Aura began to spread everywhere, like a shadow silently crawling to swallow the light. It was a hundred times stronger than energy, and that alone was enough to make facing it an act of madness. One who possessed Aura could never be defeated by someone who possessed Energy... That was the law of this world, a law that showed no mercy and allowed no argument.
The Aura began to harden as it expanded violently, and Narvik trembled in a way his body had never known before. No miracle happened. No one would survive today. Even Suleiman, with all his usual calmness, began to tremble as well. Then suddenly, the Aura swelled and became even more overwhelming than it had been just moments ago.
"Damn... this..." Narvik muttered in a broken voice, his eyes fixed on Lorina.
Middle Stage – Origin Realm
Lorina smiled, and there was a light in her eyes that no one could mistake. She had never even dreamed of surpassing the Connected Realm, yet now she had stepped onto the threshold of the Origin Realm itself. She possessed something she had never had the right to dream of, a gift bestowed upon her by the King of the Poison Kingdom.
Then the Aura began to tremble.
High Stage – Origin Realm
Legendary Stage – Origin Realm
In no more than a few seconds, Lorina leaped from the beginning of the Connected Realm to the peak of the Origin Realm, as though she had swallowed time itself. That alone was undeniable proof of the true power of the Poison Kingdom. The Aura began to coil around her, trembling as its shape slowly changed in an unsettling manner.
"This... is impossible," Narvik whispered, shock freezing his expression.
Before the Aura could complete its final transformation, Baran leaped out from the rubble, black lightning coiling around his body like a serpent, gripping his spear that was on the verge of shattering in his hands.
But before he could reach her, the Aura trembled, its color suddenly faded... then it disappeared completely into Lorina.
She smiled. With just a single glance, Baran was sent flying through the air and crashed into the rubble, coughing up blood.
"Hahahaha... Now, how do you want to die?" Lorina spoke, a smile on her lips that belonged to someone who already knew she had won.
At that moment, Narvik gripped his sword and raised the hand that was suddenly covered in ice.
"Ice Art—"
He did not finish the sentence. The ice in his hands shattered instantly, without reason, without warning. Lorina stood frozen in shock, unable to move. Someone at the Legendary Stage of the Origin Realm... had been suppressed? Who could possess such power other than the elite of this world?
"Hmmm... The Poison Kingdom is truly pitiful."
The voice descended from the sky, imposing beyond measure, even though its owner had yet to appear. Lorina did not move, but she shouted,
"Who dares to say such a thing?! Do you want us to declare war on the Poison Kingdom?!"
"War on the Poison Kingdom? I certainly will. But they will run away as always. They are failures." The voice came from the sky once again.
With war being declared against her kingdom, Lorina could not utter a single word. Even Suleiman and Narvik were frozen in place by the sheer weight of what they had heard.
Narvik was trembling, but a smile slowly appeared on his face. "This... is amazing. Who could declare war on the Poison Kingdom so casually other than the elite of this world? And I already know half of them."
At that moment, the sky itself cracked open, and a man emerged from it, standing suspended fifty meters above the ground, his eyes fixed on Baran.
"This... this is impossible." Joy beyond comparison burst across Narvik's face.
The man was one hundred and seventy-five centimeters tall, dressed in sky-blue robes as blue as the sea, so loose that his fingers could not be seen beneath them. His hair was long, a mixture of blue and white, and his face was completely devoid of any trace of happiness. A permanent frown rested upon his features, which was why everyone called him "The Frowning Water."
"This is the Prince of the Sun Kingdom... Murong," Narvik said as though he had found a lifeline. As long as Murong had appeared out of nowhere, he would surely stand on their side.
"So this is Murong? Number Three in the Three Stars Ranking." Narvik turned toward the one who had spoken. It was Suleiman, smiling as his eyes remained fixed on Murong.
"You, servant of the Poison King." Murong's voice was as cold as ice itself. "Leave this place, and tell your king that if he dares to invade the Alliance again, he will regret it. Even if he is working with that man, it does not mean I have any reason to spare him. Do you understand?"
He did not smile as he spoke. He wore the same frown as always, as though smiling were a crime punishable by death.
The moment Lorina heard his words, she fled immediately after her Aura was stripped away from her without resistance. She knew that if she uttered even one more word, she would not live to see another moment. She had to deliver this news to the highest authority of the Poison Kingdom as quickly as possible, or the only consequence would be annihilation.
After Lorina disappeared, Murong slowly descended toward Baran and looked at him with eyes that held neither pity nor cruelty, only cold calculation.
"He has already lost consciousness... He is weak. He must become stronger, and quickly."