The Invincible Full-Moon System Chapter 1821: Moment’s Peace Broken

Rex immersed his entire form into the water.

Clots had already sealed his injuries to stem the blood loss, though the deeper wounds inside were still in the process of mending.

He'd successfully purged the lingering essence of Sky Judgment from his system, yet full recovery eluded him still.

To start with, every one of his Soul Artifacts bore cracks from the brutal clash, rendering them unsummonable for now. He might force it, but the strain on his soul would be immense, and the artifacts wouldn't operate anywhere near full capacity. Plus, his frame was now reeling from the extreme exertion.

Ascending to Voidal Prince status and flooding himself with Blood Moon power came at a steep cost.

None of those boosts counted as his innate strength, leaving his body frail in their wake.

He lingered at the Eternal Spirit level, though hovering at its weaker end temporarily.

Fatigue now seized him tightly.

Hiding out in this manner after unleashing a rampage of slaughter felt surprisingly soothing.

"Haah..." Rex let out a weary sigh, lifting his head to lean it against the rough rim. "I could definitely use some shut-eye or a proper break right now, but I've got no clue about my location. It's smarter to stay alert. Not until I find a hidden spot to recover in, at least."

<Does the user want to purchase Soul and Spirit Solution for 2 million gold?>

"Yes, please."

From his inventory, Rex retrieved a vial brimming with dense green fluid.

The liquid felt scorching against his skin.

He tilted the vial above his head, letting a stream of burning essence trickle down his scalp, delivering a tantalizing sting that flowed over his body before blending into the pond. With a gradual breath out, he observed how a bright green hue spread across the water.

The pond's cool neutrality shifted into a bubbling, therapeutic warmth.

Rex dunked himself under once more.

This round, he submerged his head as well, letting the healing essence touch every part of him.

Though cut off from his companions, anxiety didn't grip him. He'd focused most of his focus on himself, so the rest ought to manage an escape just fine. Linthia was there too, assigned specifically to escort Devo to safety.

And with Amanir confirming April's well-being, the crisis was likely under control.

No reason for him to agonize over it.

Evelyn appeared to be holding her own too, meaning the pack should remain secure.

Only Kyran troubled him, unresponsive to the call, but that was okay.

Kyran could fend for himself.

"When was the last time I got to unwind like this?" Rex surfaced again, extending his arms along the rim. His gaze drifted to the waterfall, zeroing in on the cave's position. Next, his keen vision followed the incline near the lake from his prior battle.

Without a thorough cleanup, the bloodstains lingered heavily in that area.

Just the corpses had vanished.

He'd devoured nearly half and stashed the other half away in his inventory.

No indications of trouble—that was reassuring.

Rex's eyes fixed on the towering misty pillars ahead as the heavens lightened slightly, crafting a mildly stunning vista. "This place is so serene," He grinned, savoring the hush. "Gistella would adore this scenery. If she were here to share it and let me doze off without worry, that would be ideal—"

In that instant, the atmosphere stirred.

The shift was faint, yet his heightened awareness caught it without fail.

"System, scan the area."

<Scanning...>

<Notice: A barrier of starlight has been detected>

"Starlight?" Rex froze briefly, then dread plummeted through him. "Fuck... How did she track me down?"

Rex bolted from the pond in a flash, racing to the brink to descend.

He remembered to slip on plain black trousers, having been essentially bare before.

Though his pace fell short of usual, he arrived at the spot where the barrier was still materializing. A system scan revealed the gap he could exploit for getaway.

Striking at Sky City amounted to outright treason from Rex's standpoint.

To Rosa, Althea, and Princess Davina, his actions were utterly inexcusable.

Betrayal from a supposed ally had ignited his rage, and the overhead Blood Moon had only intensified it. In that haze, nothing else mattered, leading him to pillage without restraint—that's how it unfolded.

It served as his contingency strategy, activated too soon.

Rex lacked much know-how in integrating powerful figures into his pack.

Truth be told, he'd only attempted to bond stronger beings into the pack within this world. Loyalty from pack members stemmed from their submission, with him as the dominant Alpha. But with Davina? Loyalty might not hold firm.

Swish—!

Suddenly, Rex's eyes bulged as the barrier sealed quicker than he could move.

Clenching his jaw, he pushed hard to draw in voidal energy.

Like a specter, he surged toward the opening using Voidal Moonflow Acceleration.

A smirk crossed Rex's face as he plotted an evasion path from Davina.

Yet right as he neared phasing through, a fierce repulsion from the barrier hurled him backward.

Swoosh—!

The force flung Rex roughly, tumbling him over the terrain. Glancing up, he saw the gap had shut tight. Undeterred by the setback, he spun around and scrambled back toward the waterfall. The cave might offer another shot.

Its depths held a vast network of passages.

Fortune might lead him to a subterranean path bypassing the barrier.

Upon arriving at the cave, he halted sharply.

"Fuck..." A bitter smile twisted his lips. "That's sealed too. Alright, I can still reason with her."

