CHAPTER 352: CHAPTER 352: RISING DEFEAT

While Kael fought against the three tigers, the Arkship ascended higher and higher.

Various pieces of rare earth resources were forcefully brought to the surface as the surface itself was being destroyed.

The life and death of the creatures in this apocalyptic place that was once the peach valley were now unknown.

The spewing lava soon stopped rising and ceased to spill. Their underground lava tables had been reduced to nothing under the influence of the Arkship.

The main body of the Arkship was starting to become more apparent for those who were bold enough to look.

It turned out that the curved metal structure that stuck out of the ground all this while was just a small portion of the Arkship, merely the side of its body.

The Arkship wasn’t even aligned straight and had to slowly stabilize itself while crushing its way out of the planet’s crust.

The clouds were washed away as though they were nothing but flies.

Gravity began to change at different locations as the gigantic vessel pulled itself upright.

Large rock chunks floated around, forming miniature orbits around the appearing metal surface. A new atmosphere was being created within the planet’s atmosphere.

Rivers were closed off, hills crumbled, and birds were blinded.

The reflections of the sun on the metal body created a light show that brought down the aura of a titan.

This was truly apocalyptic.

Every second the arkship rose, every second, the tiger trio got closer to catching Kael.

As powerful as Kael was in this state he was now, he had his limits, and he was reaching that limit very fast.

This wasn’t a battle to find out who was the strongest, both parties were fighting for their survival.

If the tigers didn’t get Kael, they might not live long anymore.

Every single power in his arsenal was being used, even the magic that he had given to Katari had been reclaimed. Yet, he was still losing.

It was already a miracle that he could last so long.

One of his Conquering Essence pools was completely drained and the other one was barely keeping his Conqueror Mode active.

The four of them streaked through the rising metal body of the Arkship, ascending into the air with the vessel and leaving the decimated land behind.

Their forms were colorful, like glowing ribbons, like fierce fairies without a care for anything in the world.

Shockwaves spread out across the strong hull, and their attacks left no dents on the body, showing how tough the exterior of the Arkship was.

However, their colorful battle dance around the colossal body of the machine soon slowed to a crawl.

The arkship had risen to reach the clouds by now and its gravitational field had become stable. The full shape and size was not yet known.

The shockwaves became less frequent and the smell of blood began to permeate through the sky.

Kael crashed into the metal surface, rolling multiple times as his sorry figure released moats of golden light.

One of his wings was broken, hanging loosely by his side. His mane was soaked in his own blood, a result of the scratch Constantyne had given him.

Unable to maintain the Conquering Mode any longer, his body transformed automatically to conserve his last bits of strength.

He breathed in and out, getting up to his feet and gritting his metallic gold teeth.

*BAM!*

A ball of fire shot down from above, striking him before he could find his bearings. Kael was blasted off his feet, curving through the air before landing several hundred meters away.

The black clothes which were just forming over his body were burnt and torn to shreds, now looking like rags.

Kael’s majestic presence was now fading away fast.

"IDIOT!*

Kael got up to his feet but a punch from Belgrod sent him down again. He had no power to resist.

Everything in his body was just working to keep him alive at this point.

Kael spat out some blood and raised his head up with a fierce expression, only for his head to be kicked by Agatha.

Again, he was tossed through the air, powerless to resist.

"Where is that smug look on your face, little lion?" Constantyne asked as he landed on the ground, also in his humanoid form.

He reached down to grab Kael by his hair.

Kael growled and gritted his teeth, trying to pry Constantyne’s hot hand away.

Constantyne laughed in amusement. To think that this guy had made him a little fearful.

*BANG!*

He slammed Kael’s head fiercely into the metal surface of the Arkship.

*CLACK!*

The sound of bones breaking reached the ears of the three tigers.

Constantyne raised Kael’s head again. Kael’s nose was broken and shifted to the left. His upper lip was torn and one of his teeth also broke off.

This was extremely painful for Kael, yet he didn’t scream. He was too tired to make any noise.

But Constantyne didn’t show sympathy, he knew that Kael was feeling pain and exhaustion but still that defiance in those golden eyes of his.

Kael’s face just annoyed him.

*BANG!*

Constantyne smashed Kael’s face into the metal surface again, causing more cracking sounds to echo out.

Despite the blowing wind, they could all hear the sound clearly.

Then the smashing continued for a few more seconds before Constantyne was satisfied.

He let go of Kael’s hair and stood up, casting a wide shadow over the king’s body.

"Did he actually think he could win?" Agatha asked as she walked over with a cold expression, bringing an icy aura with her.

Her tail was still blackened from whatever Kael had done to it. Her beautiful tail, she had to make sure Kael paid dearly.

Belgrod landed beside Kael’s body, "Perhaps, if just two of us fought him, he would have been the victorious one.

He’s not an ordinary lion," He said.

Belgrod used his leg to kick Kael, turning him over so that the latter could face the cloudless sky.

They were getting closer and closer to the low orbit area of Eridoria, and the oxygen was thinning.

The wind blew their hair and their auras were unstable.

Kael’s face was bloody. Blood and mangled lips mixed with his beard, his cheeks were cut open, and his nose was crushed inward.

He was still alive, but tired and lacking any ability to fight.

He breathed heavily, feeling like his lungs were burning.

Yet, through all this, his golden eyes remained fierce and regal, like those of a king.

Even if he were to die here, he wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing him bend.

Agatha scoffed. She raised her foot and slammed it on Kael’s chest.

Kael gasped for air as he felt like a mountain had been dropped on his chest.

Agatha’s foot twisted and pressed downward, she hoped to cause him extreme pain, and succeeded in it.

Her frost penetrated deep into his broken ribs and lungs, freezing his blood flow and making him dizzy.

Still, Kael only winced. He did not cry or show the expression Agatha wanted to see.

This annoyed her greatly.

"That’s enough," Belgrod said.

They had gotten him where they wanted, all that was left was to use him as a bargaining chip.

Suddenly, Belgrod stretched out his hand in a grabbing motion to his right.

A humanoid female appeared like a ghost, her neck grasped in Belgrod’s magic-enhanced hand.

It was Katari.

Belgrod held her up, her feet dangling a few inches away from the ground.

"And this one still thinks she can do something about it," Belgrod muttered.

Space twisted and turned but Belgrod’s spatial lock prevented her from doing anything.

She was already exhausted and out of power.

"She survived all those tigers? How?" Agatha was stunned to see Katari still alive. She thought that Katari would be dead and torn to bits by now.

She knew lionesses and knew that lionesses were definitely not strong enough to pull off such a feat.

Constantyne was also interested in the matter.

Belgrod looked into Katari’s eyes, noticing the emptiness and lack of emotion within, "She’s special, just like him.

We should have expected this, no lion would come looking for the Arkship without being special themselves," Belgrod said.

"Does that mean that there are other special lions and lionesses like them?" Constantyne asked, his insecurities speaking up. He didn’t want anyone to be unique like him, it made him feel ordinary.

If not for Belgrod, he would probably have killed Kael by now to satisfy his insecure self.

"I doubt that, these ones must be very special, even among their kind.

Oh well, that’s not our concern. Once we get the Arkship, we can leave this planet and look for our lost kin..." Belgrod’s words were at the top of his tongue but he wasn’t able to say them.

Something felt wrong.

Katari frowned as she sensed the spatial fluctuations, they weren’t from her.

Then, Belgrod noticed a thin red line stretching from one end of his abdomen to the other.

A cut...

"Hmm..."