Chapter 226: Silverspire Won’t Fall

[Distance Mountain.]

”Hmm? Well, this is starting to get interesting.”

A handsome young man with striking long blue hair and piercing blue eyes murmured softly, staring intently into the antique scrying mirror hovering before him, watching every single detail unfolding across the distant battlefield.

”Those invading lizards are remarkably bizarre!” The woman clad in sleek, form-fitting black leather jacket and pants pointed out from behind his lounge chair, a slight frown forming on her beautiful face.

”I know, right? This is genuinely entertaining.” The young man replied, leaning back and relaxing further into his chair to enjoy the spectacle projected on the screen.

”My Lord, shouldn’t we deploy to the frontline right now? After all, direct intervention is part of the Patriarch’s orders.”

”As my sworn Chosen Knight, shouldn’t you remain silent and simply follow my instructions?” He asked, his tone dropping into a smooth, unhurried cadence.

”Apologies, My Lord.” The lady bowed her head obediently, abruptly cutting off her inquiry as her sharp instincts caught a sudden shift in the air. She turned her gaze toward the open sky, watching a massive, heavily mutated eagle soaring rapidly in their direction.

”It appears the mother of those little fledglings we snacked on has returned.” She added, standing upright with fluid grace.

The young man reached down, picked a piece of succulent grilled avian meat from the silver tray resting on his armrest, and took a casual bite:

”All these beasts are hopelessly weak; their evolution cores don’t even yield enough residue to provide a decent cultivation boost.” He complained lazily, setting the remaining meat back down on the tray:

”An SSS-Rank mutated eagle… Now that is slightly more impressive. Bring the creature down here; I fancy tasting its meat.” He ordered.

”As you command, My Lord.”

The lady pivoted smoothly toward the oncoming eagle, which had already slammed to a halt in midair above their peak, glaring down with murderous bloodlust at the humans who had devoured its young.

SCREECH!!!!!

The colossal bird unleashed a deafening shriek, snapping its beak wide open as a torrent of searing primal fire gathered in its throat. But before it could release the devastating breath attack, the lady simply vanished from her spot on the ground.

”Such pathetic arrogance.”

A torrent of dense, suffocating black flames instantly erupted around her clenched fist, and she delivered a straight, devastating punch directly into the eagle’s armored beak.

”…..?”

BOOOOM!!!

A tidal wave of consuming black fire detonated outward from her knuckles, instantly cooking the apex predator through every single one of its evolutionary stages—from its first stage straight past its second, third, fourth, and fifth peak stages, reducing its massive body into a roasted carcass in less than a heartbeat.

”My Lord, I sincerely hope I didn’t overcook the meat.” She asked, effortlessly lifting the entire roasted bird—weighing upwards of fifty thousand tons—in a single hand as she turned back toward the young man below.

”Well, it’s perhaps a trifle overdone, and certainly far too bulky… Toss it down near the terrace, and we shall take a polite nibble later.” He instructed, shifting his attention back to the magical mirror as the Chosen Knight gently lowered the enormous roasted fowl onto the grassy hillside:

”There has to be an Ex-Rank monster orchestrating this entire assault from the shadows of Silverspire.” He mused, resting his chin in his hand.

”An Ex-Rank entity? If that proves true, I can dispatch it for you.” The lady offered coolly, while the young man merely shook his head with a faint smile:

”Not yet. Our standing order is to protect Silverspire—as thoroughly as I despise performing these tedious guard duties, we cannot afford to let the city fall. Besides…” He glanced back over his shoulder at his formidable companion, a sharp, arrogant smirk playing on his lips:

”I, Draven Genesis, the proud third son of the prestigious Genesis Ancient Family, am personally sent out here.”

The lady smiled warmly: “Whatever path you choose to pursue, My Lord, I shall remain by your side.” She paused for a fraction of a second, her aura shifting violently, and the next moment:

BOOOOM!!!

The terrifying, absolute pressure of a genuine Ex-Rank powerhouse exploded outward from her physical form, washing in a devastating shockwave across the entire mountain range and the valley below, instantly sending every low-rank creature, beast, and monster scrambling into deep-earth hibernation in sheer terror.

”You may resume your leisure in absolute peace, My Lord.” She added softly.

”What an exceptionally devoted Knight you are. Come, take a seat beside me, and let us watch these low-born mortals give their all.” Draven chuckled warmly.

As a high-ranking scion of an ancient lineage, he viewed everything existing beneath the umbrella of the ancient families as little more than dust; even his personal protector and servant was an untouchable Ex-Rank existence—so why on earth should he rush forward to sweat in a mud-soaked battlefield?

’When rabid ants fight tooth and nail over a scrap of rotting territory, the majestic elephant simply stands tall upon the ridge and watches the slaughter.’ He thought to himself with quiet amusement.

____

[Silverspire.]

Back within the contested boundaries of Silverspire, the situation had deteriorated catastrophically for the defenders the moment the enemy main force formally entered the fray, instantly flipping what had initially looked like a clean, sweeping victory into a desperate struggle for survival.

”How on earth can these lizard possess such monstrous physical output?!” Margaret screamed at the top of her lungs, executing a fierce downward strike with her blade.

BOOOOM!!

Her weapon crashed violently against a lizard’s broadsword, the brutal recoil of the parry hurling her backward through the air.

”Damn it all!!” She slammed down hard onto her heels, her combat boots digging deep trenches into the blood-soaked ground as she fought to arrest her momentum.

”You possess commendable physical strength for a fragile human.” The lizard mocked cruelly, lazily resting the flat of its broadsword back across its scaled shoulder:

”I have not the faintest idea what strange witchcraft your soldiers are employing to cheat death.” It added, narrowing its predatory eyes.

Margaret quickly snapped her head back toward her lines, watching as wounded celestial members continued to vanish in flashes of spatial light just milliseconds before fatal blows could land—evacuating directly to the emergency camp.

’Thank the heavens I purchased those high-grade camp protection from the Aetheldawn, or half my guild would already be rotting in the dirt. But even so…’ She hauled herself fully upright, planting her stance and glaring straight up at the towering, eight-foot-tall reptilian monster standing before her:

”As the reigning Guild Leader of the second-strongest guild in Vaeloria, I refuse to tuck tail and back down!! All surviving members of the Celestial Guild!! Those of you still capable of lifting a blade—form up! Celestial Formation, execute NOW!!” She shrieked, her voice echoing with commanding authority across the entire East Gate perimeter.