Chapter 390 -: 389 battles.

Chapter 390: Chapter: 389 battles.

Meanwhile, high above the four stationary continents, raging battles had erupted across the sky. Powerful shockwaves spread in every direction, crashing against the invisible barrier surrounding the continents and causing it to tremble.

Cracks had begun to appear across its surface, spreading like a web as the forces unleashed by the combatants continued to batter it.

The barrier had protected the Zlycons for countless years, but even it was struggling to withstand the destruction unfolding around it.

Three major battles were taking place in the sky, each involving powerful figures whose actions would determine the outcome of the conflict.

One of them was between Salvane, the younger sister of the Solarian Patriarch, and Crypian Thorne, the newly appointed Patriarch of the Thorne Clan. Neither combatant showed any intention of backing down, and their battle had already begun to distort the surrounding space.

Salvane had transformed the battlefield into a realm of darkness. Shadows spread across the sky, gathering from every direction before merging into a vast expanse that swallowed the light around them.

Despite the sun still shining high above the continents, the area where they fought had become unnaturally dark, with only occasional flashes of light illuminating the shifting shadows.

Salvane herself had disappeared into the darkness, moving between the shadows as she launched attacks from unpredictable angles.

Her strikes came without warning, each one aimed at Crypian’s blind spots, making it difficult for an ordinary opponent to determine her location, let alone defend against her relentless assault.

However, Crypian Thorne was far from an ordinary opponent. As the newly appointed Patriarch of the Thorne Clan, he possessed considerable strength, and his Light Path allowed him to counter Salvane’s abilities with remarkable efficiency.

His sword moved in swift, precise arcs, leaving trails of light that cut through the shadows before they could reach him.

Whenever Salvane attempted to attack from an unexpected direction, Crypian responded almost immediately, deflecting her strikes or forcing her to retreat. His movements were so fluid that it seemed as though he could anticipate the trajectory of her attacks before they were even launched.

What made Crypian particularly troublesome, however, was the mysterious system that accompanied his abilities.

The skills he employed were unlike ordinary spells, and their effects did not appear to follow the same principles as conventional spell casting.

Each technique complemented his Light Path, allowing him to unleash attacks that were considerably more dangerous than what someone of his rank should have been capable of.

Even as Salvane continued to overwhelm the battlefield with shadows, Crypian maintained his composure, showing no signs of being cornered.

Watching him counter one attack after another, Salvane furrowed her brows.

’So this is the power bestowed upon you?’

Her expression darkened as she observed the way Crypian wielded his abilities. She had expected him to be troublesome, especially considering his identity and the circumstances surrounding his rise to the position of Patriarch.

Nevertheless, witnessing his strength firsthand was different from merely knowing about it.

His Light Path was already a troublesome match for her shadows, but the additional abilities granted by his system made him even more difficult to deal with.

The shadows surrounding them suddenly began to converge, gathering into a vast, swirling mass beneath Crypian’s feet.

The darkness twisted and compressed until a gigantic hole formed in the middle of the battlefield, its depths seemingly endless.

Before Crypian could move away, the surrounding shadows surged toward him, attempting to drag him into the gaping void. At the same time, Salvane emerged from the darkness above him, her expression cold as she raised one hand.

A scythe formed from the shadows, its curved blade gleaming with a sinister light. She gripped its handle and brought it down toward Crypian, combining the force of her attack with the pull of the dark hole beneath him.

Even if he managed to escape one threat, the other would leave him vulnerable, and Salvane intended to exploit that moment to inflict serious damage.

"No wonder you’re Fate’s pawn," she muttered, her eyes narrowing as the scythe descended. "But..."

Her words trailed off as she watched him react.

’As an heir of the Solarian family, I possess knowledge that the other Zlycons can only dream of obtaining.’

Salvane had no intention of voicing those thoughts aloud, but the truth remained clear in her mind. The Solarian family was different from the other prominent families among the Zlycons.

Its heirs were entrusted with secrets concerning the world’s origins, their ancestors, and the destiny that had been prepared for them long before their birth. Each generation had been raised with the same knowledge, taught to understand the significance of their existence and the role they were expected to fulfill.

