Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1493 - 513: The Returning Airship (Part 2)

Suddenly, Menia maneuvered herself between Rein and Hela, unleashing a torrent of flames that successfully obstructed a significant portion of the swirling black water vortex.

"Mortal, I must confess that I underestimated your capabilities. However, you have no hope this time." Hela’s beautiful features grew considerably more grave.

It was evident that she had been caught off guard by the sudden intensity of Rein’s explosive power.

"No hope? I wasn't the one who was just sent flying," Rein retorted with a sneer, maintaining a facade of composure despite the shock lingering in his heart.

Observing the aura Hela was currently radiating, it appeared largely unchanged; if anything, her power seemed only marginally diminished compared to before.

This meant that despite landing a full sequence of combo attacks on his opponent, the strikes had achieved almost nothing while she remained over the ocean.

On a positive note, the Red Queen Menia appeared to have moved past her previous state of mourning.

Without a single outward sign, Rein stealthily allocated a portion of his attribute points. A surge of warmth radiated from his heart, instantly restoring his physical stamina to its absolute peak.

....

Elsewhere on the nearby battlefield.

Egil, the Pope of the Sea God Sect, broke into laughter at the sight. He turned to a visibly shaken Reginald and spoke:

"How can a mere mortal hope to measure the scale of divine power? Even as Dawn Wizards, we are nothing more than oversized ants when facing the divine. Reginald, you must submit to my lord! If you refuse, both you and your Giant Dragon companion are destined to die here."

"What of gods? During the ancient era, the greatest wizards possessed the strength to slay Evil Gods. It is individuals like you, who choose to debase themselves, that bring dishonor to all of humanity."

"If you are so certain your Goddess will triumph, then we shall wait and see," Reginald declared, his voice low and heavy.

Though he felt a deep sense of dread for Menia and Rein, he kept his expression entirely neutral.

"You!! How stubborn!" Enraged by the response, Pope Egil of the Sea God Sect gestured sharply, commanding the High Rank Evil Sorcerers behind him to resume the assault.

....

Meanwhile, in the far reaches of the sky.

The Imperial Airship fleet had just managed to pull away from the center of the conflict. Of the more than ten vessels that had originally departed from Zetaya, only seven remained. Nearly half of the fleet had been obliterated by the Whale Spring Spurt from Jorgandman’s Leviathan Giant Whale.

Inside the bridge of the flagship, the Queen.

"Messenger, broadcast an immediate notice! Every airship except for the Storm, including the Queen, is to come about and re-enter the fray!" An elderly man dressed in the uniform of an Imperial Vice Admiral commanded, standing with a rigid posture.

"General!" The Messenger gasped, staring at his leader with a look of pure disbelief.

They had only just managed to break through the encirclement of the Sea God Sect and the Giant Beast; were they truly expected to dive back into that deathtrap?

This was madness...

Furthermore, it wasn't simply a matter of courage; against a Giant Beast of that magnitude, their offensive capabilities seemed like little more than a bad joke.

Nevertheless, the Messenger was well aware that with Prince Menia and Reginald occupied, this old man was the supreme commander of the Imperial Airship fleet.

"We are Imperial soldiers, and we do not have a tradition of abandoning a member of the Royal Family to cover our own retreat. Now, carry out the order!" the old man barked.

"Understood!" As if snapped back to reality, the Messenger offered a sharp salute and shouted his reply.

Once the Messenger had rushed out of the bridge, a nearby officer leaned in and whispered a suggestion: "General, if we are to send a dispatch, wouldn't it be more appropriate for the Queen to continue toward the Empire?"

The Vice Admiral easily grasped the officer's hidden meaning; the man was trying to convince him to save himself.

"No. Since I have reached this conclusion, I must participate in the coming actions. If I do not, how could the soldiers of the Empire ever look up to their commanders again?" The old man shook his head with firm resolve.

....

At that same moment.

The struggle between Rein, Menia, and Hela, the Nether Sea Goddess, raged on.

Even though Rein and Menia were striking with every ounce of their power, their efforts seemed trivial against the Nether Sea Goddess. Hela’s form seemed to stretch without end across the water, and by drawing from the sea itself, she only suffered minor disruptions to her aura.

Furthermore, Red Queen Menia lacked Rein's ability to recover through attribute points. By now, both her physical endurance and spiritual power were reaching a breaking point.

Rein showed no outward signs of exhaustion, but he had already replenished his stats for the third time, leaving him with a mere three attribute points in reserve.

To make matters worse, they were now encircled by a massive swarm of Manta Knights and Flying Fish Knights. Under the oppressive influence of the Nether Sea Goddess, these Flying Knights fought without fear, cutting off their path whenever Rein tried to fall back toward the island.

While these minions could only stall them briefly, it gave Hela the openings she needed to strike and keep Rein and Menia pinned down.

Consequently, Rein remained roughly five kilometers away from the safety of the island.

Essentially, if the tide of battle didn't turn, Rein would exhaust his final attribute points before he could reach land, leaving him with no strength left to fight back.

"Rein, I am going to launch one final, desperate strike. You must use that moment to break through!" Menia's voice echoed in his mind via spiritual power.

Though her tone remained steady, Rein could feel the grim determination behind her words.

"Prince Menia..." Rein felt his chest tighten at the implication.

"The manifestation of the Nether Sea Goddess this time is abnormal. It appears she has possessed the corpse of a powerful ancient mermaid, which allows her to manifest her full strength. She currently possesses power near the peak of the Epic rank; we simply cannot win this."