Chapter 391: Escape from Neon Park
Camila’s eyes were fixed on the ever-encroaching wall of sand. It had completely consumed the horizon, merging with the crimson sheen that had been evenly distributed across the planet until the entire planet was painted red. The wafting sands transformed the corrupting haze into a mixture of hues that shifted from pink to gold depending on subtle changes in perspective. Camila thought the shades of color could have been beautiful in a less threatening context.
The expanding sands slowly climbed upwards, eventually rising higher than any human construction on Earth. She saw it as a demonstration of power and control that choked any survivors into helplessness before a single attack was made.
The whole pseudo weather formation was unlike anything she had seen before, especially in terms of scale, and she had been Charlie’s companion throughout the assimilation. There was no greater specialist when it came to the weather. The formation was like a shifting sandstorm-themed cathedral with unlimited depth, meant for grand displays of strict control. She stared into the infinity mirror of sand, spotting shadows instead of her own reflection as she focused on the distance where the hovering grains became stationary.
Previously, the sands had simply swallowed the exterior outposts, creating a claustrophobic environment that suffocated the defenders, but it was different when forced to contend with Neon Park and its well-developed civilization shard. Instead, when encroaching on the human territory, it was transformed into a wave that was barely being held back by invisible counter currents, flowing with a glacial pace that could only be recreated by an ultra slow motion perspective of the largest dust storms formed in arid regions of the world.
Rather than rolling forward, it crept along the ground. Then, thanks to the settlement territory, most of its gradual momentum was forced up into the sky, where it threatened to inevitably crash down as it followed the dome-like curvature of the settlement. The combination of factors created an oppressive wall of sand. They knew they couldn’t let anyone be caught in the aftermath when it inevitably broke through. In the meantime, it simply inched forward, eating up the territory a little bit at a time, seemingly satisfied with its dramatic and unavoidable procession.
Beyond the edges, the vibrant skyline of New York City was nothing but a hazy memory. Even the foundations of iconic landmarks were long gone, substituted with an apparatus of sand and mana that established an entirely different world. The Eradication Protocol depleted what was left of human civilization, wiping the slate clean with dunes made from golden grains. All of the construction was reconfigured into more sand, increasing the coverage of the enemy domain, turning all their developments against them in the end.
The nearby Brooklyn Bridge was next on the chopping block, already reduced to a set of decorative gothic arches on top of sturdy caissons, no longer providing any connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Soon it would be fully eroded away as well, consumed by the fine dust that hovered above the ground everywhere else. Thousands of years of erosion were applied at once, wielding the inevitability of time as a weapon against humanity. It was a fitting attack for an Icon named Inevitable Conclusion.
Outside of the shrinking shard territory, only the shape of Lady Liberty stood tall. She was shielded by a layer of thick ivy that may have already become freestanding after the erosion entered the territory of Neon Park. The leaves themselves were covered in sand, but either way, her shadow lived on. A dusted verdant crown and fist of hanging vines held to the sky was all that was left. The neutral plants had become her final ally, carrying the torch after she no longer could. It was a local demonstration of the dynamic playing out with life across the entire planet, where normal plants and animals were spared and left to bear witness to the apocalypse.
The last of the phantom ships assigned to Neon Park idled in the churning grey waters of the East River, waiting until the final seconds to disembark while Camila and Charlie held the line. Ahead of them was the monumental sandstorm that whirled high into the atmosphere, cloaking the millions of reptilian forces of mana that impatiently waited to throw themselves at the defenders.
Behind Camila, the last remnants of human civilization lingered in a pocket of tamed territory, centered on the abandoned civilization shard. It was a space that was tiny compared to its original breadth of the super settlement. The few defenders who had stood at the forefront of the assault until the end were loading themselves onto the phantom ships and heading south, leaving the last moments to the powerhouses from Ghost Reef. It was a dramatic change from the vast armies that had held strong in the previous days, weeks, and months, but the reduced size of the perimeter meant it was possible to close out with just the two of them.
When a four-legged lizard inched beyond the edge of sandstorm and into the diminishing Lighthouse territory, a powerful blast of wind halted its forward momentum. The gust practically lifted the oversized creature from the ground, forming a massive divot in the wall of sand while preventing its intended charge. Before it could unveil its aggression, it was fully neutralized.
A moment later, an angled bolt of jagged lightning snapped the monster’s gaping jaw shut as it was turned to golden ash. The blast of electric power barely needed any buildup to exceed the boss level monster. It was as clear a warning to the rest as they would ever receive.