Sorcerer… Cyborg???

Chapter 169: First Strike(2)

Kothar launched himself forward, he was determined to take out this scorpion with swordsmanship alone, he sliced down toward the scorpion's head.

The scorpion raised its claws, blocking the slash that carried all of Kothar's strength behind it, a flurry of sparks exploding from where the edge of the blade impacted the tan colored exoskeleton of the scorpion.

As soon as he felt the resistance of the scorpion's tough exoskeleton, Kothar leapt backwards, anticipating the scorpion's next attack, as its stinger was propelled by its powerful tail, stabbing down where Kothar had stood moments earlier.

The only mark left on the scorpion's tough exoskeleton was a black scorch mark, evidently, the scorpion made up for its lack of mana reserves by strengthening its body as much as possible.

[That'll be a tough shell to crack.] Silane murmured, projected possible weak points in the scorpion's exoskeleton. From her initial examination, the mouth, and the joints of the limbs were the weakest points, but all of those points would entail Kothar getting into striking distance.

Kothar let loose a flurry of rapid blows, and the scorpion met them all head on, using its flattened pancake shaped claws, like large shields, and fending off Kothar's attacks.

[Alright, that's enough playing around.] Kothar said, casting Lightning Aura and Storm Field concurrently, he had been using the two spells so frequently that casting them had become second nature for him, he could cast them as easily as waving his hand. 

The lightning crackled all over Kothar tall frame, he was growing taller and taller by the day, and while his demonic mask obscured his features, his long black curls were beginning to cascade down to his shoulders around his mask, and the lightning made his hair stand on end, forming a crackling mane around the mask.

The lightning from the storm field spread out in every direction, centered on Kothar and the scorpion, and Kothar looked every bit the lightning demon that Lucio had pictured him to be.

[I'd like to see it block this.] Kothar took another stance, this time crouched low to the ground, his sword held close to his body, elbows tucked in with the sword held horizontally, pointed straight at the scorpion.

Kothar focused all his power on launching himself forward as fast as possible, he wanted to recreate the attack he had used on the Multas Islands, if he was able to use it consistently, it would be a perfect tool to use against enemies that relied on their tough defense while staying immobile.

He shot forward, like a bolt of lightning, the point of his sword aiming directly at the scorpion's mouth, the scorpion's claws slammed together, and the stinger pierced down, but all they caught were the sparks trailing behind Kothar as his sword slid cleanly into the scorpion, piercing its mouth at a slightly upward angle, and then sending the strongest possible bolt spell to fry its nervous system from the inside.

Thud. The lifeless corpse of the enormous scorpion fell to the ground, an acrid burning smell in the air, and wisps of black smoke emanating from the scorpion.

[You'll have to name that attack, especially if you're going to be using so much. Don't you know, everyone on Eclat names their spells and attacks.] Silane said, half jokingly.

[I've had a name in mind for it for a while. First Strike. Since when I sue, I'll always be the one to strike first.] Kothar replied, naming the technique he used, which combined his spells, the sword he had designed and his father's sword stances, helped him solidify the technique in his mind, as strange as it might seem.

Kothar walked off into the distance, the smoking corpse of the scorpion behind him, even in death, melding into the featureless gray and sandy colored landscape.

It was another half day of walking before Kothar saw the first hints of the forest where they were to meet. The forest had no name, there was no need for it to be named, it was just one of the many parts of the wastelands that the people of the Empire and the vassal states avoided.

They mostly kept to safe corridors that ran through the wasteland, where few beasts were found and the terrain was predictable.

Kothar had seen similar oddities in the Wasteland on his way, forests of a similar size, small regions of mountainous ground, and even picturesque lakes. But they all had something in common. A massively powerful mana signature that made Kothar thankful he had his Mana-Sensing Lens, since without it, he might have gotten closer to investigate, only feeling the powerful presence until he was much closer, and possibly losing his life in the process.

The forest which held Man-Eating Deer had been chosen as the beast that had guarded it hadn't been sighted for many many years, but locals were still loath to go near it, not wanting to deal with even the weaker deer in the absence of their ruler.

It seems that the Nighthawk's intelligence was correct, Kothar didn't see the strong mana signatures he had seen in the other locations, only a number of weaker signatures roaming all throughout the forest, mostly alone, but some, presumably mothers and their children, in duos or trios, with one stronger individual.

Kothar scanned the forest, looking for any sign of the Nighthawks, and for a moment his heart skipped a beat, thinking he had missed them, but then he spotted the inevitable cluster of powerful mana signatures, deep within the forest, milling about slowly, presumably about their daily tasks in the camp.

He made his way towards the forest, he had made it to the meeting point with a day to spare, and from the looks of it, there were still ten Nighthawks who had yet to arrive.

Unless they arrived at the meeting point or sent a message, the latecomers would be considered dead, doing otherwise and waiting any longer would jeopardize the greater mission.

The conquest of the mighty Empire.