Chapter: Chapter 423The plateau burned with fractured light. The Envoy had pulled back from Veyra Bastion, but its presence still pressed down on the terrain. Gravity pulses bent the ground, lifting boulders and tearing fissures across the canyon floor. Steam hissed from fractured crystal veins. The sky rippled like broken glass.Oliver ran across the fractured plateau, the shard strapped to his side, Reality Anchor humming faintly. Dust and rock tumbled with every step. He glanced back. The avatars, now smaller but faster, mirrored his movements, sliding across the warped terrain.“Iris!” he shouted. His voice cracked across static in the comm.“I’m not leaving!” her voice shot back. She ran beside him, her bandages stained but intact, projector glyphs flickering in front of her hands. She moved faster than her injuries should have allowed, weaving through collapsing rock, warning other survivors, marking safe paths.Oliver didn’t argue. He knew she wouldn’t leave. She never had. Ahead, the half-buried
Last Updated: 2026-01-10
Chapter: Chapter 422The first cannon fired. It was supposed to be a promise. A concentrated beam of compressed sunlight, focused into a spear of light that would pierce the Envoy and drive it back. The barrels flared. The energy streaked across the plateau. Then it split. The Envoy didn’t falter. It inhaled the light. Pulled it into itself like gravity, then erupted. The shell fractured in multiple points. Dozens of smaller, faster avatars burst from the fissures, sliding across the plateau like shards of living glass. Each one carried a fragment of the original’s gravity and pulse.The fortress shook. The walls groaned. Shield emitters flared and failed in quick succession. “Ring Two is collapsing!” a commander yelled.Oliver’s eyes locked on the avatars. They moved too fast to target with the remaining cannons. Light hit the walls. Travelers were ripped from their barricades and thrown into open air. Implosions of energy ripped through positions, vaporizing barricades and scattering debris.Billy sl
Last Updated: 2026-01-09
Chapter: Chapter 421The canyon collapsed without warning. One moment it was there, wide, jagged, packed with refugees running shoulder to shoulder, and the next it folded inward. Stone bent. Gravity spiked. People lifted off the ground and slammed back down as the air twisted. Oliver was already shouting before the sound reached him. “Left flank, break right! Move!”The order rippled late through the mass of bodies. Some reacted in time. Others did not.The canyon floor dropped out. A transport sled tipped sideways and vanished into the dark. A scream cut off mid-breath. The Envoy had moved. Not forward. Outward.Its gravity field swept across Veyra Reach like a slow wave. Cliffs bowed inward. Floating crystal formations slammed together and shattered. The sky dimmed as light bent toward a single point beyond the horizon.Billy skidded to Oliver’s side, one hand braced against the ground. “That was ten klicks out.”“It’s testing range,” Oliver said. “Keep them moving.”Ahead, the fortress came into vie
Last Updated: 2026-01-08
Chapter: Chapter 420The tunnel doors sealed behind them with a sound that arrived too late.Oliver felt it through his boots first. The vibration traveled up the metal stairs, into the walls, then into his ribs. The blast doors locked. Secondary seals engaged. Red lights flashed once, then steadied. Underground, time behaved better. Not normal. Just better.The evacuation column moved fast through the access tunnel. Headlamps cut white lines through dust and steam. Boots hit metal. No one spoke unless they had to.Billy took point. Rifle up. He checked every side passage, every maintenance hatch. He did not slow.Iris walked three steps behind Oliver. Her throat bandages were fresh. She held her projector close to her chest, both hands tight around it.Oliver stayed in the center of the column. The shard rested inside a sealed containment sleeve strapped to his side. Even through the casing, he felt it. Not heat. Pressure. A steady pulse. Step. Pulse. Step. Pulse.The tunnel curved downward. Old infras
Last Updated: 2026-01-07
