Chapter 787: It Begins
Chapter 787: It Begins
As the old fisherman pulled his net out of the canal, he was again greeted with plenty of catch. This spot was one of the most secluded spots in the city, which was the only one he could fish from.
Since Ayaz was a water city connected to the Great Blood Ocean, many fish could be found in its waters. The ocean was what split the two continents, filled with monsters in its deeper levels, and this made the fish fleets swim closer to the surface. It was a blessing in disguise since it enriched the maritime business.
"These fishes are acting crazy," said the old fisherman as he crouched. He lived for seventy years in this city but never saw the fish so scared. They were still trying to run away toward the east as if the west could devour them. "In any case, today is the best day of my life!"
As he finished his words, the sunlight suddenly disappeared. His straw hat usually shielded him from the sun but allowed some to fall on his face. As the old fisherman raised his head, it took him a moment to realize what was happening.
A giant meteor was falling toward the city, covered with flames that made it look like a massive fireball. The old fisherman gaped before the fish slipped from his hand and gulped down.
"Gods be merciful," muttered the fisherman, regretting his earlier words. "Is this a divine punishment or a sick coincidence?"
Since the old fisherman was on the edge of Ayaz city, no buildings hindered his view. He was standing on his boats beside the city, happy about today's catch. His mouth gaped as he stared at the sky, feeling like he needed to do something.
"What is there to do?" asked the old man with a trembling mouth. "If the gods are wrathful, what can we do?"
As his hope got extinguished, the fisherman fell on his lower back. The boat started swaying, causing some fish to jump back into the waters. His face was pale but peaceful. He wondered when his time would come and finally received his answer.
Whoosh!
An object flew over the lake from behind him at such a speed that it split the waters in two. Then, although it was flying several meters above the ground, the waters started giving way because of his aura. The old fisherman craned his neck, squinted his eyes to see what it was, and found the familiar fluttering black robes.
"That figure… that man is…" muttered the old man before realizing that this event was too precious to miss. Thus, he fumbled with his pocket until he found the tinker his grandson had got him. It was a small device, which he called a phone.
Since the old fisherman had never used a phone before, since he never needed one, he had some difficulty opening the 'camera' and starting recording. However, once he did, he managed to zoom onto the figure in time. And then, he clicked record. Arthur Silvera appeared on his screen.
Scenes like these spread in Ayaz, City of Sealights. A sudden meteor barging into their lives made the citizens despair, but the arrival of a sudden figure on the scene made them both confused and hopeful.
In houses that floated on the water, and even towers that had streams flowing to their top, newspapers laid around proclaiming Arthur Silvera as the stealer of elements. However, the scene before them was different.
A terrifying disaster struck their city, and the first one to respond was Arthur Silvera. His black robes with golden linings fluttered in the wind as he soared toward the meteor. His unbridled mana raged around him, all gathering around his arm to create a miniature sun.
"CITIZENS OF AYAZ," roared Arthur Silvera at the top of his voice, using mana to address them. "FIND SHELTER, FOR THIS METEOR CAN NEVER BE FULLY DESTROYED!"
His deafening voice spread to every house in Ayaz before chaos broke out in an attempt to find shelter. But, since this city had no underground, all the citizens could head to were the protection arrays in churches and military fortresses.
"Prepare to arrest the wanted man!" shouted a knight while the citizens were flooding the streets. At that time, an old woman heard him and stormed over to grab his collar.
"Who are you arresting, idiot?" shouted the aunty with her two children hugging her tightly. "That man can be called a stealer of elements, but at this moment, he can steal!"
Similar scenes broke in the capital as the sudden meteor descended toward them. From its appearance until the current moment, not more than a few minutes passed. The citizens dropped their chores, jobs, and prayers to rush toward safety.
As for Arthur Silvera, he was still soaring toward the meteor. Their collision was imminent, and the sun in his hand grew brighter. It was incomparable to the meteor's size, but it represented hope against the odds.
"There is no time to hide! Arthur Silvera is already close to it!" said an awakener with mana covering his eyes. "He is preparing to… attack the meteor!"
The notion seemed absurd, like an egg throwing itself at a rock. However, nothing was too ridiculous at that moment because everything was better than death.
