The Beginning After The End novel Chapter 270

Chapter 270

Chapter 270: Descent

Despite the initial shock that had overcome everyone left on the sled as the colossal monster loomed over us, it didn’t take long for the ascenders to snap back to reality. However, thanks to Regis’ second warning, I was the only one able to react in time to fully dodge the wide tip of the beast’s tail. Everyone else had been too focused on its grotesque face.

Time seemed to slow as I watched the chain of events unfold after barely jumping out of the way. The beast’s leathery tail snapped down, crushing the sled like a twig. Taegen had somehow barely reacted in time to push Caera out of the way, only to get crushed alongside Trider underneath the large tail. The shockwave of force generated by the impact scattered the rest of us who weren’t directly in its range.

‘Let’s go!’ Regis urged.

But my eyes shifted between Daria and Caera, both unconscious, and both falling off the risen earth that I largely suspected was the body of this titanic beast.

Regis. Get Daria, I sent with a pleading tone.

A surge of emotions rose only to fizzle out as my companion let out a groan. Despite the situation, a smile crept up on my face as I watched Regis leap out of my body, his shadowy wolf form bolting toward the unconscious Daria.

Meanwhile, I released the limiter that I had imposed on myself, bursting forth in a shroud of aether as my eyes took in the situation at hand.

Daria’s teammate was nowhere to be seen while a pool of blood spread from underneath the leathery tail. Arian, however, had managed to avoid being completely thrown off by hanging onto his glowing sword embedded on the side of the titan’s body, his face bloody and his free arm bent at an impossible angle.

I cleared the distance between me and the falling Caera, her face lost in a curtain of navy hair. I barely managed to grab her ankle as I hung off the cliff of the risen earth, more annoyed at myself than I was with the situation.

How many more options would I have had if I was able to use mana? I could’ve flown safely out of harm’s way, hell—I could’ve avoided this altogether.

Before I could even pull Caera and myself back up, however, I looked up to see the titan’s violet eyes glaring down at me. And swirling within his unhinged jaw was a massive sphere of silvery mana aimed straight at us.

I could feel my heart pound against my chest as I considered my options. Could I pull us up and run fast enough to dodge the attack? What would the width of the blast be? Would I be able to dodge it if I let Caera go? Or should I jump down the steep body of the beast onto solid land?

Cursing under my breath, I threw Caera over the edge of the cliff and pulled myself up just as the titan released its breath attack.

Caera stirred awake after landing on the ground, utterly confused as to why I had suddenly scooped her up and slung her over my shoulder.

“W-What is the meaning of—” Her words fell short as a bright white light bathed the surrounding area.

I looked back to see the mana blast disintegrate everything in its path as it let out a shrill hum.

“Can you run?” I asked as we passed the broken sled. I noticed that while Trider’s remains could be seen in the bloody pool where the beast’s tail had struck, I couldn’t see any sign of Taegen.

“No. My left ankle seems fractured at least,” she stated matter-of-factly.

The destructive beam of pure mana continued to chase after us as I continued sprinting on the broken surface of the raised ground resting on top of its body. “Then do something. Otherwise, I’m better off letting you go.”

I could feel Caera subconsciously tighten her grip around me at my words, but she remained silent as we neared the far end of the rocky platform.

“I don’t—” the red-eyed ascender let out a scared yelp as I loosened my grip around her, threatening to leave her.

I knew as I watched her fight in the previous waves that she was hiding something. Along with the fact that she had two very competent bodyguards eager to sacrifice themselves for her, saving her hadn’t been out of the kindness of my heart.

“Okay!” she relented, her mana-infused nails digging into my skin as she clung on for her life. “Just keep running.”

“There’s nowhere to run!” I retorted, the cliff edge drawing closer. Caera stayed silent though as I felt an ominous power building within her that I hadn’t felt before.

Trusting her, I navigated away from the approaching blast of destruction as the diminishing ground became more unstable. Reaching the far edge of the raised ground atop this monstrosity, I concentrated all my aether into my legs and back and pushed off with all my strength.

Without wind magic to redirect the air resistance, I could only grit my teeth and endure the thick wall of wind pushing back against our bodies as we sailed high through the air.

As the menacing power began to grow stronger around Caera, who was still slung over my shoulder, I looked back at the guardian that had erected from the ground right below us.

I thought that literally standing on the gigantic beast and seeing it up close would’ve prepared me for the sight, but I was wrong.

Despite all of the mana beasts I had encountered and fought over the years in Dicathen, it took me several moments to be able to begin fathoming this creature as a single entity—my brain just didn’t want to believe that there could be something this big.

The creature was about as tall as the tower holding the power source, but it looked miniscule in comparison to the overall length and girth of the beast.

From this far away, the colossal monster reminded me of an enormous dragon missing its wings. Both its long tail and neck were attached to a leathery torso that could be mistaken for a small mountain from up close. Supporting its weight were six legs, each as thick as its neck.

“Caera!” I roared as the shimmering beam still erupting from the colossal beast’s mouth rose up in its path as we began descending.

At the height we had jumped from and the speed of our descent, I had no confidence in surviving the impact from the fall let alone the beast’s breath attack steadily approaching us.

Twisting my body midair, I turned to face the monster as I began concentrating all of my aether into the palm of my right hand. I knew the beam of pure aether that I had learned in the glowing platform zone wouldn’t be enough to counter the beast’s attack but I had little choice. Caera remained completely still and silent as she hung over my shoulder.

Just as the two of us were about to be swept into the destructive tidal surge of mana and just as I was about to release my own attack, Caera wriggled around in my grasp. She hooked one arm around my neck to keep herself stable as she withdrew her curved sword from a dimension item.

I stopped my attack just in time to witness an all-too-familiar flaming black aura wrap over the crimson blade as she swung down.

Her once-red blade extended into a flaming black crescent that cut through the shining white cone of destruction, severing and creating a path just wide enough for us to fall through before the black flame whittled away. Judging by how the path of the monster’s attack continued up, I could tell that it would be hard for him to change its direction back toward us.

Caera slumped, her left arm still slung around my neck as she put away her sword.

“I won’t be able to do that again,” she said, her voice barely heard over the rush of wind.

There were so many thoughts and questions that rushed through my head as I tried to make heads or tails out of this situation, but I forced myself to put that aside for now and focus on getting out alive.

Regis, where are you? I asked.

‘I got Daria and used the guardian’s tail to get down to the ground, but I don’t think I can make it to you in time!’