3. New problem
The battle aura heated up the air, with swarms of black-winged insects swirling like a storm around them. Elysia took a deep breath, standing atop the giant insect they were riding. Her bow glowed brightly with dense pink energy.
"If this keeps up, we'll never finish. Alright, Prince of Darkness~, I'll pave the way. Are you ready to play your heroism part, huh~?"
Oberon, positioned ahead with a sharp gaze, only snorted softly. The sickle in his hand shimmered dark, like the shadow itself.
"Heroism? Don't be foolish. I'm not here to be a hero, flower girl. I'm just... fixing this disturbance in my own way. So hurry up and stop dragging it out with that drama."
Elysia giggled, even though the insects surrounding them were clearly no small threat.
"Alright, if you say so~ But I want to see if your 'way' is truly effective this time."
With a graceful motion, Elysia aimed her bow at the sky. Energy gathered in her hands, forming a large, glowing arrow that grew brighter until it dazzled. She released it, and the arrow shot toward the center of the swarm, exploding with tremendous force. The explosion created a massive gap between the insects, clearing a straight path to the largest insect at the center.
"Rrrrriiiiiiiipppppp… skkkkkkkkkk…"
"Rrrrriiii.. kkkkkkk…"
"Rrrrrip…skkkkkkkkkk…"
"The way is open! Now, show your magic, Prince of Darkness~"
Oberon wasted no time. With a decisive movement, he jumped from the large insect they were riding and summoned his own moth to carry him toward the heart of the chaos. Meanwhile, Elysia stayed behind, shooting down any insects trying to pursue Oberon.
"Magic, you say? There's no magic here, just delayed destruction."
With his sickle in hand, Oberon slashed through several insects that got too close. The smaller insect he was riding moved swiftly, avoiding the sticky liquid sprayed by the enemy. However, their numbers didn't seem to decrease at all, as if they were endlessly spawning.
"Rrrrriiii.. kkkkkkk…"
"Rrrrrip…skkkkkkkkkk…aaaaa"
"Hey, I don't mean to complain, but there's so many of them! Is this some kind of insect zoo or what?!"
Oberon, now getting closer to the largest insect, merely grumbled with a cynical tone upon hearing Elysia's words.
"If this is a zoo, then you must be the tour guide, with your cheerful approach. Just focus on your task, flower girl. I don't want any distractions."
Elysia chuckled despite the dire situation, firing arrow after arrow to eliminate the insects trying to attack Oberon from behind.
"Alright, alright~ But you know, a little thank you wouldn't hurt you!"
Oberon neared the largest insect, his sickle glowing with a dark, terrifying aura. The massive insect let out a low growl, sensing the threat approaching. Meanwhile, Elysia continued to keep the other swarms at bay, ensuring Oberon could get closer without interference.
Oberon stood calmly on his small insect, surrounded by a dark aura that swirled like mist. As the giant insect approached, he swung his arm forward, summoning a swarm of smaller insects of his own. The swarm surged forward with high speed, heading straight for the giant enemy's body.
Oberon stared at the swarm with a flat expression, his attention sharp despite his calm demeanor.
"Try to put up a decent resistance... so I don't get bored."
"Kriaaaaka..#...#."
The giant insect let out a growl that vibrated the air, then charged. With brutal force, it barreled toward Oberon, its massive body roaring like a storm. Thick sticky liquid sprayed from its mouth, showering the air like acid rain. Oberon jumped aside, nimbly avoiding the spray, though a few splashes nearly hit him.
Oberon raised his hand, gathering black energy that flowed like ink into a dense ball, spinning slowly.
"You're tough for an unnamed creature. But let's see how you handle this."
He kicked the energy ball with great force, sending it directly at the giant insect's body. An explosion occurred, scattering dark energy in all directions. But when the smoke cleared, the insect was still standing firm, with only a small wound showing on its body.
"...raakak.-#-"
Oberon scowled, his voice dripping with disgust.
"Of course, you're more stubborn than I thought."
He raised his hand again, summoning two giant dragonflies. These creatures were as big as a human head, with wings that shimmered like black glass. They shot toward the giant insect from opposite sides with speed nearly impossible for the eye to follow, their sharp teeth and strong jaws aiming at the vulnerable parts of the enemy.
