NOVGO.NET Chapter 1701: Breakthrough (2)
Chapter 1701: Breakthrough (2)
In this particular part of the Black Rift, there were no voidal monsters.
Only desolation and stillness lingered.
Above, the dark smoke—that normally covered the sky was thinner, a sign of a disturbance in the voidal energy level recently. So much so that the glowing moon could be seen more clearly from the ground, and its light reached the fractured plains better.
A crimson shade has taken over the moon, barely, but that made the area more eerie and ominous.
Rumble!
Despite the desolation, it wasn’t calm in any way.
Separated in a fixed interval, the air quaked, and the ground shook.
A barrage of explosions after another tore through the silence, each detonation pounding like a giant’s pounding heartbeat. It came from a long fissure that seemed to hide an evil and powerful being. From it, emerald lights flickered into existence.
A woman with a flowing emerald cloak stood in the air, indomitable and ferocious.
Dozens of stars appeared out of thin air behind her before she sent them streaking forward with a motion.
Like a guided meteor shower, each dove deep into the fissure.
For a second, it was still, but in the next, the fissure erupted in waves of emerald fire that made the land convulse and the darkness of the Black Rift flare green. Princess Davina summoned a new set of stars and motioned for them toward the fissure again.
Her hand moved with strength as she sent volley after volley.
Her chest heaved as she channeled more of her life energy and cast her Spirit Genesis—Starfall.
Her eyes watched the fissure growing larger with every volley she sent, and the area was charred black from the emerald flames, but she showed no sign of stopping. She knew—none of this was enough, but she couldn’t stop.
Rumble!
Again.
Rumble!
And again.
Princess Davina tried to lure the Immortal Slugs or even hurt them, but there was no reaction.
After feasting, it seemed to have hibernated and wasn’t easily woken up again.
Even her relentless barrage proved to be inefficient.
Gritting her teeth so hard she tasted blood, she snarled and summoned the next wave of stars.
Unlike earlier, when there were only a few dozen stars, this time, she summoned near a hundred—using so much life energy that blood trickled down the corner of her lips. Then, she slowly united her hands together, controlling the stars to merge.
Swoosh!
Princess Davina’s eyes glowed brighter, and her long cloak billowed hard as if there was a hurricane.
Above her, the stars merged with each other until all of them merged into one brilliant star.
“Spirit Genesis: Starfall!”
Her scream tore through the night as the emerald star collided with the abyssal fissure.
Despite the depth of the fissure, a powerful explosion resounded, sending a shockwave that devastated the surrounding area, flattening anything that caught in its way. Althea, who was watching from below, raised her hand and created a barrier to protect herself from the shockwave.
She stared at the emerald mushroom-shaped explosion rising to the sky.
It was akin to a nuke—No, more powerful than a nuke.
Had it been used near a bubble, even an Obelisk of Life might not be able to endure this easily.
“Sigh… What are you doing, Davina?” Althea sighed as she put down the barrier.
It has almost been a day since the Immortal Slugs incident, and Empress Morgana managed to complete the mission on her own. She still has the Prince Embryo, so she could still lure the White Mask and the serpent to the Burrowing Valley.
And since the Immortal Slugs absorbed much of their energy, they were slower and more sluggish.
Empress Morgana succeeded without much help because of that.
Most of the nobles who participated in this mission had been investigated by the royal bubble—and the hunt for Knight Haxel had begun. Still no news about his location, but considering that he had previous records and warnings, the manpower sent was more robust than normal.
Now, the nobles had already gone back.
All of them had returned to their own lands. All except for Princess Davina.
Princess Davina stayed behind and went berserk, killing the entire horde of the White Mask.
Not a single voidal monster was spared, and now, her onslaught continues.
“I heard Duke Lorcan had sent Princess Liliana to come and take Davina back, but I don’t know if she will be able to,” Althea said, looking ahead, watching Princess Davina’s back as she waited patiently for any reaction from her latest attack. “But regardless, she will have to go back soon enough.”
Even from afar, Althea could already see it.
Princess Davina’s left arm was already turning black, and even a small horn poked out from her head.
She had spent too much time inside the Black Rift, and she was also spending her life energy ceaselessly, so it wouldn’t take long before she fell to Voidal Metamorphosis. If she continues being stubborn, the Black Rift will swallow her.
Just then, Althea noticed Princess Davina descending.
She immediately approached.
Esmeravon was nudging Princess Davina with its beak—from the side, worried for her safety, and also begging her to go to safety before it’s too late, without words. Being inside the Black Rift with her, even Esmeravon wasn’t unscathed.
Noticing Althea, Esmeravon wanted to chase her away, but stopped.
Instead, she gave them some space, allowing Althea to be the one to persuade her.
Althea gave Esmeravon a small nod, assuring the beast that she came without any malice, only to help.
Nobody told her to wait for Princess Davina, but she stayed anyway.
She was saved by Rex, so she would feel too guilty if she left with the others without Princess Davina.
“I’m not going to say I know how you feel, but this isn’t you,” Althea said firmly.
Hearing this, Princess Davina glanced over her shoulder before fixing her gaze back to the ground, “Go back, Althea. Leave me alone. This doesn’t concern you—and I’m sure your father and husband would be worried.”
“What about your father? Won’t he be worried, too, if you stayed here?”
“Just… leave me alone.”