Countless generations had passed while the Solarians waited for the moment their ancestors had foretold.

Some had lived and died without witnessing anything beyond the ordinary course of history, while others had devoted their entire lives to preserving the knowledge entrusted to them.

Yet their purpose had never changed. They were to fulfill the destiny their ancestors had prepared, ensuring that the sacrifices of those who came before them would not be in vain.

Now, that long-awaited period had finally arrived. The world was approaching a turning point, one that could determine whether everything their ancestors had worked toward would succeed or collapse into ruin.

The outcome depended on the actions of those who had inherited their responsibilities, and Salvane was well aware that she could not afford to make careless decisions.

That was precisely why she knew who Crypian Thorne was and understood the significance of the power he possessed. She also knew that defeating him would require more than simply overwhelming him with her shadows.

If he truly was Fate’s pawn, then his existence was tied to matters far greater than the struggle between their respective clans, and underestimating him could lead to consequences that neither she nor her family could afford.

Unfortunately for Crypian, understanding his importance did not mean Salvane intended to show him any mercy.

"But this isn’t enough!"

She swung her scythe with greater force, sending a crescent of darkness tearing through the sky.

The attack descended toward Crypian, threatening to cut through everything in its path, but he managed to evade it at the last moment. His body blurred as he moved away from the blade, narrowly escaping its reach before launching a counterattack of his own.

Countless spears of light materialized around him, their sharp tips gleaming as they aligned toward Salvane. With a slight movement of his hand, he sent them hurtling forward, filling the darkened battlefield with brilliant streaks of light.

The spears tore through the shadows, forcing Salvane to abandon her attack and evade the incoming projectiles. She moved from one patch of darkness to another, dodging the spears as they passed dangerously close to her body, but the sheer number of attacks left her with little room to retaliate.

"DIE, MONGREL!"

Salvane’s voice rang across the battlefield as she rushed toward him, her scythe raised and the shadows surging behind her.

The anger in her voice was unmistakable, but Crypian merely snorted in response. He retreated a short distance, watching her approach with cold eyes while the light around his sword grew increasingly intense.

"These aren’t powers bestowed upon me," he replied, his tone carrying a hint of disdain. "They’re mine. I’ve earned them through my own efforts, and you will soon discover the true extent of my abilities."

Having said that, Crypian stopped retreating and moved to meet her head-on. His sword flashed, releasing a concentrated beam of light that cut through the darkness between them.

Salvane twisted her body to avoid the attack, but the resulting shockwave still struck her with enough force to send her drifting backward.

Before she could regain her balance, Crypian had already closed the distance, his next strike descending toward her with frightening speed.

The two clashed once more, their attacks colliding in a burst of light and darkness that shook the surrounding sky. Neither showed any intention of yielding, and the battlefield continued to expand as their powers spread across the heavens.

Not far from their position, another equally intense battle was unfolding between Victor Velentina, the Patriarch of the Velentina family, and Aryavrata, the former Patriarch of the Solarian family.

Unlike the clash between Salvane and Crypian, their battle had already reached a level where the surrounding atmosphere struggled to endure the forces being unleashed.

Victor’s darkness collided against Aryavrata’s flames, sending waves of energy across the sky. The two forces met repeatedly, neither side managing to overwhelm the other despite the immense power behind their attacks.

Every collision produced a deafening shockwave that spread across the battlefield, shaking the invisible barrier surrounding the four continents.

Victor raised his hand, and a black hole formed before him. Its terrifying pull distorted the surrounding space, drawing in the flames that approached it while threatening to consume everything nearby.

The black hole expanded rapidly, its edges twisting as it attempted to swallow Aryavrata and the fire surrounding him. Yet the old man remained unmoved, his expression as calm as ever as he raised his own hand.

The flames around Aryavrata surged.

They burned with an intensity that surpassed even hellfire, their brilliant radiance illuminating the sky as they enveloped the black hole.

The darkness resisted for a brief moment, its gravitational force continuing to draw the flames inward, but the old man’s fire gradually consumed the very phenomenon that was supposed to devour it.

