Chapter 475: Damn It—I Really Can’t Measure Up to My Mother
Violent tremors accompanied by thunderous rumbling erupted from deep within the earth's core, transforming the once-peaceful capital into a scene of chaotic terror tonight.
Wave after relentless wave of horrifying seismic shocks hammered the ground with increasing intensity.
Countless residents were brutally torn from their slumber, startled awake by the violent shaking of their homes and the panicked neighing of terrified horses.
Bleary eyes opened wide with confusion and mounting dread.
At this moment, only one thought dominated every mind:
An earthquake?
The instant this realization crystallized, all traces of drowsiness vanished completely.
The entire capital plunged into profound unease.
Panicked shouts erupted like crashing waves throughout the city:
"Earthquake! Everyone wake up now!"
"Run for your lives! We need to escape immediately!"
"Darling, wake the children too—hurry!"
Horses burst free from their stable restraints, dragging carriages in wild, destructive charges through the city streets.
Countless residents frantically gathered their families and hastily grabbed whatever belongings they could—some even rushed outside half-naked in their terror.
They flooded into the broad avenues, merging with streams of other fleeing citizens.
Only then did they discover the sea of equally awakened, equally terrified faces surrounding them.
As they congregated throughout the capital's streets, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
They gazed upward at the night sky, where the moon still hung serenely, casting its ethereal silver light.
Though deep night persisted, all traces of sleepiness had been completely banished.
However, after that single violent tremor, the earth returned to ominous stillness—no second quake followed.
This left them utterly perplexed.
Had that earthquake truly lasted only one brief moment?
Realizing this, virtually every resident simultaneously exhaled in cautious relief.
Yet simultaneously, a new question sparked their curiosity.
Why had an earthquake struck so suddenly?
They had received no advance warning of seismic activity threatening the capital.
Typically, before natural disasters struck, the capital's mages would issue evacuation alerts to residential districts, maintaining warnings for hours.
For generations, the capital's mages had employed powerful magic to counter such natural catastrophes.
Therefore, protected by multiple defensive barriers, these rare natural disasters struggled to penetrate the capital's defenses.
If truly massive disasters emerged that even mages couldn't control, they could detect them early and report to the royal family.
Ensuring timely notifications and civilian evacuations.
The intense earthquake they'd just experienced was an extraordinarily rare event—perhaps occurring only once every few decades.
Just as residents competed to theorize about the earthquake's cause, engaging in animated discussions—
A group of magnificently robed mages appeared, riding through the streets and entering everyone's field of vision.
Their robes were embroidered with flowing, luminescent patterns—rainbow-like radiance dancing across the fabric surfaces.
Even the steeds these mages rode appeared exceptionally robust and magnificent.
Their saddles flickered with gentle phosphorescence, gleaming brilliantly beneath the moonlight.
Upon seeing these suddenly materialized mages, smiles bloomed across residents' faces, their eyes filling with surprise and renewed hope:
"It's the Royal Yade Mage Corps!"
"With their arrival, we should be safe now."
"Quickly—discover what caused this earthquake, or none of us will sleep peacefully tonight!"
At this moment, a particularly composed middle-aged mage stepped forward from the royal corps.
The luminous patterns adorning his robes were far more brilliant and intricate than those of other members.
Clearly, he commanded this elite unit.
He advanced to the formation's front, positioning himself before the gathered civilians and announcing:
"Please remain calm, everyone. We are working diligently to identify the earthquake's source."
"For now, please remain in open areas—preferably relocate to the main square immediately, in case secondary tremors occur and cause additional damage."
Hearing these mages' recommendations, though residents felt lingering unease, they obediently began moving toward the square.
Just as the civilian evacuation proceeded in orderly fashion, one mage hurried toward their captain:
"Captain, we have a serious problem..."
The captain turned at the sound, his brow furrowing as he listened intently to his clearly anxious subordinate's report:
"We attempted to measure underground earth elemental energy fluctuations, but discovered that everyone's earth magic has completely failed."
The failure of earth elemental magic meant they couldn't directly investigate the earthquake's origin.
Upon hearing this, an ominous premonition suddenly gripped the captain's heart.
Wait—elemental failure?
Why did this situation feel disturbingly familiar?
As if some time ago, a similar incident had occurred elsewhere within the empire.
As the team's sole third-tier mage, this captain possessed sharp analytical skills and quickly grasped the situation's dire implications.
But when he contemplated the possible cause, his entire being seemed frozen—his mind going completely blank.
No... it couldn't be...
With mounting dread, the captain swiftly raised his staff, sketching a simple magical formation in the air.
He meticulously traced two intricate patterns along the formation's perimeter while muttering an incantation:
"Dust stirring, earth settling."
"Awaken the ancient will slumbering beneath the underworld—let the mighty earth reveal its deepest mysteries."
The moment his chanting echoed through the air, the amber formation suddenly blazed with supernatural light.
Surrounding atmosphere began swirling, converging toward the formation's center.
However, within seconds, the entire magical construct began trembling violently before shattering with a thunderous crash.
A weak shockwave rippled outward, sending chills racing up the spines of everyone nearby.
The captain now felt complete panic seizing him.
Just as he confirmed his worst fears, the earth began convulsing again.
Tremors far more violent than before rapidly escalated several magnitude levels—intense shaking causing entire streets to sway like pendulums.
Cracks split the pavement, racing toward the horizon while even the vast central square became covered with spreading fissures.
The devastating tremors acted like colossal invisible hands, violently shaking the fragile buildings lining both sides of the street—threatening to topple them entirely.
Fortunately, the mage corps possessed sufficient numbers to quickly construct aerial formations, imprinting stabilization patterns.
Chanting protective spells, they cast multicolored magic to reinforce the surrounding structures.
