Free Web NovelChapter 229: Leaving Mantidale (3)
In the popular TV shows of the Empire, the betas were usually depicted as shy and blushing, while the alphas were more bold and alluring. This was Nicole’s first time witnessing a beta taking charge in a romantic relationship.
Nicole rubbed her forehead and let out a sigh, finding the whole situation both new and pretty exciting. It seemed her respect for Kestrel had grown in a curious new way.
In the psychic landscape, Kestrel opened her eyes, and licked her lips. The hurt tendrils started to heal quickly. They began to look shiny and smooth again, getting back their firmness, moving energetically and wiggling through the sea of blooming flowers.
In this psychic place, the fading moonlight got bright once more, and the wave came crashing in again. The cold moon’s clear light and the rhythmic movement of the huge wave filled a part of this space. Showing Kestrel’s psychic world, the glowing moon started to fight back in this mental realm. It wasn’t able to take over the whole space, but it strongly claimed a portion, standing its ground against the extensive floral sea, facing off from a distance.
In the pretty Pavilion, Kestrel surveyed her surroundings with elegance, her eyes filled with sparkle. Neither dust nor scratches could dampen her spirit; she was full of vibrant energy and shining brightly, as if saying to the figure before her in the psychic realm, "What do you think? Am I good enough? I might not be as powerful as you, but I’m not weak either. Plus, I’ve got candy here to give me a boost anytime. Do you believe I have the right to face you?"
She was patiently waiting for an answer from the other side.
The Queen of Mantidale was dressed in a dark dress, her face hidden behind a dark veil, and her five deep black eyes burned fiercely as she gazed at Kestrel. She represented a mighty psychic presence. In her deep and dark stare, even the smallest hint of fear would make someone want to back away uncontrollably, wanting to fall to their knees and plead under such intense observation.
Kestrel had become used to these experienced and powerful mutants. They were steady, logical, not frightened by pain, not scared of injuries, and practically invincible. They hardly felt the rollercoaster of human emotions, lacking the soft spots that could be targeted.
Facing such an adversary was undeniably challenging and really hard to overcome. However, Kestrel sensed that she could grasp their way of thinking, sometimes very sharply tuning into how to interact effectively with them, maybe even more smoothly than when dealing with humans.
Kestrel thought that maybe it was due to having their lineage deeply ingrained within her, sometimes even adopting their style of thinking.
For mutants, a man’s high fighting skills and a refusal to give in were just tools for initiating a conversation. The power to battle was not the main focus for mutants. But, if someone couldn’t bear the basic psychic attack, they were considered mere insignificant creatures in their view, not even deserving a second look.
At this moment, facing this formidable mutant, the glowing moon had penetrated the field of flowers, gaining a status worthy of an equal conversation.
These odd beings were not humans, but Kestrel realized that in their minds, they too harbored wishes and ambitions, yearning for things; they fostered a unique kind of anticipation and desire specific to their species, always searching for the truth.
Using the only available channel of connection, Kestrel cautiously and gradually reached out her tendrils.
The mantis’ jet-black eyes, all five of them, were locked onto Kestrel.
Four hundred years earlier, a human had bowed down to them, proposing to sacrifice the whole human race. They accepted the offer coldly, agreeing to the other party’s suggestion.
Four centuries had flown by, and now a new human beta was standing before them once more. She was clearly still so young, not even twenty, yet she had the courage to stand, to challenge a queen who had been around for many centuries. She even aimed to negotiate, hoping to change everything and begin anew.
Although she was still quite frail, she indeed met the criteria.
In the flower sea, a gust created a commotion, the colorful petals coming together to shape a massive dragon swirling in the wind. The radiant moon waited patiently, witnessing the ebb and flow of the sea tides. Above the ground, the sky looked like a flipped-over glass dome enclosing the earth. Beyond that clear barrier, glimpses of the real world could be seen.
In the real world’s battleground, amidst the broken castles, mutant bodies, big and small, stacked up resembling mountains. The human alphas, drenched in blood, kept aiding each other, getting back on their feet time and again.
In the end, the last two humanoid mutants fell first. On the transparent dome above, Ren pinned the last fallen humanoid mutant to the ground, the blade sweeping across her neck.
Kestrel and the Queen both looked up.
Ren’s face was right against that layer of transparent sky, magnified greatly, splattered with the mutant’s blood.
His knife was dyed a deep red, the fingers holding it were also red. His good-looking face bore an ugly cut, making it seem as though he had been bathed in a sea of blood. Yet, those eyes remained lucid and shining, housing a resolve and toughness, carrying a stubborn spirit that refused to yield even in the face of death.
The male mutant lay on the ground with severed legs and an open stomach, human-like guts strewn everywhere. Unable to fight any longer, he lay there, gazing blankly at the ceiling. The female mutant lay beside him, her throat cut and blood pooling around her, also staring blankly upward. frёeωebɳovel.com
At this time, Nicole’s psychic form was shedding silvery scales, and half its tail was gone. Initially, it was a silver snake with sparkling scales, but now it had shrunk significantly. The blood-soaked tiny snake fought valiantly on the battlefield, using its small form to determinedly support the fallen Olivia, tending to her with great care.
Olivia opened her eyes, lightly touching the now diminished silver head, her body covered in blood shivered as she slowly rose to her feet.
Raymond stretched his hand to gently shake Rakan beside him. Rakan’s face was pale, and he had fainted. Despite this, his psychic incarnation, a black unicorn, persisted on the battlefield, not vanishing after its physical counterpart lost consciousness. It stamped defiantly at the few remaining clouds of dark smoke, firmly holding its ground. freewёbnoνel.com
These wounded warriors helped each other, barely managing to stand.
They extended their hands.
Kestrel, within the psychic space, looked up.
At the clear shield, Ren held out his scarred hand, placing it atop Raymond’s lion claw, the unicorn’s horn, Olivia’s wrapped hand, and Nicole’s small gentle hand. United in spirit, their layered hands pushed down together in harmony.
No words were exchanged. Their united hands brought each other strength.
Kestrel looked up, towards the sky, where the thick blood on their arms blended, dripping from above and landing on the shield, touching her very soul.
Then, their arms parted, the warriors hoisted their battered bodies, treading upon the numerous dead mutants, facing the Queen who stood at the pinnacle of the hall’s column.
