Book 7, Chapter 86 - Taking the City

The giant octopus released a tidal wave of mental energy . Those tentacles which the humans had fought so hard to destroy reformed in an instant . All of the headway they’d made through the bitter conflict was erased in the blink of an eye .

The b.a.s.t.a.r.d creature also had incredible regenerative abilities!

After restoring its tentacles the octopus heaved it frame out of the ground . It was committed to using its full strength to show these insects their place .

Now the difference between it and a true octopus was evident, for the amorphous body they’d seen so far was only its top half . Beneath the surface was the rest of its form, a sort of thorax with tentacles large enough to move it around like legs .

It was a hideous giant of a thing! A half-octopus, half-t.i.tan monstrosity that stood three hundred meters tall . Wreathed in tentacles, the mountainous ent.i.ty towered over its foes . Its main eye was enormous and shone like a jewel, with countless smaller orbs surrounding it and peering off in all directions .

“Don’t be reckless! Look for a weakness!” Natessa weighed her foe . It was huge and wielded great power, including the ability to regenerate itself . Normal attacks weren’t going to kill it, but that didn’t mean it was invincible . Everything could be killed, they just needed to find out how .

Awkaend and eboncrys artillery fired ceaseless into the monster’s form . The cavern was afire with different elemental attacks . It responded by slithering several tentacles over, which released a s.h.i.+eld of protective energy . Fire, ice, wind and artillery blasts were absorbed by the tentacles suckers as they slammed into the s.h.i.+eld .

A slew of different attacks . Powerful regeneration . St.u.r.dy defenses . How could they have known this fiend would be so formidable! It was almost mythical . Between its many skills and high intelligence, the combined forces of lesser beasts and human soldiers seemed outmatched .

It released an ear-piercing roar . The smaller eyes peppering its head glowed like red beacons before sending that power to the main eye .

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“Watch out! It’s going to attack!”

A ray of intense destructive energy exploded from the monster . It pierced the horde of creatures and the humans behind, instantly disintegrating everything it came into contact with . Even the ground below was erased, leaving a smooth trench behind .  

These worthless pests dare to challenge me?! The incredulous thoughts swam through the monster’s head as it prepared for another attack . It lumbered forward out of the hive . If this next a.s.sault succeeded it would eradicate most of the Greenland attackers .

In this instant the Shepherd G.o.d threw herself into the fight . Sitting upon the Dragon King she dashed over the s.h.i.+eld toward the octopus’ head . The fiend sensed her charge and reached out with several tentacles to meet her . Spears of ice, fire and lightning screamed through the air .

The dryad, standing on the dragon’s back by Autumn’s side, stretched out its hands and blocked them .

Angry filled the colossus’ mind . It abandoned its attack on the troops below and lifted its head, aiming the eyes toward the encroaching G.o.d . But she was one step ahead . She released a beam of light from her flute which drove into the large, central eye of her foe .

A terrible howl of pain shook the cavern . The octopus reeled back in agony and tried to stagger away from danger . IT seemed she had found the monster’s weakness, which was also its strongest weapon .

Natessa watched it all happen . “Attack the eye!”

The Shepherd G.o.d withdrew and was replaced by the soldiers and Awakened . They focused their attacks on the beast’s central eye with everything they could muster .

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Writhing tentacles were raised to deflect what it could, but the Shepherd G.o.d had come by for another pa.s.s . With her beams of light she cut them all down . Regenerating them took time, which allowed many of the humans’ attacks to find purchase .  

Deafening screams of pain erupted as the octopus’ central eye was destroyed . A gaping, b.l.o.o.d.y hole remained . Falling into its side, the monster flailed and writhed in agony .

The pain was so great it could no longer focus on controlling the lesser beasts . Taking this opportunity, the Shepherd G.o.d rea.s.serted her dominance . Like a swarm of hungry locusts they descended on the octopus and began to gnaw at its body .

