Chapter 123: Failed Plans

"Oh no..."

What Adam had feared actually came to pass. Once the initial panic passed, the three-peaked Realm beasts changed tactics. The massive black panther was the first to step away from the compressed air barrier.

The beast snarled and vanished in a puff of black smoke-like essence, swiftly reappearing mid-air behind Aurelius with a paw raised high for a clawing strike. From the eagle beast, the creature flapped its wings and became airborne, flames igniting on its entire body.

With another flap of its wings, it unleashed a wave of flames at the compressed air barrier, brightening the chamber and raising the temperature to unbearable in a flash. The emerald viper, on the other hand, pulled back and hissed, purple lightning crackling from the depth of its maws.

Three attacks all happening in rapid succession.

’Shit!’

Adam inwardly cursed and clenched his teeth, knowing he could only react to just one attack. Without hesitation, he abandoned the barrier and blinked, instantly appearing between Aurelius and the descending paw.

Manipulating a combination of several vector forces, he grabbed the beast master in a princess carry and smoothly shifted out of the way, drifting past the weak gryphon just as the paw landed.

Shattered rocks erupted from the ground, the black panther letting out a snarl as its head snapped to Adam and Aurelius, who were behind the gryphon.

Adam momentarily ignored the panther as his eyes shifted and rapidly moved in their sockets, analysing and plotting a course out of the cavern. He took off in a burst of blinding speed just as the panther moved.

Right at that moment, the compressed air barrier collapsed with a deafening boom, purple lightning tendrils crackling while bright orange-red flames spread out in a wave.

The cavern shook from the overwhelming force, stalactites breaking and falling, cracks spreading all over the cavern walls. In their bid to stop them, the beasts had caused the collapse of the cavern.

Adam conjured a force field to shield himself and his partner from the resulting shockwaves and flames, pushing through the destruction. He groaned, feeling the strain on his mind and the rapid draining of his Spark levels.

Shooting through the collapsing passageway out of the cavern, Adam heard the angry cries and hiss of the three beasts. He flashed past the small lake and looked back for a moment, his heart sinking.

’Fuck!’

The eagle and viper were hot on his trail. Adam zoomed out of the cave tunnel in a dusty trail, two beasts following right after. They crossed a kilometre in a flash, running down the mountainside and towards the forest on the other side of the mountain.

The moon was out in the clear sky, as night had descended not long ago.

The eagle screeched and took to the skies, flames bathing its entire form. The emerald viper continued crawling after Adam and Aurelius at maddening speed, collapsing trees in its path.

The viper suddenly hissed and hurled a massive purple lightning tendril at Adam.

"Adam!"

Aurelius called out in Adam’s arms, prompting Adam to look back. He cursed again and swiftly veered to the right, sliding past and around several trees in a seamless maneuver.

Boom!

The lightning struck a split second after, tearing a seven-meter-wide crater in the ground. The viper hissed, frustrated at missing its mark. It lunged forward once more, hell-bent on getting the intruders.

From above, the eagle let out a deafening shriek, the sky brightening in orange-red hues. Adam and Aurelius looked up at the same time, knowing a torrent of flames was about to descend.

"We’re gonna have to split up!"

Adam shouted, sensing another ripple of lightning coming from the back. Although manipulating the forces reduced Aurelius’ weight in his hands, it weighed on his Spark levels and mind. He needed to reduce the strain.

"On the count of three, you ran in that direction!" Adam said as he dodged another lightning tendril, effortlessly executing a half spin to veer and slide out of the way.

"Got it!"

Screech...!

The world seemed to slow down in Adam’s perception as the count of three came to an end. From above, a wave of extremely hot flames descended from the sky like a meteor shower.

A powerful sphere of rotating wind then erupted from around Adam at that moment, raising a cloud of dust, leaves and twigs into the air, momentarily obscuring them.

Taking advantage of the cover, Adam let go of Aurelius and grabbed his hand. With a full spin, he hurled the beast master in another direction. And as the beast master left his hand, Adam did not fail to see the look of shock, disbelief and terror in his eyes.

But he didn’t have time for anything else. He gritted his teeth as blood trickled down his eyes and mouth, the strain from utilising several skills weighing heavily on his mind and body.

Capitalising on that same motion, he waved his hand and conjured a rotating sphere of orange-red flames after the wind sphere. Just then...

BOOM...!

Purple lightning and flames struck almost at the same time, detonating in a powerful explosion that swept through the forest at incredible speed. Trees and other plants were set ablaze while being uprooted, rocks and stones shattering from the resulting shockwaves.

"A-!"

Aurelius almost gave himself away as he shielded his face from the heat and shockwaves that slammed into him like a speeding truck. He was flung back faster than before.

"Ugh!"

Crashing into a thick tree tens of meters away from the impact site, Aurelius gasped for breath, blood and spittle flying out of his mouth. He slid down the tree and collapsed to the ground, barely conscious.

"A-Adam..."

The beast master weakly reached for the impact site with a hand, his heart thumping with anxiety and fear. His vision was blurry, and his ears rang, but he could see the roaring flames and smoke ahead.

The distant hissing of the viper and shrieking of the flame eagle reached him in his disoriented state.

"It’s m-my fault..."

He had no way of knowing if Adam survived that attack or died on the spot. The chances of coming out unscathed from that attack were extremely low. Those beasts would not spare him.

"I-I need..."

Unable to stay conscious, he passed out right there against the tree, exposed and vulnerable.