NOVEL NEXT Chapter 432: The Sigil’s Signal
The moment Ethan activated his skill, Ormund made a move that completely caught him off guard. Ethan had just been urging him to accelerate when, without warning, Ormund stopped cold. Then, with a sudden burst of agility, he rolled mid-air—an entire 360-degree spin—and shifted one body-length to the left.
That's when Ethan saw it.
A single horn sliced through the air in front of them, its sharp edge shattering the very fabric of space. It pierced the void like a spear. If Ormund hadn't stopped and rolled at that exact moment—if he'd actually followed Ethan's command to accelerate—he would've been skewered like meat on a spit.
"Hmph… You little punk," came a thunderous voice, heavy with malice. "I've been waiting two whole days for you! Let's see where you run now. Be smart, hand over the Sigil of the Wild Legion—and I might leave you a complete corpse!"
A monstrous figure tore through space, appearing directly in front of Ethan: the Void-Rending Bull. Massive, terrifying, and quite literally capable of rending the void apart.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. So it really could tear through space and hide inside it. He hadn't expected this. According to everything he knew, only Saint-rank powerhouses had the ability to step into the void—and even then, they couldn't move freely while inside. Any motion would forcibly eject them.
He and Ormund had speculated about the beasts that pursued them after escaping the quicksand, and the Void-Rending Bull—whose horn Ethan had shattered with the Sigil—was the first to come up. Ormund had mentioned the Void-Rending Bull tribe typically awakened racial talents tied to brute strength and resilience. Only those with incredibly pure bloodlines might awaken the rare Void Rend ability upon reaching War God-rank. Such creatures could move—albeit slowly—while inside the void.
That explained the brittle horn Ethan had destroyed. He'd originally assumed the beast's physical toughness was exaggerated, but it had only been hiding its true potential. This monster was no ordinary bull—it was a high-bloodline aberration with the true racial talent: Void Rend.
And now, the broken horn had regrown—smaller, but definitely back.
"What's the delay?" Ethan called out with strained calm, his eyes fixed on the behemoth. "You think I can't snap off the other one?"
Despite the tension, his tone remained defiant.
"Ethan," Ormund said urgently, pointing toward the swirling vortex ahead. "That opening in the hurricane—that's the safe corridor. There's only one hour left before the Sacred Assembly begins. I'll hold him off. You go. If you miss the deadline, there won't be a second chance!"
A mocking snort came from the bull. "Hold me off? That's rich," it said, laughing darkly. "What are you gonna do, cub? Goad me to death with your bravado?"
Ormund clenched his fists. The beast was right, and he knew it—but that didn't stop the fire in his chest.
Ethan, however, shook his head. "We're not running. This can't be the only one."
As if on cue—boom, boom, boom—the sky trembled with new footsteps. Dozens more monstrous beasts emerged from the narrow pass of One-Line Sky, marching across the air like living titans. Others flew out of crags and crevices above, having clearly waited in ambush.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He scanned the horizon.
'Julian… Uncle Jed… You've reached the city by now, right? Whether I make it through this or not depends on how well you understand what I'm about to do…'
His thoughts lingered on one more name—Bongo. He'd seen Bongo's sword slash after her transformation, a blow that easily eclipsed the might of a War God-rank. When he'd mentioned the level, Uncle Jed simply said, "More than that." That meant Bongo had briefly reached Saint-rank during her awakening.
But that was over a month ago. And Bongo hadn't stirred since.
"Ethan…" Ormund's voice was tight. "What now?"
Ethan considered their options. He had set a teleportation point a thousand miles away—an escape route. But if he used it, they wouldn't make it to Hurricane City in time for the Four Domains Sacred Assembly.
And that wasn't acceptable.
Regis, Hank, and Quinn were already there, knowing they might die. Regis had vowed to stir up trouble during the Assembly. He had spent years gathering evidence, and all of it pointed to one man as the murderer of his wife and two sons: White Werox, Vice City Lord of Hurricane City.
