Chapter 229: Eliminated...
Time seemed to slow down for a moment. The bright blood pillar bathed both Nyx and Hendrix in an ominous reddish light. The two stood in the middle of the looming disaster. No one moved—not because they didn't want to, but because their muscles wouldn't allow them to.
They'd been so engrossed, so consumed with themselves, that they had completely forgotten about the blond girl. Nyx's eyes trembled as the vengeful bloody pillar reflected in her mesmerizing drake-like gaze. Within his mask, a look of surprise flashed through Hendrix's eyes as well. Even with his frightening levels of perception, he hadn't seen this attack coming.
This...this spoke volumes!
There was absolute silence—both outside and inside the mysterious realm. Their expressions varied. Everyone in the Cromwell Barony jumped to their feet, eyes wide in horror and hearts pounding as if they'd jump out any second. Even Klein had forgotten to do his job for a moment, his arm holding the communion crystal trembling.
Aina, Hans, and Nathan were no exception. Even the duke was gripping the armrest of his seat, clearly forcing himself to stay grounded.
Because all their focus was fixed on the screen displaying all the factions, they had completely missed Nox and Adam's fight. Even when Adam materialized out of thin air, no one noticed his presence.
Back inside, everyone seemed frozen in a time loop. The blond girl's face twisted into a sneer of disdain, while the temporary factions' eyes were filled with anticipation.
Across from them, Rab, Cole, and Wendy wore widened eyes and pale complexions. Rab's mouth hung open as if he were shouting for Nyx to get out of the way... Meanwhile, the Armstrong siblings' eyes twinkled, smiles on their faces as they witnessed this unpredictable development.
"Die!" the blond girl roared. Her voice seemed to shatter the time loop as the bloody pillar engulfed the two. Before the pillar descended, however, Hendrix's lips tugged up slightly—and then his eyes lit up in surprise as he noticed something on Nyx.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A catastrophic sound rumbled through the mysterious realm as the bloody pillar slammed into the ground. A violent reddish shockwave exploded outward in all directions, sending everyone—including the blond girl who had initiated the attack—flying like broken kites. They were not the only ones affected; even the surroundings couldn't escape the destructive shockwave!
Rocks disintegrated mid-air, and a number of trees situated near the valley wall evaporated.
The powerful crimson light continued to ripple across the mysterious realm, even disturbing the magical screen that projected the live feed of what was happening inside.
"Cough!" The blond girl spat blood, having slammed into the valley wall during the attack. Her entire body was covered in dust and rubble. She staggered to her feet, causing debris to fall from her body. She glanced into the distance, toward the spot where Nyx and Hendrix had last been, but she couldn't see clearly; everything was still obscured because of the thick mist in the air.
The only thing she could vaguely make out was the deep crater at the point of impact.
"Nyx!" Wendy shouted as she quickly got up, her heart pounding wildly as she frantically scanned the surroundings for Nyx. She coughed as the red haze, mixed with dust, invaded her nostrils.
"Nyx! Dammit!"
"Nyx!"
Both Rab and Cole also staggered to their feet, frantically searching. A gaping wound marred the back of Rab's bald head, but he didn't care... What mattered now was whether Nyx had survived.
They all rushed toward the massive chasm, which was as wide as a skyscraper foundation back on Earth. They couldn't see a thing—only lingering crimson energy made it hard to peer inside.
"Did the attack take them out?"
"I can't see a single thing!"
"Hey, watch where you're going!"
At that moment, the blond girl's commanding voice boomed throughout the surroundings. "All those with wind-related magic, clear the air!" she ordered sharply.
About three members from different teams immediately sprang into action, instinctively raising their hands. Whirling gusts of wind erupted as the three wind elemental users synchronized their powers. The heavy bloody haze slowly dissipated into the air.
As the scene revealed itself, everyone gasped. The valley was unrecognizable, littered with chunks of rock that seemed to have been carved from the earth.
As visibility improved further, everyone sucked in a deep breath.
At the heart of the battle, a giant chasm loomed—its width far larger than it had initially appeared in the haze. It was like a black hole! Many people even flinched, afraid that the massive hole would suck them in or that tendrils would burst out and drag them inside.
Some brave souls—like the blond girl, the Cromwells, and the Armstrong siblings—stepped closer to get a better look at the chasm. If their guess was right, Nyx and Hendrix were most likely inside.
As if by prior agreement, none of them attacked each other as they drew closer. However, when they glanced down, all they saw was the same crimson haze. The wind elemental users had only cleared the air above, not the actual crater.
The blond girl was about to call the wind elementalists to clear the haze inside the crater as well when suddenly a cough echoed from the side. Instantly, everyone's attention snapped toward the sound.
In that direction, they saw a raven-haired girl with strands of red, tightly wrapped in the arms of a green-haired youth. The girl's eyes were tightly shut, as if expecting the worst. But several seconds passed, and she could still feel her heart beating softly in her chest.
Confusion crossed her features, and she briefly wondered if she had somehow appeared outside the mysterious realm. Yes, that could be it. How else could she have survived such a powerful attack?
With a heavy heart, her thick eyelashes fluttered open...
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