NOVPUB
Chapter 396: 396
As Gurnak charged forward, the gravity bomb in his hands glowing intensely, Vorenza unleashed her web. It didn’t ensnare him physically, but instead subtly altered the momentum of his attack. The web didn’t stop him, but it changed the trajectory of his charge, ever so slightly. Instead of a direct hit, Gurnak’s attack would now pass just beside her.
Gurnak, realizing the shift at the last moment, tried to correct his course, but it was too late. The momentum of his attack, now subtly altered, carried him past Vorenza. The gravity bomb detonated, not on her, but in the empty space behind her. The explosion, though powerful, missed its primary target.
However, Vorenza had used the explosion to her advantage. The concussive force, combined with the gravitational distortions caused by the blast, created a momentary window of absolute chaos. It was in this chaotic moment that she struck.
She had been weaving another web during the brief exchange, a web of causality. This web was far more intricate, targeting the very link between cause and effect. As Gurnak was still reeling from the explosion, Vorenza unleashed her web.
The effect was subtle, but devastating. The web didn’t directly harm Gurnak, but it altered the immediate consequences of his actions. The residual energy of the exploding gravity bomb, instead of dissipating harmlessly into space, was now redirected, focused back upon Gurnak himself.
The redirected energy slammed into Gurnak, amplified by the altered causality. He cried out in pain as the force of his own attack rebounded upon him. The combination of the explosion and the redirected energy was too much. His form began to crack, his energy dissipating into the void.
Vorenza, weakened but victorious, watched as Gurnak’s form dissolved, his essence fading into the cosmic dust.
Vorenza had paid a steep price for her last move in the battle. Her once-pristine form now bore cracks, like shattered porcelain barely held together. Her magic flickered, and her ethereal webs, usually vibrant and strong, shimmered faintly, showing her dwindling strength. But the most pressing issue wasn’t her injuries—it was the overwhelming presence of multiple powerful beings, their senses locked onto her. Among them, none were weaker than Gurnak, the goblin mage she had just bested.
The empire had no intention of allowing a weakened demon lord to retreat unscathed.
As Vorenza hovered near the void, the retreating shield surrounding the planet vanished. From the planet’s surface, a colossal, flaming arm erupted into the void. Its size was unimaginable, its heat so intense that Vorenza’s ethereal web, her greatest weapon, began to fray and weaken. The oppressive energy radiating from the hand threatened to crush her entirely.
Time was running out.
Despite her dire circumstances, Vorenza’s sharp eyes caught sight of a glimmer in the void—the soul of Gurnak, floating amidst the chaos. The ogre general’s soul, vibrant and potent, was a rare prize. Grabbing hold of it could restore her strength and allow her to escape the looming threat.
But Vorenza was not one to settle for mere survival. She saw the potential for something greater. Souls like Gurnak’s, brimming with raw power, could do more than heal her wounds—they could push her closer to transcending her current limits. The temptation was too great to ignore.
With a calculated motion, she extended a thread of her ethereal web toward the soul. The web latched onto it, and with a decisive tug, she began reeling it in, her weakened body glowing faintly as the soul’s energy surged toward her.
The flaming hand continued its relentless approach, its immense heat intensifying with every passing moment. Vorenza felt the oppressive force bearing down on her, threatening to reduce her to nothingness. But she had planned for this.
With a deft tug on another web, she activated a pre-prepared escape mechanism. In an instant, her surroundings shifted, the fiery arm’s overwhelming heat replaced by the cold, familiar red sky of the Abyss.
Vorenza allowed herself a brief moment of satisfaction. She had not only escaped but secured Gurnak’s soul, a resource that would ensure her recovery and potentially elevate her power. But she knew the empire would not give up so easily. This was just the beginning.
Far from Vorenza’s escape, Drakthar, a spider demon who had recently grown stronger after defeating the ogre general, was reveling in his newfound might. He was in the midst of telling his tale of the fight when, without warning, his surroundings shifted.
