Chapter 66: Collision

The Berserker merely smirked, ignoring the warning completely as he continued his march.

​Then—

​CLINK.

​A small, empty glass vial slipped from a pale hand and struck the shattered stone.

​The sound wasn’t loud, yet every eye on the battlefield instinctively shifted toward it.

​SHHK!

​A jagged shadow spike erupted from the earth directly beneath the Berserker, so impossibly fast that no one had time to react.

It impaled the massive Orc, driving straight through his heavy sternum and out his back.

​Silence descended like a physical weight.

​The elder froze mid-stride, his eyes bulging as thick blood spilled over his lips.

​The laughter echoing through the Dominion vanished instantly.

​Every gaze snapped toward the source of the strike: Nyxara.

​She stood at Cassian’s side, unmoving, cold, and utterly terrifying.

​The effects of the [Graveheart Sap] had fully manifested. Her silver-violet hair had bleached into a pristine, snow-white sheen, and living shadows coiled violently around her slender frame like serpentine wraiths.

​The heavy, rhythmic beating of her once-still heart echoed across the entire clearing:

​THUMP.

​THUMP.

​THUMP.

​Each heartbeat resonated like a war drum heralding death itself. An oppressive, suffocating pressure spread outward, twisting the surrounding mana and causing the ambient air to freeze.

​Nyxara stared down at the dying Berserker, her expression completely devoid of emotion.

​"You should know your place, pig," her voice was calm, yet every word dripped with chilling, aristocratic contempt. "To speak so arrogantly before my Lord... consider yourself fortunate that a swift death is all you will receive."

​SHHK!

​The shadow spike tore backward, ripping free from the Berserker’s chest and sending a geyser of hot blood spraying across the dirt.

​The elder staggered, his strength completely failing him, before crashing heavily onto his face.

​THUD.

​The entire battlefield fell into absolute, paralyzed silence.

​Not a single Orc laughed anymore, not after watching a council elder executed before he could even raise his axe.

Morghanna stared at Nyxara.

​At this point, she was more than certain: the elf was a major threat.

​The elder who had just died wasn’t some insignificant warrior, he was a Fifth Realm Mana Circuit Cultivator, an [Arcane Vessel Realm] expert.

Although only at the Entry Stage, that didn’t diminish the fact that he had been one of the strongest champions within the Kragmar Dominion.

​As a Berserker, he had also awakened a specialized passive focused entirely on enhancing his durability and survivability.

​Yet he had still died instantly.

​Morghanna only knew two individuals within the region capable of accomplishing such a feat: herself, and her half-brother Grukhar.

​The realization caused her crimson eyes to narrow.

​The remaining elders were no longer relaxed, and neither were the frontline warriors.

The raucous laughter from moments ago had completely vanished, weapons tightened in calloused hands, shoulders stiffened, and eyes sharpened.

​For the first time, the Orcs before her truly recognized the force standing opposite them as a deadly threat.

​Morghanna noticed the shift immediately: the sudden seriousness, the caution, and the subtle undercurrent of fear.

​Oddly enough... she found it amusing.

​Her gaze shifted toward Cassian, a faint, cold smile appearing on her lips.

​"So," her raspy voice carried clearly across the quiet battlefield. "You are the Starbound Intruder."

​She studied him openly, her smile widening slightly. "Honestly... you are quite impressive."

​At that exact moment—

​WHOOOOOSH!

​The sharp, violent sound of something slicing through the air erupted above the clearing.

A spinning projectile tore through the sky with terrifying velocity, causing several Special Units to tense up instinctively.

​Yet Morghanna simply raised a single hand without looking.

​CLANG!

​The heavy weapon slammed into her open palm, the resulting shockwave cracking the earth beneath her boots.

​Only then did everyone realize what had arrived: a massive, two-handed greataxe nearly as tall as a full-grown man.

Its crimson blade was covered in countless battle scars, while ancient runes glowed faintly along its length.

​Morghanna casually spun the colossal weapon once before bringing it down.

​BOOOOM!

​The air in front of her split apart as a visible pressure wave carved through the dirt, blasting dust outward in a hundred-meter radius.

​Slowly, she raised the flat side of the axe, pointing the heavy blade directly at Cassian.

​Her smile vanished completely.

​"However..." her crimson eyes hardened into frozen slates. "You threatened me. You infiltrated my dominion, you slaughtered my people, and now you’ve brought an army to my front door."

​Her grip tightened around the leather-bound haft of her axe as her aura began to surge.

​"This is my territory. My responsibility. My people." The oppressive weight of an [Arcane Vessel Realm] peak expert erupted from her frame. "And it is my duty to crush you."

​Cassian had remained dead silent throughout her speech. Finally, he spoke, his tone completely unhurried:

​"What makes it your duty?"

​The casual question caused several tribal elders to scowl in anger.

​Morghanna, however, answered without a moment’s hesitation. "Asking such a thing proves how little you understand of power."

​A tremendous, gravity-warping pressure exploded from her body, forcing the surrounding Orc warriors to lower their heads instinctively.

​"The strongest stand above the weak. The strongest protect the weak. The strongest lead, and the strongest decide." Her crimson eyes locked onto his. "And the true price of standing at the top... is responsibility."

​The ground cracked beneath her boots.

​Silence descended upon the battlefield.

​Cassian merely stared back at her, unblinking.

​Then, Morghanna vanished.

​BOOM!

​The earth beneath her feet exploded into a shower of pulverized stone.

​One moment she stood hundreds of meters away; the next, she was directly in front of Cassian.

​Her greataxe descended like a falling mountain, intent to kill, flooding the air as the sheer kinetic force behind the strike distorted space itself.

​Yet Cassian didn’t move, he didn’t flinch, didn’t step back, and didn’t even blink.

​A blur of pristine white flashed before him.

​CLANG!

​Dark scythe met heavy axe.

​The violent collision shook the entire valley as a massive shockwave exploded outward.

The ground shattered beneath both combatants, gravitational force erupting from Morghanna’s axe while surges of living shadow poured from Nyxara’s scythe.

​The two powers collided violently, darkness and spatial gravity twisting together as the surrounding air screamed under the pressure.

​Nearby Orcs and undead summons were blown backward by the shockwave as jagged cracks spider-webbed across the earth, distorting even the green sunlight filtering through the emerald sky above.

....

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