CHAPTER 168: Battlefield Reconciliation
Adam gave up. He surrendered.
The soul pain was debilitating for him while the river raged. Since it wasn’t a skill, he couldn’t toggle it on and off like other people. This prevented him from relying on his inherited stats.
So, he gave in to the demands of the voice inside and allowed the river to reap his consciousness. He let the river wash over his mind, allowing it to sweep him away. Submerging into the river, Adam was no longer aware, just letting his body move based on rage and instinct, an animal fighting to keep the monsters at bay.
But everyone knows what they say about wounded animals.
The axe in Adam’s hand swept through a Scyrric healer, cleaving them in two. The swing continued as it cut the legs from another. Two warriors and a scout were coming from behind Adam, but the long handle of the axe swept through them, breaking a warrior’s jaw before it knocked the second warrior’s head sideways, causing him to fall on the scout.
Spinning around while growling, Adam cut through them before rounding on the next approaching Scyrric. A spell made of purple energy, some element unknown on Earth, exploded on Adam’s back. The awkward chest armor he had taken from Sgolkr’s armory negated all damage while not preventing Adam from stumbling forward.
Adam leapt into the air towards the caster, who was beginning to fire another bolt. Before the magic hit, Adam’s axe glowed with [Kinetic Impact] and then he vanished, instantly appearing in front of the caster. [Arc Shockwave] activated, adding an expanding explosive force to his [Kinetic Impact]. The power of the shockwave was so strong that as Adam’s axe bit into the caster, their body was torn apart. The chunks of the exploded Scyrric expanded outwards along with the shockwave, throwing the surrounding Scyrric in every direction.
The Scyrric kept trying to rally. They fought back with everything they had. They would try to outnumber Adam in one place, to overwhelm, dog pile him or bind him using skills, but he would appear somewhere else. The shockwaves he gave off prevented them from regaining their balance. His axe was superior enough that it cut through everything easily, except for metal armor. Those pieces of armor still didn’t protect the Scyrric from the explosions that came whenever too many were grouped together.
“Hey, hey, hey, what’s this?” demanded a Tier 3 warrior Scyrric as he rushed at Adam. His tag was “Blood-soaked Mauler [51]” and he carried a sword as large as him, it’s blade stained a rainbow of colors, each representing the blood of races he had slaughtered. Several flashes went off as he used skills.
He rocketed towards Adam, his sword stabbing dead center on Adam’s chest piece. The metal didn’t give in to the sword as it scratched along the outside. The blade slid over Adam’s shoulder, and he roared in pain. The Blood-soaked Mauler froze, eyes opened in surprise as the noise carried Adam’s [Incapacitating Shout]. The other Scyrric froze as well, some beginning to show fear at the unstoppable monster before them.
The top of the Mauler’s head was separated from the rest, causing his body to crumble. By then, another 10 Scyrric soldiers were dead. As enemies died, their bodies became inconsequential while the rampaging Adam moved onto the next group.
That wasn’t to say Adam didn’t take his share of damage. Cuts to his head and arms happened while spells did hit him. Adam’s fight wasn’t one of offense and defense. It was only offense. Anyone that got nearby would manage an attack, although that ended up being the last thing they did.
Sgolkr’s chest armor protected him against a lot, but the Scyrric didn’t consider the other weapons that Adam carried. While he didn’t have the talons or a tail, the mindless Adam still instinctively knew when was needed to regenerate. His teeth became as feared as the axe, since dying to the axe was quick, while Adam’s teeth would tear out chunks of necks or arms to allow him to drink their blood. Then while the Scyrric would slowly die from blood loss, Adam would move on from them.
In the fifteen minutes since Adam arrived, he had killed a tenth of the invader army. More than 200 Scyrric slain from his rampage, with more only avoiding death through the efforts of their healers, who were often targeted as a result.
The damage didn’t just come from Adam either. At first, the Sentinel army on the wall didn’t know what was happening. However, it quickly became obvious as they saw Adam standing among the invaders, clearly seen by all after his shockwaves cleared the space around him.
Cheers rose from the humans. Morale went up. Some even dropped to their knees and wept.
