Free Web NovelChapter 410: The Ancient Prison
Deep beneath a wasteland scarred by war and sacrifice, a vast glacier-like prison hidden far underground finally began to crack.
The sound echoed through the abyss like the groan of something that should’ve never been disturbed.
Despite resembling a colossal block of excavated ice, the prison itself was neither cold nor hot. It was simply there. Unnaturally still. Like a frozen piece of blood-soaked reality carved out and sealed away.
And across its glacier-like surface, no longer merely translucent but tinged with crimson as though the entire monumental prison had been frozen from diluted blood, countless runes shimmered into existence.
Ancient symbols.
Layer upon layer of them spread throughout the massive structure, glowing faintly beneath the surface like veins of light trapped inside the prison itself.
But now those runes were breaking.
Cracks spread across the ancient seal one after another, jagged fractures branching outward from the unassuming serrated blade buried deep within its center.
The weapon itself looked almost laughably ordinary compared to the gargantuan prison surrounding it. And yet, with every faint crack that echoed through the underground cavern, the gathered figures felt their anticipation rise.
To them, each splintering fracture sounded almost melodic, like the long-awaited unraveling of something that had once been believed eternal.
A woman dressed in grand garments utterly mismatched to the harsh wasteland stood directly before the colossal, partially excavated prison that dwarfed her, her arms spread wide as though welcoming the return of a long-lost lover.
Black hair whipped violently around her as waves of immense pressure rolled through the cavern, making the air feel heavy and causing the surrounding stone to tremble.
And yet the woman paid no attention to the crushing force that would’ve driven ordinary beings to their knees long ago.
Because why would she?
Why would she care about anything else today?
After all her sacrifices. After practically drowning in the blood of everyone they could gather, just to ensure the seal wouldn’t clamber up—
This was nothing.
Even if the whole place cracked and the world splintered into pieces today, nothing would be able to stop her from welcoming his arrival.
So as the glowing runes continued to fracture apart, gleeful laughter burst from her lips and reverberated endlessly across the cavern.
One more rune shattered.
Then another.
Then entire lines of symbols flickered violently before dimming altogether.
The cavern trembled.
The woman trembled too, though not from fear. Never fear.
No.
This was exhilaration. Pure and unrestrained.
Because after thousands upon thousands of years that had felt endless...
It was finally happening.
Her eyes locked onto the growing fracture spreading across the surface as another sharp laugh escaped her, unable to contain the manic delight bubbling out of her at the sight before her.
A large crack splintered right in front of her.
And then more.
Splinter after splinter tore loose from what was supposed to be a living tomb, crashing into the cavern floor as the spreading cracks rapidly multiplied.
At long last, the prison holding the very being she loved and worshipped was beginning to fail.
Meanwhile, behind the frenzied woman and directly before the cracking seal, stood rows upon rows of hooded creatures.
They stretched so far into the frozen darkness that their numbers almost became impossible to count.
Silent.
Still.
Ordered into perfect formation like an army awaiting the signal to march.
But then, one after another, as if sensing the arrival, the hooded figures slowly lowered themselves to their knees.
The movement was synchronized. Reverent.
A chilling aura radiated from them, one so deep and unnatural it felt capable of sinking directly into the bones of anyone unfortunate enough to witness it.
Yet not a single creature dared raise its head.
Not now.
Because, just like the woman standing before them, they, too, were waiting.
Waiting for the return of their king.
__
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
"Ack!"
"Hey! Watch where you’re going!"
One unfortunate woman staggered after someone barreled straight past her shoulder. Annoyance immediately flashed across her face, but it quickly shifted into relief when she realized her coffee thankfully hadn’t spilled.
Honestly, the idiot running around like the world was ending should’ve watched where they were going. freewebnovel.cσ๓
She clicked her tongue and opened her mouth, fully prepared to berate the fleeing stranger.
But just as her gaze lowered toward the cup in her hands to inspect the damage...
The drink suddenly trembled violently.
"...?"
This time, no one had bumped into her.
No.
This was something else.
"!"
The entire ground was shaking.
A violent quake surged through the streets without warning, throwing people off balance as buildings rattled and enchanted signs flickered overhead.
The woman screamed alongside countless others when the road beneath them groaned ominously. Nearby pedestrians collapsed onto the pavement, panic erupting almost instantly as terrified cries echoed across the city.
And then the sky darkened.
Not fully.
But enough.
Enough for countless people to instinctively look upward in confusion and fear as an overwhelming pressure spread throughout the entirety of Eryndra.
Then it appeared.
A colossal pillar of light shot straight upward from the distant wastelands, tearing across the heavens like a beacon announcing disaster itself.
The sight was so massive, so unnatural, that even from impossibly far away, it still dominated the skyline.
People screamed.
Some attempted to leave immediately, only to stumble as the violently shaking ground robbed them of their footing. Others trembled where they stood, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.
Even authorities from different races were confused about the sudden phenomenon. Communication lines became clogged as panicked inquiries and requests for assistance flooded in from every direction.
But amidst all that confusion, one thing was certain.
Chaos had already begun.
And if ordinary civilians going about their lives could see such a phenomenon...
Then what more for the select beings inside the MBE?
Like Riley.
The last Iltheran.
The moment that pillar of light erupted into the sky, Riley suddenly dropped to his knees as though an invisible stake had been driven straight through his heart.
"Agh—!"
The pain came violently. Sudden and overwhelming enough that his vision blurred almost instantly.
It felt wrong.
Wrong in a way that transcended physical pain, like something ancient buried deep within his blood had abruptly awakened and recognized that light.
His breathing turned ragged as one trembling hand pressed tightly against his chest.
And somewhere nearby, Kael’s expression changed.
He hadn’t sensed anything or anyone approaching his twig.
But even so—
His mate had been hurt.
And the golden dragon simply wouldn’t stand for it.
