A rapidly swirling vortex of air began to coalesce around the Sky Titan. Her very presence became synonymous with a storm, her speed accelerating relentlessly until she reached the vicinity of the Moon.
However, Hyacine wasn't foolish enough to simply crash into the lunar surface like a meteor. Instead, as she approached the Moon, she flared her wings, transitioning from a dive into a ground-skimming flight!
The Moon's surface was carpeted with grotesque, crimson fleshy plants. Among this alien vegetation, bizarre creatures roamed—including, but not limited to, the 'Pterodactyls' Hyacine had previously encountered, colossal three-headed 'Serpents', mountain-sized supergiant 'Centipedes' with thousands of legs, and countless other abominations.
The Moon had become a colossal breeding ground, an outpost for the Outer God Mother of Flesh, and a watchful eye monitoring the Material World.
With no intention of holding back, Hyacine slammed her foot on the accelerator. The Sky Titan surged forward, accelerating relentlessly. When such a colossal being reaches a certain speed, its very existence becomes an unstoppable force of destruction.
Boom—!!!
Wherever the Sky Titan flew, everything on the ground was torn apart by the raging winds! Flesh-and-blood plants were uprooted and hurled into the sky, while smaller, grotesque monsters were instantly shattered by the sonic waves, exploding into clouds of bloody mist.
Even larger creatures, like the mountain-sized 'centipede,' were cleaved in two by Hyacine, split cleanly down the middle.
At that moment, the Sky Titan resembled an electric hair clipper. From above, the Moon appeared to have been given a precise middle parting, with the ground left utterly pristine in her wake.
Recovering from the Floating City's earlier assault, the Moon began to intercept and retaliate against Hyacine. Mountains of flesh erupted from the ground at breakneck speed, blocking her path. But Hyacine didn't even bother to swerve; she charged straight through, crushing the entire mountain range into dust!
The Moon attempted to launch an energy beam attack, but the Sky Titan was too close and moving too fast. The beam couldn't lock onto her.
Boom, boom, boom!!!
As the Sky Titan accelerated relentlessly, it began to synchronize its temperature with its speed, further amplifying its destructive force. Now, in addition to crushing the Moon's surface plants and monsters, even the lunar crust itself was affected, fracturing into a dense network of fissures like parched earth baked under the relentless sun.
With each spiraling descent, the Sky Titan unleashed an unprecedented mass extinction across the Moon's entire biosphere.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Moon had spent centuries cultivating these monsters like a living crucible, all in preparation for an eventual assault on the Material World. Yet in mere moments, Hyacine had slaughtered at least fifty percent of them!
Meanwhile, back with Anaxa and Heinrich, Anaxa had finished analyzing and replicating the divine power of the eleven True Gods. Heinrich immediately began manipulating these divine energies to mend the rifts in the sky.
Despite the spectacular clash between Hyacine and the Floating City, they were merely stalling for time. The true key to ending this battle lay with the two Scholars.
Doesn't this kind of scenario often appear in movies? The protagonist and the Boss fight back and forth, all to buy the team's technician a few precious minutes to open a crucial gate or defuse a bomb.
As Heinrich wove together eleven different divine powers into a coalescing net, the rifts in the sky steadily shrank. The Moon, overwhelmed by the Sky Titan, was clearly unable to intervene, and the invading monsters were being systematically eliminated by the Floating City, leaving them utterly unable to disrupt Heinrich's efforts.
However, as the sky's fissures dwindled to the final one, Heinrich paused.
Seeing this, Anaxa asked, "What's wrong?"
Heinrich remained silent for a moment before explaining the situation.
In simple terms, it was like sewing up a wound. Stitching back and forth in the middle was straightforward, but at the end, you still needed to tie off the thread, right? Right now, they were missing that final "tie off" step.
One reason this Barrier is so strong is because it requires simultaneous locking from both the inside and outside. Currently, two individuals must perform the "locking" action simultaneously—one within the world and one outside.
But once the Barrier is fully repaired, the inner and outer realms will be completely sealed off. This means whoever is outside will never be able to return!
Upon hearing this, Anaxa realized that during the Twelve True Gods' final locking ritual, Artemis, the Moon Goddess, must have been the one responsible for sealing the outer side. She had effectively locked herself outside, exposing herself to the gaze of the Outer Gods.
Given the current situation, it seemed that either Anaxa or Heinrich had to die. But the problem was that Tribios and the Century Gate stood behind Anaxa, and this Barrier couldn't block the Century Gate.
So Anaxa said, "Tell me the locking method. I'll do it..."
Before he could finish, Heinrich interrupted, "I'll do it. This whole mess started because of me. If it weren't for my research, if I hadn't been careless and failed to realize the Prophecy Tower had Wizards corrupted by the Evil God, none of this would have happened."
"This matter originated with me, so naturally, I should bear the consequences."
As Heinrich spoke, his face showed no fear of death, only a hint of regret. He regretted that there were still so many things he wanted to research, so many curiosities left unanswered. To end things here would naturally leave him feeling unfulfilled.
However, Heinrich quickly regained his composure, swiftly layering himself with multiple high-level Abjuration School spells. Witnessing this, Anaxa couldn't help but inwardly sigh in admiration. He was willing to go outside because he knew he could return through the Century Gate and avoid death, but Heinrich had truly made up his mind, willing to sacrifice himself for the cause.
Anaxa didn't object. He simply nodded slightly. After finalizing the details of the final barrier repair with Heinrich, the latter flew alone toward the last remaining rift, vanishing from Anaxa's sight within moments.
Heinrich dared not spare even a glance at the outside world. As soon as he emerged, he immediately focused on repairing the barrier, racing against time to complete the task as quickly as possible. With Anaxa's cooperation from within, their progress was remarkably swift.
