The activation of "Nelchael’s Eyes" transformed my gaze into a stellar expanse. It seemed as though the entire cosmos was mirrored in my eyes.
Suddenly, I found myself engulfed in an illusory ocean, its currents swirling around me, ensnaring me in its embrace. I struggled within its intangible depths, unable to fathom the true essence of this vast aquatic realm. My movements were stilled, and my breath was stifled as I slowly succumbed to the drowning sensation. Bubbles escaped my lips, proof of my struggle in this world of illusion.
This phenomenon unfolded every time "Nelchael’s Eyes" were invoked. Without Nebeus’s intervention, I would be lost in this illusory sea. Yet this time, it was up to me to comprehend this realm’s nature and wield it to my advantage.
Midst the watery mirage, I observed the clashes between Kabir and Zlamaos, confirming my connection to reality. Water flowed ceaselessly, unbounded by space or time. Devoid of plants or creatures, the sea exhibited fluctuations, generating bubbles with each clash between Kabir and Zlamaos, as if their actions reverberated through this illusory expanse.
These undulating fluctuations were new—a revelation! Did they solely manifest during the confrontation of two otherworldly entities? A fragment of understanding lingered, tantalisingly close to revelation.
My skin reddened, the drowning illusion taking its toll. My resistance faltered, and I neared the brink of demise.
Then, a spark of insight ignited within my mind. While the external world was frozen in time, the sea continued to flow, impervious to its halt.
What could flow, ignorant of the Zen time, while pulsating in response to great clashes? The answer crystallised before me. It was none other than "sol," the very essence of energy that coursed through the atmosphere!
Why hadn’t this revelation occurred to me sooner? The illusory sea that ensnared me was merely a manifestation of the flowing sol. Through this blessing, I glimpsed the intrinsic nature of the world around me—an understanding woven from the pieces of a previously elusive puzzle.
As I harnessed this newfound ability, my body reverted to its original state. The illusory sea responded with heightened vibrancy, mirroring my accomplishment by illuminating the intricate dance of the sol's currents.
Yet, my elation was abruptly truncated by the sight of blood surging from Kabir’s neck, accompanied by the guttural expulsion of crimson. I had allowed him to engage Zlamaos alone, imperilling him in the process.
Yet a remarkable twist awaited. The grievous wound encircling Kabir’s neck congealed, encased in an icy veneer that stopped the bleeding. He had deftly manipulated his bodily heat to mitigate the injury, unveiling an unprecedented prowess. Kabir drew ragged breaths and evaded another of Zlamaos’s assaults, though his movements grew languid. The sands of time were slipping through his grasp, and his endurance waned by the second.
A surge of surprise overtook me as I witnessed a telltale bubble materialise in the sea behind Kabir. A revelation dawned, prompting my urgent cry of "Behind you!"
Reacting swiftly, Kabir tumbled to the earth, just as Zlamaos manifested at the very spot where the bubble had formed. His countenance registered astonishment, as if he had momentarily wrested control of time itself to exploit this unexpected point of emergence. Yet this presumption had been shattered, unveiling the limits of his foresight.
A grin adorned my face as the full potential of my newfound power came into focus. I had gained the ability to peer into the tapestry of the universe and discern even the faintest undulations in the sand that permeated my surroundings!
This acute perception had enabled me to anticipate Zlamaos’s choice of entry point, foiling his attempted surprise attack.
Zlamaos bore a multitude of wounds across his body, and a surge of anger propelled his declaration: "Let’s bring this to an end."
In an instant, his form underwent a dramatic transformation. He expanded in stature, his garments rending as bulging muscles emerged, enveloping his frame. A spectral azure hue enveloped his skin, while his eyes blazed crimson. An otherworldly aura radiated from him, exuding a newfound ferocity.
Stolen novel; please report.
Kabir’s response seemed premeditated; his voice was measured as he stated, "I’ve been awaiting this moment." The ambiance underwent an abrupt shift as some of the ambient heat was drawn towards Kabir, converging into his being.
The silver armour that clad him regained its lustrous sheen, and his injuries were mended as if by magic. His presence shone like a radiant silver star. It was a phenomenon reminiscent of Baek’s lightning-infused empowerment—an unmistakable third-phase sol-weaving effect.
