Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 470

Chapter 470: War XLIII
Aiden didn’t let his guard down. He stood amidst the dissipating abyssal embers, his golden sword still humming with power. He knew better than to celebrate too soon.

Rick and Myne approached cautiously, their eyes scanning the battlefield for any lingering traces of Ivan’s existence.

“Is he really dead?” Myne asked, her voice wary.

Aiden narrowed his eyes, activating Lord of Information, Akashic. His vision filled with countless streams of data, analyzing every lingering energy signature. The results came back clear—Ivan’s body was completely destroyed, his abyssal energy dispersed.

But—

Aiden’s instincts screamed at him. Something was off.

He closed his eyes, expanding his spirit sense beyond the battlefield. He traced the remnants of Ivan’s aura, following it into the void beyond—

And then he saw it.

A faint, thread-like wisp of abyssal essence was slithering away, vanishing into the depths of space.

Aiden’s expression darkened.

“He’s not completely gone,” he muttered.

Rick tensed. “What do you mean?”

Aiden clenched his fist. “Ivan left a failsafe. His core body is destroyed, but his abyssal spirit is still intact. He’s trying to escape.”

Myne cursed under her breath. “Damn it. Can you stop it?”

Aiden tried. He channeled his authority over fate, attempting to sever Ivan’s last remaining thread of existence—but the abyssal essence slipped through his grasp, vanishing into the unknown.

For now.

Aiden sighed, shaking his head. “No. He’s too slippery.”

Rick frowned. “So, what? He’ll come back again?”

Aiden nodded grimly. “Eventually.”

There was a heavy silence.

Ivan was defeated, but not erased. It was only a matter of time before he found a way to return—stronger, more vengeful than before.

And Aiden would have to be ready.

He turned to his allies. “We need to prepare. Next time, I won’t just sever his power—I’ll annihilate his very existence.”

Myne smirked. “Sounds like a plan.”

Rick chuckled. “Yeah, let’s make sure that bastard stays dead next time.”

Aiden glanced at the fading abyssal traces one last time.

Ivan might have escaped, but his cheats wouldn’t last forever.

And when they met again—Aiden would make sure there was no next time.

The battlefield was eerily silent now, only the distant crackling of fading abyssal embers remained. Aiden took a deep breath, steadying himself. Even though Ivan had escaped in some form, this was still a victory. They had struck a decisive blow against the Abyss, and for now, the threat had been contained.

Rick ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. “Well, that was fun.”

Myne scoffed. “If your definition of fun includes nearly dying to an abyssal general, then sure.”

Aiden turned to them, his golden eyes still glowing faintly. “We need to regroup and recover. Ivan’s spirit might have escaped, but it’ll take time before he can reform a physical body. We have a window of opportunity.”

Rick nodded. “Agreed. Let’s get out of here before something else decides to pick a fight.”

Activating the teleportation rune, Aiden guided the team through. The world around them blurred as they were pulled through space, the battlefield vanishing behind them.

Safehouse – Hidden Sanctuary

They reappeared inside a dimly lit chamber, lined with intricate arrays designed to block all forms of tracking. This was their sanctuary, a hidden safehouse far from the eyes of their enemies.

As soon as they arrived, Dren collapsed onto a chair, letting out a groan. “That was rough. I need food. A lot of food.”

Rick smirked. “You always need food.”

Myne stretched, her shadowmancy dissipating from her form. “We should assess the damage and plan our next move.” She glanced at Aiden. “You’re the tactician. What now?”

Aiden closed his eyes, processing everything. His mind worked through every possibility, every angle. Ivan’s escape was concerning, but there were other factors at play.

He finally spoke. “First, we rest. Then, we prepare.” His gaze hardened. “I’ll find out where Ivan’s spirit is regenerating. And this time, we’ll finish him for good.”

Rick grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”

Dren groaned from his chair. “Can we do it after I eat?”

Aiden chuckled. “Yeah. After you eat.”

For now, they had a moment to breathe. But the war was far from over. And next time, Aiden would make sure Ivan stayed dead.

Hours passed as the team rested and recovered from their battle. The air inside the safehouse was calm, a stark contrast to the chaos they had just endured. Aiden sat cross-legged in the center of the chamber, his eyes closed as he focused on the flow of his energy. His wounds had mostly healed, but the deeper fatigue of battle still lingered.

Myne leaned against the wall, sharpening her daggers while casting glances at Aiden. “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”

Aiden didn’t open his eyes. “Ivan won’t stay down for long. He’s already overpowered as it is. If we give him enough time, he’ll come back stronger.”

Rick let out a breath, crossing his arms. “Then we don’t give him time. We find him before he fully regenerates.”

Dren, now finished devouring what seemed like half the food supply, wiped his mouth and frowned. “That’s easier said than done. His soul escaped into the void. We don’t exactly have a way to track something like that.”

Aiden finally opened his eyes, a cold determination burning in them. “I do.”

The room went silent.

Myne narrowed her eyes. “Explain.”

Aiden exhaled and reached into his storage ring, pulling out an ancient-looking scroll. “Before the battle, I prepared for the worst-case scenario. I knew Ivan might have some kind of failsafe to avoid death. So, I placed a Mark of Destiny on him during our fight.”

Rick’s eyes widened. “Wait, you marked his destiny? That’s next-level stuff.”

Aiden nodded. “It’s faint, but I can use it to track where his soul is reforming.” He unfurled the scroll, pressing his palm against it. Runes flared to life, golden threads forming an intricate web of energy. The light flickered for a moment before stabilizing, pointing toward a distant location.

Dren whistled. “That’s deep within the Abyssal Wastes.”