Azarinth Healer Chapter 717: Swarm

Chapter 717 Swarm

How do you power yourself and all the machines you control? Ilea asked, destructive mana flowing into the Executioners as she pushed against them with her space manipulation. Were getting company, she said to her allies.

A majority of keys are present. Information access granted. The power source recovered from Kohr was implented into the design of the One without Form. Other sources have failed to provide the sa stability, reach, and complexity, the being replied.

That power source is inside the sphere too? Ilea asked.

Indeed, key warden. The entire design has gone through several iterations, the final installation made with knowledge of the source. Extensions have been presented to the key wardens and Guilds, implented upon approval. I am unstoppable, human, the being spoke.

Sure. As far as I can tell, I just need another five keys. To open up the core at least. The Source would be inside too but Violence seems more interested in the machines coming our way. Can it not detect anything? She assud the core wasnt easy to penetrate with any kind of sight, nor easily destroyed. With extensions added by the machine itself? Probably easier to go for the keys either way. Though I do want to see what kind of machines those twelve Guardians are.

How far did you get with the Ascended programs? Did the Taleen manage to succeed? she asked next. The Executioners were getting close now.

Request denied.

Feels like I only get information on specific topics. Maybe they were excluded for the key wardens and everything not ntioned is just outright denied with the core directive excuse? I guess physical access is really the only option. Or just straight commands with all twelve keys. The fact that the being had been unclear about that part made her more than a little unsure. But if the dwarves had any kind of idea about what they planned to make, she assud the physical failsafe would work. Otherwise its hamring the sphere with destructive healing until the enchantnts give. Or getting Iana and Chris access to the thing. Maybe even the adow.

Ilea teleported their group back through the corridor, dozens of Executioners digging down towards them. She stopped in the tunnel as soon as no more machines were directly above them. Probably better or us to fight down here. They wont be able to use their numbers, she said, looking at the others.

Kyrian extended his tal. We do need at least So space to fight.

Give her a minute, Fey said.

The void explosion. Right, the tal mage answered, standing back.

Ilea smiled. She had stored the keys in her domain, the ntal link imdiately gone with the action. The fact that this asure had an effect suggested the machine wasnt deceiving her in so way, the keys still having an effect even after all this ti. It had to work. And now she knew the golden sphere was the center of it all. They could actually stop the machines.

White flas erupted along the dug corridor, the thing hardly large enough to fit the Executioners, their void magic now breaking through into the dark and cramped space. The light reflected off her eyes, her weight increasing as she raised her hand.

Bright flas rushed down the tunnel, shields flaring up on the way as the machines rushed towards her, Ileas allies standing twenty ters behind her. A charged wave of space magic rushed out next, the burning machines crashing against each other as their montum was stopped. Burning ashen spears followed, shot into the expanding tunnel, void magic taking chunks of the walls with it.

Ilea repeated the sa thing, Embered Heart releasing into the convenient tunnel, the first two Executioners already reduced to their cores. She pushed them back with her space manipulation, the next charged beam of fla and heat detonating the first one, a chain reaction following with two more. I need more mana, hit with your spells, she said to her companions. They exchanged a look before she was engulfed in fla, a powerful curse flowing through her being.

Perfect, she thought with a broad smirk, welcoming the first Executioner that had managed to move past, the dug underground tunnel now expanded into a cave with spherical walls. Her approach wasnt as effective anymore and she started to see more machines coming in from behind, both through the corridor and digging down into it. A wave of arcane healing washed over the machine in a wave, its piercing rapier slapped aside before she advanced, using the large form of the guardian against the enemies joining it from behind.

Ilea turned back and teleported herself and the others through the tunnel, coming out on the other side a few seconds later while avoiding the incoming machines. Praetorians, flying Destroyers, and hundreds of smaller machines were moving towards their position. Enjoy yourselves, and do call for should you find yourselves overwheld. Well et again in the sa hall we arrived in, she said, watching as Feyrair charged his heat, white flas moving around his arms as he took in the surrounding army. Ill take on the Executioners, she sent, seeing Kyrians armor thicken, his tal flails appearing around him.

She raised her hand as six portals ford around them, a few hundred arcane arrows striking them simultaneously. None of them hit their targets. Ilea saw the exploding carnage around them through her dominion.

This is insane. Good luck, Kyrian said and vanished.

Fey just hissed, giving her a joyous look before he spread his arms, welcoming the next barrage of spells, Ilea already back in the tunnel.

Ashen limbs spread out, heavy steps resounding as she ran, heat gathered in her core. Her wings pushed her forward, only just managing to accelerate her a little. The Primordial Arbiter is here, motherfuckers.

