Even from this distance, he could see it, through the barrier of his labyrinth and the location he place his labyrinth... the faint, ominous red drizzle seeping through those fractures.
Blood Rain of Karma! The Karmic blood rain!
It hissed softly as it landed on the space barrier, each drop sizzling, gnawing away like acid not at the physical world — but at the very soul of reality.
Draeven extended his great clawed palm, steady but tense. A few drops passed through a small spatial hole, splashed on his scales and hand — and instantly, he felt it.
A wave of weakness flashed through him. His soul shivered. Not from pain, but from sothing far worse — a deep, invasive corrosion that gnawed at the roots of his being, dredging up mories and regrets he had buried long ago. His mind staggered for half a breath.
His face darkened, eyes flashing dangerously.
Without hesitation, Draeven clenched his hand and flicked the droplets into his void ring, isolating them instantly. The soul-deteriorating effect vanished, trapped and suppressed. But the brief contact was enough.
His gaze turned solemn, heavy.
’This...’ His claws trembled faintly before he forced them still.
’This is no ordinary rain. One drop—harmless. Five drops—bearable. But against hundreds of thousands, against millions falling endlessly... even I...’
He inhaled deeply, suppressing the cold weight sinking into his chest. ’Even I could fall if this continues. Let alone Kaeryx...’
His gaze sharpened, a golden slit narrowing as a growl built in his chest. ’It seems the heavens are truly intent on killing my son today. Even lending power to these bastards... helping them breach my Labyrinth’s defenses with this cursed karmic rain...!’
The air trembled around him as his anger surged. But Draeven knew anger was useless now.
He turned back toward the pocket space barrier. The cracks were deepening, thin lines like red veins stretching further, fed by the blood rain’s incessant assault. It wasn’t just breaking through — it was corroding the very essence of his hidden world.
The tribulation wasn’t random; it was aid to expose Kaeryx, to shatter the sanctuary he had built. And the enemies outside were pressing at the perfect mont.
His jaw clenched, fangs grinding. His heart grew heavier with every breath.
’I have to stop them... I can’t let them break through. If they get in now... Kaeryx—Aephyra—everything will be finished.’
A pulse of desperation coiled inside him, but Draeven crushed it. Now was not the ti for fear. His mind raced, calculating every possible thod he had. Every inch of power he could squeeze out of his ancient bloodline.
His hands flashed through complicated seals — burning through soul force without hesitation. His flas roared as he poured them directly into the barrier, fusing shattered fragnts back together, patching holes before they could spread further. The process was grueling — every second felt like walking a tightrope above a bottomless pit — but he pushed on. He had to.
By the ti the last crack was sealed, Draeven exhaled heavily, steam curling from his nostrils. His muscles ached, and his soul throbbed faintly from the drain. But the barrier held. For now.
His chest rose and fell once, then stilled.
His golden eyes blazed.
’If I’d been even a minute late... the Labyrinth would’ve been breached...’ His claws tightened until they creaked.
’No... I won’t let them in. Not today.’ His mind grew cold, deadly calm. ’It’s ti to stop them.’
His scales flared, power surging outward like a tidal wave. At that instant, Draeven’s aura erupted — a storm of primal might that shook the entire pocket space. His soul flas roared higher, hotter, crackling as they tore through the surrounding air.
The heavens above trembled in response.
His killing intent, which he had suppressed until now, was fully unleashed.
The very space around him warped.
’With the holes sealed, I should be able to hold them back for at least ten minutes... ten minutes until Aephyra joins ...’
His wings unfurled — and with a thunderous boom, he vanished from the spot, ripping open a portal lined with black flas as he shot through.
*****
anwhile;
In a dark void where multiple powerful auras gathered, a chilling silence fell.
It was a space of nothingness — yet it felt heavier than a mountain, thick with killing intent that coiled and churned like a storm held just at bay.
The figures here, drawn from across the vast expanse of races that dotted the worlds, stood still — each one cloaked in dense, oppressive power.
Their bodies were shadowed, their various presence were hidden, but their eyes glead faintly in the dark, glows of crimson, gold, and icy blue flashing faintly like distant stars. Their re presence twisted the space around them, causing the void to pulse and quiver like a wounded beast.
Beside their gathering, a peculiar phenonon raged quietly — the blood rain. Seemingly harmless at a glance, but it fell with great intensity, every drop laced with insidious karmic force.
The crimson rain hissed faintly as it fell on the thin mbranes of the pocket space’s boundary, eating away at it bit by bit. Yet none among the gathered made any move to block the rain.
Why would they?
This bloodrain was their silent ally tonight.
With its relentless corrosion, the barrier that had once hidden Draeven’s Labyrinth for so long would break — and they would not even need to lift a finger.
They could, if they truly wished, breach the Labyrinth themselves by force. Many among them had the power to tear open a path.
But here... they all understood the unspoken truth. Despite their shared goal, they were not allies. Far from it.
These were enemies — ancient foes from countless bloody wars, races that had fought each other for dominion across worlds, clashed in endless battles within the Great Labyrinths, and left mountains of corpses in their wake. The animosity ran too deep.
If anyone were to volunteer to breached the space themselves, it would cost them greatly — consuming their power and leaving them vulnerable, exposed.
****
A/N:
Mass released Chapters: 7/9
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