The giant insect, though slow-looking, quickly adjusted. With a sudden movement, it charged at one of the dragonflies, crushing its body into fragments. The other dragonfly tried to attack again, but it too was destroyed by a brutal counterattack.
Oberon jumped back as the giant insect charged straight at him, its large body moving like a living wall. However, just before contact, Oberon's body began to shrink rapidly. In an instant, he shrank until he was nearly invisible, slipping under the giant insect's body with the agility of a small insect.
From beneath, Oberon's cynical voice could be heard, even though his body was almost unseen.
"How long will you last before everything ends for you, foolish creature?"
Meanwhile, Elysia continued to shoot at other swarms of insects that tried to approach Oberon, keeping his back safe.
"Hey, looks like you're really enjoying this game, huh? But don't take too long, okay? I don't want to get dragged into your bigger mess!"
Oberon didn't respond, fully focused on the movements of his enemy. He was preparing to use his smaller form to deliver the next strike.
Still in his small form, Oberon snuck beneath the giant insect's body with incredible speed and precision. In the deadly silence, he conjured a large, shimmering black sickle from the thin air, its blade radiating an aura that seemed to devour the light around it.
Oberon observed carefully, waiting for the perfect moment. When the insect charged in another direction, Oberon moved with agility, darting out from beneath its body. With a swift swing, his sickle pierced the underside of the creature, leaving a burning trail of dark energy along its body.
The sound of the sickle slicing through the air echoed as Oberon swung again, this time with full force. The sickle's blade cut through the giant insect's body from bottom to top, cleaving it in half. Black blood and thick liquid splattered, filling the air with a sharp, pungent smell.
"K..aakaAAaKk..."
Oberon leaped out from the shadow of the dismembered insect's body, returning to his normal size and standing in front of the split carcass with a cold expression.
"A pathetic end for a creature like you. You're just an insect, not a threat."
As the giant insect's body crashed to the ground with a deafening thud, something strange happened. The other insects that had been attacking Elysia began to tremble. One by one, they exploded with sharp sounds, like fireworks going off in the void.
Elysia, who was already preparing to shoot again, slowly lowered her bow, watching the phenomenon with curiosity.
"Oh? So, they were all part of a single entity? Like a body sharing one soul... interesting."
Oberon glanced toward Elysia, casually cleaning his sickle before making it disappear.
"Interesting? Maybe. But also incredibly annoying. They were just creatures relying on one control center. Destroy the head, and the body falls."
Elysia smiled slightly, tilting her head with a playful expression.
"Yeah, but I have to admit, watching you fight earlier was quite entertaining. You looked so... decisive. Maybe even a little heroic?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not doing this for anyone. I'm just... making sure my path stays clear of distractions."
Elysia laughed softly, though she knew Oberon would never admit it. But even though the battle had ended, a strange silence began to creep around them. The land that had once been filled with the swarm of insects was now empty, leaving only the trail of destruction caused by the fight.
"Well, how about we continue our journey? Let's follow the trail left by these insects and see if we can figure out where we are. I'm curious about what else awaits us ahead."
Oberon glanced at her for a moment before walking ahead, not responding to her words.
"Wait, wait! Don't go too far! You know, I still don't know your name, right?"
Oberon paused briefly, then continued walking without saying a word. Elysia simply smiled, deciding to follow him.
"Ah~, still mysterious as usual. Alright, I'll wait until you decide to speak, Prince of Darkness~."
The two of them walked away from the battlefield, leaving the rubble and devastation behind, heading toward their next journey.
Leaving behind the shattered remains of the exploding insects, Oberon and Elysia flew, following the faint trail left between the flower petals. Though this world was beautiful, the path felt strange—darker soil, with wilted flower petals, and a sweet scent growing sharper and more strange.
"Hmmm… this way…" Elysia murmured. "The scent is still fresh here."
Oberon slowed down as they entered a zone with trees that looked like towers, coiled around with thick vines. It seemed familiar to the shadowed dimension they'd been in before, but far colder.
"Alright, so what do you think is really going on here, dark prince? Is there some kind of deep magic going on?"
"You're asking the wrong person."
The two of them walked away from the battlefield, leaving the debris and destruction behind them, heading toward their next journey.