But amid this catastrophic shaking, the ground behind them violently split open—revealing a massive chasm.
Suddenly, from deep within the earth's bowels, a muscular appendage composed of twisted stone erupted outward.
The arm was impossibly colossal—resembling a gigantic rocky serpent.
In horrified silence, a mountain-sized body burst through the earth's surface.
It shattered additional streets, causing the ground's collapse to spread rapidly through the panicked crowds.
In an instant, terror once again overwhelmed the masses—residents desperately fled toward the central square like stampeding animals.
Brown mountain rock exploded through the surface as shoulders towering like mountain ranges broke free from the soil—their height exceeding even the empire's massive defensive walls.
Under layer upon layer of seismic chaos, dust clouds and atmospheric shockwaves rolling hundreds of meters skyward shrouded the entire landscape in heavy, suffocating smoke.
Due to the surging crowds, the mages found themselves knocked about, struggling to maintain their footing.
Their spell formations were forcibly disrupted—buildings on both sides rapidly began collapsing without continued magical support.
The terrifying stone colossus that blotted out sun and sky revealed its massive form emerging from beneath the earth.
Through the pervasive dust storms, its enormous silhouette appeared eerily indistinct.
The mages felt the crowd's chaotic reverse flow, standing paralyzed as they gazed upon the towering giant shadow looming over the devastated landscape.
Suddenly, the atmosphere of panic and oppression became utterly suffocating.
Heavy smoke seemed exhaled from the world's very lungs, billowing forth instantly to drape the pitch-black night sky in funeral shrouds.
The mages stared ahead in stunned disbelief, struggling to penetrate that dense, choking haze.
But soon, three brilliant points of fluorescent amber light pierced through the dark mist.
Massive orbs resembling blazing full moons suspended in the heavens above.
Standing before these luminous eyes, countless mages felt their entire bodies paralyzed with primal terror.
At this moment, even the concept of escape seemed laughably futile.
They stood frozen like soulless marionettes—completely motionless.
Then, gigantic stone appendages crashed down upon the earth, generating even more violent tremors than before.
BOOM!!!
Where the colossal palm struck, a devastating shockwave extending hundreds of meters beyond the capital's borders instantly traversed the entire city—tearing apart countless residences and solid stone thoroughfares.
Massive dust clouds and atmospheric disturbances rocketed hundreds of miles into the sky.
The mages turned in horror, witnessing that falling stone limb and the erupting debris clouds—their entire bodies drenched in cold perspiration.
Their shocked expressions contained indescribable terror.
At this moment, whether common citizens or trained mages, all experienced unprecedented suffocation.
In this moment of despairing silence, the captain drew a glowing communication crystal from his belt.
His trembling arm raised it to his lips as his gaze remained fixed upon that mountain-high giant—his eyes blazing with desperate, death-defying resolve.
Finally, he opened his mouth, veins bulging across his face, blood surging through his entire body as he summoned every ounce of strength to scream into the crystal:
"Please... I beg you..."
"SEND REINFORCEMENTS NOW!!!"
The First Prince led his convoy through the chaotic streets, navigating through streams of panicked civilians to reach the central square before the imperial palace.
Flanking the formation, numerous pale-faced nobles with vacant expressions followed in their wake, while at the convoy's heart rolled a procession of luxurious carriages.
The vehicles moved slowly through the thoroughfares as the elves inside felt every jarring bump.
They peered curiously through windows, observing the capital's eerie midnight stillness.
Cocotte sat cross-legged upon her cloud, floating gracefully above the carriage train.
Her expression had turned gravely serious—completely abandoning her usual carefree demeanor.
Upon her ethereal cloud also rested a peacefully sleeping figure.
That was Lia.
Viktor had entrusted her with bringing Lia to the safest possible location—and the only truly secure sanctuary was the imperial palace where Emperor Aubrey resided.
Fortunately, she need only protect the elves and Lia.
Other nobles had different guardians assigned to them.
Her gaze swept across both sides of the convoy, observing the demon hunters wearing ornate masks—their sharp eyes maintaining constant vigilance.
The knight corps had been dispatched throughout various city districts to coordinate civilian evacuations.
These demon hunters temporarily assumed the knights' protective role, safeguarding both elves and imperial nobility.
With an urgent shout, the entire convoy halted in the street's center.
"Emergency rescue requests are simultaneously pouring in from the eastern, western, southern, and northern districts!"
A guard stood before the First Prince, clutching a frantically flickering communication crystal while anxiously reporting the unfolding situation.
"According to reports from both mage corps and knight units, mountain-sized monsters have simultaneously manifested in all four city districts!"
"Furthermore, elemental fluctuations are reaching abnormally violent levels. Mage corps members report that earth elemental magic has become completely unusable."
The guard lowered his head, clenching his fists as cold sweat beaded across his forehead—the transparent communication crystal in his grasp continuing to pulse with urgent signals.
"Based on these combined factors, these creatures... appear identical to the four monsters that emerged in the Padalenbu Sea region—all possessing powerful elemental correlations!"
Hearing this devastating report, a deafening buzz filled the First Prince's mind as his thoughts dissolved into complete chaos—bewilderment washing over his features.
He stood paralyzed, his consciousness struggling to process this overwhelming information.
Those same entities from the Padalenbu Sea disaster?
Now manifesting within the capital city itself!?
He felt every bone in his body trembling as he paced restlessly.
Calm down, calm down, Aubrey.
Think—what would Father do in this situation?
Claudia observed every aspect of the First Prince's mounting panic without offering comfort—merely sighing inwardly.
She turned toward the reporting guard with decisive authority:
"Tell me the location of the nearest creature."
"I'm going to provide immediate support."
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