Chapter 89: Battlefield
"So the human has returned...time to end him for his disrespect towards me." The queen said, standing up from her throne and floating out as her power slowly returned. She gathered her underlings and they head out to meet Vell.
'Jia...I don't know what that human did to you but if you get in the way... I will not hesitate to end your life.' She thought, her army following behind her with determined expressions. 'I am grateful that he has saved our forest, his kindness will not be forgotten.'
On the other hand, Vell's group was stationed in a clearing, all of them surrounding him while he concentrates on the core in his hands. Kana glanced at him, shocked at how different he looked compared to when she saw him back in that town. 'Is he really... could the words of that be correct?' She shook her head, 'no, it doesn't matter, Vell is still Vell and I will do anything if it means being forgiven.' For the first time, she took a stance with a sword in hand.
'Ohoo, look at her, seems she has ben practicing even after I was gone.' He looked at her form, almost as good as his, 'she still looks stiff though, guess her mind is a mess right now. I am sorry but I can't simply forgive you, it was because of you that I went through so much. So prove to me that you are actually sorry.' He turned his attention back to the core and closed his eyes.
'I would like to think I have enough time but that is not the case. If I was not injured in the fight with mother, i wouldn't need to do this but I have no choice, my cores are almost empty, not to mention the strain they are putting on my body. So I will use this mana to create a 3rd core, a pure core this time.' He could feel the queen getting closer but he didn't rush, he trusted his kids and Yenna to at least hold her off for a few minutes.
[I am surprised you used beast evolution on SIa and Mia in that short time, not to mention you did it with almost no mana in your cores but do you think they can really hold her off?]
'not really, i just need them to hold out for 1 minute and I gave Jolly a special hiding spot just in case things go wrong.'
[right, you shared 'that' with her, can she really use it without any mana?]
'She doesn't need mana to use it, just watch the show.'
Just as his thoughts finished, the queen's army arrived on the field with weapons already drawn. They made way for the queen to come through, looking as beautiful as ever, despite the look in her eyes being that of a predator looking at prey. Her scanned them, lingering on jia for a few seconds before finally settling on Vell.
"I see you that you succeeded and came back safely. Congratulations are in order," Her tone then shifted, "but you see, I am a queen, a ruler, what would my people think of me if i just let a human walk all over me?"
Vell didn't respond or move, his back was still turned to her. The dungeon core pulsed in his hands, a beacon of raw energy. Around him, his group tensed, their hands instinctively moving to their weapons. Yenna stepped forward, her gaze locked on the Queen, a silent challenge in her eyes.
"Your Majesty," her voice was calm, but firm, "we mean you no harm. We've completed the task you set for us."
The Queen's eyes flicked to Yenna, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them. "Your task is irrelevant," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "His continued existence is an insult I will no longer tolerate."
Jia stepped forward, her face a mask of conflict. "My Queen," she began, her voice trembling slightly, "please reconsider. He saved the forest, saved us. He—"
"Silence!" Her voice cracked like a whip, cutting Jia off mid-sentence. Her gaze bore into Jia, a silent threat that made her flinch. "Your loyalty is to me, not to this… this… upstart." She turned her attention back to Vell, her eyes narrowing. "As for you," she said, her voice low and dangerous, "your defiance ends now."
Kana, her resolve strengthened by her earlier decision, stepped forward, drawing her sword. The blade, though simple, gleamed with a newfound determination. "Vell," she said, her voice surprisingly steady, "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I'll do whatever it takes to earn it back, even if it means standing against her."
The Queen let out a cold laugh. "How touching, so the story you told me was no lie. A traitor and a fool, united in their misguided defiance." She raised a hand, and her army surged forward, a wave of claws, fangs, and steel.
Wren, despite her exhaustion, stood firm beside Yenna. Sia and Mia were... different, they were silent, observing, as if looking for an opening.
The clearing erupted in chaos. The clash of steel against steel, the roars of monsters, and the cries of battle filled the air.
Yenna met the charge head-on, her gauntlets a blur of motion. She moved like a dancer, weaving through the attackers, her strikes precise and powerful. A giant spider lunged, and she ducked, rolling beneath its hairy legs, coming up behind it and smashing her fist into its abdomen. The creature shrieked, its body convulsing as it collapsed.
Wren, her eyes glowing with an eerie light, extended her hands, and massive claws made of mana materialized around them. She prrr, a sound that was both human and feline, and leaped into the fray. She moved with a savage grace, her claws tearing through fur, scales, and metal alike. She ripped through a group of lizardmen, their green blood splattering the ground, her movements too fast for them to follow.
'Impressive, they have gotten unbelievably stronger.' She thought, her gaze shifting to Jia, her daggers flashing, danced around the edges of the battle. She was a whirlwind of motion, her blades finding the gaps in her opponents' defenses. She moved like a shadow, appearing and disappearing, her attacks swift and deadly. A hulking bear-like creature charged, and she slid beneath its legs, her daggers slicing its tendons. The creature roared in pain, stumbling, and she was behind it, her blades plunging into its back.
"Jia, why are you doing this, why are you siding with a human!!?" One of her comrades asked, trying to strike her down but she easily dodged and cut of his head.
