Chapter 495 In The Void

495 In The Void

As Vesuvius stood guard, the darkness around the black dragon silhouette didn't just sway—it pulsated, writhing like serpents. He poured more mana into the barrier and domain around him, reinforcing it against the encroaching void.

His voice, laced with pride, sliced through the oppressive silence. "Are you a void walker?"

Even with his caution, his voice brimmed with absolute pride and confidence, not betraying his inner turmoil as he refused to show any sign of weakness that was unfitting of a dragon.

The black silhouette slightly shifted its neck, and Vesuviuse's eyes were trying to discern the truth behind the doppelganger. A hypothesis immediately formed in his mind.

'How should the form of nothingness look? They probably don't even have their form, as they are nothing and are only imitating the existing form around, that's me.' At last, the silhouette responded. "Am I? I am. Wish to join us?" The voice that emanated from the darkness was soft, almost inviting, and devoid of malice. It was a question posed with a peculiar, unsettling patience and disinterest.

'Living in the void where there is nothing to do, without any gold in sight? Thanks but no.' Vesuvius snicked in his mind, and replied with a diplomatic calm, "No, thank you." Even as the dialogue unfolded, Vesuvius's senses remained razor-sharp and his mind vigilant. He probed the surrounding darkness, searching for any sign of magic, any ripple of power that might reveal the true power of the void walker. Frustratingly, the void offered nothing, a perfect vacuum that absorbed and never returned any of his probings.

"Pitty. Are you just passing by like that angel, or are you staying?"

The question hung in the air, laden with implications. Vesuvius's mind raced as he analyzed them, 'An angel? What dealings could they have with such creatures? ' The notion tightened the coils of tension within him, but then he dismissed it, 'No, it speaks of a single, specific angel that passed through. They aren't allies with them.'

"Neither; I am merely a messenger." His reply was steady, but inside, Vesuvius was a tempest of doubt and caution. The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

'They annihilated and erased each other...'

Silence fell, oppressive and thick. The dark silhouettes froze, their gaze upon Vesuvius void of emotion, lacking any signs of anger.

'Ohh no...' The longer he stood there, the more sure he was that what would happen wouldn't end well. The thought of unleashing some eldritch, shapeshifting, monsters upon the world made him regret taking on the god's request.

'I should have taken the longer path! That spell wasn't worth this trouble.' He could already feel the potential future beaches they would give him.

As the dragon's entire body radiated with an overwhelming surge of mana and divine energy, his star-like body searched for any intrusion into his domain. However, the silhouettes retreated, their tentacles not entering his domain.

"Isn't that for us? Give it to us. There isn't any reason to fight. We apologize for eroding your energy. We were too...hasty...impatient." The voices from the darkness, once more calm, resounded from every single direction in a chorus of whispers.

'Well, they are right... We were both hasty. I was supposed to give it to them anyway. Whatever, what is another group of monsters thrown into the mix? Lorenia is already fucked up.' Even though he felt a bit hesitant, Vesuvius felt that with his upcoming boost in power, everything would work out.

With a heavy heart, he nudged the gem towards the void with his massive claw, like a giant poking a tiny ant, propelling it out of his domain. The black gem vanished in the black emptiness.

Simultaneously, draft washed over the dragon, and a black crack in the void opened above him—the path back to where he came from.