......

Boom!

A deafening rumble suddenly shook the entire mountain, pulling Shin out of his thoughts.

His eyes immediately turned toward the source of the disturbance.

The colossal gate.

The enormous chains wrapped around its ancient frame had begun retracting one after another, producing metallic groans that echoed throughout the independent realm. Every movement carried an indescribable pressure, as though the very laws of the world were acknowledging the end of an ancient era.

The gigantic gate was finally closing.

*Ding*

A familiar system notification immediately appeared before Shin.

System: The Ancient Elemental Being of Darkness has successfully purified itself and is now returning to its eternal slumber.

System: Until the day ordained by fate arrives, the Ancient Elemental Being shall not awaken again.

...

Shin quietly watched as the immense gate slowly sealed itself.

The endless rivers of crimson slaughter energy had already retracted toward the opposite direction, leaving behind only countless emerald motes drifting peacefully through the air.

The corrupted aura that had blanketed the mountain had also disappeared completely.

It was over.

Or so he thought.

At that very moment, an ancient voice echoed directly inside his consciousness.

It did not travel through the air, nor did it resonate through mana. Instead, it simply appeared within his mind as if the world itself had spoken.

"Umbryth..."

The voice paused briefly.

"That is my name, little friend."

Its tone carried neither majesty nor arrogance. It sounded calm, ancient, and boundlessly distant, but every syllable seemed capable of lingering within one’s soul for an eternity.

Before Shin could even react, the presence had already vanished. It was as though the owner of that voice had never existed in the first place.

Boom!

The colossal gate finally began sinking beneath the earth.

The surrounding ground parted silently, swallowing the ancient structure inch by inch until only the weathered upper frame remained visible.

But just before it disappeared completely—

Swoosh!

A single streak of black radiance suddenly shot out from the gate.

It crossed the battlefield in an instant before silently merging into the cloak draped behind Shin.

He instinctively lowered his head, but nothing appeared to have changed. However, his Heart Realm Technique immediately captured what his eyes could not.

Hidden upon the back of [Death’s Shadow], an ancient emblem had quietly woven itself into the fabric.

It looked less like an ordinary crest and more like a symbol that had existed since the birth of darkness itself.

At its center was a blazing sun.

But instead of illuminating the world, it was being gently embraced by an endless mantle of darkness until only its silhouette remained visible.

It was a symbol not of destruction, but of Darkness that shelters even Light.

...

Shin was still quietly appreciating the ancient emblem embroidered onto the back of [Death’s Shadow] when the independent realm created by the Ancient Elemental Being’s consciousness finally began to collapse.

The distorted sky gradually cracked apart.

The endless mountain ranges faded into countless motes of emerald light before returning to the outside world.

Everything was slowly returning to normal.

Shin was just about to let out a small sigh of relief when a series of urgent messages suddenly appeared before him.

Diablo: I believe it was you who solved whatever happened over there, Vice Commander.

Diablo: If that is the case, then I would appreciate it if you could lend me a hand on my side.

Diablo: I don’t think I can hold this place much longer

Shin’s relaxed expression instantly disappeared.

His eyes narrowed as another forgotten battlefield resurfaced in his mind. "The Grand Sacrificial Ritual..."

He had become so focused on saving the Ancient Elemental Being that he had nearly forgotten the altar where the Demonic Church of Terror had been gathering the slaughter energy since the beginning.

Now that the ancient gate had closed, nothing remained to intercept those endless crimson rivers.

Every remaining stream of slaughter energy was now heading toward Diablo’s position.

Bang!

Without wasting another second, Shin violently kicked off the collapsing ground.

His figure shot high into the sky before the magnificent [Nephilim’s Wings] unfolded behind his back once more.

Boom!

The wings exploded with black radiance as they propelled him forward.

In an instant, his figure transformed into a streak of darkness that chased after the crimson rivers flowing across the heavens.

Even while flying, Shin immediately sent a message.

Sickarius: What’s the situation?

Diablo’s reply came almost immediately.

Diablo: I managed to isolate the altar from the slaughter energy for now.

Diablo: But the remaining members of the Demonic Church of Terror have begun launching desperate assaults to break through the barrier.

A brief pause followed before another message arrived.

Diablo: They’re much stronger than I expected.

Shin’s expression gradually darkened.

If even Diablo described them that way, then these were definitely not ordinary elite members.

Sickarius: How long can you hold?

Several seconds passed before the reply arrived.

Diablo: Ten to fifteen minutes won’t be a problem.

Diablo: But if this drags on any longer...

Diablo: I can’t promise anything.

Boom!

Shin’s wings erupted with even greater force.

The surrounding air exploded behind him as another sonic boom echoed across the sky.

His already incredible speed surged once again, leaving only a fading trail of black light cutting through the heavens.

His fingers tightened around the sheathed [Yamato].

Sickarius: Hold your position.

