"All units, be on alert! Something powerful is approaching rapidly!"
The voice of the squad leader suddenly crackled through the comms channel, tense and heavy with an urgency no one could ignore.
Lynn and the others immediately looked through their scanners and soon spotted a terrifying sight:
A knight clad in gleaming silver armor was riding a radiant, winged warhorse, streaking toward them at a shocking speed.
Unbelievably, he was moving just as fast as their cloaked aircraft!
But what truly sent chills down their spines was the horrifying aura radiating from him so overwhelming that it seemed to distort the very air around him. Space itself rippled from his sheer presence.
Such a powerful existence was instantly picked up by the squad leader's energy scanner.
"Judging by divine-class metrics… he's likely beyond the fifth circle…"
However, before the squad leader could finish his sentence, the energy reading on the scanner spiked dramatically. His composed voice shifted into something frantic and almost panicked.
"No wait! That powerful energy isn't even coming from him it's from his mount!"
"His aura… it's nearly at the threshold of the seventh circle!"
"This man is equivalent to a peak Second-Level Wizard… just one step away from becoming a Third-Level Grand Wizard!"
The fear in the squad leader's voice was unmistakable.
Even someone as battle-hardened as him couldn't hide his dread. This wasn't just a strong foe this was a being that surpassed all of them by a terrifying margin.
If the charging knight had merely been at the fifth circle, that would have made him roughly on par with an early Second-Level Wizard. In that case, they wouldn't be in real danger, especially since they'd kept a safe distance they'd likely be able to retreat in time.
But if this knight was approaching seventh circle levels… that was a whole different story!
And his warhorse? It was already at the fifth circle tier equivalent to a Second-Level Wizard and it was faster than their aircraft!
"Retreat! Full retreat, now!"
The squad leader didn't hesitate. There was no time for further planning. He immediately ordered an emergency evasive maneuver.
His voice was laced with panic so much so that even through the comms, Lynn could imagine the pale, stricken look on his face.
"Split up! He's alone he can't chase everyone!"
As the final command dropped, the entire strike team instantly switched to tactical withdrawal mode.
The eight squad members ceased all attacks, fired up their engines to maximum output, and activated their highest level of cloaking.
Whirrrr...
In a blink, the eight cloaked aircraft accelerated dramatically, scattering like meteors, darting off in all directions at breakneck speed.
But the knight, riding his radiant winged steed, watched them flee with cold indifference.
A soft snort escaped him, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes, and the corner of his mouth curled ever so slightly.
"Trying to run? You think you can get away?"
Even before the words fully left his lips, his hand reached for a curved bow slung over his back.
The bow glowed with a fiery red hue, as though it had been forged from molten lava. It pulsed in the air, emanating a fearsome, searing energy.
Shing!
As his fingers touched the bowstring, a blazing arrow materialized from thin air burning with flames that twisted the surrounding space.
The knight narrowed his eyes, locked onto one of the fleeing aircraft, and pulled back the string.
Vmmm!
The bow drew to its limit, glowing with crimson brilliance. Even the air trembled from the immense pressure.
Then!
FWOOOOSH!!
The flaming arrow shot forth like a streaking meteor a crimson bolt of lightning tearing through the sky, trailing searing fire in its wake as it surged straight toward the fleeing aircraft.
It was absurdly fast crossing several kilometers in an instant and zeroing in on its target with terrifying precision.
Inside the aircraft, the Wizard's face went pale as death. He yanked on the controls, desperately trying to outmaneuver the incoming projectile.
But no matter how fast the aircraft was how could it ever outrun the red lightning?
BOOM!!
The arrow struck the craft with devastating force, exploding into a massive crimson fireball that erupted in midair like a miniature sun.
A wave of heat and flame blasted outward in all directions, swallowing the entire aircraft.
The outer edges of the explosion alone reached temperatures over 200 degrees Celsius. At the fiery core, it soared past 300 by the standards of the Wizard world, it was the equivalent of a full-force strike from a Second-Level Wizard.
And the Wizard inside? A mere First-Level… he never even had time to scream.
He was completely vaporized no remains were left behind.
