Eradicator immediately shook her head, "Your Majesty, that is too dangerous. The sky is alive with lightning bolts. You could be in grave danger while trying to fight them. Let me try to buy some time."
Asher turned to face her, his gaze unwavering, "No. There is no point in you fighting alone. It doesn't change anything," He then turned towards Naida and asked, "And how, pray tell, are those werewolves managing to stand atop our ship without getting killed? Last time I checked, they aren't immune to lightning."
Naida answered, her voice tinged with suspicion, "The only possibility I can think of is Thunderstone armor made out of highly rare Thunderstones. It naturally repels lightning. But those stones are guarded zealously by the Moonbinder Clan where these stones form. It's not something we can just procure."
Asher's brows arched in surprise, a hint of intrigue flickering in his eyes, "The Moonbinder Clan is aiding them in this assault?" He paused, mulling over the implications, wondering why the hell were they this hell-bent on killing him.
He remembered those Rustblood werewolves mentioning some bounty on his head during the quest of the worthy.
Even if there was hatred between their people for millennia, why go so far for only him? But he didn't have the time to think about it now.
"Nevermind. We should use the cloaked armor stored on this ship. It will offer some protection, albeit briefly. After that, you all have no choice but to retreat. That's why we must seize this fleeting window of opportunity," Asher said with a hardened gaze.
He knew the ship was stocked with emergency supplies, including ones to help protect them from lightning storms, though they were meant to last long enough to get away from one, not fight in the middle of it.
Naida's expression turned to one of worry, "And what about you, my king?"
A confident smile played on Asher's lips as he reached for a cloak hanging nearby. "I will be fine." He draped the Cloak of the Voidbringer over his shoulders, its deep, inky black fabric swirling around him like a shadow come to life, "I won't die that easily."
Naida gave a knowing smile, knowing that his mystical immortal form should definitely be able to endure those lightning bolts for a while.
"But the ship will sustain serious damage if we let it be, even more if we fight on top of it. We might not be able to fly anymore," Eradicator said, her tone carrying a hint of grave concern.
Naida sighed and said, "Then there is no choice. I will stay back for a while and augment the shields of this ship, long enough to make sure the ship won't suffer too much damage. Or do you want me to accompany you, my king?"
Asher had a difficult expression since Naida was the strongest on the ship, and if she didn't join, then they could be at a great disadvantage.
But he also knew the Valentines were very proficient when it came to enchantment magic, and a powerhouse like her can surely raise the defensive capability of this ship to a great extent.
Seeing no other choice, he nodded with furrowed brows, "No, Eradicator is right. You can augment the shields, Lady Naida. We will manage till then somehow."
Outside the ship, the only sound came from the howling wind and the distant clashing on the ship's exterior by the werewolves, who managed to cause some cracks in the shield.
Their chief was the main reason they were able to cause a dent in the shield this fast.
But Boragor frowned upon seeing the shield suddenly but slowly beginning to repair itself, making him roar at his people, "Don't hold back! Make those bloodburn rats come out of their holes!" Saying so, he was about to gather an absurd amount of mana towards his hands and smash it against the shield.
But his ear and those of others twitched upon hearing a sound far ahead of them.
They abruptly ceased their relentless assault on the shield, and their heads turned in unison towards the source of a metallic latch opening.
The storm's fury seemed to pause for a moment, the air heavy with anticipation.
First to emerge was a vampire with striking silver hair, his expression a mix of irritation and grudgeful determination.
He was forcibly sent first to face these dogs with poisonous claws and teeth. He shouldn't even be here in the first place!
His sweaty hands brandished a sword while feeling the gazes of so many hungry wolves who couldn't wait to tear him apart.
Following him was another vampire, his black hair contrasting sharply against the tumultuous sky, rapier in hand, his gaze sharp and focused.
Then came two more figures. Leonidas, his deep red mane cascading in thick waves to his shoulders, gripped a long, sturdy axe.
Beside him, Caelum, adorned in dark robes that mirrored the vast expanse of the night sky, held a bow and arrow ready. Each wore a dark red cloak, billowing in the violent winds.
