R-a - Volume 3 - Chapter 52

R-a - Chapter 210 (Live in editing-v5) 

Silverback wielded his two large Golden Sun Warhammers with ease as he fended off a veritable deluge of attacks, his Celestial Aura enhancing his movements so much that he left a glowing trail in Micheal’s eyes.

Those attacks the Leader of the Ape Division was fending off came from a swarm of warriors that had surrounded him.

More than two dozen elite warriors from the Farian Shadow Guard were doing their best to strike him down, each one covered in their own unique Blood Aura, showcasing five different types of Bloodline Magic. Micheal also spotted a few downed members of the Guard, bodies laid about haphazardly on the floor, either dead or unconscious.

Every Farian trained from birth to find the one type of Bloodline that resonated the most within them. Their bodies were unique, gifted with a Physique that let them naturally tap into the ‘Concept’ of various creatures in a similar approach to how Micheal drew upon the ‘Concept’ of ‘Sword Mastery’ when he used his Sword Energy.

Farians drew on specific Bloodlines, gaining mysterious powers, enhanced strength or speed, empowered durability, as well as a whole host of other possible perks.

More than half of the present members of the Shadow Guard utilized the Rhindor Bloodline, drawing upon a Blood Aura that not only greatly enhanced their defensive power but also boosted their speed, while mildly boosting their strength.

While it didn’t grant them great attack power, in terms of staying power, this was an ideal Bloodline to wield against this particular Celestial Silverback user.

Silverback relied upon his hammers to attack, imbuing them with Advanced Tier Hammer Energy as he struck down any that approached. Even those that attempted to dodge were given no mercy, the hammers flying out and magically returning to the warrior’s hands, one of the unique powers of a Golden Sun Warhammer.

The true difficulty in dodging his blows came not from his magical weapons, however, but from his extreme speed. The man held back nothing as he drew upon his Celestial Aura, using it to pummel the enemies that were trying to stall him.

Most of the other Bloodlines Micheal saw, like the Red-Winged Tiger Bloodline, the Blue-Shard Beetle Bloodline, and more were ones that mostly focused on raw attack power and speed. While they weren’t able to measure up to the Celestial Silverback user, they far surpassed most ordinary Second Rate Warriors, placing these Farians at the peak of that tier and ranking them as Elite Blood Masters, a level above normal Blood Masters.

The discrepancy in Bloodlines, Micheal surmised, in the quick glance he stole, probably had to do with some of the dozen and a half bodies he had spotted lying on the floor either in this room or on the path to it. Members of the Shadow Guard that couldn’t take a hit either died or somehow dodged, leading to an imbalanced number of Rhindor Bloodline users as the casualties stacked up.

Standing face to face with the powerful warrior from the Beasts of Providence was a Farian Micheal recognized, one that didn’t dodge the attacks of the Celestial Silverback warrior, instead opting to take them head-on.

The Shadow Captain Tanin, known in history as the Great Treeguard. He was a member of the Reemer Tribe, the same Tribe that controlled the village Micheal had briefly visited while gathering information. The warrior kept a low profile among the Tribes, acting as a retired veteran that did not seek power or authority in the day, all the while serving as one of the three mighty Shadow Captains in the night.

His particular Bloodline was a relatively common one, the Ancient Tremont Tree Bloodline, but one that Tanin was able to draw on to an absurd degree, making up for its somewhat lowly stature. The Shadow Captain used it in a multitude of ways, from gaining an extremely sturdy and powerful defense, to imbuing his blows with a colossal amount of strength, to launching energy-formed roots that shot out from thin air.

While the other Farians were Elite Blood Masters, Shadow Captain Tanin was considered a Grand Blood Master, the rough equivalent of a First Rate Warrior among the Farians.

Micheal’s brief scan finished.

The battle continued.

Instead of jumping in to join the fight, as soon as Micheal arrived, he opted to turn around and sprint back to the entrance of the hallway.

The battling warriors were so engrossed in their fight, none present had actually noticed Micheal’s furtive figure arrive and leave, including Silverback.

Micheal took full advantage of that as he pulled out a thin and cylindrical metal Artifact from his Spatial Ring and waved it out in front of him.

