Chapter 268: Ray in the Dark (Three)
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Chapter 268: Ray in the Dark (Three)
Vir swore in rage as he hacked the head off a Shredder.
Im too late!
Hed anticipated that the northern wall of Samar Patag wouldnt holdthat the beasts wouldnt be daunted by the thick forest to the north, nor the soft, narrow coastline that led to it. But he had expected those terrain features to at least slow them down.
That logic mightve worked for normal beasts, yet even without their prana, Ash Beasts were in a league of their own. While Vir had been busy to the south, theyd flooded in through the north, breaking the tired old wall as if it were paper. Several had already entered the city.
Those rebels better have heeded my advice and hunkered down, or this is going to get ugly, Vir thought worriedly. While Shan was more than capable of fending off the beasts that made it through, like Vir, he could only be in one place at any time.
Vir knew Janani would keep the orphans cloistered and hiddenrather, it was the rebels who were the type to do something rash.
It soon became clear that Virs plan wouldnt work. The distance between the walls was simply too vast, and while he dispatched enemies with easefar faster than most demons wouldve thought possibleit wasnt enough. By the time he finished with the monsters at the northern wall and arrived back south, the city was perilously close to falling.
More than once, Vir lamented the Chitrans neglect of Samar Patags most valuable defense. If only theyd maintained the walls. If only theyd filled the gaps
Faster. I need to take them down even faster.
Vir glanced up worriedly at Samar Patags ramparts. Whether emboldened by his success at protecting the city or because they had a death wish, he now had a gallery.
From this distance, he couldnt be sure if it was Chitran guards or civilians, but either way, it meant his movements were now under scrutiny, his every strike observed.
Vir had two choicescontinue as he had, thereby allowing Ash Beasts into the city, or unleash the might of his full power, revealing his unique strengths. Any unique power he used now, hed have to hide in the future, lest people trace his identity back to Vaak.
Vir didnt have to ponder hard. That risk was incomparable to the value of even a single life saved.
Reaching under his cloak, Vir retrieved the Artifact chakram from his back.
He grinned. Lets see how you do now.
The artifact buzzed angrily, and were this the Ashen Realm, Vir could have left the weapon to its own devices, flying autonomously and annihilating any Ash Beast it came across.
The demon realms lack of prana, however, compromised its capability. Without prana to power it, the disk was no different from any other finely crafted chakram. Vir had spent long hours struggling with making it useful again.
The deadly razor blades spun at unimaginable speeds as it ripped through the air, homing in on the nearest Ash Wolf. The poor beast fled, but it couldnt outrun an Artifact of the Gods.
The chakram entered its belly, exited the other side, and lodging itself into the dirt. When Vir recalled the disc, it sailed right back into his hands.
By itself, the disk wouldve been useless, but as it happened, Vir possessed an ability that synergized perfectly with the Artifact. As if they had been made to work together, when fired alongside a Chakram Launch, something magical occurred.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om
Itd surprised Vir so much that he had to reproduce the phenomenon several times just to convince himself it wasnt a fluke.
His hard-won ability, Chakram Launch, sent a disc of pure Ash Prana flying from Virs body. While he couldnt alter its path, the Artifact had no issue consuming its energy as it flew. At first, Vir wondered if Ashani had built the feature in to allow it to function outside the Ashen Realm, but quickly realized that wasnt the case.
The Artifact simply pulled prana from its surroundings. In this situation, all the prana was concentrated in one particular areathe Chakram Launch disk. This meant that the prana disk could power the Artifacts spinning blades, multiplying its lethality. More importantly, however, just enough residual energy remained within the Artifact afterward to be recalled to Virs hand, thus preserving its most useful feature.
While not as potent as it was in the Ash, the weapon remained supremely devastating, nevertheless. Groups of enemies that had previously taken Vir ten minutes to dispatch now took barely a third of that as Vir shifted his fighting strategy, engaging targets directly around him while simultaneously throwing the chakram at more distant threats.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
The weapons range was limited only by the range of Chakram Launch, and while an incredibly prana-intensive ability, Vir just happened to have hundreds of nearby reserves to tap intothe Ash Beasts themselves.
