Abyssal Awakening - Chapter 685

Chapter 685: Crusade To The South
I’ve seen war. I’ve seen death.

But. . .

The world isn’t supposed to ‘move’ like this.

The sky split open like a lacerated wound. Red, violet. . . a darkness that stretched on forever. Different hues bleeding into one another, all foreign to what should be a clear blue sky.

Screams that echoed across the battlefield.

It wasn’t just the cries of the soldiers. It felt like the land itself was crying. The howling of the wind, the tearing and rumbling of earth.

I couldn’t tell what’s dirt and what’s blood anymore. The only thing keeping me going was the adrenaline that pumped through my veins.

Luo was next to me.

At least he was a moment ago.

I had tripped over the weapon of one of our comrades and he helped me up to my feet. Before I could even utter words of gratitude, I watched a fleeting black shadow tear off his head.

His body wasn’t even dragged away by the beast. It just slumped over, lifeless. The separation of the head and body was fast, clean, brutal.

I caught a glimpse of that beast. Just a glimpse but it was enough to imprint itself into my mind.

Even calling it a beast may be a stretch. It simply reached out from the ground, as though it was always part of it, waiting. When Luo was close enough, it whipped itself against Luo’s head, removing it then consuming it.

I didn’t look away. I couldn’t.

Blood dripped into my eyes, sweat and dirt causing a burning sensation. But I didn’t want to blink. If I flinch, if I look away, only darkness will greet me.

Everlasting darkness that will never go away.

In other words.

Death.

I let the emotions of the speech carry me with false bravado. I felt like my death could be part of something greater maybe. Heck, I might even be a hero.

I’ve survived this long. Maybe. . .

Maybe. . .

This word.

This. . . maybe. I let it delude me with false hope. I knew that the battlefield had no place for heroes. I knew the brutality of it. I’ve seen what happened during the first ambush.

And yet I still let a distant dream carry my legs to this hell on earth.

I took a deep breath. My trembling fingers clattered against the handle of my blade.

These. . . malformed insults to life itself. They learn. They observe. They mimic what they see, the techniques that people have spent years honing.

They copy formations that our commanders have drilled into us. The rhythm of battle.

A constant war cry that echoed in the distance- no. this battlefield. The presence of a higher being, calling for bloodshed.

But that wasn’t all. The call for war, the rally for battle. Beneath all of that, there is this. . .

Sickening whisper.

This. . . voice deep in your ear, your mind. The whispers of the devil, corroding your thoughts, making you doubt, dread and want to flee.

Should I flee? Should I turn my back and run to safety? Hope that someone else will die in my place?

No!

I will hold this line! I will fight to my last breath! Not because I am brave, not because I have a unique power. No, I will fight because it is my duty!

A soldier’s law!

I repeat these words like a prayer. Or perhaps a curse.

Hold the line, stand, fight, die if you must but do not cower!

The smile of my younger brother, the taste of my mother’s soup. Even the sh*tty geezers running stalls telling lecherous jokes. I fight so this way of life can remain.

“I see you beast.” I utter these words while scanning the strange beast from top to bottom.

There was only one visible weapon, the whip like tendril that can kill with a single hit.

*Fuuu~

Letting out a deep breath, I rushed forward.

Now!

My instincts as a soldier, my instinct for survival. I felt the flicker of death greeting me from the side and relaxed my knees.

*KRK!!!!

Sliding across the dirt ground, I watched the whip like appendage narrowly miss me. This gap, this miracle. . .

Even if I die, I’ll slash! One more slash from me is one less from the next person!

This is how soldiers fight! This is how we die!

“ARGGGG!!!”

Swinging my blade towards the beast, I watched as a portion of its body transformed into a maw.

Ah. . .

So that’s how it is in the end.

I couldn’t even land a singl-

“Don’t make that face soldier. You did good.”

*BANG!!!

In front of me, a pillar of flames erupted from the ground while darkened limbs burst out from my shadow.

They stretched towards the malformed beast, twisting it and tearing it in half.

I’m saved.

###

Landing on the corpse of the beast, Alyss closed her eye for a moment before placing her palm against its body.

After a brief pause, the body disintegrated, turning into a mist that was absorbed into a crystal.

‘It really worked.’ Alyss was surprised.

