First Existences’ War, The Frontline Battle (7)

The brownish energy spread to his arms and legs, but then, they turned towards Heian Ciemnosc's Vocón Link that had suddenly appeared and his dark tail. The dark tail was only half a meter long, but a black ink-like extension was formed from its tip as it was touched by the brown energy. The same happened with his Vocón Link, and they rapidly formed an extensive black limb made from ink that extended for several meters. His hands and feet were the same.

“... … …” The piloting experts had already become baffled when they saw their commander activate a second battle array formation. Knowing the cultivators he would work was even a Step higher than he was, it caused them distress, but their commander seemed… fine.

Then, under everyone’s baffled gaze, Heian Ciemnosc levitated half a meter above the floor as the Octotribulation Ink battle array formation was fully formed. However, a strange thing happened before they could all think about things. The commander’s Vocón Link extended but pushed the brownish energy forwards without merging with it. It separated and formed 2 sub-bodies that separated and snaked through the air beside the Vocón Link.

Pshift, pshift- pshift! The brownish energy followed after those sub-bodies, forming at least 3 of the 8 possible connections Heian Ciemnosc could use to utilize the battle array formation as intended. Then, his dark tail formed another, making up for the 4th. Finally, Heian Ciemnosc’s limbs formed the remaining 4 connections, and now, Heian Ciemnosc was ready to start the 3rd phase’s fun part.

“How long?” Heian Ciemnosc coldly asked. He wasn’t being strict, but simply hella focused and bent on his objective as he watched the several angles without feeling his mental stability obstructed. A piloting expert spun his seat and watched his panel before reporting, “2 minutes if we continue like this, and we’re already in their targeting weapon systems.”

“Stop,” Heian Ciemnosc lightly called out, his darkest eyes seemingly expressionless, showing only ultimately coldness and serenity, looking lifeless and strangely adorable. The piloting experts in communications got to work immediately. They ordered their movement to stop, and the young black monster’s force gradually slowed their speed.

The array formation covering the Existence’s spaceships dissipated slowly, with speckles of its remains drifting into space a couple meters before completely disintegrating, but they weren’t eaten by the Elemental Poisoning.

“!” Heian Ciemnosc’s Spirit Sense quickly worked its gears. A frown formed at his glabella, wrinkling his pale skin and nose as he became terrifying to look at. The simple emotion he burned anyone who glared at him was enough to divert any pair of eyes away. Even the commanding assistant felt she had done wrong, and only working 110% above her capabilities would be enough to start making amends.

The spaceships under his command initiated the sudden halt. VEEEEEM- FUUUUUTOMP~!!!

FUTOMP, FUTOMP- VEEEEM~1 FUTOMP- FUTOMP- FUTOMP- FUTOMP!!!

Heian Ciemnosc’s group's sudden decrease in speed baffled the enemy slightly, especially since their blockade was just a few minutes away. It was so close! Nevertheless, they were prepared to deal with Heian Ciemnosc’s military force despite the brutal weakness they’ve shown so far. Enemy spaceships flew towards them, fearlessly showering projectiles at Heian Ciemnosc’s group while they also received condensed firepower.

However, as soon as the young black monster’s spaceships came to a halt, the main force behind them did the same! Thousands of fellow spaceships stopped out of nowhere, creating a loud reality-bending noise that, although it wasn’t much, showed how decisive the Existence was to employ any tactic to keep the enemy at bay without rest.

Before the enemy could focus on dealing more damage to Heian Ciemnosc’s group, the spaceships behind the latter immediately demanded attention, firing away and showcasing energy attacks and Art techniques everywhere. Many of the younger generation’s people here were from Fourth Step organizations, so they even had Supreme Art techniques fighting left and right.

Ta- rarara, rara~!! Puh, puh! Pum, pum, pum, pum!!! Pfiuh, pfiuh, pfiuh~~!! Pssshiuukk!!...

Rains of bullets, missiles flamboyantly flooding to the other side, artillery guns taking most of the muffled noise popularity, rockets flying and arching as they either met each other or landed on either side’s spaceships, and torpedoes whose explosion noises weren’t the loudest but spread the farthest resumed in the 4th line battlefield.

Heian Ciemnosc was only leading his group a few tens of meters forward than the right and left wings of the 4th ring’s main force, while his rear was fully packed with fellow spaceships that protected them just as the enemy had protected their rapidly decreasing frontline so far.

Having the main force’s cooperation and protection after venturing directly into enemy lines so fearlessly for hours gave the young black monster’s military force a relieving sigh in their hearts. Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t brainless and finally joined the main force as he led the center while the wings beside them crushed and fell together with his group.

