Chapter 103: Roar of the return

Day 1, En Route to the Forgotten Atlanta Expanse. The Mycoglyph-powered military truck roared through the Nexus-mutated wastelands, its armored hull rattling over vein-like roads and ash-choked dunes, kicking up clouds that screamed of their presence. Clayton was the one riding. They never really thought of it. It was only after they got the military truck, that stumped, Torren finally asked the all-important question. "Umm... who knows how to ride a car?" That answered it. Despite how he always made it seem like he knew everything and knew how to do everything, Torren was not omnipotent after all. Clayton ended up volunteering. He was not an expert but 300 years ago, during a mission, a one-off thing that he helped a gang with, one of the payment that the leader of the gang rewarded him with was teaching him how to ride a car. Then, Clayton thought it was useless. Afterall, he never imagined himself having enough money to buy a car of his own, or even hire one. But now, here he was. And that knowledge came in handy. He gripped the wheel of the military truck, Shedskin cloaking his Verdant Lord aura as tattered rags, Regalia of the Verdant Warden in bow form beside him, Thornshade Dagger humming at his hip, venom-coated and stealth-enhancing. His Architect Aspect thrummed, Hive-Sight flickering with the Rootsite’s faltering pulse in the Forgotten Atlanta Expanse. Korrath, the Luminous Seed Verdant Lord from New Chicago was tearing through with biomechanical drones, hungering for Clayton’s essence, drooling to take his throne. The first of his reinforcements already arrived at the Forgotten Atlanta Expanse, piling the pressure on Clayton’s Verdant Lord form to survive. The Aphid Network, now just 31 minions hunted minimally, gaining Genesis Embers, even as another one was lost to a fungal sinkhole. Veyra, now with a scavenged dagger rode alongside Clayton at the front row of the military truck. While behind were Torren, Lorn, Kaelin, and Soren, Mycoglyph-etched pagers glowing even as their eyes scanned, alert. Torren leaned forward, voice sharp over the engine’s roar. "This truck’s noise is a damn beacon". He grimaced. "Behemorphs’ll come, land and air". His eyes flickered as he rapidly thought up a plan. "These regions are infested by Emberwings and Thorn Hounds". Emberwings are 2-meter fire bats, infamous for their rapid speed and unpredictable movement, catching Awakened warriors offguard. As for Thorn Hounds, they are 3-meter spiked dogs. Unlike Emberwings of the Ash Crown, they are Thorn crown Behemorphs. "Veyra, Kaelin, take aerials," Torren instructed. "Your dagger and range should hit and deter Emberwings if they’re coming for us". "Aim for their wins". "Soren, me, we’ll focus on land". He looked at Soren. "If you find them charging at us, aim for their necks". "Lorn, focus on shielding us, and healing fast if anyone is injured". "Yes Torren". Lorn nodded. Torren hesitated slightly, but in the end, he called. "Clayton". "Boss". Torren grimaced on hearing that, but he ignored it this time. "I don’t know how chaotic the journey will become once Behemorphs are involved". "If you notice that it’s getting too dangerous, please while driving, try to pick off stragglers with your Regalia". Clayton nodded. "That your network, it’s active right?" Clayton nodded again. "They’re on standby". "Good," Torren nodded. "Use your discretion. Unleash them when you feel we can no longer hold on, or the car is about to be swarmed". Clayton understood his assignment. He nodded, trust ironclad after their resolve to face Korrath. It didn’t take long after Torren explained his plan that they faced his fears. SCREECH! A shrill screech pierced the air. Six Initiate Ember Emberwings entered the scene, their bloodshot and rabid eyes fixated on the rapidly moving truck. They dove, wings flaring. Torren didn’t even need to say anything when the group reacted. BAM! Veyra’s scavenged dagger slashed, severing a wing, while Kaelin’s Ashveil Cloak blurred, daggers tearing another. Torren’s Flamevine Wrath snared a Thorn Hound charging from a dune. It was not just the Emberwings. Clayton’s Territorial Sentience already detected a few Thorn Hounds that hide behind the skyscraper ruins on the road. As soon as the Emberwings swarmed and attacked, cleverly taking advantage of the sudden distraction, they pounced and attacked. But the group was ready for them. Torren’s Flamevine Wrath snared the Thorn Hound charging from a dune, while Soren’s Emberblade dealt the finishing blow, decapitating it. The Thorn Hound whimpered pitifully as it collapsed on the road in a heap of blood and flesh. Lorn’s Sapflow healer shielded, vines pulsing. During the process of riding