BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted, riddling the sky with several shockwaves that shook the whole plane. The ground beneath trembled as the red hot lava burst from the several crevices, and the chasm intensified, surrounding the land with intense heat.
If True Void was a human, he might have been blown away by the shockwaves or grilled alive. Since he was not, he remained unmoving in the air with the enormous hexagonal shield. He ignored everything else and watched the scene before him. His illusory heart quivered from both fear for the plane's destruction, as well as excitement at seeing the explosive strength Kyran had shown.
The first time True Void had witnessed such explosive strength, Kyran only used his physical strength. Although the dragon's blood had strengthened Kyran's body at that time, he did not use any Regis Techniques and purely relied on his physical strength to overwhelm all his opponents. If the instructors were a tad late, the result would have been a one-sided slaughter.
Because of this, True Void knew that when Kyran snapped that time, his mind did not go blank instead, it became clear. If not, he would have indiscriminately attacked everyone while utilizing the Regis Techniques.
Thinking of this, True Void tried to assure himself that Kyran would definitely not do anything that would result in this plane's destruction.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
More red hot lava erupted from newly formed crevices below.
'…'
Black lines appeared on True Void's head. Hopefully, Kyran was clear-headed enough to stop before he completely destroyed this plane.
"YOU REALLY DARED!"
The thunder-like voice of the Sovereign boomed both in anger and amusement.
This young human truly exceeded his expectations. Thrice he was surprised by the young human's actions. Instead of running, he dared to face him, a Sovereign, against all odds. He would not slaughter him this time. This level of power was indeed astonishing, but it was still not enough.
To contend with other Sovereigns, one must be capable of producing multiple powerful trump cards. Right now, the young human had power, but he was still rough around the edges. He simply attacked head-on with raw strength—a feat unbecoming of a true mage.
Among the present Sovereigns who had that kind of mindset?
Not only that, but the young man's strong physique was something the Sovereign of Ruin also admired. Most Sovereigns had tried to overcome their weak physique all these lives, but the young human already possessed it. Though only fellow Sovereigns could fatally wound each other, if a non-Sovereign mage could survive their attacks with his powerful physique and also had the power to contend with them, disregarding the gap in their levels, even a Sovereign might have a hard time dealing with him.
'And if he becomes a Sovereign…'
The thought made the Sovereign of Ruin's heart tremble from anticipation. 'Given enough time… he will reach that height. Then slaughtering him will become more worthwhile.'
His decision to visit the human plane soon had been initially to confront the Soul Emperor's failure in ultimately killing the despicable human. Now, he changed his mind.
The Sovereign of Ruin would still visit the human plane to meet the Soul Emperor and demand answers, but he would not seek the young human's death. He wanted to see him grow. If the Soul Emperor had designs on the young human, the Sovereign of Ruin would stop her. Not just her. Anyone who touched the young human would answer to him.
Because only he was allowed to kill him.
As for this plane, it was alright to let it go. He worked for almost a thousand years in getting it back, but now he was more interested in the young human.
The Sovereign of Ruin did not mind letting it go. After all, this was not the only plane he had in possession. He only persisted on this plane because this was the first plane he conquered and having someone else try to take it left an awful taste.
None of that mattered to him now that he had something else he was more interested in.
CRACKLE!
WHOOOSH!
As the fissures in the sky grew, the Sovereign of Ruin's power weakened. His power that the reddish-purple comet had gradually absorbed exploded, creating a blinding light that filled the sky.
This light overwhelmed even the red light and hindered its progress. The cracks that had formed within the red light crept upward until it reached the sides of the circular door.
CRACK! CRACK!
All the cracks and the fissures converged on the circular door, and finally, it showed signs of crumbling.
As if the reddish-purple comet sensed it, its momentum exploded once more and burst through the sky. However, when the comet looked on the verge of piercing through the last few meters of distance before the gigantic hand, thunder rolled above, and the gigantic hand slowly withdrew.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
The thunder-like voice of the Sovereign of Ruins filled the air.
