Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 469 - 468 - Bloodbath

"These are amazing!"  A slim woman admired her bracers once more as they were red in color but so light compared to the mid grade 4 ones she had before.  The spirit inside had danced to her senses and she liked how it felt.

Not all the spirits had connected to their users but they still worked to protect them as if given an order by their creator.

"Neera, you are not going to be able to keep those, you know that?"  Her senior brother tried to temper her but Neera did not want to give them up.  They were minor members of the Sword Breakers Sect but still powerful at tier 7 of the Sky Realm.

"You are just angry that the spear doesn't like you!"  She stuck her tongue out but quickly ducked a playful swing of the weighted butt end of the handle.  The metal seemed to sing as it flowed through the air but they quickly became serious as the flames flickered ahead.

The vile flames were not pleasant but they were always constant.  Any change could not be good.

The group of 6 had their weapons already out and senses extended.  The worry about a formation hiding an enemy was real but there was little they could do as formation masters were limited as well.

Neera was the only one of her group connected to her armor or weapon and the spirit was reacting suddenly above.  She crossed her bracers that lit up the tunnel like the sun!

Strangely, all her companions suddenly had their vision blocked as the screech of something inhuman filled the tunnel.  It was a possessed beast, not a demon!

Neera saw her brothers and sisters move as one to slay the beast.  Compared to before, their weapons now sliced up the beast as if it was made of air!  Shock and joy crossed their features but Neera frowned.  Her armor spirit was still acting up.

It did not have a direction but she kept herself guarded.  It was why she did not die.

Her own instincts screamed and she ducked while only half the others did.  She watched her senior brother sliced in half by something!  Neera was suddenly the most senior member left.

The other man and woman with her were terrified but stayed steady.

"Pick up any loose weapon you can use if it is better than yours!"  Neera picked up the staff.  Instantly she felt the spirit connect to her as well.  The surprise was short lived as the spear moved on its own to deflect something incredibly heavy.

She had just saved the lives of the other 2 as they were slower.

"Get the armor too!  We need all we can to fight!"  There was nothing but a set of greaves and shoulder plates to grab from the other 2.  The other 2 were swift and then they were all back to back.

The beast corpse was gone but they defended the corpses of their own.

"Please help me to keep them safe."  Neera spoke but the other 2 did not blame her. They also begged the spirits to connect to them but they did not.  The difference was unknown but compatibility was always an issue with weapon and armor spirits.

Neera was grateful and sent the thanks along the bond.

She only had fire and air as her elements but the items did not seem to care about elemental limitations.  They worked with them all.

Moebius Sect Forged items were highly desired for that aspect.

The narrow tunnel seemed far more dangerous but Neera felt a shift in the wind that should not be there.  The spear danced as flames lit it up.  Rather than simply be hot, it created an extension of solid flame as a blade.

Putrid blood flew on the air as the scream of a humanoid filled the tunnel.  She saw it!  It was huge!

"By the spirits, transformed beasts!"  Fear filled her voice as the only beasts known to transform were Star Tiers!  The hulking form appeared with an arm missing as blood flowed.  It had bottomless eyes that were disturbing.

It was also not alone.

More part-beast part-human bodies appeared and stood silently looking at them.  She could not readily identify what they were but the scales and claws lent themselves to lizards.  Fear filled her as she realized she was going to die.

Blood covered the hallway but she prayed simply to die and not be consumed by Fiends.

[No die.]

The words made her jump but then she felt ideas fill her mind.  They were profound and inspired.  She did not fight as both her bracers and spear suddenly synced up as her elements flowed in them.

"Follow me when I move.  There is nothing we can do for them."  The other 2 looked unsure but nodded as they understood death was all around them.

The spear danced far faster than before and began to make complex arrays in the air!  The flames stayed as Qi began to flow like a storm.  The aether beasts were caught off guard as the pressure built too fast before Neera seemed to vanish.

Her muscles screamed as her bones creaked but she slammed the spear forward as the bracer glowed with air to deflect the pressure around her.  She went straight at the beast in front of her and the spear sliced it open like it was an egg!

She dove directly through the body as putrid blood flew around her thanks to the bracers.  The viscera and bones shattered to open up the tunnel once more.  Neera did not stop and heard the other 2 running behind her.

The beasts were too shocked to move at first before roars filled the tunnel and the chase began.

"RUN!  RUN WITH ALL YOU HAVE!"  Neera was crying as she knew they had only bought time but then her body got lighter!  She glanced to see her bracers glowing again but with an element that was not hers!

Earth and darkness covered her body to lighten her!  It was faint but she took it!  She grew concerned over her brother and sister but could only run.

"NO!"  A male voice screamed, followed by the sound of flesh being cut.  She glanced back and saw his arm was missing!  The stark terror likely mirrored her own but the greaves suddenly glowed.

[No die, protect.]

Words appeared again in her head and she saw her brother and sister disciples suddenly be propelled forward by the armor they wore just like her!

"Thank you."  The words were whispered but she felt a pleased feeling in her bond.

The race was on but the blood loss was getting her her brother disciple.  He had taken a few pills but they did not seem to work as he grew more pale as time passed.  There was  poison in the wound the pill could not heal!

The tunnels were a blur as Neera realized she did not know where she was anymore!  They were going to die when they exhausted their Qi.

[Left]

Neera did not question the voice as she turned sharply.  The sound of claws scraping told her the beasts had not expected the sudden turn.  Their howls also became frustrated.  They had been herding them.

"I am not going to make it!  Keep running!"  Her brother disciple looked grim but Neera only looked harshly back at him.

"You keep going until you drop and not a moment more or I will personally take your other arm!"  Her voice was cold and he seemed to gain a bit of speed but she could tell her own armor was running out of Qi as she was running out!

[Safe now]

The 2 words stunned her before more people appeared.  They were covered  in blood but not their own.  They were led by a lithe swordsman who was grim but when he saw them he knew trouble was coming.

"Form up!  Now!"  The 3 ran past them before stumbling to a halt.  They saw many parts of demons, humans, and other beings covered in putrid blood like all the others possessed.  The howls of the beasts were coming closed.

"They are Star Tiers!"  The man only nodded before his sword glowed with aura and a faint emerald dragon appeared.  She suddenly recognized the man as Solon from Divine Sword Sect.

Neera was from the Sword Breakers Sect but right then she only had eyes for the flowing of the sword in that man's hands.  It looked so beautiful.

The hulking beasts caught up but then froze when they saw Solon and his sword.

"DIE!"  The aura unleashed was unlike anything a Sky Realm should have!  The beasts could not evade it!  It sliced them up while Solon hardly seemed winded.

The battle was fierce and one of the men got a deep gash but then a glow came from his chest piece as it was purified.

Neera moved quickly to her disciple brother and put her bracers against it.  He jolted as pain lanced his body but the wound finally began to close.

"You are going to live, I promise."  Tears filled her face as she realized she was alive.  They were still alive!

"You did well.  The spirits like you."  Solon surprised her but she slowly nodded as she felt her bracers and spear spirits happily dance near him.

"Do they speak to you?"  Solon looked surprised but shook his head.

"It is more of a feeling for me.  In fact no one has said they spoke to them so far but I would not be surprised."  Neera felt confused but glad.  She thanked the spirits once more.

She looked out at the bloody stretch and wanted to go home.

"Let's fall back for now.  We need to rethink our approach."  Solon led them back to the surface and he was not the only one.  Of the thousand that went in, only about 650 came back out that time.  The Star Tiers all returned but were heavily injured.

All the survivors had the weapons and armor from Lind Frey.  Some had gotten more but none were happy about the cost.  A new plan of action was needed.