The surroundings were eerily silent, with the only resonating sounds being the thunderclouds rolling across the firmament.
"Everyone, let's head inside. It's not safe to stay out at a time ," Patriarch Rylan said, his voice calm yet his stern expression glistening with sweat. His steps quickened as he approached the mansion, disappearing inside.
One by one, they all took a deep breath and nodded silently, their faces soaked with sweat and marked with horror as they shuffled weakly back into the mansion. The sensation of fear still lingered in their bodies, overwhelming and inescapable.
Isadora couldn't help but shiver uncontrollably as she cast one last look skyward in the direction where the thunderstorms were rolling and from where the oppressive, dreadful aura had emanated.
She swiftly walked into the mansion, the door closing behind them.
"You know what? I don't even want to know what's happening," Seig said, wiping off the sweat beads covering his entire body.
What kind of overbearing aura was that? So domineering!
"Haa…. Haaa…." Evadne breathed out heavily as she lay on her back. The oppressive, dreadful aura had taken her by surprise, suddenly causing her to break down before it abruptly vanished.
"Are you okay?" Seig asked, his voice filled with concern as he turned his attention to Evadne.
Evadne nodded. "Haaa… I was just caught off guard… that's all."
"Let's get inside before it gets worse," Seig responded, approaching Evadne and supporting her with her arms on his shoulders, guiding her towards the building. Their legs moved weakly, their entire beings still shivering from the sensation they had both experienced earlier.
On every corner of the floating island, a dense wave of divine energy swept outward, carrying an overbearing, dreadful aura that caused countless individuals to faint. A few slipped into comas and were rushed to the Healers' Association buildings, while others remained frozen in fear, unable to move or speak.
The fierce howling winds soon engulfed the floating island, accompanied by a sea of rolling thunderclouds that unleashed thousands of fierce lightning bolts and thunderclaps across the heavens, seemingly resisting the emergence of something unseen.
Nevertheless, the Primordial barrier held against the dreadful aura, leaving only the terrifying booms of the darkened thunderclouds echoing through the skies.
The inhabitants of the Wanderlust Travelling Tortoise Runaway City and The Sleeping Fox Runaway City feared another Vylkr Veil Phenomenon was imminent, as they were trapped by their close proximity and the overwhelming spectacle above.
Although the riled atmosphere quickly quelled, the firmament remained unchanged, accompanied by an increasing intensity of oppression.
Village Chief's Compound
Sensing the dreadful aura that had just passed through them, causing some warriors to collapse on the ground due to their proximity to the sundial, Orion immediately summoned the Crimson Greatsword.
The gleaming crimson-red Greatsword emerged, its blade striking the ground and causing the earth to collapse in a hundred-inch radius. Orion firmly gripped the handle, and Aerialia appeared alongside the Crimson Greatsword.
Aerialia's expression darkened into a deep frown. "Be careful, Orion. You are about to face a god," she warned, surveying the scene from the unconscious warriors and those still kneeling to the trembling Stronghold Leaders, and warriors were struggling to remain upright.
Orion stood amidst them, drenched in sweat, his expression fierce and solemn.
"A god," Orion echoed quietly, hoping Stronghold Leader Zogar and the others wouldn't hear him.
The turbulent concentration of Divine energy swirled around the massive ethereal tree, and a hurricane-like wind tore at the surroundings.
"Indeed. I sensed the aura within the Crimson Greatsword's mark, so I'm certain it belongs to a god. As for who it might be, I believe we can make a straightforward guess," Aerialia responded. "Also, it seems the Morphic Puppet you wore as armour protected you from experiencing the full force of that aura, unlike the others." She nodded in appreciation at the Vylkr artefact.
"Tchh!" Orion clicked his tongue in annoyance, keenly aware of the damage the brief, dreadful aura had caused. He felt his Vylkr energy draining rapidly from blocking the aura.
"If it's a god, do you really think it's her?" Orion asked, his gaze fixed on Aerialia, wavering with concern.
Aerialia closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "Yes, I've come to the same conclusion. We have witnessed Naka's attempts to revive her consistently failing, so this means that when Aegis of the Arctic Deity regained his memories, he discovered something we hadn't known. It seems he took action against it before his demise. However, he likely didn't fully know that his attempt would be successful, or he would have informed you."
"If so, then that's perfect. I've been eager to test the true power of your divine artefact. Perhaps this is my chance," Orion said, feeling the Morphic Puppet gradually envelop his body like armour as he extended it to cover every inch of it, including his neck to head.
Activating his gift, a brilliant bluish lightning engulfed the Crimson Greatsword and his entire inky black-scaled armour, crackling through the air like a fierce thunderstorm. His muscles tightened, causing the ground beneath him to fracture into intricate spiderwebs as he readied to attack.
Upon hearing Orion's words, Aerialia furrowed her brows, a frown etching onto her face. "Don't tell me you're thinking of slaying a god?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"What do you think? I've slain a manmade god once; I believe I can do it again," Orion responded, a wry smile on his lips. Standing as the sole survivor, he was determined not to disappoint the others and let them fall further into despair.
Aerialia swiftly shook her head in disagreement. "That doesn't count. You've seen through Aegis of the Arctic Deity memories, so you understand the capabilities of one. You won't stand a chance against one alone. Let's wait and see how things unfold before rushing into an attack. Aegis of the Arctic Deity must have acted for a reason, so it's best to observe and understand before taking action."