Chapter 1090: Levium (7)
Chapter 1090: Levium (7)
The Chimaeric Demon flew through the city, its wings beating furiously.
The blackguards were everywhere, searching for Erik and his clone. However, none of them noticed him since he too took the shape of a bug, but that didn't mean he couldn't be seen at all.
Being small was helpful, but it didn't make the clone invisible. That was why, since this was a clone of Erik's latest batches, he actually turned invisible.
The problem was that the mana consumption was too much for him, and sooner or later, he would be forced to at least turn his invisibility off.
All around the clone, the city was getting destroyed. Most of the buildings had been reduced to ashes and rubble, but the sight of the battle between Erik and the blackguards was relatively far.
<Then why are the blackguards destroying everything in sight?>
In truth, in the clone's mind, the answer existed. In his opinion, they were not only searching for him, but were even trying to destroy everything in which Erik could hide.
It was pretty useless, in truth, from this point of view at least, but it prevented Erik's allies from trying to sneak their way toward Levium.
<That bastard...>
But that would not stop the Chimaeric Demons at all, but Levium and his soldiers wouldn't know that.
Smoke billowed from many fires, obscuring the sky and making it hard to breathe. There were also many battle sounds around him, which meant the blackguards weren't actually just targeting his master.
The battle damage around the city didn't seem to be from Erik's fight. There were marks from energy weapons and broken vehicles all over the streets.
<The others are fighting already...>
The blackguards were not only in the area where Erik was, but were also in the rest of the city, after all. The clone's brothers said they were attacking basically everywhere.
Suddenly, a series of explosions rocked the area. The force of the blasts nearly knocked the Chimaeric Demon out of the air.
<Finally!>
The clone had a lead to where his brothers were. He regained his balance and flew towards the source of the commotion.
What was happening was pretty clear. <The blackguards are trying to keep my brothers away from the master.>
The point was, how did they find out about them? How did they know Erik was in Sleb Harbour?
<One thing is knowing we were in Hin; another was being in Sleb Harbour...>
But the clone didn't have time to dwell on that. Because as he approached the site of the explosion, he saw a scene of pandemonium.
Its brothers clashed with a squad of blackguards, which hadn't been few.
<Damn...>
The air filled with bright flashes and loud noises as the fighters used their powerful brain crystal powers to kill each other.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Fists flew, swords slashed, spears pierced, and hammers crushed. Blood flew and stained the ground red.
The fight was brutal. For sure, the Chimaeric Demons were winning, but contrary to the usual, much to the clone's horror, he saw several of its brethren dead, their bodies broken on the blood-soaked ground.
<Shit!>
The fight seemed to have reached a climax. The number of blackguards was less than the number of their corpses, but despite having been clearly defeated, it still looked like they had achieved their goal.
<Those fuckers are laughing!>
Of course, it wasn't the blackguards that were doing that, but their allies. They had smug looks on their faces as they died one by one.
The Chimaeric Demons were looking at them with grave looks.
The clone didn't know what exactly made them laugh. Maybe it was just that they had to keep
the clones at bay, or maybe it was the fact they found a way to kill them.
They were said to be unkillable, after all, since few did that until now.
<This is not good.>
As the battle reached its last phase, the Chimaeric Demon made a split-second decision.
It darted towards its brothers, its form shifting and growing as it closed the distance, invisibility being turned off. By the time it reached the fray, it had resumed its humanoid shape.
The Chimaeric Demons then killed the last of their enemies. In a matter of minutes, the blackguards' forces were reduced to a puddle of blood and minced meat, their bodies strewn across the battlefield like broken dolls.
"Brothers," Erik's driver said.
"Brothers, we face a grave situation," the clone said with a voice filled with urgency. "Our master has been ambushed by the blackguards. The attack is being coordinated by none other than Uncle Benjamin himself. As we speak, our master is fighting alone against him and his soldiers."
"WHAT?! Why didn't you use the radio to call for help?!"
