Free Web NovelChapter 1191: The Unusual Swarm and the Apprentice
There were dozens of them at first, then more... Soon, their wings started beating against the night sky. They circled above the dockyard, threatening to dive down at any moment.
The Warden Units repositioned themselves... Soon, their optics glowed brighter as they tracked the movement of the bats.
Hunter and Winter also growled as their eyes focused on the swarm.
Elsa then stepped closer to the tent flap, as she held her staff.
"Bats... too many of them. This isn’t natural."
Akame rose to his feet and nodded. "I think everyone knows what those things are..."
The crew braced themselves as they didn’t attack yet...
They weren’t sure if these bats were just scouts or would actually dare to attack them.
Still, everyone was prepared for a battle.
It didn’t take that long before the fluttering grew louder, until the night sky above the dockyard was thick with wings!
"So many..."
"They’re really planning to swarm us."
"Alright... This is another battle!"
"Be ready!"
The crew of the Excellence and Providence watched in grim silence as the swarm of bats descended, circling like a storm cloud.
Then, with a loud ripple, the creatures twisted mid‑flight, their forms changed!
They elongated and their wings were torn and transformed into arms! Soon, they saw fangs glinting in the sky!
Thralls!
The Warden Units reacted instantly.
Their optics glowed red as they raised silver‑forged swords and revolvers loaded with silver bullets.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The first volley was released through the air as silver rounds pierced the nearest thralls and dropped them into the sea. Others lunged toward the dock, only to be met by the mechanical precision of android blades.
Hunter and Winter roared from their perches with their wings unfurling with thunderous force.
Then, of course, the dragons dove into the fray, with their claws rending through clusters of thralls and their dragon breath scorching the rest...
Rooaaarr!
The dockyard shook under their fury... Soon, the sea itself rippled as Winter’s icy gale froze a dozen vampires mid‑flight, shattering them into fragments!
Crash! Crash!
Elsa, the Water Elementalist, raised her staff, summoning torrents from the dockside.
"Take this!"
Spears of water lashed upward, impaling thralls and dragging them into the depths of the ocean.
Beside her, Lily’s wind magic howled, slicing through their limbs and scattering the swarm into disarray.
"Next!" Lily shouted.
With her command, the five Trident Mechs advanced in formation, their heavy frames stomping across the dock.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Each mech carried silver‑lined tridents and it wasn’t a coincidence...
They truly had a special weapon for this type of event.
Soon, they skewered thralls as if Amon and the other pilots had been doing this for a long time... They were even tossing broken bodies aside like ragdolls.
"Hahaha! This is it, boys! Finally, some battle!" Amon shouted through the comms as he crushed numerous vampires.
The battle was brutal but swift.
The thralls were low‑tier. Their movements may be erratic, but they were predictable.
There were a few regular vampires appearing among them, but in the end, they were quickly suppressed under the combined might of dragons, mechs, and elementalists.
Still, they realized that there were no Vampire Lords, no Vampire Knights among the enemies. They were just fodder.
Within minutes, the dockyard was littered with ash and broken corpses.
The swarm had been crushed.
Akame exhaled, lowering his blade. "That was... too many. For a random swarm." freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Ronan wiped blood from his cheek and nodded.
"They weren’t hunting us specifically. If they were, we’d have seen Lords or Knights. This was probably just a cluster passing through."
Darlenes shook her head. "Clusters don’t gather like that without reason. Vampires live off blood. If they’re here in numbers, then something is feeding them."
Elsa already realized this as soon as she saw numerous bats around.
"A settlement. Maybe they’re captured humans that were kept alive... hidden somewhere on this island."
The words made this situation feel more dangerous.
Soon, the crew exchanged uneasy glances. Vampires didn’t waste energy swarming unless there was a steady supply nearby.
If they had found a way to sustain themselves here, it meant captives... perhaps an entire hidden colony of humans being drained for survival.
Growl~
Suddenly, Hunter growled low with his massive head turning toward the treeline.
Winter’s wings also twitched as if he wasn’t satisfied with that short battle... They wanted more.
"We should probably wait for Shane and let him decide. They should be returning soon."
Akame clenched his fists. "That’s true. But we can also investigate... Maybe this island is worse than we thought. We could probably convince Shane to leave this island if we knew more of the situation."