The black hole began to collapse, its distorted edges dissolving beneath the overwhelming heat until it vanished entirely.

Victor’s expression tightened, but he did not allow his frustration to interfere with his movements.

He drew his sword and charged forward, his blade coated in darkness as he aimed a devastating slash at the old man’s body.

Aryavrata responded by gathering his flames around his arm, using the burning energy to intercept the incoming strike. Their weapons collided, producing a violent explosion that sent both combatants drifting backward.

For a brief moment, they remained suspended in the air, staring at each other through the haze created by their attacks.

Aryavrata stood like the sun itself, his body surrounded by brilliant flames that illuminated the heavens.

The heat radiating from him distorted the air, making the space around his figure appear to ripple. In contrast, Victor resembled the darkest night, his presence swallowing the light around him as waves of darkness gathered beneath his feet.

Whenever their powers clashed, the surrounding atmosphere seemed to scatter and vaporize, unable to withstand the opposing forces.

Neither combatant was willing to give the other an opening. Victor attacked relentlessly, using his sword and darkness to pressure the old man, while Aryavrata met each strike with precise movements and overwhelming flames.

Their battle had become a contest of endurance as much as strength, with every exchange threatening to turn the surrounding sky into a wasteland.

"You didn’t think we would attack like this, did you, old man?"

Victor shouted, swinging his sword to cut through a wave of flames.

His voice carried a mixture of anger and triumph, and his eyes had grown bloodshot as the battle continued.

Whatever plan he had devised, he had clearly expected the situation to unfold differently, and the old man’s resistance was beginning to test his patience.

Aryavrata offered no reply. He merely raised his hand, and a torrent of flames erupted around him, spreading across the sky like a rising sun.

The fire surged toward Victor, forcing the latter to swing his sword repeatedly to carve a path through the blazing inferno. Even so, the flames continued to close in, their heat growing more oppressive with every passing moment.

"If you had known what we were planning, you wouldn’t have been so careless," Victor continued, his expression twisting into a vicious grin.

"But it doesn’t matter anymore. Today, I’ll kill you, and once you’re dead, your empire of riches will belong to me!"

He charged forward again, his sword cutting through the flames as he attempted to close the distance between them. The darkness surrounding his body grew denser, spreading across his arms and weapon until his entire figure appeared to be wrapped in a black shroud.

Victor had no intention of letting the battle drag on indefinitely. He wanted to kill Aryavrata, seize control of the Solarian family’s wealth, and secure his position before the conflict spread any further.

Yet, despite the sudden betrayal, none of the Zlycons watching the battle appeared particularly aggrieved by what was happening.

The attack had come without warning, and the betrayal should ordinarily have caused widespread outrage among them. Instead, they seemed almost relieved that the humans had finally revealed their intentions.

Perhaps they had already grown tired of the fragile peace that had existed between the two races.

Perhaps they had been waiting for an excuse to settle old grudges, and the human invasion had provided them with the justification they needed.

After all, the humans had launched an attack on their territory, and the destruction unfolding across the sky left little room for anyone to argue that the conflict could be resolved through peaceful negotiations.

If the Zlycons emerged victorious, they would have every reason to demand compensation for the damage inflicted upon their lands.

More importantly, they could finally seize the three floating continents that had remained beyond their control for so long. For many among the Zlycons, the prospect was worth far more than maintaining a peace that had never been particularly beneficial to them in the first place.

At least, that was what the humans believed.

They assumed that the Zlycons would be too preoccupied with the invasion to recognize the larger forces at work, and that the resulting chaos would allow them to achieve their ambitions before their enemies could organize a proper response.

Victor, in particular, seemed convinced that the death of Aryavrata would mark the beginning of his rise to greater power.

However, the battles raging across the sky were only a fraction of what was unfolding behind the scenes, and the true significance of the conflict remained hidden from most of those involved.

The humans had come believing that they were the ones taking advantage of the chaos.

They had yet to realize that they might be walking straight into a fate prepared long before their invasion began.