Free Web NovelChapter 2597: World’s End (I)
Every flap of those gargantuan wings carried an overwhelming pressure that grew stronger with each passing second, as if the very air of the battlefield were being compressed under an invisible force. The weight of that presence was enough to make even seasoned warriors falter, yet it was quickly pushed to the back of everyone’s mind. Despite the immense distance that still separated the battlefield from the Scarlet King, something far more immediate captured their attention.
High above them, three massive eyes appeared.
They floated in the void like celestial bodies, burning with scarlet flames that twisted and surged with terrifying intensity. Their gaze descended upon the battlefield, and in that instant, every living being felt it pierce through their soul. Yet the reactions they provoked were not the same.
To the abominations of the Root and the Curse Eaters, those eyes were a vision of horror. Within them, they saw hatred, rage, killing intent, bloodlust, and countless other violent and destructive emotions. It was like staring into a bottomless abyss that sought to swallow their very existence, dragging them into an eternal nightmare from which there could be no escape. Their instincts screamed at them, warning them of an approaching calamity.
But to the warriors of the Nine Empyrean Suns Alliance, the sight was entirely different.
What they saw was not despair, but resolve.
Within those same scarlet eyes, they perceived an endless reservoir of willpower and determination. It was a blazing battle spirit that refused to yield, a fire that only burned brighter the more it was challenged. It stirred something deep within their souls, awakening a connection that had long lain dormant.
For a moment, the battlefield seemed to still.
Then, one by one, the eyes of the alliance’s warriors began to glow.
A scarlet light spread among them, igniting like a chain reaction as the ancient bond between them and the Scarlet King reawakened with unprecedented intensity. It coursed through their bodies, dispelling fear, sharpening their focus, and filling them with a strength that transcended their limits.
The effect on their enemies was the complete opposite.
A crushing pressure descended upon the minds and hearts of the Curse Eaters and the abominations of the Root, attempting to drown them in dread and despair. Their thoughts became sluggish, their instincts clouded, and their battle spirit weakened. In a conflict of this scale, such a disruption was catastrophic.
Then a voice broke through the silence.
"FOR THE SCARLET KING!"
It was not the voice of a commander or a supreme powerhouse, but that of a single warrior within a Runic War Avatar. Yet the conviction behind it resonated deeply, echoing across the battlefield like a call to arms.
"FOR THE SCARLET KING!"
"FOR THE SCARLET KING! FOR OUR HOME!"
Thousands of voices rose in unison, their roars shaking the void itself. The warriors of the Nine Empyrean Suns Alliance cast aside their fear, their doubt, and every hesitation that had held them back. Those emotions did not vanish; instead, they were transformed into fuel, igniting their power and pushing them beyond their limits.
The battlefield erupted.
Explosions tore through the void as the alliance surged forward with renewed ferocity, taking full advantage of the hesitation and dread that had taken root in their enemies. Their attacks became sharper, faster, and more relentless, forcing the opposing forces onto the defensive.
For a brief moment, the tide began to shift.
The Alpha Omega Overgods among the enemy ranks quickly overcame the mental pressure imposed by the Scarlet King’s gaze, yet even they could not remain unaffected. Solemn expressions appeared on their faces as they exchanged glances, fully aware that something significant had changed.
Nito frowned deeply as he clenched his fists. The Scarlet King had not even arrived on the battlefield, yet his mere approach had already created a chain reaction that made this war far more difficult to control.
He fixed his gaze on the approaching figure in the distance, his mind racing as he evaluated his options.
Fortunately for him, the Crimson Exarch had not immediately rejoined the fray. Instead, Noah remained still, observing, as if deliberately giving Nito the space to act. Though this behavior struck him as odd, Nito had no intention of wasting the opportunity.
"He survived the clash with Lord Sozing, which means curses will not work on him," Nito thought, his expression growing increasingly serious. "And his power has clearly grown... considerably."
A direct confrontation without preparation would be reckless.
"I need to understand his strength before committing fully, but simply observing will not be enough."
His gaze shifted.
Far in the distance, Robuke—the Monster of the Root—was locked in a fierce battle against Uriel. Even as he fought, he felt Nito’s attention and immediately understood the intent behind it. Though being directed by a Curse Eater filled him with irritation, he could not deny the danger that the Scarlet King represented.
"I did not want to unleash this so soon," Robuke muttered, his voice thick with venomous hatred as he stared toward Cain’s approaching figure, "but if there is anyone worthy of witnessing it... it is you."
He raised his hand. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
At that moment, the distant Worlds of the Root began to tremble. A vast and overwhelming power surged within them, and the very fabric of their corrupted landscapes twisted and convulsed. Then, from their depths, something began to emerge.
The reaction was immediate.
Shock spread across the faces of the alliance’s warriors as they witnessed the birth of something truly nightmarish. What rose from the Worlds of the Root was not merely monstrous—it was a grotesque abomination that carried with it a memory none of them could forget.
It was a massive, tumorous entity composed of decaying flesh, fused corpses, and pulsating veins of corrupted blood.
"A new Heart of the Root!?" Cipher’s voice trembled with rage as his fist clenched so tightly that blood began to drip from his palm.
Every one of them remembered the original Heart of the Root—the monstrous construct that had pierced the Universe Wall and allowed the Root to invade. It had taken everything the alliance had to reach its core, and even then, it had endured, fusing with an Empyrean World and transforming it into the first World of the Root.
They had hoped never to see such a horror again.
Yet here it was.
Meylin and the rest of the higher echelon stared at the abomination in disbelief. The Curse Eaters had prevented the Root from fully consuming the newly conquered Empyrean World, but it was clear they had not left them empty-handed.
Hatred burned in their eyes as they imagined the countless lives that must have been sacrificed to create such a thing.
Yet hatred alone was not enough.
The power of Chaos flowing through them cleared their minds and dulled their exhaustion, allowing them to remain focused, but it did not grant them the strength to stop what was happening. They could only watch as the newly formed Heart of the Root began to move.
Its massive form lurched forward, driven by an overwhelming force, approaching Scarlet King with pure bloodlust.
The massive wings of scarlet plasma did not slow in the slightest. On the contrary, they began to beat with increasing force, each movement amplifying the overwhelming power gathered within them as they surged toward the plane-sized monstrosity. The last time Cain had faced the Heart of the Root, he had required the combined strength of the entire alliance just to reach its core, and even then, the battle had been nothing short of cataclysmic.
Though the war continued to rage across the void, both sides found their attention drifting toward the distant clash. Warriors and monsters alike cast glances toward the approaching collision, eager to witness the outcome of such an encounter.
The Heart of the Root was not known for overwhelming and special techniques, but its vitality was nearly infinite, its life force vast beyond comprehension. Its massive tendrils, infused with the essence of the Root, carried the terrifying ability to rot even the very laws of reality.
At last, the blazing wings drew close enough.
In response, the Heart of the Root lashed out with all it had.
Countless whips of grotesque flesh surged forward, each one massive enough to coil around moons and fast enough to strike like shooting stars. There were thousands of them, and they moved as one, engulfing Cain’s figure in an instant.
For a brief moment, shock and confusion spread among the alliance’s warriors, disbelief flickering in their eyes as they struggled to accept that the Scarlet King could be overwhelmed so easily.
Then the cry of a mythical bird echoed once more.
The tendrils exploded into fragments.
From within the storm of destruction, a gargantuan phoenix of plasma emerged, its form blazing with unimaginable power. Its wings expanded endlessly, eclipsing the void itself, before folding inward and closing around the Heart of the Root, completely engulfing the abomination in a prison of scarlet fire!