Lily’s wind magic still swirled faintly around her as she removed the ashes around...
"We should send word. Since Shane uncovered Sofia’s secrets, they must know how to deal with this. Maybe he had a connection with the Gray Fog already."
"Right... There’s a vampire settlement here, too... Let’s make sure that they won’t be surprised."
Just like that, Elsa and Lily shared the information through the Clan Chat.
Nonetheless, at this point, the Warden Units resumed their patrol.
Their revolvers clicked as they reloaded. After that, their optics started scanning the skies for any sign of another swarm.
Meanwhile, the Trident Mechs stood guard at the dock’s edge at this point, with their pilots resting for the day.
Then, Akame looked at his crew... "We’ll hold here. If more come, we’ll fight. Vampires, Dragons, and even Zombies. That didn’t matter!"
Needless to say, they were all hyped up and wanted something like that to happen. They wanted to fight more and show their strength with the members of the Eclipse Revenant Clan.
Unfortunately, after more time passed, no more enemies arrived.
The night settled again while the dragons kept watch...
Perhaps they realized it was a futile attempt, so the Vampires no longer attacked.
Still, Elsa and Lily were bothered by this unusual event.
They felt that the sudden attack wasn’t just a random event.
***
In the meantime, within the Omega Stronghold, the sixth day of Alex’s training arrived.
In the secluded chamber, the faint glow of drained mana crystals still lingered, though fewer were needed now. Alex sat cross‑legged, his breathing was steady, and he was already used to this...
The spark of mana inside him had grown into a steady ember, no longer waving weakly but pulsing with strength.
Merlin watched him carefully with staff in hand, his sharp eyes noted every twitch of Alex’s fingers, every shift in his aura.
"Good," Merlin said at last. "Your control is improving. The mana flows evenly now. You’re not forcing it anymore."
Alex opened his eyes, a grin spreading across his face. "I can feel it, Master. It’s like... it listens to me now. Not perfectly, but enough."
Merlin chuckled, though his tone carried wisdom...
"Mana doesn’t listen. It resists you sometimes... You’ve simply learned to guide it without fighting. That’s the difference between a novice and a fool who burns himself out."
Alex rose to his feet, flexing his hands.
His stats were already high as a Foreign Survivor. Of course, that gave him an edge.
Though his mana pool was small, his body was strong enough to endure the strain.
He could channel longer than most beginners, and Merlin knew it.
"Try again," Merlin instructed. "No spells. Just circulate the mana through your limbs. Feel it strengthen you."
"Yes, Master!"
Alex closed his eyes, focusing. Threads of mana coursed through his veins, wrapping around his muscles. His breathing deepened as well...
Then, when he opened his eyes again, he felt the strength surging within his body.
Merlin nodded. "Decent. You’re already better than most novices. Your level carries you further than your talent should allow. But remember... raw strength can’t replace discipline. If you rely on brute force, you’ll never cast properly."
Alex laughed, shaking his fists. "I’ll take discipline then. I want to learn everything you can teach me."
Merlin’s expression softened.
For six days, he had watched Alex’s determination grow.
The boy’s eagerness reminded him of apprentices he had once trained long ago, before the fog, before the Apocalypse...
Something stirred in him... a longing for freedom, for the world beyond the Stronghold’s walls.
"Alex," Merlin said quietly, "you’ve done well. You’re ready for more than this chamber. Tomorrow, we leave the Stronghold."
Alex blinked, stunned. "Leave? You mean... explore outside?"
Merlin nodded firmly. "Yes. I’ve been confined too long. If I am to teach you properly, we must see the world together. Magic is not learned in isolation. It is tested in the wild, against danger, against life itself."
Alex’s grin widened into pure excitement. "Then let’s go! I’ll prepare everything tonight. Supplies, crystals, weapons... whatever we need."
Merlin chuckled. "Good. Tomorrow, we step into the world..."
The next morning, the Stronghold gates opened.
Alex walked beside Merlin, his pack heavy with supplies, but he was excited...
Finally, he felt like a true apprentice embarking on a journey with his master.
But as they stepped beyond the walls, a shadow awaited them.
A figure stood at the edge of the path, who was cloaked in black...
"Mhmm? Necromancer?" Merlin muttered in confusion.
