NOVEL NEXT Chapter 126: The Unseen Turn
The daylight waned, retreating beyond the horizon as the night unfurled its vast, obsidian cloak across the galaxy. Stars blinked into existence, scattered like cosmic fireflies, while asteroids drifted lazily, their silent passage adding to the endless ballet of celestial bodies. Beneath this grand tapestry, dark matter loomed unseen, weaving the unknown into the very fabric of existence.
At the northernmost extreme, close to the border between Structurith clan and Nihilith Clan, where jagged peaks of the Structurith Clan's mountain range cast long shadows against the dimming sky, a temporary encampment lay nestled in the valley below. The Northern forces, weary from their retreat, had arranged their tents in a tightly woven pattern, a strategy designed not only to minimize detection but also to ensure a swift response, whether for further withdrawal or an unexpected counterattack.
Within the Astro Lord's command tent, the dim glow of a single lamp fought against the surrounding darkness, its flickering light barely illuminating the aged parchment map sprawled across the central table. Hildred, the Astro Lord, sat motionless behind it, his fingers interlocked beneath his chin, elbows braced against the table's surface. His gaze bore into the map, as if by sheer will he could extract the secrets hidden within its intricate lines and markings. The weight of command pressed heavily upon him, a burden evident in the tautness of his posture and the shadows clinging to his features.
Footsteps disrupted the silence, sharp yet measured, each step deliberate but unhurried. Dunstan entered, his presence slicing through the dim atmosphere like the edge of a drawn blade. The steady rhythm of his approach pulled Hildred from his trance, prompting him to lift his weary gaze from the map. The firelight caught in his eyes, reflecting both exhaustion and an ever-flickering ember of resolve.
"Hummm…" Hildred exhaled heavily, the sound carrying the weight of countless battles fought, not just against enemies but against uncertainty itself. He adjusted his seat, his fingers pressing into the armrests as he leaned back, seeking a moment of fleeting comfort.
Dunstan halted before the table and bowed his head slightly in greeting. "Astro Lord."
Hildred gave a slow nod. "You've returned. What have you seen? Is there anything suspicious?" His tone carried little optimism, as though bracing for news he already expected.
"The Primordial Beasts have ceased their advance." Dunstan's voice was steady but tinged with unease.
A sigh, deep and ragged, escaped Hildred's lips. "Hah… I see. At the very least, that grants us time, time to gather our strength, to reclaim clarity amid this chaos." His voice, though weary, bore the resolve of a man who had spent a lifetime standing at the precipice of war.
Dunstan hesitated, shifting his stance slightly before speaking. "Sir… there is something that troubles me."
Hildred arched a brow, though his expression remained impassive. "Speak your mind," he said, though his tone lacked urgency. Weariness dulled his usual sharpness, but experience had taught him that no concern, no matter how small, should be ignored.
"I have my suspicions about the primordial beasts' movement," Dunstan said, his brows knitting together in deep contemplation. "Instead of a deliberate march, it feels more like a frenzied stampede. But I can't yet determine why."
Hildred leaned forward, curiosity flickering in his sharp gaze. "So, what exactly did you observe?"
Dunstan exhaled, as if recalling the weight of his findings. "During my investigation, I noticed something unsettling, the flow of corrupted air, faint but undeniably present, clinging to the beasts like an unseen shroud. It carried the essence of demonic energy, barely noticeable yet persistent. As if..." He hesitated, the words heavy on his tongue. "As if they were under some kind of demonic influence."
Hildred's eyes widened, his back lifting from the chair as if struck by an invisible force. "Did you just say the beasts are under demonic control?" His voice wavered between shock and skepticism, a ripple of tension tightening the air between them.
Dunstan nodded, though uncertainty still clung to his expression. "That is my hypothesis, though it seems impossible. These legendary beasts are untamable, let alone susceptible to manipulation."
Hildred shook his head, a knowing gleam settling in his gaze. "No... you're only half wrong."
Dunstan stiffened, his thoughts churning. "What do you mean, sir?" he asked, his voice laced with intrigue.