"One down."
The knight muttered indifferently, as if swatting a fly, his expression as cold and sharp as a blade.
But he wasn't done yet.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
One arrow, two arrows, three arrows!
Riding atop his flying warhorse, the knight continued his relentless assault, his flaming bow drawing and releasing without pause.
Each blazing arrow shot forth like a merciless scythe of death, sweeping across the sky in a storm of destruction, striking down the fleeing aircraft one by one.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Every hit brought with it a devastating explosion.
Each fiery detonation marked the end of a wizard's life.
For those flying machines, there was only one fate utter annihilation.
Meanwhile, in the distant ranks of the Goddess Army…
On the far end of the battlefield, the formidable Order of the Sacred Flame, a massive cavalry unit, stood in an imposing formation that radiated a deadly aura across the land.
At the very center stood the leader of the order Cindy, a Ninth-Circle Knight.
Surrounding him were several high-ranking knights clad in crimson-gold armor, all intently watching the scene unfold before them.
One of the Eighth-Circle Knights couldn't hold back a hearty laugh as he gazed at the figure displaying such masterful archery:
"Lord Cindy, your disciple Faol's marksmanship is flawless! I'd wager that in the entire order, only you could outmatch him!"
Another knight nodded slightly, speaking with admiration:
"Indeed. Faol's talent is extraordinary. Given time, he may very well surpass us old warhorses."
Cindy's lips curled into a faint smile at the praise, clearly in high spirits.
"Faol... was never destined to be ordinary."
His gaze fixed on the sharp, precise figure tearing through the battlefield, eyes filled with deep satisfaction.
From the moment he accepted Faol as his disciple, he had known this young man was different perhaps even someone destined to walk the true Path of Godhood.
Because of this, Faol's position within the order far exceeded that of his peers. He was granted special privileges, free to act independently of the order without constraint.
Back in the assault squad, only two aircraft remained intact and operational.
One belonged to the squad captain; the other, to Lynn.
Yet the reason for their survival was vastly different.
The captain's aircraft was a more advanced model, especially in terms of speed. The moment the battle erupted, his craft had burst ahead of the others, putting distance between himself and the danger enough to avoid being targeted first.
Lynn's craft, however, was far from sophisticated. It was a standard-issue "bare-bones" model, freshly retrieved from the war fortress, without a single upgrade.
Compared to his teammates many of whom had customized and reinforced their crafts he was the most vulnerable.
And yet, he lived.
The reason was simple: he had never gotten too close to the main force of the Goddess Army.
While his teammates maintained a "safe" distance of ten kilometers, Lynn had kept a full fifteen kilometers between himself and the front line.
Most of his attacks had missed their mark entirely, but he didn't care.
The high-ranking wizards had already evacuated via the war fortress. No one would bother punishing someone for being "too cautious."
Perhaps, earlier, some of his more valorous teammates had cursed him under their breath, calling him a coward.
But now? The truth was clear only the living had the right to plan for the future.
The brave ones were all dead, their bodies reduced to ash without a trace.
Lynn, on the other hand, had yanked his control lever the moment danger appeared and was now fleeing at full speed like a gale-driven shadow.
"On the battlefield, First-Level Wizards are the lowest tier of combatants…"
Lynn gripped the controls tightly, eyes cold as he watched the flames raging in the distance. His voice carried a helpless bitterness.
"In large-scale battles, if even one out of ten First-Level Wizards survives, that's considered lucky."
He adjusted the aircraft's trajectory, pushing its speed to the absolute limit as he followed the preset retreat route at a breakneck pace.
Their assault squad had started with eight First-Level Wizards.
Now six were dead. A staggering casualty rate.
And this wasn't even a real war just a minor skirmish.
"I can only imagine how brutal the 'Day of War' will be when it truly arrives…"
Of course, First-Level Wizards weren't the lowest of the low.
There were the apprentices and even worse the mechanical puppets.
They were the true "trash" of the battlefield, treated like disposable fodder with zero chance of survival.
At least First-Level Wizards were still considered people able to struggle, even if only barely.
