Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 378

Chapter 378: Back III

Aiden clenched the fragment in his hand, his Spirit Sense expanding outward like a radar. He could feel faint traces of the celestial energy within the fragment, a trail left by whoever—or whatever—had been carrying it.

“We’re close,” Aiden murmured. “The energy signature is getting stronger.”

Kael glanced back at him, his expression tight. “Close to what, though? If they’ve been working with Abyssal and celestial forces, whatever’s at the end of this trail won’t be friendly.”

“Which is why we’ll hit fast and hard,” Aiden replied. “We’re not here to negotiate.”

As they pushed forward, the faint hum of energy grew into a pulsing rhythm, like the beating of a second heart. The air turned colder, and a strange mist began to creep along the forest floor. Aiden’s senses flared with warning; they were entering a heavily warded area.

“Hold,” he ordered, raising a hand. The team stopped instantly, their training kicking in. Aiden scanned the mist with Spirit Sense, identifying faint glyphs woven into the fog.

“Wards,” he muttered. “Old and intricate. Celestial-based, but laced with Abyssal traps. Disarming them will take time.”

Kael knelt beside him, peering at the faint symbols flickering in the mist. “Time we don’t have. Can we bypass them?”

“Not without tripping an alarm,” Aiden replied. “But I can suppress the Abyssal components long enough for us to pass.”

He drew on his Nine Ethereal Soul Emperor Physique, summoning an ethereal glow to his hands. With a careful motion, he began unraveling the dark threads woven into the wards, his Spirit Sense guiding him. The Abyssal energy writhed and fought back, but Aiden’s will was stronger, bending it to his command.

“Hurry,” Kael whispered, his eyes scanning the surroundings. “I don’t like how quiet it’s gotten.”

Aiden finished the suppression, the mist parting before them like a curtain. “Move quickly. We’ve got a small window before the wards reset.”

The team slipped through the gap, their movements swift and silent. On the other side of the warded area, the trail led to a clearing dominated by an ancient stone structure. The building was angular and imposing, its surface covered in celestial runes that glowed faintly in the dim light. Tendrils of Abyssal energy slithered across the stones like living shadows, creating a stark contrast.

“This is it,” Kael muttered. “Whatever they’re doing, it’s happening in there.”

Aiden’s gaze swept the structure, his Spirit Sense probing its defenses. The celestial runes were a protective layer, but the Abyssal energy twisted them into something sinister. The whole structure pulsed with unstable power.

“Kael, take two operatives and circle around. Find an alternate entrance,” Aiden ordered. “The rest of you, stay with me. We’ll breach the main door.”

Kael nodded and vanished into the shadows with two others. Aiden turned to the remaining operatives, his voice low but firm. “This won’t be a quiet entry. Be ready for anything.”

With that, he stepped forward, his Reaper Scythe Martial Spirit manifesting in his hand. The weapon gleamed with a deadly light, its aura slicing through the mist as Aiden swung it toward the main entrance. The scythe’s edge collided with the celestial runes, shattering them in a burst of energy.

The door exploded inward, revealing a darkened interior. The air inside was thick with Abyssal energy, oppressive and suffocating. Aiden’s Spirit Sense immediately detected movement—multiple figures stirring within the shadows.

“Contact!” one of the operatives shouted, raising their weapon.

The first enemy emerged, clad in dark, rune-inscribed armor and wielding a blade crackling with Abyssal energy. More followed, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. They moved with inhuman precision, their strikes coordinated and deadly.

Aiden surged forward, his scythe spinning in a deadly arc. The first foe fell, cleaved cleanly in two, but the others pressed in, their Abyssal blades clashing against his weapon. His operatives joined the fight, their training and discipline shining as they held the line.

Amid the chaos, Aiden’s gaze locked onto the far end of the room, where a figure stood in front of a massive altar. The silver-eyed man. He was chanting, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air as a glowing orb of celestial and Abyssal energy hovered above the altar.

“There he is,” Aiden growled. “Cover me!”

He broke through the enemy line, his scythe carving a path as he charged toward the altar. The silver-eyed man looked up, his expression calm and confident.

“You’re too late,” he said, his voice echoing with unnatural resonance. “The convergence is already upon us.”

