Chapter 503: Collapsed
A smaller beast leapt into the path of Lysander's strike. It was a desperate, sacrificial move like a final act of loyalty to its master. The smaller creature collided with Lysander's blade, its body impaled upon the glowing edge meant for the giant.
Lysander's eyes widened in shock as the unexpected obstacle absorbed the brunt of his attack. The beast's yellow eyes narrowed, realizing its minion's sacrifice had bought it a precious moment to counterattack.
Without wasting any time the giant beast's maw opened wide and a ball of pulsing energy began to form within its throat. The energy coalesced into a sphere of swirling black and purple. Lysander could only watch as the orb grew in size in terrible speed.
The orb shot from the beast's mouth with terrifying speed toward Lysander. He barely had time to react. His Magic flared in a desperate attempt to defend but the force of the attack was overwhelming.
The energy ball struck Lysander with a bone shaking impact, slamming into him with incredible power. The world around him became a blur as he was violently thrown backward, hurtling through the air like a ragdoll.
He flew for hundreds of meters. His mind reeled from the shock of the blow and the pain coursing through his body like fire.
Finally, with a sickening thud, Lysander crashed into the ground, the impact sending a plume of dust and debris into the air. He skidded across the battlefield, the momentum carrying him further until he finally came to a stop, lying motionless amidst the churned earth.
For a moment, all was silent. The world seemed to hold its breath, the echoes of the giant beast's roar still hanging in the air. Lysander lay there, his chest heaving as he tried to draw in breath. His body screamed in protest.
He was alive, but barely. Fortunately he manage to coat his body with Magic armor. But the pain was still immense and it took every ounce of his willpower to push through the haze of agony that threatened to pull him under.
Lysander couldn't afford to rest. He had to finish this, before the beast unleashed its full wrath upon him and the world around them. He gritted his teeth and began to rise.
Adrius watched in horror as Lysander was struck by the giant beast's ferocious attack. The impact was tremendous and Lysander's form was sent hurtling through the air, trailing sparks of dark Magic attack as he was thrown far from the battlefield. Adrius's heart sank as he saw Lysander's limp body disappear into the darkness.
"This is bad... This is really bad..." Adrius muttered under his breath. Without Lysander's presence the battle's tide was rapidly shifting against them.
His worst fears were confirmed when the giant beast slowly rose from where it had fallen. The ground trembled beneath its massive weight as it straightened to its full height. Its once-predatory yellow eyes now blazed with a fury that seemed to burn through the night. Adrius could feel the intensity of its gaze as it locked onto him making him its new target.
"No, no, no...," Adrius whispered, dread seeping into his bones.
He was still floating in the sky and keep trying to maintain the barrier that kept the horde of smaller beasts at bay. But now all his focus was on the approaching giant beast.
ROAR!
It let out a deafening roar that filled with anger. Before Adrius could reac the giant beast charged toward him with a terrifying speed. Adrius's mind screamed at him to move but he was frozen in place, his body still caught up in maintaining the barrier.
Then he saw it, an orb of dark energy rapidly forming in the beast's maw. The air around it seemed to warp and twist under the orb's dark influence. Adrius barely had time to react before the beast unleashed the ball of energy directly at him.
SWOOSHHH!
There was no choice. Adrius's instincts screamed at him to survive. He was forced to abandon the barrier that held back the smaller beasts, pouring all of his remaining power into a Magic shield. The barrier that had been holding the horde at bay collapsed instantly and letting the dark creatures surging forward the kingdom's wall. Now its up to Aethor's preparation.
Adrius clenched his teeth and threw up his Magic shield just in time to meet the orb of dark energy. The impact was huge. His shield crackled and buckled under the strain but it held for now.
The force of the blast sent him reeling backward through the sky, struggling to keep his composure as the horde of smaller beasts broke free from his now-shattered barrier.
"Lysander… hurry up, if you still alive!" Adrius thought frantically.
The air trembled with the feral roars of the smaller beasts. Their cries a blood-curdling chorus that sent chills through the hearts of everyone who heard it. The monstrous horde surged forward with renewed ferocity, their eyes gleaming with malevolent hunger as they charged toward the kingdom's wall.
The ground shook beneath their stampede. The once orderly lines of soldiers hurried to brace for the oncoming storm. Fear rippled through the ranks as the realization of the impending onslaught hit them. The soldiers were still in the midst of preparing the evacuation of the citizens but it quickly devolved into chaos as the beasts getting closer.
"Defend the citizens! Hold the line!" The commander's voice boomed over the din. But even his powerful voice could do little to stem the tide of rising panic among the people.
The citizens now found themselves caught in the nightmare of reality. The roar of the beasts grew louder in their ears so they ran in frantic waves, pushing and shoving in their desperate bid to reach the wall—the only thing standing between them and certain death.
Cries of terror filled the air as families clung to one another, children weeping, and elders hobbling as fast as they could manage. The wall now seemed too distant, too fragile to keep the horrors at bay.
"Move, move! Get to the wall!" The commander barked, his voice hoarse from shouting as he directed the soldiers to form a protective barrier between the beasts and the panicking citizens.
But the speed of the beastly charge was terrifying, and time was slipping through their fingers like sand. The soldiers quickly overwhelmed by the onrushing horde.
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