Chapter 1594: Reluctance

Erebus already knew this would happen. When he first devised his plan, he understood that invading another world would force him to kill people who knew nothing about his circumstances and had done nothing to deserve such a fate.

He had prepared himself for that possibility and convinced himself that he could bear the burden if it meant saving his people.

But now that the moment had finally arrived, he found himself hesitating. A part of him still resisted the thought of taking innocent lives, even when he knew that doing so might be necessary.

However, it was already too late to turn back. The faces of the suffering people in his world surfaced in his mind, reminding him of the children who had watched their families fall apart and the parents who had buried their own children after witnessing their endless suffering.

Their pain reignited his determination and silenced the doubts that threatened to hold him back.

There was no returning back to the life he had known before making this decision, and Erebus understood that perfectly well.

He had chosen this path with open eyes, and now he accepted what it demanded of him.

The four people standing before him carried weapons he had never seen before, and their attacks proved surprisingly effective against his pet. Whatever those weapons were, they had enough power to hurt a creature that had accompanied him from his own world.

Still, Erebus didn’t pay too much attention to them. Whether their weapons relied on some unfamiliar technology or another source of power hardly mattered at that moment. From everything he had observed since arriving, this world seemed to lack Magic power entirely.

Even the air felt devoid of the energy he had grown accustomed to sensing throughout his life.

That should have given him a considerable advantage over its inhabitants, regardless of whatever strange toys they had.

—

Cody and his teammates prepared for the incoming attack, their weapons raised as they watched the long-haired stranger charge toward them.

Cody’s expression hardened with grim determination. He had no intention of allowing the man to reach them without resistance, so he immediately activated his ability and directed his Magic disruption toward the approaching figure.

Erebus suddenly faltered. His stride broke, and he came to an abrupt stop as the unfamiliar power interfered with his movements.

A groan escaped his throat as he struggled against the strange sensation, surprise spreading across his face. He had not expected the humans of this world to possess an ability capable of affecting him so directly.

From their earlier behavior, he had assumed they would be little more than ordinary inhabitants equipped with unusual weapons. Their willingness to stand against him seemed almost reckless, and he had mistaken their caution for weakness.

"Move!" Cody shouted.

His teammates reacted immediately, splitting to either side while launching their own attacks. The male soldier unleashed several bolts of energy that streaked toward Erebus, while one of the women manipulated the surrounding air and sent a powerful blast sweeping across his position.

Their attacks converged on the Dragonborn before he could fully recover from Cody’s interference, striking him with enough force to throw him backward.

Erebus crashed into the ground as dirt and grass scattered around his body.

Nearby, the long-necked lizard let out a shrill cry when it saw its master struck down. It immediately lunged toward the soldiers, its powerful limbs driving its body through the tall grass, but Cody’s team was prepared for its return.

Their attacks caught the creature before it could reach them and sent it tumbling backward once more.

"Don’t let your guard down," Cody warned as he watched both targets struggle to recover. "He’s going to get serious now."

"Yes, sir!" his teammates answered in unison, their expressions tense as they maintained their positions and kept their weapons trained on the two creatures.

Erebus slowly lifted his head from the ground, his expression clouded with disbelief.

He had expected resistance but not this. The humans had disrupted his Magic, struck him hard, and coordinated their attacks with a level of precision he had not anticipated.

And he could sense something unmistakable behind their abilities, it was Magic power.

His eyes widened as the realization settled over him. "How is this possible? Why can they use Magic?"

Erebus was stunned by what happened suddenly, but he had no time to dwell on it as the soldiers already attacked him from all sides.

The woman unleashed powerful gusts of wind while the man fired several bolts of light in rapid succession, leaving Erebus little room to recover.

He immediately summoned his power and manipulated his shadow. The dark mass rose from the ground and solidified before stretching into the shape of a long black sword in his hand. Erebus gripped the weapon and began to counterattack, determined to break through their coordinated assault.

However, Cody’s ability struck him again before he could make much progress.

The disruption interfered with his control over the shadows, causing the black sword to lose its solidity and crumble apart. The weapon fell to the ground as Erebus struggled to maintain his balance.

He gritted his teeth and glared at Cody, recognizing that the soldier was responsible for disrupting his power.

Before he could do anything about it, another powerful gust of wind struck him from the side and lifted him off the ground. Erebus was hurled through the air and sent flying far across the field.

"Heh, he’s nothing special," the woman remarked as she lowered her weapon.

"Don’t underestimate enemy like that," Cody replied with a serious expression.

The woman quickly apologized, realizing that she had spoken too soon.

Cody glanced toward the distant figure before turning to his team and ordering them to return to their vehicle.

They had gathered enough information about the strange man, and there was no reason to remain in the area any longer than necessary.

"But, sir, we can stop him now," the male soldier argued. "We’ve already managed to knock him down several times."

Cody shook his head firmly. "No. I don’t want to push that man into using his full power. We have no idea what he’s capable of, and things could get dangerous for us if we provoke him any further. Our mission was to investigate the disturbance and report our findings, not to fight an unknown enemy to the bitter end. We’re pulling back now."

Although his teammates looked reluctant to abandon the encounter when they seemed to have the upper hand, they eventually obeyed Cody’s order.

The four soldiers retreated toward their vehicle while keeping a wary eye on the distant figure, ready to react if he decided to pursue them.

Once everyone was inside, the man started the engine and drove away from the area as quickly as possible, leaving the strange man behind.

—