780 Chapter 780 Shadow Siege 2
Aldred and his team advanced through the labyrinthine tunnels of the Shadow Forge, their path lit by the sporadic flashes of combat. The confined spaces echoed with the cacophony of battle, a relentless din that seemed to shake the very foundations of the forge.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble beneath their feet, a subtle vibration that quickly grew into a deafening roar. From the shadows ahead, a sea of demon bugs surged forward, their numbers beyond comprehension, a living tide of malice and destruction.
With a calm that belied the chaos around him, Aldred raised his Phantom Doomblade. The weapon pulsed with a fiery energy, its blade singing with anticipation. With a swift motion, he swung the blade in a wide arc, unleashing a wave of fire that swept through the swarm. In an instant, 100,000 demon bugs were incinerated, their ashes carried away by the currents of the battle.
The demons paused, stunned by the display of power. The silence was momentary, a brief lull before the storm renewed its fury.
Then, a new threat emerged. From the darkness, a herd of rhino-like demons charged, their massive forms barreling towards Aldred and his team with earth-shaking force.
Without hesitation, Aldred's Phantom Doomblade transformed, morphing into a massive sniper rifle that gleamed with the same fiery energy. He took aim, the weapon's scope pinpointing the charging demons with unerring accuracy. With a series of rapid shots, he fired. Each bullet, a needle of flame, pierced the air with a whistling scream before finding its mark. Upon impact, the bullets exploded, engulfing the demons in a conflagration that halted their charge in a storm of fire and fury.
"Cover the flanks!" Aldred barked, his voice cutting through the din of battle. His team responded with precision, their weapons blazing as they held the rear and flanks against the demonic onslaught.
Aldred, now standing amidst the smoldering remains of the demon horde, surveyed the battlefield. His team, though vastly outnumbered, fought with a tenacity that matched his own. Together, they carved a path through the enemy, their goal never wavering.
As they pushed forward, the Shadow Forge revealed its secrets, a twisted maze of tunnels and chambers that housed horrors beyond imagining. Yet, Aldred and his team pressed on, their resolve unbroken.
"We're close," Aldred announced, his eyes fixed on the path ahead.
The team advanced, their footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness of the forge. Ahead, the final chamber loomed, a cavernous space that pulsed with dark energy.
That must be the barrier.
"This is it," Aldred said, his voice steady. "Whatever lies ahead, we face it together. For the Platoon, for humanity!"
Aldred stood before the formidable barrier that shielded the heart of the Shadow Forge, his team arrayed behind him, their breaths coming in short, determined gasps. With a battle-worn grimace, he raised his Phantom Doomblade, now shimmering with an intense light, and struck the barrier with all his might. The blade's fiery energy clashed against the dark force, sending ripples across its surface, yet it remained unbroken.
Frustrated but undeterred, Aldred transformed the blade into its sniper rifle form, firing concentrated blasts of magical energy at the barrier. Each shot hit with precision, yet they did little more than mar the surface. "It's no use," he muttered, the realization dawning on him. "This barrier… it's beyond simple magic or force."
Behind them, the battle raged on. His allies engaged in a desperate struggle against the endless waves of demons pouring out from the forge's depths.
The air was filled with the sound of combat, the hiss and crack of energy weapons, and the sonic booms of stealth ships darting across the battlefield at breakneck speeds, their pilots expertly navigating the chaos as they provided support to the ground forces.
Amidst the din of battle, Aldred focused, searching for a solution.
His mind raced through ancient texts and theories, seeking the key to breaking the barrier. Then, inspiration struck. Drawing upon his deep knowledge of spatial and gravitational magic, Aldred approached the barrier once more. He extended his hand, channeling his magical energy in a new, complex pattern, focusing it into a single, dense point.
The air around the barrier hummed with power as Aldred's magic took effect. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, cracks began to spread across the barrier's surface. The cracks grew, branching out like lightning, yet the barrier held fast, a testament to its incredible strength.
Just as Aldred prepared to redouble his efforts, a report came through his communicator, urgent and dire. "Sir, the distraction teams are failing. The enemy… they're not falling for it anymore. A massive reinforcement is headed straight for the Shadow Forge. We don't have much time!"
"How much do we have specifically?"
"Less than 20 minutes, sir."
Aldred's jaw tightened, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. He knew what had to be done. "We need to breach this barrier, now!" he shouted, rallying his team. "Focus all your energy on the cracks. Together!"
With a unified cry, Aldred and his team unleashed a torrent of magical energy at the barrier, targeting the network of cracks that marred its surface. The combined force of their assault was immense, a confluence of powers from the finest warriors the Celestial Platoon had to offer.
The barrier began to tremble, its dark energy pulsing wildly in response to the onslaught.
However, when the barrier shattered, another lay behind it.
"Multiple barriers!" Aldred repeated the same thing, and cracked the barrier once again. This time faster than before.
But yet again, another appeared. This one seem to be thicker than the last.
"Sir, we have 8 minutes left.
Aldred snorted and raised his blade, stabbing it into the barrier and channeled his energy into a single point.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Cracks formed and spread all over, but it wasn't over yet.
"Sir, 1 minute left."
"Shit! Why is time so fucking fast!" Aldred pushed with greater intensity trying to release the limitless ocean of his energy.
"30 seconds!"
"15 seconds!"
"10 seconds!"
The barrier began to tremble, its dark energy pulsing wildly in response to the onslaught. Then, with a sound like the breaking of the world, the barrier shattered, opening a path to the heart of the Shadow Forge.
"Move, move, move!" Aldred commanded, leading the charge into the newly opened passage.
"5 seconds! Sir, we need to retrea—" Aldred turned off his coms.
As they rushed through the breach, the heart of the Shadow Forge lay exposed, its dark secrets finally within reach.
"Found you!"
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