The Transcendent Godslayer
Chapter 79: Behind the scenes.

Chapter 79: Behind the scenes.

Menelaus delivered a sudden backhand to Kallen’s ear; blunt, forceful and disorienting. Kallen’s already fragile senses were once again, disoriented.

As fast as he could, Menelaus unshackled Kallen and slammed him forward—face-down onto the table, rocking his body, and even throwing his senses into a network that responded to nothing but pain.

Before Kallen could recover, Menelaus locked down his limbs with fresh chains, binding him so tightly he could barely move a centimeter.

Only then did Menelaus return to his work, satisfied. Releasing a deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

He began to carve the third rune circle across Kallen’s back.

This one stretched from shoulder to tailbone; wide, jagged and elaborate.

Blood gushed out in waves, pooling beneath the table and soaking the floor.

Kallen’s breathing had grown shallow... too shallow. It seemed like he was only moments away from dying of blood loss.

And he should have died.

If he were an ordinary unawakened human, he’d already be a corpse.

Even most beneath the First Ascension wouldn’t have survived this long. He could only have his improved Foundation, due to the limit breaking physique to thank.

Menelaus had cut deep... far deeper than surface-level etchings. These were wounds that cut deep till they met bone.

Whether it was the book that demanded this depth, or simply Menelaus’s own madness, no one could say. But he had carved to the bone in both the forehead and chest, and there was no sign of restraint now.

With these continuous loss of blood and energy, and his body unable to heal, Kallen could really die at any moment.

---

The Crimson Castle was usually not noisy, but it seemed even quieter than usual at this point.

Aside from the constant trembling of the sky and the subtle quakes beneath the earth, it felt as though no human life dared to make a sound.

Then came the sudden surge of dynamis across the world—its volatile nature roaring through the bodies of those who dared to absorb it. Instantly, everyone knew something was wrong.

However, the moment the Saints made their move, it felt as though, aside from the forces of nature, all living organisms held their breath—none dared to breathe too loudly.

Well, all except those whom Luiz had delegated different duties to earlier. The moment they sensed the shift, they dropped everything and sprang into motion—even abandoning the urgent topic of Lucien’s disappearance.

Though extremely vital, and potentially a danger to the family, that bridge would be crossed when the time came. Right now, speed was the priority.

The upsurge in dynamis alone was enough reason for the Valgorians to either cancel the negotiations or at least delay them for a long while. After all, who in their right mind would allow the powerhouses of another race into their territory when the whole world seemed on the edge?

Another thing that made Luiz push for urgency was the movement of the Crimson Saints. All of them had darted off in the same direction, leaving no one behind.

It might sound arrogant, but Luiz was certain: if there was anything capable of making the Crimson Saints react like that, then other Saints across the globe definitely wouldn’t stay still. Heck, a war among Saints could break out at any moment—after all, this might be the opportunity many were waiting for.

With the continent of Ash now devoid of Saints as was every other stronghold in the world, Luiz’s confidence only grew.

Although Lyra’s father being a Saint himself, would no longer be present to ’oversee’ the negotiations, the Valgorians would still act with decorum. Well... that he could only hope for.

Yes, hope!

Shit could still get weird.

It was in this chaotic silence that the windows of the highly equipped hospital room; where a woman with tanned brown skin, now bearing a sickly pallor, pointed elven ears, and rich, earthy brown hair sprawled carelessly as she lay, suddenly flew open with a violent bang. They tore off their hinges, the glass shattering to dust.

Her eyes snapped open at once, amber pupils gleaming with a glint of danger and dread.

Without wasting even a fraction of a second, she sprang up, body tense. Her eyes locked unto the windowless window, as her dynamis rolled in violent waves.

For just a moment, a pained light flickered in her gaze, only to vanish, replaced by a cold, deadly menace.

A heartbeat later, a man with hazel-green eyes and a pleasant smile appeared just outside the shattered window.

It was like he had just appeared into existence... One moment he simply wasn’t there, and the next, he was. As if she had merely blinked and he had materialized before her.

But... had she even blinked?

The question, however, was inconsequential. The man moved forward slowly, as if walking like a mortal... but he wasn’t walking.

He floated forward in the exact same posture, unmoving, yet progressing... and Lyra instantly knew it wasn’t the wind that carried him as there was no single fluctuation or flow of wind. The wind wasn’t responding at all.

She couldn’t even breathe.

’What?!’

The thought slammed into her mind like an avalanche. She tried to suck in air, but it was as if the very oxygen refused to heed her will.

Her heart trembled.

She was a wind mancer. How could the air disobey her?

Her dynisis roots whined painfully as she clenched her teeth. Wind dynamis flared from her body, blending into the air—and yet...

Nothing.

The air around her was like unmoving stone. It pressed down with suffocating weight, the kind of pressure that could turn a weak Third Ascension ascendant into blood mist, or crush a strong one into meat paste.

She raised her head again and watched as the wall separating the hospital interior from the outside world crumbled into sand. The hazel-eyed man floated in through the breach, still smiling.

When he looked at her, his gaze softened, shifting between the look of a man gazing at a lover and that of a father looking at a beloved daughter.

He reached out, cupping her chin gently, eyes searching hers with emotions she couldn’t begin to decipher. Then he let go, scooping a handful of her hair and bringing it to his nose, inhaling deeply. A delighted expression crossed his face.

Lyra trembled... not from fear, but from rage. A fury like none she had ever known surged within her. She didn’t know where it came from.