Chapter: Chapter 419The plateau did not go quiet after the blast. It held its breath.Oliver stood with his boots planted in cracked stone, the air pressing inward from all sides. The mirror forms had stopped moving. They stood frozen across the field, weapons raised, bodies half-turned, like mannequins caught mid-fight. The anchors around them shuddered, cracked open, and hummed with a low, steady tone.The Envoy’s shell loomed ahead. It no longer rippled. It leaned forward, close enough that the light bending around it pulled at Oliver’s vision.Billy’s voice broke through the comms. “They’re not advancing.”“Don’t trust it,” Oliver said. He did not lower his weapon.A mirror form near Anchor Five twitched. Its head turned a fraction too far. The metal at its neck creaked.Oliver raised his hand. “All units, hold position. Do not engage unless I call it.”Silence followed. Not empty silence. Loaded. The anchors began to glow. Not bright. Focused.The runes carved along their frames lit one by one, not
Last Updated: 2026-01-06
Chapter: Chapter 418The first Light Anchor arrived before the smoke cleared. It descended through the broken sky on a column of blue fire and slammed into the plateau hard enough to flatten a ring of crystal shards. The impact sent a wave through the ground. The wave moved late. Rocks jumped after the sound passed.Oliver stood at the canyon edge and watched it lock into place. The anchor was taller than a crawler. Its surface was dull silver, scarred with old marks and fresh weld lines. Thick cables ran from its base into the ground, drilling themselves down with a grinding sound that came in bursts. Runes along its spine pulsed once, then steadied.Around it, the air stiffened. “Anchor One is live,” a voice said over comms. “Time distortion reduced by point zero four.”Oliver did not reply. He watched the sky. The riftstorm still hung above the Reach. The aurora churned in slow bands, bending light toward its center.More shapes cut through the clouds. Artillery skiffs. Six of them. Heavy frames. Gun
Last Updated: 2026-01-05
Chapter: Chapter 221The university admissions agents started arguing loudly.Draken stood there watching them fight over which of them would win him over to attend their school but deep inside, he was not interested.Draken had other ambitions. He didn’t want to take the normal journey anymore, as he had been through things none of them could bear.The homeroom teacher noticed and hurried over. "Draken, hurry and choose which school you want to attend!"The admissions agents quieted down and turned to Draken.Draken replied calmly, "Thank you for your offers, but I want to try to create my own academy into the top-ranked space for talents."Everyone fell silent.Draken had thought about this for a while and knew it was his goal. With his talent and strength, he felt he should aim for the best school in the country.The other admissions agents quickly tried to change his mind."Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?""Berserk College didn’t even send anyone to invite you. They don’t seem serious.""Th
Last Updated: 2024-08-16
Chapter: Chapter 220When Gaffa announced Draken as first place, the entire room fell silent.Everyone thought they misheard, but recalling Draken’s performance, they realized it made sense.Class Two students cheered collectively.“Draken is amazing!”“He’s the pride of F-level talent!”“Number one in the entire state! Draken made a miracle happen!”The students in other classes had mixed emotions. They didn’t feel great knowing the top student was from another class.“Prepare for the second stage of the exam, now we will have a halftime break,” Gaffa said.The mages began to rest as they stopped their formations. The students returned to their classrooms to rest.Draken also went back to his class to rest. Many people approached him, curious about his strength improvement.“Draken, how did you get so strong?”“Yeah, how can an F-level talent improve so quickly? Any tips for us?”“I understand Draken comes from a low-income family and can’t afford good equipment and potions. He’s extraordinary to have im
Last Updated: 2024-08-09
Chapter: Chapter 219Draken turned to Lord Luke and said, “The exam rules require me to accept the first two matches. If I win, I can choose whether to accept the next match.”“I also have the right to pick my opponent.”Lord Luke frowned and asked, “Are you saying you’re rejecting my challenge? Are you a coward?”Draken glanced at the black horse behind Luke. Using his Eye of Truth, he saw the horse’s stats.Night Spirit HorseAttack: 40Speed: 700Health: 930Mana: 100Defense: 200 The horse’s speed and health were impressive. Draken thought having this horse would make his travels easier. Although cars existed in this world, rare mounts like this were more valuable.Draken decided it would be great to have this horse. “Lord Luke, if you want to fight me, you must place a bet.”“If I win, I get your horse!”Luke clenched his teeth. The horse was his prized possession. How did it quit just like that? But he thought beating an F-level talent would be easy, so he agreed.“No problem, but what if you lose?
