Aetherborne Chronicles

On the other side of the battlefield, Rager lay on the ground, his body racked with pain and his wound pouring blood. He was utterly dismayed, unable to fathom how he had ended up in this situation, defeated by someone of equal power. His mind, overcome by the agony and shock, was blank, and all he could do was clutch his grievous wound.

Adam, observing Rager's dire condition, recognized that escaping in such a state would be nearly impossible. He decided to leave Rager be, turning his back to help his comrades. However, as he covered a few meters, a sudden gunshot echoed through the air. He turned back swiftly, only to find Rager holding a vintage firearm, the smoke still drifting from the barrel.

This firearm was a rarity, utilizing gunpowder instead of plasma, and was known for its formidable power. Such weapons were possessed by only the wealthiest individuals. Adam's gaze fell upon his own body, and he saw a large, bloody hole where the bullet had struck him. He fell to his knees, blood spilling from his mouth, before collapsing to the ground.

Witnessing his opponent's fall, Rager staggered to his feet and rushed toward his spaceship while simultaneously contacting Anthony. The call quickly connected, and he urgently relayed, "Mr. A, you need to leave the area immediately. I've detected a signal indicating the approach of multiple security forces."

In Chris's corner of the battle, he continued to barrage his opponent with spells, aiming to keep him distracted. Amidst his magical onslaught, the opponent's communication device rang, prompting him to pick it up, seemingly ignoring Chris's presence. Although the call was brief, it led to an unexpected turn of events.

The man who had maintained a distance from Chris throughout the battle suddenly disappeared. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared directly behind Chris, his hands wielding a dagger aimed at Chris's shoulder. The blade was on the brink of making contact when it was abruptly halted by a protective shield. Zephyr had intervened, shielding Chris from the potentially fatal blow.

Anthony swiftly retracted his dagger upon the failed attack, but he found himself flanked by Zara and Lycus, each armed and ready for combat. He wielded two daggers, using one to deflect Zara's attacks and the other to parry Lycus's strikes.

What He was unaware of, however, was the unique effect of Lycus's knuckles. Electric energy surged through the dagger that blocked Lycus's blows, coursing toward Anthony himself. Realizing the danger, he quickly disengaged from all three opponents, discarding one of his damaged daggers due to the electrical charge.

Yet, just as he came to a halt after relinquishing his weapon, a colossal shadow cast itself upon him, steadily expanding. In a swift and instinctual move, he leaped away, narrowly evading the impending threat. Brutus swung down a massive axe, its impact creating a crater even larger than the ones formed during the spaceship crash or the battle between Ishmael and Frank.

After narrowly avoiding Brutus's massive axe and relocating to a new spot, Anthony was suddenly struck in the leg. The sharp report of a gunshot rang out, signaling Carey's successful sniper shot – the first hit since the battle began. Anthony's confidence, which had remained somewhat intact despite the odds, began to wane as the situation spiraled out of his control with all six of his adversaries now united against him.

Adding to the chaos, the Council's spaceship was approaching their location, its engine roar underscoring the ongoing battle between Frank and Ishmael. Ishmael had managed to catch up to Frank after the latter had initially retreated from their confrontation. With the two mercenaries accompanying Frank now deceased, their numbers had dwindled to just Frank, him, and Rager. But even that diminished force was soon reduced further as Anthony witnessed a sleek black spaceship speeding away from the conflict, disappearing into space at an astonishing velocity.

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Exhaling audibly, Anthony spoke with a mixture of resignation and a veiled threat, "Looks like the game has ended too early. Let's hope we meet again." His tone then grew more ominous as he added, "But remember, the next time we meet, I won't go easy on you."

With those words, he vanished from the battlefield, leaving the scene behind. Gradually, the clamor of the battle between Ishmael and Frank began to wane. Boyd's urgent voice broke through the fading sounds, directing their focus, "Get Adam, he's been hit. He's lost a lot of blood. And Leader, let them go; we don't have time."

