Chapter 302: A Living Arena and a Vengeful Snake Princess

Author’s Note: Thank you, Ehicii, for the Luxury Car gift! I really appreciate your support. ❤️

---

The moment those words were spoken, a brief silence settled over both groups as the fighters on either side looked toward each other, each waiting to see who would make the first move.

From Luke’s side, the representatives of Empyrean Academy didn’t move, apparently choosing to wait and see what the Infernal Choir would do first. Seeing this, Estelle finally decided to send one of her kingdom warriors into the arena.

"Bring victory to us."

She looked toward the warrior standing before her.

The man nodded firmly and struck his chest plate with his fist.

"Don’t worry, Princess."

His voice carried a firm resolve, and without wasting any more time, he jumped down from the spectator seat.

However, something unexpected happened the moment he did.

Instead of falling toward the arena, the space in front of him maginified, and in the next instant, he appeared at the exact center of the arena, standing an equal distance away from both sides.

No one among the spectators showed much surprise at the sight.

After what had happened earlier, they had already accepted that Peiro, the blue spirit of the Heaven’s Crucible, could freely manipulate space within this place.

Luke, however, noticed something that the others didn’t.

’Void movement?’

His eyebrow rose slightly in surprise as he carefully sensed what had just happened.

Earlier, when Peiro had transported everyone from one place to another, the process had happened too quickly for Luke to identify the exact method being used. This time, however, he had been paying attention from the beginning, and his newly awakened Void affinity allowed him to perceive those hidden spatial movement.

At that moment, the small figure of Sevaroth also materialized on Luke’s shoulder after previously retreating inside his body.

"You are right. It’s Void movement."

Sevaroth gave a small nod, confirming Luke’s guess.

Although Sevaroth wasn’t a Void Master like his brother Nyx, that didn’t mean his understanding of the Void was shallow. At his level, he had witnessed many delicate and concealed Void techniques, and he had also spent a long time observing Nyx and his methods.

Because of that, Sevaroth had a far deeper understanding of the hidden aspects of Void techniques than Luke currently possessed. Even if he wasn’t a master himself, there were likely many gods within Valtharion whose understanding of the Void couldn’t compare to his.

Hearing that, Luke paid even closer attention.

He rarely got the opportunity to receive direct explanations from his Titans, especially while his other three Titans were still sleeping, so he naturally didn’t want to miss anything Sevaroth had to say.

"This whole place is situated in the Void rather than on Valtharion."

However, Sevaroth’s next words, still caught Luke off guard.

’What?’

Sevaroth continued without immediately answering his surprise.

He also added, that earlier gate and that chamber location, Luke had told him, was the only place on Valtharion, but when they enter that Blue portal, they had came outside the Valtharion.

Upon this, Luke’s expression became thoughtful.

’Are we completely outside Valtharion, or only partially outside it?’

He asked the question immediately.

"Hmm."

Sevaroth slowly rubbed his chin helmet, apparently trying to find the simplest way to explain the situation.

"Well, you may already know that the Void doesn’t behave like normal space. It isn’t simply a larger empty area surrounding ordinary worlds. Within the Void, there can be multiple dimensions, and even entire realities connected through it."

Luke nodded.

That much made sense based on what he already knew.

Sevaroth continued.

"So, right now, we’re in a different dimension, another layer of space connected to the Void. As far as I can tell, that blue portal on Valtharion is the only entrance that allows access to this particular place."

Luke’s expression grew more serious.

"So, if there are other powerful beings present in this dimension, such as a Warden..."

He paused as he considered the possibility before shaking his head.

"Nah. If a Warden were here, it would already locate this place."

Sevaroth glanced around before adding,

"Unless this entire place is being hidden by another Warden... or perhaps a Void Warden."

He then gave Luke a more reassuring answer.

"And it’s seems, those beings didn’t, means, for now, this place is safe."

After saying that, however, Sevaroth revealed something even more surprising.

"Also, the entire Heaven’s Crucible is alive and Peiro is merely its outer manifestation."

Luke went quiet.

For several seconds, he simply tried to process what he had just heard.

The Heaven’s Crucible was alive?

Until now, Luke had assumed that this place was some kind of ancient artifact, a mysterious artifact that had existed for countless years, with Peiro being the consciousness that had developed within it.

But if Sevaroth was correct, then his entire understanding of the Heaven’s Crucible had been slightly wrong from the beginning.

The thought also reminded Luke of Kiki.

Sevaroth had created Kiki, and despite being created rather than naturally born, Kiki had born with consciousness.

’Does being a living artifact work differently from being born as an ordinary living being?’

So, this thought crossed his mind, and Luke instinctively felt that there was probably some distinction between the two, although he couldn’t explain exactly what it was.

Still, he didn’t ask Sevaroth about it.

There was another realization that was far more difficult to ignore.

’I am outside Valtharion.’

Luke’s eyes widened slightly at the thought.

