CHAPTER 346: CHAPTER 346 - THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA OF LIGHTNING

"I see something coming from above!"

The man holding a piece of roasted meat shot to his feet, his drink spilling to the ground.

"It’s a monster! No... something else!" he shouted, panic in his voice.

His companions, sitting around the campfire, barely paid him any attention. They were still drinking, laughing, singing, and dancing, completely dismissing his alarm.

"Sit down and stop shouting! You dropped your drink, you fool!" another man called out between bursts of laughter.

Then, another scream erupted from across the camp.

"An ambush! A massive ambush attacking our alliance!" someone yelled, sprinting toward the largest tent in the area.

"Lord Bolin! There’s an ambush!"

Within seconds, a tall figure burst out from the tent. A man with long white hair and a furious expression. His sharp eyes darted upward, catching sight of something descending from the clouds.

"There’s an attack! Everyone up. Defensive positions!" his voice boomed across the camp like a thunderclap.

The laughter died instantly. Soldiers scrambled to their feet, grabbing weapons and forming into lines, their faces tense and uncertain.

But just as they raised their weapons—

Loud clangs

echoed through the night as swords and spears slipped from their hands, falling uselessly to the ground.

"I can’t use my skills!" someone shouted, panic spreading through the ranks. The same cry repeated from every direction.

Then, before anyone could react, the world flashed white.

A massive lightning strike split the sky, crashing down near the camp with deafening force. The shockwave rippled outward, shaking the ground and tearing through tents.

As panic spread among the soldiers who found their weapons useless, lightning crashed again and again around them, tearing through tents and splitting the ground open. The air filled with blinding flashes and the deafening roar of thunder.

Bolin clenched his fists, fury twisting his face as he realized he too was helpless. His voice broke through the chaos, a roar of rage.

Another lightning strike hit, then another. Followed by a massive whirlwind forming right in the center of the camp. The earth trembled as torrents of water and lightning spears rained down from the heavens, striking in rapid succession.

Bolin raised his arm to shield his face as waves of seawater came crashing down, flooding the entire area. Soldiers screamed. Some in terror, others in agony, as they were thrown, electrocuted, or swallowed by the violent flood that consumed the camp.

Within moments, the ground became an ocean of chaos.

And there stood Bolin, motionless amidst the destruction. He couldn’t fight back. He couldn’t cast a single spell. It was as if the world itself had turned against him.

Yet strangely, none of the strikes touched him. Lightning and water split apart just before reaching his body, diverted by a faint, unseen barrier surrounding him. He stood at the eye of the storm, unharmed but seething with fury.

In that fleeting moment, Bolin caught sight of two figures streaking down from the sky at blinding speed. His eyes widened, and rage twisted his face even further.

"You bastard! Show yourself, damn you!" he roared, his voice echoing through the chaos.

Then came the shadow, wrapped in a swirling aura of darkness and lightning. The figure shot downward, golden bolts crackling violently around their body. Every motion they made was a blur. Each swing of their spear split the air, decapitating, piercing, and tearing through soldiers with merciless precision.

Screams filled the night. Pain, panic, and terror spread like wildfire as one by one the men fell, their bodies hitting the ground long after their heads had rolled away. Bolin stood frozen, his fists trembling at his sides as the storm raged around him.

Lightning rained endlessly from the sky, strike after strike, so relentless that the entire hilltop gleamed like daylight. The deafening roar was unbearable. Each explosion of thunder seemed to shake the very world.

Bolin clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached, his fury mixing with helplessness as the massacre continued without pause. It felt eternal. Every second stretching endlessly beneath the roar of the storm.

And then, at last, the lightning ceased. The final strike fell, accompanied by the last dying scream of his soldiers.

Smoke and steam blanketed the ruined camp, the scent of burnt soil and metal filling the air. Amid the silence that followed, Bolin’s eyes locked on a figure walking slowly toward him through the haze. The man’s armor gleamed faintly blue.