“20 minutes until reaching the enemy’s Low Battleships blockade!” A piloting expert reported to Heian Ciemnosc as hundreds of missiles flew just towards their leading Low Battleship. Their anti-missile turrets had never been adamantly and furiously working as they were now. Everything became more intense as the third phase began and progressed.

Pshift~!!! Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes remained on the different angles when, suddenly, his darkest eyes hardened, and he threw his right fist downwards beside his left thigh. Brownish energy flew out from his knuckles and the back of his fingers as it traversed the Low Battleship’s floors and mechanisms until it reached out of space in less than a second.

When it joined space, it was about to be worked to death by the Elemental Poisoning like super maggots on a tasty, raw corpse, but the dark Neutral Energy it mixed with acted as a repellent. The brownish energy was left untouched as the black limb took the shape of a tentacle, but not entirely.

Its tip did resemble a tentacle, but the rest was more of a shapeless limb, similar to Vocón Link’s sub-bodies, albeit without its formidable defense and Heian Ciemnosc’s strength. Yet, as it rushed towards a Cruiser at the bottom, heavily rotating and spinning to defend against a sudden incursion of Fighters accompanied by rockets, clearly suffering under this move, it landed on its structure.

However, it was spinning too fast, and if it was a material object latching onto the Cruiser, like his Vocón Link, it would’ve been rolled up with the Cruiser. Fortunately, it didn’t happen. Instead, the black limb covered with brownish energy seemed to form an ethereal hook in the Cruiser’s overall structure. Even as it moved in circles and continued to rapidly spin, the black tentacle didn’t move an iota.

Heian Ciemnosc’s Spirit Sense immediately sent information to the Cruiser’s commander and piloting experts, using his status as this military force’s commander and his mighty mental fortitude. The Cruiser didn’t doubt to do as instructed, and they simply faced the bottom, so most of their artillery guns and rocket launchers aimed at them before opening fire like crazy. Enemy rockets and spaceships flail and explode as the Cruiser focuses its energy on its shields, taking it away from the engines and machine guns.

Puh, puh, puh, puh, puh!!! Pfiush, pfiush, pfiush!!

The Cruiser went all out as if intending to use all its arsenal to destroy this incursion. Enemy Fighters barely had much to defend themselves with, and their machine guns didn’t penetrate the Cruiser’s shield a centimeter. On the other hand, the rockets the Cruiser sent to annihilate the enemy rockets weren’t enough.

A few Cruisers used one of their rocket launchers to ‘defend’ it instead of keeping locked at the enemy at the sides or their front as they kept advancing. This was enough to keep the Cruiser safe, even more so as the black tentacle hooked into it dragged it through space like it was nothing without needing engines.

Bowwbooumb!! Bowwbooumb!!~... Once the danger was over, the Cruiser finally returned the energy distribution to the battle properties. Its engines turned up again, and it didn’t have difficulty recomposing its position in the packed-up formation.

“Phew…” In the leading Low Battleship, Heian Ciemnosc released a sigh of relief as he dropped slightly, and his right fist’s knuckles returned the brownish energy as the black tentacle returned, and it was limited to his right arm just as it was with his other limbs, including the Vocón Link, its sub-bodies, and his dark tail.

Heian Ciemnosc nearly landed on the floor, but he quickly reacted and kept his body afloat. The commanding assistant came to him and bent her back before straightening as Heian Ciemnosc kept his balance. She asked him while surprised, thrilled, and worried altogether. “Commander? Are you alright? Do you need any alchemy products? An energy restoration pill?”

“No,” Heian Ciemnosc lightly said, slightly shaking his head. “It doesn’t bother me… I just realized that… Cruisers aren’t that heavy in space.”

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“...” - “... … …” The commanding assistant fell speechless, along with the central command’s personnel. They were glad their commander wasn’t just flying around and using his strange ‘teleportation’ Supreme Art because it was more dangerous now, and the enemy spaceships were clearly more prepared to deal with them.

They had just stopped the super-enhancement of speed travel, but now, 3 of their spaceships were damaged considerably, and one of them was the Cruiser that was nearly decimated at the bottom of their formation.

If the commander hadn’t strictly put up these phases and accorded with the other Low Battleships beforehand, he might’ve used his ‘dark dome’ Supreme Art technique whenever possible. But with the 3rd phase implemented, that would only dull things.

As they watched their commander recuperate after achieving another colossal change in their view of the cultivation world they already knew and had experienced in, the central command felt slight awe and more respect for their commander, the young black monster! One could only imagine their future prospects when the Crimsonbreaking Faction grew with such an animal.

