EPISODE: 196: NEW GENERATION 3

— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR: 7292. SEASON: NEW BEGINNING.

Heavy clouds rumbled, and a dark sky threatened to burst with rain. Lightning danced between—serenading a soulless tune. Demigods judged from above; their cold, callus gazes watched magi—youths of their generation… fight for their prince. Blood flowed—a single desire directing the life of many to an early end. What is the will of a prince to the masses?

…

What is the will of a Goddess to a prince?

…

Lawruthian Imperius Koltius Edryani smirked as he left his… friends to fight. He was confident—not in himself, but in them. It was a strange feeling to have after all these years of a new life. How long had it been since he last felt confident in friends?

Two [Tempest Coyotes] yipped and barked as they circled him, one male and one female—both sported green-tinted fur that showed their connection to the wind. Lawruthian strolled, and Adam walked in step behind as he controlled it. The creatures diverged, ready to attack on two fronts rather than one.

They watched him… the magi, that is—they worshiped his strength, his character, and would die for his cause. Even focused on their fights, errant gazes traveled to his position. Eyes filled with hope and a radiance that can only be described in one's heart.

…

Faith.

…

It was such a strange term. One that the magi held no problems in understanding. To magi, faith was a belief in the Goddess and following Her teachings—worshiping Her [Chosen] and bringing glory to Her name.

…

Faith.

…

It was such a wonderful term. It was a term that every Saphen of the Elrunian Continent—no, Genesis Realm, was familiar with. It was their faith in a God that guarded their souls from the unspoken horrors of their realm. That very faith granted them a desperate reprieve from the temptations of Sins and Virtues.

…

Faith.

…

It was such a wicked term. For faith, men died. Women became widows and children bastards forsaken from the love of a father. For faith, men lived. Women became champions of the doctrine, bringing their households closer to Her.

…

…

…

…

To Him.

Lawruthian ducked under the swipe of wicked-sharp claws; his red-gold eyes took on a cold, indifferent hue.

"Oh, so you're taking this fight seriously," Carine uttered. He paced around the battlefield, always in range of whom he tethered. Lawruthian's mind became completely logical—indifferent to the emotions of men, himself included.

"(The King's Indifference)," he cooly whispered—starlit longsword trailing from his right hand.

His mind was quiet—finally, as there were no thoughts apart from his own. His use of Light attributed mana was stupid—his only goal was to draw needless attention to himself. What a waste of mana, his thoughts told him.

Against a creature like the [Tygrex], any of the base four elements would do. And, against the [Tempest Coyote]? Earth countered Air, just as Water countered Fire.

Lawruthian commanded, and the earth listened as he entered a harmonized state. The elements seemed to love him as the mana gathered in a storm surrounding him. The larger of the Tempest Coyotes, the female, disappeared with a gust of wind and a flash in her movement. Lawruthian tilted his head, the large maw of the creature snapping shut where it once was. He punched, no manna, no stamina imbued into his attack to strengthen it. Just a regular punch with the limit of his Base Attack.

CRITICAL HIT!

Tempest Coyote -1,515 Health Points.

You have inflicted {Fractured Jaw}, -25% Stamina Point Recovery.

The female yelped, her body flashed away again as it swiftly retreated. Red blood splattered to the floor and over Lawruthian's armored form. With just his physical strength alone, no skills, and no magic, he could beat this creature to death. Adam moved in pursuit while Lawruthian began to chant as he faced the male. It yipped at the female, communicating its intentions as it ferociously glared at Lawruthian.

‎ " Earth is the Origin of All, " he indifferently began. Since he began to pace, he hadn't stopped. He sheathed his weapon on his back while his hands moved to weave the incantation—carefully drawing the runes with his magic.

He coldly gazed at it; his mind was calm, nearly silent with its calculations. The two armies barely pushed into the central area of Wyvern's Roost when they met fierce assault from the creatures within. Why? What was it that made them do this? Lawruthian already understood the answer, but he didn't understand the reasoning behind it. His thoughts rapidly deduced what he knew about the Aspect of Knowledge.

Rasheed was a red dragon, the last of his kind, who wished to revive his long-extinct race. In his pursuit of such a goal, he'd gone mad—mad to the point he began to experiment with the very thing that killed his creature—Remnants of Oblivion.

Even if he knew Lawruthian was coming with an army… why would they be fighting so desperately from the beginning?