In less than thirty seconds, as the final incantation was uttered and the last word spoken, the world's Barrier was completely restored. Heinrich let out a sharp breath of relief.
Ordinary Diviners risked contamination by merely glimpsing the Moon through observation devices in the Material World. Now, Heinrich stood outside the world, far too close to the Moon. Even without looking directly at it, he could feel his temples throbbing and his mind inexplicably agitated.
Despite his meticulous preparations of protective magic, the pressure remained immense. He had been forcefully suppressing it while repairing the Barrier. But now, it no longer mattered. Heinrich slowly turned, wanting to see what lay behind him. Since I'm going to die anyway, why not take one last look before I go?
Of course, to prevent himself from succumbing to madness or becoming a puppet of the Evil Gods, as had befallen previous Diviners, Heinrich had prepared a Suicide Spell. This Necromancy School spell would initiate a thirty-second countdown, after which his body would self-dissolve.
To become a madman as a scholar—that would be a truly tragic fate.
Just as Heinrich was about to turn around and investigate, a golden Century Gate suddenly materialized beside him. A tremendous suction force erupted, and with a look of utter bewilderment, Heinrich was pulled inside.
It was undoubtedly Tribios who had intervened. After all, Heinrich wasn't a villain; he had even resolved to sacrifice himself. If he could be saved, of course she would act.
As he passed through the Century Gate, Heinrich tumbled to the ground from the momentum. When he looked up, he saw two women standing a short distance away. One had long, vibrant red hair and pointed ears, like an elf, her beauty otherworldly. She wore a gentle expression, smiling warmly at him—Tribios herself.
The other was a short-haired woman with a slightly scrutinizing expression, her arms crossed as she raised an eyebrow. It was Melly.
"Welcome to Okhema," Tribios said. "You no longer need to fear the threat of the Outer Gods. You're safe here."
But upon hearing those words, Heinrich's heart skipped a beat. He sprang to his feet, frantically attempting to dispel the Suicide Spell binding him. I'm running out of time!
Though he didn't know how they had rescued him, it would be absurd if Heinrich were to melt into a puddle of goo mere moments after being saved.
After a frantic struggle, he finally dispelled the spell a split-second before it activated. He let out a shaky breath—that was too close! Anyone else would have certainly perished.
Regaining his composure, Heinrich turned to Tribios and said sincerely, "Thank you so much. Was it you who saved me?"
It wasn't hard to guess. Between the two women, Tribios was the more likely user of the portal. The reason was simple: she was too beautiful, impossibly beautiful, like someone not of this world.
Remembering Anaxa and Hyacine from earlier, and considering what she had just said—that this place was Okhema—it seemed highly likely that the Red-Haired Beauty was also a 'god,' a deity of Okhema. How many gods are there in this place?
It had to be said that Heinrich had only recently developed a strong curiosity about Okhema. Then, just as he thought his life was about to end, he was abruptly transported there. This dramatic reversal of fortune was something few could truly comprehend.
Tribios said, "It was a small gesture. For a scholar as great as yourself to perish would be an immense loss to the entire world."
Heinrich offered a self-deprecating smile. "A 'great scholar'? Hardly. I'm just a fool who strayed down the wrong path. I can only say that I'm fortunate to have received assistance from two Okheman deities. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Tribios maintained her smile, steering the conversation away from that topic. Instead, she introduced herself: "I am Tribios, the City Lord of Okhema. You will be received with the highest honors here. Feel free to explore at your leisure. For any assistance you require, please contact Melly here."
"Of course, if you wish to return to the Floating City at any time, I can arrange your immediate transport."
Heinrich immediately shook his head. Using a telepathic spell, he notified the others that he was alive—enough for now. Return immediately? Impossible! He had finally arrived at this mysterious place and intended to explore every corner.
Heinrich bowed slightly. "I express my deepest gratitude once again, Lady Tribios. On behalf of the Arcane Federation, I assure you that if your... um, your city ever requires assistance, the Arcane Federation will lend its full support to any endeavor within our power!"
Tribios nodded in silence, and Melly led Heinrich away.
-
Meanwhile, the perspective shifted back to Hyacine and the Sky Titan. With the Barrier fully restored, the battle was naturally drawing to a close. All that remained was to clear out the remaining minor enemies within the Barrier.
As for the Sky Titan, Hyacine planned to make the most of her remaining energy, continuing to attack the Moon until her divine power was completely depleted. However, just as she flapped her wings for another strike, the Sky Titan suddenly spotted something hurtling toward her at tremendous speed from the horizon.
BOOM!!!
Despite her incredible speed, the attack struck her with pinpoint accuracy, smashing her into the lunar surface. The momentum from her earlier high-speed flight carved a massive, tens-of-kilometers-long trench across the Moon's surface!
Pitch-black tentacles coiled around the Sky Titan, and only then did Hyacine get a clear look at her opponent. It was a creature roughly the same size as the Sky Titan, its entire body pitch-black, moving on all fours like a panther. But it had no eyes; its head consisted only of a gaping maw, and its back was covered in a dense mass of shadowy tentacles that writhed ceaselessly. An aura of Greater Divine Power radiated from it.
Hyacine could sense that unlike the previous Magic Cubes, this creature wasn't a product of corruption but the source of it itself. Even if it wasn't the Mother of Flesh, it was undoubtedly intimately connected to that Evil God.
Still, Hyacine had no intention of continuing the fight. Since this thing had dared to charge at her, she wouldn't hold back.
The Sky Titan erupted in a blinding white light, channeling every last ounce of its divine power.
BOOM!!!
I'm done playing! I'm taking you down with me!