Last Updated: 2024-08-07
Chapter: Chapter 218Draken activated his Split Claw skill, and in an instant, he destroyed all the vampire bats flying towards him!Everyone watching was shocked.“What just happened? Did he really kill all those bats in a split second?”“This doesn’t seem like F-level strength.”“These bats are Lord Nazzy’s strongest attack, and Draken just blew right through them!”Even Lord Nazzy himself was stunned. He knew how powerful his vampire bats were, and normal attacks wouldn’t usually harm them much.Lord Nazzy glanced at Draken and started to rethink Draken’s power. Seeing Draken’s sharp claws made him nervous. He realized he might not be able to beat Draken.Draken, not wanting to waste time, charged at Lord Nazzy. Seeing Draken rush at him, Lord Nazzy tried to run away, but Draken was too fast. In the blink of an eye, Draken was right in front of him.“Damn it. He’s too quick!” Lord Nazzy shouted in shock.“Didn’t you say you found me a grave?” Draken asked coldly. “You’re the one who’s dead!”Draken sa
Last Updated: 2024-08-06
Chapter: Chapter 217Akpi was shocked by Draken’s words.He quickly backed away, trying to put some distance between them.“Why aren’t my attacks working?” Akpi wondered aloud.After thinking for a moment, he reassured himself, “You must have focused all your training on defense. That has to be it. Your attack, speed, and health must be much weaker than mine.”Confident once again, Akpi decided he could break through Draken’s defenses with his speed over time.Just then, Draken’s figure flickered and vanished!In a flash, Draken reappeared right in front of Akpi.Akpi’s eyes widened in disbelief. Draken’s speed was faster than his!Draken raised his right hand, which transformed into a powerful dragon claw. His muscles expanded, scales emerged, and five sharp claws gleamed menacingly.Akpi was stunned. How could such a fierce-looking dragon claw be considered the weakest F-level talent?Swallowing hard, Akpi stammered, “Bro, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things…”Draken remained calm. “I told you
Last Updated: 2024-08-05
Chapter: Chapter 216Gaffa stood in the center of the formation and shouted, “Start now! Find your opponents! You have one minute!”Immediately, more than half of the male students in Class Two locked their eyes on Draken and moved toward him.One student rushed forward and yelled, “Draken! Let me be your opponent!”This made the others panic. They all wanted to face Draken and didn't expect someone to cut in line.“Draken, come and fight me. I’ll be gentle!”“Draken, we used to be friends. Let me have this opportunity!”“Grant me this opportunity, and I’ll make it up to you!”The scene was chaotic as everyone rushed toward Draken. He gave a faint smile, finding it ironic how they had just comforted him in class. Their hypocrisy was now clear.A quick-footed student reached Draken first. “I’m the first here. I’m Draken’s opponent. The rest of you are too late!” he announced proudly, thinking his ranking would improve easily.The others stopped, filled with regret.“This guy sure runs fast!”“I missed it.
Last Updated: 2024-08-02
Chapter: Chapter 128The broken earth still smoked from the last clash, and the cries of the wounded hung faint in the air. Yet no one moved. No one breathed. Every soldier, every priest, every king, all stared at the figure of black fire that had stepped from the east.It was not whole. It was not finished. Yet it stood tall, crowned in flame, its body shifting like smoke made flesh.And when it spoke, the world shivered. “You cannot kill what is not finished.”The words slid into every ear like knives. Men cried out, clutching their heads. Some dropped their swords, stumbling back. Others turned and ran, their screams tearing across the field.The kings shouted, their voices desperate. “Hold the line!” “Stand, you fools!” But their words carried no weight. Fear moved faster than command.Priests fell to their knees, chanting broken prayers. Some wept, some tore at their robes, others stared at the shadow with glassy eyes, whispering, “It is the end. It is the end.”The line buckled. The army was breaki
Last Updated: 2025-12-02
Chapter: Chapter 127The drums did not stop. All through the night, they beat. Slow, heavy, endless. Each sound rolled across the valley like thunder, rattling armor, shaking bones.When dawn broke, the horizon burned black. The sky glowed as if it had been cut open, spilling fire darker than coal. From that fire, shapes began to march.The shadow host.Soldiers rose from their blankets, their eyes hollow with no sleep. They gripped spears and swords with trembling hands. Some prayed aloud, whispering the names of gods. Others kissed small tokens, rings, cloth, bits of home, before fastening armor with pale fingers.The kings argued even now.King Alaric shouted hoarse. “We cannot face this! Pull the banners back! Save the men while we can!”Queen Seraya snarled at him. “If we run, we are already dead. Do you not see? The shadow will chase us to the ends of the world!”Lord Brennar struck the table with his scarred fist. “Enough! The men need leaders, not cowards. If you flee, then flee. But I will stand.
