Chapter 458 (1/2)

The Devastator lay exhausted before Tziech, its body broken, the light slowly leaving its eyes. Grimacing, Tziech sat upwards, holding onto his left shoulder as best he could. Even now, some of the Reavers and Aether Thralls were considering the merits of attacking him, weakened as he was by the fighting.

But that cut both ways, and a column of Spriggit mechs was cruising in the space left by the conflict between the heads of the two armies. But it was a boat in the tide, and it seemed that no matter how many of the enemies they killed, more crawled out of the ground, howling and fully formed. This was a Cataclysm for their world, Tziech suddenly realized.

And that was because… they were weak. The scope of this conflict was far beyond the ken of anyone he knew. They were pawns in a great game, borne out through different times and different locations, of the Progenitor versus this great other. As he tried his best to stabilize his injuries with the medicines given to him, Tziech wondered about the other.

Its minions were mindless and violent, content to sacrifice their bodies just to wound the opposition. It was a powerful dedication to a cause that scared Tziech. If this world hadn’t been pushed to the brink of destruction, brought to the edge of death… there would be no way to motivate an all-out struggle against the invaders.

If it had been more of a colonization, rather than an annihilation…

Around the time that Tziech felt he was well enough to move without worries of moving without worsening his injuries, a few Reavers worked up the nerve to approach him. But as they came, a figure appeared at his side, holding a long, beaten up spear.

“Thief,” Tziech said calmly, his face studiously still.

She nodded at him, a smirk on her face. “King.”

Then she went to work. The Monster King had only seen the Thief fight once, and that was a time where he was on the receiving end of her strength. She was an incredibly agile fighter, so much so that it seemed almost impossible all the ways she was able to contort her body and strike. She was a nightmare to duel with, just for the fact that she constantly forced you to make decisions regarding which part of your body you were willing to sacrifice in order to stop her.

Of course, these fodder had no ability to slow her down, and within 20 seconds, they were all dead. Tziech had to say, he much preferred being on her side to fighting against her.

“How’s your condition?” She asked, immediately after the enemies were clear.

There was a part of Tziech that wanted to lie, to tell her he was slightly wounded, or even that he was fine, and that everything… would be fine. And it wasn’t that he hadn’t intended to tell her exactly that, but when he opened his mouth, those words weren’t there.

They had been absorbed by the creeping cold inside of him, Tziech abruptly realized, and then laughed aloud, which caused the Thief to pale abruptly. He waved his hand, realizing the misunderstanding, and aiming to correct it. “I’m fine for now, but… I will not live long after the battle.”

Pursing her lips, the Thief said, “Maybe that would be true if you would be treated in a monster hut, but Spriggit technology is so advanced that they can regrow limbs. You’ll be fine.”

Perhaps, again, Tziech could have said nothing, just nodded, and followed her, but this time, it all had become too much. He wanted to share his decision, just once, before the end, with someone else. “...no, it was not my injuries from the battle against the Devastator that worry me so. It is… this right hand of the Progenitor’s.”

“What do you mean?” She said.

“The destruction it has caused is so great… and that comes at a cost. My own body is breaking apart. Right now… even my superior physique will collapse under its strain, given time.”

“What? He gave you that without warning you?” The Thief’s eyes turned dangerous, with a hard glint to them as she clutched her spear. Something was changing in her heart, as she doubted the plan, and the parts they both had to play.