kid with a new toy, and it barely held back a contained laugh.
At the same moment, the hostility of the world changed by another grade. If before it felt like a knife was held to one’s throat, now it felt like tiny needles were stabbing every surface of one’s body. Lawruthian shivered, but those around him held far worse reactions as Amaya bent over and threw up. Madria wasn’t much better as her legs completely failed, but she managed to keep the contents of her stomach down. The only ones who appeared relatively fine were the men of the South Gate Army and Lawruthian—only the aforementioned tightly clutched their weapons. Their years of experience, training, attributes, and more kept them resistant to outside forces affecting their body.
‘ Zephyron Has Activated (World Bound)— It Is Best If You Slay Both It and Lithona Before They Become Too Powerful. Sacrifice Them To Me. ’
The voice of the Sage sounded once again, and Lawruthian slowly released his hold on Madria.
“Take care of Amaya… the battle will be over soon.”
Madria nodded, “(Imperius Divine Harmony: Courage).”
Status Effect: {Courage}
{Courage} has been activated. All {Fear} and negative mental de-buffs are resisted for the next five minutes.
A large spell construct quickly spread below the inhabitants of the area, the small mental boost helping the men and women stabilize their hearts.
“(Velocity Stride),” Lawruthian activated. Those around him activated their movement skills to follow the prince.
Together, they began to rise in the air, their eyes locked onto the battle above them. Magi-humans fought a chaotic battle against the Horde of Zephyron—fire, water, earth, air, and more rare combinations flashed through the sky. One side clearly held an advantage, as the South Gate Army held a spherical formation in midair. Thousands of roc variants, [Windbless Rocs — ★ ★ ], [Terraspark Rocs — ★ ★ ★ ], and more clawed, pecked, and dove at the formation. Few magi fell, but they did fall—and, for everybody lost, over a dozen rocs accompanied them to the ground.
Above, two calamities fought. One appeared as a pebble compared to its challenger. Rocks and lightning combined into a chained bridge that struck toward Nubia. A black sea appeared as an apparition behind the small golem—its spartan-like shield resisting the blow. Lawruthian’s eyes were drawn away and toward a different battlefield.
He’d only risen a dozen meters before he, alongside his small escort, halted.
“Oh, so these are the powers of a demigod…,” Lawruthian stated in a half whisper as the sky above turned red. He chuckled, suddenly his confidence in holding the strength of the aforementioned dispersed as did the clouds above.
Red meteors, jagged, terrible things, shaped like swords, stabbed through the cumulonimbus clouds to reveal the orange light of the evening sun. Lawruthian counted three in total, the latter all larger than the previous.
The world around them grew still, only the battle between calamities above continued as Nubia attacked her counter. The rest of them, magi, roc , all began to still as the sword-like meteors fell. Orange-red light covered their faces, and sound seemed nonexistent.
As they watched from a distance, the meteors seemed to fall slowly, but it was only their size that made that illusion seem true. In the distance, seven figures battled against the Thunderwing Lord. Lawruthian could barely make out two smaller figures flying in range of the raging Zephyron.
“ Look away, ” he commanded, as the first of the meteors impacted.
He turned away not out of a lack of desire to see the results, but to avoid the bright, intense light that erupted the moment the first meteor hit. His gaze landed on Amaya and Madria below, and a startling realization flashed on his mind.
‘AFTERSHOCK!’
“(Divine Skill: Rune Creation — Mitigation).”
The third voice was gentle, curious, but held hints of exasperation—clearly, the voice belonged to Margret Musa.
The second meteor hit, and the subsequent shock Lawruthian expected from the first hadn’t arrived. Instead, a strong, but much gentler wind blew against those on the ground and sky above.
Then came one final impact only seconds after the second, a vibration passed through the air, and the hostility felt by the magi—an action directed by the world, diminished significantly.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Raid Boss: Zephyron — Thunderwing Lord] has been slain. Rewards shall be given based on contribution at the end of the battle.
The silence continued, only the sound of Calamity Lithona and Calamity Nubia continued as a disturbance that settled over the combatants.
Lawruthian swallowed, and his gaze returned to the fierce area of destruction. A sea of flame and molten slag met his gaze. In the distance, he could just make out three titanic stone swords embedded into the slain calamity.
“Tier eleven spells… the realm that approaches Godhood!”
His fist clenched, his gaze wide, like that of a startled deer watching the approach of oncoming headlights. He thought he held an understanding of demigods based on what he’d seen thus far. Unfortunately, he deemed his understanding to be wrong.
Around him, General Ameri and the escort from the South Gate Army stood with the same shock in their hearts. They’d been battling for just over half an hour and expected a drawn out escapade due to the severe numbers the Horde of Zephyron held. Now, the calamity was slain and the battle half won.
“ CHARRRRRRAGE! FOR OUR GODDESS—FOR THE SAGE! ”
A voice, one filled with confidence, pride, and more, shouted. The [Chosen of Madris] sped off into the air and toward the large horde of beasts left. His voice spread past him and appeared in the ears of every magi present. Both those of the Imperius Army who fought against the remnants of their attackers, and that of the South Gate Army who battled high above.