"The radio broke during the initial attack," the clone said. "I had to come here myself to tell you."
Another Chimaeric Demon said, "We thought something strange was happening. We saw lots of enemies coming and attacking us, but we didn't think they would find the master. Shouldn't he have already arrived at the walls' shelter?"
"We were not there yet once we got attacked. Somehow the blackguards knew what was happening, but the extent of what they know, I'm not aware of."
The Chimaeric Demons became silent. Their shoulders dropped a little, and they bowe heads slightly. No one spoke for a moment.
"Do you think they might know we replaced the president's daughter?"
The Chimaeric Demon driver stopped to think. Its masked face tilted a bit. He was trying to figure out what the blackguards might know based on the situation, but there were few clues.
"Nothing points to that, but I won't exclude it," the Chimaeric Demon said. "The blackguards blasted the car on which we were traveling. The president's daughter got blown up by it. The blackguards either knew that or didn't care. Regardless, Mia Turke died today."
The clones remained calm. They had seen and done a lot. A situation like this, albeit dangerous, was nothing they couldn't handle.
"Why are you here instead of fighting alongside our master?" A clone asked, its tone
accusatory.
The Chimaeric Demon bowed its head. "The master ordered me to ask for help," it explained,
its voice tinged with a hint of shame.
"I had no choice but to come in person to ensure the message was delivered."
The gathered Chimaeric Demons exchanged glances.
It was clear the blackguards were searching for Erik, but the reason they attacked them now
got an explanation.
"We thought the soldiers were here to drive us out," one of them said. "But it is clear this was
all a ploy to keep us away from our master."
It was the logical conclusion.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," one of the Chimaeric Demons said. "It's pretty clear
now that they're trying to keep us away from the master."
"Definitely. They must have planned this out pretty well. I wonder how long they've been
preparing for this attack."
"It doesn't matter how long they've been planning," a third clone said. "What matters is that
we need to help our master right now."
The others nodded in agreement. They all knew that time was of the essence. One of the Chimaeric Demons stepped forward and reached for its radio. The others watched curiously.
"What are you doing?" someone asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" The clone said, turning on the radio. "I'm calling for help. We need to let
the others know what's going on."
"Good thinking," another clone said.
Its voice rang out across the airwaves, relaying the dire news to its brothers scattered
throughout the city.
"Attention all units," he said. "This is a Code Red. Our master is currently engaged in high- risk combat against enemy forces. Intel confirms the presence of a high-value target, 'Uncle
Benjamin', leading the opposition."
"Current status: Our master is isolated and outnumbered. Enemy strength is estimated at battalion level, but we can't rule out the chance of it being a brigade. Our primary aim is to provide immediate tactical support and extract our master from the hostile zone." "All available units are to converge on these coordinates immediately. Maintain radio silence during approach. Upon arrival, form into fire teams and await further instructions. Failure is
not an option. Over and out."
The Chimaeric Demons answered the call for help. The Chimaeric Demons were nervous. They wanted to rush to help Erik right away.
But there was a big problem. The attack had spread the Chimaeric Demons all over the city. Some were fighting in one place, while others were far away, doing different things. Besides, they knew that around the coordinates they got provided; the blackguards mounted incredible defenses.
The Chimaeric Demons tried their best to gather. Those who were close to each other formed small groups. These small groups then tried to join with other groups when they could.
"Hey, let's get moving," one of the clones said. "We can't waste more time than we already
did."
"Yeah, you're right. I know where our master is. I'll show you guys the way."
"Great."
The Chimaeric Demons then started preparing.
"Alright, everyone ready?"
"Ready," someone answered.
"Okay, let's do this," the Chimaeric Demon driver said. "We'll turn into small bugs to avoid
being seen. Follow me closely."
With that, the clone changed into a tiny insect and took off into the air. The others quickly did
the same, transforming into a swarm of bugs. They all flew after the driver, heading towards where Erik was fighting.