[What do you mean you can't warp? Was it sealed? Is it because of this space? No way! No way! This space doesn't have that sealing ability!]
True Void's panic-stricken voice echoed in Kyran's head.
But Kyran was not really listening. At this point, he had already forced himself to stay calm while his brain had kicked into overdrive. Half of his attention had started to analyze the reason why he couldn't warp, while the other half kept a vigilant attitude toward the descending red light.
In just a second, Kyran confirmed his 'warp' skill was still in the standby mode and was still waiting for a valid location he could warp. All of the information he had gathered when he was researching the limits of his warp ability flashed through his mind instantly. Afterwhich, he concluded that the red-blood tower's location was considered an invalid location for two possible reasons. One, there was a highly-advanced array around the red-blood tower that might have the ability to counter or prevent others to 'warp' inside. Or, two, the tower itself might not be real; either it was an illusion, or the location was considered 'non-existent.'
[It's coming! It's coming!]
True Void's shouted, looking at the descending red light, which was only ten meters away from the tip of the semi-transparent pyramid.
Kyran did not need a reminder because he was still aware of the red light's descent.
"We're changing location," he told True Void and immediately thought of the black obelisk.
Going back to the lanky man, he also moved as soon as the orb changed form and became the young human's armor.
With eyes glinting with anticipation, he pulled the black and red lightning he held on his hands. Immediately, all the pillars curved, with the lower half forced to reduce their area size. The moment the lower half of the pillars moved, everything it touched on the ground below got reduced into a black mist of mess.
What the lanky man did was similar to how someone would tie a bundle of straws using a rope in the middle. In this case, the pillars were the straws, while the lightning was the rope.
When True Void saw this, he warned Kyran.
[He's trying to force us to move up! Sneaky! Sneaky!]
That was not all. Since the circumference of the pillar's middle part had been reduced in size, the upper half looked like a long slope connected to the star-filled sky. As if the red light from the opened circular door was made of liquid, it slid down at an increased speed when it touched the pillars.
[Void Halfling! Faster! Faster!]
True Void screamed in Kyran's head.
"Still no good," Kyran replied through gritted teeth.
Why couldn't he warp at the black obelisk as well? What was he doing wrong? He did not remember the magic array on the black obelisk to have warp restrictions.
Instead of dwelling on it, Kyran racked his brain and found another good location to warp. To be honest, he had a bad feeling about the descending red light. He did not know what would happen if it touched them, and he was not eager to find out. Maybe if the circumstances were different, he would not mind looking at it. But with so many limitations on him as well as an injured body, he would not risk it.
"I'm taking control," Kyran told True Void, and instantly the semi-transparent pyramid moved. Its parts disengaged starting from the top and reconnected into a giant hexagonal shield covering them above.
"It's useless," the lanky man said sneeringly. "Nothing can stop Ruin once it falls."
"I see."
The lanky man froze as soon as he realized the reply he just heard actually came from behind!
Before he could turn around and check, he felt a slap on his back followed by dark purple energy bursting out from his chest.
"Guh!" The lanky man spat out a mouthful of blood. His blood and internal organs also spilled from his now hole-ridden chest.
If others received such a fatal wound, they would have died instantly. However, even with a hole on his chest, the lanky man's eyes still glistened in vigor as he burst out in laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
His eyes were still looking at the figure wearing a dark blue and purple armor hovering in midair a few hundred meters away from him.
"You should've aimed for the head—."
A thin line appeared on his neck before the lanky man could finish his words.
"Hm?"
Time appeared to have slowed down.
The lanky man's glowing red eyes widened as blood started to ooze down the thin line on his neck. Reflected on his eyes was the figure wearing dark blue and purple armor.
"You…"
At this moment, his head had started to slide, and soon after, it plummeted to the ground.
Blood gushed out from the lanky man's neck. But the figure behind him was not deterred at he watched with indifferent eyes.
The figure was other than Kyran, who had warped behind the lanky man to make a sneak attack.
When he warped, he left the armor behind as a diversion. He also controlled the semi-transparent pyramid to shield himself from the descending red light, but in reality, he was preparing to warp.
"Yeah, you're right." Kyran replied while he looked at the lanky man's falling head.
Kyran managed to stay in midair because he had left a few shape-shifting plates on the soles of his shoes. Right now, he could barely control them to stay in the air.
True Void had seen everything a few hundred meters away and could not help but tremble in excitement.
"Bahahaha! That's sneaky! Really sneaky!"
He, too, was fooled by Kyran's sudden sneak attack, especially when he just told him he would be taking control. Initially, he thought Kyran planned to use the plates and make a few moves to divert the red-coated sovereign's attention while he figured out how to deal with the descending red light. He did not expect Kyran to actually warp himself and make a sneak attack.
Kyran's quick wit and decisiveness had won over True Void's approval. Aside from this, Kyran's strategy was very different from what his master would do. An aggressive Void Master was worth following, in True Void's opinion.
Unbeknownst to him, when Kyran decided to make a sneak attack, the reason he aimed for the lanky man's chest first and not his head was to leave a fatal wound only. He did not plan on killing him. Kyran's first attack was him checking if it was possible to hurt the man. If he failed, he planned to warp away again and lure the lanky man away from True Void. As to how he and True Void would regroup after that, Kyran would think of a way after he managed to run from the lanky man's pursuit.
When Kyran finally dealt the blow on the lanky man, he did not expect his pure void energy attack to really pierce through him. It reminded him of how his earlier punch landed solidly on the lanky man and True Void's random comment about a sovereign having puny defense. It dawned on Kyran that True Void must have been referring to the lanky man.
Kyran's mind reeled at that moment, and without delay, he created a short blade and severed the lanky man's head.
His sneak attack had actually succeeded. However, Kyran remained vigilant as he looked at the lanky man's body that controlled the lightning binding the pillars.
Soon, the lanky man's hold on the lightning loosened, and the pillars trembled, threatening to crumble.
After seeing this, Kyran immediately moved and also cut off the lanky man's forearms. The lanky man's body also plummeted to the ground.
Without the lanky man's body completing the pillar's formation while holding the lightning, the pillars started to crumble. Cracks formed in the star-filled sky as the circular door also began to close. But just as the lanky man had said, the red light's descent did not stop even after his apparent death.
"True Void!" Kyran called and looked at True Void.
"Coming! Coming!" True Void replied. He flew toward Kyran's direction with the hexagonal shield hovering above him.
Kyran spread his arms as two purple discs appeared on his palms.
"Ergh," he winced from the strain of moving his arms too much when they had yet to heal fully.
Gritting his teeth, Kyran endured the pain and increased the size of the discs on his palms. After that, he aimed at the pillars before him and created a huge opening for True Void to get out from.
BANG!
SIZZLE!
CRACKLE!
A gigantic hand suddenly stopped the circular door above the star-filled sky from closing, and then a familiar voice burst out with laughter that shook the whole plane.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"What—?" Kyran's eyes widened as he watched the hand forcing the circular door to open.
The whole plane shook, and multiple cracks filled the entire sky as well as the ground.
By this time, the pillars had disappeared entirely. However, the star-filled sky remained, and the red light still descended from the circular door.
"GOOD! VERY GOOD! I AM GOING TO ENJOY SLAUGHTERING YOU, YOUNG HUMAN!"