Chapter 108: Battle for Atlanta [3]

Battlefield Perimeter. Have you ever seen a dance of death? The one not of choreography of CGI, the one where real blood flies, where blades flash, their sharp edges leaving reflections of death and doom, the dance where fixed things become broken and broken things become destroyed. That was what happened in the Forgotten Atlanta Expanse when the Verdant Lord of the Forgotten city retaliated against the Verdant Lord of New Chicago finally at full power. Not just his own power, but also the power of his allies. KABOOM! It was disastrous. It was chaotic. It was war, it was survival, it was the theory of natural selection. It was the rawest form of living. It was survival of the fittest. Only those organisms, only those Awakened, only those Verdant Lords with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive, grow stronger, and reproduce, becoming even bigger and all-encompassing. Clayton, Torren, and Veyra carved a path through the battlefield perimeter, the trio a force of nature. They were unstoppable. By now, the drones and Emberclaws had nothing on them. Clayton’s network swelled, subordinating twenty more Thorn Hounds and ten Emberwings within this time even as the battle between both armies became even more brutal, destructive, and chaotic. Clayton and his allies thrived in the chaos. They surfed the storm. They were in the eye of the storm. Now, his Aphid Network was at a staggering 80! Not even at his peak did Clayton have 80 Behemorphs in his Aphid Network. Pushed by the desire to survive, the desire to protect his Rootsite, and the desire to have his revenge on the Verdant Lord of New Chicago, he had exceeded his limits and was now at a personal unprecedented level. He already broke his personal record. Right now, he was in the state of flow, the state of bloodlust. BAM! His Thornshade Dagger slashed a Sentinel’s core, venom dousing flames, ending the poor bio-mechanical construct’s life in an instant. Beside him... WHOOSH! Veyra’s Regalia fired bone arrows, her affinity to the bow growing higher than ever before, and resulting in even more destruction. Her aim was sure as death. She shredded drones, her aim ruthless, driven by her sister’s memory, and the desire to stay with and protect a friend. Torren’s Flamevine Wrath roared, pushed to the very limit by this experienced Luminous Seed Awakened and adventurer, binding another gigantic construct that looked like a lesser version of the Nexusborn Ravager, pyro-roots charring its vines, his Pyreaxe hacking its joints. The three of them... their teamwork was a brutal symphony. Clayton’s Network eviscerated drones with brutal efficacy, Thorn Hounds ripping limbs, Emberwings diving with fiery talons. They felled fifteen drones, three Sentinels, and five mercenaries, Genesis Embers flaring like a drug. Clayton alone subdued ten more Thorn Hounds and five Emberwings, gaining even more Genesis Embers, taking his Aphid Network to 95! Now, he was a true force of nature. All it took was a Verdant Lord attacking his territory and Rootsite for Clayton to bring out the full potential and power of his Architect rank Aspect. At 95, alongside his Aphid Network, Clayton was a 1-man army. He was unstoppable. He and his allies, Veyra and Torren were the eye of the storm, and when they moved, they didn’t move alone, a literal army of Behemorphs moved with them. When they attacked, almost 100 Behemorphs attacked with them. It was crazy. It was a fearsome sight to behold. Clayton targeted a Luminous Seed Flameveil Stalker next even as he hunted Korrath’s army. And again, he was successful, obliterating the mental defenses of the Behemorph in record time even as he added a new Behemorph to his army. He took his tally to 96! Bonkers! The mimic of the Nexusborn Ravager fell, Clayton’s Core Maw crushing its core in a devastating display of raw might and power. His Territorial Sentience stayed active, keeping his brain full and active, pinging different signals across the battlefield and beyond. His brain automatically abstracted unwanted information, but he could still hear the distant hum of Ashen Covenants’ Ember Witches, their matriarchal chants swelling, watching from twisted spires. And then... DING! ~----~ [Enemies Defeated: 15 Initiate Ember Drones, 3 Emberclaw Sentinels (Luminous Seed), 5 Mercenaries (Intiate Ember), 1 Mini Nexusborn Ravager (Luminous Seed)] [Aphid Network Losses: 1 Spore Plague Lord, 2 Thornweave Sentinels, 2 Thorn Hounds] [Aphid Network Gained: 40 Thorn Hounds, 20 Emberwings, 3 Emberclaw Sentinels, 1 Flameveil Stalker] [Genesis Embers Acquired: 5,125/6,000] [Aspect Strain: Critical] ~----~ Clayton’s Aspect Strain was at critical for a while already, but maybe it was due to getting more used