Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 471

Chapter 471: War XLIV
Dren whistled. “That’s deep within the Abyssal Wastes.”

Rick groaned. “Of course it is. Why can’t these guys ever regenerate in a nice, peaceful meadow?”

Aiden rolled up the scroll. “We don’t have much time. The Abyssal Wastes are a lawless region, crawling with all kinds of monsters and ancient entities. If Ivan gets a chance to absorb that energy, he’ll be even harder to kill next time.”

Myne twirled a dagger in her fingers. “Then we leave immediately.”

Aiden stood, his golden aura flaring slightly as his resolve solidified. “This time, we end it.”

The team gathered their gear, the weight of their mission heavy on their shoulders. The battle wasn’t over yet. But this time, they were going to make sure Ivan stayed dead—permanently.

With a final nod, Aiden activated a teleportation array. In a flash of light, they vanished from the sanctuary, heading straight into the heart of danger.

The teleportation array flared, and in an instant, Aiden and his team found themselves standing on the cracked, barren ground of the Abyssal Wastes. A chilling wind howled around them, carrying whispers that seemed to scrape against their very souls. The sky above was an eerie shade of dark purple, with occasional flashes of crimson lightning streaking across the horizon.

Dren shuddered. “Yeah… this place screams ‘bad idea.'”

Rick adjusted his gauntlets. “No turning back now. Where’s the signal, Aiden?”

Aiden activated the Mark of Destiny once more, his golden eyes glowing faintly as threads of fate aligned before him. “It’s faint, but it’s still here. Ivan is reforming about thirty miles northeast.”

Myne tightened her grip on her daggers. “Then let’s move before something else notices us.”

They advanced cautiously, their movements swift and silent. The terrain was treacherous—jagged black rocks jutted from the ground, and streams of dark mist slithered through the cracks. Every step felt like walking on the edge of a nightmare.

As they moved, Dren’s ears twitched. “Hold up.” He sniffed the air. “Something’s nearby.”

Aiden instinctively activated his Spirit Sense, his perception stretching outward. Almost immediately, he caught the presence of several entities lurking beneath the ground.

Rick clenched his fists, his body tensing. “They know we’re here, don’t they?”

The ground trembled.

Then, with an ear-splitting screech, the earth split open, and monstrous Void Crawlers burst forth. Their bodies were a grotesque fusion of skeletal structures and shadowy tendrils, their gaping maws lined with jagged, interlocking teeth.

Dren cursed. “Yeah, I hate these things.”

The creatures lunged.

Aiden reacted instantly, summoning his Golden Sword Martial Spirit. The blade ignited with divine flames, cutting through the darkness as he slashed downward, bisecting the first Crawler in one clean motion.

Rick followed up, driving his Titan Gauntlets into another beast’s head, the impact sending shockwaves through the ground.

Myne danced through the battlefield, her movements fluid and precise. Her daggers flickered, leaving behind streaks of crimson as she targeted the creatures’ vital points.

Dren, meanwhile, exhaled deeply before vanishing in a blur of movement. He reappeared behind one of the Crawlers, sinking his claws into its exposed spine and ripping it apart with raw strength.

The battle was quick but brutal. Within minutes, the last Crawler fell, dissolving into a puddle of writhing darkness.

Aiden wiped his blade clean, his eyes scanning the area. “That was just a scouting group. More will come if we linger.”

Rick exhaled sharply. “Then let’s keep moving.”

Without another word, they pressed on, their pace quickening.

The closer they got to Ivan’s location, the heavier the atmosphere became. The air was thick with oppressive energy, and the whispers that once floated through the wind now formed coherent words.

“You should not have come.”

Dren muttered, “Yeah, well, we’re not big on taking advice.”

Finally, they arrived at a massive crater, its depths swirling with dense, abyssal mist. At the center of it, suspended in the air, was Ivan’s soul core, pulsating like a beating heart. Tendrils of energy coiled around it, feeding it power from the surrounding wasteland.

Myne’s expression darkened. “We destroy that, and he’s finished.”

Aiden nodded. “No mistakes. We end this now.”

But before they could make a move, the mist churned violently, and an overwhelming presence descended upon them.

A voice, cold and filled with malice, echoed from the abyss.

“You came all this way… just to die.”

Ivan’s new form was monstrous. His once-human frame had warped beyond recognition—his body now covered in a mix of obsidian armor and writhing abyssal tendrils. His crimson eyes burned with an unnatural glow, and the twisted remnants of his Martial Spirit coiled around him like a throne of shadows.

Aiden’s grip on his sword tightened. This wasn’t just a resurrection. The Abyssal Wastes had fused with Ivan, enhancing him in ways that defied logic.

Ivan tilted his head, a smirk curling on his grotesque lips. “You should have let me go, Aiden. Now, you’ve delivered yourself right into my hands.”

The air vibrated as his power surged.

BOOM!

A single step from Ivan sent shockwaves rippling through the crater. The ground cracked under the sheer force of his presence. The mist around him seemed to take shape, forming ghostly wraiths that shrieked and writhed.

Dren growled. “Okay, what the hell is that?!”

Rick’s fists clenched. “Something tells me we don’t want to find out.”

Myne narrowed her eyes. “No time to hesitate.” She vanished in a blur, her daggers flashing as she struck first—aiming straight for Ivan’s throat.

But before her blades could connect, Ivan raised a single hand.

The moment her daggers met his flesh, they shattered.

CRACK!

A shockwave sent Myne flying back. She barely twisted mid-air to land on her feet, skidding several meters. Her hands trembled from the impact.

Ivan chuckled. “Pathetic.”

Without warning, he vanished—moving faster than anyone could react.

Aiden’s eyes widened. He’s fast!

BOOM!

Before anyone could react, Ivan slammed his fist into Rick’s chest, sending him hurtling through several stone pillars.

“Rick!” Dren shouted, charging at Ivan with his claws coated in golden energy. He struck with all his strength—only for Ivan to catch his attack with ease.

Ivan grinned. “Nice try.”