"I am sorry." She whispered to herself.
In the middle of the monsters was Kana, her sword a silver streak in the chaos, fought with a desperate courage. She parried a blow from a monstrous wolf, the force of the impact jarring her arm. She stumbled back, but quickly regained her footing, her eyes fixed on her opponent. She feinted to the left, then spun, her sword slicing across the wolf's flank. The creature yelped, its attack faltering, and she pressed her advantage, her blade a relentless storm.
'More, more, I need to prove myself to him.' Her whole buddy was covered in blood but she kept pushing, not letting any single monster get past her.
Sia and Mia, their movements mirroring each other, were a silent force on the battlefield. They moved with a practiced ease, their bodies working in perfect unison. Sia, her fists encased in mana as strong as steel, smashed into a group of monsters, sending them flying. Mia, her legs now powerful like a beast, leaped into the air, her kicks crushing the skulls of two charging wolves. They were a duo of destruction, their attacks brutal and efficient.
'Must protect father, no matter what.' Even their thoughts were synchronized.
The Queen watched the battle unfold, her expression unreadable. Her army was vast, but Vell's group was proving to be a formidable force. They were skilled, determined, and they fought with a unity that surprised her.
She raised her hand, and a group of elite warriors stepped forward. They were larger, stronger, and more heavily armored than the other creatures. Their eyes glowed with a dangerous red light, and they moved with a chilling precision.
One of them, a towering minotaur with a massive axe, charged towards Yenna. She met its attack head-on, her gauntlets clashing against the axe's blade. The force of the impact sent her staggering back, but she quickly regained her balance, her eyes fixed on her opponent.
Another, a serpentine creature with razor-sharp claws, slithered towards Wren. She met its attack with a roar, her mana claws extended. The two clashed in a flurry of claws and fangs, their movements too fast for the eye to follow.
"D-Dammit." Yenna gasped, taking a few steps back. The minotaur pressed its attack, its axe swung with deadly force. Yenna, despite her skill, was being pushed back. The creature was too strong, its attacks too relentless. She blocked a blow, the impact jarring her arms, and stumbled. The minotaur roared, raising its axe for the killing blow.
She braced herself for the impact, but it never came. A figure blurred past her, a streak of silver, and Kana stood between her and the minotaur, her sword raised in defiance. The axe came down, and she met it with her blade. The force of the impact sent her flying back, her body crashing to the ground. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
"Kana!" Yenna cried out, her heart lurching. She charged towards the minotaur, her gauntlets glowing with power. She slammed her fist into the creature's chest, sending it staggering back. But the minotaur quickly regained its balance, its eyes burning with rage.
Wren and the serpentine creature were locked in a deadly dance. They moved like shadows, their blows barely visible. Wren, despite her speed and power, was struggling. The creature was too fast, its attacks too unpredictable. It lunged, its claws raking across her arm, drawing blood.
She groaned in pain, but she didn't back down. She retaliated, her mana claws slashing at the creature. But the creature was too agile, dodging her attacks with ease. It spun, its tail whipping around and smashing into her side. She cried out, stumbling, and the creature pounced, its claws tearing into her flesh.
'master?' She thought, a flicker of defiance still visible in her eyes, she was not done yet.
Near them was Jia and the cloaked monster engaged in a deadly duel. They moved like phantoms, their attacks swift and silent. 'shit, since when the my queen have someone like this.' She took a blow to the face, sending her flying back but she came back, using the ground to launch herself, landing a punch as well.
'no matter, I can still handle him.'
She exhaled, taking a stance that made Kana annoyed, it was a move she learned from Vell. "Try dodging this." She gathered more mana into her daggers and leaped forward with blinding speed. Her daggers glowed with an intense light, the sheer concentration of mana causing the air to bend around her.
The cloaked monster raised its arms to block, but her attack struck true, shattering its guard. Her twin blades sliced through its defenses, destroying its cloak and leaving deep gashes across its chest.
she turned around with a smirk, "I understand why you wear a cloak now, you ugly as hell." The monster sneered, getting more pissed off. 'dammit, i thought that would do it... I don't have much mana left.' She got into a defensive stance, calming her nerves down while also trying to preserve as much mana as possible.
'Just a little more,' Vell thought, his teeth gritted in concentration. 'Almost there…' The core pulsed, its energy surging, responding to his will. He could feel the core draining, the power flowing into the new core, strengthening it, shaping it.
[Uh...master. You might need to hurry!]
He could hear the sounds of battle raging around him, the cries of his friends, the giggles of the Queen. He knew they couldn't hold out much longer. He had to finish this, now.
'Come on…' He poured every ounce of his being into the core, his body trembling with the effort. 'Just a little more…'
The core flared, its light blinding. A wave of energy surged through him, making him gasp. He felt a new power coursing through his veins, a power unlike anything he had ever felt before... well, maybe not ever.
He opened his eyes. The core in his hands was now empty and dull. His new core was ready and his body was eager to test it out.
"Finally," he whispered, turning his attention in Jolly's direction and used his power to speak to her telepathically, "do it, aim for the queen."
"Yes sir."