Green light broke through the darkness of the layer for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.
It fell slowly, spreading outward, and where it touched the ground, the corruption seemed to recoil slightly — not defeated, just briefly reminded that something else existed. Its warmth was not the warmth of sunlight. It was the specific warmth of not being alone anymore. The feeling of a hand finding your shoulder when you have been standing in the dark long enough to forget that hands existed.
Everyone went still for a moment. Even the beasts.
Eric closed his eyes. Just for a second. He let the warmth land on his face and didn't move away from it.
The Will did not close its eyes.
It saw the stillness and moved immediately — charging downward toward Eric, reading the moment correctly as an opening. Its control over the pseudo-Hypernova Beast and the Void Shadow
Creatures had weakened by a fraction at the dragon's death, but the Will itself was still precise and still dangerous.
It never reached him.
Space around it cracked in every direction simultaneously. Void Creatures poured through the rifts like a breaking dam — not under the Will's direction, drawn by something else entirely — and the Will was forced to stop, to redirect, to deal with what was suddenly between it and Eric.
The Misfortune Dragon was dead. The corruption spreading across their luck had stopped.
And now, with that pressure lifted, the luck that had been dented and suppressed began reasserting itself quietly. Small things. A missed attack finding empty air. A footing that held when it shouldn't have. The universe, very slightly, remembered whose side it was supposed to be on.
The Will's gaze moved to Adrian.
Especially his, it thought.
Adrian was looking down into the free-dimensional space below — the green light source, vast and open, white particles drifting upward through it like reversed snow. He had seen a free-dimensional space before, the small one Eric had built with borrowed charms and desperation. This was nothing like that. This one had depth. This one had been opened from the other side.
The sounds reached them before the figures did. Roars, calls, the specific noise of things that lived in dimensional spaces and had been waiting for an opening. Thousands of dark green figures moved within the light.
The largest shape — Hypernova-level aura radiating from it like heat from a star — surged upward and drove itself toward the dimensional opening.
The violet wall appeared.
The same barrier that had sealed them inside the layer from the beginning materialized across the opening, stopping the figure cold. Whatever was trying to come through hit it and was stopped.
Then the bell rang.
Not from any direction specifically. From everywhere at once — deep, resonant, the sound of a church bell that had no physical source in this layer but existed in the air as completely as if it had always been there.
A huge black hand appeared on the horizon, making the entire dark layer tremble. An overwhelming pressure descended, forcing many to close their eyes.
BAM!
The colossal hand slammed down onto the violet wall. Tremors shook the entire layer as more cracks spread through space, allowing even more Void Creatures to pour in. The violet wall struggled desperately, white cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.
Seeing the wall resist, a massive blob of black flesh materialized in the dimension, covered in thousands of golden and white eyes. It stared down coldly before roaring. The black hand reappeared, this time forming a devastating punch.
Crack… Crack…
The sound of shattering glass echoed as an opening finally appeared in the wall. Beasts of all shapes and sizes — horses, rats, ants, phoenixes — charged through in a frenzied wave.
Then, the Myriad Angelic Dragons began to appear. Silver-scaled dragons with golden or white gem-like eyes descended, their long golden horns spiraling with black patterns. Their claws were as sharp as divine swords.
Nova, Auri Nova, and Lysi Nova-level dragons filled the battlefield.
The once-silent layer was now overrun with countless creatures: Void Creatures, Dimensional Dwellers, Shadow Beasts, corrupted beasts, and Myriad Angelic Dragons.
ROOOAAAR!
A deafening roar shook the layer, causing even more spatial fractures. A gigantic silver-scaled dragon with a massive spiral golden horn entered the battlefield. Its enormous body radiated a dominant yet gentle and virtuous aura.
"Ancient Myriad Angelic Dragon," the Will muttered through gritted teeth.
Eric slowly opened his eyes and glanced at the majestic creature without much change in expression. He remembered seeing similar horns in the Church of Serenity's treasury. "To think I would witness a Hypernova-level Ancient Myriad Angelic Dragon so soon…"
The Ancient Dragon descended, its presence instilling involuntary fear in almost everyone present.
Everyone except the Will.
It turned into a streak of black light and rose to meet the dragon at the same level. The violet wall quickly repaired itself as the Free Dimensional Space closed once more.
The Ancient Dragon immediately spat out a golden sun that settled in the center of the sky. Wherever its light spread, corruption receded, Shadow Beasts dissolved, and corrupted creatures regained clarity.
