Shiiiiing! Phhhtk!
Out of nowhere, a thin yet brilliant ray of light shone down right in between Astratis and Kyvernos.
Simultaneously, a stream of thick black liquid could be seen oozing out from Kyvernos’ hand where his index finger had once been. As for the index finger itself, it had been cleanly severed by the ray of light!
In the following moment, the black and white world slowly began to vanish as movement returned to the frozen world.
Then, as if having never been interrupted, Astratis’ and Tal’Nis’ attacks carried forward with unbelievable momentum.
…BOOOOOOM!
Following the first blast, a series of cascading explosions occurred—each more powerful than the last.
Due to the water-like nature of Tal’Nis sword intent, it acted as a catalyst for Astratis’ lightning. Therefore, when the two attacks made contact, they fed off one another in a constant loop of destruction.
Normally, this kind of on-the-spot combination would not have been possible for two individuals who had just met each other. And, even if they somehow managed to succeed in combining their strikes, the end result would be chaotic and unpredictable.
However, despite being a fragment of her true self, Tal’Nis’ comprehension of the elements that existed beneath the firmament was instinctual. Therefore, she was able to perfectly balance the two elements.
This feat was something that was difficult to achieve even for a peak legendary realm figure who controlled both elements.
The fact that Tal’Nis could do so when one of the elements belonged to another person was virtually unheard of!
Astratis did not lose focus on his attack and pressed forward; however, he could not help but be shocked inwardly.
“The power behind my lightning has increased nearly threefold. This person… Just how deep is her understanding of the natural laws to maintain this sort of balance?” Astratis thought to himself.
But, the Son of Thunder quickly pushed his thoughts aside and cleaned his mind. He knew that allowing his mind to stray now would lead to a swift demise.
“Writ of the Lightning King: Skyward Judgment!” Astratis roared as a heavy flood of Ethos containing his unique lightning element rained down from the sky in the form of a lightning bolt barrage.
The next moment, the entire sky of the Fourth Heart of the World became lit up. The light caused by the massive explosion blanketed every corner as though daylight had been introduced for the first time.
This eye-blinding light lasted several seconds before dissipating.
By the time it cleared up, Astratis had retreated tens of meters from his previous position using his Six Thunderous Paths.
At the same time, Tal’Nis recalled the pure sword to her side as she silently observed the situation in the sky above.
The smoke generated by Astratis’ and Tal’Nis’ attacks gradually cleared away. And, as it did so, it caused the Son of Thunder to narrow his eyes as a slight frown appeared on his face.
Standing at the center of the recently dispersed cloud of smoke was Kyvernos. Though the most shocking part was that besides his finger that had been severed by the ray of light, he came out virtually unscathed!
Some pieces of Kyvernos’ clothing had been torn and tattered. In addition, there were a few minor bruises that were already on the verge of recovery.
“An ambush? Merely a petty trick of the weak.” Kyvernos stated unhurriedly.
Simultaneously, the thick black liquid from his hand stopped pouring out and split into thousands of thin threads. These threads connected to the piece of Kyvernos’ finger that was cut off and reconnected it to his hand. If one were not there to witness it, they would have never known his finger being severed ever occurred!
“I was hoping he would be somewhat rusty after spending so many cycles idle, but… It’s just as I thought—an old monster is still a monster.” Astratis internalized.
While his survival was not outside of Astratis’ expectations, he never anticipated that their combined attacks would only inflict that much damage!
“Will you show yourself? Or, shall I personally drag you out?” Kyvernos announced as the atmosphere grew heavy and his facial expression darkened.
Although he was not seriously injured, in the end, he was still the absolute ruler of this world. Attacking him was akin to striking against the world itself. Therefore, those who dared oppose Kyvernos had only one outcome in his eyes—death!
“It has been but a few cycles since we last crossed paths and yet you still remain as impatient as always, Kyvernos.” A voice sounded from above the Fourth Heart of the World as a brilliant ray of light descended in between Astratis and Kyvernos.
“Hmph, I should have known it would be you. You should have stayed silently hidden away in your cave, Ilioreas.” Kyvernos scoffed.
Ilioreas was the one responsible for breaking Kyvernos’ “flow” over the surroundings, as well as severing the Progenitor of the Flow’s finger to halt his attack on Astratis.
“It is good to see you again, too, brother,” Ilioreas responded calmly as his steady gaze met Kyvernos’.
…
A few moments ago…
‘I anticipated some obstacles, but… To think my Energy Vision Sense is unable to peer into the depths of this palace. The whole building must be protected by some form of ethos. Well, considering where we are, I suppose it’s not too surprising. Since am I still uncertain of the limits of ethos, I can’t afford to be careless.’
When Izroth and Hakros entered the palace, the two wasted no time making their way toward the heart of the palace. After all, it was not uncommon for the center of the palace to be the most heavily guarded and safest area. And, for an area with those two conditions in place, the treasure room could not be far away. At least, this was the case under normal circumstances.
Izroth took into account Ourami’s personality, as well as the state of the Secret Realm.
He knew that in Ourami’s eyes, even if he were to set a priceless treasure out in the open for all to see, no one dared to claim it as long as it belonged to him. If that was the case, what person was foolish enough to stroll into his palace and lay their hands on his treasures? Such a person simply did not exist in this Secret Realm—at least until now.
The reason Izroth chose to head to the palace’s center was not due to the two previously mentioned conditions, but rather because of Ourami’s arrogance.
Given his pride, would Ourami allow himself to be anywhere but the center where everything revolved around him? Plus, who could possibly be better suited at keeping an eye on his belongings than he himself?
‘I was able to get a good look at the palace’s exterior when I used Sky Steps earlier, but I can only make rough estimates based on such limited information. Still, if I am not mistaken, we should be approaching the center soon. Though it’s strange…’
The closer Izroth moved to the center of the palace, the more he could not shake this feeling of uneasiness. It was not as though his Soul Sense was warning him of potential danger. Instead, this feeling came from the vast experiences he cultivated over time.
“Everyone must have run outside to join in on the fun. It’s a bit regretful…” Hakros said as he growled the latter part under his breath.
Due to the sudden attack on the Fourth Heart of the World, most of the ancient races that served under Ourami left their assigned posts to confront the celestials. It was not surprising that they had yet to run into anyone within the palace.
“Don’t let your guard down. This place—there’s something off about it.” Izroth warned.
He then continued, “Let’s increase our pace. The faster we find the treasure room, the sooner we can return to the battlefield.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Hakros replied with a grin.
Izroth increased his pace as Hakros followed close behind.
…
The two ventured deeper into Ourami’s palace. On the way, they came across a few of the ancient races under Ourami’s rule. However, those left behind in the palace were either too weak to join the battle outside or were simply there to serve as some form of amusement for the pillar.
The former could not withstand a single strike from Izroth or Hakros, while the latter were pitiful existences.
Even after Izroth offered them freedom, they refused to leave the palace.
In the end, Izroth could only offer the opportunity and not force their departure. Not only was his time limited, but it was also not his duty or purpose to save those within Ourami’s palace.
But, he understood that in their eyes, defying Ourami was the same as defying a deity. To most individuals, such a thought was incomprehensible.
‘Hm? This is…’
The moment Izroth arrived close to the heart of Ourami’s palace, he sensed an overwhelming sinister aura coming from outside the palace.
