As the storm of destruction ended, the miasmic energy dissipated, leaving behind a ruined landscape that seemed to have undergone a torturous transformation. freewёbnoνel.com

The ground was cracked and scorched, with deep fissures glowing a faint crimson, like the dying embers of a once-raging fire.

Alex could be seen standing mostly unharmed, next to the giant Naga, who was sliced diagonally from shoulder down to his waist, his innards spilling out a pool of gore and blood.

‘This was a close one.’ Alex thought, relieved that he used the concept eraser in time to neutralize the effect of disintegration, saving himself from the fate of death.

“Give me the token shard with the image of the crimson wing that you hold,” Alex said, his immense aura on full display.

“The moment I sensed your presence, I knew you were a different beast,” Zarathrax said, blood spilling from clenched teeth with each syllable.

“When I laid eyes on you, I tried to ascertain any weakness, and I saw nothing, and I don’t know the last time I met an Elemental Ruler who gave me that feeling, let alone an Elementalist,” Zarathrax said as his figure slowly shifted back into his human form.

Zarathrax positioned his torso and lower body closer before taking out a potion and drinking it, his regeneration increasing greatly, sewing his body back together at a great speed.

“I suffer from neither doubt nor pride, so I can only speculate what would be the outcome of our battle, and my honed instincts told me that I will suffer a defeat,”

“I wanted to see how I would fare against you since It’s been decades since I last fought someone who gave me a feeling like you did,”

“You gave me the experience I needed to advance, so for that, you have my thanks,” Zarathrax said as he stood up and took out a small broken piece of dark marble with a burning crimson wing etched onto it.

Alex took the token shard and placed it in his space ring as he watched Zarathrax leap back into the passage leading down to his lair, not even asking for the elemental fruit he was offered.

After the Naga left, Alex pulled out a dark cloak to replace his previous one, which had been destroyed in the heat of battle. Just as he was ready to summon Ricin and leave, his army communication badge crackled to life.

“This is Legion Commander Thane. We have a code black. We are under siege, all army members are to return to the city of Xarentol immediately.”

“I repeat, we are under siege by the Skaven King Ratanak. Every soldier under my command is to return to the city,” A voice filled with authority and anger roared, ending as abruptly as it had begun.

‘If Ratanak is personally attacking, then the city is doomed,’ Alex thought, reaching a dreadful conclusion that sent chills down his spine.

The faces of everyone Alex knew in the city flashed through his mind, along with nightmarish images of the Skaven army and the destruction they left behind with each major attack.

It took Alex a moment to accept that all the people he knew would probably perish if there were no real reinforcements because it was very likely that the escape would have already been cut off.

But even if it was not, the soldiers would need to stay and keep the attacking forces at bay for the citizens to leave, and by the time they were given the order to retreat, who knew how many would be dead by that time.

It was a hard pill to swallow, but Alex knew it was the reality of the current situation in the Ancestral Realm.

Wars were raging in every region, and countless innocents were losing their lives, and it was only a matter of time before someone he knew lost theirs.

Alex pushed the dark thoughts aside and quickly took out a teleportation scroll. As the gray scroll crumbled to dust, a magic circle appeared beneath his feet, and in a flash of light, he was teleported to the city.

Alex opened his eyes in the teleportation building, surrounded by a sea of magic circles and numerous individuals whose eyes were filled with fear and determination.

Multiple soldiers of both high and low ranks were arriving one after another and making their way to the exit with urgency.

Stepping out of the teleportation building, Alex was immediately engulfed by a panicked crowd rushing towards the entrance of the mass teleporter, their faces pale with terror.

The chaos in the air was suffocating, so Alex did not need to confirm to know that the entire space was sealed and the teleportation systems were down.

So, no one was leaving the city, at least not until someone from the higher echelons of the Empire came to their rescue.

Pushing his way through the crowd, Alex quickly made his way to the top of the tallest building nearby. As he reached the summit, a horrific scene unfolded before his eyes.

The land surrounding the city was marred by massive fissures as if an apocalyptic earthquake had ravaged the area. The ground was torn apart, creating an eerie and chaotic landscape.

The ground and the sky were both a sea of glowing eyes, pungent green, fiery red, muddy brown, and oceanic blue, belonging to the members of the four Skaven clans.

The Skaven army was vast, stretching out in all directions, with creatures as small as a few feet tall, resembling scrawny goblins, mingled with towering Skaven behemoths.

War machines of various sizes and shapes were scattered among them, from gigantic driller machines and tanks to atomizer cannons and arciotech void shields and mass teleporters.

Flying creatures and war machines filled the sky, painting a grim scene of foreboding. The palpable tension and dread hung thick in the air, and the inactivity of the gathered armies only heightened the sense of impending doom.

Amidst his assembled armies stood Ratanak, the Skaven King. His virulent green eyes glowed ominously as he stared down at the city in silence, seemingly relishing the terror his mere presence had instilled in the city’s inhabitants.

The city, engulfed in complete chaos, was suddenly silenced by an animalistic roar that sent chills down Alex’s spine, making him feel the threat of death as if the Reaper’s scythe was poised to claim his life.

“RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

It was Legion Commander Thane’s war cry and his blood-curdling aura that caused every soul to momentarily freeze and feel the grip of death. Satisfied with the impact, he began to speak.

“Citizens of Xarentol. Soldiers of the Magi Empire, Today, we face a terror unlike any other. But we will not cower, We will fight and We will defend our city and our honor, for our people and the Empire.”

“Help is on its way, and until it arrives, we will not let this city fall,” Thane said, his voice booming across the battlefield, carried by his immense aura.

Legion Commander Thane raised his spear, pointing it directly at the Skaven King, and as if waiting for this signal, the massive plasma cannons mounted atop the walls roared to life, their colorful beams of energy phasing through the aegis shield protecting the city and raining down hell on the enemy.

The roar of approval from the soldiers and citizens alike was deafening, yet it did little to diminish the looming dread.