The atmosphere itself appeared to freeze momentarily, with atomic stability wavering as heat was syphoned away, before gradually resettling. Although Kabir seemed poised to counteract the looming danger, I couldn’t deny his inherent inferiority to Zlamaos.
My gaze lifted to the First Herald, a figure who defied the odds despite confronting a Voidshade alone moments ago. In that instance, a notion crystallised in my mind, birthing a plan that coalesced with the vestiges of my power.
"Kabir, unleash a torrent of arrows in every direction; exert the full might of your prowess!" I urged, primed to engage the first phase of space-weaving.
Kabir acknowledged my directive, intuiting the breakthrough I had made. His mighty bow unleashed a cascade of arrows, intentionally exposing himself to Zlamaos’s enhanced might, a precarious gambit considering the threat Zlamaos posed.
A smile of assurance tugged at my lips as the sea of sol responded with fluctuations and the birth of bubbles, the manifestation of my blessing, "Nelchael’s Eyes." It offered me insight into Zlamaos’s imminent arrival. Simultaneously, a ripple was formed through space, enfolding the three arrows Kabir had dispatched earlier.
In perfect synchrony, as Zlamaos materialised before Kabir, poised to unleash devastation, an anguished cry escaped his lips. Two of Kabir’s arrows grazed his hands, rending flesh, while a third embedded itself in his abdomen.
My orchestration had guided Kabir’s projectiles to intercept Zlamaos’s manifestation point, a confluence of my spatial manipulation and my blessing’s insight. Through my analysis of the sol's fluctuations, I identified the optimal juncture and utilised my powers to guide the arrows.
Though Zlamaos had narrowly evaded two of the arrows with remarkable speed, the third found its mark, cleaving through his abdomen and destabilising his thermal equilibrium. He wheezed heavily, his countenance betraying the toll exacted by this unforeseen assault.
*
Subsequent to this, a fierce conflict unfolded, with Kabir persistently unleashing volleys of arrows and me deftly warping them to Zlamaos’s vicinity, leaving him to narrowly evade these projectiles. Yet this relentless manoeuvre exacted a toll on Zlamaos, depleting his strength as Kabir’s arrows severed vital thermal connections within his body.
In the midst of Kabir’s poised action to release yet another arrow, the transformed keeper of space abruptly halted. His form was marred by an array of wounds from which blue blood flowed freely, signalling his imminent demise.
In the throes of agony, he bellowed, "I’ll drag you all down with me!" His body emanated an ominous radiance, casting an eerie hue over the surroundings.
As time began to move, the world that had been frozen in time began to return to normal. I could see the stunned expressions on the paladins and venturers’ faces as they gazed upon the half-dead Voidkeeper. For them, the entire fight had taken place in less than a second.
"He’s on the brink of self-destruction! He means to take the paladins and us down with him!" I urgently exclaimed
Kabir, a determined glint in his eyes, interjected, "Leave this to me, Wallace! Your task is fulfilled!" With an incantation on his lips, a triumphant smile graced his face. A resounding voice reverberated across the realm.
[1st Divine Art: Heaven’s Grace]
Instantaneously, transparent shields materialised around every human present, cocooning them from the impending otherworldly explosion. As an ethereal white light enshrouded the world, the impending catastrophe was averted.
***
As the smoke gradually dissipated, my eyes flickered open, revealing the aftermath of the intense clash. The foremost sight that greeted me was Kabir Khurana, miraculously unscathed but draped in wounds, sprawled on the ground, and labouring for breath.
Similarly, I emerged from the battle relatively unscathed, albeit bearing a few wounds. Every ounce of my energy had been utterly depleted, leaving me yearning for a substantial period of rest.
Debris from the obliterated Void creatures was strewn across the vicinity, a testament to the colossal detonation triggered by Zlamaos’s self-destructive act. The once-majestic peaks of the surrounding mountains lay shattered, their massive boulders cascading downward, a stark testament to the sheer magnitude of the blast.
A profound sense of astonishment painted the faces of the paladins who stood around us. Thankfully, through Kabir’s adept manipulation of his powers, protective shields materialised just in time, safeguarding us all from the brunt of the explosion. In this fortuitous turn of events, luck clearly favoured us.
My gaze descended to an object resting near my feet—the pale, decapitated head of Zlamaos, the enigmatic keeper of time. Through our concerted efforts, we had at last succeeded in vanquishing a voidkeeper, marking an unprecedented milestone in the annals of human history.