What had once been an effective offensive strategy in the Ashen Realm now served to also replenish Virs own reserves, allowing him to remain fighting far longer than he otherwise could have.
Hiya finally came to her senses. She was drenched in sweat, and her breaths came ragged and uneven.
We just left him there! Ekta squeaked.
You saw that thing! Hiya shrieked, knowing just how hysterical she sounded. Do you think we can fight that? You were right. You were right, Ekta. I was a chal for thinking we could help.
Im scared, Ekta said, breaking down into tears. Im scared, Hiya. I wanna go home.
Somehow, witnessing Ektas panic calmed Hiyas own raging torrent of emotions. Her thoughts came more clearly, and she took a deep breath before looking Ekta in the eye.
I know, Ekta, Hiya said. I am too. And youre right. We cant leave Bolin. Ill Ill go back to help. I want you to go to Janani, alright? Tell her everything thats happened. Shell send help. Okay?
She expected the terrified girl to obey, so she was shocked when Ekta frowned and shook her head, her expression full of determination.
No, she said. Wherever youre going, Im coming too. I wont abananadon you.
Hiya paused. Was this the right decision? Perhaps not, but she didnt have the time to argue. Stay close, alright?
Ekta nodded.
Then lets go. Oh, and Ekta?
Yeah?
Its abandon.
Hiya drew a deep breath and made her resolution.
Hiya led Ekta through Samar Patag, quickly homing in on Bolins position. Finding him wasnt nearly as hard as she fearedhis shouts and running feet carried far in the empty city streets.
But what to do when we get there?
Theyd recklessly approached the beast without a plan, and it had nearly gotten them killed. If Bolin was still alive when they reached him, they needed some way ofif not winningthen at least escaping together.
What would Neel do? What would Vaak do?
Hiya wracked her mind as they ran, yet no solution was forthcoming. She wasnt like Bolin or Neel or even Janani. She simply wasnt smart enough to think on her feet like that.
When they finally found Bolin pressed against the wall at the end of an alley, Hiya still had nothing. So she did the only thing she could.
Hey! Over here! she yelled, causing the beast to spin and regard her. Bolin was covered in tiny scratches that covered his face and arms.
Ekta gasped, and Hiya frowned.
How is he still walking? She wondered. While the wounds looked bad, they looked only as bad as the ones Bolin got when Svar beat him. The beast couldve killed Bolin in seconds, so why hadnt it? It had chased him into this alley instead. Why?
Because its toying with him! Hiya realized. And maybe, just maybe, they could use that to their advantage.
Hiyas mind whirred, and a plan began to form. A plan that could very well
A black blur descended from the sky, so fast that before anyone had registered the newcomers arrival, the bipedal beasts head was rolling on the ground, cut cleanly from its body.
The body of the translucent beast that had nearly killed Bolin fell over, dead.
The new beast stood on its hindlegs, spread its webbed wings, and roared.
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Chapter 268: Ray in the Dark (Three)
Vir swore in rage as he hacked the head off a Shredder.
Im too late!
Hed anticipated that the northern wall of Samar Patag wouldnt holdthat the beasts wouldnt be daunted by the thick forest to the north, nor the soft, narrow coastline that led to it. But he had expected those terrain features to at least slow them down.
That logic mightve worked for normal beasts, yet even without their prana, Ash Beasts were in a league of their own. While Vir had been busy to the south, theyd flooded in through the north, breaking the tired old wall as if it were paper. Several had already entered the city.
Those rebels better have heeded my advice and hunkered down, or this is going to get ugly, Vir thought worriedly. While Shan was more than capable of fending off the beasts that made it through, like Vir, he could only be in one place at any time.
Vir knew Janani would keep the orphans cloistered and hiddenrather, it was the rebels who were the type to do something rash.
It soon became clear that Virs plan wouldnt work. The distance between the walls was simply too vast, and while he dispatched enemies with easefar faster than most demons wouldve thought possibleit wasnt enough. By the time he finished with the monsters at the northern wall and arrived back south, the city was perilously close to falling.
More than once, Vir lamented the Chitrans neglect of Samar Patags most valuable defense. If only theyd maintained the walls. If only theyd filled the gaps
Faster. I need to take them down even faster.
