Chapter 1102: Levium (19)


    ?


    The Chimaeric Demons began to change shape, morphing into Galewings.


    A first clone''s body grew longer, and its arms became big wings full of blue and white feathers. Its face changed shape, getting a sharp, metal-like beak and smart-looking but predatory eyes.


    The second clone did the same, getting as big as how usually these creatures were; its wings got as wide as 20 feet. The skin underneath its feathers became hard, and its legs turned into wed hands.


    All the other clones changed in the same way. They spread out, taking the sky. Erik transformed too, but kept the shape of a bug. He needed to get closer to Levium to try to sneak attack him or something like that, and if he got too big, he would simply be seen. He needed something that even Levium, with his Parallel Will brain crystal power, could not easily spot.


    The Galewings appeared in the sky, scaring those that could see them from a distance.


    Most of those who saw them were soldiers who didn''t think much about them. After all, they got strong enough now to easily kill such flying thaids.


    But it was different for the few citizens who remained in the city. For them, a flock of flying thaids was like death incarnate.


    "Look, it''s Romano!"


    Erik was the only known person who could control thaids, so that was the only logical exnation for a flock of thaids being within Sleb Harbor''s barrier.


    "These are most likely not thaids! It''s their troops! You saw them yourself. They can shapeshift into thaids!"


    Although it was weird to know that so many people could shapeshift. Of course, the real nature of the troops under Erik, the Chimaeric Demons, was unknown to everyone.


    "Does it matter?" A soldier said.


    "Stop spouting bullshit and focus on the enemy! These guys are powerful!"


    But despite the tension, the soldiers making up the ckguard ranks were not your run-of- the-mills soldiers. They were trained, had plenty of experience, and had deadly powers.


    The feelings they were having turned into determination as soon as they saw the ominous cloud of flying thaids getting closer to their position.


    In the meantime, Levium observed the approaching flock with a pensive look on his face. It was clear the creatures were heading toward him.


    <Is this what you came up with, Erik?>


    The man didn''t really know what to think. I was certain those were not normal Galewings. It was very likely these were Erik''s soldiers turned into thaids. The point was, would that change something for him?


    <No. Fighting against them flying does not differ from doing it on the ground.>


    The problem was that Erik''s soldiers were as lethal as him on the ground.


    <But we are not there... I can still take advantage of the situation.>


    Benjamin had to do one important thing, though, and that was to collect information about Erik and send it to the base.


    Understanding what their enemies could do was the most important thing he could do in case something went bad and he failed his mission.


    There had always been a certain doubt in Levium''s mind about Erik''s soldiers. That they were not normal. They all had the same height, the same frame, and even the same voice, but most importantly, they had the same powers.


    Levium thought that Erik''s soldiers were, in fact, the result of one of his brain crystal powers. "We lost too much time," Benjamin said, looking at the cloud of thaids.


    That Erik''s troops might arrive on the battlefield to help him was what worried Levium the most. He did the best he could to prevent that by trying to keep them upied, but he failed, at least partially.


    <There is a significant group of theming here, but they are still less than a thousand. Maybe I can manage this...>


    The ckguards weren''t sure Erik could shapeshift before this battle started. Of course, when Erik and his driver escaped, both of them vanished, or better, they got smaller. So, right now, that Erik could shapeshift was a certainty even for Levium, and of course, he immediately told this to the Justicars.


    However, in the past, they only had suspicions and tried to prevent him from using it by employing the Veritas Lenses.


    "But somehow he avoided even that. This kid''s skills surprise me every time."


    As Benjamin watched the flock approach, he thought about the biological supeputer. It had made Erik a beast.


    It made Erik smarter, faster, and able to manipte his surroundings in ways that even his organization couldn''tprehend and couldn''t do.


    The biological supeputer gave him something that even Levium couldn''t understand, and that wasn''t just brain crystal powers or strength.


    <It gave him purpose...>


    Thinking about this power made Benjamin feel aplex mix of emotions-fear, awe, everything was there, but there was also something else.


    He felt a strong, almost overwhelming desire for that power. Benjamin''s mind raced with visions of being as powerful as Erik, of having more than two brain crystal powers, of making getting new ones effortless.


    For a moment, he lost himself in fantasies of the feats he could aplish if he possessed even a fraction of Erik''s abilities. If he had the biological supeputer.


