CHAPTER 314: CHAPTER 313- STRATEGY

Adrian could already tell he wasn’t getting a warm welcome in this world.

The man named Michael kept glaring at him as they sat across from each other.

It was already frustrating enough that Adrian kept stumbling whenever he lost focus on his footing. Now he also had to deal with this prickly man who seemed to have some grudge against him.

Thankfully, Forgelet was there. She broke the silence and introduced them.

"Avirin, this is Michael...my close friend."

Adrian noticed Michael flinch slightly at the words close friend.

Then she turned to Michael. "This is Avirin."

"I know. You talk about him a lot." His tone carried no amusement—only complaint.

Adrian let out a sigh. "Well, rest assured, Mister Michael. I’m not taking Forgelet away."

Michael’s brows twitched. "You...gave her a pet name..."

Adrian could only feel helpless at that.

Forgelet groaned. "Michael...even knowing the situation, you’re still making a fuss?"

Michael clicked his tongue and looked away.

She continued, "Michael is the battalion chief—one of the four commanders responsible for protecting this place."

Adrian raised his brows. Well, those muscles certainly tell a story.

Michael looked to be a young dwarf in his prime, his presence heavy and pressing—reminding Adrian of the time he stood against Spade during the ambush.

"So...what’s the situation with the core?" Adrian asked, breaking the silence.

Forgelet answered, "As I told you before, a beast was summoned from the Hollow World. It was terrifying to behold—resistant to most elements, with physical strength that was just...immense."

Adrian only hummed, choosing not to comment.

Michael, however, had no such restraint. "But it was defeated. All that bravado means nothing when that monster was reduced to dust."

Forgelet gave a small, wry smile. "Yes, but that dust has become the reason our planet may face destruction."

Michael’s expression hardened, while Adrian’s curiosity sharpened.

The blue-eyed blacksmith took a breath before continuing. "When the monster died—or rather, when we believe it died—its body scattered into countless fragments we now call Nanobytes."

She raised her hand and summoned another projection. It showed the planet’s surface and inner layers once more, but this time thin, hairline cracks could be seen spreading downward, seeping deeper into the planet.

"Those are...Nanobytes?" Adrian asked.

Forgelet nodded. "Yes. They’re burrowing into the inner layers of the planet, heading straight for the core."

Adrian’s brows knit together. "You do realize the core’s temperature can reach up to six thousand degrees Celsius, right?"

Forgelet nodded, "I know...but that’s the speciality of the nanobytes."

Michael added, "They grow stronger as they consume heat energy." Heaving a sigh, he added, "We discerned it during our battle that the creature can absorb every spell that produced heat and then channel it through their body, using the heat as a fuel."

Adrian was surprised, "You mean to say..."

Forgelet nodded, "Yes, they are going to consume the core."

....

Crackle

Bella gritted her teeth, pressing her back against the tree.

The fight had spiraled far beyond anything she could have imagined.

This foe was unlike any she had ever faced.

How did they retrieve the blood of the Fallen God?! The thought clawed at her mind. She couldn’t fathom how the Acolytes had gotten hold of something so rare.

"There is no point in hiding, mortal. As long as a single drop of mana flows through your veins, I can sense you."

His voice boomed through the forest, louder than the rumbling clouds above, each step he took dripping with confidence.

Bella clicked her tongue, cradling her dislocated arm close.

Every spell she had unleashed on him had been worthless.

It wasn’t that her magic failed to connect—it was worse. Her spells were absorbed, swallowed whole by a being who seemed to command mana itself.

And then there was his cursed regeneration. Bella had lost count of the cuts and bruises she had inflicted in their brief clash. Yet every time, the wounds vanished in seconds, while she could hardly withstand a single blow. All her efforts dissolved in the blink of an eye.

’Fuck!’ she cursed, leaping away—only for the entire tree behind her to erupt in flames the next instant.

"Stop there, little birdy!" The monster laughed mockingly as he conjured a swirling wind funnel that yanked Bella back before she could dash away.

Her blue eyes narrowed. Instead of resisting, she released her footing and let herself be dragged straight toward him.

The Fallen God grinned, lifting his left hand to choke her—when suddenly, a strip of formless steel coiled around his arm.

CRACKLE

A bolt of lightning flashed before his face, yet it left no wound. The magical energy from the blade was simply devoured.

"This is pretty lame—" he sneered, but stopped mid-sentence as realization struck.

The spell had only been a flashbang, a trick to steal his focus.

He spun on his heel—too late.

DHAK!

A massive boulder, as large as a rhino, crashed down on him, smashing him deep into the earth.

"Guh...such a brute beauty," the Fallen God muttered, blood running from his head as he heaved the stone aside.

But then—

"Don’t move."

Annabelle appeared above him, her foot pressing firmly against his head.

Still holding the boulder with one hand, Nytharos grinned. "Despite knowing the difference in strength, you never once considered giving up or running away...even when you had the chance."

Annabelle’s eyes narrowed, cold and unyielding. "I haven’t given up on my intentions. First, I’ll destroy you—then this base."

She wouldn’t allow herself to disappoint her darling.

....

"So...I have to tune golems?" Adrian asked with a tilt of his head.

The plan was to send Golems under the surface that would send freezing waves which would render those nanobytes useless.

The plan was plausible given they were weak against cold.

However, the problem was, "Without a human piloting the golem, the runes wouldn’t be as effective."

Without a human body, he would need to attach thread like he does with an artifact.

After all, the golems doesn’t have a mana processor so the thread always remains weak and less efficient.

However, given the scale of the spell they would need to chant...Adrian has a feeling that it wouldn’t work as Forgelet wishes them to.

Forgelet grinned at those words, "You don’t need to worry about that. The golems I have created can channel mana on their own, rather than just mindless following orders."

Adrian frowned, "To channel mana one requires a hive. A mind."

The dwarf chuckled, "Exactly."

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you are enjoying the read so far, please leave a review.

And...I am creating a new book, so please look forward to it.