"YOU HAVE WON ME OVER, YOUNG HUMAN. TODAY, REMEMBER THAT I HAVE LET YOU LIVE!"
As soon as his words fell, the star-filled sky and the circular door exploded, stopping the reddish-purple comet's advance.
Fragments of the star-filled sky and the circular door began to fall, looking like broken diamonds.
All of the creatures who saw had witnessed this scene were now in despair. None of them could appreciate how these fragments looked beautiful as they fell from the sky because as soon as the fragments entered the plane's atmosphere, they turned into flaming rocks that riddled the plane's surface with massive holes.
If that was not enough, the crevices pouting all the lava also erupted, turning the whole land into a fiery hell.
A huge flaming rock also fell in True Void's direction. But he was not bothered by its size nor the possibility of him getting reduced into smithereens if it hit him. When the flaming rock was only ten meters away from him, the hexagonal shield hovering above moved and collided with it. In just a matter of three seconds, the flaming rock had completely disintegrated.
At the same time, the energy surrounding the reddish-purple comet began to dissipate and finally revealed Kyran's figure.
His eyes glowed reddish-purple as he gazed at the gigantic retreating hand.
Black mist roiled around the gigantic hand. The mist spread out as if trying to compete with the fissures that still filled the sky.
Kyran currently had a slight frown on his face. He stopped going after the gigantic hand not because he had second thoughts but because he could no longer feel it.
It was as if the gigantic hand above was another essence of the Sovereign of Ruin, and the real one left as soon as the star-filled night sky and the circular door exploded.
"BECOME A SOVEREIGN, YOUNG HUMAN. LET US SETTLE OUR GRIEVANCES THEN."
The black mist whirled and was drawn into the gigantic hand; a huge red and black vortex formed with the gigantic hand in the middle.
Just when the gigantic hand and the black mist fully retreated into the vortex, the gigantic hand pointed at Kyran.
"A PARTING GIFT."
The Sovereign of Ruin had said, followed by a flash of black lightning shooting out from his finger.
When Kyran saw this, he immediately lifted his left hand and summoned a hexagonal-shaped Void Barrier.
However, before the black lightning collided with the barrier, it swerved further to the left before abruptly breaking to a stop and shifting back toward Kyran's left arm.
The black lightning bypassed his clothe's magic defenses and went straight into his arm. Since the flesh on his arm had not yet been restored completely, the black lightning penetrated his bones, shocking his core.
"Argh!" Kyran groaned in pain. The shock momentarily stopped the flow of magic energy in his body, making him lose control over the shape-shifting plates on his feet.
"Void Halfling!"
True Void moved at once after seeing Kyran lose his balance and fall.
"HAHAHAHA! YOU HAVE A VERY WEAK AURA BUT WITH MY GIFT, IT HAD GROWN STRONGER."
The Sovereign of Ruin's voice added before his gigantic hand, and the red and black vortex disappeared from the sky.
True Void disengaged the shape-shifting plates from its full-body Void Armor version and flew toward Kyran. He controlled the plates to turn into a small dark blue and purple floating island to which Kyran fell with a loud thud.
The fissures in the sky began to close, and the cracks and the massive chasm on the ground.
[Void Halfling! Are you okay?]
True Void's voice filled with worry sounded in Kyran's head. But then he paused as if realizing something and corrected himself.
[No, no. That is not a good question. Obviously, you're not! Get yourself together!]
Kyran wanted to tell True Void that he was okay, but his whole body had grown numb from the Sovereign of Ruin's 'parting gift' and he could not move at all. He also felt one of his sealed magic cores stir, and it appeared the tower had sensed it and began to reseal it. The process was actually very painful.
Kyran's body was numb but his insides were in pain. The feeling was too contradicting, he could only close his eyes and endure.
[What? What? Have you gone mute or something? Talk to me!]
For the next few minutes, True Void's panic-stricken voice filled Kyran's head.
After almost three minutes, Kyran's senses slowly returned.
"T-True Void. Help me," he said while trying to sit up.
[You're alive! You're alive!]