    "Lucky kid," he said, his eyes shining with want.


    Then another volley of fireballs came from the outside of the battle area.


    "Tsk. These bastards are using our same tactic."


    The ckguards and their allies reacted when they saw fireballsing their way again.


    "Shields up!"


    Several ckguards raised their hands and glowing energy fields appeared around them. They ended up making a dome, but one that was open on the from ere Erik wasing.


    "Come, Erik... I will defeat you."


    In the meantime, the rest of Levium''s personal troops started an attack on the flock, while those not belonging to those he was directly controlling redirected their bombardment to the


    flock.


    The ckguards were eager to bombard Erik''s troops with their own brain crystal powers, but the proximity of theirrades in the fray made it a risky proposition.


    They couldn''t unleash their full arsenal without potentially harming their own forces. This forced them to be more selective with their attacks, limiting their ability to focus on Erik himself and some of the areas with less concentration of ckguards.


    As the fireballs hurtled towards the ckguards'' position, they collided with the newly conjured energy shields.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The impact caused them to shimmer and tremble, their surfaces rippling and undting under the barrage.


    Despite the assault, though, the shields held firm.


    "Keep the shields up!" Levium said, his face lit up by the constant hits on their defenses. "Fix


    any weak spots!"


    The shields weren''t omnipotent, though. Cracks spread across their surfaces like cracks on thin ice. More cracks appeared the more the attacks fell on them.


    The group of flying Chimaeric Demons got closer. They looked like a dangerous storm cloud moving towards the weakening shields.


    They didn''t stay idle. They started releasing starlight fireballs at the enemy, adding to those that were already raining on them thanks to their brethren.


    The only difference was that they were aiming for the open spot in the dome that Levium left


    purposefully open.


    <Uncle Benjamin is sure he can win this, uh? Otherwise, he would have never left an opening


    for us...>


    The ckguards shot lightning, fire, and ice at the iing creatures. Some of the Galewings were hit and struggled, but most dodged the attacks.


    Those who got injured healed themselves, but they tried to avoid using mana until they were


    close enough to use it for something more effective. Besides, healing powers consumed a lot


    of mana.


    Then the clones reached the ckguards.


    Loud screeches and caws echoed through the battlefield. Their ws and beaks attacked the


    soldiers, cutting through armor and flesh.


    "Kill them! I want all these guys dead!"


    The Chimaeric Demons didn''t just use physical attacks. Sure, they ripped, wed, and


    pierced, but they also shot bright Starlight Fireballs.


    What the clones achieved was multiplying their killing rate by fighting in close and midrange.


    It was almost impossible for them to miss an attack, but their enormous forms made them


    easy targets.


    Most of the Chimaeric Demons were forced to use the Metal Fur brain crystal power to harden their feathers and resist the barrage.


    But that just invited those with brain crystal powers with an affinity to lightning to attack


    them.


    That made things especially dangerous. The metal-like properties of their hardened feathers made them more susceptible to electrical attacks, turning their defense into a potential weakness against lightning-wielding enemies.


    But it wasn''t like there were many. However, the number of enemies was still overwhelming


    compared to them.


    It was to the point that even the Chimaeric Demons were having trouble fighting. This battle had at least 3 enemies to kill per Chimaeric Demon. In any other circumstance, they would have done this without problems, but they were not facing the average ckguard; even more, they were not fighting the average human.


    The ckguards and their allies were strong, and this meant that the Chimaeric Demons were


    dying on that battlefield.


    Erik was right in the middle of the fight. However, there were so many fighters and attacks


    flying, falling, and hitting that the enemy couldn''t see him.


    Even the Veritas Lenses couldn''t help them find him.


    This didn''t guarantee his safety, though. He constantly had to dodge and weave to avoid


    being struck by falling bodies or caught in the crossfire of attacks-many of which weren''t


    even meant for him.


    During his flight, he watched as his clones, his children, and hispanions died, and his heart sank. Grief gripped his heart like a vise.


    Erik''s emotional turmoil intensified as he saw more of his clones fall in battle. The battlefield


    became a blur of motion and carnage.


    The young man was remaining focused on his goal only because of his need to kill Levium.


    Otherwise, he would have wiped out the enemy soldiers.


    <LEVIUM!>


    Rage surged through him.


    <I''m going to kill you, Levium!>