Hildred's fingers tapped lightly against the wooden desk, a rhythmic drumbeat of revelation. "If we Celestials can render these powerful beasts' strength useless with Thanacrite, why should it be beyond the demons' capabilities to devise a means to control them? Demons are far more dictatorial, more exploitative by nature. If there is a way to corrupt and enslave, they would be the first to uncover it."
Dunstan's eyes darkened with understanding. "I see," he murmured, a newfound certainty settling in his mind. Then, raising his gaze once more, he asked, "Is there anything we can do to put an end to this?"
Hildred's lips pressed into a firm line, his mind already orchestrating the next steps. "Yes. Since the beasts have reached Halta, it means any suppressive force used on them has begun to fade. They are regaining their strength. This means one of two things, either the weapon used against them must be reapplied, or we leave them be and risk further devastation."
He paused, his decision final. "Inform Lumina. Both you and she will lead your teams to trail the beasts, staying two meters behind while keeping your presence concealed. Study them. Observe every movement, every sign of influence. If my suspicions are correct, the demons in charge we appear and we need to know exactly what weapon we're dealing with before we make our next move."
Dunstan stood straighter, his resolve mirroring the gravity of the task. "Understood," he affirmed, bowing slightly before turning to leave.
The tent flap stirred in his wake, and the echo of his retreating footsteps gradually faded into the night. Silence reclaimed the space, punctuated only by the tent's rhythmic swelling and shrinking, the fabric whispering against the night breeze like a solemn omen of the battles yet to come.
Meanwhile, at the border between the Nihilith Clan's southern dominion and the Enerath Clan's northern expanse, a land governed by the immutable Law of Energy and Conservation, a solitary figure stood like an unyielding sentinel. Vacuros, towering at an awe-inspiring twenty-five feet, loomed at the precipice where the Nihilith territory bled into the unknown beyond. His mere presence distorted the air, raw energy rolling off him in waves, bending the wind into obedient spirals around his form.
His gaze, colder than the void itself, remained locked onto the dark distant horizon of Enerath Clan's land. The sheer weight of his presence seemed to press upon the very fabric of reality. His voice, a measured rumble, carried no emotion, only the quiet certainty of a predator that had caught the scent of its prey.
"I didn't expect it to be him... I should have come the moment I sensed his energy entwined with the three familiar signatures," he muttered, his words swallowed by the restless winds that howled in acknowledgment.
For days, a gnawing sense of recognition had lingered at the edge of his perception, elusive yet persistent. Had he already forget? Had he left without a word, vanishing like a whisper on the wind? A rare flicker of contemplation crossed his face. But how did his energy elude my notice until then?
The wind, like a restless spirit, coiled around him, carrying whispers only he could hear. A silent, wordless exchange.
"Let's just assume he knows what he's doing," Vacuros concluded, dismissing his doubts with the ease of one who had long stopped questioning fate.
His fingers curled, and space itself seemed to tremble in response. A deep, resonant hum rippled through the air as he intoned with quiet authority:
"Lexis Severance: Void Disruption."
The very fabric of existence before him wrenched apart, the Void splitting open like silk sundered by an invisible blade. The air hissed, folding into itself as an abyssal rift yawned wide, hungry and fathomless. Without hesitation, Vacuros stepped forward, his immense frame vanishing into the rupture.
As if reality refused to acknowledge his passing, the torn Void sealed shut behind him, erasing his presence as though he had never been there at all.
In the south, along a hidden route cloaked in secrecy, Karl, Lunara, Kola, and Theodric moved as one, their footsteps a whisper against the earth. The night stretched its dark veil over them, an unbroken canvas of shadow, while the distant starlight shimmered faintly, casting a ghostly glow upon their path.
The cold night breeze trailed behind them like an unseen specter, weaving through their cloaks, urging them forward as if nature itself conspired to hasten their steps. Each footfall was a ghostly echo as they vanished into the embrace of the midnight hush, their figures dissolving into the vast, silent expanse of the night as they strode onward, their purpose etched into the hush of the world around them.