"I feel like my insides are boiling," Orion gritted out, stunning Aerialia with his words.
Aerialia scrutinized Orion's figure, then glanced at the other Vylkr warriors in the vicinity, noting their grim expressions as they desperately clung to consciousness.
At that moment, thousands of lightning bolts and thunderclaps streaked through the firmament, gradually converging into a single vortex directly above the Village Chief's Compound. It resembled a swirling tempest, like the sky descending upon the earth.
It was a scene of awe-inspiring terror, more outrageous than anything they had witnessed in the past!
The storms of lightning and thunder, shouldered by the firmament, descended and aimed to strike towards the Sundial. Unsurprisingly, they dispersed as soon as they collided with the Primordial barrier. Unable to give up on its advance, they gathered at the centre of the descending sky and unleashed their attack on the Primordial energy.
However, just as before, they disappeared into thin air when collided.
The Primordial barrier displayed its extreme defensive prowess against the falling firmament, prompting all who witnessed this scene to sigh in relief. Their hopes of surviving this ordeal were rekindled in their hearts.
Orion felt some of the tension in his body loosen briefly. However, it soon returned as the massive Sundial, standing tall like a pillar, cracked open.
The massive, ethereal tree began to shrink from its branches down to its roots until they coalesced into a vast shining light of many colours that continuously flickered, forcing Orion to squint behind his armour.
All that remained was the whirlwind, the sound of wind tearing through the air, hovering over the shimmering multicoloured light that slowly began to take shape.
Orion steadily released his Vylkr energy from his four containers, commanding his lightning to spread across the Village Chief's compound.
CRACCKLLEE!! CRAACCKLLEE!!
He formed a thick net of lightning around it, bolts rushing forth from his body in all directions.
At that instant, the shimmering multicoloured light began to diminish, and the whirlwind that had appeared gradually dissipated as swiftly as it had arrived, taking the heavy winds with it.
Orion's unwavering gaze was fixed on the small figure emerging from the bright light. It was a beautiful young woman with dark skin and long, golden hair streaked with black and white, flowing upwards in waves.
She was dressed in a deep golden gown adorned with numerous gems and crystals, and her neck, arms, waist, and ankles glittered with various golden and gemstone jewellery. On her feet were golden shoes adorned with rubies and other precious stones.
A wave of oppressive divine energy suddenly surged again, briefly pushing Orion thirty inches from his previous position.
Looking at the familiar figure of the woman, Orion's eyes widened in shock and surprise.
Even though he had expected Ilse to be responsible for all of this, Orion was still amazed that his assumptions were correct.
After all, he had witnessed her death within Aegis of the Arctic Deity's memories and Naka's desperate attempts to save her from the Vylkr energy and resurrect her. His reaction to the unfolding shocking scene was natural.
Aerialia narrowed her eyes at the familiar goddess before her. Despite appearing younger than she had last seen her, she knew without a doubt that the woman before her was Ilse, the goddess of treasures.
Stronghold Leader Zogar, Stronghold Leader Seth, and all the warriors within the area had been rendered unconscious by the second wave of oppressive divine energy, unable to witness the unfolding scene before them.
As the goddess's feet touched the ground, it cracked, spreading slightly for a few meters. The roaring firmament continuously bombarded the primordial barrier with its rolling thunderclouds, threatening to burst it open; however, just like before, all their attempts were for nought.
Her eyes fluttered open, revealing crystalline iridescent pupils slightly similar to the Prismerions, shining with an otherworldly hue, like a treasure not of this world.
Suddenly, the collapsing firmament cleared alongside the sea of rolling thunderclouds.
The light and darkness of the world around them shifted as a dazzling, shimmering ray of sunlight illuminated the sky. However, upon closer inspection, it wasn't sunlight emanating from the sky; instead, a massive circle of flames, appearing to be half the size of the floating island, descending as though the very essence of the sun itself was falling from the sky.
The air seared fiercely, sending ripples across the sky. While those within the Primordial barrier were shielded from its chilling heat, those outside felt its dreadful effects.
Ridiculous! Absolutely outrageous!
What manner of change in attack was this?
Orion cursed as he watched the unfolding spectacle, his senses tracking every movement of the resurrected goddess before him, his eyes fixed on the blazing miniature sun that set the sky ablaze.
It was evident to anyone with eyes that the firmament was intent on breaking through the Primordial barrier.
However, Orion wasn't disheartened. Aegis of the Arctic Deity's words reassured him of the Primordial barrier's defensive prowess, and he understood that it couldn't be easily broken, even if the sky wanted it to be so.
The young woman noticed the unnaturally frightening occurrence in the sky and looked upwards. She knitted her brow and focused on Orion, her hand moving as though drawing something out of the air.
In the blink of an eye, Orion vanished from his position, reappearing before her in seconds. He left behind a forty-meter crater where he had stood previously, collapsing the Village Chief's compound fifteen meters deep into the ground in his wake. Dust billowed into the air, shrouding the surroundings in a dusty mist.
Orion brandished the Crimson Greatsword with a swift swing, aiming directly at her neck.
Stunned by Orion's arrival, the young woman watched, her iridescent pupils reflecting Orion's lightning-coated figure and Crimson Greatsword as it approached her.
The lightning touched her skin and immediately dispersed into thin air while the Crimson Greatsword continued advancing, slicing through part of the young woman's face.