Chapter 102

The Taotei, monstrous creatures of sinewy green flesh stretched taut over wiry frames, thundered across the terrain like harbingers of doom. Their jagged crests, etched with cryptic, ancient motifs, glinted faintly under the moonlight. Each was about the size of a lion, but their hyena-like posture and unsettlingly long, slender limbs lent them an alien eeriness. A short, whip-like tail trailed behind them, swishing as they moved with calculated precision.

Their glowing, yellow eyes, unnervingly located on their shoulders, shone with primal hunger. Their skull-like heads bore hollow sockets on the snout, exuding an almost necrotic aura. When their snake-like jaws opened wide, multiple rows of needle-sharp teeth gleamed, ready to rend flesh and bone. Bristly black manes ran down their spines, quivering with each motion, while the gill-like slits on their napes vibrated to produce an eerie stridulating sound—half cricket, half wail—that echoed across the battlefield like a grim battle cry.

Their four-fingered forepaws, equipped with sharp claws and opposable thumbs, tore into the ground with every stride, sending up clods of dirt as they surged forward. A rhythmic thump-thump-thump of claws striking earth, undercut by the guttural growls that emanated deep from their chests, created a cacophony of dread.

A pair of the creatures flanked a larger alpha, their glowing shoulder-eyes darting in unison to lock onto Merlin, who had the most aura.

Their breaths came in harsh, rattling hisses, steam puffing from their nostrils like a beast forged from nightmares. The chilling skree of their gill-slit communication cut through the night as they silently coordinated the attack.

As one Taotei surged forward, its sinewy muscles tensed, a deafening whoosh filled the air as its massive body launched toward Merlin like a coiled spring releasing.

Merlin stood his ground, his cloak whipping around him in the gust created by the creature's charge. With a calm yet steely gaze, he thrust his hand forward. A brilliant swirl of emerald light spiraled around his arm before exploding outward in a dazzling flash.

A whispering storm of razor-sharp wind blades materialized, their edges glinting like shards of moonlight against the night sky.

A piercing whistle rose as the wind blades tore through the air with deadly precision. The Taotei's glowing eyes widened, a flicker of primal fear crossing its grotesque visage. Its momentum carried it helplessly forward, unable to evade.

The wind blades struck with surgical accuracy, slicing through the Taotei's limbs and torso in a mesmerizing display of destruction. Each strike emitted a burst of glowing green ichor, misting the air like an eerie, bioluminescent rain.

Another two behind tried to dodge, bit couldn't as Taotei's guttural snarl turned into a choked, gurgling cry as its segmented bodies fell to the ground in pieces. A sickening squelch echoed as blood pooled, steaming against the cold earth. The surrounding foliage rustled violently, painted red by the spray of its lifeblood.

Melisandre saw the last one rushing towards her, so her irises glowed with a deep, foreboding red. Her outstretched hands crackled with power, enveloped in a pulsating reddish aura.The red energy is textured with glowing veins of crimson and darker streaks.

The last Taotei let out a guttural snarl, its jagged teeth glinting as saliva dripped from its snake-like jaws. Its glowing, yellow, shoulder-embedded eyes burned with primal rage, locking onto her with unrelenting ferocity. With a sudden burst of speed, the creature lunged, its sinewy frame stretching mid-air, claws outstretched and poised to tear.

But in an instant, it froze.

The pulsating wave of crimson energy radiated from Melisandre's outstretched hand, wrapping around the Taotei like invisible chains. The creature's grotesque body hung suspended mid-leap, tendrils of scarlet light snaking around its limbs, chest, and gill-like slits. The energy glimmered and shifted, flickering like embers caught in a fierce wind.

The Taotei writhed in the air, its clawed limbs twitching and straining against the magical force that held it.

The energy twisted and tightened in violent, jerking motions, digging deep into the creature's flesh.

The last Taotei let out a final, guttural screech, its grotesque body trembling as the magic reached its peak. In a split second, the scarlet tendrils pulled in opposite directions with an explosive force. A bone-chilling CRACK echoed through the battlefield, followed by the wet, visceral sound of flesh tearing apart.

Blood and ichor sprayed outward in a grotesque explosion, glowing faintly crimson as they caught the ambient energy. The Taotei's limbs and torso were violently wrenched into pieces, each fragment flung through the air as if hurled by an invisible storm. Glowing trails of scarlet magic lingered momentarily on the dismembered parts before fading into the ether.

Chunks of flesh and shattered bone slammed into the ground with sickening thuds, steaming as they hit the blood-soaked earth. The glowing yellow eyes embedded in the shoulders dimmed entirely, snuffed out like dying embers.

Melisandre stood unflinching, the pulsating red energy around her hands gradually fading.

Merlin observed Melisandre, his expression stoic, he was not unnerved by seeing Melisandre's ruthlessness. After all her methods were extreme but always reserved for those she deemed irredeemable—slave sellers, demons, and creatures of pure malice like the Taotei.

He stepped forward, his boots crunching against the blood-soaked earth as he approached the nearest dismembered carcass. Behind him, Melisandre followed, her crimson gown sweeping over the ground.

The two stopped before the mutilated bodies of the Taotei, their glowing yellow shoulder eyes now extinguished, and their twisted forms lifeless. Merlin crouched beside one of the corpses, his sharp gaze scanning the grotesque anatomy with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

"They're soldiers," Merlin finally said, his voice calm but edged with authority. "Their sole purpose is to consume anything in their path. Like ants, they exist only to serve their queen. Carnivorous beasts with an insatiable hunger, they devour anything—animal, human, living, or dead."

Melisandre tilted her head, her glowing red eyes narrowing as she considered his words. "So… they consume everything and return to their queen to feed her?"

Merlin nodded, his hand brushing lightly over the clawed paw of the nearest Taotei. "Exactly. These ones came early—scouts, most likely. Their queen will send more in the coming months, before a full on assault."

As he rose to his feet, he held out his hand. A faint golden glow radiated from his palm, spreading outward like ripples in water. The bodies of the Taotei shimmered, their jagged outlines blurring before dissolving into wisps of sparkling, golden mist. The mist spiraled into a vortex, disappearing into Merlin's palm.

"We'll take them with us," Merlin said, his tone decisive. "The army in Yi Ti must be warned. This is no ordinary threat."

Melisandre gave a single nod, her expression unreadable but her aura brimming with unspoken resolve. Together, they turned and walked toward their waiting horses, the air around them heavy with tension.

Mounting their steeds—Merlin on a sleek black stallion, its mane flowing like liquid shadow, and Melisandre on a fiery red mare that seemed to flicker with an ethereal glow—they exchanged a final glance.

"Let's go," Merlin said, spurring his horse into motion. The two rode off, the bloodstained battlefield fading into the distance as they disappeared into the thickening mist, their silhouettes a blend of light and shadow.