By applying the method that Suyin showed them, Alyss was able to condense Eldritch Energy into crystals like this for future use.

That way, she didn’t need to store it inside her own body, causing the chains to harm her.

“Of course it works! Who do you think I am? I am the genius, the beauty, the peerless inventor, the forever 17 Bai Suyin. Feel free to praise me more. In fact, why don’t you give me a thunderous applause and bow so that I don’t hit you.” Suyin grinned over the communication crystal as Alyss glanced up and her pupils constricted in shock.

She watched as Suyin rode a mechanical serpent into battle with cannons mounted on each of its segments. Standing fearlessly on the head, Suyin struck a pose and all the cannons fired simultaneously!

*RUMBLE!!!

A wave of brilliant blaze rushed towards the battlefield as distant explosions ignited the night sky. Consecutive blasts of fire and thunder lashed against the enemy, a constant volley paired with the maniacal laugh of a certain inventor.

“Yahoo! That’s what I’m talking about! You like that huh?! Did you enjoy attacking my city huh?! Go f*ck yourself!” Suyin roared as a swarm of her inventions disembarked the main body of the serpent.

“Commander Bai, your communications are not muted. All the soldiers can hear your cursing.” One of her subordinates laughed.

“What? Can’t stand a little vulgar speak? Or do you think cursing doesn’t match my beauty?” Suyin smirked while unfolding her arms.

“Alyss, there’s a swarm of Eldritch beasts coming in from the east. I doubt the army can fight against that so I’ll leave it to you. Jin can deal with the beasts in the front. I’ll cover the sides and give you the support you need. If you need a refill for crystals let me know m’kay?” Suyin transferred some map details to Alyss’s crystal.

“Roger roger~” Alyss shrugged.

She had to admit, having Suyin take the helm was efficient. She was able to capture details about the map that would be troublesome to get otherwise and even record it down.

Hell, even now, she was giving orders to the different companies in the army, telling them where to go. She was playing a game and this entire battlefield was her board.

Jumping into the sky, Alyss saw the wave of malformed beasts and licked her lips.

*BANG!!!

Creating a veil of shadows behind her, Alyss narrowed her gaze and locked onto every beast that was in range. For a moment, the world began to lose its colour as she could see the exact spot of their weakness. A glowing red point waiting to be stabbed.

Destruction Point!

*KRK!!!

In an instant, tens of malformed beasts died with Eldritch Energy overwhelming their system. Converting them all to crystals for later use, Alyss glanced at the map.

Before she could read the details, however, Alice took over and stomped down.

Snapping her finger, Void Fluxes erupted overhead, blocking the ranged attacks that were flying her way.

‘You should keep an eye out for stuff ya know? You don’t have the regeneration I do.’ Alice sighed seeing Alyss’s carelessness.

‘It’s fine~ I knew you would cover for me anyway.’ Alyss dismissed with a light chuckle.

Looking down at the map, Alice could see Jin going crazy on the frontlines with his node rushing through the enemy. Anyone he passed would be eliminated as he used a mix of his own martial arts and Eldritch energy.

By transforming the energy into limbs that he could control freely behind him, the modified martial art gained a new level of adaptability!

It now covered his defences, allowing him to run as wild.

However. . .

‘These are just fodder.’ Alyss narrowed her eye as Alice nodded her head in agreement.

These were simply repurposed corpses or weak beasts that they corrupted. It was far from what the main army should be capable of. Especially since Alice didn’t see any Hybrids out here.

At that moment, a crimson aura covered the sky, dying it in tainted hues. An unholy mix of divinity and eldritch descended with a silhouette covered by the clouds.

“Break them! Burn them! Brand them with fear! Fight! Dedicate yourselves to War! If they kneel, strike harder! March my soldiers!” A thunderous voice echoed out as crimson markings manifested on the bodies of the enemy. All of them gained a boost in strength as they rushed forward with fearlessness.

“Kazira.” Alice narrowed her gaze.

If Kazira was commanding the army then she was watching this fight.

‘Cayla.’

[Yes?]

‘Can you do me a favour?’

[If you’re asking me to track where the energy is coming from and find Kazira, I’m already on it.]

Curling her lips up into a grin, Alice clenched her fist.

‘Perfect.’

This time, she won’t let anything get in her way of claiming Kazira’s soul.