Chapter 340: The Big Plan Part 2
Dark clouds loomed over a settlement hidden beneath the earth.
The people had lived quietly inside tunnels and carved chambers for years. Stone walls had kept them safe.
Until now.
The same walls that once protected them became their tomb after the earthquake.
CRACK!
"Another aftershock! Get down and find cover!" shouted one of the settlers.
Part of the ceiling gave way. Boulders fell fast, crushing walkways and trapping more families.
Panic hit before words could.
Screams filled the dark as people realized they were running out of oxygen.
Dust thickened the air, and every breath scraped their throats.
A mother clutched her child, pressing her shawl over the girl's face to filter the dust.
Her own lungs burned, but she stayed still, shielding her child from falling debris.
Even though she knew it was probably a wasted effort, she kept going until the end.
Not because she believed someone would hear. Not because she thought it would work.
But because doing nothing felt worse.
Then, without warning, the shaking stopped.
Gasps echoed as the survivors stared up.
The collapsed ceiling began to rise, slow and steady. Loose stones lifted off the ground, drawn upward like gravity had flipped for just a moment.
Once the ceiling rose high enough, the survivors slowly stood.
They shielded their eyes because the sunlight poured in from above, revealing a figure.
It was Asher, floating above them. His wings stretched wide, glowing in the sunlight, making him look almost like an angel.
"Everyone, gather together," he said firmly. "I'll teleport you to safety."
There was a moment of silence as the survivors did not know what to make of his words.
"I said gather up, or I'll leave you all here to die!"
This time, his words got an immediate response. The survivors quickly gathered in the center.
Asher didn't need to move. He stayed where he was, casting spell after spell from a distance.
The first spell brought healing. Green dust fell from above like rain, gently covering the wounded.
Cuts closed, broken bones mended, and shallow breaths steadied.
Once the worst were stable, he activated his magic sight, scanning the ground for more survivors.
A few dozen were still trapped deeper inside, barely alive.
He teleported them to the surface first, then moved quickly to heal their wounds.
Once everything was handled, he raised his hand and wrapped a barrier around the survivors.
Then he blinked back to the city without a word.
Skyler was stunned by how fast and clean it all went.
Even the Awakeners were surprised. They hadn't been gone long, and they were already back with all these survivors.
"Handle them." Asher barked, giving his orders before grabbing Skyler's hand.
"Let's move to the next settlement."
BLINK!
Another settlement needed help—this time on the surface.
It was the size of a town, built in a quiet valley where few dared live. Now, serpents had taken it over.
They weren't normal snakes. These were monsters.
Scales that shimmered like molten metal. Bodies long enough to block streets.
They slipped through the town and fought against the humans.
RATTAT--RATATTT-RATTATT!
Gunfire exploded through the air as the humans fought to defend their territory.
The roar of gattling guns filled the valley, their massive barrels churning out rounds that could shred tanks.
RPGs launched with deafening blasts, sending plumes of smoke and debris.
Soldiers, gritting their teeth in defiance, unleashed every weapon they could get their hands on, desperate to hold back the relentless horde monsters.
"Keep firing! Don't let them through!" a sergeant order.
A soldier, sweat pouring down his face, reloaded his rifle with trembling hands, his breath shallow and fast.
The sound of gunfire was deafening, butthe creatures just kept coming.
It was as if the monsters were endless, their twisted forms crashing forward in waves, uncaring if they died or not.
But ammunition was running low.
A soldier looked down at his rifle and cursed.
The magazine clicked empty. He hurled it aside and grabbed his sidearm, but even that wouldn't last much longer.
"Shit!" another soldier shouted, his weapon jamming. "We're out!"
"Fuck it. We'll die either way. Let's take as many of them with us as we can."
The soldiers dropped their firearms.
They reached for their last resort—their swords, blades still sharp from countless battles, and crude blunt weapons they'd been forced to carry as backups.
"Don't let them pass! Show them the power of humanity!"
The soldiers formed a desperate line, swords raised high as the creatures closed in.
One soldier, face smeared with blood and dirt, swung his sword with all his remaining strength, cleaving through the side of a monster.
It howled, but didn't fall, its body still lurching forward.
"Die with honor," he muttered to himself.
