Chapter 459: The Battle of Pharel (3)

[Stop. Otherwise you’ll die.]

Aidan smirked at the gruff voice echoing in his head. The scenery before him was unlike anything he had ever seen.

Whoosh... Shhh...

The wind brushed against his cheeks.

The colors of the world around him were inverted. What was once white had turned black, and what was black became translucent.

This was an unfamiliar realm. As Aidan moved through what felt like a frozen moment in time, it seemed less like he was running and more like the world itself was rushing past him.

I’ve got no time. Of all places, why did Anchar have to be in the former principality across the strait?

[You should’ve used a magic circle. Overusing the power of thunder could burn out your body before you even arrive.]

The voice belonged to none other than Kungen, the Spirit King of Lightning. Aidan glanced down at the lightning coursing from his legs, leaving behind a trail of sparks, and smirked.

Who said this was faster than a magic circle?

[I did. But I also said it depends on how well you can manage it.]

Kungen let out a dry laugh, his amusement tinged with approval.

[I thought you were bluffing at first, but I admit it. You’ve truly embraced the power of lightning. I haven’t seen a human like you since Kaye Aesir.]

If I manage to stop the Calamity ahead and make my way to Lord Karyl in Pharel, I’m sure it will change your mind. Someone like me could never even come close to his level.

[You mean the one who’s made contracts with all the Spirit Kings except Maktuun? And who possesses the hearts of Riseria and Narh Di Maug? Honestly, it sounds too incredible to believe.]

You’ll find out soon enough.

[Fair enough. I don’t dislike you, anyway. Even though your lightning is not the real thing, the fact that you can wield Thunderstrike and Thunderclap might mean there’s some kind of connection between us.]

Is that why you willingly made a contract with me?

[Not quite.]

Kungen’s small, glowing form—resembling a tiny sphere of energy—hovered close to Aidan’s shoulder. Like Ramine emerging from the Ein Trigger, Kungen gave Aidan’s cheek a light tap.

[Your gaze caught my attention.]

Huh? You’re quite the peculiar Spirit King.

[You could say I’ve always been seen as an eccentric. The power of lightning is different from other elements. It’s not just an element but a blend of light and darkness, making it incomplete. And because of that, it’s even more potent.]

Kungen regarded Aidan with an amused glint.

[You, of all people, might learn how to wield my power properly. Although, being freed by Maktuun’s meddling still stings my pride.]

Hearing this, Aidan picked up the pace, his legs carrying him over the strait. The sea stretched endlessly beneath him, but it was quickly being overtaken by the horizon of the far shore.

[But heed my warning. Unlike other Spirit Kings, I won’t tailor my strength to suit you. This is the last warning I’ll give. Use my power as you wish, but if it consumes you, that will be your own doing.]

So you’re saying I could be even faster?

[If that is what you desire...]

Aidan’s gaze locked on the distant smoke of battle rising on the horizon.

I like the sound of that!

Without hesitation, he poured more strength into his legs, surging forward at an even greater speed.

***

“There are so many of them...”

At Cove Harbor, once the proud stronghold of the Iron Fleet, a newly constructed artillery line buzzed with activity. Small-statured dwarves scurried about, operating machinery far beyond the normal scale.

The artillery cannons they controlled were unlike anything seen before.

“Load the defensive shells into the magic cannons. These things can’t be cut down with swords, but no matter how small the bugs are, they can’t escape the smoke.”

At the edge of the harbor, a gnome commander stared at the approaching swarm of insects and barked out orders.

Click! Whirr!

The moment he gave the command, the gnome engineers pulled the levers on their consoles. Sleek cannons adorned with intricate magical engravings shifted and aimed across the strait, locking onto their targets.

“Mana charges at eighty percent! Cannons ready to fire!” shouted a gnome with a pair of oversized goggles on his head. He was monitoring the numerous linked screens.

“This is a gift from the Gnome Kingdom, crafted with painstaking care just for you filthy bugs. Eat this!” bellowed Calypson, standing at the front lines. “Not a single insect shall reach us! All batteries, fire!”

He swung his raised hand downward with force, and the harbor’s artillery units erupted in flames.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM...!!

Thick black smoke billowed as the shells exploded. The raging flames erupted into a cloud of scorching debris, engulfing the area around the harbor

Bzzzzzz...!!

The swarm surged right into the fiery cloud, only to let out a distorted buzzing as the flames consumed them.

“Got ‘em!”

“Yeaaahh...!!”

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The soldiers of the Gnome Kingdom erupted in cheers as they watched the charred insects plummet into the sea below. Calypson clenched his fists, a rare flicker of relief crossing his face.

“Careful!”

A warning shouted from the rear snapped everyone’s attention away from the front.

Whirrr...! Whummm...!!

Thousands of Lice spiraled downward into a vortex, the deafening sound reminiscent of a drill.

“What the...? When?!”

“Were those ones just decoys? No way... They split their forces? And to send over half as bait... Are these bugs actually employing strategy?!”

Calypson’s expression twisted in frustration.

“First and third batteries, rotate to the rear!”

