Regressor of the Fallen Family Novel - Chapter 299
Chapter 299
The Empire (Kingdom) of Calron, the sole oceanic realm among the minor kingdom coalitions, flaunted its naval might in comparison to the Three Dominions rather than the Four Feeble, confident in its ability to repel any naval assaults from the Three Dominions’ realms.
Indeed, as the conflict ensued, Calron demonstrated its prowess by repeatedly defeating Therornan’s naval forces, with a significant portion of that success credited to Gustav Clemence, the mage renowned for summoning tidal waves.
Nevertheless, Calron’s naval fleet found itself gradually pushed back into its own waters by an Aura wielder who suddenly emerged in Therornan’s naval engagements.
During this period, traditional naval battles involved ramming enemy vessels to sink them or engaging in long-distance combat using arrows or magic before closing in for hand-to-hand combat on the ships’ decks.
Contrary to the norm, Calron’s naval forces stood out. Their primary strength lay in water mages who employed unconventional tactics such as manipulating currents to ensnare entire fleets or using seawater to exert immense physical force from a distance, capable of capsizing ships effortlessly.
Truly, they reigned supreme at sea, with Gustav Clemence, the tidal wave mage, at the forefront.
However, a new extraordinary figure disrupted the equilibrium of the naval conflict, distinct from the tidal mage.
“Here he comes again!”
“Stop him!”
“How can we halt his advance? Curses!”
The soldiers of Calron cried out in despair as they witnessed a brown-haired man ‘leap’ over the water.
Arrows flew in response, some ships firing water arrows and ice blessings, but—
Thud-thud-thud.
Pat-pat.
The intense red Aura enveloping the superhuman effortlessly deflected all incoming attacks.
“How is this possible?”
“Curses!”
“What sorcery is this?!”
The malevolent red glow cloaking the figure confirmed his status as an Aura user.
But which Aura user could walk on water and repel assaults with such ease?
Even ‘Iron Wall,’ recognized as Therornan’s sole superhuman, seemed unlikely to possess such exceptional defensive capabilities, let alone stand on water.
“Waaaaah!”
Calron’s soldiers trembled in fear as they heard the victorious cheers from Therornan’s ships approaching the superhuman from behind.
The superhuman would ascend the ships as if climbing a hill, mercilessly slaughtering the defenseless soldiers, while Therornan’s fleet closed in swiftly, engaging in close combat with their superior numbers, a recent strategy that had proven effective against Calron.
But then—
Boom!
The water beneath the advancing enemy superhuman surged with a deafening bang, propelling him helplessly like a toy boat caught in turbulent waves.
As the ship bearing the tidal wave flag approached, Calron’s soldiers erupted in joy.
“It’s Gustav!”
“The tidal wave mage!”
“Waaaaah!”
In the three sea routes leading to the Calron islands, the two superhumans who had been pivotal in shifting the tides of war finally clashed.
It was evident to all that Gustav had the upper hand.
However, the mage intercepting Therornan’s superhuman wore a displeased expression.
“Is it this easy?”
His sun-kissed, muscular figure furrowed his brow.
Initially, his plan was to disrupt the enemy Aura user traversing the water in an unconventional manner, destabilize him, and submerge him in the depths.
Yet, a lighter attack meant as a test sent the enemy flying, making him briefly question if he had exerted too much magical power.
Observing the enemy glide through the air and land gracefully on the flagship, Gustav dismissed his doubts.
Whatever technique the enemy employed seemed to defy gravity, allowing him an unnaturally light body.
Fortunately, Gustav understood that among Aura users, some possessed extraordinary abilities, so he remained unfazed.
If there were Aura users capable of flying on the wind, then a slight descent like this appeared rather mundane.
Moreover, being a magician proficient in water magic capable of reaching the 6th Circle and having recently acquired the wind attribute, Gustav specialized in naval combat.
“No chance!”
A resolute shout accompanied Gustav’s opponent’s stumbling descent.
As the enemy neared the water’s surface, the sea transformed into a colossal spear, surging to impale him.
Boom!
Another explosion reverberated.
Witnessing the enemy being tossed about uncontrollably, Gustav’s smile faded.
‘Was he merely repelled?’
Not shattered or obliterated?
Gustav’s expression hardened once more as the enemy alighted on the water’s surface, advancing towards his flagship once more.
Despite the superhuman’s slower pace, akin to a conventional cavalry on land, the cumbersome ship stood no chance against the approaching Aura user.
It seemed the superhuman possessed a skill to either absorb impacts or flow with them.
“So you dare!”
Gustav’s face flushed with anger.
The mass of water enveloping the enemy surged forward towards the ship, puzzlingly.
“Yiiek. How audacious!”
Gustav’s complexion reddened.
The water mass enclosing the enemy catapulted towards the ship, soaring skyward, forming a column connecting the sea to the heavens.
Gustav’s superhuman ability, the Wrath of the Sea God, rarely utilized in combat, did not disappoint.
“Waaaaaah!”
“Secure the railings!”
“We might get swept away if we’re not careful!”
The massive ships rocked violently amidst the allies’ cries and shouts.