Vir glanced up worriedly at Samar Patags ramparts. Whether emboldened by his success at protecting the city or because they had a death wish, he now had a gallery.
From this distance, he couldnt be sure if it was Chitran guards or civilians, but either way, it meant his movements were now under scrutiny, his every strike observed.
Vir had two choicescontinue as he had, thereby allowing Ash Beasts into the city, or unleash the might of his full power, revealing his unique strengths. Any unique power he used now, hed have to hide in the future, lest people trace his identity back to Vaak.
Vir didnt have to ponder hard. That risk was incomparable to the value of even a single life saved.
Reaching under his cloak, Vir retrieved the Artifact chakram from his back.
He grinned. Lets see how you do now.
The artifact buzzed angrily, and were this the Ashen Realm, Vir could have left the weapon to its own devices, flying autonomously and annihilating any Ash Beast it came across.
The demon realms lack of prana, however, compromised its capability. Without prana to power it, the disk was no different from any other finely crafted chakram. Vir had spent long hours struggling with making it useful again.
The deadly razor blades spun at unimaginable speeds as it ripped through the air, homing in on the nearest Ash Wolf. The poor beast fled, but it couldnt outrun an Artifact of the Gods.
The chakram entered its belly, exited the other side, and lodging itself into the dirt. When Vir recalled the disc, it sailed right back into his hands.
By itself, the disk wouldve been useless, but as it happened, Vir possessed an ability that synergized perfectly with the Artifact. As if they had been made to work together, when fired alongside a Chakram Launch, something magical occurred.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om
Itd surprised Vir so much that he had to reproduce the phenomenon several times just to convince himself it wasnt a fluke.
His hard-won ability, Chakram Launch, sent a disc of pure Ash Prana flying from Virs body. While he couldnt alter its path, the Artifact had no issue consuming its energy as it flew. At first, Vir wondered if Ashani had built the feature in to allow it to function outside the Ashen Realm, but quickly realized that wasnt the case.
The Artifact simply pulled prana from its surroundings. In this situation, all the prana was concentrated in one particular areathe Chakram Launch disk. This meant that the prana disk could power the Artifacts spinning blades, multiplying its lethality. More importantly, however, just enough residual energy remained within the Artifact afterward to be recalled to Virs hand, thus preserving its most useful feature.
While not as potent as it was in the Ash, the weapon remained supremely devastating, nevertheless. Groups of enemies that had previously taken Vir ten minutes to dispatch now took barely a third of that as Vir shifted his fighting strategy, engaging targets directly around him while simultaneously throwing the chakram at more distant threats.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
The weapons range was limited only by the range of Chakram Launch, and while an incredibly prana-intensive ability, Vir just happened to have hundreds of nearby reserves to tap intothe Ash Beasts themselves.
What had once been an effective offensive strategy in the Ashen Realm now served to also replenish Virs own reserves, allowing him to remain fighting far longer than he otherwise could have.
Hiya finally came to her senses. She was drenched in sweat, and her breaths came ragged and uneven.
We just left him there! Ekta squeaked.
You saw that thing! Hiya shrieked, knowing just how hysterical she sounded. Do you think we can fight that? You were right. You were right, Ekta. I was a chal for thinking we could help.
Im scared, Ekta said, breaking down into tears. Im scared, Hiya. I wanna go home.
Somehow, witnessing Ektas panic calmed Hiyas own raging torrent of emotions. Her thoughts came more clearly, and she took a deep breath before looking Ekta in the eye.
I know, Ekta, Hiya said. I am too. And youre right. We cant leave Bolin. Ill Ill go back to help. I want you to go to Janani, alright? Tell her everything thats happened. Shell send help. Okay?
She expected the terrified girl to obey, so she was shocked when Ekta frowned and shook her head, her expression full of determination.
No, she said. Wherever youre going, Im coming too. I wont abananadon you.
Hiya paused. Was this the right decision? Perhaps not, but she didnt have the time to argue. Stay close, alright?
Ekta nodded.
Then lets go. Oh, and Ekta?
Yeah?
Its abandon.
Hiya drew a deep breath and made her resolution.
