“Are you truly doing this all by yourself, Sir?” Drakhairs asked, his voice laced with both concern and curiosity as he gazed at Victor, who stood at the very edge of their Pyra Empire, his piercing eyes locked onto the endless void—a vast, empty plain stretching beyond sight, an abyss that seemed to swallow everything in its silence.
As he looked up, the universe slowly dispersed like a gradient, revealing a normal blue sky from that point. The transition happened above the ground, where the vast blackness of space blended smoothly into the familiar blue sky, creating a stunning and surreal horizon, covering the world in a familiar hue.
“You already know the answer, Drakhairs,” Victor responded with a cold tone.
Drakhairs stood still, his expression unreadable as he stared at Victor’s back. After a brief pause, he finally bowed his head. “Forgive me for questioning you, Sir… I am merely concerned about your well-being.”
Victor let out a low, amused chuckle before turning around, his sharp gaze sweeping over the gathered figures.
Drakhairs, Raven, Thalia, Emberlyn, and Lyirrs stood there, their eyes reflecting a mix of apprehension and unspoken determination. Even though none of them voiced it, their worry was palpable.
“Have you completed the preparations?” Victor asked, shifting his attention to Lyirrs.
Lyirrs, standing rigid with a determined expression, nodded immediately, “Yes, Sir! Everything will be telecasted live. The entire world will witness this moment!” she declared, her voice firm, carrying both pride and urgency.
Victor acknowledged her with a nod before turning to Thalia. “And you… Don’t forget your words.”
Thalia exhaled sharply, “Tch… Yeah, yeah, I know,” she muttered, crossing her arms. Though she tried to sound irritated, there was a clear edge of concern in her voice—one she couldn’t quite hide.
Victor smirked knowingly before shifting his gaze to Raven. She was smiling, but it was forced, a fragile attempt to mask the sheer anxiety raging inside her. Outwardly, she appeared composed, calm even—but Victor saw through the facade. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire
His gaze then fell on Emberlyn, who bowed deeply… Without uttering a word, she conveyed a silent promise—she would take care of everything in his absence.
Victor let out a slow breath, his expression softening for a brief moment before he finally spoke. “Now.”
As he stretched his arms wide, he closed his eyes and braced himself.
And then—
“Sssshhh!”
“Sssshhh!”
“Sssshhh!”
“Sssshhh!”
“Sssshhh!”
Five flames, each unique in intensity and colour, erupted from Raven, Thalia, Emberlyn, Lyirrs, and Drakhairs, streaking through the air like meteors before colliding violently into Victor’s body.
The sheer force of their energy should have incinerated him, reducing his flesh to ash in mere seconds—but instead, the flames curled around him, surging into his body as if he were drinking them in.
Yes… He was absorbing them. Absorbing the raw, untamed power of Arcane energy!
Victor had already spoken with Liora, the one who had saved him when he fell out from the Empire before…. She had told him the necessary things!
The moment a living being crossed the borderline of their world, they would be thrown into the vast nothingness of space—Outside Space.
A place where the air did not exist, where Arcane energy faded into oblivion, leaving one powerless…. No magic! No breathing!
Nothing!!
But contrary to what he had once believed, his body wouldn’t explode from the sudden pressure difference… No, the only true threat was suffocation and the complete absence of Arcane energy.
That was why he was doing this—why he was forcing his body to overcharge, to store as much Arcane power as much as possible.
He needed to be full!!
Completely.
Sssshhh….hh…
As the last embers of the flames faded away, silence took over.
Lyirrs and Emberlyn exchanged anxious glances before frantically scanning the area. Their hearts pounded in their chests until—
There he was.
The thick smoke gradually dispersed, revealing Victor’s figure standing amidst the scorched ground, completely unharmed.
Their eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
But none were more shocked than Drakhairs, whose entire mind had been shattered in that moment.
To see a human—one of their own—able to absorb such devastating power… It was unthinkable.
Victor rolled his shoulders before cracking his neck, a deep satisfaction settling over his face. As he ran a hand over his stomach, he smirked, feeling the raw energy coursing through him. He was full—almost to the point of excess.
‘If anyone kills me now… I’m fucking sure both Pyra and Naiadae Empires will be doomed beyond salvation,’ he mused, an amused glint flickering in his eyes before he turned to Drakhairs.
Drakhairs, regaining his composure, quickly stepped forward. “Sir, I have already secured the pact with the Naiadae Empire’s General. We are prepared to move at any given moment.”
Victor exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting toward the abyss below, “Good.” His lips curled into a smirk. “Well then… It’s time to save the world,” he said, his voice carrying a note of irony.
Never in his life had he imagined he would say such words.
Without another moment of hesitation, he took a step forward—
And jumped.
The world around him blurred as he plummeted downward…
Then—
Like an object submerging into water, Victor plunged beyond the boundary of their world.
Gone.
Raven’s breath hitched, her chest tightening with an overwhelming sense of dread—but she forced herself to remain still. She had to believe in him.