Ethan remembered asking Julian why someone as calculating as Regis would risk suicide by confronting White Werox now—and why he'd drag Hank and Quinn with him. Julian explained everything.
Quinn's full name was Quinn Noalan. Julian's mother was Eliza Noalan—Quinn's sister. Her death had left him with no family, no attachments. If Regis was going to die seeking justice, Quinn would die alongside him.
As for Hank, he had once been Regis's rival in love. After Regis married Eliza, Hank vanished—only to return after her death and duel Regis. Somehow, after that, they'd reconciled. Hank became Regis's most loyal companion. Maybe he'd just been waiting for this day too.
Three men with nothing left but vengeance. Ethan couldn't let them die.
With resolve in his eyes, he raised his hand. Three pulses of yellow light burst into the sky. Boom. Boom. Boom. Three massive beast-head flares exploded overhead, each casting long shadows across the valley.
The gathered monsters stared for a moment—then howled with laughter.
"Is he serious?"
"He's thousands of miles from Beastfall City, and he's calling for help?"
"Look at this idiot. Sending distress flares right in front of Hurricane City!"
"He must be new. Has no idea how deep the Beastfolk and Hurricane City are in bed together."
"If Hurricane City comes to your rescue, I'll chop off my own head and let you sit on it!"
They jeered. They mocked. Even Ormund gave Ethan a sidelong glance. Has Ethan actually lost it?
But Ethan just smiled. Calm. Unbothered.
He raised his hand again.
BOOM. The void trembled. A square, earthen-yellow seal shot skyward and instantly expanded into a massive floating mountain. Wisps of yellow light spiraled from its surface.
The Sigil of the Wild Legion.
The monstrous beasts froze mid-laugh. Their eyes filled with greed and hunger. That thing was worth more than any life here.
Ormund groaned inwardly. 'Ethan… now's when you pull out the Sigil? Are you trying to get yourself killed faster? And did it have to be so damn big?'
---
"Commander! The City Lord's fired a distress signal!"
The soldiers behind Julian were in a frenzy. Hands gripped hilts. Weapons were drawn. All awaited Julian's order to charge.
But Julian stood frozen, his gaze locked on the sky. Three flares. Massive. Glowing.
Ethan had bought them time—and now he was asking for help? That didn't track. Ethan wasn't that reckless. Something was off…
Then came the flash.
When the Sigil of the Wild Legion expanded in the sky, Julian's breath caught. His mind snapped into motion.
"Commander! The City Lord's in danger—if he falls, and the Sigil is captured, Beastfall City is finished!"
If the monsters seized the Sigil, they'd seize the city too. And with it, the families of every man standing here.
Julian clenched his jaw. "Prepa—"
He didn't get the word out before a hand gripped his shoulder.
"Julian," Uncle Jed said, "Go to Hurricane City. Tell them this: Ethan, City Lord of Beastfall City, has come to attend the Four Domains Sacred Assembly with the Sigil of the Wild Legion. Along the way, he was repeatedly ambushed by Beastfolks attempting to steal the Sigil. The Beastfolks are conspiring to sabotage the Assembly. Right now, Ethan fights them in Rumination Gorge."
Julian's eyes widened. The flares—they weren't a call for rescue. They were a signal—to them, yes, but also to Hurricane City itself. The Sigil, raised sky-high, had been for all eyes to see.
It was a calculated move.
Even if Hurricane City didn't want to help, they couldn't ignore it—not without pressure from the other major domains. Forgotten City and Clearspring City wouldn't sit back if the Sacred Assembly was disrupted. A thousand-year event, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to enter the secret realm—nobody would let that slip away because a pack of beasts got in the way.
And more than that—humans and monsters were enemies by blood. With the right push, the tide would turn.
"What are you waiting for?" Jed barked. "Go!"
He gave Blackie, the Black Qilin, a swift kick to the rear.
"OW! Old man, I'm not Julian!" Blackie yelped as he bolted forward, galloping toward the gates of Hurricane City. "Why are you always kicking me? It's not even my fault this time!"
But he ran all the same—fast and loud.