Chapter 425: Clash of Civilizations (Patreon)

Chapter 425: Clash of Civilizations

The Star River Mayflies were a quasi-gestalt species, their mental connections giving them a vastly different understanding of death compared to Wizards.

For the Star River Mayflies, death was not something difficult to accept.

Through their long evolution, they had even developed a peculiar reverence for death.

So when the Mayfly General announced his impending demise, Tai's eyes actually flickered with a trace of envy.

The General was about to step into the sublime embrace of death, burning away his last ounce of strength for the glory of the Star River Mayflies.

"I understand, General. All for the Star River Mayflies!"

Tai's tail filaments stiffened abruptly before he swallowed the crystal whole.

The General's tail filaments rose in unison.

"Together, for the Star River Mayflies!"

……

Boom! Boom! Boom…

Within the Mind Network of the Star River Mayflies, a bell-like resonance reverberated endlessly. Every Mayfly that heard it froze in place.

"Are we going to battle again?"

"Has the General made contact with the Supreme Lake?"

"At last, I can sacrifice myself—for the glory of the Star River Mayflies!"

……

Within the Mind Network, the Star River Mayflies freely exchanged their emotions.

But soon, as a vast consciousness emerged in the network, all voices fell silent.

The Mayfly General spoke through the Mind Network:

"Brethren, the Wizards have discovered us. Our days of hiding are over.

"Now, we shall offer the last of our strength for the glory of the Star River Mayflies.

"Our souls shall become droplets in the Supreme Lake, eternally nourishing our kind.

"Brethren, the time has come to face death! For the glory of the Star River Mayflies!"

The General's voice echoed through the Mind Network, instantly resounding in the cognitive organs of every Star River Mayfly.

Immediately afterward, tens of thousands of voices rose in near-perfect unison within the network.

As one, they declared:

"All for the Star River Mayflies!"

……

Outside the lake, five Wizards had completed their preparations, waiting for the Mayfly swarm to emerge.

They were certain the Mayflies would come.

Any commander in this situation would choose to strike first.

Given the overwhelming disparity in strength, holding their ground was no longer an option.

Attacking at least ensured a dignified death.

And just as Richard had predicted, the luminous illusions on the lake's surface suddenly vanished as the massive swarm burst forth from the starry waters.

The Mayflies maintained precise distances between one another, their energy and psychic resonance forming a colossal Spell-like Model in the air.

"Susanna."

Delis showed no trace of panic—compared to the scenes he had witnessed before, these Mayflies were hardly a threat.

Susanna obeyed the command at once, beginning her Curse Spellcraft.

Among the five great schools of Spellcraft, curses were the most enigmatic. Their effects and mechanisms were bizarre beyond measure.

Susanna drew a handful of pitch-black straw from her pocket, her gaze locked onto the Mayfly General amidst the swarm.

In the next instant, blood began seeping endlessly from her hands, absorbed by the straw. Within moments, the straw wove itself into a miniature replica of the Mayfly General.

Among the swarm, the Mayfly General took notice of Susanna's actions.

In his eyes, Susanna's body gradually turned into a phantom. The flow of Mana Recirculation and various energies became crystal clear to his vision.

The Star River Mayflies actually possessed an ability similar to energy sight.

And this ability was even more advanced than energy sight, because in the Mayfly General's vision, strands of mysterious dark power transformed into chains, linking him to the straw doll in Susanna's hand.

"To manipulate mysterious forces—what exactly is the racial talent of this species called Wizards?"

The Mayfly General had once battled Wizards before. Their mastery over elemental manipulation had left a deep impression on him.

He had initially thought that elemental manipulation was the Wizards' innate gift.

But as the war progressed, the Wizards' bizarre and varied abilities increasingly muddled his judgment.

Undead creatures, mechanical puppets, soul-sea entities... The Wizards' methods left even him, a Mayfly General who prided himself on broad experience, utterly bewildered.

And now, among the Wizards, there was yet another individual who could manipulate mysterious forces.

Could it be that this so-called Wizard race was actually a multi-species coalition?

The Mayfly General couldn't figure it out, but fortunately, this was no longer a question he needed to ponder.

All he had to do now was embrace a glorious death.

"Manipulating mysterious forces? You're not qualified yet!"

With a shudder of his body, the chain linked to him instantly split into thousands, connecting to the entire swarm of mayflies.

In the next moment, no matter how Susanna urged her Spell, the Mayfly General remained completely unaffected.

All the Spell's effects had been dispersed across the entire swarm.

"Hmph!"

The Mayfly General willed his thoughts, preparing to organize the swarm for an attack. But before his command could be issued, he realized that a portion of the swarm had lost connection with him.

"Now!"

Delis shouted sharply, his staff crackling with electricity.

A white-purple Chain Lightning erupted from the tip of his staff—this single strike packed a staggering eight thousand energy levels.