Aiden didn’t hesitate. He hurled his scythe, the weapon spinning toward the man with lethal intent. But just before it struck, the orb flared, releasing a shockwave that knocked Aiden back and sent his scythe clattering to the ground.

The man laughed, his voice filled with malice. “Witness the birth of a new era.”

Aiden scrambled to his feet, his mind racing. He had seconds to act before whatever ritual the man was performing reached its climax. Summoning every ounce of power he had, he prepared to strike again.

Aiden’s Spirit Sense flared as the swirling energies around the altar began to destabilize. The orb of celestial and Abyssal energy pulsed erratically, emitting waves of force that shook the very foundation of the structure. Each pulse grew stronger, the air thick with tension and the hum of power on the verge of eruption.

Aiden gritted his teeth, his focus razor-sharp. He called upon his Golden Sword Martial Spirit, its radiant blade materializing in his grasp. The weapon hummed with divine energy, a stark counterbalance to the corrupted power saturating the room.

“Myne, status!” Aiden barked into the comm crystal embedded in his armor.

Her voice crackled back, steady despite the chaos. “Charges are in place. We’re ready to blow the supply caches on your signal.”

“Not yet. Hold position,” Aiden ordered. He could feel the strain on the battlefield, his operatives barely holding their ground against the Abyssal warriors. Time was running out.

The silver-eyed man’s chant reached a crescendo, his voice reverberating like a chorus of twisted echoes. The orb flared brighter, its surface fracturing to reveal a swirling vortex within—an ominous gateway to an unknown dimension.

“You won’t stop this!” the man declared, his eyes glowing with otherworldly light. “This is the convergence, the fusion of realms! The power of the Abyss and the Heavens will belong to me!”

Aiden didn’t respond. Words were meaningless in the face of this calamity. He moved, a blur of motion as he launched himself at the altar. The golden blade in his hand radiated an aura of cleansing light, its edge aimed directly at the heart of the vortex.

The silver-eyed man raised his hands, summoning a shield of Abyssal energy to block Aiden’s attack. The two forces collided in a blinding flash, the clash of energies sending shockwaves rippling through the room. Aiden pushed forward, his will unyielding as he pressed the golden blade against the shield.

“You think you’re a savior?” the man sneered, his voice strained from the effort of holding the shield. “You’re just another pawn in the grand design!”

“Then let’s see who the board favors,” Aiden shot back, his voice cold as steel.

With a roar, Aiden’s Nine Ethereal Soul Emperor Physique activated in full force, a radiant aura enveloping his body. His strength surged, the golden blade cutting through the Abyssal shield like a hot knife through butter. The man staggered back, his expression twisting in shock.

Aiden seized the moment. He drove the blade downward, aiming for the altar itself. The celestial and Abyssal energies within the orb reacted violently, the vortex shrinking and then expanding in a chaotic burst. The man screamed, a mixture of rage and fear, as the power he sought to control spiraled out of his grasp.

“Myne, now!” Aiden shouted, his voice echoing through the comm crystal.

Explosions rocked the depot as Myne’s charges detonated, the ground trembling beneath their feet. The operatives outside regrouped, their mission complete as plumes of smoke rose from the destroyed supply caches.

Inside the structure, the vortex imploded, collapsing in on itself with a deafening roar. Aiden felt the force of it like a hammer blow, the energy searing through his Spirit Sense. He braced himself, his golden blade absorbing the brunt of the blast as the altar shattered into fragments.

When the light faded, the room was silent. The silver-eyed man lay crumpled on the ground, his body surrounded by the remnants of the shattered altar. Aiden approached cautiously, his blade still glowing with divine energy.

The man’s eyes fluttered open, his voice weak but defiant. “You… think this changes anything? The convergence… will come. You can’t stop it…”

Aiden stared down at him, his expression unreadable. “Maybe. But you won’t be around to see it.”

With a swift motion, he ended the man’s life, the golden blade cutting through him cleanly. The body dissolved into black mist, leaving behind only the faint echo of his final words.

Aiden turned to his team, his voice calm despite the exhaustion weighing on him. “Regroup outside. We’re done here.”

As they exited the ruined structure, the forest seemed eerily still, the remnants of the battle fading into the distance. Myne met him at the rendezvous point, her expression a mix of relief and concern.