"Hmph." The Will snorted and countered with a massive tsunami of black liquid, corrupting the sun and shrinking its reach.
The two powerhouses stared at each other, neither making the first move.
Adrian, protected under the Hypernova Angel Spirit's wings, watched everything in awe. He noticed that these powerful beings rarely fought head-on immediately. They probed and tested each other first. It was a simple observation, but under constant pressure, it was something he only now truly understood.
Adrian's premonition flared. He twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging a redirected attack from a clash between a Void Creature and a Dimensional Dweller. Ever since his luck had been damaged, danger seemed to find him at every turn. Only the constant protection of the Hypernova Angel Spirit kept him alive.
The Will and the Ancient Myriad Angelic Dragon transformed into streaks of black and white light.
The Will merged with the Pseudo-Hypernova Beast, using Myriad Darkness to strengthen and regain full control over it. It glanced once at Eric, a strange light flickering in its abyssal eyes, before retreating with its forces.
It knew it was outnumbered. Recuperation and the creation of more Shadow Beasts were necessary.
The situation was simply too chaotic.
The battlefield had become a frenzied warzone. Beasts of all kinds unleashed their innate abilities, showing visceral hatred for one another as they fought over territory.
Eric remained standing upright the entire time — not by choice, but because he could barely move. He was on the verge of death and had already accepted it. A weak chuckle escaped his lips.
"It seems… I still have a road ahead to walk."
The Ancient Myriad Angelic Dragon appeared directly above him. It dropped two charms and bathed him in a powerful golden light, healing his most critical injuries and allowing him to move once more.
"Co-leader Eric Heisenberg," the dragon spoke with calm dignity. "We have come to assist you. Use these and recuperate."
Even though Eric was a full rank below it, the Ancient Dragon showed no arrogance. This polite and virtuous nature was innate to its kind.
A red scar appeared on the Angelic Dragon's chest as a golden drop of blood dripped down from its bone marrow, dropping out and dropping on Eric before getting seeped into hi boy, healing his most vital injuries.
Eric felt life returning to him as he used his uniqueness to request the gravity around him to pull the bags toward him and store them in his Domain of Emotions. The first bag contained a fresh batch of Energy Pathway charms, bringing a rare smile to his Emotional Spirit. The second was filled with high-quality Lysi Nova Aura stones.
"Hmm…?"
A third golden light shot into his Domain of Emotions, exploding into golden dust that actively began healing the damaged realm.
"An Emotion Beast?" Eric didn't recognize the type, but he was grateful. Any serious damage to his Domain of Emotions could make his emotions unstable and lead to loss of control. However, he soon noticed the drawback — the beast was using his own emotions as fuel for the healing. If left unchecked for too long, it would make him emotionally volatile… and eventually cause him to lose control completely.
...
The Ancient Myriad Angelic Dragon descended gracefully, landing beside the Hypernova Angel Spirit and Adrian. With a powerful roar, it commanded the other Myriad Angelic Dragons to fight in coordinated formations rather than scattering chaotically across the battlefield.
Once the orders were given, it turned its gaze downward and spoke in a calm, gentle voice to the Hypernova Angel Spirit.
"Seraphiel. You did a great job. Are you alright?"
"So his name is Seraphiel…" Adrian thought, finding the name elegant and fitting. He quickly slapped his own cheeks. I shouldn't be thinking about this right now!
The Ancient Dragon looked at Adrian and gave what seemed like a warm, motherly smile. Despite its enormous size, Adrian felt no fear — only a comforting, protective warmth.
"You are also doing well for your age, little one," the dragon said kindly. "I have brought accessories for both of you. Take these, recuperate, and join the fight later. We will cover you for now."
It handed both Seraphiel and Adrian batches of high-quality charms and Aura stones.
"What took you so long to reach here?" Seraphiel asked. "And have you brought any relics?"
The Ancient Dragon's expression darkened slightly. "We were hunting in the Free Dimensional Space when we received the reinforcement request from headquarters. We left immediately, but several complications delayed us and cut off communication. These are the best supplies I could secure on short notice."
Seraphiel nodded quietly, his warm gaze showing quiet understanding rather than anger.
The Ancient Dragon looked down at the devastated layer and the injured states of Eric, Seraphiel, and Adrian. Its breathing quickened, veins bulging slightly on its forehead as its claws clenched tightly.
