CHAPTER 560: REASON

Meanwhile, far across the void...

A colossal metallic vessel hovered in place, its sleek, aerodynamic body gleaming beneath the distant stars. A massive glass dome crowned its center, surrounded by slowly rotating propulsion rings. Inside, a bluish glow from holographic screens illuminated the tense faces of the crew.

Inside the command room, several men stood watching the main screen, where the live feed of Lein’s battle played out in high definition.

"Even against that many monsters... he’s not struggling at all," one man muttered through clenched teeth, his black uniform tight against his shoulders, his expression sour with frustration.

Beside him, a middle-aged man with graying hair clicked his tongue.

"Deploy everything," he said coldly to the technician seated at the console. "Release all King-tier beasts. Including the Protector class."

The technician turned, visibly tensing. "Captain, our monster slave reserves... especially the King-level ones, are running low."

The Captain didn’t respond with words. He shot a sharp glare instead—sharp enough to cut. A silent command, but heavy as a blade pressed against the throat.

"Just do as the Captain says," came a low, firm voice. A burly man near the command panel stepped forward, his presence pressing down like a mountain.

The technician swallowed hard, fingers trembling slightly as he began entering commands. The ship vibrated faintly as mechanical systems activated, humming softly while teleportation engines roared into life.

Back on the holographic screen, new figures began appearing around Lein—unlike anything before. These weren’t simple monsters. Their forms were humanoid, and each movement carried overwhelming force. Their auras distorted the air itself. These creatures... weren’t driven by instinct. They had awareness.

Lein stared them down without a flicker of fear.

Seconds later, he reached into his storage ring—

—and pulled out a massive black tower, a hundred meters tall, which crashed into the ground with a thunderous BOOM.

From the tower’s shadowy interior, dark figures emerged one after another. Their bodies were slender, forged from living darkness, like liquid shadows brought to life. These beings swarmed the King-tier monsters like ravenous ants, draining their energy with a faint, eerie crackle.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Lein’s Soul Beast—a massive white-fanged ape—leapt high into the air and swung a giant iron staff. The ground shattered, floating terrain split in half, and four monsters were blasted straight into the void.

Silence fell over the ship’s command room.

No one spoke. Not even a whisper.

The Captain stared at the screen, his face expressionless, but his mind raced behind his cold eyes.

"Damn it..." he muttered under his breath. "How can a mere human—one who hasn’t even grasped the laws of space—pull off something so monstrous?"

The burly man beside him exhaled softly. "Captain... the rest of our slave beasts should be used to drain the energy of his allies. Not him."

The Captain gave a slow nod. "Agreed. Send the rest... but target his companions."

Then he turned toward the burly man.

"You’ll be coming with me later. Prepare yourself."

The man simply bowed. "Yes, Captain."

But before they could move, another screen blinked to life.

This one displayed a different scene—

A massive dragon rampaged across a dimensional rift, every swing of its tail tearing through space itself, creating devastation on a cosmic scale.

And before it stood a lone figure—a man wielding a spear in both hands. His gaze was calm, his face hidden in the flickering light, but his aura rivaled that of the dragon.

"The Elder is moving?" the gray-haired man muttered, his voice filled with surprise. There was reverence in his eyes, laced with fear. The man facing the dragon... was no ordinary person. He was one of them—a name that must not be spoken carelessly.

"Yes, Captain," the burly man said. "He looked... excited. Said the dragon’s bloodline was pure."

The Captain nodded again. His expression was hard and unreadable, but his thoughts were already drifting toward something deeper.

Then he stood, casting a sharp glance at every crew member in the room.

"Listen carefully. Once we drop the cloaking protocol... there’s no turning back. This is the point of no return."

Silence.

Everyone fixed their eyes on the Captain.

"You. And you," he pointed at a silver-haired woman and a younger man. "Lead the strike team. Target the man and woman. Make sure they don’t interfere with our true objective."

The woman crossed her arms and scoffed. Her beautiful face twisted into a frown.

"Captain... I want to face that man myself. His face... it’s too pretty to destroy from a distance."

Her voice was teasing, almost flirtatious—but the bloodlust radiating from her said otherwise.

The Captain shot her a cold glare.

"No. He’s a King. Even a top-tier Grandmaster like you isn’t his match in a one-on-one."

"Tch..." She clicked her tongue and turned away, lips curled in a pout. But she didn’t argue. Orders were orders.

"Thaya, follow the Captain’s instructions," the burly man added calmly, trying to temper her mood.

Thaya said nothing, though her eyes gleamed with unspoken defiance. But the Captain ignored her. His gaze was already locked on the largest screen.

A massive red bar blinked with the words:

30%

The number dropped steadily—29... 28... down to 20%. The bar turned crimson, warning that the activation sequence was almost complete.

Time was running out.

The command room sank into heavy silence. Fingers hovered over triggers. Weapons clicked into place. Helmets snapped on with practiced precision.

When that bar hit zero... the real war would begin.

***

Meanwhile, on the other side of the void...

A lone woman in a white gown floated gracefully through the air. Around her, a massive golden cross spun slowly, orbiting like a protective shield. Light magic danced in her hands, glowing softly. But her eyes—sharp and alert—were the eyes of a seasoned warrior.

"They just keep coming..." Laras whispered under her breath.

A drop of sweat trailed down her temple. Her expression remained composed, but the strain of battle was beginning to show.

Then her eyes narrowed.

CLANG!

The golden cross behind her snapped into motion, intercepting a vicious strike. A five-meter-tall green-skinned beast had slashed at her back with blade-like arms—but its attack was blocked mid-swing.

Laras spun midair with impossible speed.

Her right hand drew a golden sword from her waist—hidden until now—and in a single clean motion, she slashed straight across the creature’s chest.

SLANG!

TANG!

The creature tried to parry, but it was too slow. Laras’s blade carved through its torso, sending green fluid spraying into the air.

But before the beast could even fall, two more lunged at her from both flanks.

Laras stepped back in midair, raising her left hand.

A radiant explosion of white light burst forth—forming a massive holy shield that blocked both attackers at once.

BOOOM!

The blastwave of magic shredded the floating land beneath them. Dust and light swirled into a storm of chaos.

And at the center of it all, Laras rose again—glowing wings of light now spread from her back. The golden sword in her right hand pulsed gently, as if beating in sync with her heart.