On the western side was the Dormant Lord. Unlike the other monsters, he was in no hurry to enter the battlefield. Still, the significant difference in distance between the Crystal Gorge and the fortress did not prevent him from attacking.
On the northern side was Grim Warro, he had already made his move, wanting to attract as many fighters as possible to the battlefield, but this did not suit the other monsters, so the Silent Droao destroyed the black tree before the fourth force could approach the fortress.
A light echo came from the east, causing the Phantoms to raise their heads. They watched as a multitude of shadows swept through the crimson clouds, trying to reach the fortress as quickly as possible.
The Grim Warro and the Silent Droao ceased their long-range battle, concentrating on the new and last member of their fight.
Flap. Flap. Flap.
Two broad wings lifted powerful wind currents with each of their slow, majestic swings.
Scarlet feathers cascaded downward, the tips occasionally showing flashes of dark flame hiding their bright light beneath the depths.
Scarlet pulses ran through the entire body of the massive eagle, striving forward. On its sturdy legs, cutting through the wind currents were sharp talons. Its beak was long and pointed, slightly curved because of the jagged tip creating narrow gaps at the end, the flames raging inside trying to escape through them.
The monster’s eyes were calm and serene, its overwhelming aura spreading hundreds of meters around as well as the shadow cast by its wings.
On its back, the colorful tail with long feathers left a fiery trail, in no hurry to disperse in the wind currents.
Behind the eagle flew dozens of monsters like him, not only flame birds but also other monsters that could fly, yet he was not only the strongest among them, he was their leader.
’Katrin...’ Alan muttered the appearance of such dangerous monsters was not a good thing for the Phantoms, ’It’s a Conqueror Flame Raider. And... It’s very strange, they usually never appear at night, especially during the Eclipse. Light is extremely important to them.’
"Well..."
Staring intently at the Flame Raider, Katrin directed her gaze to another part of the land.
’’This isn’t our only problem, it’s just one of them. Some monster now occupies each side and it looks like new ones aren’t going to appear.’’
Alan nodded deeply.
’Yes, the first wave is almost over, there were quite a few strong monsters among them, but all of them are nothing compared to the Grim Warro, the Silent Droao, and the Flame Raider. But... if they unite, you’ll be in serious trouble.’
Alan’s words brought a satisfied smirk to Katrin’s face.
"Hah, Alan you’re a clever boy, much smarter than me, but why do you say such silly things?"
In a heartbeat, Alan’s face turned red, he became very embarrassed not knowing how to react.
’What...? What do you mean? ’I’m just worried about you and the others...’
Katrin shrugged nonchalantly.
"Yeah, I know, sorry about that. Just... If there’s one thing monsters and humans have in common, it’s that neither of us can work together when our interests don’t align."
As if to confirm her words, the Flame Raider came to a stop, his broad wings holding him in the air while thick clouds flew apart to make room for him.
His red, deep-set eyes were filled with arrogance and haughtiness, looking at the hundreds of monsters on the ground with contempt.
He didn’t seem to consider those without wings worthy, the ones who couldn’t fly.
Spark.
Brief flame bits flashed before him as the Flame Raider slowly opened his beak.
This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.
A bright red flash lit up the sky, unleashing a devastating force.
Burst.
A flaming ray of dense ravaging energy headed towards the ground. The burning ray spared nothing in its path, turning random monsters into a handful of ashes.
Flame Raider had no specific goal, he just wanted to destroy as many of the unworthy that despite their insignificance dared to come to the battlefield. Their naive hopes of obtaining the External Artifact offended him, generating only anger and resentment inside.
Katrin’s eyes went wide when the flaming ray abruptly shifted to the side, leaving behind only a hundred-meter line of fiery explosions and scorched earth.
Some areas were empty, but most were either monsters or Phantoms.
A shiver ran through Katrin’s body as in a single sweep, dozens of Phantoms disappeared behind a layer of fire, their shadows slowly dissolving into nothingness under the brutal blaze. Read latest stories on freewebnovel
As the flaming ray traveled a few circles across the dark lands, the long beak closed, trickles of black smoke escaped through the gaps. The Flaming Raider flapped his wings heading forward.
He could no longer maintain the flaming ray, he would need time to regain his strength, yet the destruction he brought was more than enough to instill fear in the Phantoms.
"Fuck! Did you see that?! All that bird did was attack once and destroy hundreds of monsters and our mates!"
Goosebumps traveled down the body of the Phantom standing next to him:
"This... We’re inside the fortress... We’re safe here, right?"
The girl holding the staff with trembling hands gulped, she took a few steps away as her back touched the wall.
"No, there is no barrier around the fortress... If the Flame Raider wants to destroy us, he can do so at any moment."
Crackle.
Gnash’s fist smashed the head of another Shadow Walker, she looked up as an eerie grimace covered her face.
"Shit, while I don’t like to panic, but... The problem isn’t even how strong he is."
Viron nodded deeply, continuing her thought, he understood what she was trying to say.
"It’s Conqueror Type, which means its main strength isn’t in its abilities or destructive flames, but in... how many loyal followers it has."
At the same moment, the Flame Raider made his next move:
"GROOOOOOOOOO!!!"
A sound strange for a bird spread in waves across the sky, along with a scarlet pulse passing through each flying monster that came after its leader.
Then, dozens of scarlet flashes shone brightly in the sky, ready to unleash their full power on both the fortress and the sand lands.