Chapter 830 (1/2)

Ophelia’s face was tight as she exploded with the rumbling momentum of a landslide to smash away about thirty Witch Kings that had been rushing toward her. Most of them would survive the blow, but their legs or arms were broken like dry twigs by the force. They would limp around and hamper the mobility of the remainder.

Which gave Ophelia a split second to interpose herself between Aethon Thai and The Oracle. Grunting, Ophelia barely managed to block Aethon's sharp blow. Afterward, Aethon smashed her to the side with a deft blow and once more lined up an attack. But by that point, the Oracle was ready and smashed him backward with a blast of an image of the sea’s tide.

Which gave the Oracle time to hurry to help Versault.

Because the most powerful spear-user on the field… was Aegiant Wyrd.

“You fools. You have let your images dull over the years. Do you fear the calcified violence in the spirit of Tellus?” Aegiant was laughing wildly as he smashed Versault into the ground. The older man trembled and attempted to rise, but he was simply smashed down once more. Over them all, a vast and endless sun roiled with heat and power. Solar flares burned brightly and brightly in an endless parade. “Just absorb it! Make it a part of you! Usurp control of it! And seize the power for yourself.”

Groaning, Ophelia smashed away more Witch Kings as the Oracle and Versault managed to combine forces and score a shallow hit on Aegiant. For a moment, the heat and light in the chamber dimmed.

But in the process, Ophelia had to struggle to smash Aethon again, which opened her up to a blast of Psychic Venom that splattered across her back. There was a dull buzzing in her temples at this point- this was probably the third blast she had taken. But she had no choice.

Roaring, Ophelia collapsed a mountain on Aethon.

To her surprise, the man dispersed most of the force by spinning in a circle. The image of a metallic shrike screaming filled her vision. Then Aethon leapt upwards into the air and dived down toward Ophelia just as quick.

There were Witch Kings behind her rushing toward her back.

Aethon’s gleaming spear seemed to transform into a metal beak heading for her chest.

Yet…

Ophelia’s eyes drifted sideways toward the Spearman. He was the pillar that they all relied upon for support. Even now, he was grappling with the First Propagator. He was the strongest man Ophelia knew, but he seemed so small next to the giant amethyst scorpion.

Blinking back tears, Ophelia focused on the foes in front of her. The Spearman had taught her every spear move she knew. She was her Master. And her first and only love.

“Fuck you all,” Ophelia whispered. A rampart of stone formed in the air around her as she took a defensive stance. She felt her willpower ebbing after conjuring so many vivid images, but she couldn't afford to falter here. So she threw everything into this defense. Aethon seemed to notice but didn’t slow at all.

The two clashed with a wave of force that thankfully knocked the Witch Kings approaching her from behind backward. The stone mountain of her defense shuddered but held. The metallic shrike dazedly shrieked again and moved away to open up space.

Ophelia met eyes with the Oracle; they both nodded.

Both women rushed toward the stumbling Aethon. Aegiant noticed but was largely held at bay by Versault. “You believe wind can stop the sun? Foolish.”

There was a dull rumbling as the howling wind smashed against the unending light of dawn. The ground quaked, but Ophelia ignored it. What they needed was to eliminate this one threat, and then they could focus-

“AHHHHHH!”

The shout stopped her dead; it was the Spearman.

Twisting around, Ophelia saw that the scorpion tail had pierced the Spearman’s shoulder. He had immediately gripped the tail and snapped it off, but that look of pain on his face-

“Ophelia, it was on purpose,” the Oracle shouted. “You need to focus-”

Ophelia ignored her. Her heart was pounding, harder than it had ever had in the past. Her fingers were tingling with the fresh flow of blood. Adrenaline turned her bloodstream into a racetrack. No, nonononononononononononono

Ophelia was there by his side faster than even she could believe. Images seemed so easy at the moment. Everything came to her in grainy flashes of color. The First Propagator didn’t see her or didn’t respond to her presence. It kept its eyes fixed on the Spearman. The Spearman saw her though, and his eyes widened.