Free Web NovelChapter 2234: What happened
Rumble
The colossal winged serpent’s corpse fell from the sky in a shocking spectacle that instantly drew the attention of every living being on Donara.
Its mere descent increased the atmospheric pressure beneath it, as though a mountain intended to grind the very air into dust beneath its impossible weight, causing winds to spiral wildly and the sea surface to tremble before the corpse had even arrived. The quantity of blood that preceded it raised the sea level, and the disturbance that spread through its body in the moments of death inflicted pain upon every beast and fighter nearby, forcing them to retreat in fear and instinctively distance themselves from the dying monster.
Even as a dwarf-sized young Space Beast, that thing inspired terror even in death, its existence alone seeming capable of shaking the confidence of weaker creatures and reminding everyone present of the horrifying race hidden beyond the gate.
BOOOOM
The corpse created a tremendous earthquake and a tsunami wave dozens of meters high the instant it crashed into the sea, sending countless pillars of water erupting into the sky while the surrounding coastlines shook violently beneath the impact.
But the array quickly suppressed the tidal waves. Then three battalions of the Imperial Guard advanced alongside three Royal Soul Masters to secure the corpse and investigate what could be done with it, their eyes filled with both caution and excitement as they approached such a valuable prize.
As for Althera, she cast a brief glance at the corpse with her cold eyes before charging toward the nearest cluster of nascent Space Beasts, showing not the slightest interest in celebrating the kill or observing the aftermath.
Swoosh Swoosh freewebnovёl.ƈom
Within moments, dozens of them were sliced apart, falling one after another without resistance as streaks of light flashed across the battlefield and trails of blood scattered through the air.
"....." Robin watched her movements for nearly ten seconds, carefully observing every strike and every movement. "Althera doesn’t seem like herself."
Thud
Holak landed calmly before Robin, then took two steps forward and placed a box sealed with a sun emblem on his lap.
"Here. I’ve opened it several times over the past few months to fill it with more. The warehouses had already reached the point of surplus, so it felt wasteful to leave everything scattered around."
Robin gave it a passing glance, then left it where it was without speaking.
It was the very box from which he had taken monster crystals for sacrifices. He had also instructed Tree Father Hovi to throw anything valuable he gathered into it, regardless of whether it came from beasts, resources, or unusual discoveries.
He couldn’t predict with complete certainty what he would find inside, but at the very least, it was filled with nascent Space Beast crystals now, and likely many other useful materials collected throughout the recent campaigns.
And considering Holak had mentioned adding more over the course of several months...
Just how many crystals were inside by now?
Holak, however, did not remain silent for long.
He happened to hear Robin’s question and found an opportunity to speak.
"Hmm, Althera? She’s been like this ever since she returned from the other side that day." He flicked the blood of slain beasts from his hand dismissively. "She was the last one to come through the gate."
Then he slowly stepped forward until he stood beside Robin, forcing Caesar and Pion aside and wedging himself between them in the cramped space, completely ignoring the displeased looks directed at him.
"After Lord Blokan came out carrying you, and Lady Morgana followed behind protecting his back, Althera remained there for hours. We thought she might never return, but we could clearly see her slaughtering beasts like a madwoman until she completely exhausted her energy, and every time we thought she would finally retreat, she simply continued fighting."
"His name is Lord Blokan and Lady Morgana, you tasteless commoner." Caesar shoved the massive Holak aside in annoyance.
"Keep me away from those ridiculous titles of yours." Holak shoved Caesar in the opposite direction as though tossing his own son away.
Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud
In the next moment, five figures landed before Robin, three men and two women.
All of them immediately lowered themselves into a bow, their movements synchronized and respectful, as though they had rehearsed the gesture countless times before arriving.
"We greet Your Majesty and thank the heavens for allowing us to witness your presence once more."
"Hmm." Robin nodded with a smile toward the five squad leaders. "At ease."
Then he gestured for them to stand beside his grandchildren, indicating that formalities were unnecessary for the moment and that he preferred to focus on understanding the current situation before anything else.
After that, he observed the battlefield in silence for nearly a minute, his eyes moving from one section of the war zone to another, taking in the countless details that had accumulated during the months he had spent unconscious.
Before finally nodding.
"Alright, who can give me the main headlines of what’s been happening here?"
"Allow me. No one has spent more time here than I have, nor witnessed every event the way I did." Holak thumped his chest.
"After you lost consciousness, your Soul Creature transferred control of its arrays to Morgana. She adapted to them quickly and continued using them against the Space Beasts that kept attacking, and before long she was coordinating multiple defensive measures at once while keeping the battlefield from collapsing."
"Blokan went to protect your body, while Althera emerged from behind the wall of corpses and began a massacre outside. That only lasted for a few minutes before Morgana managed to carve out a safe path toward the gate’s location, secured the route for Blokan to cross, evacuated all the Royal Soul Masters first, and then followed after them herself."
"...After that, Blokan brought you here, then rushed back to retrieve Althera before she could harm herself, while Morgana remained by your side for several hours, helping stabilize your deteriorating bodily functions and assisting with the deployment of additional defensive arrays around the mountain. Once that was done, she entered the gate again."
Then he continued with furrowed brows:
"By that point, the nest had entered a state of frenzy. It was attacking relentlessly and with overwhelming intensity, just like what you see before you now, only worse. And we hadn’t yet received the reinforcements we possess today. So Morgana and Blokan were forced to assist Althera on the other side in order to reduce the pressure. That unspoken arrangement between them has continued ever since."
"But I see Althera here..." Robin followed Althera with his eyes as she carved her way through the beasts, leaving behind trails of blood and severed bodies wherever she passed.
"They rotate every six hours. One comes out to catch their breath and assist us guards in battle whenever needed, then returns to the other side while another takes their place. They’ve maintained that cycle for the entire past three months. The defense is still standing strong thanks to their efforts, and despite the constant fighting, none of them has allowed the line to break even once."
"Hmm, it’s rare for you to acknowledge anyone’s efforts except your own, it seems I’ll have to thank them properly." Robin nodded several times.
When he had summoned the three of them, he had never imagined things would escalate to such an extent.
Back then, he had merely wanted additional support and a few trustworthy allies. He certainly had not expected them to shoulder such an enormous burden for months on end while fighting against an endless tide of Space Beasts.
"They certainly deserve thanks." Holak nodded. "I’ve already sent a Royal Soul Master to inform Blokan and Morgana that you’ve awakened. They should be here at any moment."
"Oh?" Robin smiled. "Do you think they’ll be more excited to see me than that girl?"
"Althera?" Holak understood immediately. "We haven’t had the opportunity to tell her yet, and we don’t want to distract her with a soul message. You can see the situation for yourself."
"She doesn’t need a message." A broad smile appeared on Robin’s face. "She already knows I’ve woken up, and she knows I’m watching her."
His smile widened even further as he continued in a low voice:
"Isn’t that right, Althera?"
"..."
The owl-eyed woman focused on him in the middle of her flight.
Her eyes were brimming with a trace of resentment.
