1051 Who Are You?
However, it wasn't the immense destruction or the towering citadel with smoke spiraling to the darkened sky that altered Jake's previously relaxed expression. It was the shadowy figures hovering indistinctly above the smoldering ruins, like mirages, that captured his attention.
More specifically, the monstrous entity on which they stood. Contrary to the vaguely humanoid outlines of the other beings, this flying behemoth was undeniably noticeable-even to the most shortsighted human.
This behemoth was just that massive.
With eleven slit orange eyes, six pairs of wings, and three pairs of clawed limbs, this alien bird was undoubtedly the largest creature Jake had ever seen in his short life. Even without fully stretching its wings, its enormous silhouette cast a shadow over the entirety of the burning city. This creature was even larger than an Interstellar Carrier, although Jake had never seen one up close.
"H-how damn big is this thing?" The man, formerly inebriated and now lamenting his sobriety, was on the verge of a breakdown. Such an entity belonged in nightmares, not in one's waking reality.
Unfortunately, this world didn't care about his complaints. This harbinger of doom wasn't leaving anytime soon. Furthermore, Jake too was at a loss for words. Thankfully, he didn't have to speak. Someone else took the initiative.
"It's a Titan, the most fearsome creatures found in the Lustra Plains," the newly healed commander began, his stern eyes fixated on the entity responsible for nearly all the destruction. "I'm not sure how many the Radiant Conclave controls, it's part of their hidden arsenal, but I recognize this one. We call him Featherfall, or Featherfall Titan. I'll let you guess why."
It was only then that Jake and the other recruit noticed the unnatural design of the enormous lances. Their structure indeed resembled a metallic feather twisted for optimized aerodynamics.
Still, it was a masterpiece, not some hasty attack, especially since Jake hadn't noticed anything unusual about these "projectiles" until Sank- Uk pointed it out. After scanning one with his wrist device, he confirmed that it was, indeed, alive.
[Featherfall Titan's Plume: Formed with Living Metal, these are harder than most natural materials and alloys found on Twyluxia, while being highly flexible and regenerative. They are part of Featherfall Titan's body and can thus be recalled.]
"Oh, crap..." Jake murmured, reading the last line.
The ground trembled again, and suddenly the "arrows" that littered the area for miles began vibrating at a high frequency, emitting a shrill sound.
"Everyone down! Stay away from those feathers!" Someone shouted from the fleeing army opposite them.
Of course, that warning was moot. The tipsy barbarian had taken cover behind Jake's 'slender' frame as soon as the first arrow began to quiver. Unexpectedly, the proud commander had done... exactly the same.
In the blink of an eye and with a deafening roar, the forest of 'feathers' was uprooted from the ground, taking off with the noise of a hundred thousand rockets launching simultaneously.
The eardrums of Jake's two unlucky companions burst immediately. Had Jake not protected them by creating a thin vacuum sphere to halt the sound's propagation, the drunkard would've been a goner. In the end, he was left bleeding from every facial orifice, dizzy but alive.
Meanwhile, Jake still held the 'feather' he had used as an emergency weapon to block the remaining projectile rain. The steel arrow screeched angrily, trying to escape, but with his iron grip, it was a futile effort.
"Should I let go of this feather or keep it to craft a new weapon?" Jake mumbled to himself, oblivious to the increasing magnetic pull on the object in his hand.
As Jake was contemplating the idea of eating it, the shimmering flames from the burning city reflecting in his eyes, a dreadful possibility crossed his mind.
"Could it be..."
Jake's hair suddenly stood on end as he felt a malevolent pressure zeroing in on him. Eleven glowing orange eyes with slit pupils, reminiscent of Sauron's all-seeing eye, flashed in his mind, and he instantly released the feather. The sense of impending doom vanished as quickly as it had appeared, retracting as the Titan's gaze shifted elsewhere.
The sound of a droplet splashing at his feet jolted him from his daze, and in that moment, Jake realized his palms and forehead were slick with cold sweat. This acknowledgment sent shivers down his spine.
"Fuck, am I seriously scared of this bird?" He stifled an irritated growl, shook his head, and thought, 'Hell no! It's just not the time to confront this end-game big boss yet. Facing him now would be shooting myself in the foot, and revealing my identity to all the other Players. That would only play into my enemies' hands!
[That's right. One step at a time], Xi chimed in with the same vigor. [We'll take down that bird when we've regained all our powers.]
Jake wanted to steal another glimpse at the figures who could command and ride such a behemoth, but the fleeing army had finally reached them. Reluctantly, he shifted his gaze from the Titanic Beast to assess the newcomers.
About thirty individuals in a mix of robes and armors, all clad in black, had just landed soundlessly before their trio. It finally clicked for Jake how this vast army had managed to escape almost unscathed from the feather storm.
Just from the crushing, suffocating spiritual pressure radiating from these mysterious men and women, all strikingly attractive, Jake immediately pegged them as Soulmancers. Their ability to fly erased any remaining doubts, not that he really gave a damn about them to start with.
Detaching herself from the group, a young woman with long, glittering black hair that looked like a cascade of stars, gracefully approached them. Her stern face immediately posed the cold question,
"Who's in charge?"
Sank-Uk instantly straightened up, chin raised and eyes unyielding, loudly declaring, "I am. 3000-Man Commander Sank-Uk reporting. I was... well, I used to be in charge of this rookie regiment. We were supposed to join the battlefield before-"
But the female Soulmancer was already dismissing him, her gaze fixed on the man who was a head shorter than her, standing casually right behind. From his deeply annoyed expression and the fact he was the only unharmed one of the three, he looked even more suspect.
His unusual leanness for an Underworld Barbarian was another giveaway, marking him as one of those troublesome Players. Except this one... Wasn't he a bit too powerful?
And she would know. After all, she was the first to inform the Soulmancer King of this new menace... The soul of the Rank 2 Player, Leo Vinson, was it? Still resided somewhere within her Soul Lantern.
That's right. The woman in black armor and robes was none other than Soulmancer Meribelle, the captivating brunette who once ensnared poor Leo's heart before subjecting him to her ruthless Soulsearch Spell. But compared to her enchanting first appearance, she looked decidedly different now.
While she bore no visible wounds, she was smeared with blood of various hues, clearly not her own. Her Soulmancer robe was tattered in many spots, revealing the damp alabaster skin beneath, while her snug-fitting light armor blending leather and plates had seen better days.
What was most striking, however, was how gaunt and ghostly her face looked compared to just a few weeks prior. Shielding such a vast army had evidently not been a walk in the park. This was further emphasized by the state of the thirty Soulmancers accompanying her, with two even gravely wounded.
That was the whole deal with these Soulmancers. They were formidable foes as long as they had their enchanted gear and an abundance of spiritual energy. But once drained and their artifacts rendered useless, they weren't much different from regular soldiers. Unlike the Lifemancers from the Lustra Plains, who could easily recover from even severe injuries.
On top of that, the harrowing cause of all this destruction still loomed over the flaming citadel far behind them, painting a grim backdrop. They were so on edge that every time they glanced back to see if the Titan still shadowed them, they seemed to flinch. God knows what hell they'd been through to make it this far...
Approaching Jake, Soulmancer Meribelle stopped a step away from her suspect. Tightening her grip on the dagger handle at her waist, she asked in an icy tone, "Who... are you?"
Jake was already done with this shit. Without hesitation, his gaze hardened, and with silver vortices flashing in his black eyes, he responded with sinister indifference,
"Your new Soulmancer King."
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