The Birth of Fantasy

Chapter 69

I awoke and blinked my eyes a few times. I was surrounded by pure blackness, and I relieved a sigh. I had expected to see the blue-grey stones again. I willed a dull light orb and tossed it to the cleaning. It seemed I had fallen the rest of the way down the hole and was able to drag myself into my tunnel.

Where the shaft going up had been was now a pile of rubble. The explosion from the massive turtle had closed the shaft for me. What in the world was that thing? It was big enough to hold an entire sailing vessel on its backside.

I checked myself for injuries, finding none. They had probably fixed themselves as I lay unconscious if I had them. Getting to my feet, I began running towards the room with my tunnels. I decided to check one of the tunnels on the west side and made my way up the ladder.

The first thing I noticed was what looked to be the light of the dawn coming through the crack as I raised the shaft's top. I had been out for a while. Checking my Mana, it looked like I was only out for a minute at most. I hadn't regained much of my Mana back.

[ Mana: 2035/2500 ]

The second thing I noticed was the lack of tents and soldiers in every direction I looked. Then I felt the rumbling behind, and my blood ran cold as I looked towards the city. The first thing I noticed about the giant war turtle was that there were two now. Then looking past the two massive creatures, I could see the city on fire. The walls had crumbled, and If I had to guess, I was knocked out far longer than I had thought.

I threw the cap of the shaft to the side and looked around. The sun was setting to the west, not rising. The war had started. I sent out a feeling of concern to Luin and got nothing back. Dread filled me, and I jumped out of the tunnel and ran towards the burning city.

The massive snakeheads didn't seem to be looking behind them, their gazes on the city. I felt the air thrum a moment later as the snake turtle on the left shot two of its massive fireballs from the guns coming out of its shell. Moments later, two explosions rocked inside the city.

I came up behind the beast and pushed a Tier 3 blue Fireball into my mind before releasing it to fly and hit its back right leg. The spell exploded against its skin, and when the smoke vanished, its leg sat unharmed. The damn beast didn't even bother to turn and regard me. The spell I thought made me a formidable mage was nothing to something like this.

I looked towards the wall, seeing a large opening. I threw on Speed Aura to the max and ran into the city.

[ Mana: 1947/2500 ]

Looking around the ruined city, I spotted a group of the Akhusite soldiers leaving a house and dragging behind them a kicking and screaming Beastkin. I sped towards them, three Ice Lances forming above my head before hurtling through the air to piece three of them in the sides. All three went down instantly. Their bodies crumpled on the street.

One of the remaining soldiers yelled something and then turned around to stab the Beastkin with his sword. I pushed my Speed Aura further and felt the push back but kept running forward. My hammer slammed into his surprised face a second later with a flash.

I turned around and dove to the side just as the last two soldiers' swords arched through the spot I had vacated. I scrambled to my feet, letting my Speed Aura go, as I cursed myself for how much Mana I had just used.

[ Mana: 1751/2500 ]

I reached into my side bag and pulled out two Shards. The last two of the soldiers split, moving sideways to surround me. I crushed both Shards in my hands, tossing the Fireballs at the shocked men. They tried to dive out of the way, but the explosions caught both, killing the men.