Chapter 114: The Destruction of Mosoblais (Part Two)

"I hate this godforsaken place."

Sitting atop a towering, massive stalagmite, Patilina swung her legs in dissatisfaction, gazing at Menzoberranzan below. The drow city was quiet and beautiful, yet all Patilina could smell was the stench of decay. As a Starlight Knight, she preferred fighting on the surface rather than underground. While thick layers of rock might provide a sense of security to subterranean races, they only made Patilina feel stifled.

"Soon, everything will be over."

Noticing the little one's discontent, Ilis, standing beside her, offered a bitter smile and tried to comfort her. Her expression, however, was not as relaxed as her words. As a member of the City of Black Onyx, Ilis had spent every waking moment praying for the destruction of Menzoberranzan. The drow were the most troublesome of all their underground enemies; the mind flayers rarely left their lairs, and the treachery of the duergar was something they could manage. Only the malice and cunning of the drow left the inhabitants of the City of Black Onyx in a constant state of unease. The drow could hide in the shadows, launching surprise attacks on their targets at any moment. They were cruel, merciless, and filled with menace. Yet, standing here now, realizing that she was about to witness the complete annihilation of this city, Ilis felt a flutter of nervous anxiety. It had all happened so suddenly that it felt as if the experiences of the past few days were nothing more than a dream.

For a moment, Ilis slipped back into her previous state of confusion, unable to distinguish the boundary between dream and reality. In truth, she didn't know which part she should consider a dream anymore: her life after being captured by Jan, or everything she was experiencing right now? Ilis was no longer certain, and she didn't think she would want to wake up from this dream anyway.

"It's starting! The Master wants us to begin!"

Patilina's cheer interrupted Ilis’s thoughts. She turned to see the little girl jump up from the edge of the stalagmite in excitement. Ilis shook her head, casting away her troublesome thoughts to focus on the task at hand. She looked up one last time, capturing the image of Menzoberranzan in her eyes, before turning and vanishing into the darkness.

This would be the last time she would ever see Menzoberranzan.

"Then, let's begin!"

Almost as soon as Ilis vanished, Patilina raised her hands in a jubilant cheer. Her eyes were wide as she looked toward the distant Menzoberranzan and the iconic stalagmite tower of House Baenre. A happy smile spread across her face. For Patilina, Jan’s summons was an encounter of destiny, and all she had to do now was prove her worth to her master.

The young knight clenched her fists and then slowly opened her palms. Following her movement, the air behind her began to tremble. Ripples appeared in the empty space, and the void tore open. Dozens of massive cannon barrels emerged, shivering as they extended. Each cannon had a unique appearance—some had bodies cast in bronze and bound in iron, while others were beautiful works of art shimmering with magical luster and silver light. White steam hissed like a monster’s breath from the gaps in the adamantine cannons, accompanied by a low, rumbling roar. Gems embedded in the silver barrels began to glow one by one, condensing magical power until, in the previously empty muzzles, magical circles spun rapidly to form brilliant, shining spheres of light.

They came from different worlds, different times, and were crafted with different techniques. They had destroyed flying iron birds, impregnable fortresses, and roaring dragons. And now, summoned by war, they gathered once more to display their terrible power.

Weapons from across time and space converged under the guidance of the Starlight Knight, condensing and unleashing their strength.

With a deafening roar, fire erupted. Rotating shells, shimmering magical light, and screeching constructs turned into a storm that enveloped the residence of House Baenre.

It was like a volcanic eruption. The drow watched in horror as a line of fire streaked across the Baenre compound. Beams of condensed magic tore through the House’s prideful magical defenses without resistance. Rotating shells fell from the sky, blasting massive craters into the ground. The projectile constructs pierced deep into the thick defenses of the Baenre stalagmite pillar, which compressed like a crushed balloon. The next instant, an incomparable explosion and shockwave, filled with spinning blades, scattered in every direction, leaving deep, bottomless fissures in the stone. All of Menzoberranzan began to tremble under this merciless strike, and many drow warriors were swallowed by the artillery fire before they could even attempt to resist.

Soon, flashes of light appeared. Patilina saw several drow in priestess robes rushing out of the collapsing towers, leading soldiers toward her with fury. They possessed great power, but Patilina felt no fear—because they were not just facing her.

They were facing an army.

The bombardment showed no sign of stopping. The scorching cannons rotated, spewing dazzling tongues of fire, while the long, magic-shimmering barrels trembled incessantly. Beams of magical energy swept across Menzoberranzan, leaving a shocking scar of flame upon the dark earth. The construct cannons reloaded continuously, raining strange, bizarre creations onto every corner of the city, followed only by explosions and raging fire.

While Patilina launched her assault, Jan unleashed an equally fierce offensive against Matron Baenre.

Jets of flame washed over the Matron’s aged body, yet they failed to cause even the slightest harm. She roared, raising her snake-headed whip to launch a counterattack. Soon, amid Matron Baenre’s chanting, dark energy manifested, taking the form of a massive spider.

"You are not the only one to receive the Spider Queen's favor!"

