Chapter 587: No Escape!

CHAPTER 585

Edd appeared in a different location within the beautiful Celestial Realm.

This place resembled a pocket realm within the Celestial Realm, but it was far larger than any planet in the mortal realm and certainly far more beautiful.

It had been deliberately created to accommodate nature, with every corner carefully designed to preserve its beauty.

Butterflies fluttered through the air, occasionally settling on the flowers that decorated the landscape. The gentle chirping of birds could be heard from time to time, adding to the serenity of the surroundings.

A meadow filled with beautiful flowers stretched along a path leading towards a throne, upon which rested a glowing ball of energy.

The ball was enormous, comparable in size to a planet. Its radiance was as bright as the sun, almost blinding Edd, who was now kneeling before it.

His head remained bowed in deep reverence as he faced the yellow ball of energy.

“I greet the First One, Asterion.”

Suddenly, a profound silence descended upon the surroundings. The chirping ceased, and the ball of energy vibrated once before a voice, neither entirely masculine nor feminine, rang out.

“Have you laid hands on the Tribrid yet?”

Edd nodded.

“Yes. But there—”

“—You brought humans here. I can sense them.”

Edd paused, his index finger absentmindedly fiddling with a flower beneath his knee.

“What will happen to the Tribrid during the trial?”

Asterion didn’t rush to reply. A low hum reverberated through the surroundings before it finally spoke.

“Have you grown compassionate towards the Tribrid after just one meeting?”

Edd shook his head vigorously.

“No. It’s just that I’m worried. Depending on how the trial goes, we could practically be painting a target on our backs.”

If the ball of energy had a brow, it would have raised it in confusion.

“By whom?”

Edd didn’t reply. Instead, he let out a deep sigh of resignation.

“That’s right. No one can even think of going against the First.”

“Right. Anything else?”

Edd fell silent for a few seconds, his mind flashing back to the sheer rage and hatred he had felt radiating from Ray.

He didn’t know why the Tribrid was so angry, but one thing was certain: the boy was furious about something Edd couldn’t begin to understand.

It was as though a devil lay dormant inside him, waiting for the moment it would be summoned.

Like a silent volcano, patiently awaiting the signal to erupt and consume the entire world.

It was dangerous. It was worrying.

And yet, Edd remained hopeful.

“There’s nothing wrong. I have already sent them into a holding room to await tomorrow’s trial.”

He paused for a moment before adding, “Should I go and report to the Others too?”

Asterion shook its… ball.

“No. I will inform them myself. You may leave and prepare for the trial.”

Edd nodded, bowed his head once more, and then departed, leaving Asterion alone in its domain.

…

Meanwhile, in another location within the Celestial Realm, a bright light flashed, and a group of humans suddenly appeared together inside a room.

Ray’s fist slammed into the wall with all his might, a testament to the sheer force of his anger towards Edd.

The wall shook once before settling back into place, barely bearing a scratch.

That was because this was no ordinary wall, and this was no ordinary room. There was something different about the place, and that difference was immediately apparent.

Their eyes darted from left to right as the group found themselves surrounded by a sea of white.

Pure, unstained white stretched across their entire field of vision.

There was nothing.

No doors, no windows, no beds, no furniture.

Nothing.

Just an expansive space of pure white that stretched as far as their eyes could see.

They looked around, stunned, confused, and worried. None of them could shake the fear that something might suddenly emerge from beyond their field of vision.

Even the floor and ceiling were pure white, yet there wasn’t a single light bulb in sight. Despite that, the entire room was illuminated perfectly.

“Seriously? Couldn’t they even give us a desk?!” Van shouted in annoyance as he looked around, only to be met with icy glares from the others.

“What? At least with a desk, I could work on something that might get us all out of here. Tsk. Think big, guys.”

“Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! Just WHYYY?!” Ray hollered as he repeatedly pummeled the wall in front of him with his fists.

Each punch rattled the wall, yet it neither cracked nor gave way.

Anger flooded Ray’s entire being, fuelling each punch as his fists slammed into the innocent wall like it was nothing more than a punching bag.

Images of Felix being taken away, of himself and his friends being teleported around without any control over their bodies, and of his System’s warning all crashed into his mind at once.

His fury multiplied with each passing second, his teeth grinding audibly against each other. His canines were seconds away from turning into fangs before he finally realised what was happening.

He couldn’t transform into a werewolf anymore.

A third of his power had been taken away from him just like that, in the blink of an eye.

It was crazy how a single being could cripple him so effortlessly.

“That wouldn’t help our case, so save your energy, Chad.” Raze’s calm voice slithered through the air.

The man simply took a few steps away before sitting down on the bare ground, his battle axe sprawled beside him.

“Exactly, Ray. You can’t keep punching the wall forever. They have the upper hand, and we’re trapped.” Chloe gently urged.

“SO WHAT SHOULD I DO? SIT AND LAZE AROUND LIKE THE CAPTAIN?!”

“Hey, why am I being dragged into this?!” Raze snapped, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Ray scoffed and turned back towards the wall, contemplating whether he should continue punching it. Maybe it would crack eventually, or something.

But after thinking about it, he sucked in a deep breath and simply slammed his head against the wall instead.

BANG!

The wall rippled like disturbed water for a moment before returning to its original state, leaving Ray frozen in place with his head still pressed against it.

His hands curled into fists as helplessness gnawed at him.

He hadn’t felt this useless since that day.

… That day when he couldn’t save his mother.

His jaws tightened.

“We all have to keep calm and think about what to do next instead of snapping at each other.” Caster looked around at everybody.

Ray simply sighed and slid down the wall, his back resting against it as he stared at the group sitting ahead of him.

‘Okay, Elyon, what is it? You have been mumbling in my head for a while now. Speak.’

«….»

«I-I remember what this place is. It’s all hazy, but I recall it. And I-I think I have a way for you to escape this Celestial Realm.»