Rising god
Chapter 85: Darkan vs Silver III

Chapter 85: Darkan vs Silver III

The Forest of Beasts stretched endlessly before them, a large expanse where shadows danced and danger lurked in every gnarled root and twisted branch.

This was no ordinary woodland; it was a realm teeming with countless tribes of monsters, beasts, and monstrosities, each more ferocious than the last.

The air itself seemed alive, thick with a shimmering, ethereal haze, a steam blanket born from the collision of spiritual energy seeping from the forest’s ancient roots.

This energy, raw and untamed, was one of the world’s untouched forces, a power so potent and perilous that it defied containment. It flowed through everything, trees, rocks, flesh, and bone, corrupting and empowering in equal measure. No shield could block it, no armor could deflect it, and for most, exposure meant madness or death.

This spiritual energy was the sole reason the Forest of Beasts remained a forsaken land, shunned by adventurers, armies, and even the bravest of souls.

The monsters here thrived on it, their bodies warped and strengthened by its chaotic essence, transforming them into nightmarish abominations. Claws gleamed like obsidian, eyes glowed with malevolent light, and roars echoed with a primal fury that chilled the blood.

Any human army daring to venture here would crumble not before their resolve were shattered by the relentless assault of both beast and energy.

As the Darkan head and his army approached the forest’s edge, they then understood what Baines’s was telling them. The Darkans, newly reverted to their draconic forms, felt a strange kinship with the wild energy. Their scales, crimson and black, shimmered with a faint resilience, a natural armor against the spiritual tide.

But the humans among them, soldiers, mages, and scouts, fared far worse. Their faces paled, sweat beaded on their brows, and some clutched their chests, gasping as the invasive energy seeped into their lungs, their veins, their very souls. And that was even when they travelled slightly above the steam blanket.

[How are you fine?]

Tasha’s voice, a deep, resonant growl, cut through the tension as she glanced over her shoulder. The massive dragon, her scales a deep ruby red, carried Aires on her back, her wings beating rhythmically to keep pace with the army. Her amber eyes, glowing like twin lanterns, studied the human with a mix of concern and curiosity.

Aires, perched securely between her shoulder blades, tilted his head, his dark hair whipping in the wind. "Hmm... I’m not sure either," he admitted, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.

His brow furrowed as he delved into thought. ’Could it be the sun pill? Or perhaps that other gift I’ve yet to fully understand?’

He shook off the mystery and shifted the conversation. "I never asked, but how does it feel to be a dragon again after so long?"

Tasha’s massive head tilted, her eyes gleaming with a mix of pride and nostalgia.

[How do I put it? We always knew we were dragons, deep in our souls, but for years, we were trapped in lesser forms, no proof of our heritage. But now...]

Her voice trailed off, a low rumble vibrating through her chest. She didn’t need to finish. Aires felt the truth in the way her muscles flexed beneath him, the power coursing through her colossal frame, the fire in her breath ready to ignite the world.

[And you, too—why did you decide to stay?]

Tasha’s tone held a hint of suspicion, her thoughts drifting to Baines—or Jin, as she knew him, or was it something more?

Aires gazed at the horizon, his eyes calm, his voice serene, almost holy in its tranquility. "Honestly, I came for a challenge at first, but now, I’m looking for a new purpose." The words carried a weight that silenced Tasha for a moment, her wings cutting through the air with a steady whoosh.

His presence, so composed amid the storm, felt like a beacon in the darkness.

"And since we’re asking questions, could you answer me this?" Aires continued, his tone gentle but probing.

[Sure,]

Tasha rumbled, her curiosity piqued.

"Why did Jin want to kill so badly, even at the cost of innocent lives?" He remembered the face Baines gave he gave the other route.

Tasha’s voice softened, a rare vulnerability creeping in.

[To be honest with you, I don’t even know him well. He keeps his stay with us strictly business, so...] Her words trailed off, heavy with unspoken questions.

Aires nodded, his gaze drifting to the distance. ’She doesn’t know, huh?’ he thought as he kept gazing into the distance.

The landscape shifted beneath them, the lush, tangled greenery of the Forest of Beasts giving way to a wasteland of jagged earth and unkept desolation.

Rocks jutted like broken teeth, the ground cracked and barren, a stark contrast to the vibrant chaos behind them.

This was the edge, were the trench valley ended and the threshold to the Silver family’s territory. If they crossed it undetected, they could strike the Silver army from the shadows.

[Everyone, fly above cloud level!]

The Darkan head’s voice thundered across the ranks, a deep, guttural command that reverberated through the air. Wings flapped in unison, a cacophony of leathery beats as the dragons ascended, piercing the misty veil to vanish into the clouds.

...

