Chapter 364: Getting A Little Physical
I flew high above the city, wings open wide. The wind howled in my ears, and the sky was full of fire and Essence blasts. Below, the Holt district burned. People ran through the streets. Fights broke out everywhere. But I didn’t stop. I kept going until I reached a tall skyscraper that was half-destroyed.
The top was broken and bent, but still standing. I landed on it, the metal groaning under my feet. From here, I could see the whole Holt area, block after block filled with Holt buildings, soldiers, towers, bunkers, and homes.
And over all of it, the barrier.
A giant dome of Essence covered the entire zone, breathing like a second sky. It was thick with energy. Right then, without warning, a bright bolt of lightning shot down from the barrier and slammed into me.
Boom!
It hit me straight on. But it couldn’t move me. The energy rolled over me and broke apart. My skin sizzled for a second, but that was it.
"Of course," I muttered. "It attacks anything not from their bloodline."
I closed my eyes and connected to the Essence in the air. I searched through the barrier, tracing how it worked. It didn’t take long.
Six nodes.
Six small points across the Holt zone were sending power and control into the barrier. They acted like eyes and hands, watching and striking anything that didn’t belong.
I lifted one hand.
Six spears of fire appeared behind me. Long, sharp, and glowing red.
I aimed at each node, feeling them through the Psynapse.
"Go."
The spears vanished, flying faster than sound.
One second later, six massive explosions shook the district. I saw flames rise from rooftops, a bridge fall apart, and a tower collapse. The barrier above flickered once... then again... and then it stopped moving completely. No more attacks came.
"Good."
I spread my wings and took off again, shooting toward the sky.
Three warships floated above the Holt area. Huge, black, and covered in weapons. They fired down at Empire forces without stopping—bolt after bolt raining down like a storm.
Soldiers below were trapped, trying to dodge or hide. Buildings exploded. Walls broke.
I flew straight toward them.
The first ship turned slightly, its cannon lighting up with energy, aiming at me now.
I twisted mid-air, dodging the first shot easily. The blast missed and hit a building far below.
I shot forward and slammed into the first warship. My fist burned with Essence as I punched straight through the front hull. Metal ripped apart. Sparks flew. The front of the ship cracked open.
I pulled back, gathered fire in both hands, and launched two massive blasts into its center. The ship shook. Fire burst out from inside. It started to fall, flames trailing from its engines.
The second ship reacted, trying to turn. I didn’t give it a chance.
I flew above it and landed on the deck. Soldiers rushed out to stop me, yelling. I moved fast, punching and blasting anyone who came near. Then I jumped into the air again and fired one giant spear of lightning straight down through the ship’s core.
It exploded a second later.
Finally, I turned my head to the last airship. A man flew out from it and hovered in the air, his eyes locked on me, burning with rage.
"Who are you?" he shouted, voice sharp.
I scanned him.
[Dean Holt – Level 222]
"A Grandmaster," I muttered.
Essence surged through my veins. My wings flared, and I shot forward like a missile. The sky cracked behind me.
I appeared in front of him in an instant.
My fist slammed into his stomach.
BOOM!!
His body folded in half from the hit, and he flew back like a cannonball, crashing straight through the ship’s hull.
Before the dust even settled, I was already above him.
He tried to stand, coughing, blood running down his chin. He lifted one hand, lightning crackling between his fingers.
I didn’t let him finish.
I vanished and appeared beside him, my knee slammed into his ribs.
CRACK!
He flew sideways, smashing through a metal wall.
I followed, streaking past with a loud sonic boom, the air splitting around me. The shockwave blasted holes in the ship.
He tried again, gathering ice in his palms this time.
I kicked his chin before the skill could even finish forming. His head snapped back, and he shot into the sky.
I chased him instantly.
"Faster." I growled.
Essence surged in my legs, I reached him before he could recover. My fist came down like a hammer, slamming into his back.
BOOM!
He crashed into the deck of the airship again, making a crater.
I landed right next to him.
He groaned and rolled, summoning a shield of Essence.
I just stepped forward and punched through it. The shield shattered like glass, and I grabbed his collar and pulled him up.
Then I slammed my forehead into his.
THUD!
He blinked, dazed.
I threw him into the air.
He floated, barely conscious, trying to steady himself. His body was covered in bruises, his clothes torn, blood dripping.
He tried one last move. Essence churned, forming a chaotic sphere around him.
"Useless," I whispered.
I moved and appeared behind him. My elbow hit the back of his neck.
He choked, the energy vanishing instantly.
I grabbed his leg mid-fall and spun once, then launched him downward.
He hit the ship like a meteor.
BOOM!
The entire deck bent inward. The warship began to tilt and shake. Alarms went off.
I landed slowly, standing beside the broken man. He groaned, trying to rise again.
I walked toward him, calm.
One punch to the ribs.
CRACK.
He screamed.
Another to the shoulder.
POP.
The joint snapped.
A final punch to the gut—pure force, no element. Just raw strength, amplified by Essence and air compression.
BOOOOM!
He coughed blood and passed out, his body limp.
I stood over him as the warship began to fall. Flames spread from the inside. The engines cracked and whined.
I looked down at him.
"Nothing personal against you," I said.
Then I turned and jumped off the ship, wings spreading wide.
As I soared back into the sky, the warship behind me exploded. A ball of flame swallowed the metal giant and lit up the sky.
Three warships down.
One Grandmaster dead.