“The Princess Davina I know is fiercely realistic. Nobody has ever survived—once the Immortal Slugs got them, so most likely, Rex will not survive,” She stepped forward and stood beside Princess Davina, watching the fissure ahead. “He might be still alive, I don’t know—but I do know he doesn’t want you to die a stupid death by being stubborn.”
Princess Davina clenched her fists, digging her fingers into the ground as if it were made of butter.
She knew that Althea was right.
Even from the start, she knew about this already, but she refused to do nothing and pray.
But she couldn’t stop.
“He said he’s going to try not to die…” Princess Davina whispered.
“I see,” Althea sighed and supported Princess Davina to stand. “In that case, you should believe him. I don’t know much about Rex—but from what I’ve seen, he’s mysterious and hard to kill. It’ll be sad for him if he managed to survive only to find you turning into a monster here.”
Despite her reluctance, Princess Davina bit her lip and nodded, “Okay…”
Both of them headed to Esmeravon, who was waiting for them to get on, ready to fly away.
Princess Davina sat on Esmeravon’s back and cast one last look at the fissure.
Her heart ached from the sight of the fissure alone, and Rex’s face flashed in her mind, but Althea was right. ’He’s only saying that to not make me worry. Reality is… he’s not coming back. But a part of me believed him.’
Princess Davina reached for her chest—her face shaded with heartbreak.
It has been more than a hundred years since the Nameless Dragon Arena started.
She has never found the one she was prophesied with.
Not even close.
Rex came from another realm, and he came to her.
He came into her life exactly as the prophecy stated, so Princess Davina was very hopeful.
It was only earlier that she found out that Rex didn’t come from the Spirit Realm,
Parting with him so soon was incredibly hard.
But she has to.
“Oh, it’s beautiful tonight,” Althea murmured as she climbed Esmeravon, her gaze sweeping over the landscape that was still marred with battle scars. A deep crimson glow bathed the entire place. Even the dark smoke and the blackened earth shimmered red under the moonlight. “Seems like the Blood Moon is nearing. I’ve always loved blue… but tonight, red feels beautiful.”
Princess Davina looked around and nodded, “It’s indeed very beautiful.”
Just then, she noticed that more than the scenery was beautiful.
She raised her hand and felt that the air was rising in temperature.
Not to mention, she noticed that the moonlight was specifically intense towards the fissure, like it was highlighting the fissure for some reason. Her heart skipped a beat, and without thinking, she dashed to the fissure again.
“Davina, are you serious?!” Althea called from behind and chased after her.
Seeing her suddenly running to the fissure made Althea’s heart drop as she feared Davina would do the unthinkable and die along with Rex. But before the two could reach the fissure, the moonlight rose in temperature again, and a stream of energy shot into the fissure.
SWOOSH!
Princess Davina and Althea were pushed away.
Both raised their arms to shield their faces.
“What in the world happened?!” Althea screamed, surprised by the sight. “Where did this come from?!”
Unlike Althea, Princess Davina was smiling as she was thrown back, ’Rex!’
Boom!
Inside the fissure, Rex laughed maniacally as the crimson sphere before him glowed and charged by the red moonlight beam that came down from the sky. His crimson eyes watched as the moonlight beam and the blood he prepared gathered and merged into the sphere.
<Blood Moon Echo progress: 47%>
<48,5%…>
<50%…>
<56%…>
<70%…>
Relentlessly, the progress swelled higher and higher under Rex’s watchful gaze.
“Sorry for being a pain in the ass, Kaiser! But you did try to kill me,” Rex laughed, staring at the bright reddish moon above as he stared into the being—that represented it. “You have nobody to blame other than yourself for this!”
Boom!
Like the artifact of the world, the crimson sphere rose, and the energy inside it began to spin.
Even though it was still far from it, Rex could see the resemblance of this sphere to the actual Blood Moon. His entire being was responding to it—all muscles flexed and grew stronger, soul soothed like being caressed by gentle hands, and mind filled with the murderous intent that was as vast as a sea of blood.
<89%…>
<93%…>
<99%…>
<100%!>
Boom!!
A blast happened, and the walls of the fissure began crumbling.
Even the Immortal Slugs recoiled as it was startled by the power contained within this crimson sphere.
Rex spread his arms and watched the crimson sphere like it werre the love of his life.
His red eyes stared at the notification appearing in his vision.
<Congratulations, the first layer of the Blood Moon Echo has been successfully crafted!>
<Sudden Quest completed!>
<Obtained 20 million gold and Copy Link!>
Seeing this, Rex howled in excitement, but the process doesn’t stop there.
“System, use Copy Link!” Rex commanded as this was the moment he would finish the Blood Moon Echo in one sweep. Then, he took out something from his inventory, a glowing emerald seed. “Sacrifice this Reaping Seed to enhance the Blood Moon Echo!”
<Affirmative.>
<Initializing Copy Link item…>
<Adding the Reaping Seed into the mix…>
Kaboom!!
From above, Princess Davina and Althea somehow managed to reach the fissure.
It was a struggle as the closer they got, the thicker the pressure coming from the fissure became.
But upon reaching the edge and poked their heads to see—what was happening in the pit, both of their eyes widened. There, Rex was standing dominantly right under a glowing red sphere—that was gaining mass with each second.
And that one look was enough to tell what was going on.
“He survived and is now creating a Unique Echo? Now, of all times?!” Althea gasped in shock.
Princess Davina smiled, a tear drizzled down her face, “I know it… You’re still alive.”