The Invincible Full-Moon System Chapter 1824: Hideout

Swoosh—!

Linthia gazed forward.

A short distance ahead, Amanir raced through the air at full speed. He navigated the Black Rift while carrying Devo. The Kraken dwelled within him, boosting his aerial pace beyond the ordinary as the Black Rift smoothed his path and offered scant opposition even against the rushing winds.

Yet, his velocity fell far short of what was required.

She cast a quick look behind and spotted a radiant stream of lava surging directly toward them.

It belonged to one of the Gatekeepers, Dorn.

A protective barrier shielded him from the Black Rift's effects. Such elaborate artifacts were exclusive to those of great power.

"I need to distract him."

Linthia's body transformed into a swirling shadow. She channeled mysterious dark power along her arms as she rose into the air, and once prepared, she plunged downward like a plummeting boulder—crashing her palms into the soil.

A ferocious whirlwind erupted from her, swelling swiftly; its tremors extended several miles outward.

The vortex drew in the Black Rift's shadowy fumes, stirring up a turbulent storm of forces.

Dorn halted suddenly and lifted his gaze.

His luminous eyes examined the ascending maelstrom and narrowed in concern.

"Only voidal monarchs could influence the Black Rift like this," He muttered, astonished that Linthia possessed such ability. "I don’t know what she really is, but she’s not a Spirit. Not anymore. She’s something else entirely."

Dorn considered shattering the vortex for good.

Yet, he held back.

Though simple with his might, unleashing his life force would attract fiercer voidal beasts.

Should a voidal lord detect him, serious complications would arise.

Not from any inability to defeat a mere voidal lord, but due to its strong ties to the voidal prince. Word would quickly reach the voidal monarch that a Gatekeeper had entered the Black Rift.

An opportunity for them to seize valuable prey.

"I have to go through it!"

Boom—!

Dorn dashed forward with blinding velocity, morphing into a blazing lava trail as he barreled into the whirlwind.

Within its depths, he extended his awareness, locking onto Linthia's aura.

But a scowl crossed his face upon sensing three matching auras diverging in separate directions.

"Spirit Genesis: Lava Golem!"

In a flash, molten lava bubbled up from the earth and shaped into three molten forms that solidified into Dorn's duplicates. Each pursued a single aura, while the true Dorn vaulted upward, bursting free of the vortex and suspending himself above to observe which path was genuine.

Meanwhile, Linthia glanced back and tsked in frustration.

For all her efforts, she failed to divert Dorn for even a moment.

’That’s a Gatekeeper for you.’ She accelerated her movement and sank into the ground as if it were liquid.

Resembling a burrowing serpent, she burrowed through the soil, submerging and emerging repeatedly to propel herself quicker than ever. She overtook the airborne Amanir and Devo, then paused. "I’ve never done this before," She voiced her thoughts, toying with her peculiar energy that resembled inky viscous slime in her grasp. "I’m really not sure, but here goes nothing."

Splash—!

Linthia launched the black viscous slime upward into the sky.

When it soared high enough, she clenched her fist, halting its ascent.

The slime's end appeared to cling to an invisible surface amid the empty sky.

With a yank, she ripped apart the fabric of space, forming a gateway.

"Amanir!" She bellowed. "Get into the portal!"

"I don’t want to!" Amanir shot back, eyeing the rubbery darkness beyond the opening.

"Do it, or you’ll be captured!"

"Fine!"

Amanir beat his ears and plunged into the portal, Devo in tow.

The passage connected directly to the upper reaches of the Well of the Untold.

She held sway there, ensuring no dangers awaited.

Barely an instant after the portal sealed behind Amanir and Devo, Dorn plummeted from above. He sought to seize them both, but arrived a mere heartbeat too slow. His landing gouged a massive pit into the terrain, yet it left him unscathed.

Linthia had just forged her own escape portal when a surging lava barrier obstructed her, hurling her backward.

A sharp exhale burst from her, and as she rose, Dorn loomed nearby.

"Don’t run," He uttered, advancing at a measured pace. "I’m only here to talk."

"As if I’d believe you," Linthia scoffed. Her feet lifted off the earth, power sparking around her clenched hands and flowing locks. "Know that if you harm me, the next time he comes, there will be no more Sky People. Consider this your only warning. Let me go, and do no test him again."

"I’m not," Dorn elevated his hands in submission. "I really came to talk."

"Speak," Linthia demanded firmly.

Despite her haughty demeanor, Dorn appeared unperturbed.

The fate of his entire domain weighed upon him, rendering personal ego irrelevant.

"I need to know his location. He asked me to be a Spirit Adjudicator, and I’m going to do it," Dorn stated bluntly. "I can’t bring the materials and do the work without his presence. So, tell me his location."

"What about earlier?" Linthia cocked her head. "You tried to catch them."

"Okay, that’s my fault," Dorn conceded, acknowledging the suspicious optics. "I thought capturing them would guarantee me a meeting with him. That’s completely my fault."

Noting his willingness to cooperate, Linthia eased her power, though her vigilance remained sharp.

"I don’t know where he is, but I can bring a message to him," She responded honestly.

