Chapter Forty-Eight:

"Not Again"

Leo stepped onto the deck of the Aetheris, setting his feet firmly as his boots met solid metal. He took in the sleek, intricate design of the ship, its fusion of raw mechanics and elegant fantasy something he'd only ever seen in a steampunk anime.

The wind whipped at his jacket, carrying the sting of charged air and the faint tang of something almost electric.

At stood at the door to the interior waving him in.

"Welcome aboard! Names Ankit."

"Very pleased to make your acquaintance," he said, flashing a grin. "Name’s Leo Kraus. Love your place."

After Leo stepped inside, Lucinda stepped forward, hands clasped in front of her, her voice soft but steady. "Luci. What happened down there?" Her gaze held warmth, but there was sorrow behind it, a quiet grief she couldn’t quite hide. "Everywhere we go, we find nothing but graves. Please, tell me... is there anyone left who still needs us?"

Leo scratched the back of his neck. "They've got it covered. Figured we couldn’t all fit on this thing, took a vote, guess who lost."

Lily, sitting nearby with her knees pulled to her chest, spoke softly. "I need to find my brother."

Leo glanced at her, then back to the others. "Creepy kid."

"Yeah, don't mind her." Evelyn said. "That's all we get from her. Well, that and the Plague she inflicts on things."

Asha turned to Leo. "What really happened down there?"

Leo leaned against the center table. "You ever bury a commander before? Fun times. The Kolnheim Warfront is done. Players turned to dust by the hundreds. Grimmsborn defenders bled their final drops onto the dirt.

They fought their damn hearts out, but when shit really hit the fan, well so did their last shot at winning. No more Waystone, no more reason to fight. That’s it. Game over."

A heavy silence settled over the group.

Evelyn broke it first. "Well, what are we supposed to do now then?"

The ship lurched immediately.

Blazing red light flooded the deck, an alarm blaring so loud it sent a jolt through every nerve in their bodies.

WARNING! CATASTROPHIC GLOBAL EVENT AT OAKSPIRE!

WARNING! CATASTROPHIC GLOBAL EVENT AT OAKSPIRE!

Gameweaver’s voice, cold and detached, cut through the static like a blade.

"Why can’t I learn to keep my damn mouth shut?" Evelyn groaned, gripping the nearest support beam.

Ankit shouted over the noise. "At least you know how to turn it off this time, right?!" He shot a look at Amari, who was already moving.

Leo spun, eyes wide as he took in the flashing lights. "What the ever lovin’ fuck is that?!"

Amari reached for the control panel, fingers swift as the sirens wailed around them. With a few deft movements, the ship’s alarms cut off, leaving only the hum of the engine and the quiet thrum of unease hanging in the air.

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The silence was thick, unspoken tension pressing on all of them.

Asha exhaled "That, my new friend, was our new direction." She turned, her gaze steady, a quiet resolve settling over her features. "I just hope there’s something we can do there this time."

The ship’s engines roared as the Aetheris shifted course, soaring toward the treetop city now marked in red on their Maps. No debating, no waiting.

They were going to Oakspire.

And whatever was waiting for them there, it wasn’t going to be good.

WARNING! INCOMING THREAT DETECTED!

The alarm blared through the Aetheris, shaking the crew from the last remnants of their nerves.

Evelyn groaned, hand already gripping the handle of her whip. "What now?"

The ship lurched violently, a thunderous impact rattling through the hull, followed by the sickening sound of metal being torn apart.

Something had punctured through the side of the Aetheris, not a mere scrape, but a full breach.

A massive, clawed limb, thick with muscle, wrenched itself free, leaving behind a gaping wound in the ship’s structure.

The crew scrambled onto the deck, nearly thrown overboard as another violent gust from the beast’s massive wings rocked the vessel.

It was enormous.

A Chimera twisted beyond anything natural. Three heads—a roaring lion, a coiled serpent, and a snarling dragon. Its lion’s claws tore through the side of the ship as it swooped past, the snake rearing back before launching a thick glob of venom toward them.

Evelyn’s whip snapped out, latching onto the railing just in time to keep herself from being sent flying over the side.

Ankit had nothing but his agility and quick reflexes to keep him from slipping off, dodging debris and balancing precariously.

"The hell are we supposed to do?!" Leo shouted over the wind, his hands tightening as the Chimera arced around for another pass.

"Keep it at bay!" Evelyn called back, already lashing out with her whip. The attack cracked through the air, wrapping around the Chimera’s serpent head, only for its dragon's head to snap its teeth at the cord and writhe free.

Before she could recoil, the scorpion-like tail lashed out, piercing her leg with brutal force.

A sharp, searing sensation exploded through her as the venom surged into her veins. Evelyn gasped, stumbling as her HP plummeted, her limbs already growing numb under the poison’s grip.

Ankit slide beside Lucinda, pulling bottles from his inventory. Mana Tears.

"You keep us standing, yeah?" he said, tossing them to her. "You may need these."

Lucinda nodded, gripping her staff as she raised a hand, casting ‘Cleanse’ on Evelyn. The poison’s sickly hue faded from her skin, and before the Chimera could make another attack, she followed up with ‘Mend,’ restoring her strength.

But there were others. Leo was hit. Ankit too. Both now burning from the venomous strikes.

Lucinda worked quickly, cleansing and healing, but even with Ankit keeping her supplied, the Chimera wasn’t letting up.

From the cockpit, Asha and Amari fought to keep the Aetheris steady.

"Keep it close!" Asha ordered. "But don’t let it slam into us!"

"I KNOW," Amari gritted out, narrowly adjusting the ship to avoid the beast’s lunging claws. "That thing’s not just attacking us, it’s trying to rip us out of the sky."

The Chimera was playing with them, diving in for a strike, then pulling away before anyone could land a decisive blow.

Leo exhaled sharply. He could feel it. The frustration. The helplessness. The weight of failure creeping in again.

He thought of the Kolnheim Warfront. The graves. The people he failed to save. Sarah.

His fists grew tighter, he could feel Sarah's ring digging into his palm. He looked at his new friends, fighting with everything they had. Just as the Grimmsborn had, just as all the Players had.

Ankit, dodging and weaving, barely keeping on his feet.

Lucinda, draining her magic to keep them alive.

Evelyn, whip cracking through the air, preventing the Chimera from landing a killing blow.

"Where’s that creepy kid when you need her!?" Evelyn yelled.

But Lily didn’t move.

Leo’s gaze burned.

Not again.

The Chimera dove, mouths open, fangs and fire coming straight for them.

No. Not again.

Leo’s fists slammed together, a sudden, blinding burst of radiant energy erupted from his knuckles. The light tore through the sky, a concentrated blast that surged forward, cutting through the air like a spear of divine wrath.

The Chimera had no time to react.

It disintegrated. The massive form that had terrorized them had been utterly erased.

Silence.

As the glow faded, Leo stood at the center of the deck, his breathing heavy. His hands still trembled from the sheer power he had unleashed.

No one spoke.

They just stared at him.

Evelyn’s whip hung slack in her hand, her expression a mixture of exhaustion and awe.

Ankit blinked, then gave a slow whistle.

"The hell... was that?"