One moment, Drakthar stood in the abyss, triumphant. The next, he was floating in the void, utterly disoriented.
Before he could comprehend what had happened, his eyes caught the same flaming hand that had threatened Vorenza. Unlike her, Drakthar had no means of escape. The fiery appendage reached him, its heat so intense that his body disintegrated almost instantly. His soul, too, was incinerated, erased from existence with no hope of resurrection. 𝓃ℴ𝓋𝓹𝓊𝓫.𝒸𝓸𝓂
From the void, a goblin mage emerged, his presence marked by an aura of intense heat. His flaming hair blazed like a living inferno, and his fiery eyes glowed as he surveyed his surroundings. He was no ordinary mage; his mastery of flame magic and his sharp intellect had earned him a reputation as one of the empire’s most formidable trackers.
As his gaze swept across the desolate expanse, he searched for traces of the disturbance that had drawn him here. His brow furrowed in frustration—until his eyes settled on something unusual.
High above, perched on the surface of the moon, was a massive, otherworldly plant. Its sprawling vines wrapped around the lunar surface like a predatory embrace, and at its center, a single, grotesque eye stared back at him. The mage froze, his fiery aura dimming slightly as he locked eyes with the unsettling entity.
The air grew thick with tension, and then, suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.
The voice was calm but carried an undeniable weight of authority. It spoke in the language of the gods—a language that few mortals could understand, let alone hear.
"Touch this plant, and this moon will fall upon your world. Should you somehow stop it, your world will face an unrelenting hunger that will devour everything in its path."
The mage’s fiery eyes widened, and his fists clenched tightly. The implications of the message were clear: one of the gods, long sought after by the empire, was already interfering in this world. The empire’s mission to locate and control divine entities had just grown far more complicated.
The goblin mage stared at the moon, his mind racing. The threat was not to be taken lightly, and the presence of a god’s influence here was an ominous development. He knew he couldn’t act recklessly—not with stakes this high.
With a final glance at the massive, watchful eye, the mage took a deep breath. Sparks of ember flared around him as he disappeared into the void, leaving behind the eerie, foreboding presence of the moon-bound plant.
As the mage vanished, his thoughts burned like the fire within him. He now carried vital information—knowledge of a god’s involvement, a potential threat to his world, and a dangerous choice that could have far-reaching consequences. His return to the empire would bring more questions than answers, and the path forward would demand both caution and boldness.
In the dimly lit office adorned with ancient tomes and glowing sigils, Vellok sat at his desk, a faint smile curling his lips. The flame mage’s report lay before him, and though it carried a mix of promising news and ominous foreboding, it was a revelation he had long awaited. The gods were no longer hidden.
The invasion had left the empire questioning whether divine figures were truly involved, but now there was no doubt. The discovery came at a price—disruption to their plans and a dire warning from a godly entity—but the certainty was worth it. A divine figure had set its gaze upon their world.
Vellok’s attention then shifted to the weakened Vorenza. Her escape had been a loss, but it was also an opportunity. For now, she would retreat to the abyss, gathering her powerhouses to protect her during her recovery. That left the corrupted lands she’d claimed vulnerable, and Vellok intended to capitalize on the moment.
"If we move swiftly," he mused, "we can reclaim the territory and force her to start over once she heals."
His thoughts turned to the experiments left behind by the empire’s mages—unproven, dangerous tools meant to cleanse corruption and reshape the land. Until now, there had been no opportunity to test their effectiveness, but the current situation was the perfect proving ground.
Standing, Vellok released a pulse of energy through his city, his presence brushing over every living thing within its bounds. His expression darkened as he failed to detect an anomaly.
"A ratman?" he muttered, his smile fading. It was strange. A single ratman had slipped into the city amidst the civilians fleeing from Gurnak’s destruction, but it had evaded his detection for far too long.