Since the Sky Judgment had bleached the heavens, she lost all trace of Rex. He was probably injured and secluded in some hidden spot to recover. Without his signal, she couldn't pinpoint his whereabouts.

At present, she planned to follow the Sky Judgment's trajectory and hunt for him.

Or perhaps join the Shade Crawlers, who had already pressed onward.

"Okay," Dorn agreed, choosing not to push. "Tell him that I wanted to meet about what he asked me to do. Also, I want to talk to him about chaos. It’s really important, and I’m sure he’d want to know about what I have to say."

Linthia committed his words to memory and inclined her head.

Gradually, she merged with the ground, beginning from her toes.

In truth, she anticipated Dorn shadowing her covertly, but he stayed motionless even as only her eyes remained visible. Upon entering the Well of the Untold, her essence vanished completely. Dorn stood solitary amid the barren expanse.

...

Princess Davina brushed her damp hair aside and lingered in anticipation.

She had fired a ray of starlight upward to alert Rex and Lilliana to her position.

Near the cascading falls, she discovered a cavern ideal for brief refuge.

Its positioning and contours warded off the obscuring vapors, diminishing the Black Rift's sway within.

"Hmm?" She glanced toward the waterfall's source. "What’s taking them so long? It’s been more than thirty minutes already." As she prepared to investigate, the patter of sodden steps echoed down the rocky face.

Rex dropped down in front of her and extended his limbs.

He appeared markedly improved from before.

"What took you so long?" Princess Davina inquired. "I already signaled to come half an hour ago. I even cleared out some voidal monsters around."

"I thought you only marked where you are so that we knew," Rex answered. "So, we took our time."

"And where’s Lilliana?" Princess Davina peered upward, detecting no descent.

Given the turmoil in her inner energy circulation, Princess Davina felt concern.

She could be vulnerable to threats.

"Ah, she said she was going to stay a bit longer," Rex gestured casually, then strode beyond Princess Davina, crouching to peer into a narrow cave opening with trickling water. "Have you checked inside?"

"Yes. It’ll fit us perfectly," Princess Davina glanced skyward once more. "Are you sure she’s going to be fine?"

"I already cleaned most of the voidal monsters up there—she’ll be fine," Rex tilted his head toward the cave entrance. "Come on, let’s head inside. I want to show you something. I can block the Black Rift, so we don’t need to worry about Voidal Metamorphosis."

Rex's assurance convinced Princess Davina to follow his lead.

No formidable voidal creatures lurked nearby, so safety seemed assured.

Shortly thereafter.

Two talismans emitted a radiant golden light at the doorway's flanks.

Upon activation, a shimmering golden curtain enveloped the pool, dividing the compact space and repelling all traces of the Black Rift's corruption. Princess Davina watched in awe, "It really worked... How can you make that charm?"

"I can teach you," Rex grinned. "It’s not that hard. Just a bit taxing, that’s all."

Naturally, he had acquired the design from the System—the Golden Veil Charm.

Though his form resisted the Black Rift, his fractured Soul Artifacts demanded time to mend via his vital essence. This charm's blueprint served that purpose partly. Rex shifted his attention to the area he'd utilize.

A modest underground room, bisected by a water expanse.

Rex obtained plush bedding from the System and arranged them on both banks.

"Only two beds?" Princess Davina eyed Rex, ignoring how the furnishings materialized from nowhere.

"Yes?" Rex arched an eyebrow. "You and your sister could sleep together, and I’m alone. Are you not used to sleeping together with your own sister?"

"No," Princess Davina denied, but halted Rex as he reached for a third. "It’s fine. I will sleep together with you. But don’t think of even trying anything funny, even though we now have a bed."

Rex hadn't anticipated such an arrangement from her.

Still, he raised no objections.

"You’ve had enough, right...?" Princess Davina ventured cautiously.

Rex grasped her implication immediately and flashed a reassuring smile, "It’s fine. I can manage it."

After establishing their makeshift sanctuary, Rex settled into a meditative pose on the floor, concentrating on restoring his Soul Artifacts, while Princess Davina wandered idly near the bedding. Dawn had broken, yet the prior night's chaos left her utterly exhausted.

Though less occupied than Rex, she had battled fiercely within the royal barrier.

The ordeal had drained her considerably.

Before long, Lilliana surfaced from the depths.

She scanned the surroundings, holding Rex's stare a beat longer, then meeting Princess Davina's.

"You haven’t gone to sleep, sister?" She questioned, pulling herself from the water.

"I was waiting for you in case you got into trouble," Princess Davina folded her hands over her midsection and shut her eyes, collapsing into deep slumber. "Now that you’re back, I’ll be getting some sleep. Wake me up if something happened."

"Such a cutey," Lilliana chuckled and approached her bed.

"Go sleep, too," Rex directed; his eyelids were sealed. "I’ll be waking you two up later since I need to know the situation out there."

"Commanding already?" Lilliana directed a playful grin at him, then obeyed.

Several hours passed.

Rex's eyes fluttered open.

"Still a long way to go until the cracks are mended," He tsked and lifted his head.

The sisters slumbered peacefully.

Rex refrained from rousing them.

Rather, he stepped aside to exit the cavern. Nivellen's essence tugged at his consciousness. She summoned him, demanding a secluded spot.