Under this fierce and unending abuse, the colossal monster was torn to pieces . Even with its incredible rate of regeneration, there was no coming back from this brutal end . Judging by its power the thing was as terrifying as a G.o.d or demon . It was another highly evolved creature from the far reaches of s.p.a.ce, but it ultimately fell at the hands of humans .

With the fall of its protector, the hive was exposed . Soldiers closed in and swept through, eradicating nearly everything . A few were spared and kept under the Shepherd G.o.d’s control . Perhaps they could be tamed and used to the benefit of humanity .

At last, the threat that menaced this underground city was largely eliminated .

Azura led her troops inside, where they found scores of animal eggs piled high to the ceiling . Inside were the unique, empowered beasts they’d eliminated to get here . What served as their progenitors were squirming sacks of flesh, endlessly belching more eggs into the chamber .

“Time to smash some eggs,” Pigblossom growled .

“Hold!” Azura raised her hand . “They might be useful, don’t destroy them . A few of you stay behind to keep watch, the rest let’s pull back . ”

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Her idea was simple . Many of the monsters down here had special abilities . They were more like divine beasts than mutants – special artifacts . Tools . And tools could be used by humans .

Azura thought about Cloudhawk’s pet bird . Strictly speaking, Oddball wasn’t a legendary sort of creature like Autumn’s crystal Dragon King . There were probably many beasts on this planet that were stronger . What made divine beasts special and unique from relics was that they could grow and become stronger .

After so many years with Cloudhawk, Oddball had grown strong . Divine beasts which grew without the aid of a master were weak, but if they were nourished by a demonhunter’s mental energy they became dangerous .

Thinking of it like that, then this area was clearly a breeding ground for some advanced civilization .

It was a civilization that had some connection to the G.o.ds – probably victims, like humans . This was a remnant of their long-lost people, it would be foolish to just throw it away . Azura believed that if they culled the wild adults, these eggs could be domesticated and made to benefit her species . Maybe in a few decades every denizen of this planet could come here and pick a divine beast for themselves .  

This hive wasn’t a problem . It was a treasure trove!

After securing the hive, troops spread out to continue cleaning up the rest of the beasts . With the help of the Shepherd G.o.d, the process was quick and smooth . The underground city was nearly ready for habitation .

When their work was done, Natessa led the force back to the surface . There the emigrants were gathered up and escorted by Greenland soldiers underground . Living quarters were a.s.signed without issue . The abandoned metropolis was large enough to accommodate millions if need be .

It was a home that came equipped with plenty of resources . The surface plants weren’t ordinary foliage, but advanced energy collectors . Light from the sun was gathered and converted for use below the crust . Besides a few copses that had grown naturally, most plants were tightly connected to batteries .

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As a result there was plenty of light, water, food and everything else a functioning city required . There was even a system of automatic urban repair, cleaning and maintenance of the hive . Its constant flows of energy kept the hatchery functional and under control . All told, the city was a perfectly equipped living environment .

Over the next twenty four hours one hundred thousand people settled into their new homes . Lucia stood among her clean domicile of alien construction, marveling at how different it all was . She felt a comforting sense of security here, beneath the planet’s jungle sh.e.l.l .

She wasn’t alone . The vast majority of residents were women, children, the elder… people who were weak or infirm . To them Emerald Star’s abundant utopia was the perfect place to ride out the coming war .

“Look at how big you’ve grown, Azura . ”

As Luciasha was touring the city she came across the young woman and muttered the words to herself . She remembered the day they met . It was because of her that Azura came under Cloudhawk’s care . Now, only a few years later, little Blue had grown tremendously .

It seemed anyone caught in Cloudhawk’s...o...b..t changed dramatically .  

Luciasha didn’t approach Azura, it was neither the time nor the place .  

People were still coming into the city and Greenland’s soldiers were busy seeing to everyone’s safety . Azura and her compatriots watched in satisfaction . A new home was being built, and they were an important part of that . Over time the population of Emerald Star and its underground city would grow .

Back on earth, Cloudhawk gradually felt the weight of his responsibility for these people ease . Now that they were out of harm’s way, he could focus on unleas.h.i.+ng his full strength against Mount Sumeru .

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