strictlysupreme Chapter 176 Strange Movements After Death!
Chapter 176 Strange Movements After Death!
Chapter 176 Strange Movements After Death!
Hughes and Lilith's expressions changed simultaneously!
"Oh no! He's about to self-destruct his demonic energy!"
Hughes exclaimed in horror.
A level three archmage self-destructed without regard for the consequences, the power of which was enough to level everything within a radius of several miles!
Even if they survive, they will be seriously injured!
"Stop him!"
Lilith screamed, unable to maintain her languid and composed demeanor any longer. Her mental energy pierced Calvin's brain like a sharp cone, attempting to interrupt his self-destruction process!
But it was too late!
Calvin's speed was beyond imagination!
Or rather, he had already prepared for the worst!
However, just as this energy was about to explode out of control—
"Now! Hughes!"
A cold glint of triumph flashed in Lilith's eyes. All her previous attacks, including the seemingly interrupted preparation of her powerful killing move, were intended to push Calvin into a corner and force him to make this choice of mutual destruction!
Once he starts to self-destruct, there will be an extremely brief moment of energy loss of control, during which he will be unable to defend himself effectively!
Hughes understood immediately; he had been waiting for this opportunity for far too long!
He hadn't prepared any large-scale offensive magic spells; instead, he had already condensed all his power into an extremely insidious curse specifically designed to target states of energy loss of control!
"Soul Shackles - Pact of Annihilation!"
Hughes roared hoarsely, and from the seven orifices of the wailing head at the top of the bone staff shot out seven eerie energy lines, as thin as hair, yet pitch black, seemingly capable of devouring all light!
With speed beyond comprehension, it instantly pierced Calvin's chest, which had temporarily lost its perfect protection due to the energy surge!
This is not a physical attack, nor an energy shock, but an extremely vicious soul contract curse!
Instead of preventing the self-destruction, it acted like a shark that had smelled blood, instantly coiling around Calvin's about-to-explode soul core and establishing a one-sided, destructive pact with it!
The effect of this contract is simple yet terrifying:
All the destructive energy generated by the self-destruction will be directed at the caster himself!
"Ughhhhh—!"
Calvin let out a deafening scream filled with disbelief and extreme pain!
The terrifying energy within him, which was originally about to burst forth and destroy everything around him, was forcibly locked, twisted, and poured back into his own soul and body by the seven black energy lines!
From the outside, there was no earth-shattering explosion as expected.
Only Calvin himself, like a human torch ignited from within, suddenly burst forth with an indescribable, dazzling light!
The light was so intense, even surpassing the brightness of any of his previous spells, yet it was firmly contained within an inch of his body!
It was as if he had transformed into a supernova that had been forcibly compressed to its extreme!
His body could be vaguely seen in the light.
The incredibly resilient body of the third-level archmage, forged through countless trials—began to crumble inch by inch from the inside out.
Vaporize!
Pure light and heat emanated from his eyes, mouth, and ears!
His soul is being utterly annihilated from within by his own most powerful force!
This process was extremely short, yet it felt infinitely long.
Less than a second later, the light suddenly went out.
The spot where Calvin had stood was now empty.
There was no explosion, no ashes, no debris.
It was as if he had never existed.
Only the lingering, stinging aftershocks of immense energy in the air, and the smooth, mirror-like craters left by the instantly vaporized ground, testify to the terrifying implosion that had just occurred.
A gentle breeze carried a faint smell of burning.
The battlefield was deathly silent.
The soul fire in Hughes's eyes slowly subsided.
He stretched out his skeletal hand, and the seven black energy lines, like black snakes that had completed their mission, obediently retracted into the head at the top of the staff, which seemed to let out a satisfied burp.
"What a pity—such excellent material."
Hughes said hoarsely, his tone tinged with regret, but more so with the indifference of having completed the mission.
Lilith exhaled softly, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and that lazy yet dangerous smile reappeared on her face.
"Finally, this problem is solved. Bones, now it's time to let this war continue according to the script."
The lingering, stinging energy had not yet completely dissipated, and a deathly silence permeated the scorched air.
At the center of the smooth, mirror-like concave glass, a subtle, abnormal fluctuation emanated from the space.