" It guides us through its gentle but firm embrace. It teaches us patience to outlast the storm, " Lawruthian continued to chant. The male gathered wind around its body, fury evident in its eyes—a tempest was emerging, sharp blades ready to slice into the magi who faced them.

An errant thought nearly interrupted Lawruthian's spell-casting. Just as Lawruthian was doing, gathering the mana of the world and of that within himself… was the red dragon at some critical point in his research?

Was [End of Adventure] finally successful in his mad task of returning dragons to Genesis? Just as this question surfaced, so did others.

Lawruthian continued to chant and control Adam in pursuit of the female Tempest Coyote. Its large war hammer struck the ground just as the female dashed away—a hint of lightning in her steps. Its once fractured jaw was swiftly recovering as It burned Stamina Points to quickly rid itself of the de-buff.

The ground shifted like a wave, eradicating smaller, weaker creatures that happened to be in the range of the attack. The golem moved with precision, controlled like a second body by its master.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

" That strength lies not in haste but in the unyielding stone. Rise now, oh soil and stone, " Lawruthian's voice raised in pitch. It lacked emotion and remained indifferent, but the swirl of mana that surrounded him gave him an awe-inspiring presence. Unfortunately, it could not be seen by the naked eye, but there seemed to be a tempest just as strong as the Tempest Coyote around him.

Just as the Tempest Coyote was preparing its strongest attack, Lawruthian was doing something similar.

The major difference between pure magical casting and using skills was their efficiency and power. Skills were quick, effective, and able to be used nearly instantly. Pure magical casting requires time but allows [Mages] to communicate better with the realm for stronger effects—stronger attacks.

" Awaken as my steadfast shield and hammer. "

Lawruthian continued to chant, and the world listened—his spell was of the sixth tier and powerful enough to shield him from whatever the Tempest Coyotes tossed his way.

It would be enough to charge through the horde of incoming beasts—at least… just for tonight.

[Imperius Golemlord] was such an interesting class. It was one that he was still taking time to figure out and understand. He'd attempted several variations of the class, which had succeeded and failed. Like a special trainer who captured creatures and deployed them, he envisioned doing the same for golems once. Not capturing them but building golems for specific situations and always being able to deploy them. That… well, it was still viable, but Lawruthian never possessed the proper time to make it come true. He could use his Hero Golems, but the HG's were serving another purpose.

Time… time… time… time.

There never seemed to be enough of it for him. (The King's Indifference) calculated why the Aspect of Knowledge was doing this—why these creatures were charging to their deaths against a force vastly stronger than them.

…

He was close to succeeding.

…

If not that, then a breakthrough was close, and the Aspect couldn't afford to face them. It left Lawruthian with another logical decision—kill the dragon and take the result of its research. It was impossible for whatever was going on in the Mountain of Final Hope not to involve Minerva. The knowledge she provided opened a new domain of thinking to the Genesis Realm. Now that Rasheed was close—if Lawruthian could have the result of his research…

A sole dragon egg remained in his possession. Dragons, as Rasheed taught—dragons are… dragons were the great equalizer.

Lawruthian recalled the story Aspect Rasheed told him. "Dragons were known to be an in-between for the creatures of the Genesis Realm… They are a match for the weakest of Gods. If they joined their strengths together, then—even the first of the new Gods must be wary."

…

The Great Equalizer.

…

A weapon of untold power able to match the weakest of the Gods—not the current lot, but the ones who inhabited Genesis before its fall. Lawruthian didn't know their strength, but Rasheed made them sound far greater than the present Gods.

"We— dragons —were a force that kept the balance of the realm—an extreme of both good and evil. Whereas the Gods ruled above and were responsible for expanding the natural laws of the world—Titans below, who expanded the earth and realm itself. Dragons were the great equalizer who brought both necessary destruction and creation… We were natural disasters but given form. What do you believe happens when one of the forces necessary to stabilize the realm is removed?"

" For as you cradle the roots of life… So too shall you cradle my will (Terra Guardian)."

The tempest, once surrounding Lawruthian, dispersed. The mana infused deep into the ground beneath his feet and seemingly dispersed. The Tempest Coyote's attack was also at its end—a tornado surrounded the creature as it seemed to become the eye of a storm.