"Leaving so soon?" A refined voice echoed toward him. "I figured you'd seized a brief respite."

Rex drew in a steadying breath to steady himself, mulling over his words. Then he vaulted downward, shattering through the waterfall, and touched down at the crystal lake's verge. Gradually, he straightened up and eyed the silhouette to his right.

Amid a dense fog drawn inward by some pulling force stood Princess Davina.

Her mismatched gaze bored into him with the ferocity of a raging predator.

The rest of her form hid within the obscuring vapors.

"How did you find me?" Rex inquired, aiming for a calm tone.

"In just a few days, it seems I've vanished from your thoughts entirely," She scoffed. Her tone sliced like polished steel, laced with derision and edge. "How unfortunate. Or perhaps you overlooked that I also command the moon's tether? Yet another parted the veil and extended a summons."

Rex tsked in frustration.

He'd exposed it for barely a minute, and that sufficed for Princess Davina to locate him precisely.

"Do you have anything to say to me?"

Rex's focus yanked back to her. He hesitated, searching for the right response.

"I get that you're mad at me, b—"

"Mad? Do I come across as mad?"

She sounded mad, no doubt.

But her wording suggested otherwise to Rex.

"Aren't you mad?"

"No, I'm not. I'm utterly furious."

Her words quivered at the close, resembling a faint snarl.

"You sound suspiciously like you're an—"

Crash—!

Rex hurtled across the lake, crashing into the cavern wall with brutal force, expelling the air from his chest. No chance to regroup came as an arm slammed against his throat, holding him fast. In his weakened condition, he stood no chance against Princess Davina.

Truthfully, even uninjured, overpowering her lay beyond his reach.

<No>

<Pack members cannot kill the user without showing signs. A pack member can only challenge the user in an official duel and gain liberty within the pack, much like transforming a stronger individual into a pack member>

<This is more like a mild quarrel>

Rex locked eyes with Princess Davina, spotting raw bloodthirst in her stare.

"Harggh..."

A pained grunt slipped from Rex as her elbow ground into his throat, her tails coiling around his wrists to bind them at his sides. "You left me in the shadows for days," She flashed her elongated fangs, growling at him as if eager to devour him whole. It held an odd charm, but that missed the mark. "And then you chose to plunder the royal domain and sky city out of nowhere?"

"Damn it, Davina," Rex snarled in return, his eyes flaring crimson. "I had no alternative!"

"No alternative?!"

Davina clamped her teeth into Rex's collarbone, inflicting a torturously sharp love bite.

Gravity amplified the bite, drawing her fangs further into his skin.

"The empire will endure! You could inform the Sky People that I acted alone and don't speak for the empire!"

Sensing Davina's bite intensify, Rex unleashed his aura with a fierce rumble.

The aura jolted awareness into Davina's form, instinctively acknowledging him as Alpha. It allowed him to seize her by the throat, reverse their positions, and slam her against the wall while hoisting her aloft.

"I intentionally spared the empire's people," Rex stated firmly. "So they could rebuild."

Yet the gaze meeting his stayed icy and merciless.

"I'm not addressing your rampage against the empire," Davina murmured with chilling menace, nipping at his arm in fury.

Bam—!

Her tails hammered into Rex's torso like a sledge, hurling him away.

Rex skidded over the surface until his feet caught the downward slant, nearly pitching him over like a loose boulder if not for his grip on the ledge with his hands. He lifted his head then, bewildered, "Then what has you so upset?"

"I'm upset that you see me as feeble," Princess Davina glided above the lake with elegant poise.

"Feeble? When have I implied that?"

"You hid from me on purpose because you planned to turn against the empire, right?"

Naturally, that was exactly why.

Given his intentions toward the empire—the realm that nurtured Princess Davina, the cradle of her lineage—he figured she couldn't back him sincerely, and he wouldn't fault her for it.

Thus, he shouldered the burden alone to spare her the dilemma of choosing sides.

"Wait a moment," Rex held up a hand, halting her. "Are you saying you'd have aided me if I'd asked?"

"Even now, you persist in belittling me," Princess Davina's eyes slitted into a lethal glare.

She loomed over Rex in that instant, yet inwardly felt diminished.

"I'm just puzzled, not belittling you," Rex clarified while rising to his feet once more. "This involves the empire's utter downfall. Your homeland. Potentially slaughtering countless innocents. Your kin would face consequences too."

Princess Davina held her response.

She looked aside, "Sister, reveal it to him."

Rex's brow furrowed as Liliana appeared from thin air, a ornate chest hovering at her side.

With a flick of her wrist, she propelled the chest to Rex, letting it settle before him.

"Open it," Princess Davina commanded.

Even sealed, the box emanated a metallic tang of blood. Rex met Princess Davina's impassive expression, probing for clues, then pried it open. His eyes flew wide in an instant.

Within rested a lone severed head, pallid and arranged tidily on the plush cushion.

A face he identified without delay.

"Duke Lorcan...?" Rex gaped at Princess Davina in utter astonishment.