A tiny, almost imperceptible, dark red spark, like a candle flickering in the wind, suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the center of the crater. It pulsed weakly, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.
Hughes, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped and turned around. His empty eye sockets were fixed on that spark, and his soul fire suddenly contracted.
"What is that?!"
Lilith's languid smile froze on her face, and for the first time, genuine surprise and uncertainty showed in her purple eyes.
"Impossible! Both soul and body have been annihilated, how could this be—"
In their understanding and perception, Calvin's existence had indeed completely vanished, leaving not even the slightest fragment of his soul. The Annihilation Pact had absolutely taken effect!
Just then, the dark red spark seemed to absorb the residual heat energy in the air and suddenly expanded for a moment!
Immediately afterwards, a faint roar, filled with boundless anger and resentment, seemed to come from the deepest part of their souls, echoed faintly in Hughes and Lilith's consciousness!
"roar--!"
The spark suddenly split open, not in an explosion, but like a miniature spatial singularity, instantly generating an unimaginable and terrifying suction force!
The lingering flames from Calvin's failed self-destruction, the vaporized particles of his body, and even the last trace of his soul dissipating into space—
Everything that belonged to him was frantically pulled and swallowed back into that one point by this sudden suction force!
Moreover, Hughes and Lilith were horrified to discover that their own magic and even life force were beginning to fluctuate slightly out of control, as if they were about to be pulled towards that strange singularity!
"Damn it! Is this a backlash from the soul imprint?! Or some kind of secret life-saving technique we don't know about?!"
Hughes was both shocked and furious. He immediately steadied himself to resist the suction force. He had never seen anything remain beneath the Oath of Annihilation!
Lilith also retreated rapidly, enveloping herself in shadow to block out the eerie suction.
"Quick! Destroy it!"
However, just as they were about to make their move, the dark red singularity had already finished its devouring!
It was no longer Mars, but had become a dark red crystal about the size of a fist, constantly twisting and changing, with what appeared to be flowing lava inside!
The crystal emitted an extremely unstable yet astonishing energy fluctuation, and its surface was covered with fine cracks.
The next moment, before Hughes and Lilith's attacks could arrive—
click!
The dark red crystal made a crisp cracking sound, then suddenly collapsed inward and disappeared instantly!
It didn't disappear; rather, it vanished completely into the depths of space in a way that is utterly incomprehensible, perhaps even transcending the boundaries of the current dimension, making it impossible to perceive or track anymore.
Only the crater in the glass remained, along with an air even more deathly still and unsettling than before.
Hughes and Lilith's attacks missed their mark, striking the ground and creating two deep craters, but it all seemed pointless.
The two stood there, surrounded by shadows and an aura of death, yet neither could conceal their astonishment and disbelief.
"What exactly is it?" Lilith's voice lost its usual composure, carrying a hint of solemnity.
She had never encountered this situation before.
The soul fire in Hughes's eyes flickered violently. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice.
"I don't know—but it's definitely no ordinary thing. What did that madman Calvin do before he died?"
They couldn't determine what the dark red crystal was, whether it was Calvin's last resort in his suicide attempt.
Or is it a mutation caused by some kind of soul technique that they cannot understand?
Or even something more bizarre?
But in any case, Calvin was indeed "dead," his body and soul perished. They could be certain of that.
However, this sudden turn of events cast an inexplicable shadow over what was originally a perfect hunt.
"Hmph, even if some remnants are left, it doesn't change anything."
11
Hughes finally let out a cold snort, suppressing the unease in his heart.
"Mission accomplished, let's go."
Lilith glanced deeply at the spot where the crystal had disappeared, her gaze shifting several times before finally turning into a cold shadow.
"Let's go, the feast that's about to begin" is the real focus.
The two figures completely disappeared into the shadows.
The ruins were completely silent again.
Only the smooth, etched dent in the glass, and a faint, eerie aura in the air, a mixture of heat and emptiness, silently recounted what had just happened, and the unknown, the thing that had vanished into the unknown—
Final twist.
The two level-three archmages invited by Hick exchanged a glance, their figures slowly merging into the shadows and disappearing from sight.
All that remained was a desolate ruin, and the immense grief and anger that was destined to engulf the entire nation, stemming from the loss of a powerful figure who had protected the nation in the Tower of Eternity.
