Chapter 1586: The Terror from The Sea

After that, Lory informed Lucas and the others about Jade and his ability to purify land contaminated by Bael. She also revealed what Zhao Li Xin had uncovered regarding the First King, Mevissa, and Jade.

Just like Lory, Lucas felt deeply uncomfortable with the idea of placing such a heavy burden on Jade. Both Lory and Lucas valued family above all else; they could not imagine being forced to harm those they loved.

Had they not endured something similar before? The tragedy that once tore them apart had also been driven by love—the desperate wish to protect one another from pain, even at the cost of separation.

In the end, Lucas agreed to investigate Zalchana more deeply regarding her powers, while Lory planned to meet Girsha to find clearer answers about Zalchana, which the old bird definitely knew more than implied, for some reason he didn’t tell her straight away, but Lory believed Girsha must have a strong reason, and he was quite curious as to what it was.

Meanwhile, Jade returns to the mystique world, as his body cannot survive long in the real world. After expending enormous power to purify Bael’s poison, his physical condition had become weak due to exhaustion, but they didn’t know whether it was like that, or perhaps because his body had not yet reached maturity; regardless, Jade needed to take a rest now.

Zhao Li Xin estimated that Jade’s body would reach adulthood in a month. Perhaps after that, they could test Jade’s reactions in the real world again.

But despite all that, they finally found a way to overcome this toxic land problem without depending on The Saintess. Unfortunately, due to Jade’s limited power, they could not cover every contaminated region, making their efforts to contain the Saintess’s influence increasingly difficult.

With nothing else left to do, Lory decided to return to Harland with Zhao Li Xin. The purification had bought them time, but the situation remained uncertain, and they needed to report everything as soon as possible. Just like before, they planned to travel by sea.

However, the moment they arrived at Arsedia Beach, something felt wrong. Many cars are running fast in their direction at high speed, as if they were chased by something, they drive so wildly that one of the cars suddenly collides with the car that came from the other direction.

Lory was stunned "What’s going on?"

She hadn’t finished her words when they saw the crowd of people running toward them in a chaotic wave, and their faces all etched with terror, and their voices breaking into frantic screams.

Some stumbled and fell, others dragged children behind them, while a few abandoned their belongings entirely just to run faster.

Thankfully, Zhao Li Xin reacted in time and slammed the brakes before the car collided with the panicked crowd. The tires screeched harshly against the asphalt before the vehicle came to a sudden halt.

Lory and Zhao Li Xin exchanged glances, and the tension immediately rose between them. Just as Lory was about to get out of the car, Zhao Li Xin suddenly grabbed her wrist and said,

"Don’t forget your disguise." he remind her.

"Oh, right." Lory then realized her disguise was about to wear off, then she took a shot of Versipell and drank it quickly.

After that, Lory and Zhao Li Xin got out of the car, they had to push their doors open against the pressing crowd just to get out. People kept running past them, some crashing into Lory’s body in their blind panic.

Seeing this, Zhao Li Xin immediately jumped over the car and landed beside her, then quickly pushed Lory back against the vehicle and caged her within his arms to shield her from the rushing crowd.

Zhao Li Xin gritted his teeth. He wanted to release his power and push everyone away, but doing so would harm them, perhaps even kill them, and he could no longer act that way, especially here. Nevertheless, they could not stay in this place for long.

They looked at each other and exchanged a tacit understanding.

Zhao Li Xin wrapped an arm around Lory’s waist and pulled her closer. Then he channeled his power into his feet, bent his knees slightly, and leaped forward in one swift motion, carrying her away from the chaos.

It was then that a deafening roar echoed from the distance.

The sound was so loud that it seemed to tear through the air itself, rolling across the coastline like thunder.

The ground trembled faintly beneath their feet, and a split second later, a massive explosion erupted from somewhere beyond the shoreline.

"Li Xin, let’s go that way!" Lory said. ℴ𝗆

"En, hold tightly." Zhao Li Xin lunged like an arrow released from the bow, he bounced between the cars and street sign in practice ease, his step was light and swift as if he was flying. Then suddenly came a loud sound.

’BOOM!’

A towering building explode then a cloud of dust and debris rose into the air, spreading like a violent storm. Sand, shattered wood, and fragments of metal were hurled upward before raining back down, while thick gray smoke billowed into the sky, swallowing the horizon in chaos.

’BOOM!’

The next explosions came from cars that seemed to fall from the sky as if they were thrown with a powerful force.

The shockwave rushed toward them, carrying with it hot wind and swirling dust that stung the skin and blurred their vision. The sea itself seemed to churn violently, waves crashing against the shore as if reacting to the unseen terror approaching from the distance.

