Chapter 395 - 176: I Said This Was Just an Accident...
Above the church, a massive, seven-colored sphere of light materialized. Bolts of lightning ripped through the dark clouds to connect with it, injecting it with new power.
The seven-colored sphere of light then began its descent. It dissolved the dilapidated church below without pause, starting from the spire and working its way down, before slowly sinking into the deep, dark pit.
The dazzling light vanished—
Suddenly, Dakman Island fell silent!
The raging sea, the sweeping gales, the flashing lightning and rumbling thunder, the fleeing ships, the terrified and despairing sailors and pirates... It was as if everything had been frozen in place, utterly devoid of sound.
But for the three emaciated, cloth-wrapped figures, a light sparked in their hollow eyes—a look of ecstasy and excitement, as if they could feel the presence of the Lord of Truth they so often mentioned.
"Hhhohhho... Only through slaughter can one descend into eternal Truth!"
[You are within the influence of an Alchemy Array. You are being affected by an unknown Origin Power. The gears of time have slowed by a fraction! Evaluation: A big one has arrived... Special Rewards: Survival Points +100, Origin +5, Spirit Level +5, Toughness Level +5.]
Only when the blood-red message appeared in his mind did Wei’en realize something was wrong.
’The gears of time have slowed?’
’Doesn’t that mean time has stopped?!’
’What... what is—’
THUMP!
THUMP!
A slow, powerful thumping, like a heartbeat, echoed around Dakman Island, shattering the momentary silence.
In an instant, all sound came rushing back.
Ordinary people, completely unaware, had their heads shattered by the concussive sound, their brains splattering everywhere like paste.
The weaker Extraordinaries didn’t escape unscathed, either. Their eardrums were instantly ruptured, and two streams of blood trickled from their ears down their necks. At least they were no longer affected by the sound.
"Ngh!" Clelia quickly clapped her hands over her ears, her expression turning grave.
[You were attacked by an unknown creature. Due to your Toughness Level exceeding 3000, you have nullified the attack. Evaluation: Not just anyone can withstand the consequences of time grinding to a halt! Special Rewards: Survival Points +30, Toughness Level +3.]
’This shockwave’s power is a consequence of time stopping?’
Wei’en’s expression flickered. Even someone as strong as Clelia had been injured without even seeing the source of the sound. It was a testament to the terrifying power of whatever the Alchemy Array had summoned or created.
"If you can’t handle it, go back to the Theater!"
"I... I know!" Clelia bit her lip and hugged his arm, pressing her entire body against him. "You don’t have to worry about me. As long as it’s not a monster on the level of a Deep Sea Giant Monster, I’ll be—"
ROAR—
Just then, a roar that sounded like it belonged to no creature of this world erupted from the center of Dakman Island, blasting everything outward like a hurricane.
The blast fortuitously sent some of the ships originally in the harbor flying out of the shallow waters, propelling them away at incredible speed.
"Damn it, get us out of here!"
"Hurry! Adjust the sails while we still have a chance!"
"Shit, I almost died... I just..."
Aboard the *Ronan*, however, Wei’en didn’t share their optimism. On the contrary, a deeply ominous premonition was growing within him.
It felt as if some presence was locking down the entire area, forcibly compressing his spiritual senses.
’No, not compressing... they were being forced back as if by a solid wall!’
ROAR—
The roar sounded again.
But this time, instead of blasting outward, it began to pull everything beneath the dark clouds toward Dakman Island.
CRACK!
Caught off guard, both Wei’en and Clelia were thrown by the immense suction force.
"Nico! Ruke!"
Wei’en reacted in a flash. He grabbed Clelia, teleported back onto the *Ronan*, and pulled her into the wheelhouse.
"Ronan, get control of the ship! We’re about to capsize!"
Inside the wheelhouse, Ronan had been knocked senseless by the force. Hearing Wei’en’s voice, he struggled to his feet and grabbed the controls, fighting to keep the steamship from losing its balance and capsizing.
"Damn it, what in the hell is that thing!"
Wei’en’s face was grim. He wanted to find that out, too—it was the only reason he hadn’t already retreated to the Theater.
But now...
"Should we go?" Clelia suggested, watching the world slide backward around them as a massive wave rolled in from ahead.
"Yeah. We’ll take them with us."
Wei’en didn’t hesitate any longer. He decided to return to the Theater, but he had no intention of abandoning the crew of the *Ronan*.
’Otherwise, I’ll just have to find a new crew familiar with life at sea later!’
"Okay. I’ll take them all down to the hold! We’ll meet there!" Seeing his decision, Clelia didn’t argue. She simply vanished into a nearby shadow.
"Leave? Captain, what about the ship...?" Ronan’s expression was grim. He guessed the captain had a way out, but he couldn’t bear to abandon the vessel he had sailed for over a decade.
"You can choose to go down with it!"
"...In that case, I’ll choose to leave with you," Ronan relented.
"Cut the crap. Once they’re ready, I’ll get you all out of here."
Wei’en shot him a look before turning his attention back outside.
By now, Dakman Island had been shattered by the earlier tremors and was slowly sinking into the sea. Even the four pyramids were collapsing into the depths.
’And those three bandaged freaks... Huh?’
When Wei’en’s senses found them, he saw they were falling along with the pyramids. ’Aren’t they going to escape?’
"Praise the great Lord of Truth! We’ve succeeded!"
"Hhhohhho... Truth descends upon this false world... hhhohhhohhho..."
"Slaughter! Despair! Only by descending into eternal Truth can this world be saved!!"