Chapter 107: Battle for Atlanta [2]

KRRRRR! The Nexusborn Ravager roared, its molten vines lashing. Clayton’s Aphid Network countered; Spore Plague Lords corroding its flame, even as Thornweave Sentinels pierced its joints, but it crushed a Thorn Hound in retaliation before collapsing. Finally, after literally days of living on the edge, fighting desperately for his life and his Rootsite, the Verdant Lord form was no longer fighting a losing battle. This was the advantage of living 2 lives. Clayton was now enjoying the benefits of his Architect rank Aspect. He was one of if not the only Awakened in existence to live 2 lives. It gave him this privilege of one of his bodies staying rooted to his Rootsite, protecting it, while the other was free to roam and explore the Genesis-infested world. It was what enabled his humanoid body to make friends; allies. And now, not just the humanoid body, but the Verdant Lord body was also enjoying the benefits of the friends that the other body made. From a losing battle, it was now a bit even. With Lorn, Soren, and Kaelin helping the Verdant Lord body, plus the addition of the Aphid Network that returned, the Rootsite was no longer in danger. This enabled the other Luminous Seed Awakened in Torren’s group plus Clayton’s humanoid body to go on the current rampage against the enemy. By now, Clayton was no stranger to fighting Luminous Seed Behemorphs, constructs, and even Awakened despite being just an Initiate Ember. Korrath was no mere Luminous Seed Awakened though, he was a Verdant Lord. But at least, he was not going up against this force of nature alone. Today, Clayton was relentless. Today, he was reckless. Today, he was brutal, fueled by spite and a sheer spirit of vendetta. Proximity fueled the relationship between his 2 bodies. It was only after he arrived at the Forgotten Atlanta Expanse that he truly understood the trauma and pressure that Korrath put his Verdant Lord body through. He was not just fighting for survival, but revenge. "C’mon!" He growled. BAM! He moved and fought like a rampaging predator, roaming with Thornshade Dagger, tearing drones and bio-mechanical constructs apart. As he moved, he was a force of nature. He wasn’t just moving alone, roots moved with him. Nature moved with him, shredding everything not him, and not his allies apart and into shreds. The Nexusborn Ravager? It died. Right at that moment, Clayton subdued another Emberwing, taking his Aphid Network tally to 34. He was going on a rampage and also building his power. His dagger slashed, venom flaring, emerald eyes dilated in rage and burning fire. Torren and Veyra flanked, their strikes precise, relentless. DING! ~----~ [Enemies Defeated: 7 Initiate Ember Drones, 2 Emberclaw Sentinels (Luminous Seed), 5 Mercenaries (Initiate Ember)] [Aphid Network Losses: 1 Spore Plague Lord, 1 Thornweave Sentinel, 1 Thorn Hound] [Aphid Network Gained: 3 Thorn Hounds (Initiate Ember), 2 Emberwings (Initiate Ember)] [Genesis Embers Acquired: 108 (Team Kills)] [Genesis Embers Acquired: 8 (Random Network Hunts)] [Genesis Embers Total: 4,907] [Aspect Strain: Critical] ~----~ The Rootsite’s core flickered, barely holding. Clayton’s Hive-Sight showed his Verdant Lord form standing, healed by Lorn, but weakening. "We’re holding," he growled, "but Korrath’s the key". Veyra, gripping Regalia, nodded. "Let’s do it! Let’s find him!" Soren and Kaelin were somber, ready to follow instructions. Lorn’s voice echoed via Mycoglyph pager. "Your other body’s stable. We’ve got this. Attack!" Torren roared. "We find Korrath, end this!" The team pushed forward, Nexus’s dread pulsing, the battlefield a crucible of chaos and defiance. ... Forgotten Atlanta Expanse. By now, the commotion at the center of the Forgotten Atlanta Expanse was known to most of surrounding enclaves and powers. But no one intervened. Afterall, this was Korrath, a true Luminous Seed Verdant Lord they were talking about. This was the Verdant Lord of New Chicago. No one wanted to cross Korrath, not even the Ironblood Remnants left in the Ironholds close to the ancient city. Not even the Verdant Apostates in the region. Not Verdis Hold, and definitely not the pacifists, the nearby Rootbound Clans where Echoes lived. For days, they stayed still, and observed. They waited to see the outcome. They waited to see if the Verdant Lord of the Forgotten city will die mere months after his return from the Genesis Trials. They waited to see if Korrath, the Verdant Lord of New Chicago will win, eliminating a rival Verdant Lord, growing more powerful and claiming his territory. This was the ultimate trial that the Verdant Lord of the Forgotten city faced. This invasion attempt would make or break Clayton. At this point in time, very few knew about the new Verdant Lord in the Forgotten city. Clayton was still