Pshift~!!! Heian Ciemnosc suddenly widened his eyes and clapped his hands together as his Vocón Link trembled before straightening in behind him. A passing Soldier nearly bumped into it with his neck head-on before ultimately saving himself from choking for a few minutes.

In space, the young black monster’s leading Low Battleship suddenly sent out another 3 strange black tentacles covered in brownish energy. 2 of them flew to its front and then arched before forcing 2 other Battleships forward and forming a semi-blockade in the move with their engines still on. No matter Heian Ciemnosc’s 160,000 kg of bodily strength, he still couldn’t move a Low Battleship by himself, not even in space.

Those Battleships rapidly sent rockets towards Heian Ciemnosc’s Low Battleship! Not the enemy, but their leading spaceship! Just as the world was absurdly flabbergasted, they watched as a watery barrier rapidly formed, but it was too thin and not bright enough to be considered fully formed. The young black monster was planning something…

The extra black tentacle rushing from behind the Low Battleship rapidly shot to the rear as if to find something to grab itself onto. Another Battleship rushed from the back, colliding with the black tentacle as its nose-dived and its butt raised, simulating a crash, but the black tentacle smoothly passed through it.

The Incinerating Bolt battle array formation was still active, so if the receptor suddenly rushed forth or halted, the other spaceships would suffer the same fate, albeit to a lesser degree, which was what happened.

Fuuuuooooot- puuumb! Veeem!

The Battleship behind Heian Ciemnosc’s force acted like a staff pushing the back of his group, ushering them forwards as the rockets the 2 Battleships before Heian Ciemnosc’s Battleship suddenly rushed upwards instead of tragically committing friendly fire.

Pew, pew, pew… The rockets suddenly gained speed, and they turned into a cascade that followed after the watery barrier like a waterfall. Then, under everyone’s eyes, the incomplete Elemental Water Eye array formation became dark from the base, where the Low Battleship activated it and from where it started. It rapidly spread, and the Battleships before Heian Ciemnosc kept launching rockets.

“What are they trying to do?” - “Seniors! I’m in danger! 2 Crimson Frigates hav-” - “Bahh! Not even a Cruiser can deal with mere Frigates? Trash!” - “No! What is happening in the 4th ring’s forces? That damned young black monster is doing something… look!”

The experts from the Evergazing Existence chatted amidst battle, and as one of the cruisers at their vanguard turned to dust and bright bulbs, half the cultivators in the scarier battlefield looked at the younger generation’s battlefield. The 4th line battlefield was suddenly taking a strange change as a waterfall-like body of water slightly turned dark.

They didn’t know what Art technique it was other than an Elemental type. However, as it became dark, and many experts remembered the young black monster’s few details about his Supreme Art, they watched as the cascade arched forwards in a C shape and… moved to flood into their side’s spaceships!! Their column was in imminent danger!

“Hurry!! Call your younger generation and warn them! They can’t stop that if they don’t use Elemental Arts!!” - “It’s too late, that thing is crashing down on them…” - “Annihilate the young black monster! What are you waiting for?!” - “But-... he’s too talented! What if the Heraxle…” - “If he’s dead, it won’t matter to them! Dead cultivators are nothing!” - “Dammit!!” - “We still have them. This ‘little’ move will motivate them, I hope…”

The enemy side’s experts rapidly discussed, but all they could see was watch as they struggled on the battlefield of Third and Fourth Step organizations. While the younger generation gave out a clear example of space wars, the senior battlefield clearly showed the insurmountable level an Existence war can reach, and that’s with only 2 Steps in the mix.

If all Steps, including the Fifth, were partook in the war… The Heraxle Clan’s ‘game’ was reasonable when they thought up to this point.

… Back to the 4th line battlefield, Heian Ciemnosc’s palms faced each other at his shoulders-spread ratio. He gritted his teeth as his legs constantly bent, and he lifted them or simply rotated his body, kicked towards the ceiling, and black tentacles came out. His Vocón-Link sub-bodies also moved like tendrils, looking for food before rushing into space, trespassing any material with the Octotribulation Ink battle array formation before moving spaceships nonstop.

Heian Ciemnosc had spent the remaining few minutes like this, forming a cascade with rockets and darkened Water elemental particles. His thoughts were sober as his crew members saw him rotating like a madman. On the other hand, they were too stunned to see their spaceships saved from direct trouble every time the enemy spared no effort to put a portion of their military force in danger.

The enemy kept suffering because of Heian Ciemnosc’s actions as he manipulated 2 battle array formations, held onto 2 Low Battleships, and supported an extra burst of heaviness to their advance with another Battleship behind them.