Hearing the command, Richard and the others immediately acted.

Stio's hammer-staff unleashed a thunderous surge, releasing a lightning bolt even more powerful than Delis's Chain Lightning. Like a serpent's strike, it shot from the hammerhead.

In an instant, it reduced the majority of the separated mayflies to charred husks.

Though the combined combat power of these mayflies could rival a Third Circle Wizard, individually they were only first or second level.

Spells like Chain Lightning were devastatingly effective against the swarm.

"Not only did they sever the Mind Network, but they even cut off the energy link."

The Mayfly General was somewhat surprised but remained unflustered.

With a mere thought, the entire swarm underwent a drastic transformation.

Delis seized the moment, his staff unleashing several more Chain Lightning strikes, charring thousands of mayflies in an instant.

Yet the Star River Mayflies showed no fear of death. With each lightning bolt, mayflies willingly threw themselves into the path, sacrificing themselves to minimize the Spell's impact.

Even Delis, battle-hardened as he was, couldn't help but be moved by such actions.

"Such fearless bravery—do these mayflies truly possess individual personalities?"

The vast differences between species made it impossible for Delis to fathom that the Star River Mayflies worshipped death.

The Star River Mayflies shifted formations with astonishing speed, rearranging into a new configuration in less than three seconds.

This new formation resembled a Devil's Work Ball, layers nested within layers. The energy links between the mayflies became nearly visible under this arrangement.

Delis’s expression darkened slightly. This new formation strengthened both the mental and energy connections among the mayflies.

His spells, designed to sever these links, no longer had the same effect as before.

"This is getting troublesome."

With a thought, Delis cast a mental chain, linking everyone together.

"The situation is complicated. Switch to Plan Two. Susanna, stop cursing it—can’t you see the curses are ineffective? Use your Evocation Spells now and help me restrain these mayflies."

Following his command, the Wizards quickly adjusted their tactics.

Plan Two was the contingency for when Delis couldn’t sever the mayflies’ connections. Its core relied on Anthony and Aurey—Anthony’s spatial Spellcraft could disrupt the mayflies’ links on a dimensional level, while Aurey’s Sealing Art could isolate them.

Though slower than the primary strategy, this approach was still manageable.

But just as the Wizards adapted, so did the Star River Mayflies.

With a single thought from the Mayfly General, a powerful psychic shockwave erupted from the swarm.

The innate mental link of the Star River Mayflies allowed their psychic energy to merge seamlessly, achieving an effect akin to joint spellcasting—a feat even seasoned soul Wizards struggled to replicate.

In an instant, the five Wizards felt their vision darken.

The overwhelming psychic assault hammered into their souls like a crushing weight.

Yet, Delis recovered almost immediately.

For an Old Wizard like him, tempered by countless trials, such a mental strike was little more than a drizzle.

"Wake!"

His voice reverberated through the mental link, jolting the others back to awareness.

Meanwhile, his own form expanded rapidly as shadows surged into his body, transforming him into a towering giant of darkness.

Hum! A beam of light shot from the mayfly swarm, its power reaching ten thousand energy units.

But the moment it appeared, the shadowy giant seized it and absorbed it whole.

"An Uncrowned King? No… a Fallen King."

The Mayfly General instantly recognized Delis’s state, and excitement surged within him.

"To think that worthless beings like us could trade our lives for a Fallen King in our final moments!"

His voice echoed through the Mind Network, and in an instant, the entire swarm erupted into frenzy.

A Fallen King—even among the Star River Mayflies, such a figure was a rare and formidable presence.

Compared to a Fallen King, the entire swarm combined was worth less than a single strand of his tail.

Delis keenly noted the mayflies’ shift in demeanor. Years of experience allowed him to assess the situation without hesitation.

He held immense value in their eyes.

The next moment, a storm of energy beams rained down from the swarm, all aimed at the shadow giant.

The other Third Circle Wizards were mere minnows in comparison—Delis was the true prize.

Soon, one of the four Wizards awoke, and surprisingly, it was the youngest among them—Richard.

As a Wizard who had mastered the cultivation methods of both the Wizard and the divine civilizations, Richard possessed formidable resistance to attacks targeting the soul and mind after attaining his rank.

"Awake," Richard responded briefly in the Mind Network.

"Then proceed with the mission."

But Richard did not follow the order, as he had conceived a better plan after enduring the mental assault.

"Master Delis, I need you to divert the attention of these ephemerals. I'm going to use a piece of Magic Equipment next. If my hypothesis is correct, these ephemerals should be significantly weakened."

"Agreed," Delis replied without hesitation. "But you will bear the consequences of failure."

Richard also did not hesitate, answering succinctly, "Agreed."

Then, he pulled out a pale mask from his pocket, its forehead embedded with a black-red crystal.

(End of Chapter)