Chapter 70: Forces II
‘Why is someone like her here!?’
The crystal daughter. Apart from the rubies, emeralds and diamonds embedded in her, the oceanstone that most of her body was made out of could be transformed into any crystal gemstone she desired. The princess could exhibit profound magical powers depending on what she transformed her body to.
Transforming her body into diamond, she could endure strikes and blows of powerful magnitude like it was nothing. If she transformed all of her body into obsidian, the myths say she could gain immense strength, enough to cause earthquakes. Yet the most widely known myth about the crystal daughter, was that she would regularly transform into amethyst and sit in meditation for months on end.
Gayle’s mind raced of why such an illustrious individual would be here. Within the younger generation, she was an absolute powerhouse. Among the younger generation she was the strongest individual that came from the Earthern Hearts, and among the young talents of the bloodline world, she was evaluated to be within the top five individuals.
‘Is she here for the orb?’
If she was, even most draconic heirs would have to bow down to her strength. Maybe the strongest of the strongest of them could hold out against her, but Gayle was doubtful that any of them could defeat her.
‘But that shouldn’t be the case…’
The crystal princess was a generational talent. A person who came once every thousand years, or once every hundred-thousand years even, who could change the whole landscape between the bloodline empires. If she grew to her estimated peak of power, the Earthern Hearts could possibly expand their territory, or even defeat and enslave rival empires and kingdoms.
Such a person was not someone that the Earthern Empires would hesitate to spoil. They should have given her treasures and rarities of all kinds to boost her power. A core at the level of prime might be an intensely rare boon, but within the whole empire of the Earthern Hearts, two or three should be saved up in their vault.
In fact…it was weird enough that the crystal daughter was still below the level of Calamity. Those were what most of the top elites of the Earthern Empires called themselves when they break through the limit of Master in energy manipulation. With her talent and the resources she should have been given, she should have already reached that stage judging by her accomplishments. It was almost as if she was purposely keeping herself at the stage she was in.
…And Gayle was correct. Oddly enough, what drove the crystal daughter to keep pushing forward was not the goal of reaching the peaks of power, but the will to strive and fulfill her purpose.
As the crystal daughter smiled at Gayle with her emerald eyes, thoughts were also running through her head.
‘The world soul is leading me south now.’
‘This girl…was she in my dreams?’
‘Her visage looks so familiar.’
‘Could she have been in my visions also?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘It’s not like I can tell between the two nowadays.’
Gayle snapped out of her trance and watched as the last two forces also approached their party.
The two groups were much less striking than the force that the crystal daughter brought, so Gayle could save a breath of relief over that fact. But although they weren't powerhouses, they were still quite strong.
The first force brought around two hundred individuals but they were all around the strength of Gayle’s lesser members. The second force numbered much more, holding around seven thousand individuals. The number would have been quite frightening, if it wasn’t for most of the group being simple weaklings. Six thousand and five hundred of them were a mix of mercenaries that did not even pass the Initiate level. Yet…there were also four hundred and fifty characters at the Novice level, enough to drown a group of Adepts like a raging flood.
The group that approached from the east were clad in colors of blue, and strangely enough many of their pack animals were carrying large tanks of water. The symbol upon their blue outfits held a design displaying the ocean, and numerous enormous mountains springing up from the sea here and there. The scene was more like a high mountain range that was eventually submerged by oceans of water.
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In the very center of the mountains was a spiral chain of islands elevating to the sky as if they were floating, and the presence of endless gray clouds showering the scene with rain. The chain of islands were connected by steampunk bridges, all of them but the last, highest island, that stood alone, aloof, and untouchable.
It was easy to guess where that group was from. It was none other than the territory that the empire of Agni had tried to conquer for hundreds of years, yet stood tall despite all the ordeals. It was none other than the island territory of Everrain, and just like its name, a person who stayed there all their life would never know what clear skies ever looked like. Gray clouds stretched endlessly into the horizon, and whether it was a sprinkle or a world-ending flood, it never stopped raining.
How is such a thing possible? And what caused the endless expanse of gray clouds and rain? Well, that story is an epic tale to be told another day…
The group that approached from the west that had a number of seven thousand, wore no colors. They were simply a rag-tag bunch that seemingly wore whatever armor they could find. In fact most of the armor they wore was falling off, as if they were looted from the dead corpses of their last battle. Their saving grace was that their main members, the fifty or so individuals at the level of Adept, seemed to be well equipped with sturdy armor and sharp weaponry.
