Chapter 858: Drove Them Away
Archer watched Sia's blue eyes widen in shock as she replied, "Brooke Ashguard?"
His Oma laughed before nodding, "Yes. Shocked to see me? It has been a few decades since I've seen you."
"It was when I graduated from the College of Magic," Sia said. "What are you doing here?"
Brooke beamed and looked at Archer with a love-filled smile, "I found my other half, and it happens to be my grandson and your nephew."
Archer watched Sia look between him and Brooke before smiling, "Well, that doesn't surprise me."
Sia stepped forward and hugged him again before dragging them into Sentinals Reach after greeting Hecate, Hemera, and Talila, who were admiring the scenery. The five of them entered the fortress and noticed hundreds of injured soldiers getting tended to.
When Archer spotted them, he cast Aurora Healing over them. The ones who weren't as injured were instantly healed, while the more seriously hurt soldiers were stabilized, which made Sia smile.
She looked at him with a warm smile. "Thank you, Arch. The healers have been overworked and struggling to keep up."
He nodded before asking, "How have things been in the empire?"
Sia frowned, "Really bad as dozens of hordes appeared everywhere. The army managed to push them back, but they suffered so many casualties that they had to pull back to the nearest city," she revealed.
"Are the Swarms still roaming? I need to level up before any more Demi-Gods appear to kill me," Archer commented with a laugh.
''Don't laugh at something like that, Arch! But to answer your question, yes, they are still causing chaos," Sia answered as the group entered an office as she continued. "We were attacked last night while returning to the fortress; half of our soldiers were lost or injured."
"'Sounds horrible," Archer replied. "But some good news: my legions are marching north and have just entered the Zenia Empire."
Sia's eyebrow raised, "Legions? How many armies do you have?" she questioned.
Archer thought for a second before answering, "Ten at the moment, but the kingdom is always getting recruits due to the refugees flooding Draconia."
After speaking, the group sat down with Hemera, Hecate, and Brooke on either side of Archer while Talila sat on his lap, making everyone laugh. He looked at the silver-haired elf and questioned, "What's got into you, Tali?"
"What? I just wanted to sit on your lap as I haven't done it much," she answered with a loving smile.
Archer nodded before Sia asked another question, "Aren't you worried that the refugees will ruin your kingdom due to all the different races and cultures?"
He shook his head, "No, they swear an oath to me and the kingdom not to betray us, and when finally allowed to live on the island, their lives dramatically change for the better, and they integrate with the locals."'
Sia's eyes opened as wide as saucers, making Archer and the three elves laugh. With a smile, he commented, "By doing what we do, we get a never-ending stream of new citizens to help us grow and thrive in these chaotic times."'
"Are there any races you don't want in Draconia?" Sia questioned.
"Nope, all are welcome as long as they contribute to the realm in one way or another," Archer answered,
Sia nodded before the five started catching up, and the dragonkin woman told him of the many battles happening all over the Avalon. Archer discovered that many of the Duchy armies had been decimated due to ambushes and illness spread by the monsters.
Once Archer heard this, he grew concerned because he didn't want Draconia to be ambushed. He quickly sent Aisha a message to increase patrols tenfold and ensure the navy patrolled the coasts.
The redheaded woman agreed before telling him she missed him, but Archer told her he would return to the kingdom soon. Following that, he jumped up and declared, "I'll clear the Summerfield Duchy to take the glory from uncle while getting rewarded from the empire."
When all the women heard his declaration, they giggled, but Archer continued, "You ladies, stay here and catch up. I will be back soon."
After speaking, Archer cast Blink to the nearby balcony, summoned his wings, and took off. He flew around the Summerfield Duchy, attacking any horde he found with numbers in the double digits.
Archer used spells and the Stone Men to run them down while earning even more experience, which excited him. Hours passed, and he was now in his dragon form, lying in a lake while cooling down.
The sun's rays were relentless, irritating Archer, but the cool water relaxed him. As he hunted, he conversed with Ella, who was in the Oakheart Kingdom, assisting Llyniel and Halime.