This was a Metal Plate Liner, a relatively inexpensive Artifact that only cost 8,000 Points, one that also came to be known as a glorified aluminum foil dispenser.

Sheets of wavy, metal foil flowed out from the Artifact, following Micheal’s mental commands. He used these thin sheets to completely block off the hallway, sealing the one exit to this area airtight.

In function, this did almost nothing. The foil was, by no measure, tough or durable. It could withstand the bits of dirt and stone that were flung into the hallway from the ongoing battle, but even a moderate poke by anyone present would easily tear through it.

This foil was primarily used to design delicate metal prints and diagrams that were needed if you had a few certain Abilities. Apart from that, its main other use lay in rapidly constructing or repairing complicated Artifacts that required small metal parts.

There didn’t seem to be any good reason to bring it out at all, not at first glance.

However, the instant Micheal finished sealing off the room, its overall weakness notwithstanding, he instantly spun around and…

Sat down calmly on the ground and casually slipped his hands back into his pockets. Space around him then distorted as he quietly called a Time Bubble into existence, upping his speed as much as he could without requiring too much focus.

Once again, he didn’t make any noticeable or overt movements. This time, however, a faint small blip of light rose up from the depths of one of those pockets.

Specifically, the pocket on his right, the same pocket he had stuffed the clear rock into.

This blip of light vanished almost as soon as it had appeared and then… for the third time, nothing seemed to happen.

A look of intense concentration appeared over Micheal’s face as he remained sitting, keeping his hand in both pockets. A few beads of sweat formed and dripped down his forehead, falling to the floor beneath him.

In front of Micheal, the battle continued unabated.

The Celestial Silverback user was at the level of a First Rate Warrior, on par with Shadow Captain Tanin.

Typically, when one First Rate Warrior squared off against another First Rate Warrior that also happened to be backed by an elite troop of powerful Second Rate Warriors, the conclusion of the battle would be predetermined.

Even if the lone First Rate Warrior was stronger than the First Rate Warrior that had a team, he would still be forced to retreat, especially if facing teamwork on par with that of the Shadow Guard.

However…

This was not always the case.

When a specific First Rate Warrior was overwhelmingly strong, approaching the barrier between a Supreme Warrior and a First Rate Warrior, often they would be able to face down multiple First Rate Warriors.

Micheal was easily able to determine that the Celestial Silverback user was not this powerful. After all, if he had been this strong, the battle would’ve already reached its conclusion.

Unfortunately, this was not the only exception to the rule.

If a warrior had a slew of powerful enough Artifacts, he might be able to overwhelm his enemies, even if he was equal or even weaker than them.

And…

If a warrior had a set of Abilities that strongly countered the power of his enemies…

The same exception applied.

A Celestial Silverback user was, in the end, still a Celestial Silverback user. The two speed-boosted Great Ape users that Micheal had faced had been relatively easy to handle, but the main boss himself was an entirely different story. Not only was he able to manipulate his Celestial Aura with a high level of skill, he was also much better at fighting.

When attacks from the surrounding Shadow Guard zeroed in on his body, the Leader of the Ape Division exerted the minimal amount of effort required to either dodge or deflect each blow.

Instead of sprinting forward or leaping back, he modified his Celestial Aura to adjust the rate time was being sped up by. He kept his movements cool and controlled, never standing fully still.

An attack that would hit him when he was at 50% enhanced speed might miss by a hair at 34% enhanced speed. Conversely, an attack that was sure to shatter his arm if he remained at 34% speed might be easily dodged at 47% enhanced speed, or safely blocked at 42% enhanced speed.

By fluctuating the rate that he was modifying his movements by, not only could he lessen the amount of energy he was using, he was also able to show off his masterful talent at combat.

It was a truly incredible example of skill, an enemy Micheal would’ve loved to duel fairly. 

Blasts of energy, blades covered in bloody red light, spears thrown as fast as a bullet, a mountain of attacks fell towards the Celestial Silverback user…

And he handled each and every one, coming through with nary a scratch.

The elite members of the Shadow Guard never stood a chance. Only the Shadow Captain Tanin was able to hold the warrior back, calling floating roots into existence that obstructed his enemy’s movement while steadfastly tanking the blows the warrior rained down upon him. Tanin tried to return Silverback’s attacks with mighty strikes of his own, but lacked the speed to connect.