Hidden within one of the Adepts of that group, was a normal middle aged man with tanned skin and black hair. He looked like the typical rugged warrior who had seen many battles in his life, but Gayle’s senses were alerted to that seemingly ordinary quality. What her eyes and ears could not see or hear in the physical realm, her spiritual sense in the unseen realms could uncover.
Gayle trusted that divine sense as much as Zan trusted his own intuition, and she did not hesitate to activate her bloodline. For a split second the sclera of her eyes turned into a sea of flame, and a light as bright as the midday sun appeared in her pupils.
The middle aged man turned his attention towards her, but noticed that while the girl was pretty, there was no other quality about her that should have brought his eyes towards her. The girl was not even looking at him, but that huge titan over there to the north. Although she seemed pretty strong for her age, an extraordinarily rare talent too, but even that shouldn’t have moved his gaze.
‘Strange…’
‘Just a fluke?’ The man thought.
Gayle was relieved that the man didn’t notice her, or else she might have been forced to fight or submit to him. Indeed, she was correct that the true appearance of that seemingly normal middle aged man was entirely fraudulent. Instead of black hair he had bright, golden hair. His aged and rough skin was as smooth as silk like a newborn’s, and his youthful face should place his age around the teens. Of course the most shocking factor was his brilliant, golden eyes that held elliptical pupils.
‘A draconic heir…’
The four forces stopped at an equal distance away from both each other, and Gayle’s party. Three out of four of them were all apprehensive of each other, but especially the one opposite of the crystal daughter. The forces of Everrain and that random rag-tag bunch simply did not know who they were looking at. But Gayle spotted the eagle-eyed women discussing with the white haired man and from their solemn looks, she could tell that they knew they couldn’t mess with the crystal princess.
Yet…a smug face returned to the white haired male, and he proceeded to clearly announce his intentions. Behind the hostility and malice of his intentions, he spoke with a courteous, respectful, and polite tone.
Gayle quickly learned that of the four forces that came to check the disturbance, their force was the only group that specifically came to look for them.
“To all who came here, I do not wish to fight you. Instead I hope that you can sympathize with my plight.”
“My young and talented task force was recently wiped out.”
“They were a mere recon unit, they held no ill will but they were attacked first without provocation.”
“I know for sure that it was this shameless, ignoble party that did such a thing.”
“I only hope that you may stay out of it as we right their wrongs.”
Towards his speech the four forces looked at him and although there was no verbal confirmation, the faces that they made at him showed the white haired individual that they simply did not care what he planned to do with them.
“You’re a liar! They attacked us first!”
One of the members of Gayle’s party yelled. It was Kina.
Gayle was hoping to say something so that they could reach some sort of compromise, but the chances of that happening went down by half.
“Dishonorable individuals! Even at the moment we catch you in your vile actions, you speak lies!”
“Assemble!”
Quickly, eighty individuals at the level of Gayle’s party assumed a formation and proceeded to slowly advance towards her squad.
“Do not resist capture, and we will make sure that you are only made servants, you may even be able to climb up to a higher position!” The white haired male said.
“Should we listen to him?” Relim, the wolf bloodline asked.
“Look at the eyes of those scantily clad women near him.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Kina said.
“They look a little dead…” Conrad said.
“Many of them are around Kina’s strength, some stronger or weaker. Can you guess what happened to them?”
“...”
“What do you think happened to the males?”
“Well…shit.” Pane said.
“...Do you believe in me?”
“Even if the trajectory of our fates shift towards a totally different direction, I can guarantee your lives, and maybe even a more grand destiny for you.”
“But do you trust in me?”
“All we can do right now is trust you…”
“Do you or not!?”
“I trust you with my life.” The gigantic twelve foot bear said.
“You saved it after all.”
“I too.”
“Me too.”
Many of the weaker willed members and surprisingly Conrad were slow to give in, but eventually they all placed their lives on Gayle’s leadership.
“Alright…”
“Crystal princess! If you allow us, we would swear our lives beneath your banner!”
“I know the Earthern Hearts bear animosity towards the Bluelight clan! We can serve as your sword!”
“We are young and talented and I know that your emerald eyes are not just beautiful!”
“I hope that you can see the value in our lives if you help us today!”