Wizard apprentices and puppets? To Lynn, they didn't even qualify as human.
They were just cannon fodder. Expendable tools to be thrown into the fire again and again.
"For the weak, life under the Black Wizards is dangerous, but the White Wizards' side isn't much better…"
He looked back at the burning wreckage behind him, the falling debris of shattered aircraft, and felt his conviction solidify even further.
The only strength was the true guarantee of survival.
Whether in the domain of the Black Wizards or the White Wizards, the fate of the weak never changed.
No matter where they went, they were meat on the chopping block waiting to be butchered, devoured by war.
And in that very moment, as he raced for his life, a chilling voice suddenly whispered from behind, like a death wraith breathing down his neck:
"…The last one…"
The voice spoke in the wizard tongue, but it was awkward and halting clearly, the speaker wasn't fluent in the language.
Yet Lynn already knew exactly who it was.
That terrifying knight riding a warhorse a Seventh-Circle powerhouse!
The chilling whisper sent a jolt down Lynn's spine, an icy dread spreading through his back.
There was no longer any doubt about the assault squad's fate.
By now, he was the last one left.
A heavy weight settled in his chest, but he had no intention of surrendering.
A Seventh-Circle Knight?
Terrifying, yes.
For the rest of the squad, facing such a foe meant certain death.
But for Lynn… not necessarily.
Even before the Spirit of Azure Sky had replenished its divine power, he had already been able to unleash strength comparable to a Third-Level Grand Wizard in short bursts.
And now, with the Spirit of Azure Sky fully fueled by faith, his trump card had grown even stronger.
Forget a Seventh-Circle Knight even a Ninth-Circle Knight, as long as they hadn't stepped into the realm of legend, hadn't touched upon the mysterious and unfathomable divine domain…
Lynn had one chance to deliver a lethal strike.
What happened after that live or die would be up to fate.
But not here.
Not now.
Lynn's gaze darkened slightly as he quickly assessed the situation.
"I'm too close to the Goddess Army..."
Right now, he was relying on the Spirit of Azure Sky to suppress the aura of a god-defier within him.
But if he used that power now, it would surely leak out.
And once that aura was exposed the entire Goddess Army would be alerted.
At that point, even the Legendary Mage watching from the skies above might take action personally to erase him from existence.
No, he had to get away.
He needed to put real distance between himself and this battlefield…
But just as Lynn was deep in thought, danger struck!
The knight moved.
Bow drawn arrow notched!
Whoosh!
A crimson arrow tore through the air like thunder, blazing toward Lynn's aircraft with terrifying speed.
Even before it arrived, the air around it warped from the intense heat, like a falling meteor.
If it hit
The result could only be: total annihilation.
Lynn's eyes suddenly turned ice-cold.
No hesitation.
He slammed open the cockpit door and at the same time
Starlight Shoes activate!
These specialized boots, forged by a master hammerwright from the Mechanical Capital, were being used in combat for the very first time.
The Starlight Shoes held three stored bursts of power.
Each release would send the wearer hurtling forward with meteoric speed.
Buzz!!!
In an instant, starlight erupted beneath him.
Lynn's body turned into a streak of radiant light, shooting out of the aircraft in the blink of an eye!
BOOM!!!
A heartbeat later, the crimson arrow slammed into the aircraft!
A massive explosion lit up the sky flames and shockwaves burst outward in all directions, forming a towering storm of crimson fire!
Far in the distance, the knight Faol narrowed his eyes, staring coldly at the blast's aftermath.
But he quickly noticed something strange.
Through the wall of fire, he could see it
The wizard in the aircraft hadn't died.
On the contrary, he had transformed into a streak of starlight, fleeing at blinding speed!
"No prey has ever escaped once Lord Faol sets his sights on them."
He snorted coldly, squeezing his legs against the warhorse.
Whoosh!
The steed, awakened and spiritual, spread its wings wide blasting forward with storm-like force, its speed soaring even higher!
Faol charged through the sky, hot on Lynn's trail!
Before long, the two figures had disappeared entirely from the Goddess Army's view
vanishing into the distant skies beyond…
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