Chapter 135: Heartfire [1]

The breach had begun and they were in the heart of Korrath’s Mechanosite. Clayton never expected it to be straightforward or simple so when the final defenders emerged inside the Engine Nexus, he was not surprised. Rather, he and his companions were prepared for a brutal battle. The gigantic biomechanical monstrosities rose from the floor and the walls. Their huge frames spoke of barely restrained power, their long blades screamed lethality and immaculate craftsmanship. Their heavy jaws? They were wide enough with rows of dagger-like teeth that seemed capable of punching through metal with ease. Their eyes burned a rabid green. Korrath was truly an unrivaled mechanic. If his personality was not so rotten, in a parallel universe, Clayton would not minded allying with him. But now? Clayton lifted Regalia. "Hold the line." He said; he could already feel that something more was coming. Knowing Korrath by now, he knew the Verdant Lord already had more than enough time to prepare adequately for this final confrontation. And this definitely was not the best of Korrath’s preparation. The chamber shook as gears turned above. Red light pulsed in the veins along the walls. Every beat felt like a warning. "Waves," Torren said. "We cut them fast." "Then we move," Veyra answered, bow already drawn. The first wave came quick. Tall, lean biomechanic monstrosities, with hooks like scythes. They didn’t hesitate. Alongside their more gigantic seniors, they charged at the intruders as soon as they scanned the situation. Clayton and his teammates reacted. BZZZ! Clayton slammed roots through the floor. Vines tore up the front rank of the first wave, slamming them into down with brutal force. Regalia swung, cutting clean. One, two, three... bodies split and sparked. Clayton carved through them like a deranged butcher. Kaelin turned into smoke and slipped past a sweeping arm. He vanished, but a moment later, he reappeared behind the helm of one of the defenders. His dagger slid under the chin, striking its internal circuts. CRKSH! The body folded like a ragdoll. Veyra’s arrows whistled as she released one after the other at a rapid speed. Her accuracy was as ridiculous as usual, as each arrow hit a core. The black line of monstrosities in front of her fell in the tide of arrows. Soren met a trio of defenders head‑on. Without slowing down, his Emberblade rose and fell as sparks flew in his wake. He did not waste a step. With his highly offensive Aspect, he simply carved a path through the biomechanic monstrosities through sheer power. "Lane clear," Harrick called after his spear crushed another visor, leaving another biomechanic construct life on the brink. He drove the point of his spear deeper and twisted. The guardian went still. Behind them, Lorn’s roots caught a stray blade that could have taken Kaelin’s leg. "Watch your left". She called. "I had it," Kaelin said. But he nodded once in gratitude. Lorn was the stabilizing force of the Rootsite army. Over time in the Rootsite, she already evolved the base utility of her Aspect from just healing. Now, her vines could also engage in basic attacks. Apart from healing and watching the back of her allies, she could actively help them in battle now, which made her a menace in any battlefield. It didn’t take long. Just a few minutes of carving through their metal frames and the first wave broke. The floor drank the remnant sparks. But it was not the end. If there was a first wave, surely there was a second. And sure enough, the second wave soon emerged. Compared to the first wave, they were fewer. But these guys were heavy; they were literal Hulks and every step that they took out of their hibernation cocoons cracked stone. They were towering monstrosities with mauls for hands. Their grip seemed capable of crushing the world. "Torren," Clayton said. Torren didn’t respond; he became fire. He swung his in a wide arc and met the first maul in a blaze of fury. BOOM! Flame crawled over iron skin, melting through them as the first biomachine of the second wave staggered. Before it could recover, Soren cut the knee with his Emberblade as power detonated inside of it. At the same time, Harrick slammed his spear into the hip. The Hulk tipped, bending low enough for Torren to finish it with a downward blow that split it like a furnace door. Another Hulk charged Lorn, but vines shot up like ribs and locked around the mauls. The thing