Last Updated: 2025-12-02
Chapter: Chapter 126The march east did not grow easier. Each day the air grew heavier, darker, as if the very sky bent low with dread. The land was sick beneath their feet. Ash drifted over fields where no fire had been. The rivers they crossed ran black, thick as oil, and the priests whispered that the water carried curses.Soldiers grew silent. At first, they marched with songs and cheers. Now they moved with bowed heads, their boots dragging, their voices hushed. Every sound felt swallowed by the land itself.On the seventh day, they found a village burned to nothing. But unlike the others, this one held no corpses on the ground. Instead, the air carried whispers. Faint, chilling voices rose from the ashes, as if the dead still begged for water, for mercy, for life.The soldiers froze. Some clutched their ears, others fell to their knees. A priest cried out, “The shadow binds their souls! This is Vazquez’s work!”Mason stood in the center of the ruin, silent, his silver eyes scanning the ash. His s
Last Updated: 2025-09-28
Chapter: Chapter 125The messenger’s words still hung in the tent like smoke. “The east burns. Vazquez’s remnants gather. The shadow is not dead.”No one moved. The kings sat frozen, their crowns heavy on their heads, their eyes wide and pale. The generals stared at the messenger as though the words themselves were poison.It was Queen Seraya who spoke first. Her voice was low, sharp as a knife. “Then all our arguments mean nothing. If the shadow marches, none of us can stand alone.”King Alaric snarled, his hand clenching the table. “And you would put us all under him?” He jerked his chin toward the camp outside. “That… creature who walks in fire?”“Creature or not,” said Lord Brennar, his scarred hands steady, “he is the only one the men will follow now. You know it. I know it. Deny it if you wish, but the fire has already crowned him.”The tent erupted again. Voices clashed, curses flew, pride and fear filled the air like smoke, then the flap opened, and Mason entered.He did not storm in. He did not s
Last Updated: 2025-09-28
Chapter: Chapter 124The fire shuddered. The great column of flame, tall as a tower, trembled as though it would tear itself apart. Sparks burst in every direction. The heartbeat thundered, faster, stronger, rattling armor and splitting stone.Men screamed. Women wept. Some fell to their knees, pressing their foreheads into the ash. Others stumbled back, hands over their faces, crying that the fire would consume them all.The priests raised their arms higher, their voices shrill. “The Saint is here!” they shouted. “The Flame Eternal rises!”But even their cries cracked with fear, for the fire shook like a living beast ready to break free.The column of fire began to fold inward.At first it sank slowly, as if collapsing under its own weight. Sparks spiraled down, drifting like burning snow. The glow dimmed to gold, then to red, the edges shrinking smaller and smaller.A whisper spread through the crowd. “It’s fading. It’s over. He’s gone again.”Some soldiers sobbed in despair. Others sagged in relief, b
Last Updated: 2025-09-27
Chapter: Chapter 123The altar was gone. In its place stood fire. A column of flame towered from the earth, white at its heart, gold at its edges, sparks falling like embers of a forge. The light blinded the valley, brighter than sun, searing the eyes of all who looked upon it. Heat washed over the battlefield, heavy and suffocating.The heartbeat shook the ground again. Once. Twice. Steady, louder, stronger. Men fell to their knees, some in awe, others in terror. Priests shrieked and wept. Kings shielded their faces with their cloaks. Soldiers cried out to gods old and new. The flame pulsed. Shadows leapt and twisted across the broken stones. For an instant, shapes seemed to move inside the fire. One priest cried out, his eyes wide and wet. “I see him! The Saint walks with wings of fire!” He tore at his robe, beating his chest with bloody fists. “Bow! Bow before the Flame Eternal!”Another priest laughed, wild and broken. “No! Look! A crown of light rests upon his brow. He is the king of fire, ruler o
Last Updated: 2025-09-26
