Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 736: For Revenge I

A oppressive silence gripped the command room.

No shouts rang out, no frantic movements occurred... yet this quiet held no peace. It was the sort born from catastrophe, where everyone's thoughts lingered on the shocking events of mere moments before.

Half the shining markers on the map had faded to black.

Half their troops.

Lana gripped the table edge, knuckles whitening, breaths coming ragged.

"Bastards..." she muttered lowly, rage seething within.

"In one instant... just one instant..."

Though Daniel had been dispatched to hunt down the culprits behind that strike, with full confidence in his success, the losses inflicted demanded attention.

These fallen were promising Awakened nurtured by Everlight Moon for years. Every one represented a vital resource for the guild.

Such casualties stabbed like a dagger into her chest. Ignoring it was impossible.

Daruis advanced, brow deeply furrowed, facing his guild leader.

"That’s enough." His tone grated roughly, respect intact.

"Let us strike them straight on. Immediately. We’ll smash all they possess."

"And sacrifice our remaining strength." Aron countered without glancing his way.

"Our barriers are scarcely enduring as is."

He spoke truth.

With half their numbers gone, the survivors reeled, spirits crushed.

Foes pressed onward relentlessly, annihilating all in their wake, sparing nothing.

The guild’s protective formations bore severe wounds, hardly repelling the invaders from the heart.

And the key clashes hadn’t truly begun... where Goblin Guild held clear supremacy.

"So we just sit here and watch?!" Daruis barked.

"And those bastards show no fatigue or mana depletion. They assault without end like rabid animals."

"How is that even possible? Most of our survivors are drained. We’ve cycled them in shifts."

"Meanwhile, the enemy faces no such restraint!"

Somehow, Goblin Guild’s mana reserves refused to dwindle.

"Enough."

Varnos’ command sliced the tension. Steady, yet commanding total obedience.

All hushed. His gaze remained locked on the map.

Then... he drew a measured breath.

He realized delay was no option. Action was imperative.

"We must counter that assault head-on. Daniel’s mission stands apart... but we require a move to revive our fighters’ spirits."

"But choices are scarce." Elira noted.

They held no edge in the conflict. Quite the reverse—they lagged in nearly every facet.

"That’s why I’m open to suggestions." Varnos pressed on.

"Ideas now, if you’ve got them."

Moments passed in muteness. Daruis held his tongue too.

In tactics, he grasped their dire straits as well as any.

No leader could intervene personally yet. Doing so would ignite full-scale war, for which they remained unready.

Their setups demanded more time.

"...Perhaps there’s a way." Elira ventured abruptly.

All eyes swung to her.

Her finger traced the map, illuminating key spots.

"Such a vast army... cannot operate so flawlessly without aids."

"Mana hubs... links... and on-site control." Serah chimed in swiftly.

"The spine." Varnos’ gaze sharpened.

"Strike those..."

He eyed Elira’s selections.

"Their forces crumble." Daruis grinned.

"Direct assaults won’t breach them. And redundancies surely protect them." Varnos demurred.

Silence lingered briefly. Sighs escaped—they’d struck another wall.

"But it serves dual roles... diversion, and morale boost."

He lifted his palm; a holographic display materialized.

A blueprint. Compact... yet intricate formation.

"This..." Elira’s eyes bulged.

"...Soul Disruption Core?"

"A unfinished variant." Varnos clarified.

"Developed ages back. Unused till now."

"Its function?" Serah neared.

"It scrambles mana." Varnos detailed.

"Severs talisman bonds. Shatters linked abilities."

"Even triggers rebounds." He halted briefly.

"How many available?" Daruis’ gaze ignited.

"Three."

"Three strikes." Lana inhaled sharply.

"We target three nodes. Gouge their sight... meanwhile, I’ll lead a force via gateway into Goblin Guild lands."

She scanned the group while outlining the scheme.

"Zero tolerance for errors."

Minutes on, the room’s mood transformed utterly.

Stunned inertia vanished. Urgency dominated.

Directives flew fast. Squads formed. Paths designated.

Amid the bustle, Lana departed.

Swift strides carried her along guild halls into another chamber.

The armory.

She paused before a suit of armor moments.

Obsidian-hued. Agile yet tough. Mana veins pulsing across it.

She grasped it, donning sections methodically.

Emerging, she’d shed her prior self.

Her stare iced over, primed for battle.

The mission launched.

Three squads, each bearing a Core, navigated the battlefield frenzy.

Clashes raged on.

Yells. Blasts. Gore.

Yet amid inferno, phantoms glided.

Unheard.

Exact.

One squad crept under toppled structure debris. Another wove past fierce skirmishes. The last exploited flanks cleared by Aron.

"Fifty meters to objective." Elira’s voice resounded.

"Twenty."

"Ten—"

One nearly got spotted. A sword whistled past his cheek.

Yet he pressed forward.

"In position."

In command center, Varnos remained rooted.

Gaze riveted to the display.

Breaths suspended.

At last, the order dropped.

"Now."

The trio of Cores ignited.

Instantly... stillness.

Suddenly, a unseen surge swept the field.

Foe presences wavered. Numerous talismans failed.

A budding technique detonated, hurling its caster away.

Adversary cries erupted across the zone.

"What—?!"

"My mana—!"

Their framework quaked.

"Links severed!" Elira announced, voice steadying.

"Coordination shattered!"

"At last." Daruis smirked.

"Attack." Varnos commanded without pause, broadcasting to all survivors.

The Awakened witnessed the shift.

Grins spread.

Spirits soared.

Counteroffensive unleashed.

Revenge for lost comrades beckoned.

Everlight Moon surged ahead.

Attackers crashed like a tempest.

Foe barriers shattered. Ranks buckled.

Now, crimson spilled from enemies.

Naturally... eternity evaded them.

Eventually, foes would rally. Backup nodes would assume control. Normalcy would resume.

But temporarily... victory sufficed.

And amid turmoil, another event unfolded.

Buried in guild depths, remote from frontlines, a enormous ring glowed.

A gateway.

Lana fronted it, legion arrayed behind.

Equal parts Fallen and prime Awakened. Auras quivering mutely.

"Now is the best time. The enemy is blind." Serah’s words carried via link.

Lana advanced, stare piercing the vortex.

"Everyone ready?" Silence replied. Unnecessary.

A subtle smirk curved her mouth; she crossed.

Followers streamed after; soon, they materialized opposite.

Skies matched, terrain alien.

Far off, Goblin Guild edifices loomed.

Sentries gaped in disbelief.

Lana unsheathed her blade.

Her eyes chilled.

"Now... it’s our turn."