Bolin didn’t need to guess. He knew exactly who stood before him.

"You’ve got some nerve attacking me so openly like this," Bolin spat. "You’re courting death... Atlas!"

The man before Bolin stood silently for a moment. Then, with a faint hiss, the mask covering his face slid open, revealing the all-too-familiar face beneath it. The one he swore to destroy, along with everything and everyone connected to him.

Bolin’s expression twisted into pure rage. This was beyond humiliation. It was an insult to his very name. He clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked.

This was war. And for the first time in decades, he would fight without restraint, without mercy.

"Sorry..." the man said calmly. "I was only trying to finish my quest. It just so happens that the lord I needed to kill turned out to be an old man. I have to say, I’m impressed you’re still standing, still clinging to this endless conflict. Don’t you ever get tired, Bolin? Shouldn’t you be lying in bed by now, waiting for your death?"

That arrogant tone. That smirk.

Atlas, the fool, had gone too far. He had awakened the sleeping dragon.

Bolin’s fury burned hotter than the lightning that had just ravaged his army. His killing intent rolled out like a wave. He would make Atlas regret this insolence. He would make him crawl in the dirt, begging for death that would never come.

"Challenge me in the Dominion Convergence," Bolin growled. "Face me in an official battle if you dare. Show me you have real courage, instead of hiding behind cowardly ambushes."

"Oh?" Atlas tilted his head slightly. "But I was only following the example of my elders. Isn’t that what the wise and powerful do. Strike first, manipulate, deceive? I’m merely honoring tradition."

His smirk deepened. "Or was it not loud enough for your taste? My apologies... I didn’t kill everyone. Only the weak ones. Unfortunately for you, about eighty percent of your men fell into that category. They all died with a single combo of my skills."

He paused. "I didn’t even break a sweat."

Bolin took a slow step forward. "You think this will end with your little stunt?"

He hissed, voice trembling with fury. "You’ve signed your own death warrant, Atlas. The moment I find you again, I’ll crush every bone in your body. I’ll burn your island to the ground, erase your people from existence, and carve your name into ash. You’ll beg to die, and I’ll make sure you live long enough to regret every word you’ve spoken tonight."

Atlas simply smiled. "That’s a very impressive threat," he said quietly. "I’ll remember that tone. It was quite inspiring. You know, every encounter teaches me something new. Don’t worry, Bolin... I’ll return the favor."

His grin widened. "Not just to you, but to every single lord in your alliance."

Then, a second figure stepped forward from behind Atlas. A woman clad in white armor trimmed with gold. Her radiant wings unfurled wide.

A rush of wind swept across the ruined camp as both of them spread their wings and hovered low above the ground. Atlas turned his head slightly.

"Goodbye, Elder Bolin. I truly enjoyed our little chat tonight. I had a lot of fun."

And with that, the two of them shot upward. Their figures vanished into the stormy clouds above.

Moments later, the few survivors of Bolin’s army began to stir. The suppression that had sealed their abilities finally lifted. They coughed, gasped, and scrambled to their feet. Several soldiers rushed toward Bolin, their voices trembling.

"Lord Bolin! Should we pursue them? They can’t have gone far!"

Bolin gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening as fury burned in his eyes.

"Scan the surrounding islands! If you find any sign of Atlas’s alliance. Send in our armies and annihilate them completely!"

**

Atlas opened his eyes and found himself lying in his private chamber. His head was still spinning, a dull ache pulsing behind his temples.

He pushed himself upright slowly, taking a moment to steady his breathing and make sure his senses had fully returned.

After a few seconds, footsteps approached from beyond the door. A quiet knock followed. Atlas gave permission, and the door opened with a creak.

Edrik stepped inside, bowing slightly before taking his usual place a short distance away.

"Good morning, my lord," he said evenly. "Did you manage to complete the quest?"

Atlas didn’t answer. Instead, he opened his system message logs to check the results. Only for his eyes to widen slightly as he froze in silence.