When Archer informed the half-elf of his plans to pick them up, she expressed joy and mentioned they missed him. This made him smile before he returned to hunting the Swarm using Plasma Missiles and Eldritch Blasts that quickly wiped them out.
He was flying over a lush grassland when he couldn't see any more monsters, so he decided to fly back to Sentinal's Reach to pick up the five women and head toward Starfall City to get Leira and Mary, who would meet them outside.
Archer couldn't be bothered to be the emperor or empress. He wanted to relax in Draconia while his legions cleared the continent alongside the Stone Men. But that's when he remembered the spell the Swarm cast to block teleportation, which he had to deal with.
He shook his head while deciding to deal with it when all the girls were back on the island. With his mind made up, Archer sped up and flew across the Avalon Empire. He spotted Starfall City in the distance.
After spotting it, Archer sent Leira and Mary a message telling them to meet him outside the southern gate. While getting closer, he noticed signs of battle littering the landscape, causing him to summon thousands of Stone Men.
It drained his mana, but he soon felt it pouring back into him thanks to the surrounding mana that lingered in the air. Then, Archer descended to the ground and waited for the two women.
While waiting, he closed his eyes and messaged Nefertiti, who informed him that the Swarm was attacking the legions. Archer asked what happened, and she said they attacked during the night and caught the night watchmen off guard, but the Legionnaires and Outriders drove
them away.
It didn't take long, but Archer felt two people approaching him. He opened his eyes to see Leira bouncing up and down in excitement as she hugged his snouth while Mary gave him a love-filled smile.
But he spoke, "Get on me, you two. We will get Ella, Halime, and Llyniel before returning to the others. The Swarm is intensifying their attacks on the legions, and they may need help."
They nodded in understanding before jumping onto his head. Archer noticed they greeted the others and started chatting as he took off and flew toward the Oakheart Kingdom north of the
Avalon Empire.
Archer soared high above the breathtaking landscape, his wings slicing through the crisp, clear air. Below, the ground was a vibrant patchwork of rolling hills, shimmering lakes, and sprawling fields painted with the bright colors of wildflowers.
Rivers snaked through the valleys, their waters sparkling in the sunlight, and small villages dotted the countryside, their chimneys sending thin trails of smoke into the sky. As he flew,
the scenery began to change.
Rolling hills led to dense woodlands, and the fields grew sparser. Archer could see the dark green expanse of a massive forest looming in the distance, its trees reaching up like a thick,
unbroken canopy.
The forest seemed to stretch endlessly, a sea of leaves and branches, with occasional clearings revealing glimpses of wildlife moving below. Archer stopped admiring the trees as a wave of
spells shot toward them.
Archer quickly cast Cosmic Shield around himself as the women sent their spells flying toward the new enemy. While they traded spells, he spotted Mutant Elves and Humans attacking
them from the forest.
He quickly descended to the ground and skidded to a stop, allowing the women to jump off him and engage with the monsters. Brooke, Sia and Mary got close to slay the creatures while the others started casting spells.
While fighting, Archer spotted the trees behind them moving like something big was coming. That's when Dinosaur-like monsters rushed out of the forest, disregarding the creatures
below them as if they were crushed.
Archer scanned the newcomer.
[Tyrannosaurus]
[Rank: Sovereign]
[Level: 700]
When he saw the monster was stronger than himself, he lunged at it, letting out a deep, earth-shaking roar before crashing into the creature's giant body and starting to fight like an
angry cat.
The Tyrannosaurus clamped its massive jaws down on his shoulder, its teeth piercing his scales. Despite the pain, he fought back fiercely, using his tail like a sharp whip to lash at the
dinosaur's body.
Each strike left deep gashes across the monster's massive frame. However, the relentless pressure from its powerful bite continued, causing his scales to crack under the force and
making him grit his teeth.
Archer didn't give up and took a deep breath before breathing a stream of violet flames into the Tyrannosaurus's face. The flames caused the monster to let out a roar of pain, but that allowed Archer to tear the monster apart by going wild.
The women continued their attacks until the horde fled into a nearby hole, and Brooke collapsed it so the Swarm couldn't use it anymore.
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