Chrysalis Chapter 1716 - Beam of the Heavens

If I do say so myself, Singularity is one incredible spell. It’s definitely a personal favorite of mine and delivers a massive punch, having been earned once I reached the next rank of Gravity Mana specialization. To balance out that ridiculous damage potential, however, the difficulty of casting the damn thing is enough to crack one's mind.

The pattern is more intricate than a sculpture made of jelly, and simply holding the mana in place is an exhausting ordeal.

To generate the catastrophic doom-beam that erupts from the singularity, I essentially have to stabilize two gravity bombs and force them to bleed into one another. Managing that volume of mana is a huge pain in the thorax; doing so with such precision is twice as frustrating!

Still, I make no effort to conceal my actions as I draw out the mana and begin the weaving process. Since there is no immediate time pressure, I avoid rushing, allowing the energy to flow like a crashing river while I mold it and give it intent. It isn't long before power begins to radiate from me, serving as a shrieking warning and a loud alarm bell to anyone sensitive to the local mana.

I can only hope the delvers don't miscalculate the scale of what is coming. If they have any sense, they ought to be fleeing for their lives right now. Their position has clearly been compromised, so why bother trying to hold their ground? It will be even worse for them if they attempt to deploy shields.

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

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

Two concentrated orbs of Gravity Mana manifest above my head, swallowing the light and bathing me in a purple-hued gloom. Each sphere spins with an inevitable motion, drawing nearer to the other until a violent reaction is sparked between them.

Delvers, please, for your own sake, I hope you've cleared out.

When the beam finally unleashes, it appears to devour every scrap of light in existence. It is beyond blinding and faster than light itself, piercing through the air and leaving a wailing vacuum in its path.

A distant rumble escalates into a catastrophic roar that vibrates the earth even at my position kilometers away, as my spell tears through the atmosphere, the ground, and the heavens and hells alike.

As the radiance flickers and starts to dim, I am met with nothing but a wall of wreckage and rising plumes of dust and earth. Sensing exactly what is happening at the ambush site from this range isn't easy, but if any delvers stayed put… well, let's just say they aren't having a good time.

Satisfied that anything intended to strike me has likely been reduced to rubble, I stride forward with intent, prepared to face my enemies.

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

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

Hiding within my shadow, Crinis has been on her best behavior lately, only attempting to crawl inside my carapace a few times an hour. After my long slumber, I suspect she went through some kind of withdrawal. She is even more clingy than usual, which is really saying something.

[It’s just to get my healing network functioning, okay? It’s nothing strange. You’ll actually be helping me.]

[Well… alright then.]

A few tentacles emerge from my shadow and start poking at the soft underside of my shell.

[Come on, Crinis! That doesn't even count as an attack! Put a little more oomph into it!]

[Fine!]

Her strikes are still incredibly gentle, barely more than a hostile tickle, but it is at least enough to finally trigger the healing network. Just barely.

I push through the settling dust, keeping my wits sharp and my senses on high alert. Hundreds of delvers are still out here, so I must remain cautious. Although the singularity likely annihilated most of their preparations, I cannot afford to underestimate the opposition. This encounter will likely be the toughest challenge I've faced since waking from my evolution.

With my mind constructs spinning, I draw out mana and readied my spells. I carefully sniff out the faint gravitational signatures vibrating from the delvers. They are nearby, hidden within the thick dust clouds. It appears they have huddled together amidst the debris to pool their strength.

A clever tactic. I should probably clear this dust to get a better view. While tracking enemies through their gravitational fields during combat is possible, it's difficult, and I would much rather rely on my eyes.

I just finished resetting them, so I might as well use them!

A violent gust of wind surges through the tunnel, clearing the dust and exposing the total carnage that has been inflicted here.

It… isn't a pretty sight.

The singularity has plowed a terrifying trench through the stone, vaporizing everything in its way and shredding the traps the delvers had set. It looks like several devices exploded and two different rockfall traps were set off prematurely. There are scorch marks, patches of rock turned to slag, and others frozen solid.

Yikes! They really had prepared some nasty surprises over here!

Now, what are they up to? I expected the counter-attack to have started by now…

The wind continues to howl, stripping away the remaining dust to finally reveal the gathered delvers.

They are all huddled together, down on their knees.

Uhhh… what?

I extend a mind bridge to the delver closest to me.

[What… what on earth are you doing?]

[Surrendering!]