Hearing about Adam's injury, Chris swiftly employed a teleportation spell, arriving beside Adam. Alarmed by the volume of blood that had been shed, he immediately applied a basic healing spell. While he wasn't a master of healing magic, he possessed enough skill to staunch the bleeding for the time being.

With Chris having stabilized the wound on Adam's body to prevent further blood loss, Ishmael arrived at the scene to continue the healing process. His vampire nature made him adept at handling blood-related matters, and he swiftly infused Adam with a carefully modified portion of his own blood, tailored to suit Adam's needs.

After some time had passed and their injured comrade was in a more stable condition, Boyd arrived to collect them. He ushered them aboard the spaceship and, with a sense of urgency, initiated a rapid ascent into the atmosphere. As they ascended through the mesosphere, the pursuing ships of the security forces came into view, but their superior spacecraft allowed them to evade their pursuers and eventually escape the planet, albeit not without taking a few hits along the way.

A little over a week had passed since the intense battle between the squad and Rager and his allies. During this time, Adam remained unconscious, and Eva was currently transporting him back to their home planet for better care. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad found themselves confined within an army base, eagerly awaiting any updates or news about their next steps.

During their escape from the security forces, Boyd had managed to glean some information about the mysterious deal orchestrated by Eternity. He had discovered that Eternity had devised a method to enhance the base power of ordinary individuals. However, this was the extent of the information he could access before encountering a highly secure firewall that prevented further data retrieval. Boyd lamented that, given more time, he could have unearthed more details, but for now, they were left with unanswered questions and a sense of uncertainty about the future.

Ishmael's entrance into the room was marked by a heavy air of defeat that seemed to hang around him. Boyd, noticing the despondency on Ishmael's face, couldn't help but inquire about the reason behind it. He asked, his voice laced with concern, "What happened? Why the long face?"

Ishmael, weariness in his eyes, gazed at Boyd and replied, "We've been demoted. Our mission was too critical, and we made a significant mistake. We're stuck here at this location until Adam recovers and joins us again." His anger was palpable, a testament to how much this demotion weighed on him. He had worked tirelessly to reach his recent promotion, only to find himself back at square one due to a single mistake.

In response to the somber news, Chris abruptly stood up and made his way toward the door. Perplexed, Lycus questioned his actions, "What are you doing? Didn't you hear what the leader said? Don't try to do anything reckless."

Chris turned to look at Lycus, a hint of exasperation in his expression. "I'm just going to the store," he clarified. "Since we're going to be stuck here for a while, I thought I might as well learn some new spells that could be useful in the future."

His unexpected decision left the rest of the squad momentarily dumbfounded. Even Ishmael, after a moment of surprise, rose from his chair, his resolve hardening. "Chris is right," he declared. "We can't afford to waste our time idly. We need to become stronger and regain what we've lost."

-- End of Arc – 1 –

All spells used in first arc by Chris (Later I might add the ones used by rest of the characters for now this is it.):-

1) Magic Shield: A protective spell that forms a barrier to deflect incoming attacks.

2) Starfire Blaze: A spell that creates a searing sphere of light, radiating intense heat and destroying everything in its path.

3) Void Bomb: An incantation that summons a sphere of shimmering darkness, disintegrating anything it touches upon impact.

4) Shadow Clock: An enchantment that conceals the caster, making them imperceptible to external senses.

5) Fireblast: A spell that releases a powerful blast of fire.

6) Frost Spikes: An ice-based spell that forms sharp ice projectiles.

7) Frost Nova: A spell that conjures freezing tendrils of ice in a cold snap.

8) Lightning Bolt: A spell that generates an electrifying bolt of energy.

9) Fireball: A spell that hurls flames as a fiery projectile.

10) Teleportation Spell: A spell enabling instant teleportation to another location.

11) Healing Spell: A spell used for healing, with limited proficiency.

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