Chapter 258 Rushing Through The Sky
"W-who are--!"
Apart from that question that they never really finished uttering, nothing else came out of their mouths anymore except the different intensity of their groans.
With the Orb of Ailment in my hand, I already activated it as soon as the Concealment Aura wore off.
When their minds were just about to process my sudden appearance in front of them when they were in the middle of a serious discussion, the purple-colored smoke-like aura had already started to ooze out from the orb.
Due to the intensity of my Flux Energy that was being used to fill it, in mere seconds, it completely engulfed the tent we were in. Helpless, the Ailment Aura rendered the eight incapable to do anything but to try and endure the side effect of the orb which caused them to feel sick.
And the aura didn't stop there. I didn't stop by here just to cut off the head after all. Thoroughly annihilating one of their encampments will provide them a bit of a headache as they would once again need to thin their forces.
Before long, it continued to expand outside. Due to how fast it spreads, the whole encampment as well as anyone that will approach it was already covered before the first of the below Rank 5 Mortals to drop like flies.
As the eight sitting around the round table either fell headfirst on it or stumble down to the ground due to their loss of consciousness, these Rank 5 Mortals of both Noxian and Dark World descents were scrupulously incapacitated.
They're a bit stronger than those Mortal Ranks outside so even if they're the first ones who got affected by it, they're still the last ones to lose consciousness.
This is the effect of the Orb of Ailment if used to someone greatly weaker than me. Unlike the Orb of Enhancement which has a fix 10 Strength and Endurance buff, this one scales with the Energy channeled into it.
If this was used to a Transcendent, they would still be able to react as the side effects wouldn't kick in immediately or they would be able to endure it.
"W-why?"
Ah. I'm wrong, someone has strong enough Endurance to still be able to maintain his consciousness.
Despite the difficulty in uttering a word, his eyes were locked onto me, the culprit of their current predicament. It's the Noxian with a bear-like stature. Well, considering his body build, him having the highest endurance somehow fits.
"Are you joking right now? Do you even need to ask?"
To humor him before their end, I responded to his question before four of my clones materialized.
Without needing to order them, the four already have my intention in their minds. They neatly lined up and went out uniformly.
In my rough estimate, there should be at least a thousand of these Mortal Ranks.
Well, they're all incapacitated so there's no trouble for the clones to clean them up.
"W-we…"
"Alright. Stop struggling to talk. I still have a lot more important things to do. Just accept that you got unlucky that your race chose the opposite side where I am in. There's no hate in here. It's either to kill or be killed, don't you think so?"
As soon as I finished speaking, the Willful Sword unsheathed itself and hovered in front of me. After coating it with my Flux Energy, it moved on its own and started to shed the blood of the incapacitated Rank 5 Mortals.
Before the Noxian with a bear-like stature died, his gaze at was more than just hate. There's also remorse and indignance.
He must still have a dream of reaching Transcendence by himself but yeah, I don't really care about it. It just so happens for the Concealment to end in this area. And I'm sure it's not just him who will have that kind of feeling. Lives are easily lost in wars especially now when it concerns numerous worlds.
Having a moral obligation at this point is pretty useless when I already lost count of how many died under my own hands. Directly and indirectly.
Once the Willful Sword went back to its sheath, I walked out of the tent and stared at what my clones had done. The thick scent of blood filled the air as they continuously moved from one target to another.
Taking my eyes off them, I flew up and left the area to continue my journey to be by Fleur's side.
Since I wasn't concealed anymore, I didn't hold back and used all my abilities to speed up.
Most of the scouts they spread out failed to notice me but those Rank 5 Mortals did.
Some were brave enough to fly up and try to block my way. But one Purple Sword set to cut anyone blocking my way was enough to get past them.
Soon enough, groups of Rank 5 Mortals started to bar my way, either voluntary or forced. And all of them met the same fate.
Cut down for blocking my way.
10 minutes later. The Orb of Concealment was already done with its cooldown but I chose not to use it anymore. I might have to slow down again to prevent it from being accidentally cast off after all.
With bodies of Rank 5 Mortals in my wake, those who were informed ahead of time stopped coming out to block me, instead, they just continued to relay the message, tracking my current position.
Another 10 minutes later, I passed by the last of the encampments laid out and saw the Elemental's Forest at a distance.
When I visited the Forest with Fleur, she teleported us using the river near their borders. She chose that instead of the river running inside to show me the current state of their previous flourishing territory, Half of it was destroyed from the previous attack. There's no more trees growing there so even if they retook, it wouldn't be the same as before.
Just like from the other Pathways only by reaching the 4th realm will one be able to communicate easily within a certain distance. There's that Telepathy on the Spirit Pathway at the World of Spirit which Jayce showed me. Maybe there's also a method at the World of System or Barbarians but here, the Communication Spell required 7-nodes to cast.
Since I'm still in the 3rd realm, I'm still gated by it to cast a Communication Spell to contact Fleur. At best I can receive a call from them. There's the Interdimensional Communication which could bypass that and could be used to my Companions but it's still on cooldown.
On the World of Meta, they also have something to bypass it, the Communication Device which relied on Signal Towers to call someone from afar.
I have no choice now at the moment but to follow Rael's direction. After reaching the Elemental Forest, the place where they laid their ambush was north of it.
Upon remembering that, I swerved and switched directions to the northwest without any intention to pass by their Forest first. The ambush place was far enough for Fleur to fall back and to hole herself inside the Formation laid for their territory's Protection.
"If she's hurt in any way, I don't know if rage will fill me up. But just the thought of it made me remember what happened in my Transcendent Trials. I vowed not to let them experience the same thing in the real world, so I might lose myself here."
I couldn't help but murmur as I continued flying through the sky,
Since I blatantly flew through their encampments and scouts, halfway through, I felt a Transcendent Aura passing through me.
Up ahead a Dark World Transcendents dressed in all black armor reminiscent of a Dark Soldier from the World of System was waiting for me. In his hand was a bastard sword made from an unknown black metal.
It was ominously shining in a dark light as he continuously poured in his Dark Energy in it.
"For a Transcendent of this world, you're one of the dumbest, aren't you?"
I could say the same to you. Assuming I'm dumb. Don't you have some intelligence about us at least?
Ah. Right. I was seen as a native due to my Adaptability, but hey, I'm wearing White Knight, can't he see that it's kind of misplaced in this type of world?
His first expedition to another world, I guess?
But judging from his hoarse voice, he's really someone from the same tribe as those Dark Soldiers.
So, only the Mortal Ranks were arranged by tribes on which world they would descend and try to conquer.
The Transcendents were assorted, either they were picked or they themselves pick which world they would descend to.
After seeing that Dark Elf Transcendent, it's still hard to determine which Energy Type the Dark World has. But upon encountering those Transcendent Incarnations of Remilia and Yulan as well as how this guy used his Energy, it's either Spirit or Physique Type.
Each Mortal Pathway differs depending on the world after all. But yeah, it's just a guess for now. Also, I have no time to play with this one.
"Maybe? My apologies though. I'm not here to entertain you."
Before I reached my estimated range of his swing, I took out the Totem Pole.
Due to the distance and the speed of my flight, the time was insufficient to produce four Transcendent Clones.
However, if it's to keep this guy occupied, one is enough.
"Play with my clone first."
After saying that, the Totem Pole unleashed the stored Flux Energy, and out from it, the Transcendent Clone dashed towards the Dark World Transcendent.