Leaving the trail of destruction from the insects that exploded like glass bubbles, Oberon and Elysia flew, following the faint trail left between the flower petals. Though this world was beautiful, the path felt strange—darker soil, wilting flower petals, and a sweet scent growing sharper and more unusual, mixed with something sharper and more ominous.
"Hmmm... this trail is becoming clearer, but it's so strange, don't you think? What do you make of it?"
Oberon rolled his eyes but kept his attention focused on the trail. His gaze remained sharp as ever, unaffected by Elysia's cheerful comment.
"I don't know, flower girl."
A moment later, in the midst of the flower field, an altar began to appear. The structure was made of dark stone, with delicate carvings that emitted an ancient aura. The altar was surrounded by larger, brighter flowers, as if guarded by an unnatural beauty. Above the altar, an object floated—an object that looked like a horn from the insects that had attacked them.
The difference was that this horn was much larger than the ones from the insect swarm, and it was bound by a chain originating from the altar. Oberon felt something strange about the horn, and even Elysia, who often joked around, became more serious.
Elysia slowly stepped closer to the altar, her gaze fixed on the horn floating above it. The beauty of the surrounding flowers seemed like an illusion, hiding a deeper threat. She squinted, watching the chain wrapping around the horn, which glowed faintly as if alive.
Elysia, usually so cheerful in any situation, suddenly grew serious.
"This energy..."
Oberon remained silent, his eyes fixed on the large horn. He scanned the surroundings cautiously, but his expression showed confusion. Unlike usual, he couldn't recognize anything about the aura emanating from the object.
"I don't know what this is, but it's clearly not something ordinary. Let's look around and see if we can find any information."
Elysia gave a small nod, not turning her head. Her eyes stayed focused on the pulsing horn. Her fingers gently brushed her bow, ready for anything.
Oberon sighed, stepping closer to the altar. The calm wind that had been blowing earlier began to change, flowing slowly but enough to make the petals of the flowers around them tremble. The horn seemed to pulse faster, almost as if responding to their presence.
Oberon and Elysia searched for clues around the altar, but they found nothing except for strange symbols etched into the stone.
"Great. We're walking into something we're not even sure about, and I don't know anything. What a brilliant plan."
Oberon looked around, seeing only the strange symbols. Frustrated, he touched the symbols, not knowing what they meant. His actions triggered something significant for both of them.
Elysia smiled, though her smile seemed more like a habit than any real confidence. She glanced at Oberon with a tone more serious than usual.
"Hey, isn't that what makes our journey more exciting, prince?"
Before Oberon could respond, the ground around the altar began to tremble slowly. From the end of the chain that wrapped around the horn, black light spread into the carvings on the altar. The carvings began to glow, forming symbols that were foreign and threatening. The sweet scent in the air shifted into a sharp, piercing odor.
Elysia quickly took a step back, her body tense. The black light from the chain slowly crawled up the horn, making it seem even bigger and more intimidating. In the heavy silence, a sound began to emerge—not words, but a heavy rumble like the breath of a great creature waking from a long slumber.
Elysia and Oberon exchanged glances, their eyes filled with caution. The horn pulsed faster, and the ground around the altar began to crack. The giant horn, now freed from its chains, continued to regenerate into the body of an enormous insect.
This insect's body was even larger than the ones they had fought before, its form bending like a fusion of insect and thick shadow. Its eyes glowed bright red as it stared at them.
The insect began to growl loudly.
"$$$$$$"
"Uh-oh... this doesn't look like a friendly new acquaintance."
Oberon remained alert, his lips pressed together. He watched the creature, trying to read its movements, but the aura surrounding it made his thoughts muddled. There was nothing familiar about this entity.
"Great. Now we're really in deep trouble."
The creature fully stepped out from the altar, its dark body shimmering under the dim light. It growled quietly, a sound like a thousand wings fluttering in unison, before it shot toward them with incredible speed.
"RIkkk#Kk#...AaA#AA.*"
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Setting Explanation:
- The creatures attacking them are a swarm.
- The symbols I'm referring to are path propagation symbols.
- They are located on an original planet, which serves as a place to seal the Aeon Propagation fragments in my settings.
FYI, Aeon Propagation did not die after the Swarm Disaster. The Aeon Propagation was sealed, One of the places known for now is xianzhou(Prison of Amber).
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