The Scyrric at the wall couldn’t keep trying to pass through it. They had to turn and face the rampaging monster attacking them from behind. They couldn’t defend in both directions when Adam entered the fray. The spells from those on the wall became more effective as invader shields turned to focus on the madman tearing through them from the opposite direction.
Andrea and Lamar also didn’t miss the opportunity. Anywhere that a shockwave went off, those two targeted the defenders, killing those who could cast barriers or boost defenses. That left the rest open to the lower-level humans, who renewed their casting of spells.
Elias and Nick didn’t allow themselves to be outdone either, using their control skills to further destabilize their enemies.
The physical fighters and defenders who had been waiting inside the wall were initially confused by the cheers from the wall and the new vigor of the casters’ attack. Once they heard the chant rising, “GEN-ER-AL! GEN-ER-AL,” many left their positions and went to the wall.
Upon seeing Adam, the General’s Guard couldn’t be held back. They dropped from the wall or maneuvered through the crumbled parts of the wall. With battle cries raised they charged into the Scyrric. Soon they were joined by defenders and healers. Even mages with shorter range were climbing down to press the attacks.
***
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
“Wow, look at the boss go!” cheered Tom. Then he quietly spoke to Lucas. With a head jerk to General Carmichael, who was watching the fight with both a scowl and eyes wide in shock, Tom asked Lucas, “Do you think we should go help?”
With his deep voice a low rumble, Lucas answered. “We should be ready to help, but for now I think we should stay here.”
Tom gave him a knowing wink and then turned back to watch the battle. His hand stayed on his sword hilt.
***
The booms had mostly halted their battle. Sgolkr and Rexus had both watched for a few minutes as Scyrric flew in all directions while the invader army was pierced by the newcomer. They tried clashing a few more times, continuing their fight as Sgolkr refused to back down from the native, but it was a weak effort as both were paying more attention to the distant battle than to their own combat.
Rexus was confident in his resilience while Sgolkr had admitted to using this as practice, claiming he already knew how to defeat Rexus’s skills. Their focus and attention were broken completely when humans began dropping from the wall. Suddenly, the Scyrric army was being attacked from all directions, even though a single combatant was doing most of the damage.
Sgolkr hissed as he clicked his tongue. He turned completely away from Rexus. Then he really watched the battle. His eyes grew large momentarily as he watched Adam. After a moment, his face relaxed and he smiled. His teeth became a grin of the reaper, finding its next target.
As Sgolkr walked away, he spoke to Rexus. “Your life shall continue for the moment. But do not worry, for I shall seek you out once this prey is extinguished.”
Rexus frowned at the invader. He wasn’t used to being dismissed so easily. Pride fought with logic inside him. As he watched the lizard man walk away, he slid the knives he had been given into his back belt.
Then Rexus turned back towards the wall where General Carmichael was waiting. His expression became calm as he began jogging back to the humans, a little unsure of what was happening.
***
Adam continued his rampage, slicing through the enemies, stabbing, punching, and exploding them. The fury he fought with in this berserker state would have killed anyone nearby, even allies, so it was fortunate the Sentinel Army knew him well enough to keep their distance. They were attacking the edges to keep their enemies off balance, or to force them into the meat grinder that Adam was playing the role of.
There still wasn’t any thought or intention beyond the slaughter in front of Adam. Another few minutes of his mayhem, where he didn’t even care if his opponent was Tier 2 or Tier 3, led him to a calmer portion of the enemy forces.
As he entered this space, the enemy soldiers moved away from him. They didn’t retreat or appear scared. Instead, they used the disciplined actions of soldiers following orders.
Adam shouted wordlessly at them, taunting them to come to him. They simply gave more room for him to enter. Even while acting like a wild animal, the mindless Adam hesitated, wary of a problem or trap. Having enemies going from a battle frenzy to such a calm demeanor stopped him.
Adam sniffed and watched as a pathway was opened. Then a Scyrric in a robe with a long staff walked through. He strode confidently, unconcerned about his safety. There was no fear in his posture.
“You must be the aberration,” said the Scyrric calmly, with a smile on his face. He behaved as if encountering an old friend. “It is my first time meeting you, but unfortunately, you seem too far gone to really converse.”
In response, Adam snarled and roared, his teeth revealed. The “Barrier Adherent [46]” in front of him waved a claw dismissively.
