A Journey That Changed The World

Archer appeared at the southern port of Draconia, where Olivia was stationed, and the fleet was ready to set sail. They were building a fortress on the coast of the Avalon Empire to help people get to the surrounding islands, where they would be quarantined.

He was on the roof just as Olivia and Aisha stepped out of the nearby door, only to beam when spotting him. The Dragonkin woman greeted him. ”Afternoon, handsome. What brings you here?”

”Is the rescue legion ready to move out, and who’s going with them?” he questioned.

Aisha smiled and nodded, her voice steady as she elaborated. “They’re ready, just awaiting your orders to move out. Inara, Ashoka, and Maeve will spearhead the advance. High Command’s priority is ensuring the fortress remains secure from the illness.”

”Very well,” Archer replied. ”I’ll scout the fleets from above and remain on Pluoria until the castle is established. Securing food and water for our troops will be straightforward, but the Alliance poses a real concern.”

The two women nodded in concern as Olivia commented. ”We’ll only land the builders and security forces, but I heard things are bad there. We may have to push the people back.”

His eyebrow rose in curiosity as she questioned. ”What do you mean?”

”Our spies have revealed that whoever dies from this plague comes back to attack the living,” Aisha revealed.

When Archer heard this, he muttered. ”Zombies?”

The Dragonkin shook her head. ”No, something different. They’re fast, smart, and dangerous.”

‘This changes things,’ he mused as he heard her words. ‘Maybe I should use my monsters to guard the Draconians?’

After that, Olivia hurried off to ready the fleet, her steps echoing with purpose. Aisha approached Archer, her delicate features etched with worry. Her beautiful blue eyes searched his face as she spoke, her voice soft but urgent.

”Arch, please, keep a close watch on the soldiers. These creatures… they’re unnatural, relentless. We can’t afford to lose an army to them while we’re trying to save the survivors,” see revealed.

Archer met her gaze, his confidence unshaken despite the weight of her words. A reassuring smile curved his lips. ”Don’t worry, Aisha. I’ll be fine. If things get dicey, if it gets any worse, I’ll summon my Shadow Creatures to hold the line. But you focus on keeping yourself and the baby safe. That’s what matters most.”

At his words, a luminous smile broke across Aisha’s face, her eyes sparkling with warmth and relief. In a sudden move, she stepped closer, her hands finding his chest as she leaned in and pressed a love-filled kiss to his lips.

The unexpected passion caught Archer off guard, his breath hitching for a moment. But he quickly recovered, his hands instinctively settling on her waist, pulling her gently closer as he deepened the kiss, matching her intensity with a tender, unspoken promise.

Their shared moment lingered, the warmth of Aisha’s kiss still tingling on his lips as they parted. She flashed him a playful smile and began hurrying off to meet with Draconia’s city governors.

Archer watched, captivated, as she summoned a pair of shimmering, iridescent wings that unfurled from her back. With a powerful beat, she launched into the sky, cutting through the air like a comet, leaving a faint trail of sparkling light in her wake.

”I keep forgetting I turned them all into something extraordinary,” he muttered under his breath, a mix of pride and amusement in his voice as he shook his head.

Turning his focus to the bustling harbor, he observed the fleets preparing for their voyage to Pluoria. Ships creaked and swayed in the wind as crews shouted commands and loaded supplies.

His sharp eyes scanned the organized chaos, ensuring every detail was in place. He stood patiently, arms crossed, waiting for the moment the armada would be ready to set sail, its mission to rescue the survivors weighing heavily on his mind.

Days later, Archer was flying above the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Fleets led by Olivia. He sensed Maeve, Ashoka, and Inara on board, putting a smile on his face. ‘Atleast I won’t be alone while on Pluoria.’

Following that, he continued flying before a massive swarm of Deepsea Whales just under the ships. This put a smile on his face when he noticed the Draconian sailors were watching the monsters.

Thanks to his presence, the monsters didn’t do anything as they were scared of him. The fleets made good distance as they closed in on the western continent unbothered, confusing everyone.