Master Calvin died in battle.
The news of Master Calvin's death swept across the entire continent of Ekar like the most violent hurricane with astonishing speed.
It was unbelievable at first.
Inside the Tower of Eternity, when the last fragmented message filled with terror and despair was received from the front-line command center via the emergency communication array, the entire dome council hall fell into a deathly silence.
The crystal glass in Anselm Tower’s hand slipped and shattered on the ground, but he was oblivious. He just stood there, pale-faced, as if all his strength had been drained away.
The crystal in Monet's hand made a piercing cracking sound.
Master Freya covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock and sorrow.
"No—impossible—"
A young councilor murmured in disbelief, unable to comprehend that Master Calvin, who was as brave as a war god and symbolized the pinnacle of martial prowess in the Eternal Tower, had actually—died in battle?
However, as more scattered fragments of information converged through different channels, and the high-ranking wizards sent to the scene brought back images of the desolate battlefield, now only a glassy crater, the last glimmer of hope was shattered.
Grief, like a mountain so heavy it was suffocating, instantly crushed every member of the Tower of Eternity who heard the devastating news.
Low sobs echoed in the corridors, laboratories, and dormitories. Flags were lowered to half-mast, and mournful bells tolled endlessly through the sky.
But what followed was a raging inferno!
"The Silent Forest!!!"
Lord Anselm suddenly raised his head, his eyes no longer filled with sorrow, but burning with an almost insane flame of revenge. He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice hoarse yet containing destructive power.
"This enmity is irreconcilable!"
The entire war machine of the Eternal Tower was activated, even over-activated, with unprecedented efficiency and decisiveness because of the release of this bombshell!
All resource allocation and all strategic plans have been overturned and rewritten!
Sole goal: Revenge!
The allies who were initially hesitant about whether to fully commit to the war felt a chilling sense of shared hatred and righteous indignation upon receiving news of Calvin's death and the Tower of Eternity's almost frantic war mobilization.
More forces were drawn into the war, and their stances became more steadfast.
On the front lines, the army and wizards of the Eternal Tower were briefly thrown into chaos and morale was low, but what followed was a frenzied counterattack that turned grief and anger into strength!
They often launched their attacks with a ferocity even greater than that of their enemies, and the light of their magic became even more dazzling and reckless. For a time, they managed to hold back the Silent Forest's offensive and even reclaim some lost territory.
The sentiment that "a desperate army will surely win" is spreading.
Meanwhile, in the Silent Forest, news of Calvin's death was like a powerful stimulant and a prize of war, and was widely publicized.
"The foundation stone of the Eternal Tower has crumbled! Victory belongs to the Silent Forest!"
Similar propaganda slogans echoed through the Dark Legion, greatly boosting their morale.
Speaker Mochamo seized the opportunity to launch more and fiercer attacks in an attempt to expand his gains.
When Hick learned the news in the shadowy hall, he merely let out a low, enigmatic laugh, and the fingers tapping the armrest seemed to quicken slightly.
For him, the most important thing was not Calvin's death, but that the war became more intense because of his death, and the "firewood" produced was instantly upgraded in both quantity and quality.
The energy transmission channels at the central point become more stable and robust.
However, as the war broke out, Hick also discovered that the amount of "firewood" seemed a bit off, especially the death of a third-level archmage, which he felt nothing about.
However, he didn't care, as he was definitely not the only one collecting "firewood".
However, no one noticed either the grief and indignation of the Tower of Eternity or the ecstasy of the Silent Forest.
Or rather, no one was able to notice the extremely tiny, almost undetectable distortion in the spatial structure deep within the glass-like crater of that battlefield, and the faint, almost imperceptible, scorching fluctuation that seemed to come from another dimension.
The vanished dark red crystal, like a forgotten footnote, quietly disappeared beneath the grand narrative of war.
only----
The Eternal Holy Flame atop the Tower of Eternity —
It seems to be burning even more fiercely —
The war on the continent of Aikar has entered a new phase that is even bloodier, more insane, and more unpredictable due to the fall of a level three archmage.
The spiral of hatred began to spin faster, drawing more lives into it and crushing them to dust.