“The swarm is too fast!”

The magical artillery scrambled to turn, but their massive structures couldn’t keep pace with the insects’ swift movements.

“We’re in trouble!”

Just as the deadly vortex of insects was about to engulf the artillery units—

WHIRRRR—!!!

The swarm abruptly veered away, narrowly avoiding the cannons, and dispersed into the sky.

“...What just happened?”

The soldiers, who had been cowering beneath the cannons, looked up in confusion as the swarm retreated.

Thud.

It was then that the gnomes remembered someone’s earlier warning about the attack. They turned their eyes to the end of one of the cannon barrels.

A woman stood with her palm outstretched toward the swarm, as if locked in a silent tug-of-war. She strained to hold the insects back, her body trembling from the effort.

“I can only hold them for so long... Evacuate now!” Anchar shouted at them. She was barely keeping the swarm in check with the power of the Divine Deer, but it was clear she was reaching her limit.

There’s no doubt about it. That one... is the source.

Her gaze locked onto the green insect leading the swarm. Even among the chaos, its presence stood out unmistakably as the core of the enemy forces.

Though invisible to the naked eye, the small green insect emitted a life force that Anchar could perceive. She didn’t rely on sight but on the vitality radiating from living beings, allowing her to pinpoint the core of the Lice swarm amidst the chaos.

I have to stop it.

The Third Calamity wasn’t just a simple swarm of insects. Unlike Hekqet, whose fragments independently commanded various regions, Lice was a singular entity with a central core directing all of its swarms.

If Anchar could capture or destroy the core in front of her, she was confident she could stop the entire plague of insects.

“Ugh!”

Unlike Hekqet, whose fragments had been weakened by how numerous and scattered they had been, the Lice’s singular core enabled the swarm to move with uncanny coordination and efficiency.

WHIRRRR...!!

As Anchar bound the core in place, the surrounding insects swarmed to attack her from behind.

“Wunta! Ha-Krato!”

In a panic, she chanted a druidic spell.

Boom! Crash— KRAKAKAKANG—

A shield erupted and encased her. The insects rained down on the barrier like a torrential storm, battering it relentlessly.

“Argh...!”

The impact against the shield reverberated through her body, and her expression twisted in pain.

Crack... Crackle...

This was no ordinary mana barrier. It was a shield born of the earth’s own life force, sprouting roots that intertwined and ensnared the insects. But because it was directly bound to her, every blow from the swarm took a toll on her body.

“Fire!” Calypson cried out.

The next instant, the magic artillery launched their dust rounds, creating a dense, protective cloud above her shield.

“You need to get out of here, now!” Anchar shouted desperately.

“No way! We came here to fight, not to run. Once you step foot on the battlefield, there’s no turning back,” Calypson replied firmly. He then pulled a small pill from his pouch and shoved it in her mouth.

“Mmph?!”

“Yeah, it’s very salty. It’s snow rock salt from the north. It’s enchanted with healing runes. It’ll help.”

“Mmgh... I see...” Anchar muttered, her expression twisting as the briny taste filled her mouth. She could already sense her heart calming and her strength being restored.

“So, what’s the plan? How do we kill the core? Should we shoot a dust round at it?” Calypson asked.

“No, that won’t work.” Anchar shook her head.

“Then what?”

Her hand trembled as she strained to hold the core in place. She couldn’t afford to let go now—or else she would have to track it across another battlefield all over again.

“The only way to destroy a Tarak is to cut its heart. Anything less won’t kill it.”

“But how do we even see the heart—”

SHING—!!!

Suddenly, the taut connection she felt to the core snapped, sending her stumbling backward. A blinding flash of light burst through the dust cloud, accompanied by crackling sparks that struck the artillery operators like a sudden electrical storm.

“What’s happening?!”

While the gnomes scrambled in confusion, Anchar, now sprawled on the ground, stared wide-eyed at the battlefield ahead.

“Report to our lord.”

Buzz... Thud!

A small green insect writhed feebly in the grip of two fingers, its legs twitching pitifully.

“...”

A figure emerged through the lingering lightning.

“Aidan!”

Anchar gasped as she recognized him. Aidan gave her a faint smile before turning his gaze to the insect between his fingers.

Without hesitation, he squeezed.

Crunch—

The insect’s shell shattered like brittle glass, leaving only silence in its wake.

***

“How long will you keep us waiting?” A man’s irritated voice rang out, directed at Karyl.

“He won’t come. Among us gods, he’s the most cunning and inscrutable. He’s likely weighing the stakes of our deal even now.” The woman with serpent lips nodded, her tone carrying an edge of urgency.

It seemed they were trying to accomplish something before the master of the Third Calamity appeared.

“Whether you’re sharp or just plain dumb, you’ve got to know when to bow your head,” Karyl said with a smirk, unfazed by their words.

“...”

As soon as he finished speaking, a dimensional gate opened, and an elderly man with a stern expression stepped through.

“Isn’t that right?” Karyl remarked, his voice dripping with mockery as he greeted the new arrival with a cold smile.