tore free, but it was slowed, buying another change for another combatant in the Rootsite army. WHOOSH! Veyra’s arrow hit the elbow joint, penetrating deep as green light blew the limb apart. Kaelin’s dagger took the gap at the throat, and down it went. "Two," Torren said, breath steady. "Next." They kept coming. And as they came, the team kept cutting. The floor shook, then the shaking stopped. Silence again, but not for long. The third wave soon took their place. Unlike the first and second waves, Korrath creates these guys as a variant of his drones as they floated. A ring of pale shapes drifted down like a choir. Their mouths opened but no sound came out, rather the air shivered. BAM! Out from their mouths came a pressure blast that hit like a hammer! Thoughts slipped. Hands trembled. "Spore choir," Lorn said. "He managed to integrate the power of Howl Crowns into them. They’re muting our Embers." Mira stepped forward. Her silver hair was slick with sweat as leaning on her Aspect, she led the way this time. "With me!" She roared. Lorn and Mira moved in tandem, setting their palms to the floor, and then... BZZZ! Green and white light braided together and rose like a low shield against the pressure wave and instantly, the pressure eased. Sensing this, the choir became rabid as they drifted closer, mouths yawning wider. In doing so, they entered range. And that was when they retaliated. Clayton planted a Seedpike, a utility of his Aspect that he discovered after experimentation in the past few months of war. A thick root spear tore from the floor and anchored to the chamber’s vein, then the air changed. A small, stubborn pulse... a pulse that belonged to him pushed back. "Anchor made," he said. "You’re under my shade." Sporelink threads snapped tight, creating in invisible protective shield. Torren’s flames flared hotter. Veyra’s aim steadied. The choir’s pressure met a wall. "Take them," Clayton ordered. Veyra drew deep. She loosed a single arrow. BAM! The arrow split mid‑flight into ten, then into twenty. They fell like rain and punched clean holes through the choir. The pressure collapsed with them. The last shape melted before it hit the floor. Kaelin exhaled. "Hate those." "Move," Clayton said. Time was not on their side. Having fought against Korrath long ago in his territory, he knew how dangerous and advantageous home advantage was. The longer they stared, the more the scales would tip in Korrath’s favor and so they had to hurry. They advanced. The inner sanctum of the Nexus Engine opened like a throat. Gears taller than houses turned slowly as heat blew across their faces like a blacksmith’s breath. Pipes ran from the core into the walls. Liquid light also flowed through them, each pulse matching the beat under their feet. Korrath’s voice rolled down the metal. "Still you climb". His voice was no longer calm, but tinged with shimmering rage. "Insolent worm, you’ll die!" His tone took a darker tone. "I won’t just kill you, I’ll break you. I’ll torture you. I’ll make you watch as I devour your friends, only then will I kill you!" A plate in the ceiling folded open, and from there... he came. Korrath, the Verdant Lord of New Chicago. He came down like a verdict. He was not a man, not anymore. Rather, just like Clayton, his Aspect already changed him thoroughly and he was now a tall frame of alloy and sinew. His ribs were braced with black vine. His spine was not normal, it was wired into the tower itself. Korrath was the tower! His face was like a smooth mask over a skull of light. His right arm was a blade grown from steel bone. His left was a cage of cables, bright with power. From his back, barbed tendrils hung like a cruel cloak. The chamber dimmed as he landed, and then his field washed over them... BZZZ! His aura was cold and heavy, suffocating and crushing the spark at the edge of every breath. "Null," Soren said through his teeth. "Stand your ground," Clayton growled. "We fight here". His eyes blazed with determination and fighting spirit. "We kill him here!" The Seedpike that Clayton planted beat hard underfoot. The mechanic field met it and thinned, allowing the team’s Embers to steady. Korrath tilted his head. "Impressive, but borrowed." His voice was cold. Korrath lifted a hand, and then threads of light drew tight from wall to palm. "You won’t die fast, I’ll make you suffer!" He growled, then... WHOOOM!!! A lattice of cutting beams flashed across the floor.