« Some fans got in my way… » Nyktos muttered calmly, but his eyes remained locked onto the grand elder, motionless within the frozen space.
In this sealed domain, Nyktos was the absolute ruler. He decided who moved and who remained trapped. And in this moment, Louskas was the only one allowed to move.
Normally, he could freeze time for a hundred-meter radius, but now he had barely managed to cover thirty meters. Worse yet, some of the massive roots had already begun shifting outside the frozen area, as if they were struggling to break through.
Two seconds passed.
For an outsider, it was nothing.
But for Nyktos, it should have felt like two whole days trapped in stagnation. Fortunately, the limited scope of the ability greatly reduced its toll on him.
Still, the pressure on his body was immense.
Then, suddenly—the grand elder's body trembled slightly… then more violently. His spiritual energy surged outward like a raging tide, attempting to shatter the time lock imposed upon him.
Nyktos knew he couldn't hold him forever.
The difference in strength was simply too great.
The elder's soul was far stronger, while Nyktos was still only at the beginning of the first stage.
The only reason he had managed to freeze him in the first place… was because he caught him off guard.
But now, there was no more time.
Nyktos deactivated his shard ability immediately, before the elder could break it forcefully. Even so, he felt a sharp, searing pain within his chest, as if something had crushed his ribs from the inside.
He ignored it and turned to look at Louskas.
His companion was almost completely wrecked—blood was pouring from every inch of his body, staining the ground beneath him.
« Give me your sword, » Nyktos said, his grip tightening into a fist. « I'll stall him as long as I can. Use this time to restore your Soul Sea. »
Louskas met his gaze, then activated his shard. Instantly, a purple sword materialized in his hand, and without hesitation, he tossed it toward Nyktos.
Nyktos caught it smoothly.
At the same time, Louskas retrieved several Soul Stones from his ring and crushed them in his fingers, absorbing the energy within. Simultaneously, he circulated his energy internally, directing it toward his injuries—not to heal them, but at least to dull the pain.
Nyktos stepped forward, sword gleaming under the pale moonlight.
« Grand Elder… » he spoke coldly. « You were always the one who cared for me in the clan. You trained me. I even considered you my grandfather. »
His voice darkened.
« Of course, I always knew you wanted to use me. But I didn't care. I thought of it as a debt I had to repay. »
Then, his expression turned glacial.
« But now… you're trying to kill the only person who doesn't want anything from me. The only one who isn't afraid of me… simply because I told you about him? »
He lifted his sword, its blade humming with deadly intent.
« I'll give you one chance… » he said softly. « Leave. Now. Before you die. »
The elder's answer came in the form of a raging storm of colossal roots, surging toward Nyktos at terrifying speed.
Nyktos sighed slightly.
Then, his gaze hardened.
He lunged forward.
He wasn't like Louskas.
Louskas was skilled—perhaps even brilliant. But he was still only at the beginning of the first stage, his core still black. He hadn't yet fully grasped his strength.
But Nyktos?
He had stepped beyond that.
His core was completely red.
And his fighting style… was brutal.
He dove straight into the whirling chaos of roots, dodging, weaving, and slashing relentlessly.
The roots tried to ensnare him, but every time they got close, he would freeze time in that precise spot for a fraction of a second—just long enough to slice through them effortlessly.
It was as if time itself was bowing to his will.
Yet, even with that, the gap between him and the grand elder was massive.
The roots did not stop coming.
Even after cutting through dozens, the ground erupted with more, endless and relentless.
And worst of all…
The elder wasn't even trying yet.
Nyktos understood immediately.
If he kept focusing on the roots… he would collapse before even reaching the elder.
« I have to attack directly… »
His entire approach changed.
Instead of cutting the roots, he rushed straight toward the elder.
Roots burst forth to block his path, but he warped through time, phasing past them, dodging through the gaps, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.
And after an intense sprint through the forest of twisting, living wood—
He reached the elder.
With all his strength, he swung the purple sword at the elder's thigh.
The wooden armor cracked.
Blood seeped out.
The elder let out a furious roar, raising his hand and striking Nyktos with devastating force, shattering several of his ribs instantly.
Pain shot through his body.
But Nyktos didn't care.
He took the hit, enduring the agony, and in the same moment, activated his shard—but only on himself.
Time reversed.
His ribs realigned.
The minor wounds vanished.
But his body was now under immense strain.
It was reaching its limit.
Yet, despite that…
He smiled.
« Finally… some real fun. »
********
On the other side of the battlefield, Louskas had already restored part of his core.
And he was watching.
Watching Nyktos fight as if his own life was meaningless.
And then—he noticed movement.
A group of demonic cultists had begun approaching.
Three of them—all first-stage cultivators.
They were heading toward Nyktos.
Louskas gritted his teeth.
His wounds still burned, but he ignored the pain.
He rose to his feet, his hand reaching toward his ring.
With a swift motion, he pulled out a sword.
He looked at the approaching enemies.
Then, despite his exhaustion, he smirked slightly.
« Alright… » he muttered, shifting into a battle stance.
« Let me have some fun too. »