anonymous to the world. But if he passed this trial, if he survived, if he blossomed, he would stop being anonymous. He would explode. He would become known. He would have forged his legend in the era of the Genesis Protocols. And so, they watched, and waited... The Forgotten Atlanta Expanse burned under the Earthcore Nexus’s relentless pulse, its vein-like streets and vine-choked skyscrapers trembling as Clayton Hunt’s Rootsite, a fungal fortress of Mycoglyph-etched spires teetered on the verge of collapse. Korrath’s biomechanical army swarmed, Initiate Ember Drones with thorned metal frames tearing into everything in their path, Luminous Seed Emberclaw Sentinels with razor vines brutally eviscerating all that they stumbled upon. Mercenaries with Pyreblade daggers scurried amid the chaos, trying to hunt in the chaos, trying to steal Genesis Embers. The Nexusborn Ravager, a 20-meter horror of molten vines and pulsing Nexus core was now dead, relieving the pressure on the defenders. Now, the defenders were the attackers. Clayton’s humanoid form, Shedskin as tattered rags, gripped Thornshade Dagger, venom-coated and stealth-enhancing, emerald eyes as cold as ice. His Architect Aspect roared, Hive-Sight showing his Verdant Lord form; the thorned colossus was still gashed, but with Lorn helping, it stood still within his Rootsite. His Aphid Network, now 34 minions fought, rabid like hunting dogs. Lorn, Kaelin, and Soren stood beside the Verdant Lord form, all protective. Veyra and Torren charged beside Clayton’s humanoid form, going on a reckless killing spree through bio-mechanic constructs. Clayton’s eyes blazed. "No holding back!" He roared. "Korrath wants my Rootsite. My essence. We tear through, find him, end this!" BZZZ! His Architect Aspect thrummed as he unleashed the power of Aphid Network. This time, Clayton held nothing back. He locked onto Behemorphs, ten Initiate Ember Thorn Hounds, five Emberwings, and two Luminous Seed Emberclaw Sentinels. Burning Embers, he subdued them, their wills buckling under the weight of his unflinching zeal and willpower. They joined his network, catapulting his army to 50 in an instant. He now had 2 Spore Plague Lords, 26 Thornweave Sentinels, 2 Emberflame Drones, 13 Thorn Hounds, 7 Emberwings, and 2 Emberclaw Sentinels. This showed the versatility of his Aspect. Clayton realized that like he suspected, his Aphid Network was not a mere beast-taming ability. He could also tame bio-mechanic constructs, evident from the Emberflame Drones and Emberclaw Sentinels that he tamed. Taming them was even easier than taming Behemorphs. All he had to shatter was the distant will of the Verdant Lord of New Chicago controlling them. Clayton badly wanted to see the expression on the bastard’s face. ’Take that, faggot!’ BZZZ! Clayton felt his power swell. He felt invincible. "C’mon!" He growled, green veins crawling around his body. "Keep the Rootsite standing," he growled to Lorn, Kaelin, and Soren, then focused on the others. "Torren, Veyra, let’s hunt a Verdant Lord!" They moved. ... Rootsite Core. Lorn, vines pulsing, held the Rootsite’s core with Kaelin and Soren. It was a desperate fight against an encroaching corruption. This time, not Genesis corruption, but one of the bio-mechanic kind. Fighting off Korrath’s army was a chore. Afterall, they were not Behemorphs. They could not be fooled. They felt no fear. They were mindless, fearless, only relying on pure A.I-enabled logical reasoning knowledge based systems and IOT constructions for movement. They attacked not like individual units, but like a swarm. They followed Korrath’s will, Korrath’s intent, Korrath’s strategy. They were deadly, relentless. Lorn’s Sapflow Healer Aspect continued stitching the Verdant Lord form’s wounds, its emerald eyes gleaming with Clayton’s will. Eight Initiate Ember drones and three mercenaries charged. Lorn’s vines shielded, Kaelin’s Ashveil Cloak blurring even as his daggers brutally gutted a mercenary, his shrill dying screams echoing in a cacophony. Soren’s Emberblade cleaved a drone’s core. Clayton’s Network surged, Spore Plague Lords spewing corrosive spores to protect the Rootsite, blasting the attackers, even as Thornweave Sentinels pierced drone joints. They held the line, just barely, but then a Sentinel’s vine crushed a Thorn Hound. This was not the first time. Their defense was not perfect, it was not omnipotent. They killed more of the invaders, but for every 10 invaders that they killed, Clayton mostly lost a minion return, though he subordinated far more at higher frequency to cover it up. GRRRRR! The Verdant Lord roared, the guttural echoes coming from its root-formed throat shaking the Expanse. Core Maw erupted, roots smashing two drones, Rootsite’s core flickering but standing. The brutal brawl continued. It was a war of survival.