Everything outside the creature raged against the wind, and while it stood there, its fierce gaze was directed at Lawruthian. Then, step by step, it began to move toward him. The creature could tell he held the most danger between him and Adam—the surge of mana it felt, leaving him, a clear indication of his power.

It had to kill him—quickly, before turning to help its mate.

Powerful wind magic entered the air, uprooting the ancient vegetation in Wyvern's Roost. The Tempest Coyote slowly moved forward, step by step, as the surrounding storm shredded anything it touched.

Lawruthian stood there, calm, unfazed, and with an indifferent look in his eyes. He allowed it to approach him, Adam still in the midst of its fight against the second four-starred creature. The night was still young, and the rain whipped against Lawruthian's body. The cold spring weather was a refreshing feel from the cold winter he'd just been through.

They watched him, some worried, others assured of his victory. General Alexandria frowned but continued to direct her troops. Although the creatures seemed endless, they were finally over what she suspected was the worst of it. Tonight's attack would conclude shortly. General Ameri was much of the same; only she ensured her young cousin didn't lose his life attempting to challenge a creature beyond his measure. She didn't understand his obsession with proving he could do just as much as the Prince could. It was a foolish endeavor as even she, who neared level two hundred, was confident the prince would surpass her in due time.

…

Perhaps he lacked faith.

…

Perhaps he held far too much in his strength.

…

It didn't matter. Ade Oni's gaze hadn't once settled on the prince for more than a few moments until now. Facing two four-starred creatures wasn't tenable; at least, Ade believed so. Yet, Lawruthian made it look easy—things combatants of Edryan had died against in the hundreds, perhaps thousands, were facing Lawruthian like he was the beast—he was the animal, and they the humans.

"Is this what it means to walk ahead," Ade Oni questioned. When did their strengths get so far apart, he questioned internally. "…after Starglow," he whispered. "Perhaps I need to go on a journey myself—[Stormforge] wasn't enough."

Other members of the Little Greats observed the prince. Selene and Helios Romus—the Sun and Moon twins, watched patiently. Helios stood guard by his sister and the squad they chose to occupy. Selene's wards made the challenging battle far easier for the squads she interacted with. Her ward plates were imbued with spells that weakened the creatures that entered its range. It nearly became a slaughterhouse for the squad she interacted with. And, with a powerful warrior like Helios to help with any strange situations, the squads she interacted with lost no one and barely consumed their Life Points.

Viviana Consus was in a similar predicament. Large swaths of vegetation attacked the creatures in the area she overviewed. The young woman leisurely sat on the branch of a tree and watched the fighting occurring below. She hummed to herself as she flipped through her bonded grimoire—recording and analyzing the fight.

"Oh, something big is coming! The prince's strength is ridiculous—he's not even focusing on his heroic skills for such strength," she pouted. "And father wants me to stay by his side in the future…?"

She shrugged, but her eyes shone with excitement. "It's here!"

The Tempest Coyote continued its path toward Lawruthian. A storm surged around it, destroying all trees and vegetation that entered its path. Lawruthian's eyes remained indifferent as he watched it like a king gazing on a kneeling subject—ready to decide whether it lived or died.

Then, as the earliest part of the storm began to batter him, right before he entered the range of its damage-inflicting blades, the ground beneath him shifted. Lawruthian stood still, but a mound beneath him slowly rose, as it did, chucks fell to reveal a precisely carved golem. It wore a crown made of trifold leaves and held eyes that were like black gems. Its body appeared like an earth Goddess descended to the mortal realm—a champion of the earth.

Lawruthian stood on its shoulder, calmly gazing at the Tempest Coyote. It was unperturbed by the massive golem. Instead, it continued its approach to have them enter the truly dangerous area of the storm.

Lawruthian shook his head; the Tempest Coyote was already dead, it just didn't recognize it yet.

"Kill," he simply stated.

The (Terra Guardian) clasped her hands together, just like the [Tempest Coyote] it was a four-starred creature. The difference between both creatures was their application of attributes. The Terra Guardian held only two purposes—extreme attack and defense.

The earth shifted under both Tempest Coyotes, spikes shooting out faster than they could dodge, skewering both creatures instantly. Lawruthian pointed forward toward the incoming horde while he controlled Adam to assist his companions.

You have defeated Tempest Coyote — ★★★★ x 2.

The night was young, and his [End of Adventure] had only just begun.

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