Across the wasteland, the Silver family’s encampment sprawled like a city of war. Tents dotted the expanse, their canvas stained with dust, while towering flags of green, emblazoned with a flowing wind emblem, snapped in the breeze.

At the center stood the main tent, a massive structure bustling with activity, its air thick with blood energy that pulsed like a heartbeat, radiating power and menace out the tent.

Inside, a thousand warriors of varying ranks filled the space, their armor clinking, their whispers tense.

The patriarch, a man with flowing silver hair and eyes like storm clouds, sat at the head of a long table, his presence commanding silence.

’The reports say the man was rid of all his mana before it stabilized, and the Darkan were able to do that,’ He scanned the unstable energy swirling around, a mix of blood and wind power, as a subordinate delivered a report.

His fingers traced the jagged edges of a paper before him, a single sheet torn from a greater tome.

One might ask, is a war worth a mere piece of paper? And he would say yes.

He wasn’t blind. The jagged edges around the paper meant it was part of a book. He knew the source, and besides how difficult was it taking something from Darkan, right?

So he proposed an idea to the ruling family in the guise of taking something they could. The royal family suspected but agreed, knowing the truth would surface in time.

Yes, they would lose a few thousands, however his decision would change the fate of his family.

At that moment, a messenger burst in, his face pale, steps frantic.

"Patriarch, the frontlines request back-up!" His voice trembled, urgency etched in every word.

"Tell them to hold on. I’ll be out soon," the patriarch replied, waving a dismissive hand.

But the messenger lingered, disbelief clouding his eyes.

"I think we’re losing," he muttered, barely audible.

"What?" The patriarch surged to his feet, his chair crashing backward.

The combined pressure of the tent’s powerhouses, generals, mages, and elite warriors, erupted, a suffocating force that drove the messenger to his knees, gasping.

At that moment, a cacophony of screams and shouts shattered the air outside.

"SHAAAAAAAAAAAAA..."

"What is going on?" The patriarch stormed out, his retinue trailing, their cloaks billowing.

A guard raced up, breathless. "Patriarch, we’re under attack!" But he didn’t need the report.

Diving from the clouds were massive red dragons, their scales glinting like molten fire, wings spanning the sky. The Silver wyverns, lesser cousins to these titans, froze mid-patrol, their instincts screaming submission. The dragons’ presence was overwhelming, a primal force that dwarfed all else.

"What is this?" The patriarch’s eyes trembled, shock turning to fury.

How had they arrived unseen? There were no reports, no warnings, not even a ripple of energy to betray their approach.

His shock turned to anger.

"Who do you think you are?" he roared, his voice a tempest. A violent tornado of wind erupted from him, spiraling skyward, tearing through twenty dragons in a single surge.

He swept his hand forward, and a blade of wind cleaved the air, felling dragons and soldiers alike, fifty in two brutal strikes.

"What are you waiting for? ATTACK!" he bellowed, galvanizing his army. The Silvers surged, powerhouses and fresh recruits alike, their wind magic clashing with the dragons’ fiery spells.

The hidden 8th star powerhouses unleashed their auras, strikes elongating into the sky, plucking dragons like ripe fruit. Each strike dragged tens and hundreds.

Even though it was an ambush, the Silvers stood strong, and displayed the meaning of their name.

And just like them, the Darkan pillars matched them, their draconic forms defying the army formations.

After becoming dragons, the rankings of humans no longer defined them. Their sizes now determined their strenghtband these three pillars were adult dragons, though not yet ancient, were titans in their own right.

Fireballs and magic bursts consumed Silver soldiers, the air thick with smoke and screams.

Tasha, spanning seventy meters, soared as a mature dragon, her bloodline tied to their ancient ancestor, a well of untapped talent.

She unleashed torrents of flame, while Aires, atop her, wielded his own power. The sun pill’s energy coursed through him, golden and searing.

"Heaven arc!" he cried, swinging his blade. A compressed golden aura sliced forward, melting magic circles and incinerating soldiers in its path.

’Where have I seen that technique?’ Tasha wondered, her eyes tracking the golden trail.

Aires shifted, his stance firm. "Heaven’s pledge!" he shouted, thrusting downward. A golden aura crashed like gravity, driving enemies into the earth, a thirty-meter crater forming in the blast.

’Oh yeah, that’s it. The move he used after his breakthrough,’ Tasha realized, awe rippling through her.

The battle raged, a storm of fire, wind, and blood, until the Darkan pillars and commanders faced the Silver patriarch and his elite.

"What have you done?" the patriarch growled, his silver hair whipping in the chaos. The power the Darkan were displaying was too unreal and unknown. Since when were they this strong?

[What do you think?] the Darkan head rumbled, his voice a landslide.

Domain: Land of Fire.

The three pillars unleashed their domain, a cataclysmic shift.

BOOM!

The air ignited, flames roaring across the battlefield.

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