Hiya led Ekta through Samar Patag, quickly homing in on Bolins position. Finding him wasnt nearly as hard as she fearedhis shouts and running feet carried far in the empty city streets.
But what to do when we get there?
Theyd recklessly approached the beast without a plan, and it had nearly gotten them killed. If Bolin was still alive when they reached him, they needed some way ofif not winningthen at least escaping together.
What would Neel do? What would Vaak do?
Hiya wracked her mind as they ran, yet no solution was forthcoming. She wasnt like Bolin or Neel or even Janani. She simply wasnt smart enough to think on her feet like that.
When they finally found Bolin pressed against the wall at the end of an alley, Hiya still had nothing. So she did the only thing she could.
Hey! Over here! she yelled, causing the beast to spin and regard her. Bolin was covered in tiny scratches that covered his face and arms.
Ekta gasped, and Hiya frowned.
How is he still walking? She wondered. While the wounds looked bad, they looked only as bad as the ones Bolin got when Svar beat him. The beast couldve killed Bolin in seconds, so why hadnt it? It had chased him into this alley instead. Why?
Because its toying with him! Hiya realized. And maybe, just maybe, they could use that to their advantage.
Hiyas mind whirred, and a plan began to form. A plan that could very well
A black blur descended from the sky, so fast that before anyone had registered the newcomers arrival, the bipedal beasts head was rolling on the ground, cut cleanly from its body.
The body of the translucent beast that had nearly killed Bolin fell over, dead.
The new beast stood on its hindlegs, spread its webbed wings, and roared.
Chapter 268: Ray in the Dark ThreeVir swore in rage as he hacked the head off a Shredder.Im too late!Hed anticipated that the northern wall of Samar Patag wouldnt holdthat the beasts wouldnt be daunted by the thick forest to the north, nor the soft, narrow coastline that led to it. But he had expected those terrain features to at least slow them down.That logic mightve worked for normal beasts, yet even without their prana, Ash Beasts were in a league of their own. While Vir had been busy to the south, theyd flooded in through the north, breaking the tired old wall as if it were paper. Several had already entered the city.Those rebels better have heeded my advice and hunkered down, or this is going to get ugly, Vir thought worriedly. While Shan was more than capable of fending off the beasts that made it through, like Vir, he could only be in one place at any time.Vir knew Janani would keep the orphans cloistered and hiddenrather, it was the rebels who were the type to do something rash.It soon became clear that Virs plan wouldnt work. The distance between the walls was simply too vast, and while he dispatched enemies with easefar faster than most demons wouldve thought possibleit wasnt enough. By the time he finished with the monsters at the northern wall and arrived back south, the city was perilously close to falling.More than once, Vir lamented the Chitrans neglect of Samar Patags most valuable defense. If only theyd maintained the walls. If only theyd filled the gapsFaster. I need to take them down even faster.Vir glanced up worriedly at Samar Patags ramparts. Whether emboldened by his success at protecting the city or because they had a death wish, he now had a gallery.From this distance, he couldnt be sure if it was Chitran guards or civilians, but either way, it meant his movements were now under scrutiny, his every strike observed.Vir had two choicescontinue as he had, thereby allowing Ash Beasts into the city, or unleash the might of his full power, revealing his unique strengths. Any unique power he used now, hed have to hide in the future, lest people trace his identity back to Vaak.Vir didnt have to ponder hard. That risk was incomparable to the value of even a single life saved.Reaching under his cloak, Vir retrieved the Artifact chakram from his back.He grinned. Lets see how you do now.The artifact buzzed angrily, and were this the Ashen Realm, Vir could have left the weapon to its own devices, flying autonomously and annihilating any Ash Beast it came across.The demon realms lack of prana, however, compromised its capability. Without prana to power it, the disk was no different from any other finely crafted chakram. Vir had spent long hours struggling with making it useful again.The deadly razor blades spun at unimaginable speeds as it ripped through the air, homing in on the nearest Ash Wolf. The poor beast fled, but it couldnt outrun an Artifact of the Gods.The chakram entered its belly, exited the other side, and lodging itself into the dirt. When Vir recalled the disc, it sailed right back into his hands.By itself, the