People screamed, grew louder, and, mixed with children, cried as they all shouted in panic. After a while, soldiers finally came; they shouted orders that were quickly drowned out by the roaring explosions and the relentless rumble of destruction advancing toward the beach.

"Li Xin, stop here," Lory said, tapping his arm lightly.

Zhao Li Xin immediately slowed and landed smoothly on top of a giant billboard standing near the beach. The metal frame creaked softly under their weight, but it held firm. From that height, they had a clear view of the coastline.

Lory narrowed her eyes, trying to see through the thick smoke, flying sand, and drifting debris that clouded the horizon.

"It’s a giant wooden fish-ish beast," Zhao Li Xin knitted his brows, "It’s Bael," he concluded.

His expression remained unperturbed, yet his hand stayed firmly on Lory’s waist, holding her securely as his sharp gaze locked onto the distant figure.

From behind the swirling dust and smoke, a massive silhouette slowly emerged from the ocean.

The creature was enormous, easily as tall as a three-story building. Its body was covered in rough scales that resembled layers of ancient tree bark, cracked and uneven, with long roots and tangled vines clinging to its surface like parasitic growths. Seawater dripped from its massive frame as it dragged itself onto the shore.

Its face looked like that of a grotesque fish, with a wide, gaping mouth filled with rows of jagged, needle-like teeth. Yet its body moved in a disturbingly unnatural way, supported by two short, thick legs while its long arms stretched down to the ground, dragging heavily across the sand like twisted branches.

Each step it took shook the earth, leaving deep craters in the wet shoreline as it crawled forward from the ocean, towering over everything in its path like a walking nightmare. ℯ𝔴ℯ

"That’s so...." Lory frowned, then said, "Ugly." Her lips curled down in disgust.

Zhao Li Xin nods in agreement, "Well, the appearance indeed looks unpleasant."

Soon after, from the far end of the coastline, military trucks and armored vehicles rushed onto the beach, their engines roaring as they formed a defensive line between the fleeing civilians and the advancing monster.

Soldiers quickly jumped out, their boots hitting the sand in hurried succession as they took positions behind portable barriers and overturned vehicles.

"Everyone, hold the line!" the commander shouted as he gave the order, "Deploy B-13!"

Several soldiers immediately stepped forward and raised compact launchers, quickly loading cylindrical vials filled with yellow liquid. With a sharp click, they fired.

The small cylinders shot through the air and shattered upon impact around the giant beast. The yellow liquid splashed across its bark-like scales and the surrounding sand, then quickly vaporized, releasing thick yellow smoke that spread and engulfed the monster in a dense haze.

"FIRE!"

Rifles were raised, and without hesitation, the soldiers opened fire. Gunshots rang out in rapid bursts as countless bullets streaked through the yellow smoke toward the giant monster.

Tracers lit up the smoky horizon like fiery lines, striking the creature’s bark-like scales with sharp metallic pings. Sparks flew, and small fragments of hardened bark chipped away, but the monster barely slowed, continuing its heavy advance toward the shore.

"Release the heavy artillery, now!"

A thunderous boom followed as mounted cannons fired from armored vehicles. Shells tore through the air and exploded against the creature’s body, sending bursts of flame and smoke across its massive frame. The shockwaves shook the beach, sand erupting into the air with every impact.

The monster let out a grotesque roar and swung one of its massive arms, smashing a nearby pier into splinters.

Then, a loud mechanical hum echoed across the battlefield.

From the rear lines, several large transport carriers opened their cargo bays. Hydraulic doors slid apart with a heavy metallic screech, revealing towering mechanical suits inside, military-grade mecha units.

The machines stepped forward one by one. Each stood nearly two stories tall, clad in thick armored plating, their limbs reinforced with hydraulic joints and heavy weapon systems mounted on their shoulders and arms.

Their metal frames gleamed under the smoky sky as they activated, eyes lighting up in cold blue.

"Deploy combat suits!"

The mecha units dropped onto the sand with heavy thuds, shaking the ground as they landed. Steam hissed from their joints while mechanical limbs locked into place.

Soon, they charged simultaneously. One mecha sprinted forward and leaped into the air, its massive metal fist slamming directly into the monster’s chest. The impact produced a deafening clang, sending cracks across the creature’s bark-like armor.

Another mecha fired a concentrated energy blast from its arm cannon, the beam striking the monster’s shoulder and exploding into a burst of light and smoke.

The soldiers below continued firing, coordinating their attacks with the mecha units as explosions and gunfire filled the battlefield.

The once peaceful beach had now turned into a full-scale war zone, with soldiers, machines, and monsters clashing under a sky filled with smoke and fire.

"You’re not going to help them?" Even though Zhao Li Xin didn’t care about the fate of those soldiers below, he thought Lory would want to help them.

Lory shook her head, "No, I want to see how the Bael reacted with the B-13 first."