âGhhhâŠah,â Truly, it had been too long since heâd manned any sort of battlefield on the front lines. His body remembered, keenly aware of the vantage points his opponents held down. Their number grew in waves that only a stellaron might aid, viscous war cries that twisted a once-human voice until it was unrecognizable, like nails raking over metal.
Thunder answered at his call, cutting off a feral creature with one decisive downward swing of his weapon. The general let it rest on ice long enough to look back to his ally. They had been too badly misinformed. The fragmentum creatures were not swarming â they were invading. Unchecked. Spawned at a relentless pace for hours with no sign of slowing down.âBoothill, we will need to fall back!â Effortless authority carved a neat path to said companion, a final sweep of aeon-aided thunder creating dangerous rifts in the earth underneath his feet.
It granted a moment of reprieve, but as before, Jing Yuanâs grand strike only prompted their enemies to triple right in front of them. âUntil we know what nurtures them, I fear this is a battle we must concede.â He knew little of this particular Galaxy Ranger. Only the details relevant to his access or denial to walk freely on the Xianzhou LuofuâŠbut the man was sturdy. Not prone to the fatigue that came with average flesh and blood, upon observation-
The next enemy struck unlike all the others. The others â who moved like mindless militia of a bygone generation â were predictable. If not for the sheer inexhaustible number, the two of them would have been enough. This enemy, Jing Yuan could see the strike but not save himself the damage. Knowing it was useless to defend, he allowed the gauntlet to shatter into the armor of his shoulder, burying his weapon through a swiftly dissolving stomach. Weâve failed⊠It whispered, as if the initial pain hadnât already winded him. Youâve failed.
That same combatant materialized again. Just as swift, just as deadly. Echoes of despair hissed into his head at every new strike. Did Boothill hear them when the enemy attacked him? âThis foe comes back stronger.â Like many blunders, he realized it only when it was too late. His gaze widened, grip tightening on his weapon as the being with the iron gauntlets slammed the ground at their feet with incredible force.
Once solid ground shattered as if it were glass. They were falling into an abyss, illuminated by crystals of ice that sparked like small suns. Jing Yuan forced his eyes open, the darkness full of those whispers assaulting them on the battlefield. Begging, pleading, screaming, until the ice finally melted to leave them falling in the dark.
Soon after, his body met solid ground. ââŠquite unusual.â He coughed, once the initial shock of pain rattling through his bones subsided. Gingerly, he found his footing, dusting fresh, powdery snow from his hair and clothes. A quick glance confirmed that they stood somewhere new, landscape unrecognizable but blessedly free of enemies. In the snow between them, the eerie, glowing gauntlets. Ordering his priorities, he picked his way to the Ranger, offering a hand. âAre you well enough to make it back?â