She had no other choice.
This was his mission.
And now… it was time for her to play her part.
Steeling herself, she turned sharply on her heel. The others followed her lead without question as the group immediately took flight, heading back toward the castle.
Meanwhile,
Victor, now free-falling through the endless void of space, swiftly pulled out a sharp knife attached to a thread. With precise aim, he hurled it towards the rocky walls ahead.
The blade shot through the air with incredible speed before embedding itself deep between the jagged stones. Without wasting a second, Victor yanked the thread with force, propelling himself forward at high velocity. His body shot toward the rocky surface, and just as he reached it, his fingers instinctively dug into the cracks, gripping tightly to secure his hold.
He held his breath, his lungs burning slightly from the lack of air. His gaze shifted downward, scanning the terrain until he spotted it—the reddish-hued rocks intertwined with the thick, gnarled structure of the Mother Root.
Liora had already told him the safest way to descend—grab onto the Mother Root and follow it towards its thickest point. That was his best and only chance of making it through safely.
Victor exhaled slowly, stealing a glance behind him.
A vast, endless space stretched beyond his sight, shimmering with the breathtaking brilliance of scattered stars.
It was mesmerizing, almost unreal.
‘Wow…’ he mumbled under his breath, momentarily awestruck by the sight before snapping back to reality.
With careful, calculated movements, he began his descent, gripping the Mother Root tightly as if it were a lifeline.
His muscles tensed as he moved steadily downward, his body shifting like that of a seasoned mountain climber making his way down.
Meanwhile, deep underground…
“Hissssss~”
Snowflake let out a sharp, serpentine hiss as she spewed thick, corrosive acid from her mouth, melting everything in her path with ease. She burrowed deeper and deeper beneath the Pyra Empire, her acidic venom carving a path through the underground layers at an insane, almost terrifying speed.
Now that she had reached the level of the Chosen Ones, her acid was potent enough to liquefy even the hardest underground rocks in mere seconds. Her movements were swift, efficient—unstoppable.
But if she had such immense tunnelling power, then why was Victor risking everything by venturing outside the world instead of simply using her path?
Because… Snowflake wasn’t just digging a single tunnel.
She was constructing something far greater.
As the view expanded, her underground creation was revealed in full, breathtaking scale. It wasn’t just one singular path—but an intricate network of interconnecting tunnels, each linking to another, branching out like veins beneath the Empire.
And at the surface?
Massive, strategically positioned funnels had been built, and placed at different key locations across the Empire.
Snowflake wasn’t just digging—she was connecting these tunnels to the funnels above, creating a vast underground system.
She had her own mission… Her own responsibility!
Meanwhile, back at the castle…
Raven and the others had finally reached the throne room.
Lyirrs wasted no time, launching the live telecast for the entire Empire. Within moments, holograms flickered to life across every city—projecting the image of their Empress for all to see.
“It’s the Empress!”
A wave of relief washed over the people as they saw her standing tall, unwavering. She hadn’t abandoned them. She was still here, still fighting.
Raven stood before the hologram projection, her expression unreadable as she stared at the countless citizens watching her. After a brief pause, she finally spoke.
“We will live.”
Silence.
Everyone blinked in confusion.
‘That’s it?!’ The people were dumbfounded.
‘What about instructions? Emergency protocols? Evacuations?!’ The citizens exchanged bewildered glances, expecting more… but that was all she said.
Thalia and Emberlyn groaned in frustration, simultaneously facepalming.
Victor had given Raven and Thalia a lengthy, well-crafted speech to deliver to the people… and yet Raven had reduced it to three words.
Raven was indeed a woman of very few words, perhaps too few.
Lyirrs cleared her throat awkwardly before quickly stepping, Taking over the telecast, she spoke with confidence,
“A-Ahem! What our Empress means to say is—do not worry, citizens! As you already know, we have taken numerous precautions to ensure our safety. All we need now is to believe—to hold onto hope and pr—”
TTTTTTTTTTTRRRRRRRRR!!!
A deafening, earth-shaking collision suddenly tore through the Empire!
A monstrous, almost otherworldly sound—like entire landmasses slamming into each other—erupted, echoing across space. The ground beneath them trembled violently, causing people to lose their footing, stumbling as the force of impact rattled the entire Empire with unrelenting force.
Lyirrs’ breath hitched as she gripped the console for stability, her heartbeat racing.
“Now, Lyirrs.”
Raven’s voice rang out, calm and commanding… Despite the throne room shaking violently, she remained completely still—unshaken, unmoving. Even amidst the chaos, she never lost her Empress composure.
Lyirrs gritted her teeth, steadying herself before swiftly reaching for the control panel. Without a moment of hesitation, she pulled the lever with force.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!
From beneath the Empire, two massive black metallic thrusters ignited!!
The flames explode life an endless mass!!
The Empire… began to move.
Ever so slightly—but forward.