The mana cannons finished loading, and they aimed toward the meteor, firing several volleys hoping to destroy it. However, the meteor was unaffected by the beams but only served to make it burn brighter.
As for Arthur Silvera, he was still soaring toward the meteor until he slowed down. It seems he was losing momentum because of the air pressure from the meteor, which was hot enough to melt an ordinary man.
However, the golden mana seemed to tear through the air pressure and the heat, making Arthur Silvera float in the air. His arm arched back, holding the golden sun away from his body. Then, the golden mana infused into the orb.
Golden flashes of lightning started striking the tiny sun, making it grow larger. Arthur Silvera looked like an ant compared to the giant meteor, but he never turned to run away. Instead, as the meteor got closer, Arthur Silvera swung his arm to strike it the moment it arrived.
BOOM!
At the moment of collision, a deafening sound almost ruptured their eardrums. As for the meteor, it momentarily stopped moving when struck by the small sun. The next scene happened in an instant.
The sun dissolved into the meteor, and golden cobwebs appeared in its raging fire. Then, in front of the citizen's shocked eyes, the meteor started cracking before it exploded into millions of pieces.
"Some of the pieces are falling over here!" shouted a commander before he waved his arm. "Knights, protect the city!"
A thousand knights jumped toward the sky, soaring to the falling parts. They all used their strongest attacks to destroy the small pieces while Arthur Silvera fell among the rubble. But, unfortunately, he was falling head first, making the citizens afraid that he had exhausted all of his mana.
"Save him!"
"Hurry!"
"There is no time. We have to do it ourselves!"
Since the knights were busy fending off the rubbles and pushing them into the waters, the gathered citizens rushed to form a giant horde. All of them raised their hands together to catch the falling Arthur Silvera.
In a rare scene, all the citizens came together to cushion one man's fall. Among the chaos of falling rubbles and burning buildings, Arthur Silvera fell to the outstretched arms of the citizens.
"His body is scorching!" shouted one of the men who happened to be directly below him and then made sure to instruct the rest. "Don't let go! Place him down gently!"
Even though his heat scorched their skins, the citizens didn't let go until he landed on the ground safely. The crowd stared at the savior of their city with confusion, wondering how can a simple man wield so much power.
"This is… the stealer of elements?" asked a young man with confusion. "I saw him on the news, but he is… so damn young."
"I heard he's no older than twenty," said the middle-aged man who first caught him. His arms were red and blistered. "A simple touch did this to us, so how can he be unharmed?"
"Awakeners have resistance," said an old man on a cane. "It seems that although unharmed, he used a large amount of mana in a single go. This causes a mana shock because his body is unaccustomed to such usage."
"Does that mean he will wake up soon, doctor?"
"It can take between a few seconds and a year," the old doctor answered. At that moment, Arthur groaned before his eyes fluttered. "It seems it just took a few seconds."
Arthur opened his eyes slowly, seeming confused by the scene of countless faces staring at him. Then, he pushed himself up, and the crowd retreated. But, again, he stared at them with confusion.
"Where am I?" he asked. "Wait, what happened to the meteor?"
"You destroyed it," said the old doctor before he lowered his body. "You saved us and our city, Arthur Silvera. And for that, we are eternally thankful."
"Even if I was the stealer of elements?" asked Arthur after a moment of silence. The faces of the citizens changed and grew hesitant, but the middle-aged man stepped forward and kowtowed.
"I thought I would die today before I reunite with my children," said the middle-aged man with gray sideburns. "Whether you are a stealer of elements or not, I thank you!"
The rest of the citizens nodded. Arthur Silvera scanned the crowd before turning toward the kowtowing man and helping him rise. Then, he stared at his arms and then at his own body.
"It seems that I have caused harm to all of you," said Arthur Silvera before raising his hand, and a green rune appeared. "Let me fix that."
A green light covered the wounds of the crowd, healing them instantly. They all stared with gratitude at Arthur Silvera, who rose to his feet. He returned their gratitude for cushioning his fall despite not being awakeners.
There were elders, moms, workers, and children in the crowd. All of them were staring at him with gentle and grateful faces. Arthur had never felt this way before, and as he opened his mouth to say something, a voice interrupted from above them.
"What a heartwarming scene, Outsider," said Cassius, who appeared in the sky above the city. "You managed to destroy the meteor, but did you think it was over? The massacre begins now."