CHAPTER 1142: CHAOS DIFFERENT WORLD

The runes start to light brighter as Adrius and the five high-ranked Mages channeled their Magic energy in unison. They already trained and of course knew what to do.

The rain around them no longer fell straight. It curved upward, drawn by the energy gathering above the city.

Their combined power began to form concentric layers of translucent light of rings filled with runes. The new layer of the barrier shimmered and expanded to cover the city in a dome of luminous bluish light.

Adrius stood at the ramparts, his robes drenched and heavy, his hands trembling slightly as he directed the currents of power.

His staff anchored the spell. The crystal atop it glowing brighter than before. Each time he drew breath, the stone beneath him vibrated.

The five Mages around him followed his rhythm. Their incantations weave into his own. Different voices forming one melody of Magic.

Adrius didn’t think that he would need help from other Mages because of this being attack. It hurt his pride a little but this was not the time to worry about that.

The energy was immense, but it needed control.

Adrius’s brow furrowed.

"Focus," he commanded through gritted teeth. "Channel your energy through me, don’t let it scatter."

"Yes, Archmage!" they answered in unison.

A surge of Magic flared outward, and the city’s battered walls began to gleam. The runes carved along the walls came alive into vibrant blue.

The air filled with the hum of power as the new layer of the barrier solidified.

Wild lightning struck again from the storm above, slamming into the dome with blinding force. The impact rippled through the barrier like a stone dropped in water. But this time, it held firm without any crack.

The barrier bent under the weight, then pushed back, scattering the lightning in streams of light.

The soldiers watching from below gasped as the energy diffused harmlessly into the air.

Adrius didn’t relax. He could feel the next wave coming. The being above must be enraged now. His power was erratic. The lightning he unleashed against Lysander shook the sky, and the residual energy was bleeding into the surrounding.

The barrier had to withstand that.

"More power!" Adrius shouted.

The five Mages stretched their hands into the air as if trying to lift the sky itself. Their eyes start to glow as their energy converges.

The rain stopped by the overwhelming pressure of Magic.

For a fleeting moment, the dome looked solid enough to touch.

Adrius felt the flow of Magic start to stabilize, the pressure in the air easing slightly. The runes above them pulsed at a steady rhythm now, bright and unwavering.

He knew the barrier had reached its optimal strength. Any more of it and it would risk destabilizing.

"That’s enough," Adrius said finally, his voice firm but weary. "You’ve done well. Disperse your energy and return to your posts and just rest while you can."

The five Mages slowly lowered their hands. The glow around their bodies began to fade and the streams of light that connected them to the barrier dissolved into soft wisps of blue mist.

They exchanged glances, exhausted but also relieved.

One of them, a younger Mage with streaks of silver in his hair, hesitated before leaving.

"Archmage, what about you? What will you do now?" His tone carried a note of concern that the others shared.

Adrius looked up. The battle above still raged violently. Lightning clashed like a thousand blades striking at once, and deep within that chaos flashes of golden light told him that Lysander was still fighting.

"I’ll help him," Adrius replied quietly, his gaze distant. "But even I need a moment to recover. If I go now I’ll only get in his way."

The young Mage nodded reluctantly. "Then please, Archmage, rest first. You’ve already pushed your limits."

Adrius gave a faint nod in return, saying nothing more.

The Mages bowed respectfully and dispersed one by one. They went back to their stations along the ramparts.

When the last of them had gone, Adrius released a long sigh and leaned his back against the cold wall behind him. His breathing was slow and heavy.

Every nerve in his body still tingled from the residual energy of the spell they had cast. His robes clung to him, soaked with rain and sweat.

He tilted his head upward again. His eyes tracing the movement of the storm.

The weight of it all settled over him. This wasn’t a normal battle. He could feel it.

The being they were facing wasn’t just some rogue elemental. It was something that the accursed entity Erend and the others had gone to fight.

His mind drifted to them. The four Dragonborn had gone to confront that abomination directly. It had been quite long, and still the echoes of that power hadn’t faded.

"If they’re taking this long then it means the enemy is stronger than anything we’ve faced before."

The thought filled him with both fear and awe. Even with their amazing power, the Dragonborn struggled.

Adrius rubbed his temples and exhaled deeply.

He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the faint hum of the barrier vibrating through the stone. It was stable, for now. So the city would hold if there were any other danger coming in.

For a fleeting moment, he allowed himself to rest.

—

In another world, the clash echoed across a sky split by dimensional light.

Adrien and Billy were thrown backward with violent force and crashing to the shattered roof. More arcs of lightning carved through the ruins.

Adrien coughed, struggling to push himself up.

"Damn it... that thing is really strong." His tactical armor was scorched and cracked already, blue sparks crawling across its surface.

Billy groaned beside him, his arm limp from the impact. "If that was not his full attack, then we’re screwed, captain."

Above them, the being loomed. He looks radiant and furious. His roaring voice rumbled through the air like thunder, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

Adrien clenched his jaw. He said, "But we can’t give up yet. Erend was also doing his job now so now lets do our job."

Billy sighed. Then he pulled himself up. Adrien followed beside him.

—