Finally, Asher stepped out, his figure enshrouded in the Cloak of the Voidbringer, its inky blackness a stark contrast against the chaos around them.
The ten werewolves who saw them come out, let out subtle grows, their eyes glowing with killing intent.
Boragor, stepped forward with a malicious grin, his dark green eyes gleaming in the tempestuous light.
He let out a thunderous laugh, his voice carrying over the roar of the storm.
"Hahahaha, what do we have here?" Boragor sneered, his gaze sweeping over the group. "Thought you'd come out to play, did you? Sending little brats to face us…what a joke," Just as he said, a crimson lightning bolt struck down right beside him, though he stood unfazed.
Boragor could clearly sense that these 5 were no stronger than a Soul Purger, with the only peak Soul Purgers being the alien brat and this silver-haired Drake standing in front.
"Well, it will be quite a spectacle when a senior like you is going to lose face before juniors like us," Asher said with a cold smirk, though inwardly he frowned, not expecting the chief of their clan to show up personally.
The other ten werewolves were also no pushovers. Five of them were peak Soul Purgers, while the rest were Soul Devourers! This was really bad.
Leonidas said with his chest puffed up, "Yeah! You heard His Majesty. This wouldn't be the first time we punished some—Urgh!" Suddenly, a lightning bolt crashed down on Leonidas' back, making his facial features twist in pain, though he still maintained his footing.
"Leonidas!" Caelum shouted out in worry upon seeing his friend getting struck by such a terrifying lightning bolt but was relieved to see he was somewhat alright.
Fortunately, the cloak negated most of the damage, though this made him and the others realize how dangerous it was to stand here.
Boragor's laughter echoed again, filled with contempt. But then he looked at Asher with cold killing intent, "Brave words coming from the little alien king. Let's see if you can still wag your tongue when I pull out your gut."
*Clak!*
Boragor's attention suddenly shifted upon seeing someone else climbing out.
A tall figure, clad in dark armor that covered her from head to toe stepped out. Her helmet featured dark red slits through which her eyes glared fiercely, and her crimson cape billowed like a bloodstained banner in the stormy winds.
With a single, graceful motion, she unsheathed the heavy sword strapped to her back.
The metallic sound of the blade sliding out sent a chilling echo across the deck, and the weapon's formidable presence was palpable.
The sword seemed to carry with it a weighty, bloody aura, making its deadly potential unmistakably clear.
Boragor's scornful smile faded slowly as he let out a low growl, "Good...At least someone who doesn't look too weak to play with will be joining you all," he said, his tone laced with a mix of sarcasm and anticipation.
Asher didn't even bother to respond and gave a curt nod to the others, "Cut down these dogs!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the storm. His eyes were fixed on the werewolves, not wanting to waste time now that everyone was here.
These werewolves held the advantage over here.
Boragor laughed, a sound that was more a snarl than anything joyous, "Tear them all apart, and bring me that alien brat! For our Varg!" he ordered his werewolves, who responded with a cacophony of growls and howls upon hearing the name of their chief's fallen son, "For Varg!"
Leonidas let out a battle cry, swinging his axe with ferocious energy.
Caelum released an arrow, its trajectory perfect even amidst the chaotic winds.
Not too far from them, the two vampires moved with lethal precision, their blades singing a deadly tune.
The storm above raged on, mirroring the ferocity of the battle below.
Lightning flashed, momentarily illuminating the scene of impending carnage.
They had to make sure to not get struck by powerful blows that could make these ruthless winds send them flying into the heart of the storm.
But Caelum planned far ahead and threw several circular dark blue disks upwards, casting a temporary but powerful dark blue shield, preventing them from getting thrown off.
However, he knew just those wouldn't be enough and shot an arrow up into the sky to reinforce the shield.
He hoped he had enough mana to keep shooting these arrows since every lightning bolt would easily break this shield, and so would multiple powerful blasts of mana from those fighting.
The Skycrawler became a chaotic battlefield as the sound of claws and blades clashing, followed by war cries and growls, were muffled by the thunder and wild winds.
