CHAPTER 312: CHAPTER 311- THE FALLEN ONE

"Are you one hundred percent sure it was nothing?" Adrian asked for the fourth time.

Ariana tilted her head and replied softly, "Were you...hoping for nothing to come up?"

Her words caught him off guard, and his startled expression made her laugh. "Relax, I’m just teasing."

The test results had come back negative. The nausea wasn’t what they feared—it was just her allergy to pumpkin seeds.

Adrian exhaled heavily, his shoulders loosening. "I know how it must have looked, Ariana...but believe me, I love kids."

Ariana nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I know."

He hesitated, then admitted, "It’s just...my life is always on the move. I keep throwing myself into dangerous situations, and you end up getting dragged into them too. The thought of you carrying our baby... it made me feel like the most irresponsible man alive."

Ariana’s shoulders softened as she leaned closer. "But you’re not. Everything you do is for our future, for me—for us." Her thumb brushed gently across his cheek. "You’re the most reliable man I could have ever asked for."

Adrian pressed his forehead against hers, his voice dropping into a whisper. "For a moment...I even started thinking of our baby’s name."

Ariana giggled. "Really?"

He hummed and drew her into his arms, lying back on the bed with her nestled against him. "You know I’ve always dreamed of a family. So yes, children were always in my plan."

Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she teased, "Funny, considering how carelessly you scatter your seed inside me. Doesn’t seem like you’ve planned much at all."

Adrian flushed red and stammered, "We’re...we’re sticking to protection from now on."

Grinning, Ariana closed her eyes and rested her hand on his chest. "Good night, Adrian."

He kissed the top of her head, watching her drift into sleep with warmth filling his gaze.

He was just about to close his eyes when a sharp notification flashed before him.

[Alert! Please check the cross-dimensional server.]

Adrian’s brows furrowed. Without wasting a second, he pulled it up.

Forgelet: [Avirin, you there?! SOS! It’s bad—really bad!]

Forgelet: [I need your help, ASAP! Please respond soon!]

Other users had chimed in too, asking what happened. But Forgelet had already gone offline.

Adrian glanced at Ariana one last time before stepping into the Time Chamber.

Yes, he was quite comfortable having Ariana in his arms....but the system never panics like this.

Once inside, he relayed a quick message:

"Does anyone know what just happened?"

Scarlette: [No idea. But I’ve almost never seen her panic like that.]

Dark Knight: [Looks like she’s in serious trouble.]

Adrian frowned. What could have possibly happened to shake her like this?

He was wondering how to reach out to her, when suddenly, the system notified,

[Due to the severity of the matter, the host would be now transferred to the world Zythor in order to assist the host Evilyn.]

Adrian blinked, "Eh....?!"

....

Annabelle sat perched on a branch. The rain had stopped, and a gentle smile bloomed across her face.

Her darling had come to visit her.

He stayed with her last night. They had talked endlessly, mostly about the past.

It was strange—around others, she always felt reluctant to speak. Yet with him, words flowed out without pause.

It was the best feeling in the world...to have him beside her, listening to her. She just couldn’t get enough of him.

He had been so thoughtful, coming all this way just for her. And now, she carried a new spark of motivation—to stay true to the plan and keep her watch on the base.

But since morning, the base had been unnervingly quiet. No carts rolled in, no footsteps echoed out. Both entrances remained still. Either they were hibernating...or preparing something dangerous.

Gripping the tree trunk, Annabelle rose slowly.

And then she felt it—warm breath brushing against the back of her neck.

Her body froze. She hadn’t sensed a thing.

In an instant, she lunged forward and swung her formless sword at the unseen presence.

"Ah...!" Her eyes widened. The monstrosity had caught her blade. Blood spilled down its arm, but it didn’t flinch. Instead, it yanked her back effortlessly.

"Hello there." A voice rumbled.

Its fist cocked back.

Annabelle didn’t have time to dodge. She hardened her body with mana—but,

DHAK!

CRACK!

The sound of her facial bone shattering rang in her ears before she was flung to the ground.

DOOOOOM!

A crater burst open where she landed, dust exploding outward. Shock flickered in her wide eyes.

The beast chuckled and tossed her sword aside.

Its form was humanoid, skin ashen and rough. Jagged scales jutted out from its arms and legs. On its bare chest pulsed a red orb, no larger than an eyeball. Golden eyes glimmered with cruel amusement as they locked on her.

It radiated no mana. Not a single trace.

"So this is what humanity has to offer?" it sneered.

Annabelle rose quickly, blood on her lips, her gaze hard as steel.

"What are you?" she demanded.

That single punch told her everything.

This was the strongest foe she had ever faced.

The monster leapt from the branch—then vanished.

Annabelle instinctively darted left, her head snapping around just in time to see it reappear at her side.

"I...am what you might call a bothered being," it said, voice dripping with disdain. "I was sleeping peacefully. But then, someone dared to take my blood, lace it with spells, and force it into the man whose body I now wear."

Annabelle’s brows knit tightly. So it was a human body...yet controlled by something far more sinister.

And that presence—so suffocating, so unnatural—it wasn’t just ominous. It was silent in a way that screamed louder than words, the kind of silence that killed.

Her muscles stiffened, her voice low but firm. "Who are you?"

The being’s lips curled into a wide, arrogant grin. Slowly, his arms spread open as though the world itself were beneath his embrace. His body began to rise, levitating with divine ease.

His head tilted back, golden eyes gleaming with unshaken superiority. His voice rolled like thunder yet carried the elegance of a king addressing his court.

"Kneel, mortal. Kneel before the one who stands unbound, the only sovereign who cast aside the chains even gods feared to break."

His laugh echoed, rich and cruel, reverberating through the air. Every ounce of light seemed to have sucked into him as he announced,

"I am Nytharos—he who reigns alone, he who stands eternal!"

"...!!"

°°°°°°°

A/N:- The main boss has arrived, dun dun dun.

Thank you for reading and if you are a part of this journey till now, I want your review.