INTERSTELLAR ERA: MY MIND IS A LIBRARY

Bryan’s cigarette slipped through his fingers. The sudden wave of power crashed against his body like a tide.

The figure revealed itself fully as the flames died. A huge, black monstrosity.

It had two curved horns and hands as thick as a car.

Its eyes were hollow, to the point where they felt blank.

Bryan felt new presences approaching but he could not care less at this point.

In a hasty maneuver, he jumped over the being’s thick arm as it swiped toward him.

"General Bryan, who is this?" Azrael asked as he reached Bryan’s side.

Bryan looked at the monster, his gaze hardening with seriousness.

It stood unmoving, as if rooted in the ground.

"Han, the leader of this base. He transformed into this when I was about to capture him," Bryan explained.

Although everyone had already suspected this, the realization still struck them with surprise.

Then, as if furious that they were ignoring him, Han raised his palm and brought it down like a meteor.

The palm covered the group easily.

Black flames roared to life along its surface as it descended.

They moved in an instant.

The palm smashed against the floor. No impact. Not even dust was raised.

Then they saw it. As the palm lifted again, the patch of land in its path had disappeared.

Not destroyed. It felt as though it had been wiped out of existence entirely.

Bryan’s eyes widened. "Void flames. Only Ascendant-realm void beasts can use it."

His shock was short-lived.

Han moved again, shaping the flames into a pillar that tore toward Bryan.

Bryan unsheathed his sword, desperation taking over as he poured aether into his blade.

The aether began to shift, developing a golden sheen of light.

"Solar Collapse," Bryan yelled, swinging his sword in an upward slash.

A bright arc of light shot from the blade, clashing against the pillar of black flames.

Like a wormhole, the attack was absorbed.

Bryan did not falter. He grinned, knowing the tracker had been placed.

Suddenly, a blinding light erupted, illuminating the entire area. It seemed no different from daylight.

From within the clouds, a pillar of light pierced through the black flames.

The void flame split apart and scattered, dissolving into nothing.

Han’s hollow eyes turned upward toward the sky.

Bryan exhaled as he lowered his sword.

Silas shook his head. "It is too strong."

But something else struck Silas. Seeing this monster, his mind had begun absorbing knowledge at a frantic pace.

His deduction speed on void core had increased by more than ten times.

Han did not give them enough time.

He pulled his arm back and swung it in a wide arc. The motion was slow and languorous, but the wave of void flames it released spoke volumes of its threat.

It tore across the ground in a broad line, swallowing everything it touched.

By the end of the attack, a ravine thousands of meters deep had formed in the area.

All warriors scattered.

Bryan landed and came forward immediately, flooding his blade with aether.

He drove a slash straight into Han’s knee.

The blade bounced off, unable to break through the outer defense of Han’s body.

Bryan did not relent. He hit again, harder, with more aether along the edge.

But he was not alone this time. Azrael blitzed forward, his body flashing upward toward Han’s neck.

He drew his aether-infused dagger and slashed toward the neck.

Silas appeared from below, his katana arcing toward the monster’s leg.

From above, Amelia came down with a downward slash.

Three arrows infused with aether shot through from behind, aimed at the monster’s head.

Another warrior burst forward, his gauntlet gaining a sheen of aether as he struck at the beast’s stomach.

All warriors attacked together, each one targeting a different spot.

A loud explosion burst from Han’s body. Everyone was thrown back at once.

Silas drove his katana into the ground to slow himself.

Amelia rolled mid-air, landing softly on one foot.

A platform of aether appeared beneath Azrael, cushioning his fall.

Bryan took the blast head on, his sword cutting through the explosion.

Han did not bother with him. He caught the warrior who had struck his stomach within his palm.

Before anyone could move to save him, Han squeezed.

The warrior’s body burst apart, sending gore and blood flying across the battlefield.

No one reacted. On the battlefield, all grievances could only be settled by killing the enemy.

Silas yanked his blade from the ground and pushed forward like a behemoth.

Han’s eyes locked onto Silas.

He swung his free hand as if swatting a fly.

Silas did not slow down. He dropped low, sliding under the swing calmly.

He coated his blade in aether in the same breath, slashing upward at the underside of Han’s wrist.

The blade scraped against the skin, dealing no damage.

Silas reset his footing and came again, coating his katana with as much aether as he could pour into it.

He activated the flame attribute too.

He slashed again at the same spot on the wrist.

A thin line appeared in the skin.

Han pulled back and looked at it, then at Silas.

For a moment, there seemed to be a grin on his lips.

Void flames began to gather around his fist. He raised it high, his fist casting a full shadow over Silas’s frame.

Silas reacted instantly, his body jerking to the side on pure instinct.

The fist punched into the ground, sinking deeper without resistance.

Amelia took full advantage of the opening, coming in from the left.

She targeted the same spot where Silas had cut.

Her blade, flooded with aether, hit the thin line at full speed.

The cut deepened.

Void energy began to drip from it slowly.

Han looked at Amelia but Azrael was already diving from above, dagger aimed at the same wound.

Han’s other hand swept across, smashing into Azrael’s body and hurling him sideways.

Azrael did not stop until he hit the floor and bounced twice.

All combatants heaved.

They had given everything they had, yet managed only to open a wound on the beast’s wrist.

Haaaaa.

The monster roared, its form beginning to shrink. Thick black smoke poured from its body.