Ilea impacted the first Executioner, its blade lted away under a cone of heat. Its shield cracked, charged punches stripping away the steel, every machine in the way covered in white fla. She closed her hand when the core beca visible, its shield cracking under the charged space magic before the void expanded, leaving eight more enemies without shields, and Ilea with reduced layers of her mantle. Hmm, yes. Mana.

She didnt stop, moving forward into the burning tunnel, entirely lost in the fight. Two minutes passed, eighteen Executioners destroyed and her enhanced precognition activating once, one of them nearly blowing up her brain. She had her mantle broken through several tis but no attack destroyed more than a re third of her body. The void cannons were effective, especially without her defenses up. But all it ant to her was more mana, energy she could put into her expensive charged spells. So far it seed the One without Form didnt understand her absorption. A purely physical approach wouldve likely pushed her back already.

Friend?

The Faes voice sounded slightly concerned.

Ilea vanished, teleporting through the tunnel and towards the mark. She found the creature two seconds later inside of a Taleen ho, surrounded by Centurions striking against an invisible shield of space magic. Burning ashen limbs cut through them in the blink of an eye, chunks of tal flung aside as she teleported the creature onto her shoulder, healing arcane mana flowing into it.

Appreciate, it said and hugged her armored cheek.

Sure, little one, Ilea sent and patted its head, bringing it to another hiding spot before she left again. Her weight lessened as her wings moved her up. It looked like entire sections of the city were on the move now, streams of machines following a bright spot of fast moving white fire, beams cutting through dozens of beings as the elf flew through the tight city streets. In another section Ilea could see a maelstrom of guardians going in and out of a large magical circle, a cylinder of bright green light emanating from the curse mages creation. tal was flung aside as Kyrian moved his flails through the air, each weapon the weight and size of a small car. An appropriate blender for the job at hand.

Both of her allies had to avoid the continuous barrage of arcane arrows, many of them manifesting only just before they struck them. Ilea ford two ashen copies, commanding them to help in case any of them were in serious danger. She saw the first Executioners co out of the building their group had used to dig down initially. Ignoring them, her charged wings brought her to the high cavern walls around the city. Her burning form impacted a Hunter Praetorian with a crash, her spells preventing her from being dazed from the impact, her shock absorption protecting her organs. The enemy shield was broken through instead, the steel form inside crumpled against her resilient and armored body. The following explosion fueled her with more magic.

Ilea saw a large portion of the Hunters aiming at her but she didnt stop, the arrows starting to impact her in explosions of blue light when the next enemy fell, bits and pieces of steel falling down towards the distant ground, the arcane sphere emanating from its destroyed core failing to catch her flying form. She moved through the retreating masses, far too fast for them to flee. Teleporting along the wall, she set machines on fire, her beams cutting through their shields and armor with ease, her strikes shattering their defenses as her mantle continuously regenerated.

She had to stop when the Executioners reached her once again, teleporting past them as they attempted to surround her flying form. She had no trouble facing them inside of a tunnel but with enough open space, their coordination beca deadly. She teleported a few tis, landing on one of the destroyers with high velocity, her horned skull cutting through the tal carapace before she broke out on the other side. Her eyes narrowed on the massive golden sphere, the One without Form.

A platform surrounded its entire circumference. Distant Taleen machines stood on top of it in regular intervals. Twelve in total. They remained motionless as she approached, so ard with weapons, others without.

Ilea closed the distance with another set of teleports, watching as their eyes ca to life, varying colors of light turning her way. Im in range, she thought with a grin. Her precognition made her twirl in the air, a beam of light flashing past, shot out by one of the large Guardians. Precise arcane spells followed, purple energy flying past as she dodged with her wings and precognition. She opened her eyes wide when a near four ter radius spell shot out from one of the machines, reaching her near instantly. She wouldve failed to avoid it without her precognition, her leg struck by the burning hot energy, several layers of her ash gone in an instant.

So of them had started climbing through the air, moving faster than the mass of Executioners behind her.

One of them wielded four blades surrounded by magic, another held a war hamr, two more with their hands only, one four ard, the other with just two. She could see the light of the continued ranged attacks reflect off their armor, bronze, obsidian, and steel. So of the ranged machines had spread out too, walking or floating through the air. Each with a distinct set of magic.

Ilea watched as a golden Guardian spread its eight arms, bright yellow eyes looking her way as hundreds of golden blades ford in the air around it. They shot out a mont later, moving in individual arcs towards their target. She turned her head to see lightning surge around another machine, the being armored with a thick set of protections, the blue lightning reflecting off its copper form. A wave of sound moved past, her entire body vibrating as she reoriented herself. She was struck by a set of powerful spells a split second later, slowed to a stop and pushed back, layer upon layer of her mantle ripped away.