Sickarius: I’m on my way.

...

In the meantime, the situation within Oath City had gradually returned to a much calmer state.

The previous ordeal had pushed the entire city far closer to destruction than even the earlier siege led by the Demonic Churches.

Unlike the demonic players and monsters they had fought before, this time their enemy was an existence beyond their understanding.

No one knew where those grotesque creatures had come from, nor knew what they truly were.

They possessed neither the aura of demons nor the mana of ordinary monsters, yet every one of them radiated a terrifying corruption that instinctively filled everyone with dread.

The only thing the defenders understood was that those creatures were desperately trying to force their way toward the Royal Palace, as though something hidden beneath it was calling them.

Under the command of the City Mayor, every surviving soldier, knight, and mage threw themselves into the defense without hesitation.

King Juron had already suffered severe injuries during the earlier surprise assault launched by the Church of Terror, leaving him in no condition to participate in the battle.

Fortunately, the City Mayor himself was an Enlightened Being who had already reached the realm of a Tier-4 Magister.

With his overwhelming magical attainments and the ancient defensive formation engraved throughout Oath City, they barely managed to hold back the endless tide of Elemental Anomalies long enough for Shin to deal with the source of the disaster.

However, that victory came at a devastating cost.

Nearly every NPC guard stationed throughout the city had fallen while the Royal Guards had suffered equally catastrophic casualties, with only a small fraction surviving the relentless onslaught.

Many sections of the city walls had collapsed, while entire streets had been reduced to ruins.

Even the once-proud defensive formations had become riddled with cracks after enduring countless waves of attacks.

No one understood why the creatures had suddenly stopped.

They only watched as the grotesque beings dissolved into emerald motes of light before disappearing one after another, leaving behind a battlefield filled with silence.

To everyone within Oath City, it was nothing short of a miracle.

Even so, no one allowed themselves to lower their guard.

The soldiers remained at their posts while surviving mages continued channeling mana into the damaged defensive formation.

The commanders kept their eyes fixed on the heavens, anxiously watching the countless crimson rivers of slaughter energy that still stretched across the sky like blood-red veins.

These rivers were continuously flowing toward the deepest region of the Illuminating Forest.

Whatever had ended one catastrophe, another one had clearly yet to reach its conclusion.

...

The leading figures of the surviving Players had also gathered at one of the remaining intact plazas within Oath City.

No one spoke.

The atmosphere was far heavier than after any ordinary siege.

Among them, Poseidon and Hades wore particularly grim expressions. The losses suffered by the Titan Guild far exceeded everyone’s expectations.

As the strongest guild stationed within the surrounding region, they had been the first to answer Oath City’s call for reinforcements.

Unfortunately, the very army they had painstakingly assembled had become the greatest sacrifice of the Church of Terror’s scheme.

The majority of their elite members had disappeared alongside the reinforcements, dealing a devastating blow to the guild’s overall strength.

For the first time in a very long while, the Titan Guild had suffered a loss they could not simply recover from with wealth or influence alone.

Loki, however, appeared far less concerned.

He leaned casually against a collapsed pillar while lazily twirling one of his daggers around his fingers.

Compared to the city’s destruction and the countless casualties, what occupied his thoughts was something entirely different.

"Where did that Diablo guy run off to?" he muttered with visible disappointment.

His eyes wandered toward the distant forest. "I was finally getting warmed up."

Among everyone present, only Alucard’s expression suddenly changed.

*Ding*

A private message window quietly appeared before him.

His crimson eyes narrowed after reading its contents.

It was an urgent request from Diablo.

He had originally intended to explain the current situation to Poseidon, Hades, and Loki before heading over himself.

But before he could even open his mouth—

Swoosh!

A streak of black radiance suddenly tore across the heavens.

It moved with unbelievable speed, following the endless crimson rivers flowing toward the depths of the Illuminating Forest.

Alucard’s pupils immediately contracted. "The Vice Commander."

There was no mistaking that aura.

Moreover, there was only one person he knew who possessed wings capable of moving at such terrifying speed.

Without another word—

Bang!

The ground beneath Alucard exploded while a pair of enormous blood-red wings unfolded behind his back before violently flapping once.

Boom!

His figure transformed into a crimson meteor that shot straight into the sky.

The violent shockwave swept across the plaza, forcing everyone nearby to shield their faces from the sudden gust of wind.

Poseidon instinctively looked upward. "Tsk! Another one?"

Even Hades unconsciously frowned. "Probably."

Only Loki’s lips slowly curved upward into an excited grin.

"So..." he chuckled while watching the two disappearing streaks of black and crimson light. "...the real battle hasn’t started yet."

He stood up, seemingly preparing to head out as well.

High above the ruined kingdom, two streaks of light chased after the endless rivers of slaughter energy.

One was black while the other was crimson.

Both were heading toward the same destination— toward the battlefield where the next decisive battle awaited them.

......