Another soldier, a young man barely old enough to have a beard, gripped his weapon tighter.
He looked over at his comrades and laughed the fear away.
Unlike the other settlements, this one was filled with battle-hardened warriors who fought day in and day out.
"ARGHHH" He swung his sword with a roar, striking down the closest monster, his blade sinking deep into its skull.
But before he could react, another snake was on him, knocking him to the ground.
He fought with everything left in him, even as his vision blurred, his chest heaving in desperate gasps.
Beside him, another soldier fought furiously with a blunt weapon—a large custom mace. It was a far cry from his standard-issue gun, but it was all he had now.
With every swing, he took down one more beast.
But the fight was futile. They could see it in the faces of their comrades as they fell, one by one—there was no victory here.
BOOOOM!
An explosion erupted, shaking the ground beneath them.
Instinctively, every soldier looked up.
A massive snake, thirty times larger than the others, now hovered above them.
RATTAT--RATATTT-RATTATT!
One soldier fired his gatling gun at the massive creature, but the bullets merely bounced off its hardened scales.
Another fired an advanced RPG loaded with napalm, but it barely left a mark.
HISSSS!
The giant snake's eyes gleamed as it lunged at the soldiers.
Most had already accepted their fate—until the creature suddenly froze mid-attack, hovering above them like time had stopped.
The soldiers stood frozen, gripping their weapons tight. One of them blinked hard, thinking he imagined it.
"Did it stop? Is it... stuck?" someone muttered.
They looked around, unsure if it was a trick or a miracle.
But that was only the beginning.
The giant snake began to rise, lifted into the air by some invisible force.
It hissed in pain, its massive body twisting and thrashing.
Then—
BURST.
Its body exploded midair. Blood rained down, splashing over the smaller snakes below.
Before anyone could react, the others began to convulse.
One by one, they popped like overripe tomatoes—crushed by something none of them could see.
What was supposed to be their last stand had turned into a massacre...but not theirs.
In just thirty seconds, it ended. Silence returned.
The soldiers stared at the aftermath.
On one hand, they were glad the beast stampede was over. On the other, they were worried about the one who made it happen.
They didn't have to wait long. Asher landed in his dragon form.
A few soldiers raised their swords, but the commander stopped them.
"What could a sword do against someone who crushed monsters like they were ants?"
His words slapped them back to reality.
Asher gave a small smile. At least the commander had some sense.
"My name is Commander Ker. Thank you for helping us deal with those monsters,"
"It's nothing," Asher replied.
"I don't have time to waste. I need to check on the other cities and settlements, so I'll be direct."
"Gather all your survivors in one place. I'll teleport you to the main city. An ice age is coming, and none of you will survive without proper protection."
The commander was stunned by the news, but he didn't argue.
Instead, he gave the order right away. If Asher wanted them dead, he could've wiped them out easily—there was no reason to doubt him.
With the soldiers' coordination, everyone gathered quickly.
Asher raised his hand and repeated the teleportation process.
He visited more settlements after that, saving hundreds of people from different situations.
Skyler, who had been with him the entire time, found herself falling more and more for his charm.
He wasn't just strong—he had a caring heart too.
Who wouldn't be drawn to such a remarkable man?
Asher noticed her racing heartbeat but chose to ignore it for the moment.
He couldn't control human emotions, so if she wanted to fall for him, that was her choice.
But in the end, it was useless. She didn't really have a chance.
As more people filled the main city, camps were set up to accommodate them.
Smiles began to return to their faces, with Asher's presence becoming their anchor.
In this desperate time, many even started to create their own religion, calling him a god.
A group of survivors, their faces filled with hope and fanatism, stepped forward.
They raised their voices, drawing attention from the nearby crowd.
"We are the Ashborn!" one of them shouted.
Others followed, chanting the same phrase in unison,
"We were saved," another proclaimed, stepping forward with outstretched arms. "We were saved from certain death by our benevolent god, Asher!"
The crowd around them muttered, some nodding, others shaking their heads in confusion. Not everyone was convinced.
But the Ashborns were undeterred.
They raised their voices louder, their hands gesturing towards the barrier protecting everyone
"He is the reason we are still alive!"
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