The running and flying machines had reached her, each larger than a Praetorian, heavier too by the looks of it. And yet they moved with a fluidity that only an Executioner could match. Four blades surrounded by wind magic slashed past, their arcs adjusting before she was spun aside by an expanding gust of air.

[The Bronze Guardian of the Sphere lvl ????]

Ilea spat blood against her mantle, dodging the continued ranged attacks as the Executioners joined the fight, working in a supportive manner to corner her against the powerful Guardians. She assud all of them were close to level one thousand, just like the one she had managed to identify. She vanished a few tis to get so distance, the swarm following instantly, only unable to keep up due to their lack of teleportation.

Lightning flashed past, a continued set of arcs striking everything in a broad area. A concentrated beam of light magic struck her chest, burning through more than a layer. Her body tensed up when a curse gripped it, more sound magic striking her at the sa ti as a barrage of golden blades and arcane beams. She was forced to teleport again, blood dripping down towards the distant city streets of Iz, her wounds and mantle healing as the enemy attacks continued. Gates ford around her to send the spells aside. She raised her brows, just barely dodging an invisible burst of void magic that materialized at the center of her gates. She transferred out and found the purple eyes of a large silver machine looking her way, one of its arms raised towards her as it floated near the sphere.

Three teleports brought her out, her marks leading her eyes to her allies, both of them retreating against a growing number of Taleen, Executioners in the mix now too. She was ready to dodge more spells when she realized the machines had stopped, the ones close to the sphere now returning to their previous position. About a thousand ters, maybe a little more. The Executioners were still out for blood, soon to reach her position. Which ans the One without Form doesnt have direct control over those four marks. That or its prioritizing the protection of the core. Against ?

She doubted it, flying down towards the broad curse ritual pulsing with power, several tons of shrapnel spread around or stuck inside the half destroyed stone buildings. Ti to leave, she sent and teleported Kyrian out of his own circle, the battered mage looking around in confusion before he grabbed on to an ashen limb.

Get t out, he sent, his missing arm reforming in an instant, destroyed organs coming to life again with her third tier healing.

They teleported a few more tis, flying in a broad arc around the central sphere until they reached the burning form of a dragon, bright claws cutting through Taleen shields. The dragonling tackled an Executioner as his breath spread out, simple guardians and Centurions lting in the flas.

Were leaving, Ilea sent. Turn back.

I got this. Leave without ! the elf sent back. He pushed the Executioner into a portal and fell through himself, the two of them appearing far above the city.

Ilea moved herself and Kyrian to the two engaged fighters, the elf winning out as the machines shield shattered, his claws ripping through the things right arm before he breathed more fire. She reford the portal below the machine, stranding the elf in the air with nothing to fight.

What are you doing!? he called out.

Look down, Ilea sent, the elf following her gaze, seeing the city in motion, hundreds of arcane arrows flying their way with dozens of Executioners climbing through the air to reach them. Tactical retreat. Well be back tomorrow, she sent with a broad grin.

The elf returned to his normal form before she picked him up. Violence, were leaving.

The Fae appeared on her shoulder when she flew past its position, giggling into her ear.

Glorious

Violence!

Ilea just smiled, teleporting her group through the streets and buildings of Iz, soon reaching a random hall. She moved them down into the extensive cellar before she activated her long range spell, six gates around them to prevent any magic from reaching them. Her mana was half drained when she saw the first machines search through the hall above. A few seconds later they were gone.

Kyrian raised his head with a sigh, Feyrair was already gone, moved away by the adow the split second they had arrived. A barrier around them flickered out, likely to prevent anyone from sensing the elf.

Unnecessary risks, the tree told her.

Right. Sorry. Thanks for taking care of it, Ilea replied with a smile.

So of the still gathered council mbers turned to look at them, so offering greetings while others quickly returned to their planning.

Claire raised an eyebrow at Ilea but didnt comnt.

Were gone again soon, Ilea sent to the adow.

Of course. Claire told to give you these, the being replied, a stack of letters appearing in front of her.

Ilea ford a bed of ash to catch everything, looking at one to find it sealed and addressed to Alistair, another was for Nero Skorn, a third one for Alyris of Lys. From fighting the One without Form to delivering letters.

I was once the protector of entire peoples, Ilea. Now I help to set up tournant rosters for level fifty adventurers, the adow replied.

Fair enough, she said and stored the letters. She grabbed a glass of wine on her way to her room. Back to Iz tomorrow, she sent to her companions. Well need a bigger tunnel.

One thought still went through her mind. The laid out plans by the One without Form. Had they overestimated the impact the Taleen had on the Elven domains? The being itself admitted it didnt have a way to challenge the Monarchs. Maybe it had lied, but she didnt see a reason for it to do so. Ilea and the Hunters had expected there to be a major impact if the Taleen were removed from the picture, but now she wasnt quite so sure anymore.