The mass of voidlings crackled with power, several orbs of brown swirls forming around them. It looked like the attack was about to pop off, producing explosive damage, perhaps to a considerable area of wherever this was.
Liam fully prepared himself to face the aftermath. It was a mistake on the part of the strange creature. Voidlings needed to be taken care of ASAP. It had underestimated their strength and now it has to face the consequences.
Even if it was a creature of unknown proportions and power, it was still bound to suffer.
However, the next second, before Liam could finish his thought, everything sizzled into nothingness.
Instead of engaging in what Liam expected to be a battle of colossal proportions, the voidlings were simply absorbed by the creature, their forms melding into its shadowy substance.
Each voidling that touched the creature seemed to disappear, swallowed by the darkness as if they were nothing.
Liam's initial thrill turned to confusion.
This creature was not just absorbing his attacks, but it was also absorbing the voidlings — entities that he had assumed were at least somewhat formidable, especially when they clumped together to form a giant mess.
And it did it without batting an eye. If it even had one.
At this point, Liam knew that he was dealing with something that was far beyond his level. He doubted if even the divine temple priestess could stand against this one.
Running was his only option. It was crystal clear to him.
But the problem was how the hell was he going to run from here?
His one way out, the reason he was so confidently challenging his enemies one after the other was because of his Soul Swap skill but suddenly that seemed like a distant dream. So how was he supposed to get out of here?
He clenched his sword and stood tight as he stared at the abomination that he could not understand. His mind wheels turned but it was no use.
Perhaps the beast would ignore him? It could forget that someone lower-leveled stood some distance away from it? This was his last bet.
Unfortunately, those hopes were also dashed as the creature all of a sudden changed its trajectory, now heading toward Liam.
Liam started running.
On the vast barren land with nothing in sight, Liam continued to run and run. He ran as far as he could. But every time he turned around, he could always see the creature in sight. He then noticed something extremely weird.
The space was warped. He was running in circles?
He did not know if this was because of what the massive amalgamation of voidlings did or some sort of attack by this strange creature.
Only one thing was certain. The creature approaching him was inevitable. He had to face it.
Without giving up, Liam immediately started trying all sorts of attacks he had in his belt. This only worsened the situation because each and every single thing was getting absorbed by the damn thing.
His frantic actions were not yielding any results. The creature was approaching him faster and faster.
"Stop! I need to think." He decided to take the stone tablet out because other than that there was no other idea that would seem to work. This was his last Hail Mary attempt. Perhaps the stone tablet would give him some sort of a way out.
"Damn it!" Liam became dumbfounded. Not only was he unable to summon his soul minions but he was also unable to take out his stone tablet.
As he tried to rake his brain for something, anything he could possibly do to get out of this situation, a wave of a unique aura engulfed him. It was an aura he had never felt before.
It was also very weird because the aura felt friendly and not hostile.
Before he could wrap his mind around this new development, something else happened, like a rift in space. The next instant the creature that was still at a distance appeared right in front of him.
Everything was happening at a speed Liam could not even fathom. He merely stood like an immovable puppet manipulated by threads of fate that were beyond his comprehension.
As the creature appeared in front of him, fear gripped him like never before. He was feeling many things at the moment. Certain death. That was the biggest feeling.
However, before the creature could do anything, the aura became even more intensified. In the end, Liam could not remain conscious any longer. He did not feel any pain. He felt something else.
He was being yanked out of there.
Meanwhile, back on solid ground…
"Liam, where the hell are you?" Eldrin gaped in shock at the sight in front of him. He was now starting to become genuinely worried. The situation right now was extremely dire. The eight Empires had made their move.
The small squads that were scattered around throughout the forbidden territory had all gathered together under their banner.
Currently, eight different armies stood stall, clashing against each other in an all-out war, vying for the guardian's blessing. The sight was nothing short of apocalyptic – elves of various factions, locked in a brutal battle for supremacy.
Eldrin's eyes darted around, searching for any sign of Liam amidst the chaos. The young human's absence was more than worrying, especially considering the intensity of the situation.
"Damn it, Liam," Eldrin muttered under his breath. "You better not have gotten yourself killed."
The battlefield was a whirlwind of elemental attacks. Fireballs exploded in the sky, lighting up the forest like a bizarre, deadly fireworks show. Ice storms clashed with gusts of wind, creating a maelstrom of chilling blades. Earth warriors raised barriers and ramparts, trying to protect their own from the onslaught.
Eldrin knew that Liam, with his unique skills and formidable power, could have turned the tide of this battle. But without him, the situation looked grim.
Elira and Lunaria stood by Eldrin's side, their expressions equally grim. They too had hoped that Liam would somehow reappear at the crucial moment.
And this was the crucial moment.
At the center of all of the chaos, there was a region that was completely covered in mist. No one was able to see anything clearly except for the unfathomably thick trunk that spanned for several miles.
Right now, there was a light glow covering this trunk. This glow was slowly and steadily intensifying with every second that ticked by.
The time for the blessing ritual was nearing very quickly.
Eldrin clenched his fists as he made a decision. He had thought that somehow or the other the human being would show up and steal the show.
He did not know why he thought that but his instincts told him that this would happen. He did not really have any rational or logical explanation for it.
However, now, perhaps it was time for him to take matters into his own hands.
"I can do it." Eldrin psyched himself up. For once, maybe he could become the main character and grab the blessing for himself.
Then he could also become a genius, a gifted individual of this myriad realms who countless others had to look up to.
Coincidentally, before he could finish his thought, something else shot up nearby. A pillar of mana?