Book 3: Chapter 307: The Victory of the West Wind Ode

Inside the pit, Oren's singing grew increasingly urgent, and faint traces of bloody tears even appeared in his eyes. The figures that had been mere illusions now seemed to take on a semblance of substance, continuously battling the mutated monsters surging forward within the pit, preventing them from approaching Luke's fallen body.

Seizing this brief window of opportunity, Anari swiftly rushed to Luke's side, produced a peculiar violet-red gemstone, and began chanting hurried incantations. Then, with the utmost care, she slowly placed it into Luke's mouth.

A gentle, tranquil ripple spread outward, barely stabilizing Luke's soul consciousness that had been on the verge of shattering and dispersing. It was gathered and drawn into the gemstone, becoming firm and secure.

In this world, the greatest challenge in resurrecting the dead lay in piecing together the shattered fragments of the soul, not in repairing damaged bodies. As long as the soul could be preserved, there was always a way to pull someone back. But once the soul consciousness fractured completely, even if an Hour descended, recovery would be nearly impossible.

Witnessing this scene, the humanoid figure at a distance wore a mocking smile. He was in no hurry to kill the three quickly. Instead, he wanted to watch them sink step by step into despair, to see the expressions he desired on their faces. Only that could vent the frustration festering within him.

"Still reciting poetry and singing songs? Such secret arts will never defeat me." He raised his hand, and a blood serpent, like a length of intestine, was drawn out from his abdominal cavity, then hurled at the two of them.

The crimson snake, dripping with placental blood, opened its bloody maw and venomous fangs in mid-air, lunging toward Anari who was crouched beside Luke. Even with the guardian specters blocking its path, the blood serpent effortlessly shattered their barriers.

In the midst of the fragmented light, just as it was about to sink its fangs into Anari, Oren, who was chanting his poem, was forced to divert his focus. A towering heroic figure materialized behind him, then thrust forward with a greatsword in an instant, piercing the blood serpent from over a thousand meters away and burning it to ashes.

After unleashing this move, Oren felt another portion of his lung cavity scorch and char.

At this, the humanoid figure in the distance gave a slight shake of his head. Once again raising his hand, he released seven even more ferocious blood serpents from his abdominal cavity, flinging them at the two.

[Aberrant Art - Abyssal Blood Serpents]

A strange secret art created by observing and imitating the offspring of the Aberrant Mother Nest. Combined with the esoteric teachings of the Twin-Snake Cult, it was fused with the user's own flesh. The serpents devoured each other and grew, feeding and becoming more powerful.

The seven blood serpents reared up and writhed wildly in the air. With open bloody maws and venomous fangs, they tore apart the golden illusory heroes blocking their path in a few short lunges, then smashed through the new isolation barrier Oren had erected.

At that moment, Anari cast another spell, but it only managed to slow one blood serpent for a brief instant. Soon after, that serpent sank its fangs directly into her shoulder. A strange toxin instantly surged through her body, causing Anari to lose consciousness. She could no longer control her limbs and could only watch helplessly as she fell, her vision fixed on the ceiling of the pit.

The sounds of battle continued to echo in her ears, punctuated by occasional crackles of electricity that illuminated the pit's ceiling.

Half a minute later, when Anari heard that the battle still hadn't ended, a glimmer of hope rose in her heart. But then, a terrifying humanoid figure appeared above her field of vision. His head was supported by a long, sinuously curved neck, descending slowly like a fruit hanging from a branch. The bulging eyeballs swiveled, examining Anari from left to right as she lay there, paralyzed and unable to move.

This sight nearly stopped Anari's breath. Boundless fear surged within her heart.

The figure extended his withered, slender fingers, grabbed her body, and lifted her up. Slowly, he began to lower her into his abdominal cavity, which was teeming with coiled serpent tails.

Just as she thought she was about to die here, a shocking blast of thunderous lightning erupted, illuminating the entire pit in brilliant, blinding white.

In the dazzling light of the lightning, Oren's soaring voice broke through layer after layer of suppression, reaching Anari's ears and mind once more.

"...Even if I am reduced to ash and dust, please still heed my voice."

"For like the unquenchable, proud furnace fire, I shall burn through this endless night, scattering sparks of hope..."

"The prophecy of defeat was not yesterday, nor is it tomorrow. It shall blossom through your life at this very moment!"

"Play on, this triumphant ode to the West Wind!"

"With this song, I banish the winter night and howl against the darkness."

Countless drifting lights and flames surged forth from the wind. A grand chorus of music resounded across the land. The roaming white-gold flames flooded every corner of the tunneled cavern, until the snowy surface above exploded open. Earth and debris scattered in every direction. A massive crater several kilometers wide slowly collapsed, while wisps of white smoke and fierce gales continued unabated, playing a magnificent, melodious symphony amidst the wind and snow.