The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 335 - Gravity Engaged, Scheme Underway

The activation began with a low hum that vibrated through the air. Cultivators positioned at key points around the gravity ritual anomaly sat ready to monitor for failures as essence flowed into the elaborate array.

"Initialization of layer one complete. Containment field maintaining stability. Readings show the optimal flow patterns we’ve discussed."

Master Jevri announced from the control platform, keeping everyone updated - like Qatrand who stood at the center of the defensive formation on a special spot. Her heavy blade lay unsheathed but resting point-down before her as a small drain of her Element tinged essence was used to align the ritual to their needs.

The cultivators of the Steelbound Tempest Brotherhood had organized around her in concentric circles that avoided the most dangerous areas in case of failures. With ranged fighters positioned strategically on elevated platforms throughout the area.

"Essence fluctuations are increasing. Should be alerting anything in a greater radius nearby, just like when this location was discovered."

Ryder moved toward the key figure’s side and heard a low question from the Yecine. Marking it as another time that the young cultivator had genuinely sought out the opinion and advice of others, even in the middle of a mission.

"How long do you think before they respond?"

"...If you’re right that they were already aware of this spot, it won’t be long."

From her position at one of the ’auxiliary’ control nodes, Elua made more minute adjustments that appeared to strengthen the containment field. Because it did... but only she knew these changes were actually creating some very deliberate stress points.

’It will fail when it needs to and not a moment sooner.’

The fox sat on her shoulders with intelligent eyes tracking the smallest shifts in perception toward where it rested. People in the area that gave her location a once over. How it worked was still a bit of a mystery to her, but ultimately it could do nothing all that different from ritual constructs already embedded in her wedding-battle-dress.

When her spiritual pressure pulsed the creature slipped away unnoticed, replaced by an illusion as it started its run toward the safe spot she designated. For the moment the fox was hers - and Elua would keep it that way until she decided otherwise.

As for everyone else there? While she would do something if it came down to it and if her husband-wife asked... she knew that her Qat would not. And it wasn’t that it was arrogance that the muscular teen could solve it all on her own. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

’Taking protecting me so seriously, even though you are usually so bad at long term thoughts. Ah... she really could use me a little more. I can’t let her be hurt by her choices when they involve me~’

"Movement from the northeastern paths. Multiple enemies approaching fast."

The scout had barely yelled before the first wave of Voidlings emerged from the treeline. Vantablack forms of the lesser entities contorting as they sensed the anomaly’s specific pull of essence. The flood hesitated at the edge of the clearing - as if stopped all at once by a controlling hand.

’Coordinated... and assessing the trap.’

Qatrand observed before the cultivator leading the group of fighters bellowed.

"Maintain positions! Let them come to us!"

Practically answering the challenge, the creatures surged forward across the ground like a tide of darkness. As they crossed the outermost containment barrier, sigils flared to life from the control center. The Voidlings seemed to slow and lose consistency in the forms they took.

Caught in the gravitational field that intensified around them, they could not make the adjustments to maintain their shapes instantly. Similar to how they had wobbled when getting near Qatrand’s active essence field.

"Beginning data collection!"

The researchers worked frantically, essence-measuring instruments humming as they captured readings from the trapped creatures. Eldritch invaders writhed in the distortions of normal gravity, unable to coordinate their usual swarming tactics.

"Now!"

The defensive formation shifted seamlessly as the lead Steelbound Tempest member called out. Ranged attackers launched a coordinated barrage of essence-infused projectiles at the farthest Voidlings. Striking the backline while the first set was disoriented - and before they could try overwhelming the ritual with numbers.

Ground troops moved forward in tightly disciplined units, engaging any additional creatures that approached the perimeter. Through it all, Qatrand remained at the center. Watching as they crawled and adjusted to the new ’normal’.

Any that came within her reach were cleaved apart with terrifying efficiency. Slashing out like a featherlight rapier but with the force of a greataxe. The heavy blade not slowing noticeably through any of the Voidling attempts to block with their thin limbs.

The thin layer of altered Gravity along its edge made their forms turn to the consistency of melted butter for only a fraction of a second, but that was plenty enough - and easier to perform with her stronger spirit helping expand her field.

"Another wave approaching from the west! There... there are larger entities among them!"