Micheal watched every movement the Celestial Silverback user made, witnessing firsthand some of the true potential hidden within Micheal's own Temporal Bubble Ability. It was as if he had been blind but now could see, drinking in Silverback's use of his powers, studying the way the man moved and fought, missing nothing and memorizing everything. 

He made a second observation in that same moment.

The Farians… were losing.

Micheal’s gaze pierced through the Blood Aura that surrounded Shadow Captain Tanin, just barely able to pick out the Farian’s bloodstained lips. Each Hammer Energy-infused blow that the Celestial Silverback user ushered forth contained a massive amount of force. While Tanin’s Ancient Tremont Tree Bloodline had decently strong defensive properties that the genius Farian utilized to the absolute highest degree possible, the Farian’s Aura could not help but begin to splinter under Silverback’s relentless assault.

Micheal understood, then, how this secret area had been so easily invaded in his first timeline.

It wasn’t that these Farians were too weak or that the warriors sent by the Beasts of Providence were too strong…

It was because this Celestial Silverback user was the absolute worst type of enemy for them to face.

A warrior that could dodge or deflect all of their attacks with relative ease, all while lashing out with horrifying blows of his own.

Either of the other two Shadow Captains would’ve been able to face up against Silverback squarely, had they been here instead of Tanin. 

Shadow Captain Yvinna, the Silent Leech, controlled the somewhat-common Black-Fated Leech Bloodline, capable of unleashing anything from a magical onslaught of undodgeable curses to a high-density barrier that absorbed energy, all with expert skill.

Against her, Silverback’s hammers would lose much of their attack power even as his speed was sapped away, foiling this assault.

Shadow Captain Sprel, the Loyal Lion, and the only active Shadow Captain whose status as such was basically an open secret, controlled the rare White Maned Grand Lion Bloodline, granting him balanced offensive and defensive prowess, as well as an extremely strong level of regeneration.

While Sprel might not be able to handle Silverback as easily as Yvinna, he would still be capable of handily outlasting him. Silverback’s blows would wound Sprel’s defenses, but Sprel’s own attacks would force Silverback to pause often enough that Sprel would still be kicking by the time Silverback ran out of Ki.

The Beasts of Providence had planned this assassination attempt meticulously. They knew exactly who they would be facing, how to counter the defenders of their target, and when they had to attack.

It was a terrifying assault that never should have stood a chance at failing, even if Silverback was forced to attack the secret base entirely on his own.

And that’s where Micheal came into play.

As the battle situation continued to deteriorate, as Silverback relentlessly pounded his hammers forth in an unrestrained barrage against the Farians…

Something began to change.

Everyone in the room, from the Farains to Silverback himself…

Over the next second, all of them abruptly seemed to lose their footing.

It started with the elite members of the Shadow Guard, the non-Rhindor Bloodline users in particular.

Warriors that had been fighting agilely just moments prior tripped over their own feet, slipping on dry ground out of the blue, almost as if they were somehow battling under the pouring rain up on the surface. Some of them instantly got back to their feet, but were then forced to stop, leaning back and forth as they tried to gather their bearings.

Silverback, intent on taking advantage of these mistakes, immediately hefted his hammers as he prepared to strike.

However, the simple action of him hefting those hammers cause the Division Leader to stumble himself, his eyes opening wide behind his mask. His cheeks began to flush, his legs trembling as he forced himself to stand still.

A tiny moment later, the rest of the Farians, Captain Tanin included, slowed down and began to move about somewhat unsteadily. No one present, save for Micheal, was exempt.

Most of the warriors quickly continued their attacks on Silverback, ignoring any distractions with commendable discipline, in Micheal’s opinion. None of them managed to land anything of import, however, their sloppy blows deflected by equally sloppy, but significantly faster, return strikes from the Division Leader.

It was an absurd scene. Highly skilled elites, experts that were some of the best of the best among their own kind, transformed into klutzy warriors that could barely move.

It was almost as if everyone in this area, with the sole exception of Micheal, had become roaringly drunk.

And…

As it turned out…

That was exactly what had happened.

.