The battle grew more intense, and more casualties were suffered on the Quiongu Fanhui Existence’s side, but Heian Ciemnosc ensured his inner core of people didn’t suffer directly. While some of their spaceships had suffered, a few fighters had been timely prepared to rescue as many fellow cultivators as possible since he couldn’t use his Myriad Darkness Materialization again.

Even if Heian Ciemnosc wanted to, the 2 battle array formations under his control wouldn’t let him. Fortunately, the ally wings beside his group weren’t any weaker than the enemy, and despite the still 10 minutes before reaching the enemy, his other ‘trump card’ was ready to be used.

“Warn the… main forces!” Heian Ciemnosc trembling words echoed through his mouth, ever so light and tired, but they sounded resolute and… fierce. The piloting experts felt incensed, and knowing what was to come, they felt strangely calm. One piloting expert seemed to finish something as he shouted before standing up to face Heian Ciemnosc, “All ready, sir! We wish you luck… return as quickly as possible so we can celebrate back home!”

“Sir!” - “Commander!” - “It’s an honor…” - “We’ll wait for you when this is over, commander!” - “You’re everything the Crimsonbreaking Faction works to build! Sir!!” - “We’re about to grow a young monster to become an adult, haha!” - “Happy hunting, commander!!” - “Hua!!!”

“...!” Heian Ciemnosc looked as his personnel in the central command saluted him and respectfully said a few words. They didn’t say much as Heian Ciemnosc continued kicking the air and rotating at any angle. Heian Ciemnosc felt as if his heart grew something… It was like a weight, but it didn’t make him heavier or somber… only… more powerful?

Heian Ciemnosc shook the notion away, knowing it wasn’t nature or something related to the Soul… but the hearts of the people. He couldn’t disappoint them now. But he never intended to.

“Ini… tiate… 4th phase!!” Heian Ciemnosc struggled to spit from his mouth. His throat roared the very last letter. Dark Neutral Energy flashed about, showing signs of becoming more powerful, shocking, and marveling at the personnel around him. The commanding assistant felt her heart shudder as she saw the birth of a legend.

“Done! All spaceships are ready! Waiting for your word, commander!” The only piloting team of experts reacted to his words after a minute, and one of them spoke out with his heart lunging out of his throat. He and his team felt the heaviness of their duty!!

“...” Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes shook as they struggled to look ahead, his nature reading letting him see through his Battleship’s structure. He could feel his Spirit Sense and dark Soul were close to scanning through its walls and every floor! The exact cultivation base of everyone inside it and their palpitating hearts. Their Souls quivered when they instinctively noticed his prying, but they didn’t feel violated, only… comfort.

“!” Heian Ciemnosc shook the sensation away… it was not the time!

“Prepare…” Heian Ciemnosc spoke as he no longer rotated about, and his spaceships simply focused their energy on their shields and a smallish portion on their engines. They weren’t firing any projectile as the darkened Water cascade above them was just a few kilometers from descending onto the enemy. His words resounded everywhere, and the piloting experts still seated, not standing at the side, looking at Heian Ciemnosc as if he was the world’s treasure, awaited for it.

Fwuooooshh… The darkened cascade above the young black monster’s group moved to crash down against the enemy’s line. Strangely enough, it didn’t target the 30 Low Battleships blockading the Existence’s advancement, the former waiting for the latter to finally put a stop to their insolence.

The 30 enemy Battleships didn’t react. It was as if they were okay with those behind them getting mangled to utter destruction, and those behind them weren’t moving away like ants about to be flooded to death. They remained tranquil and… confident.

Just as the spectators from both battlefields watched this in suspicion, something happened!

Sheeek- zzzz… A ray of lightning soared from one of the enemy Battleships in the blockade. It was from one of those at the very top. The lightning was bluish, but some smaller tongues and sparkles were violet. As it soared, an Elemental array formation was activated from the same Battleship, and the ray of lightning suddenly became 10, then 100, then 300… It didn’t stop until thousands of rays of lightning were shot upwards at a limited length of a couple hundred meters.

Wyyyyyyyiiiiiiieeeemmmm~~!!!!

A sound similar to the turning on of engines echoed, signaling something was charging up. Then, under the countless eyes observing the battle, as the cascade was only a few kilometers from crushing against the Evergazing Existence’s column, the thousands of rays of lightning nearly immediately pushed upwards according to the universal focus. It only took a moment for them to extend several kilometers and rush into the darkened cascade… but it wasn’t just darkened Water element within it…

“Initiate the assault!!!” At this moment, Heian Ciemnosc’s brows furiously knitted. His expression turned as fierce as never before, and his words echoed throughout his soldier units!

…