this military truck, Clayton noticed something, an advantage that the car with which he learned driving didn’t have. The truck’s steering wheel had an installed Gyroscope sensor that automatically oriented it, sensing the surroundings in the case that the driver lost control, removing his hands from the wheel. Clayton was surprised to detect such a convenience to this military truck, but of course, he welcomed it with open arms. Just a few seconds after the Behemorphs attacked, he let go of the steering wheel and pulled Regalia in bow form, expending a few Genesis Embers to create root arrows that he fired off with precision, shredding an Emberwing. Thornshade Dagger stayed unused, Aphid Network hidden. DING! ~----~ [Behemorphs Slain: 4 Emberwings, 2 Thorn Hounds (Initiate Ember)] [Aphid Network Losses: 1 Thornweave Sentinel] [Genesis Embers Acquired: 36 (Team Kills)] [Genesis Embers Acquired: 6 (Random Network Hunts)] [Genesis Embers Total: 4,661/6,000] [Aspect Strain: Moderate] ~----~ Despite the fact that some of the Thorn Hounds were so fast they managed to slam into the side of the rapidly moving truck, it didn’t stop. It was so rugged that it continued moving amid bumps with no visible drop in speed so long as Clayton’s leg remained pressing on the accelerator. They flew past with rapid speed. ... Day 2, Wasteland Plains. The truck thundered on, Nexus’s pulse warping the terrain; trees twisted into bone-like spires, roads pulsing like arteries. Traveling on foot was vastly different from car travel. While traveling on foot, with the advantage of Torren’s knowledge of the route, they were able to take shortcuts like cutting through buildings, through safe underground tunnels, and narrow lanes to save time. It also kept them safe from Behemorphs. But on a military truck, they had no choice but to ply the old federal roads. These were ancient, Behemorph-infested routes. With a truck though, they actually had a chance of braving al the dangers. As Clayton drove, his Territorial Sentience continued pinging Ashen Covenants’ Ember Witches, their matriarchal rituals a distant hum. But he was no longer sure if he could eventually visit them, because the distant hum of his Verdant Lord form fighting for his life was far louder, and urgent. His Hive-Sight showed the Rootsite crumbling, his Verdant Lord form battered, four Spore Plague Lords left. The sight of it all filled Clayton with desperation, and adrenaline. Once again, spite was rising inside of him. He knew how much he sacrificed to establish his Rootsite. How much danger he faced, how much he sacrificed to survive. The last thing he wanted was to lose it all to some invading Verdant Lord. "F*cking bastard!" He growled. His teammates looked at him with varying degrees of concern written on their faces, but Clayton no longer paid attention to them. And then... BOOM! A roar shook the heart; a large-scale attack! This time, 12 Initiate Ember Thorn Hounds and 3 Luminous Seed Flameveil Stalkers (15-meter fire-cloaked beasts, Ash Crowns) charged, drawn by the truck’s noise. With most of his attention focused on his burning Rootsite, and desperate to get there, Clayton didn’t react on time to the danger. But his teammates did. Torren’s pyro-roots quickly bound a Stalker, Veyra and Kaelin’s daggers feeling Hounds, even as Soren’s blade clashed, while Lorn shielded. But the Stalkers’ flames overwhelmed, a Hound gashing Soren’s arm. Clayton finally hit the brakes, eyes blazing. "Enough!" He unleashed his Aphid Network. BZZZ! 31 Behemorphs erupted from the earth, responding to the call of their Lord. Spore Plague Lords spewed corrosive clouds, melting Hounds. Thornweave Sentinels darted, thorns piercing Stalker joints. Clayton? He leapt out, Regalia firing bone arrows, shredding a Stalker’s core, Thornshade Dagger slashing as he gave in to his bloodlust completely, using the Behemorphs as an antidote for his rage. His rampage turned the tide, Genesis Embers flaring as Hounds and Stalkers fell. The team stared, awestruck. Torren whistled. "That’s your Network? Damn, Clayton". Veyra, gripping her dagger, smirked. "Should’ve shown us sooner". Kaelin laughed. "You’re always full of surprises". Soren, clutched his wounds, silent this time as Lorn’s vines healed him, her smile warm. Clayton looked at them, his eyes dim. "We need to hurry". He looked into the distance. "I don’t have much time left". DING! ~----~ [Behemorphs Slain: 12 Thorn Hounds (Initiate Ember), 3 Flameveil Stalkeres (Luminous Seed)] [Aphid Network Losses: 2 Spore Plague Lords, 1 Thornweave Sentinel] [Genesis Embers Acquired: 108 (Team Kills)] [Genesis Embers Acquired: 8 (Random Network Hunts)] [Genesis Embers Total: 4,777/6,000] [Aspect Strain: High] ~----~