parentshiftbook Chapter 684 The Worries
Chapter 684 The Worries
Erend's flames raged around him, licking the air like wild serpents as he relentlessly pounded the cloaked figure with devastating blows. Each of his punch sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield and begin to shredding pieces of the figure's nano-armor.
The cloaked figure stumbled back, his boots digging into the cracked ground as he tried to regain balance. His breaths came in ragged gasps and his mind swirling to start thinking for a solution to his predicament.
"I need to get out of here or I'll be torn apart in no time!"
But the beast before him gave him no time to think.
Erend's attacks were relentless, each strike faster and more ferocious than the last.
"HA HA HA HA!!!"
His laughter erupted, echoing across the battlefiel. It sounds like a guttural maniacal sound that sent chills down the cloaked figure's spine.
It was the laugh of someone who had surrendered to a primal, uncontrollable instinct.
The cloaked figure's teeth clenched as he raised his arms to block another attack. It was futile. Erend's fiery claw raked down, severing the figure's left arm clean to the elbow.
"ARGHH!" the figure screamed, collapsing to one knee.
His mind screamed in agony, but his emergency measures kicked in, the embedded nanotechnology within his suit activating a teleportation protocol.
With a flash of crimson energy, the cloaked figure vanished from Erend's reach, reappearing several meters away.
Clutching his severed arm, he stumbled backward, his glowing eyes wide with terror. "What happened to that... thing? It's not just a beast, it's a fucking monster!" Enjoy new stories from empire
Without hesitation, the cloaked figure activated the portal device on his remaining arm. A shimmering vortex tore open behind him. He didn't look back as he threw himself into it and just disappearing into its swirling depths.
Erend growled and shot toward it. His claws flexed and his wings flared as he roared into the void.
"COME BACK HERE!" His voice was like an explosion, reverberating across the land and cracking the already scarred ground beneath him.
Just as Erend prepared to chase after the retreating figure, a sudden gust of wind signaled another arrival.
Eccar landed in front of him with a heavy thud, his expression grim. He stepped forward and placing a firm hand on Erend's chest.
"Enough, Erend!" Eccar said with a firm voice. His eyes locked onto Erend's glowing and rage-filled eyes.
"Precisely," Erend continued. "The runes amplified the machines' capabilities, likely drawing power from an external source. And the cloaked figure's armor have been made from a very strong material and also imbued with Magic. I only able to destroy it after using a lot of my real power. The fusion of Magic and advanced machinery made him stronger, faster, and far more dangerous."
King Gulben sat back in his throne, his expression was hard as he processed the information.
"A fusion of Magic and machine," he said, his voice low. "This is troubling. What about Laston? Did you hear something about him?"
Erend's fists clenched at his sides as he addressed King Gulben, the scene when he saw the figure running away into the portal before he got anything important from him pressing heavily on his shoulders.
"I managed to get a fragment of information before the cloaked figure escaped," he began, he managed to keep his voice steady despite the tension simmering beneath. "He mentioned that Laston is preparing something big. But I couldn't pry any further details out of him. He escaped before I could force more answers."
The room fell into a heavy silence. The light of the room reflected on the faces of the advisors, showing their grim expressions.
Aurdis shifted, her gaze darting between her father and Erend. Aerchon stood stoic, though his jaw tightened as if suppressing a retort.
King Gulben exhaled slowly, the sound echoing in the chamber. His face showing a shadow of worry.
"Laston..." he murmured. "He had betrayed us, and now, this?" He paused, his gaze hardening. "And he managed to create this fusion of Magic and technology. I have to admit it, we might be dealing with something beyond our comprehension."
The king's words hung in the air like a storm cloud, heavy and foreboding. Saeldir looked troubled as he glanced at the advisors. Whispers flitted among them, voices tinged with fear and uncertainty.
"We don't know what he's preparing," Aurdis said softly, breaking the silence. "And that makes it worse. If we can't predict his next move, we can't prepare for it."
Another long pause ensued, the atmosphere in the room stifling. Erend glanced at Eccar, who gave him a small nod as if to reaffirm their earlier agreement to withhold any mention of the Black Rage.
The moment was broken by a firm knock on the chamber doors. A soldier stepped in, his polished armor glinting under the golden light. He saluted sharply before speaking. "Your Majesty, King Fairon and his cohort have arrived at the palace."
King Gulben's eyes flicked toward the soldier, his expression sharpening. "Very well," he said, his voice regaining its usual regal authority. "Escort them to the throne room immediately."
The soldier bowed and exited, leaving the room abuzz with a renewed sense of purpose. The arrival of King Fairon brought a glimmer of hope to the tense gathering.
"We'll discuss further once they are here," King Gulben declared. He turned to the others in the room. "For now, steel yourselves. If Laston is forging alliances or technologies in another world, we will need every ally and every ounce of strength to face what's coming. I don't think he will stop even after he done conquering our kingdom."
Erend took a deep breath, the heat of his earlier battle now a distant ember. He glanced at Aurdis who gave him a subtle reassuring smile.
He know that he can't risk of fighting again. Not with the threat of Black Rage that now in looming over him. But if so, he can't protect Aurdis and this kingdom to the fullest if needed.
"Haah... what should I do?"
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