“Yes, yes. You are angry. Such is the case for berserkers,” spoke the Scyrric. “However, I think you should come out of that state if you want to keep your hatch mate safe.”
The invader’s hand was raised and pointed behind him. Then a translucent box made from his skills floated from the rows of Scyrric towards the Barrier Adherent. Inside was a shouting girl, pounding on the invisible wall. No sound came through it. Her eyes were closed as she screamed and hit.
Adam’s eyes narrowed. A hand reached towards the girl. That was when Emily noticed Adam. She stopped screaming and stared at him in disbelief. She tried speaking but the words couldn’t penetrate the barriers. Then she rubbed her eyes, checking to make sure of what she was looking at.
Blood covered all of Adam, both his own and the green Scyrric blood. Even his teeth were stained with red and green. His hair was longer than when she had last seen him and completely disheveled.
Emily burst into tears. She tried reaching for Adam, her hand once more stopped by the box. Her lips were moving but the words didn’t reach anyone.
The memory from the tower flashed through Adam. His sister had been brought as a sacrifice to bring him power, although it was an overlay of the mind witch’s memory. But that had a big impact on Adam, shaking him to the core. This was the sister that he loved and wanted to protect.
Adam had put up with those obnoxious friends and had played the villain for her, just to keep her focused on him. As long as she spent her time trying to get back at him, she was safely away from the invaders. Yet, here she was, just like the memory, captured by their enemies. It was unlikely an illusion since the Scyrric didn’t have a way of knowing about her. His soul trembled.
Inside, a hand reached out from the river. A second one joined it. They grabbed hold of the space at the edge and pulled until a head came out from it. With an extreme effort of will, Adam pulled his consciousness from the river.
Adam’s body gasped as awareness returned to his eyes. Pain wracked him and he almost fell over. It felt like burning pokers were everywhere inside. His nervous system rebelled against the commands he tried to give it. Grabbing his chest, Adam looked at Emily. She didn’t look harmed from this distance.
“This one spoke truth? She is your hatch mate?” asked the Scyrric, drawing Adam’s attention.
Adam took one more look at Emily before trying to step forward. His leg wavered before providing enough support to him. A second step almost ended with him pitching forward.
“Yes, this is the case with some berserker skills. Ceasing their use can leave you weakened.” The Scyrric spoke, assuming he knew why Adam was weak. “Of course, a native like you wouldn’t know which skills are better to take and which have drawbacks. But that is not the important matter. You care for this hatch mate. All can see that. If you want no harm to come to her then surrender to the Scyrric. That is the only way to ensure her life.”
The transparent box faded, and Emily was dropped onto the ground. Sniffling, she stood up.
“Adam? Is that really you?” she asked.
“Yes, Emily. It’s me.”
“But they said you were captured.”
Adam tried to chuckle, but his face became a mask of pain and a groan.
“You think they could stop me from rescuing you? I have to keep you safe!”
Emily rushed forward. No one tried to stop her, and the Barrier Adherent patiently watched, a smirk on his snout. Just before reaching Adam, Emily stopped. Then she looked him up and down. Finally, with her own pained expression on his behalf from seeing all the signs of wounds, she reached forward and hugged Adam. She began sobbing as she squeezed his waist.
“Adam! Oh, Adam! I’m so sorry! I just didn’t want to accept how bad things were. You did so much for us, for me, and I was horrible to you. I’m so sorry!”
“It’s ok, sis. As long as you are safe, I can handle it,” soothed Adam, his bloody hand brushing her hair while he held the axe away from her.
“But we aren’t safe!” Emily pointed at the wall. “They’ve almost broken through. You were captured. I was captured! You barely look able to stand. I can feel your legs shaking.”
Adam continued to stroke her, feeling tears welling in his own eyes. He took a deep breath through the pain, his body shaking and almost choking on the air. “Don’t worry. We’ll talk about it all later. I’ll find a way to make it work. I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect you, mom, and dad.”
Then an invisible object came between them. It spread Emily’s hugging arms and dragged her back towards the Scyrric. He was smiling gleefully at Adam.
“Good, good. You’ll do whatever you have to do? Then get on the ground. I am ready to accept your surrender.”