Chapter 373: _It's Been An Honour

Elian’s POV

*****

He survived.

Somehow, once the smoke and dust began to settle… he realised that he was still alive.

He attempted to move but immediately stopped when a sharp, piercing pain tore through his torso. Looking down, he clutched a deep gash on his stomach.

Amara, that bitch.

[Host’s vitals stabilising…]

Elian quickly looked around.

The Omega lay helplessly on the desert floor, face having been buried in the sand for gods know how long.

The Divine Crystal had ceased its expulsion of Divine energy into the atmosphere—not just that, but it now had several cracks running across its surface, visible even though he was over a hundred meters away.

‘Lucian… Kyren…’

His eyes widened.

Wait.

His babies!

‘No, no, no…’ Those violet eyes became watery as he brought his gaze back to his stomach. ‘System, check on them. Are they… are they—’

[Alive. Your children and your mates are alive. But the twins are losing nourishment fast.]

‘W-What does that mean?’ His fingers sparkled with violet light, which sealed up the wound at a frightening pace. ‘Do they need blood or—’

[Food, silly. You’re going to make it out of this. And once you do… please just stuff your face like a glutton.]

They were supposed to be at the earliest stage of development within him. But for some reason he could’ve sworn he felt them turn inside when the system said that, as if agreeing.

“YOU INSECTS!”

A familiar voice thundered through the entirety of the desert, splitting what remained of the ashen clouds above.

Elian turned.

Right in front of him was none other than Amara. Not her consciousness… a physical body which now staggered toward the crystal with the determination of a mad queen desperate for any last shred of power.

His eyes scoured the vicinity.

Kyren was already getting up several meters to his right. Lucian was the closest to the crystal, but he was still struggling on his knees, every strained pant coursing through the bond.

[Don’t worry. The Continental Spell has been… wait.]

That pause from the system made Elian’s heart lurch.

‘What is it? We destroyed the Crystal internally, didn’t we?’

[Yes, but it still holds all that divinity within it.] A hauntingly long pause. [Elian, the Divine energy readings are off the charts.]

Several screens popped before him at once, each one flashing red.

One of them instantly caught his attention.

[Crystal Integrity: 45.3%.]

Crystal Integrity?

[Destroying the Crystal from the inside destabilised Amara’s spell. But it also erased whatever was left of the moon goddess’ will. And now all that energy—]

“Oh, shit.” Elian sprang to his feet, wobbling a bit but ignoring it. “No. It’s going to explode.”

The last time the Divine Crystal crashed onto the continent, it turned millions of miles of land into the Dark Lands. If all that energy spread outward… There were only two options.

Either someone had to contain it—

—Or the whole continent and beyond would pay the price.

“Amara!” Kyren boomed, long white hair flowing into the wind around him. “You’ve lost. End this madness now!”

Amara didn’t even acknowledge him, all attention locked on the Divine Crystal like prey.

He took some steps toward the crystal to intercept her.

The Rogue King’s mother swerved her head to him. That simple movement swept him off his feet, leaving him suspended by a crushing invisible force several meters off the ground.

“No!” Elian yelled, an animalistic growl tearing through his chest. “Amara!”

His Lycan’s fur exploded across his skin, muscles and bones expanding. In a heartbeat, he transformed into a hulking bipedal beast, easily standing past twelve feet tall.

By the time Amara looked over her shoulder at him, he’d already moved.

‘Yes,’ Her voice slithered into his mind. ‘Come, moon blessed. Embrace your destiny.’

[Crystal Integrity: 37.2%.]

The silver system screen glitched in front of him, but he didn’t let that deter him. He covered one hundred meters in just a second, time itself seemingly slowing around him.

His claws reached for Amara’s head.

Only for her to disappear and then reappear right beside the Crystal, a palm already placed a few inches away from it.

“Elian?!” Lucian called, rising to his feet. “Elian, get away from—”

Amara’s eyes glowed.

Another invisible force pinned the Alpha King until he collapsed to his knees and then plopped face down into the sharp, crimson sands, Celestial Sovereign power barely able to keep him intact.

[Crystal Integrity: 29%.]

Those numbers had already dropped so fast in a matter of a few seconds.

Elian shifted his advance to the spot Amara stood on now, his jaw opened wide.

It felt like she was luring him into something.

He didn’t care.

All he needed was one second to rip her to shreds.

‘Come to me…’ She touched the Crystal at last, her eyes changing to a bright silver instantaneously.

Elian’s eyes bulged.

Then they shifted to the Crystal’s surface. Silver light exploded out of every crack, exuding enough blinding power to make him hesitant.

She was baiting him.

She wanted him to kill her.

[Crystal Integrity: 17%.]

‘No.’ His eyes flitted to her grinning face one last time. ‘I’m done following your design.’

Her smile faltered.

That’s all he needed.

The Lycan spread out his arms, wrapping them around the Crystal’s searing surface. Patches of his fur burned, but he gritted his fangs through it, pushing the Divine Essence and hurtling through the sands until he was far away from Amara.

Terror swallowed the confidence he felt from the High Matron.

“No.” She stretched a hand to him, clenching it into a fist. “Come here!”

Her scream rang in his head, a pressuring force coiling around him.

Too late.

[Crystal Integrity… ERROR!]

[F-Fruitcake.] Glitch. The system’s voice became fainter. [Something is wrong. The divinity keeping me intact—]

‘I know.’ Something cracked in Elian’s psyche. The greatest bond he’s ever had aside from his mates was crumbling. ‘I… I’m going to miss you… You were annoying until the end. But you’ve been… my closest… friend…’

The cracks across the Crystal expanded, chunks already flaking off as the silver energy pushed outward.

“Elian!” Kyren shrieked, a sound he’d never heard from him since they met. “Little flame, no!”

For the first time since meeting her, genuine fear crossed Amara’s face.

[It’s been an honour…] the system finally responded. [I’ve always believed in you.]

‘No, you didn’t.’

[Fair. Not at first, at least.]

Without explaining anything, both of them already knew what was happening. And despite how painful it was… they accepted it.

[I might’ve never truly known her… but the goddess herself would be proud. I’m certain of… that much…]

Elian didn’t answer.

He closed his eyes, the system’s screen fading away with it.

BOOMMMMMM!

Pure Divine Energy—unlike anything Evaros has felt in countless millennia—exploded. It swept through the desert in an Omnidirectional wave.

Before it could go too far… all of it came rushing back to the epicentre, condensing into a ball and burning hotter than a star’s surface.

Then… It vanished.