Chapter 219 – Floor 36: Part 3
The crystalline barrier shimmered brilliantly in front of the Stormrider, an iridescent shield that absorbed the incoming onslaught. Fireballs collided with the surface, erupting into bursts of orange and red that cascaded downwards toward the city below like falling stars.
Each impact sent ripples across the barrier, creating a mesmerizing dance of light and energy. Lightning bolts struck with ferocious cracks, causing intense flashes of white. The barrier pulsed with electric blue energy as it absorbed the force. Each bolt deflected by the shield arced in dazzling splinters through the air.
The sound was deafening, a cacophony of elemental fury meeting an unwavering defence. The air around the barrier crackled with tension, the magical essence swirled in a tempest. Hues of violet and green flickered at its edges, a testament to the fierce struggle that was taking place.
Lirael watched with grudging respect at the display of power. Through the intense flashes of light and swirling clouds of smoke and debris, she could see the armoured figure of The Enduring standing at the prow of the ship.
He was facing everything the Kelestrians could throw at him by himself and he was withstanding it. Slowly, the astonishing onslaught eased off at the display of magic ceased.
“How…how is that possible?” Lirael whispered to Dominic. She expected an answer from her mentor, but the older man shook his head in amazement. The Enduring waited for a moment before lowering his hand and pointing at the city below.
“Burst!” he shouted, and Lirael could hear the fury in his voice. It was a harsh, cold command that resonated through the air. Far below the Lumina Arcanum, a section of the wall protecting Kelestria shuddered violently, the foundations trembling in response to The Enduring’s will.
Then, with a deafening crack, the wall collapsed. It erupted into a massive cloud of dust and debris. The sound was a thunderous roar, a cacophony of destruction that echoed through the streets of the city. Lirael’s breath caught in her throat as she witnessed the chaos unfold below.
The once-imposing barrier now lay in ruins, fragments scattering like fallen leaves in the wind. From her elevated position, she could see the soldiers below, their faces contorted in shock and terror as they scrambled away from the collapsing structure.
Shouts of alarm filled the air, mingling with the dust and confusion.
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Mathew had never been the type to anger quickly. Maybe it was due to how he was raised in a calm environment where he never lacked anything. He could count on one hand the number of times he had truly been in a rage.
This was one of those times.
His subconscious words, spoke in Samuel’s voice, had driven him into a fury that was terrifying for all those around him. The Kelestrians were terrible people; he could see it from how they reacted to the Harboured.
They drove them into the wastes and sealed them in without a thought of sparing them. The Kelestrians wanted the Harboured to die. And Mathew had almost been too weak to stop it from happening. He had almost failed another Floor because he wasn’t strong enough to use the gifts and abilities he had been granted to succeed.
Never again.
Standing against the fury of the Kelestrians, Mathew stood upright and spoke the Words of Power with a strength that he had never felt before.
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“Shift.”
Mathew disappeared from the deck of the Stormrider and in his place was a large piece of stone. Switching places with an object, he reappeared in the street far below near a section of soldiers that had been bombarding his ship with their magic.
“Heavy.” Mathew ordered; the Word of Power sounded harsh to his ears. The sound of clattering metal filled the air as the soldiers around him struggled to maintain their footing. Their knees buckled, and one by one, they fell to the ground.
The weight of their gear had become unbearable. Panic surged among them, eyes wide with disbelief as they tried to comprehend the force that had incapacitated them.
Mathew let them be. The Kelestrians may have wanted to wipe out the Harboured, but he wasn’t going to needlessly slaughter them in response. They were out of this fight as surely as if he had shackled them.
Walking slowly through the streets, Mathew unleashed the Words of Power onto the Kelestrians. He would force them into a pact to protect the Harboured, one that was enforceable by the gods themselves.
“Light.”
The command cut through the chaos around him. Instantly, a group of soldiers that were rushing toward Mathew felt their feet leave the ground. A sense of weightlessness enveloped them as they soared into the air.
A few meters above the street, they paused, suspended in a gentle rotation. The forces of gravity no longer held sway over them; their armour and weapons dangled uselessly as they floated, disoriented.
“Fear.”
A mage swore after the battle that he witnessed The Enduring grow to be as tall as a building, with flaming red eyes that shot streams of burning fire. Another had said The Enduring had turned into a creature of darkness, winged and terrible to behold that feasted on the flesh of the innocent and drank their blood.
None of these stories could be verified, and it was clear that some force had worked to imprint these images into their memories.
Mathew walked through the streets unopposed, anyone who saw him fled in terror. The few of the city's protectors that stood their ground were promptly sent crashing to the ground, the eight of their clothing too much to bear, or sent skyward to hover uselessly until they could be rescued later.
After marching through the streets, Mathew came upon the Nexus Gate, the teleportation circle that led to the Lumina Arcanum far above. He disappeared once again, this time reappearing in the most important building in Kelestria.
There, surrounded by the city’s most prominent citizens, he made his demands.
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Lirael knew that she would remember this scene for the rest of her life. The Enduring was like a force of nature, his voice breaking through the chaos to unleash strange magic that no one could resist. He stood in the main hall of the Lumina Arcanum without fear of being attacked.
His power radiated around him like the sun breaking through storm clouds. The force of his mana was undeniable, it formed an invisible vortex that could be felt brushing against her skin. His armour was as dark as the void he had commanded to consume the Guardian, and she shivered when she met his gaze.
She was standing next to Dominic and all the others from the Arcanum as The Enduring marched into the hall and made his demands.
“There will be peace, in one form or another. The Harboured are sinless and, as Apostle of Unyielding Declaration, I declare that they are under my protection.” The Enduring stated, his voice echoing throughout the hall.
“Sinners!”
“The Harboured are barbarians!”
Shouts erupted throughout the hall, and The Enduring allowed them to wash over him without remarking. After a few minutes, he raised his hand and spoke. It was another of those strange commands that shook the air and made the world respond to his will.
“Silence.”
The shouts immediately ceased, and The Enduring looked around for a moment before speaking.
“I give you a choice. Make peace and swear on Unyielding Declaration that you will abide by it, or I will destroy your city.”
It didn’t take long for the leaders of the Kelestrians to decide. Under the watchful eyes of The Enduring, a pact was sealed. The Harboured would be allowed to travel and thrive, while the Kelestrians would never again make an attempt to subjugate or destroy them.
Mathew heard the ‘Ding’ from the notification before the ink on the parchment was dry. Taking a last look at Hilo, who proudly stood in front of his people and displayed the pact to ensure their future, Mathew disappeared.
Congratulations!
Floor 36: A Lasting Peace (Complete!)
You have successfully forged a peace that will last as long as the god of Unyielding Declaration.
You have been awarded the Third Verse of the Celestial Magical Spell. “A Foul Land of Blight.”
In the black void, a Blood Moon rises and casts its corrupting light on the land, cursing it for all eternity.