With a powerful flap of its wings, it shot into the air, heading straight toward the Will and the Pseudo-Hypernova Beast.
Unlike Seraphiel, this dragon was a true fighter at heart. It was eager to show the Will exactly where it belonged.
...
The Will fled across the battlefield, constantly using Void Shadow Beasts to tear open spatial rifts and slip through them. It slaughtered any creature in its path — Void Creatures, Dimensional Dwellers, Myriad Angelic Dragons, and corrupted beasts alike — converting their corpses into new Shadow Beasts to bolster its forces for the next round.
With Eric's reinforcements now present, it could no longer afford to hold back.
It did not waste energy pondering the origin of these new forces or Eric himself. It was merely a fragment of a greater Will, built from memories, consciousness, and experience. Free thought would only drain it further, especially with the damage it had already sustained.
It glanced down at the purple spark flickering on its right chest. The wound from Event Horizon's explosion had never truly healed.
It closed its eyes and assessed the remaining fragments of its main body.
"Only the skull, some blood, arm bones, leg bones, and a few pubic bones remain… It seems I must use them now."
The Will floated motionless for a moment. The chaotic sounds of beasts roaring, fighting, and dying filled the air around it. Then, its abyssal eyes opened with cold resolve.
It slowly turned, its gaze falling upon the lifeless body of the Misfortune Dragon.
With a single motion, it pointed its left index finger toward the corpse.
At the same time, deep within the darkness of a distant ravine, two pairs of ominous black eyes slowly opened.
...
A massive Dimensional Dweller — a colossal ant-like creature with glowing mandibles — charged through the battlefield. It slammed into a group of corrupted beasts, its armored body shrugging off their attacks while its mandibles crushed them one by one.
From above, a Lysi Nova-level Myriad Angelic Dragon unleashed a barrage of golden energy feathers. Each feather exploded on impact, creating craters and scattering the corrupted beasts. The ant roared in defiance, its exoskeleton cracking under the assault but refusing to fall.
A streak of pink light shot through the chaotic battlefield, desperately trying to put as much distance as possible between itself and the main fight on the largest fragment of the black moon.
Eric's physical condition had stabilized enough for him to move. He didn't waste any time. Absorbing a high-grade Aura stone, he immediately activated Repulsion Charge and fled the area. His Meditation Aura was completely depleted, meaning he couldn't teleport. He needed to find a safe place to meditate and recover.
But just as he gained momentum, his premonition screamed.
He whipped his head toward the retreating Will. The ancient being glanced back, a cold smirk flickering across its face before it vanished into a spatial rift.
Eric's eyes widened. He spun toward the corpse of the Misfortune Dragon he had just killed. The white worm at its core was dead, but the rest of its massive body was still disturbingly fresh.
The corpse began to convulse. Black pus oozed from its wounds, rapidly forming into vague humanoid shapes that constantly deteriorated and reformed.
The Ancient Myriad Angelic Dragon noticed immediately and prepared to charge in to stop the transformation.
Snap.
A sharp sound echoed across the entire layer. The darkness thickened like a spider weaving webs around its prey.
A suffocating wave of despair washed over everyone.
ROOOAAAR!!! ROOOAAAR!!!
Two earth-shaking roars erupted from a distant ravine, followed by surging black waves that made the whole layer tremble.
Everyone's premonition pulled their gaze toward the ravine.
Two giant figures burst out and charged toward the broken black moon in an instant, appearing around the Ancient Myriad Angelic Dragon. Thick Hypernova-level Aura radiated from their dark bodies.
Any beast in their path — whether an Ant Dimensional Dweller or a Myriad Angelic Dragon — was crushed or torn apart beyond recognition.
Eric had no time to worry about the new threats. He charged straight toward the pulsing Abyssal Cell.
But his heart suddenly stopped.
He clutched his chest, closing his left eye as the corruption spread even deeper, sending waves of excruciating pain through his body.
Still, he pushed forward. He tried to form a technique using his remaining charms, but one step failed. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
It wasn't a mistake on his part. It was the failure rate inflicted by his corrupted luck.
The Abyssal Cell had been given enough time. It exploded outward, black pus spreading everywhere and rapidly forming into four-armed humanoid figures with entirely black bodies and emotionless white eyes.
"Dark-Embracing Swordmasters…" Eric muttered, spitting more blood.
He was surrounded by enemies once again.
Yet he didn't panic or despair. He simply accepted the situation and began thinking about his next move.