disk wouldve been useless, but as it happened, Vir possessed an ability that synergized perfectly with the Artifact. As if they had been made to work together, when fired alongside a Chakram Launch, something magical occurred.Updated from novelbIn.comItd surprised Vir so much that he had to reproduce the phenomenon several times just to convince himself it wasnt a fluke.His hard-won ability, Chakram Launch, sent a disc of pure Ash Prana flying from Virs body. While he couldnt alter its path, the Artifact had no issue consuming its energy as it flew. At first, Vir wondered if Ashani had built the feature in to allow it to function outside the Ashen Realm, but quickly realized that wasnt the case.The Artifact simply pulled prana from its surroundings. In this situation, all the prana was concentrated in one particular areathe Chakram Launch disk. This meant that the prana disk could power the Artifacts spinning blades, multiplying its lethality. More importantly, however, just enough residual energy remained within the Artifact afterward to be recalled to Virs hand, thus preserving its most useful feature.While not as potent as it was in the Ash, the weapon remained supremely devastating, nevertheless. Groups of enemies that had previously taken Vir ten minutes to dispatch now took barely a third of that as Vir shifted his fighting strategy, engaging targets directly around him while simultaneously throwing the chakram at more distant threats.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.The weapons range was limited only by the range of Chakram Launch, and while an incredibly prana-intensive ability, Vir just happened to have hundreds of nearby reserves to tap intothe Ash Beasts themselves.What had once been an effective offensive strategy in the Ashen Realm now served to also replenish Virs own reserves, allowing him to remain fighting far longer than he otherwise could have.Hiya finally came to her senses. She was drenched in sweat, and her breaths came ragged and uneven.We just left him there! Ekta squeaked.You saw that thing! Hiya shrieked, knowing just how hysterical she sounded. Do you think we can fight that? You were right. You were right, Ekta. I was a chal for thinking we could help.Im scared, Ekta said, breaking down into tears. Im scared, Hiya. I wanna go home.Somehow, witnessing Ektas panic calmed Hiyas own raging torrent of emotions. Her thoughts came more clearly, and she took a deep breath before looking Ekta in the eye.I know, Ekta, Hiya said. I am too. And youre right. We cant leave Bolin. Ill Ill go back to help. I want you to go to Janani, alright? Tell her everything thats happened. Shell send help. Okay?She expected the terrified girl to obey, so she was shocked when Ekta frowned and shook her head, her expression full of determination.No, she said. Wherever youre going, Im coming too. I wont abananadon you.Hiya paused. Was this the right decision? Perhaps not, but she didnt have the time to argue. Stay close, alright?Ekta nodded.Then lets go. Oh, and Ekta?Yeah?Its abandon.Hiya drew a deep breath and made her resolution.Hiya led Ekta through Samar Patag, quickly homing in on Bolins position. Finding him wasnt nearly as hard as she fearedhis shouts and running feet carried far in the empty city streets.But what to do when we get there?Theyd recklessly approached the beast without a plan, and it had nearly gotten them killed. If Bolin was still alive when they reached him, they needed some way ofif not winningthen at least escaping together.What would Neel do? What would Vaak do?Hiya wracked her mind as they ran, yet no solution was forthcoming. She wasnt like Bolin or Neel or even Janani. She simply wasnt smart enough to think on her feet like that.When they finally found Bolin pressed against the wall at the end of an alley, Hiya still had nothing. So she did the only thing she could.Hey! Over here! she yelled, causing the beast to spin and regard her. Bolin was covered in tiny scratches that covered his face and arms.Ekta gasped, and Hiya frowned.How is he still walking? She wondered. While the wounds looked bad, they looked only as bad as the ones Bolin got when Svar beat him. The beast couldve killed Bolin in seconds, so why hadnt it? It had chased him into this alley instead. Why?Because its toying with him! Hiya realized. And maybe, just maybe, they could use that to their advantage.Hiyas mind whirred, and a plan began to form. A plan that could very wellA black blur descended from the sky, so fast that before anyone had registered the newcomers arrival, the bipedal beasts head was rolling on the ground, cut cleanly from its body.The body of the translucent beast that had nearly killed Bolin fell over, dead.The new beast stood on its hindlegs, spread its webbed wings, and roared.