Elua glanced up from her spot... letting her mint eyes track the new arrivals even though her spirit already noted them. A few Intermediate-class Voidlings led this wave. Their more humanoid forms sent a wave of uncomfortability throughout the battlefield.

They probed the edges with more tactical nature to their choices. Directing clumps of lessers to try and stress the ritual, hoping to find areas with the least overlap of gravitic forces. Something none of the sigilists could just let happen, even as the warriors prepared for a breakthrough there.

"Reinforcing western boundary. Pay attention to the essence loads."

A calm but young voice called when she made a few changes from her position, even as it also redirected an important flow away from a critical junction. A choice that any one of the researchers there would have made in the situation, but she took upon herself to do.

’I can be your Villain as many times as you’d like. Just remember who our beloved Hero is~’

Her spirit rolled around the spot that formed. One that would fail spectacularly when tested by sufficient force. The kind that should be coming from a different direction, and might have the slightest uncanny inclination to go *right* for the spot.

"Continue data collection. We’re getting unprecedented readings on their essence composition!"

An excited Jevri noticed none of the real fighting or dangers, caught up in taking notes. But his husband nearby frowned after noticing something in the instruments.

"There’s an unusual spiritual fluctuation here. Are you seeing this?"

A bone-chilling screech echoed across the forest. The fighting momentarily paused as all eyes turned toward the north with an atmosphere that grew heavy. A crushing spiritual pressure descended upon them.

Lesser Voidlings seemed to gain a new purpose. White fire-eyes burned brighter than before and their attacks became more coordinated than the control of Intermediates alone, as the approaching central figure to their Hivemind rushed toward the offending humans.

"It’s coming."

Qatrand stated calmly, one of the few who had not flinched at all as the spiritual interference pressed down against the barriers they’d erected. While it was weightier with more of the eldritch creatures, her spirit was also thicker than the last time.

Her gaze turned to meet her wife’s once more before things got even busier. Standing a bit apart from the illusion paying ’close attention’ to the auxiliary controls, her cute brunette waved with both hands and a smile before scaling one of the pillars holding up the central platform over the core of the anomaly.

"All personnel, prepare for maximum Gravity protocols! This is not a drill."

The invasion leader came in an unexpected way, for most there. Descending through the sky like a cannonball, its massive form rippled with the surreality of Void. Six tentacular limbs ending in razor-sharp hooked appendages shot out like a lance as it sought to strike the ground like the missile it had become.

Toward the center of the array. Directly toward Qatrand. The critical junction and known danger to the invasion forces.

Distorted air wavered as it plummeted. Cultivators scattered from what looked like its path, many reacting and moving sluggishly by the sheer spiritual pressure it exuded past the barriers. A feature of their defense that had been calculated by estimates that were never high enough.

That could not be high enough in the first place, as Elua had wanted to stress during the meetings. The enemy they fought against could meticulously control how much spiritual force was applied. And it was always ’enough’.

If it was within the bounds of its orders, it could be subduing entire fields of cultivators all the time as its army simply picked through and delivered ending blows to the fallen. But there were specific scenarios it followed... and they were currently ’activating’ one of them.

"Release containment fields! Prepare for impact!"

Master Jevri shouted as his older hands frantically slapped on various sigils while injecting them with essence. But many watched, distracted, as Qatrand stood her ground. As the Yecine style sword was raised.

The air around her shimmered with the gravitational distortion being unleashed by the ancient, foreign ritual. Changes made to it for the purposes of the trap created a bubble of relatively stable pulling force fully around her location.

A force which did not stop her voiced commands from cutting through the panic, thanks to some extra sigils a forward thinking little cultivator carved. So that her moment was even more unfathomably heroic to witness.

"Maintain formation! Do not lose focus for the sake of a single enemy!"

The Voidling leader, that single fearful enemy, crashed into the bubble the next moment as the entire array groaned with the strain. Original, unknown sigils flared brightly as they struggled against the spiritual force breaking past the thin barriers guarding the cultivators. Ruptures in the entire formation started, as Elua planned.

However, at least a hundred eyes saw a force of cyclical nature... which they’d heard or seen kill other cultivators... *repelled*.

Forced back from its almost suicidal looking dive by what seemed like a single parry.

Read latest chapters at f(r)eewebnov𝒆l Only