Chapter 399: The Arrival of the Seventh Spirit

The Arrival of the Seventh Spirit

The atmosphere began to change.

Slowly at first.

Then all at once.

The clear evening sky was swallowed by dark clouds rolling across the heavens. Layer after layer gathered until not even the faintest trace of sunlight remained.

The battlefield fell beneath an eerie twilight.

A deep rumble came from somewhere beyond the horizon.

Then the ground trembled.

Dust jumped from the earth with every vibration. Nearby trees bent and twisted beneath the sudden rise of the wind.

The gale swept across the plains with a low, vicious howl.

Even breathing began to feel difficult.

There was pressure in the air.

Something heavy.

Something that made every instinct scream that something enormous was about to happen.

Then—

Crack!

A pillar of lightning tore through the clouds.

It struck the ground hundreds of meters away with a deafening explosion.

For a brief moment, the entire battlefield was illuminated in blinding white.

Before that light could even fade completely—

Another bolt descended.

Crack!

Then another.

And another.

One after another, lightning fell from the heavens.

The battlefield was soon surrounded by towering pillars of white lightning. Every impact sent violent tremors through the earth, making the ground shake beneath everyone’s feet.

Yet the six Spirit Rulers did not move.

They simply stood there.

Their faces were solemn.

None of them needed to ask what was happening.

They already knew.

These were not ordinary changes in the weather.

These were omens.

The final summoning had begun.

...

Far away, within Fantom City...

Panic spread through the streets.

The citizens had only just begun to recover from the nightmare of the undead legion.

Some had finally returned to their homes.

Some merchants had reopened their shops.

Some families had begun trying to rebuild their lives.

But the moment the sky darkened and that terrifying pressure descended upon the city, those fragile feelings of safety vanished.

Children grabbed their parents’ clothes.

Some began crying.

Merchants abandoned their stalls and rushed into the streets.

People stopped whatever they were doing and stared toward the dark horizon.

"What... what’s happening?"

"Is another monster attacking us?"

"Look at the sky!"

"The heavens..."

"They’re going to fall!"

Fear moved through the streets like wildfire.

The more people saw the strange phenomenon, the more frightened they became.

The memories of the undead invasion were still far too fresh.

Many citizens had lost loved ones.

Many had watched their homes destroyed.

Some had survived only because they had been lucky enough to escape.

Now another terrifying aura was coming from outside the city.

To them, it felt like the nightmare had returned.

Eon and the others quickly moved through the streets, trying to contain the growing panic.

"Everyone, stay calm!"

"There is no attack inside the city!"

"Please return to your homes!"

"Don’t gather in the streets!"

Their voices carried through the chaos.

But calming frightened people was not easy.

The citizens wanted answers.

They wanted to know what was happening.

And more importantly, they wanted to know whether they were about to suffer through another disaster.

Eon understood that.

He could see the fear in their eyes.

There was no point in simply telling them not to worry.

They needed information.

Real information.

Eon turned toward several experienced scouts standing nearby.

"Go."

The scouts immediately straightened.

"Find the source of that pressure."

His expression hardened.

"Don’t engage anyone unless absolutely necessary."

"Confirm what is happening and return immediately."

"Understood!"

The scouts nodded.

A moment later, they disappeared into the distance.

Eon remained where he was.

His eyes stayed fixed on the dark horizon.

The wind continued to sweep through the city.

Another distant rumble shook the sky.

His expression became increasingly serious.

Something was happening out there.

Something powerful enough to affect the entire region.

And he had a feeling they were about to receive an answer they would not like.

Not long afterward...

The scouts returned.

Their arrival was much faster than Eon had expected.

But what caught his attention was not their speed.

It was their expressions.

Every one of them looked shaken.

One of the scouts immediately stepped forward and bowed.

"Sir."

Eon’s eyes narrowed.

"What did you find?"

The scout hesitated for a moment.

He seemed to be gathering the courage to speak.

"We’ve confirmed the source of the pressure."

Eon folded his arms.

"Then tell me."

The scout swallowed.

His voice became quieter.

"Guild Master Isabella..."

He paused.

"...is confronting Victor."

Eon’s expression changed slightly.

The scout took another breath.

"And..."

His face turned even more serious.

"She has summoned several extremely powerful spirit beings."

A brief silence followed.

Brinda exchanged a glance with Eon.

"So..."

"It’s just Victor again."

Eon rubbed his forehead helplessly.

"I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised anymore."

Brinda let out a quiet laugh.

"You know how he is."

"The stronger the opponent..."

"...the happier he becomes."

Eon nodded with a bitter smile.

"Interrupting him now would probably make him more dangerous than whatever he’s fighting."

Brinda folded her arms.

"I agree."

"We stay out of it."

After thinking for a moment, Eon turned toward the city guards.

"Tell everyone the Guild Master is conducting nothing more than a mock battle with Victor."

"Don’t let rumors spread."

The guards immediately dispersed to relay the announcement.

Although many citizens remained uneasy, hearing that the city’s strongest adventurer was supposedly engaged in a controlled sparring match helped ease some of the panic.

Little by little...

Order began returning to Fantom City.

...

Back on the battlefield...

The enormous summoning circle beneath Isabella continued expanding.

Ancient runes rotated in concentric rings, each one radiating overwhelming spiritual power.

The pressure filling the air increased with every passing second.

Victor watched everything unfold with undisguised excitement.

His golden eyes sparkled.

The corners of his mouth slowly lifted.

"So..."

"So this is the last one."

Unlike the previous six Spirit Rulers...

This summoning possessed an entirely different presence.

It wasn’t merely stronger.

It felt...

Complete.

The surrounding mana no longer flowed naturally.

Instead, it gathered toward a single point as though the world itself were welcoming someone’s arrival.

Victor couldn’t help smiling.

"This..."

"...is getting interesting."

He glanced sideways at Diana.

"Diana."

She turned toward him.

"Yes, Master?"

Victor continued watching the brilliant summoning circle.

"Is the one being summoned really just another Spirit Ruler?"

Diana silently observed the gathering mana for several moments.

Even her calm crimson eyes reflected a trace of curiosity.

"Hmm..."

She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again.

"Judging from the summoning ritual..."

"And the pressure she’s releasing..."

"I’m guessing she has already stepped beyond the limits of an ordinary Spirit Ruler."

Victor raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Diana nodded.

"It’s more accurate to call someone like her..."

"...a Demi-God..."

"...rather than a Spirit Ruler."

The moment those words left her lips...

Another deafening bolt of lightning descended from the heavens.

The entire battlefield shook.

The final summoning...

Was nearly complete.