796 Lightning Wyverns
"The recent emergency forced us to overuse the teleportation formations. They're in a cool down. Apologies." The assisting commander of the military district apologized.
Varian nodded with an awkward expression.
[J.J Jameson.
Level 4 Water Awakener]
The assisting commander of such a big military district was just a level 4!
Even though Varian wasn't a frequent visiter to the military districts, Sarah had told him that these places were strictly guarded.
Since this was the biggest military district of Neptune, there must at least be a level 8 awakener. But usually, there'd be a level 9 or two!
Varian gave a final glance at the district and turned around. "I'll reach there in an hour. Thank you for receiving me at the spaceport."
"May your sword become the Abyssals' nightmare." The Assistant Commander bid his farewell with a traditional warrior sentence.
Varian gave a light smile and entered the ghost ship.
Watching the military district grow smaller as the spaceship broke through the clouds and reach for the space, Varian's smile vanished.
'I read the reports, but the situation is more serious than I imagined.'
It's just ridiculous! How could the largest base on Neptune be managed by a level 4?
Only if everyone above went to the planetoids!
"Master, Boo scanned the military base. There are only thirty people inside. And all of them are injured soldiers, merely there for treatment. The hundred soldiers in the compound we saw were just bots." Boo explained.
Varian sighed as if he expected this but still had trouble accepting it. Due to his actions a few days ago, all the Abysses brought their full army to the planetoids.
This way, Varian wouldn't be able to take a few level 9s and do his signature terror attacks.
Even in such scenario, there should at least be a level 8 on the base or a few level 7s.
There were none. And the teleportation formation wasn't working because it was overused due to the recent emergency.
"Boo, everyone is on the planetoid. Holding back the threat."
"Master, the forces of Neptune and Abyssals are roughly matched. The new addition of level 8 Wyverns broke that balance. Since all planets are in the same condition, Neptune can't request reinforcements either." Boo explained.
"Yeah," Varian nodded. "Level 8s are more manageable than level 9s. If it's just ten or twenty extra level 8s, Neptune can manage. But if it's this many…"
Boo nodded in understanding. The ghost was stupid most of the times. But even it had its clever moments.
"Ah, Boo nearly forgot!" Boo slapped its forehead and made a gesture.
A sky blue vial. The potion from Sia's blood. Miracle Potion.
"Explain."
"Enigma asked Boo to give it you."
"Why?"
"She said the potion weighs a lot and is inconvenient to carry."
"You expect me to believe that? Or do you really believe that?" Varian looked at Boo like he was looking at an idiot.
Boo shrugged.
"Never mind." Varian put it into his storage ring beside his own potion. When Enigma made the potion, she made two. One for Sarah and the other for Sia.
Fortunately, Sarah was the one to drink the potion. She survived only because she had the primordial blessing.
Varian decided to give Sia the potion only after they reached a sufficient level in Synergy. That way, he could help her out in managing the energy of six slivers and keep her safe.
As his thoughts raced to the past, Boo's voice snapped him out it.
"Master, get ready. We're almost there. "
— — —
Western Borders, Planetoid Corinth:
"Hold! Keep the shield!"
"Don't stop!"
Desperate roars shook the battlefield before they were drowned downed in the rumbling of the thunder.
High up in the sky, the five level 8 human awakeners gritted their teeth as they poured every bit of their mana to maintain a huge lightning dome that protected them.
The golden lightning dome was bombarded by dozens of dark red lightning bolts every second.
"Fuck! Fuck! How are there so many?" The strongest of the bunch, a mid level 8 Thunder Awakener, cursed.
The twenty Lightning Wyverns attacking them didn't give a rat ass about his curses and continued to summon lightning bolts and shoot them at the human level 8s.
The dome shook for the first twenty bolts and on the twenty first attack, a cracking sound spread.
"Fuck! Stabilize at 130 degree! Now!" The mid level 8, an old woman with grey hair, instructed as she temporarily increased her mana output.
Seizing the chance, the remaining four awakeners, four level 8s, poured their mana into the small crack that appeared in the dome and repaired it.
Before the mid level 8 could sigh in relief, the next wave of attacks arrived. Since she was already stretching herself by pouring more mana, the old woman's face quickly paled.
Even though the wyverns were only low level 8, there were twenty of them! Even with her superior individual strength, the dome was pushed back by their attacks.
The right section of the dome was thinned due to concentration of attacks and the mid level 8 was forced to pour out even more mana to thicken it.
As a result, her insides churned and blood spilled out of her lips and nose.
"Captain!"
The team members cried out and hurriedly channeled their own mana to alleviate her burden.
They succeeded, but the next wave of attacks arrived once again.
'I have to keep going,' The old woman told herself as she pointed her trembling fingers at the dome.
Lightning flowed out of her fingertips and joined the dome, strengthening it.
This wave of lightning bolts were slightly less damaging than the previous since the low level 8 Wyverns got a bit tired.
However, the human side was in a worse condition.
So, a crack sounded when the eleventh lightning bolt hit the dome.
Followed by the twelfth, thirteenth and—
Kacha!
With the sound of glass breaking, the dome collapsed.
The five human awakeners coughed out a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the ground.
They covered themselves in a lightning cloak and prevented physical damage upon crash.
But one of them was too drained to even do that properly and his body sustained severe injuries upon the crash.
The twenty lightning wyverns, with the size of a small airplane, opened their mouth and charged the final lightning bolts against the team.
The armies fighting nearby had sharp reactions to the event. The human side despaired while the Abyssals rejoiced.
The lighting bolts grew to the size of a bus and were about to be shot against the five defenders.
The hearts of the level 8s grew heavy as they lay on the ground, utterly exhausted and injured.
They had done everything they could. They couldn't fight anymore.
But they didn't give up and struggled to channel their lightning mana for one last strike.
Sometimes, best wasn't enough.
The human army grew nervous as they started to realize it was all over. At the same time, the Abyssal army cheered.
"Roar!"
Following the roar, twenty lightning bolts reached the defenders in the blink of an eye.
At that moment, a frivolous voice reached the battlefield.
"Wyvern fry sounds about right."
