Chrysalis Chapter 1608: 1716 - Beam of the Heavens

If I do say so myself, Singularity is one hell of a spell. It's a personal favorite of mine that packs a massive punch, earned by reaching the next rank of my Gravity Mana specialty. However, the mind-shattering difficulty of casting the damn thing is the only thing offsetting that absurd damage potential.

The pattern is more intricate than a sculpture carved from jelly, and simply keeping the mana contained is a nightmare.

To produce the catastrophic doom-beam that erupts from the singularity, I essentially have to hold two gravity bombs in place and force them to bleed into one another. Managing that much mana is a massive pain in the thorax; doing it with such precision is twice as exhausting!

Still, I make no effort to conceal my actions as I draw out the mana and begin the weaving process. I don't rush since there is no immediate time pressure, allowing the energy to flow like a thundering river as I mold it and give it purpose. It isn't long before power radiates from me, acting as a screaming warning and a clanging alarm to anyone sensitive to the mana in the vicinity.

I can only hope these delvers don't underestimate what is coming. If they have any sense, they should be fleeing for the hills right now. Since they've clearly been discovered, why would they try to hold their ground? It would be even worse if they attempted to raise shields.

While I've never tested the singularity against defensive magic, holy moly, those shields would need to be incredible to withstand this.

As the casting continues, maintaining a slow and controlled pace becomes increasingly difficult. The more mana I weave, the harder it becomes to anchor. It feels like a boulder I'm trying to hold up on a hillside, one that grows heavier with every passing second. Soon, I won't be able to restrain it anymore, and it will begin to roll regardless of my will.

Two dense spheres of Gravity Mana manifest above my head, swallowing the light and bathing me in a purple-hued darkness. Each sphere rotates with an inevitable momentum, drawing closer and closer until a furious reaction is sparked between them.

Delvers, please, for your own sake, don't be there when this goes off.

When the beam is finally unleashed, it's as if every drop of light in the world is consumed. Faster than light itself and beyond blinding, it pierces through the air, leaving a screaming void in its wake.

A distant rumbling transforms into a calamitous roar that vibrates the ground even where I stand, kilometers away, as my spell carves through the earth, the air, the heavens, and the hells alike.

As the brilliance flickers and fades, I am met with nothing but a wall of debris and rising clouds of dust. It isn't easy to sense exactly what is happening at the ambush site from this distance, but if any delvers stayed put… let’s just say they won't be happy.

Satisfied that anything waiting to attack me has likely been reduced to ruins, I march forward with purpose, ready to face my enemies.

[Crinis, can you start attacking me? Just lightly, no need to go overboard.]

[Uh… I would rather not… Master,] she replies.

Nestled within my shadow, Crinis has been on her best behavior lately, only attempting to sneak inside my carapace a few times an hour. I think she went through some kind of withdrawal after I was asleep for so long. She is even more clingy than usual, which is truly saying something.

[It’s just to get my healing network ticking over, okay? It’s nothing weird. In fact, you’ll be helping me.]

[Well… alright.]

Several tentacles emerge from my shadow and begin to prod at the underside of my carapace.

[Come on, Crinis! I can't even register that as an attack! Give it a bit more oomph!]

[Fine!]

Her lashings are still gentle—little more than an aggressive tickle—but it is finally enough to get the healing network to start functioning. Barely.

I push through the dust, keeping my wits about me and my senses sharp. Hundreds of delvers are still out here, so I must remain cautious. Although the singularity likely destroyed most of their preparations, I cannot afford to underestimate my foes. This fight will likely be the most difficult challenge I've faced since awakening from my evolution.

With my mind constructs spinning, I draw out mana and prepare my spells. I carefully sniff out the faint gravitational fields emanating from the delvers. They are nearby, hidden within the thick dust clouds. It appears they have huddled together in the rubble to pool their strength.

That's a smart move. I should probably clear this dust to improve my visibility. While tracking enemies via gravitational fields during a fight is possible, it's barely doable, and I'd much rather rely on my eyes.

I just reset them, so I might as well get some use out of them!

A powerful gust of wind tears through the tunnel, blasting the dust clouds away and exposing the absolute devastation that has been wrought.

It… isn't a pretty sight.

A horrific gouge has been carved through the rock by the singularity, annihilating everything in its path and shredding the traps prepared by the delvers. It looks like several devices exploded, and two separate rockfall traps were triggered. There are scorch marks everywhere; some rocks have been turned to slag, while others are frozen solid in place.

Yikes! They really put together some nasty surprises over here!

Now, what are they up to? I expected them to have started their assault by now…

The wind continues to howl, clearing the last of the thick dust to finally reveal the gathered delvers.

They are all crowded together, down on their knees.

Uhhh… what?

I extend a mind bridge to the nearest delver.

[What… what the heck are you doing?]

[Surrendering!]