Chapter 331: Crimson Rain
No one stood in front of me anymore, but I could sense more of them rushing toward my location in tight groups—dozens at a time, scattered across the realm.
While I waited, I kept part of my perception fixed on Steve and North. They had already gone deeper into the base, cutting their way toward the prison levels. I wasn’t too worried though because Lyrate was with them. That woman was a walking death in motion, and as long as she was near, even Steve and North could move freely.
My focus shifted to Knight, who was in the portal room. His movements were a blur, his presence like a living shadow.
Three Masters were trying to corner him but from the way he moved, it looked more like he had surrounded them . He flickered across the room using his shadow steps, striking fast and vanishing even faster. I watched as his bone claws sliced through one of the men’s shoulder before melting back into darkness.
Once I was satisfied that all three teams were doing fine, I let myself relax a little and focused back on the ground in front of me.
Silver circled above me, his crimson wings spread wide. His Essence radiated sharpness and fury. I could feel his emotions, he was just as excited as I was.
Within seconds, the first group arrived at the wreckage. Around thirty Masters stepped into the area. Their levels were high, between 150 and 190 but they were clearly not ready for what they were walking into.
First came the confusion on their faces. Then the anger. And finally, fear when they saw the shattered statue, the splattered blood, the mangled remains of the people I had just killed.
Above us, the green storm cloud cracked with thunder, echoing across the realm.
One of them was about to speak when Silver roared from the skies and unleashed a wide crimson beam. It tore through the air like a divine spear, glowing bright with deadly power.
The shout of warnings echoed among the Masters as they scrambled to raise shields and summon barriers.
Then the beam hit.
BOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion followed, sending a shockwave across the ground. Debris flew in all directions. Dust exploded upward, clouding vision. But they held on. The beam was powerful, but their combined defense had been enough to stop it.
Silver let out another shriek, furious now, and dove from the sky. Wind screamed around him as his wings carved through the air. He released a flurry of wind blades, sharp and fast, each one capable of slicing through metal.
More shouting erupted below. The Masters cast another round of defense spells, layers of ice, rock, and Essence forming to shield them.
Silver’s massive body crashed down like a divine hammer, his landing tearing open the earth beneath him. The shockwave knocked several Masters off their feet, and the wind blades that accompanied him sliced through the air like invisible scythes.
One of his wings lashed sideways, and two Masters were caught in the arc. They didn’t even have time to scream, his feathered edge cleaved through them cleanly, cutting their bodies in half. Blood sprayed, painting the dirt red.
The crimson mist around him thickened, swirling as if alive, rising and falling with his movements. A Master tried to blast him with a flame attack, but the fire dispersed harmlessly against his mist. Silver’s eyes locked on him....glowing, furious and he lunged.
His beak opened, and a thin beam of pure crimson Essence fired straight into the Master’s chest. The blast tore a hole through his body, then ignited from within, reducing him to ash.
The group scattered, panic taking hold, but Silver moved like a storm given form. His massive talons slammed down on another Master, crushing the man with a sickening crunch.
Then his wings flared, and with a powerful beat, wind exploded outward sending others flying like rag dolls, slamming into ground and debris with bone-shattering force.
A few tried to regroup, forming coordinated defensive spells, but Silver crouched low and launched dozens of his crimson feathers like daggers. They tore through the air, precise and brutal. Some pierced shields, others pinned limbs, a few punched straight through heads and hearts. Screams filled the air.
The remaining Masters tried to retreat, panic etched across their faces.
He let out a deafening screech that shook the debris-strewn ground, and then with a single powerful flap of his wings, he launched himself into the air. Wind exploded outward as he soared upward, twisting the crimson mist left behind by his slaughter into a spiraling vortex.
The air around the battlefield began to twist unnaturally. The crimson mist thickened, and then, like a living thing, it started to spiral. Faster and faster. A funnel formed in the middle of the field, the pull of wind and Essence growing violent.
A tornado.
Crimson. Charged with Silver’s fury.
The broken ground cracked beneath its suction. The bodies of fallen Masters, along with the still-living ones who had tried to flee, were yanked into the air, limbs flailing, screams torn away by the roar of wind. Their Essence barriers flickered, then shattered under the concentrated pressure.
Silver circled the funnel, his massive body a blur of wings and wrath, adding speed to the storm. His feathers shimmered like blades in the light as they rode the winds, spinning with the tornado, slashing everything caught within it.
The tornado shrieked as it spun faster, churning up blood, broken armor, and shredded flesh.
I watched as the Masters were lifted higher, their bodies twisting, colliding, splitting apart midair. Wind blades tore through them from all directions, there was no mercy, no place to hide, no pause to breathe.
And then, just as suddenly, Silver flapped once more and pulled away. The tornado peaked, then imploded, collapsing in on itself with a sharp crack.
BOOM!!!
A burst of wind pushed outward.
And what followed was silence.
Then, the rain began. Rain of blood.
Thick droplets fell from the sky, staining the dirt below, painting it with the red of human blood.
Silver hovered above the devastation, wings wide, eyes glowing with fury. He looked down at me through the mist and crimson rain.
I lifted my head and met his gaze. There was a flicker of childlike innocence in his eyes, an unspoken plea for approval, for praise. Despite the carnage he had caused, he still looked at me like he wanted a pat on the head.
His level had risen to 193. Even without checking, I could feel the power radiating from him.
It hummed beneath his feathers, coiling inside his growing frame. His wingspan had widened slightly, and his body looked just a bit bulkier, more solid, more dangerous thanks to the sudden surge in strength.
"You did great," I said, smiling.
Silver let out a sharp, pleased screech and flapped his wings hard, rising higher into the air. He circled above the battlefield, riding the wind with pride, a predator triumphant in his domain.
A few more individuals arrived, but they kept their distance, eyes fixed warily on Silver as he circled overhead like a predator. None dared approach too close.
I stood with my hands behind my back, my focus elsewhere, locked on the battle unfolding in the portal room. More enemies had joined the fight, surrounding Knight from all sides.