Maya’s voice drowned out the Matron’s roar. She, too, gripped her snake-headed whip, pointing it at the Retriever summoned from the Abyss.

"In the name of the Spider Queen, I command you to kill her!"

The summoned Retriever hesitated for the first time. It moved its eyes in confusion, scanning between Matron Baenre and Maya. By rights, as a summoned creature, it should obey the Baenre command to destroy the enemy. But it was, first and foremost, a servant of Lolth from the Abyss, not some lowly pawn to be bought and sold. It sensed an equally powerful divine presence emanating from the young drow before it. Moreover, it detected a terrifying aura coming from the drow mage standing behind Maya—an aura from the Demon Realm. It was this aura that suppressed the Retriever, preventing it from taking immediate action.

"I command you to move! Destroy them!"

The Retriever’s momentary hesitation made Matron Baenre feel dizzy, for this might mean that Lolth’s favor was slipping away. But her pride as a Matron forced her to stand, continuing to issue commands to the monster, hoping this was merely a minor error caused by her rushed summoning, or that the Retriever simply hadn't adapted to the situation. Besides, she wasn't fighting alone; she heard footsteps and saw her three daughters rush into the room. Clearly, this would be an evenly matched battle.

But Jan didn't think so. He glanced at the figures rushing in, then turned his gaze to the Retriever and issued a command.

"Go and destroy them. This is the will of the Spider Queen! They deserve their punishment!"

In the end, the Retriever chose to accept Jan’s order. After all, compared to Matron Baenre’s Drow Elvish, the Abyssal tongue was more familiar, and the aura erupting from Jan’s body proved that this drow possessed a powerful and noble bloodline.

Everything has its laws; the inhabitants of the Lower Planes—no matter which Demon Lord they serve—cannot change such truths. The Retriever turned and lunged at the reinforcements.

"How can this be?!"

Nothing terrified Matron Baenre more than the betrayal of the Retriever. She had used Lolth’s divine power to summon Lolth’s warrior, only for it to betray her and fight for her enemies. As a Matron who had ruled Menzoberranzan for centuries, she knew better than anyone what this meant: Lolth had abandoned her!

If Matron Baenre had been calm, she would have realized her divine power was still intact; if she hadn't been so panicked, she could have used her own strength to regain control of the Retriever and uncover the truth. But she didn't. As a drow Matron, she knew Lolth’s cold ruthlessness better than anyone, and she had always feared being discarded. Now, as she believed Lolth had truly forsaken her, she was shocked to find that her power seemed to be fading along with that belief.

It was no surprise. Lolth’s infamy was the most persuasive symbol; she never showed mercy to those who defied her will. Matron Baenre had seen the despair of other Matrons abandoned by Lolth more than once, and now, it was her turn to taste that despair.

Even so, Matron Baenre did not give up.

"You won't get away with this!"

With a roar, the old Matron’s whip erupted with black radiance, and her divine power surged again, lashing out at her enemies.

Facing the Matron’s attack, Maya displayed the strength of a high-ranking priestess. Raising her whip and loudly praising Lolth’s power, she brought down a thin, almost dark veil of light that blocked the Matron’s assault.

This was a battle between two priestesses. Their combat effectiveness had little to do with their own training; it depended on whose deity offered greater support. The method of a priestess’s combat was simple: pray for a blessing, then use it to attack. However, not every deity would act according to their believers' requests. If they felt the believers' actions threatened or violated their teachings, they would intervene. If a priestess violating her doctrine prayed for a Finger of Death to destroy an enemy, she might instead receive a Greater Heal that restored her foe to full health, effortlessly completing a task the deity would never perform personally.

Conversely, if a priestess prayed for divine power to heal her deity's enemy, the spell might turn into a curse of death upon contact.

Once the nature of a priestess's combat was understood, one could see how tragic their battles truly were. For Baenre and Maya, their fight was merely a process of vying for Lolth’s favor. If Maya was more favored, Matron Baenre would lose regardless of her power. Conversely, if Baenre still held Lolth’s appreciation, Maya’s efforts would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Regardless, the outcome of this battle had nothing to do with their own strength.

However, it did buy Matron Baenre a little time.

Dozens of magic missiles tore through the air, striking like a storm. Seeing this sudden magic, Jan responded immediately. He raised his staff, and a serpent of fire erupted from its tip, lunging at the barrage. With a series of magical explosions, Jan saw a drow in archmage robes emerge from the flames, his face grim as he glared at Jan. Jan didn't need an introduction; he knew this was the legendary mage of House Baenre.

There was no time left. Being surrounded by House Baenre here was not a good idea—fortunately, Jan had already planned for this. He raised his staff and struck the ground hard.

"BOOM!"

A dull thud echoed through the massive audience chamber. Brilliant lightning transformed into wild, untamed energy, shattering the entire floor. In the blink of an eye, as the ground collapsed, everything was swallowed into darkness.

At the same time, the stalagmite pillar of House Baenre finally succumbed to the pressure and collapsed with a thunderous roar.