Erik spun around to face the pursuing swarm. His neural links were quickly being filled by the mana inside Erik's brain crystal.
The flying thaids circled overhead at that point, and Erik had to act fast if he wanted to save the others.
He knew the flying thaids' simple minds sought fresh at, and that was exactly what he was going to give them, and in abundance.
Mana surged through his body as he ford hundreds of wind blades, each one sharp enough to slice through the thickest carapace.
He asured his power enough to make sure he would end up with enough mana for whatever happened later, but enough to kill most of the bug-like thaids he could during a short ti fra. The blades took shape.
Erik then unleashed his attack. The wind blades shot forward. It was a barrage that cut through the air, making a sound akin to a blade tearing silk.
Then, the blades collided with the advancing swarm of bug-like thaids. The impact was devastating—thousands of creatures were sliced apart instantly, their bodies splitting into chunks as the wind blades cut through their ranks. Limbs, heads, and thoraxes got scattered across the battlefield in a display of destruction and savage ruthlessness.
Armored bodies split apart in explosions of viscera. Dark ichor sprayed in thick arcs, painting the rocky ground in abstract patterns of gore.
The wind blades carved through joint and carapace alike, exposing organs and writhing innards to the open air.
Dismbered legs twitched and mandibles clicked one last ti as body segnts separated, spilling their contents across the stone and dirt.
Shredded thoraxes leaked steaming fluids while severed abdons revealed pulsing organs.
Erik didn't know what was that flowed inside the creature's bodies, if blood or sothing else, yet the scent of it was so strong and pungent that it was revolting. At least for him. For the flying thaids, that scent must have been the scent of a buffet, telling them it was ti for dinner.
Erik thought.
Erik smiled as the aerial creatures descended. His plan worked—with so many prey laid before them, the flying thaids would focus on the easier al rather than pursuing his group. At least in theory. One could never say what prompted thaids to take certain decisions. Sotis they should have acted in one way but did another one, even if it was nonsensical.
The flying thaids landed among the carnage; their wingspans created powerful downdrafts that kicked up thick clouds of dust.
Their taloned feet crushed through scattered limbs and shell fragnts as they touched down, their weight leaving deep impressions in the blood-soaked ground.
They tore into the fresh kills, but their feast didn't go unchallenged. The surviving bug-like thaids, hundreds of thousands of them, surged forward in waves.
While each individual bug was relatively weak, especially compared to the more imposing flying thaids, and posed little threat to them, their overwhelming numbers made them dangerous even for those titanic creatures. The bugs sward over the larger predators, snapping their mandibles.
The flying thaids screeched in rage as the puny creatures crawled over them. Thanks to Instability, Erik could clearly perceive the outrage they were feeling.
To them, the bug-like thaids were no better than humans. They were prey, and prey having this much audacity was sothing their primal minds could not tolerate.
They snapped their jaws and struck with their talons, each blow destroying dozens of bugs, but more kept coming.
The battle devolved into a chaotic ss of thrashing bodies and spraying fluids, with the flying thaids having a clear advantage, since they weren't even using their brain crystal powers, but with more and more bugs amassing around them.
The situation was turning complicated, even for them.
Erik watched the scuffle unfold, noting how even a single flying thaid could devastate scores of the bug-like thaids.
But he couldn't risk any of the flying thaids breaking away to pursue his group. With five hundred clones in their party, they would make a tempting target.
He gathered more mana, launching another volley of wind blades into the bugs' fray. The attacks carved through the swarm, making more carnage to keep the flying thaids occupied.
It looked like it was working. The severed bug bodies rained down as his blades struck, adding to the growing piles of at and shell fragnts littering the ground, which the flying thaids deeply appreciated.
The problem was that the scent of death grew stronger. Blood and ichor pooled between rocks, while torn flesh and exposed organs released their own pungent odors. The sll created a powerful lure that no thaid in the area could resist.
Erik ran into the forest, keeping track of where his group had gone. His clones had been smart—they kept away from open paths and stuck to places where their shapeshifted bodies could easily hide. Amber and Emily were the only problem, since they were the only ones who could not shapeshift.
Reviews
All reviews (0)