Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 397

Chapter 397: Dangerous Trials

The team struggled, each member lost in their personal nightmare. The illusions were unrelenting, feeding on their vulnerabilities and driving wedges between them.

Aiden clenched his fists, his breath ragged as he forced himself to focus. He remembered Nexus’s words: The Trial of Unity is not just about strength; it’s about trust.

“Dren! Myne!” Aiden shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. “These aren’t real! Focus on each other, not the lies!”

His voice reached Myne first. She gasped, her shadow prison dissolving as she turned her focus outward. She saw Aiden, his figure flickering in the chaos, but his determination unwavering.

“Myne!” Aiden called again. “You’re the only one who can control the shadows here. Use them!”

She hesitated for only a moment before summoning her willpower. The shadows around her bent to her command, forming a protective barrier that cut through the illusions.

Dren, still trapped in his nightmare, growled in frustration as phantom enemies closed in. Myne’s shadows reached him just in time, breaking through his torment.

“Dren!” she shouted. “You’re the shield—we need you!”

Dren blinked, his breath heavy as the weight of his illusion lifted. He looked at Myne and Aiden, their determination giving him strength. With a roar, he slammed his fists into the ground, shattering the remnants of his nightmare.

The three of them regrouped, standing back-to-back in the swirling void. The illusions shifted, becoming more aggressive as the Trial adapted to their unity.

“We need to move as one,” Aiden said, his voice steady. “No second-guessing. We trust each other, or we fail.”

Myne nodded. “I’ll control the shadows to give us a clear path.”

Dren grinned, his confidence returning. “And I’ll cover our flank. No one’s getting through.”

Together, they advanced, their movements perfectly synchronized. Myne’s shadows carved a path through the void, while Dren’s unyielding defense blocked the shifting illusions. Aiden led the charge, his Martial Spirits glowing with a golden brilliance that illuminated the darkness.

The void began to collapse around them, the illusions growing weaker as their unity proved unshakable. At the center of the arena, a pillar of celestial light awaited them—a beacon of their success.

As they reached the pillar, the illusions dissolved completely, and the arena stabilized. The Celestial Vanguard’s emissary appeared before them, his radiant form even more brilliant than before.

“You have proven yourselves,” the emissary declared, his voice resonating with celestial power. “Your unity is unbreakable, and your resolve unwavering. The Vanguard recognizes your strength and will stand with you in the battles to come.”

The arena shifted once more, returning the team to the entrance of the Crucible. Nexus was there, waiting for them with a rare expression of pride.

“You did it,” Nexus said, his voice warm. “The Vanguard’s support will change everything.”

Aiden nodded, though his gaze was distant. The Trial had tested them in ways he hadn’t anticipated, but it had also solidified their bond.

“This is just the beginning,” Aiden said, his resolve hardening. “With the Vanguard’s help, we’ll take the fight to Malakar—and we won’t stop until the Abyss is destroyed.”

The War Ahead

As the team returned to their headquarters, the alliance with the Celestial Vanguard brought a new sense of hope to the resistance. Plans were immediately set into motion, with Vanguard forces integrating into the resistance’s ranks.

But Aiden knew the war was far from over. Malakar was a cunning and ruthless enemy, and the Abyss’s true power had yet to be revealed.

Standing alone in the war room, Aiden traced his fingers over the map of enemy territory. He could feel the weight of the battles to come, but he also felt the strength of his team and their newfound allies.

“This isn’t just a fight for survival,” Aiden murmured to himself. “It’s a fight for a future worth living.”

And with that, he turned to face the next challenge, ready to lead his people into the storm.

Malakar’s Counteroffensive

In the depths of the Abyssal stronghold, Malakar loomed over a pool of blackened, churning energy. The air was thick with malevolence, the oppressive weight of countless souls consumed in his relentless pursuit of power. His crimson eyes glowed like twin embers, his voice rumbling with a deep, guttural fury.

“The Celestial Vanguard…” Malakar hissed, his clawed hand slicing through the air, shattering an obsidian mirror that had reflected Aiden and his team’s victory in the Trial of Unity. “They dare ally themselves with the resistance? Insolent fools. They will regret standing against me.”

Behind him, a cadre of Abyssal generals kneeled, their heads bowed in submission. Each bore grotesque armor etched with runes of torment, their forms twisted by the corrupting power of the Abyss.

“Prepare the Blighted Legions,” Malakar commanded, his voice a low growl. “I want every stronghold of the resistance reduced to ash. Leave no survivors.”

One of the generals, a serpentine figure with scales like molten rock, dared to speak. “My lord, the Vanguard’s forces are formidable. Their light burns through the shadows, and their unity weakens the Abyss’s hold.”

Malakar turned, his towering form radiating an aura of dread that made the general recoil. “Then we will shatter their unity. Their light will falter when they see their hope crushed.”

He extended a hand, and from the churning pool of energy rose a dark crystal pulsating with chaotic power. “Deploy the Devourer Core. Let it feast on their strongest bastions and erode their resolve. And send word to our sleeper agents. The time to strike from within has come.”

The generals bowed deeper, their voices unified. “As you command, Lord Malakar.”

As the Abyssal forces mobilized, Malakar turned his gaze upward, toward the unseen skies of the mortal plane. A cruel smile spread across his face.

“Enjoy your fleeting victories, Aiden,” he murmured. “For I will remind you—and your precious Vanguard—that the Abyss is eternal.”

Back at the resistance’s underground base, the mood was cautiously optimistic. With the Vanguard’s forces integrated into their ranks, the resistance had managed to reclaim several outposts and disrupt Abyssal supply chains. But Aiden knew the enemy wouldn’t remain idle for long.

Standing at the strategy table, surrounded by his core team and Vanguard emissaries, Aiden outlined their next steps.