After Liam made his move, there was deathly silence all around. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle rustling of the wind as it weaved its way through the wreckage.
The battlefield was now a site of utter destruction, with lifeless bodies and shattered debris scattered all around.
The chaos and frenzy that had once filled the air was now replaced with an eerie calmness. It was as if the entire world had come to a standstill, waiting with bated breath for what would happen next.
The isons that had swarmed the area were all mercilessly slain, their remains serving as a haunting reminder of the brutal battle that had just taken place.
The warlocks who had caused so much death and suffering were also slain, their terror finally coming to an end.
In the midst of all of this, Liam stood resolute and unyielding, undeterred by the carnage around him. His icy stare was now fixed on the few remaining elite troops, who trembled in fear, uncertain of their fate.
However, to their surprise, Liam merely cast them a glance before he ordered his minions to gather all the mana cores they could find.
Without any hesitation, he then took in a certain direction, leaving behind the remnants of the battlefield and the trembling soldiers.
The so-called Grand War may have come to a close, but Liam's work was far from finished.
There was still a target who was running around in this area, someone near and dear to him, someone who deserved an audience with him just as much as Kouske did if not more.
It was time to settle all the old scores. Liam's eyes shone with coldness as he picked up his pace and cut through the wilderness.
Naturally, he was not making this move blind. He had already sent a minion to follow the mysterious, elusive person.
Unlike Kouske, Liam had watched everything from a distance right from the beginning and had seen exactly when the Oracle made his move and disappeared from the battleground.
He could have confronted him right then and there, but that would have been tricky considering the capability of the enemy, especially with the Hive Queen involved.
It was best to first deal with the Hive Queen and Kouske without the Oracle present in the scene. At least this way, there wouldn't be any surprises.
After all, with a Level 305 creature, even a small surprise could be devastating.
However, that did not mean he planned to allow the Oracle to escape completely. As someone who could 'foresee' things, perhaps the man was also aware of it, but Liam did not care.
He was determined to catch the rat this time, even if it took all of his raw power to dominate the man's special skill. He sped through the unruly jungle without wasting a single second.
Liam tracked down his minion with ease, and the chase was definitely going to be short-lived. The guy was heading towards the magic shop, and he was already closing in.
A cruel smile played across his lips as he was getting closer and closer to the location. As he drew near, a twisted expression of madness contorted his face.
"Here I am, coming for you~" Liam taunted with a crazed laugh that echoed through the dense forest.
But surprising him, the Oracle suddenly stopped. Liam could sense it because his minion as well stopped.
And a couple of seconds later, Liam found himself face to face with the man!
Was he not running anymore?
Liam scrunched his nose and stared at the man with a strange expression, his head tilted to the side. Was he going to try to use his words again to get out of this? Or perhaps the golden cage?
"You know your golden cage won't work." He taunted him further. There was an unmistakable madness in his eyes that he took no effort to hide.
However, the person on the other side stood still.
The Oracle seemed solemn, but he was calm and composed nevertheless. There was no desperation on his face. He did not fear death or losing to Liam as Kouske had done.
But that didn't mean that Liam was going to let him be. In fact, unlike the way he had dealt with Kouske, he intended to finish this fight swiftly and immediately.
While Kouske was merely a puppet who had lost his way, this man here was not to be underestimated. Liam was very clear on it.
The very next instant, his figure blurred as he sent a sword slash at the person in front of him. He did not stop there and also sent another invisible attack, the same one he had used against the Hive Queen.
However, before either of the two could touch the guy, a string of bells started chiming loudly.
Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!
The bells sounded heavenly and torturous at the same time. A golden aura started seeping in out of nowhere like a mist amidst the wilderness. It was a magical sight.
Liam could see mesmerizing angels with kind faces descending from the heavens. Along with them, there were all sorts of beautiful creatures, like swans and small innocent birds.
In a second, the wild, ugly wilderness transformed into something surreal. It was almost as if… as if he was in heaven? That's right. If there were a heaven, it would probably look like that.
But as soon as this thought entered his mind, Liam snapped out of it. He already knew too well that there was no heaven in this world. There was only hell.
And the only way to survive was to become king of this hell!
"Your illusion will not work on me!" He shouted with a growl, sending out a burst of raw, fiery mana in all directions.
The next second, the once beautiful angels, with their pure white wings and shining halos, now became twisted bird-like creatures with black feathers and menacing talons. Their eyes gleamed with malice, and their voices took on a harsh, grating tone.
Along with them, the small and innocent creatures also transformed into grotesque, maimed, black-colored birds that somewhat resembled a crow.
No longer did they hop and chirp merrily, but instead, they flapped their ragged wings and croaked out a hoarse, mournful caw.