Chapter 216: An Overwhelming Aura

For some reason, a strange warmth had spread through her chest, and the longer she watched him stand there, the more unfamiliar the feeling became.

Throughout her life, she had never had anyone to protect her.

She had always been forced to rely on herself, facing danger alone and enduring whatever came her way.

She had long since accepted that this was simply how she had to live if she wanted to survive.

Yet now, Jake was standing in front of her, deliberately placing himself between her and the danger.

The realization stirred something deep within her.

It wasn’t simply relief or gratitude.

Samu’dra lowered her gaze as she tried to understand the warmth in her chest.

She still didn’t know what to call the feeling, but she knew... she didn’t dislike it.

Meanwhile, Vain’s expression suddenly turned serious.

The playful look that had been on his face disappeared completely as he stared at Jake.

"Enough."

The moment the word left his mouth, violent lightning erupted from his body.

BOOM!

Brilliant arcs of lightning exploded in every direction, tearing through the surrounding area and smashing everything in their path.

Rocks were shattered, the ground was blasted apart, and chunks of debris were sent flying as countless bolts continued to spread outward.

For an instant, it felt as though a pure storm of destruction had descended upon the battlefield.

The air itself seemed to tremble beneath the overwhelming power of the lightning.

Jake immediately raised an arm to shield his face as the scorching heat washed over him, his hair whipping wildly in the violent wind.

The lightning was so intense that even from a distance, he could feel the sheer heat burning against his skin.

His eyes widened as he stared through the gaps between his fingers.

"What the hell...?"

The ground beneath his feet continued to crack and crumble as more lightning exploded around him, forcing him to brace himself against the violent storm of destruction.

Then, just as suddenly as it had erupted, all the violent lightning... stopped.

For a brief moment, the battlefield fell completely silent.

The countless bolts of lightning remained suspended in midair, frozen in place as if the entire world had suddenly stopped.

Then Vain’s two gauntlets began to glow.

A violent suction force suddenly erupted from them.

The lightning that had been raging across the battlefield twisted violently, as though an invisible hand had seized every bolt at once.

One after another, the countless arcs of lightning were dragged backward through the air, ripping apart the surrounding smoke and debris as they were pulled toward Vain.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The battlefield trembled as the entire storm began collapsing inward.

What had moments ago been a destructive force spreading across the surroundings was now being forcibly devoured by Vain’s two gauntlets.

Lightning poured into them from every direction, flashing brilliantly before disappearing into the metal.

The surrounding light rapidly dimmed until the final bolt was swallowed into the gauntlets.

Then silence returned.

Only thin arcs of electricity remained, crawling across Vain’s arms as he slowly lowered them.

The moment the last bolt disappeared, the two gauntlets suddenly changed.

The metal shifted and twisted around Vain’s arms, their appearance becoming darker and more menacing as faint lines of light began to pulse across their surface.

At the same time, Vain’s entire presence seemed to change.

He slowly lowered his body, bending his knees and leaning forward as his hands tightened into fists.

The playful aura he had carried before was completely gone.

Jake’s expression stiffened.

His body reacted before his mind could even understand what was happening.

Every instinct he possessed screamed at him to run, while a chill spread through his entire body.

Danger—

No.

It was something far worse.

Death was near.

Even Samu’dra froze at the sensation.

She had faced countless dangers throughout her life, but she had never felt anything quite like this.

The overwhelming pressure made her body instinctively tense, and for the first time, she found herself genuinely... afraid.

Still, she forced herself to reach for her sword.

Her fingers wrapped around the hilt, but they were trembling so badly that she could barely maintain her grip.

Samu’dra’s eyes widened in disbelief.

She tightened her fingers around the hilt, trying to force them to stop, but the trembling only grew worse.

She had never experienced fear like this before.

Just then, Vain’s voice rang out, strangely calm despite the terrifying pressure surrounding him.

"Well..."

"I suppose it’s time I stopped playing around."

He slowly closed his eyes and murmured,

"Let’s see how long you can survive."

The moment his final word fell, the air around him suddenly distorted.

Jake and Samu’dra’s pupils contracted.

"Thunderclap—"

"Sir Vain!"

A hurried voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

Vain paused.

His expression remained unchanged, but the terrifying pressure surrounding his body slowly began to subside.

For a moment, the entire battlefield fell silent.

Vain slowly turned his head toward the source of the voice.

"...What is it?"

One of the cloaked figures hurriedly stepped forward, lowering his head toward Vain.

"M-My apologies for interrupting you, Sir Vain!"

His voice carried a trace of urgency as he continued,

"But the formation is ready. We can’t stay here any longer!"

Vain remained silent for a moment.

His gaze shifted toward the distant formation, where a faint glow had begun to spread across the ground.

The cloaked figure clenched his fists beneath his robes.

"We have to go! If we delay any longer, we may not be able to leave before—"

BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!

The entire cave suddenly shook violently.

The ground beneath their feet lurched as cracks rapidly spread across the stone floor.

Dust and chunks of rock came crashing down from the ceiling, while the formation flickered violently under the sudden disturbance.

Then, from somewhere deep beneath the cave, a low roar echoed through the darkness until it seemed to resonate through their very bones.

[GRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAARRR!!!]

The sound was so deep that it seemed to come from the very depths of the ocean itself.

A vast, ancient breath rolled through the cavern, carrying with it a pressure so immense that everyone felt their chests tighten.