to his Aspect, but he didn’t break down due to it. Not anymore. Now, he was a veteran Awakened. An Awakened who had traveled 60 days to the Scorchpaths, an Awakened with an Architect rank Aspect who had fought Behemorphs, Null Crowns and Dual Crowns, all the types, an Awakened who had survived a Behemorph Stampede. An Awakened who survived a battle of 2 Verdant Warden Thorn Crowns going at it, an Awakened who’ve encountered the Scorched Clans multiple times and survived, having the upper hand each and every time. Unlike before, he was no longer a newbie. Now, he was a tested and proven veteran. Besides, the battle field was no longer as lopsided in favor of the invading Verdant Lord of New Chicago. Before, even with the few Emberwings that Clayton subordinated on the way back to the Forgotten Atlanta Expanse, Korrath still had the aerial superiority. But not anymore. Now, with the dozens of Emberwings in his Aphid Network, Clayton had the aerial superiority as his minions buzzed, dominating the air, preying and feasting on the bio-mechanic constructs that obstructed their path. While the world watched, waiting for him to die, Clayton survived. While the world watched, he thrived in danger, like he always did. ’You thought I’d die?’ ’You thought I’d lose?’ ’SIKE! Think again!’ And then, after more than hours of the brutal battle since Clayton returned to the Forgotten city with his reinforcement, he finally forced him out. BOOM! A roar shook the battlefield. Then... Korrath descended; a biomechanical titan, 15 meters of chrome vines, molten Embers, and pulsing Nexus core, his Luminous Seed aura suffocating. The eventual showdown with Korrath that Clayton sought was here! Being in the mere presence of the Luminous Seed Verdant Lord was suffocating. Clayton felt like he was losing himself, but he held, face stoic. Somehow, after fighting all across the Forgotten city, Clayton found himself back where he started... right in front of his Rootsite. "Your essence is mine, Trial Survivor," Korrath snarled, then his vines lashed. Clayton’s response? His Aphid Network, now 101; 1 Spore Plague Lord, 24 Thornweave Sentinels, 2 Emberflame Drones, 51 Thorn Hounds, 22 Emberwings, 5 Emberclaw Sentinels, and 1 Flameveil... he gave them an order. Then... BZZZZ! They swarmed. They surged, a literal force of nature. The single Spore Plague Lord threw itself in recklessly, corroding Korrath’s frame, Thorn Hounds tearing vines, even as Emberwings burned his joints. WHOOSH! Veyra let loose, her arrows piercing his core, even as Torren’s pyro-roots bound his limbs, while Lorn’s vines shielded the Rootsite, even as Kaelin and Soren fell stragglers who came too close. The ultimate showdown already started. Clayton’s Thornshade Dagger slashed, venom sizzling on Korrath’s chrome. His Core Maw erupted, roots impaling Korrath’s flank, but Korrath’s vines countered, gashing Clayton’s arm, Embers healing him. The Verdant Lord of New Chicago was too strong, too oppressive. He fought like an invincible being. Pushed to the brink, Clayton’s dual forms screamed in Hive-Sight. The Nexus pulsed, and his Architect Aspect shattered its limits. DING! ~----~ [EVOLUTION TRIGGERED!] [You have deepened your understanding of your Aspect...] [You have unlocked a new ability of your Aspect: Hybridization] [...] ~----~ BZZZ! Clayton’s humanoid form glowed, merging with the Verdant Lord that was just behind him, creating a 12-meter hybrid of green flesh, thorned chrome, and blazing Embers, eyes twin emerald voids. It was eerie. It was powerful. It was oppressive. The combined form roared, Spine Bloom erupting, thorned tendrils shredding Korrath’s vines. For a moment, Korrath’s eyes widened in shock, wonder, and... suspicion? Clayton didn’t care about his feelings though. His Aphid Network swarmed. Thorn Hounds and Sentinels tore chunks, Veyra’s arrows and Torren’s roots relentless, paving the way for his hybrid form to deal obliterating damage at a devastating frequency. Veyra wielded Regalia of the Verdant Warden, but at this moment, Clayton also felt a part of the Mythprint Artifact merge into his hybrid form, fueling him with even more power. BAM! BAM! BAM! Every hit met its target with devastating force and obliterating fury. It felt like the Apocalypse all over again. It felt like the end of the world all over again. It felt like divine judgement, or divine retribution long overdue for the intruder. Then... CRACK! Korrath’s core cracked, his form collapsing in a molten scream. DING! The system chimed. ~----~ [Construct Avatar of Korrath Defeated!] [True Korrath resides in New Chicago’s Mechanosite.] [Congratulations! Rootsite Secured.] [Genesis Embers: 6,000/6,000] [Trial II Completed.] [Reward: Evolution to Luminous Seed Rank...] ~----~