Chaos' Heir

Chapter 1459: Calamity

The sky fell. Sand rose, blowing everywhere and giving birth to deadly storms. Everything trembled violently, seemingly announcing the end of that already damaged quadrant.

Nevertheless, something invisible but far more threatening joined those natural catastrophes. A pressure that trivialized the very concept of life descended into the quadrant, squashing everything down, preventing anyone too weak to withstand it from abiding by their natural functions.

Rodney struggled to no end under that invisible weight, but one of his legs eventually gave in, making him kneel to the sand. He couldn’t breathe, summon mana, or think, becoming nothing more than a powerless pebble in the face of a superior mountain.

Except for George and Doku, the other non-evolved warriors had it far worse than Rodney. They couldn’t even attempt to resist the sudden suffocating pressure that fell into the area, fainting on the spot or slamming down, unable to move from the ground.

The evolved warriors on the scene didn’t have it any better. The sandstorms and pressure were bearable, but their knowledge of that superior realm led to a concerning awareness.

The catastrophic event wasn’t limited to the group and its immediate surroundings. A large chunk of the quadrant had fallen prey to the sandstorms, which covered the sky in raging gales of white sand.

Moreover, it was clear that Khan was holding back. He could stretch those catastrophic effects much further, but didn’t to avoid destroying Aynor’s surviving blocks.

Also, the depths of that power were simply shocking. Capable evolved warriors with elements suited for those vast areas of effect attacks could cause similar catastrophes, but Khan hadn’t used any of that. He was simply letting his existence a bit loose, and the world suffered because of that.

Still, Khan controlled himself to a certain extent. He spared George and Doku from his aura’s pressure, and any sandy gale that got too close to the banquet disappeared, saving his forces from the hassle of rearranging it.

Then, everything blew outward. The world stopped trembling as the sandstorms turned into white waves that created an expanding circle in the sky before crashing back down into the desert, lifting tall white clouds.

The clouds kept expanding, even reaching the gargantuan cavity and the surviving blocks, but posed no danger to the forces gathered there.

Meanwhile, the appointed meeting area’s landscape changed completely. As the sand settled, the diverse group found itself at the top of a dune, encircled by grooves created by the ground Khan had pushed away.

The natural catastrophe seemed to be over, but a tinge of the suffocating pressure remained, embodied by the blue glow that browsed over the various representatives. Khan had stopped messing with the environment, but his stance was anything but casual.

“That was the Emperor when he walks,” Khan announced, his tone hinting at a threat. “Do you want to see what happens when he talks next?”

Khan had quite the grand but terrible fame. Depending on who answered that question, he was either the greatest warrior humankind had ever produced or a reckless traitor who ignored any existing rule to follow his whims.

Yet, both extreme sides had one thing in common. Khan was no liar. Even his wild claim about the existence of a universal threat had turned out to be true, so the representatives had to believe him now, too.

The subject of the discussion even made it easy for the involved political parties to believe Khan. That was the leader of the strongest militarized species in the regulated universe they were talking about. His personal power had to be off the charts.

Theoretically, politics could still affect the matter, leading to a more beneficial compromise, but the diverse groups weren’t a united front and pursued different interests.

The Kros were the first to react. The symbols inside the sphere’s bright enneagram scrolled until it reached clear conclusions, which it shared with its group.

Except Muhsin, every humanoid lizard departed upon receiving those orders, only leaving the evolved warrior and the tall sphere on the top of the dune.

The Ef’i came next. The female evolved warrior clad in a black robe slammed her tail to the sand, issuing a silent order, making Tlexicpalli and her underlings jump off the dune to slide down its slopes and leave the area.

The Fuveall followed suit. The evolved alien, who was more implants than organic tissues, nodded at his underlings, clicking his silver, bony-like jaw, before crossing his metal arms, focusing on Khan while his group dispersed.

Obviously, the human group was more conflicted than the others about the matter. Earth was their home, so following the orders of alien forces didn’t exactly feel good.

The Generals on the scene also had different interests, and each one of them wanted to gain some leverage over their peers. Building a connection with the Thilku Emperor was the best political edge in the world, so they couldn’t give up on it so easily.

Moreover, the chosen human representative wasn’t exactly a politician. Dean Ulluw was capable, but couldn’t speak for humankind. Even he seemed to realize that pickle as he caressed his long white beard, but the reality of the situation was undeniable.

Mortals couldn’t stay. More than half of everyone’s groups had fainted and were being carried away by the departing troops. The human team was no exception, highlighted by how the Generals were still struggling to get back to their feet.

Even Rodney couldn’t refute the obvious, and his many mental machinations led to a single conclusion. He couldn’t stay. No one but evolved warriors could, so he made sure to be the first to voice clear orders.

“Special asset Ulluw,” Rodney called, straightening himself up before the rest of his group. “We expect detailed briefings once the meeting is over.”

“Just hope that the booze isn’t too good, Generals,” Dean Ulluw commented, but his disrespect for the chain of command didn’t stop Rodney from heading for the dune’s slope.

Rodney’s departure forced the other Generals to comply, giving orders to the few awake troops to take care of their fainted companions and leave the dune.