He had spent so long thinking about spatial travel in terms of crossing distances between planets and worlds that the idea of simply leaving Valtharion through a portal felt almost absurd.

Rather than using some grand spatial ability to travel across an distance, he had essentially found a back door and walked through it.

’Let’s calm down.’

Luke quickly suppressed the excitement rising in his mind.

Even so, a small part of him was already wondering when he would finally be able to use his own Void abilities to travel between dimensions.

However, another question immediately surfaced.

’Sevaroth, did this place come into existence on its own, or was it created by someone?’

Sevaroth had been examining the cracks and strange beast-shaped markings spread across the dark walls, but when he heard Luke’s question, he turned toward him.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I don’t know."

Luke couldn’t hide the slight disappointment in his expression.

He had genuinely thought Sevaroth might know the answer.

"But," Sevaroth continued, "it could be either."

Luke’s disappointment only lasted for a brief moment before Sevaroth added something that made him pause again.

"But for your information, Caelith, at her peak, could create a place like this with a single thought."

"..."

Luke fell silent.

An image of Caelith immediately appeared in his mind.

He remembered her gentle smile, followed by the memory of her forging a Demigod weapon almost effortlessly and in an instant, even while she had still been in her weakened state.

"Seems like it." So, Luke slowly nodded.

That small movement, however, immediately attracted Selene’s attention.

"What happened?"

She looked at her husband with slight concern.

Luke had been behaving strangely for some time now.

Ever since their second meeting, she had noticed that there were moments when he would become lost in his own thoughts, but lately, he seemed to be doing it even more frequently. Even now, despite everything happening around them, he had once again become absorbed in some thought she couldn’t understand.

Then another possibility entered her mind.

’Is he thinking about Aurielle?’

Selene’s eyes narrowed.

The concern that had been present a moment earlier disappeared, replaced by another kind of determination.

’I have to make him addicted to me.’

With that thought, she leaned toward Luke and gave him a small peck on the lips.

"Ahem."

A cough immediately came from beside them.

Estelle, who was sitting nearby, turned her head slightly with an awkward expression, while Zeyr simply smiled.

A few of the others looked at them with obvious jealousy, while several more wore expressions of annoyance, as though silently asking why the couple couldn’t keep their affection to themselves for a few minutes.

"Should we focus on the fight?"

Arwen finally spoke from the side, his tone carrying clear discomfort.

Although he still didn’t particularly like working with Luke, there were only two sides in this round, so neither he nor Lirael had much choice but to join Luke’s group.

Hearing Arwen, everyone finally redirected their attention toward the arena.

Luke and Selene did the same, although by then the two were sitting considerably closer together than before, almost leaning into one another.

Their attention returned to the center of the arena, where the Infernal Choir had also sent one of the Sunborn Kingdom’s traitorous warriors into battle.

"Seems like both of your teams think the same."

Peiro, now floating above the arena, looked between the two fighters and casually made his comment.

With a small flick of his hand, the battle began.

The two warriors immediately moved toward each other.

As the fight unfolded below, Brynessa’s gaze remained fixed on Luke.

It wasn’t merely because of what had happened now.

She had been watching him ever since he first appeared before her.

There were several reasons for it.

The first was what Marrec had told her about Luke’s strength despite his relatively low realm.

And the second reason.

Even after learning that she, a High B-rank, was present, Luke had shown no fear.

Instead, he was busy acting lovey dovey with his wife.

’Love.’

The familiar yet distant word surfaced within Brynessa’s mind.

That single word was enough to stir memories she had buried long ago.

Memories of the time when she had once fallen in love with a hero.

An Elf hero.

Her gaze slowly shifted toward Arwen and Lirael.

They belonged to the same race as that man.

The memory of him rejecting her because of her lower snake body resurfaced, followed by the humiliation and suffering he had brought upon her.

’I will erase your entire race.’

Her eyes narrowed as that hatred rose again.

The people around her immediately noticed the subtle change in her expression.

At the same time, starlight-colored snake scales began appearing along her cheeks.

They spread gradually down toward her neck before continuing across her hands and legs, indicating that her transformation was beginning to surface once again.

However, before those changes could develop any further, another voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Miss?"

It was Mella, another black-robed member of the Infernal Choir.

Brynessa’s expression shifted slightly as she heard her.

Marrec also turned toward Brynessa, but the instant he looked at her, his gaze dropped.

There was unmistakable fear in his eyes.

Brynessa noticed neither reaction for long.

She took a slow breath and forced herself to calm down, causing the transformation to stop before it could progress further.

"I’m fine."

Her voice was calm, and she took another slow breath to completely settle her emotions.

Yet her gaze remained fixed on Luke.

Then Iveron’s words surfaced in her mind.

’A hero will never love you. They are merely tools used to increase their gods’ power, while you princes and princesses are nothing more than parts of that tool.’

The words lingered in her thoughts.

And at that moment—

BANG!

The battle below came to an abrupt end.