Archer stopped and hovered above the shore while scanning the empty village below. He lowered himself to the ground just as a portal opened. The older lioness stepped through, speaking. ”What’s going on here, Arch?”

”I don’t, Inara,” he replied.

Without saying anything else, he scanned the streets only to notice the staggering amounts of blood staining the cobblestones. When Inara smelled the stench of death, her body stiffened in alarm.

She was just about to speak until a smell hit his nose, prompting him to warn the lioness. ”Undead are coming, be careful, beautiful.”

At that moment, he unleashed a wave of Mana Blasts searing through the shadows. Each burst illuminated the fall of dozens of zombies who were hiding in the shadows. A chill ran through her as the acrid stench of death filled her senses.

Archer felt Inara’s heart pounding, prompting him to reassure the lioness. ”You’ll be fine, if it gets too much, I’ll summon the Oathkeepers to help.”

Before she could reply, the silence was shattered. From the depths of the village, sprinting zombies erupted, their twisted forms charging with speed. Their bloodcurdling screams tore through the night, a cacophony of rage and hunger that set Inara’s nerves ablaze.

The older woman moved, her blade gleaming under the moonlight as she carved through the onslaught. Each swing was precise, severing limbs and silencing screams. Next to her, he unleashed his magic.

Blazing bolts of light and sizzling energy erupted from his fingertips, annihilating the zombies in dazzling bursts of power, exploiting their vulnerability to his mana as they were made from dark mana.

Archer’s eyes tracked the energy bolt as it tore through the air, obliterating the nearest zombies in a blast of magic. Inara sprang into action, fending off the encroaching undead that swarmed them.

With a gesture, he cast Cosmic Shield, its barrier holding back the horde and protecting the fierce lioness at his side. ‘I wonder what happened here,’ he mused while destroying a group that rushed out of a nearby alley.

Seconds later, the undead crashed into the violet barrier and were crushed from behind as more appeared from the dark buildings. Archer gritted his teeth and summoned a dozen Broodmaw Warriors who used their scythes to cut apart the dead.

The tide of battle shifted dramatically as a dozen towering, mantis-like monstrosities descended upon the fray, their scythe-like limbs slashing through the ravenous zombie horde.

They tore through the undead with a ferocity that left the air thick with the stench of decay and the echoes of snapping bones. This brutal intervention granted Inara a moment of respite.

Her chest heaving as she leaned against a crumbling stone wall, her sword still dripping with the ichor of fallen foes. Turning to the lioness at his side, her sharp red eyes caught a peculiar detail amidst the chaos.

”I think these are locals,” he revealed while sensing their mana. ”Look at their clothes, they’re tattered, but those are villagers’ clothes. The kind you’d see on farmers or craftsmen, not beasts.”

With the Broodmaws having turned the tide, Archer seized the moment to summon the Oathkeepers, who swept into the ravaged village like a storm, their blades carving through the remaining undead.

The air crackled with the energy of their onslaught, the ground littered with the shattered remains of zombies as the Oathkeepers methodically cleansed every shadowed alley and crumbling hovel.

By the time the 6th Legion arrived, the village had fallen into an eerie silence. The Legionnaires and Drakeguards, disciplined and battle-hardened, spread out across the settlement to make sure no more undead could sneak in.,

Archer listened as their boots thudded against the earth as they began fortifying the area, erecting barricades and watchposts under the fading light of dusk. High above the village, Archer stood in a watchtower, its creaking timbers offering a commanding view.

Beside him stood Maeve, her fiery orange hair catching the last glints of the setting sun, a stark contrast to the grim scene below. She wielded her longbow like a seasoned huntress, her movements skilled as she notched another arrow.

Her sharp grey eyes tracked a lone zombie shambling along the nearby road, its decayed flesh barely clinging to its bones. With a steady breath, she drew back the bowstring, the faint creak of the wood mingling with the distant calls of patrolling soldiers.

A sharp ting rang out as Maeve released the arrow, the fletched projectile slicing through the air with a faint whistle. It streaked across the distance, a blur of motion, embedding itself with a sickening thud into the zombie’s skull.