Blood colored her vision. Blurred images flickered into and out of her view. Abrupt starts and halts of memory welcomed her when she finally came to. Her body refused to move without effort and upon forcing it, a groan slipped from her mouth.
Clang! Shing!
The sounds of colliding blades helped dismiss the haze clouding her mind. Her weakened hand supported her body, lifting it from a patch of piles and dirt. Screams of combat sounded once more jerking the final haze from her.
Spiritual awareness flooded from her and reached for its surroundings. The world soon filled her mind as details started flowing in. Immediately, she recognized two bodies lying in pieces on the field. Their uniform suggested it were two of her Knights. Her tiny fist clenched and she attempted to regain her footing with the help of a tree.
A quick assessment of her condition both surprised and relieved her somewhat. Though battered and tossed, her body was in otherwise good condition. Her eyes moved from the large pool of blood that shimmered where she was laying at with a hint of confusion.
Just as her feet stabilized and Sol started assessing the overall situation, two blasts of exceptional pressure knocked her off her feet and slammed her into a tree behind her. Her figure slumped to the ground again, however she retained her awareness this time.
The state of the land was tragic with craters littering her entire sensory range. Patches of the forest were blazing as if doused in gasoline. The sight stunned Sol for a moment as she discovered areas of the forest in other abnormal conditions. Large spires of what looked like ice jutted from sections of the forest while other areas seemed as if someone scooped the land out and left behind a polished finish.
Cough!
Blood leaked from Sol’s lips after her cough. How long had she been unconscious? The world changed too rapidly for her to confirm. Clang! Clang! Combat kicked off once more which drew Sol back to the fight. She found it difficult to focus on any particular thing. The pain at the back of her skull that kept shooting migraines with each minor movement suggested the reason.
Sol fought against the idle thoughts and kept her attention on the fight. She found the leftovers of the Assembler team in combat with her remaining Knights. At first glance, she could see the bowman using a short sword and who she thought was the team captain using his good arm to fight against the 4 Knights.
‘Did only 4 survive?’ No, she couldn’t bring herself to think that way. With the hell surrounding her, it was a miracle 4 normal humans were even able to survive until now. Energy gradually returned to her limbs as she assessed the situation. Her body lifted from the ground and she used what little strength she could muster to tear a partially broken limb from the tree that caught her.
‘The Unchained Queen Beast’ cycled and Sol guided magic into the limb. Traces ran up through the limb leaving scorch marks, however Sol kept the magic running through it. There was a confidence that didn’t exist prior to her self explosion moments ago. She felt a sense of familiarity as that sensation kicked off once more.
As if she were creating a Temperamental Betty, the magic etched itself inside the branch and settled in a balanced way. Sol felt as if she were loading the branch up with multiple Temperamental Bettys. After the process finished, a sense of exhaustion overtook her, however Sol kept on her feet.
Her body lurched forward and each step, though heavy, was placed with extreme precision. Sol had no choice but to make up for her physical exhaustion with mental acuity. Her pace accelerated and she adjusted her steps to match the timing of the fight she witnessed with her spiritual awareness.
Moments later, Sol broke through shrubbery near the fight between three Knights and the Assembler Captain. The man was mid swing to deflect the combined slash of the three Knights. Sol felt the world slow down slightly as her iris shimmer silver and she became hyper aware of the Assembler’s movements.
Another step brought her to his side. The limb was already grasped in both her hands and mid swing to the man’s chest. She watched as her enemy’s eyes widened at her sudden appearance. The man reacted instantly yet he was already injured and mid strike.
Sol’s limb struck the man’s waist with a sickening thwack. Blood and gore ejected from the man’s midsection as the tree limb dumped magic into his flesh. Without even checking the extent of the damage, Sol repositioned her body and launched the tree limb at the final member of the team.
Left alone and surrounded by the 4 Knights and Sol, the Archer chose to retreat. Sadly, they were too exhausted from the fight and the frequent after strikes from An’s combat destroyed what good health the ranged fighter might have otherwise had. Sol soon caught up to the ranger and launched the partially destroyed branch at them.
The ranger dodged the branch with an extreme wariness. Though not included in the exchange, they saw their captain fall to the weapon once already. Sol’s Knights capitalized on the ranger's excessive movement and soon struck them down.
Sol fell to her knees gasping for air while she also soaked in whatever information her spiritual awareness could provide. Her eyes soon fell onto the exhausted Knights beside her.
“What happened during the fight? How long have I been unconscious?”
The temporary leader of the Knights kneeled next to her before answering, the exhaustion in his voice evident. “Lady Reviarra, after damaging their captain, the Lady was disabled for about 30 minutes. Sir An’s fight disabled one of their members and there were enough of us to keep the remaining team distracted.”
“I see…” Sol’s thoughts turned from the past to the present and near future. Without a dramatic change in the situation, there should be 56 more Assemblers closing in on her position. Initially, Sol was worried about her 30 minute lapse, however she soon understood that the land around them was practically terraformed.
The idle team felt an occasional gust rip through their location. Sol understood the environment was at the mercy of those Gods fighting. Her safety could only be attributed to the chaotic battlefield covering her tracks.
Without those big hitters, she would have been captured or killed long ago. Sol soon concluded her current situation and moved onto the future. Despite her efforts, Sol was unable to detect any enemies within her spiritual awareness.
“Let’s move. An’s fight is too close. If the enemy doesn’t kill us first, he may accidentally.” She gave her order while standing on shaky legs. Her eyes dimmed after casting a glance to the cloudy sky. There was little Sol could do to determine their future direction, so she chose to move away from the explosive blasts of air.
Sol took a final glance at the bodies of the Knights she was leaving behind. There wasn’t enough time to properly bury them. Her unstable steps brought her to each Knight where she removed a chain from their chest. It was the least she could do for the loyal men. “Let’s move.”
The group pressed off from their position and utilized the wind currents to drive their movements. Every step she took, Sol felt her strength recover. When introspecting herself, she found the Unchained Queen Beast method was a festering abnormality compared to its usual self.
The pristine model had flakes dangling from it and her subconscious was constantly attacking the infected portions. Although able to view it, Sol was helpless about her situation. The cognitive model was something she memorized and embedded within her own psyche.
The model itself was nothing but her imagination at the start. Once magic poured into it though, the model became something both precious and untouchable to her. She could no longer alter it at scale through her own conscious effort. Such tasks were only possible for Assemblers at the Master rank or greater.
Sol’s lack of strength worried her as the Unchained Queen Beast model was festering in her mind. Last time she brought it up with An, he mentioned the model was designed to change and she grew, however the model looked as if it were falling apart rather than improving.
Chunks of the model were dangling from its core and the festering infection seemed as if it were consuming the model from the inside. The only thing retaining Sol’s calm demeanor was the condition of her body.
As if in opposition to the mutating cognitive model, her body was recovering at an accelerated rate. The thin magic in the environment hampered her progress, however there was a greater draw on it than there used to be.
Sol could feel the magic in the environment flowing into her system. Perhaps due to An’s battle, there was an abnormal amount of magic surrounding her. As she felt the magic suffuse into her soul, she was astonished by the quantity of magic contained within the advanced rank Assemblers.
Beyond a doubt, the magic seeping into her now was released from those massive attacks. Sol kept track of the cognitive model’s state while trekking through the woods. Soon, her spiritual awareness picked up on the presence of 3 members. At the same moment, Sol felt a pang in her soul that nearly brought her to her knees. The feeling was incredibly familiar. “It’s already time for a refinement?!”