“How is this possible?!”
“What kind of sorcery is this?”
“Can this be the work of a man?”
Amidst the stark contrast of jubilation and despair among both nations witnessing the prowess of the tidal wave mage.
When the turbulence subsided, Gustav confirmed the enemy’s absence and clenched his fist.
“We have vanquished the enemy’s superhuman! Drive out the invaders!”
With Gustav’s booming command, Calron’s fleet surged forward.
Although Calron’s navy primarily relied on long-range and magical attacks, at that moment, they exuded confidence that no mainland army could outmatch them.
Conversely—
“Curses!”
“Full speed ahead!”
“Stand firm!”
Therornan’s fleet, with waning morale, had no option but to charge forth in desperation.
‘It’s best to swiftly engage in close combat to prevent that formidable mage from utilizing magic by keeping our forces vigilant.’
In terms of sheer numbers of ships and soldiers, their side held the advantage.
“All hands, press onward at full speed!”
Thinking thus, Therornan’s commander, Count Kalip Bros, repeated his orders.
At some point—
“What is that?!”
Calron’s soldiers, thrilled as they hoisted the sails, witnessed a peculiar sight.
A crimson glow akin to a descending comet plummeted from the sky.
“What sorcery is this?!”
As the gaze of Calron’s soldiers shifted skyward one by one—
Boom!
The scarlet comet (?) pierced through one of Calron’s vessels’ decks, announcing its arrival.
Bang!
Emerging through the ship’s hull, Therornan’s superhuman made a grand reentry.
“Waaaaaah!”
“Armored!”
“Armored Hasen!”
“Therornan’s Shield!”
Once more, Therornan’s fleet erupted in cheers, while Calron’s fleet, previously advancing confidently, hastily attempted to reverse course, starting with the lead flagship.
“Advance straight ahead! Are we to disrupt formation for a lone enemy?!”
Only after Gustav’s furious command did the ships maneuver to regain their formation, but the brief delay in turning maneuvers significantly slowed their progress.
Seizing that opening, Therornan’s fleet charged directly at the enemy. The sharp rams on the bows of the lead ships gleamed especially bright.
‘Ugh, that stings a little.’
Armored, or rather, Eileen, quivered from the overwhelming impact coursing through her body.
When she was abruptly propelled into the sky with immense force, her mind briefly flirted with thoughts of demise.
Nonetheless, she endured, bolstering her resolve.
‘My trait is suited for this purpose.’
Her trait, the Unyielding Bastion, enshrouded her form in multiple layers of ethereal Aura, providing unparalleled defense even under normal circumstances. When fully activated, the resonating Aura layers enhanced her defense to an extraordinary degree.
Upon awakening this trait, she and Logan initially contemplated a drastic shift towards a purely offensive approach, dismissing defense altogether.
Yet, they soon recognized the drawback.
Eileen’s trait possessed as many flaws as strengths.
Its constant presence meant her physical capabilities were notably inferior to other Aura users, and its rigid nature allowed minimal adaptability, barely enabling her to imbue a longsword with Aura to its limit.
Even then, the sword lacked the razor-sharp edge of conventional Aura Blades; instead, it became incredibly resilient.
– If this persists, despite superior swordsmanship, you’ll merely overpower other Aura users defensively in combat.
– Waiting for the opponent to tire from relentless attacks? That poses a problem…
While Logan despaired, Eileen found solace.
The advantage was clear.
– Now impervious to adversaries below my level. Regardless of the barrage of assaults, there is no threat of injury.
Moreover, their mentor, the master swordsmith, proposed a clever method to maximize this advantage.
– Fundamental combat lies in footwork and agility. If you master these…
The swordsmith recommended integrating the automatic vibrations that occurred when Eileen fully engaged her Aura into her movements.
Consequently, Eileen developed her distinctive mobility technique, Feather Step, which adeptly mitigated external forces.
Certainly, challenges arose when transitioning to an offensive stance, yet when focusing on defense, even Logan, two ranks above her, struggled to breach her guard.
Furthermore, after honing this advantage, she acquired unexpected skills such as gliding on air currents from elevated positions or traversing water surfaces with the grace of dry land.
– Invulnerable against non-Aura wielders, and even against mages, it’s a game-changer. I’ve crafted a formidable force.
The swordsmith’s exclamation resonated with well-deserved pride.
‘That’s why I’m here. To apprehend that individual, the tidal wave mage.’
Despite the perilous moments due to the sea’s unpredictable nature, observing Gustav’s pallid complexion, Eileen was confident that the technique would not be deployed again in this theater of war.
And on that fateful day.
Calron’s naval forces suffered a devastating defeat, and the tidal wave mage Gustav narrowly escaped with severe injuries.
The Aura user, emerging in the conflict as the ‘Sentinel of Therornan,’ Armored Hasen, ascended to legendary status across the eastern continent.
Simultaneously, word spread inland of Liberty’s ‘Argent Reaper,’ Gail Slayer, decimating the primary forces of the Tri-Nation Alliance, signaling the swift unraveling of the Alliance’s war efforts.
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