CHAPTER 225: INVOCATION

"WHO DARES INVOKE MY NAME?!"

The voice crashed through the chamber like a tidal wave of thunder, shaking the air itself. The ground trembled beneath my feet, and the mist around the grave began to quiver as if it too feared the sound.

A heavy pressure, dense, suffocating, and cold, descended almost instantly.

It was the same kind of presence I’d felt when the Overseer appeared... only this one was more bone-chilling..

My body locked up before I could even think of moving.

All of my muscles were becoming rigid, like the air itself was trying to crush me from all sides.

Making me question what was happening all of a sudden.

My breath became shallow and uneven as I forced my eyes toward the source of the disturbance.

It had said "my name," and those two words could only mean one thing.

This was him?

My stomach twisted.

Lord Drugar, the very being whose rites I had just invoked without fully understanding what I was dealing with?

The Lord Drugar, whose name was uttered by every goblin with a tone of reverence.

The realization crawled through me like ice.

The dark wisp atop the grave began to move again, shifting like smoke caught in reverse wind—folding, merging, and layering itself over and over until it took on a vaguely humanoid shape.

The mass of shadows pulsed, its edges fraying and reforming as though it couldn’t decide if it wanted to exist or not, a crown, jagged, ethereal, and burning faintly with violet light, resting atop its head.

The sight rooted me even deeper in place.

Whatever I had called forth wasn’t some harmless spirit.

I used [Analyse], and only one name appeared.

[Drugar’s Avatar]

And the moment I saw it, every rational part of me screamed the same thing as I confirmed my suspicion:

Run.

Whatever intention had brought me here evaporated instantly.

My instincts took over, and I was already preparing to use [Warp] to get the hell out before this thing decided I was worth crushing.

But just as the skill flared in my mind, the system chimed.

Ding!

[All skills have been sealed by divine entity]

My breath caught halfway up my throat.

And I whispered:

"No..."

It wasn’t just disbelief—it was a sinking realization that I was trapped. My heart stalled in my chest, my body going cold, every nerve straining as though waiting for permission to panic.

Then the voice came again.

"Who dares invoke my name with so little of a sacrifice?"

It wasn’t just sound—it was a vibration that moved through the ground, through the air, through me. The way he spoke made my insides clench. Every word carried weight, like a verdict being read.

I swallowed hard, but it did nothing.

My throat was dry, my tongue heavy.

My knees trembled beneath me, the pressure pressing down harder and harder until it felt like the air itself wanted me on the ground. My entire body began to shake uncontrollably, breath hitching between sharp, shallow gasps.

I could hear my heartbeat pounding against my ribs—fast, loud, and desperate. Like a drum trying to outpace the silence that followed his question.

I used [Analyse], and only one name appeared.

[Drugar’s Avatar]

The moment I saw it, every rational part of me screamed the same thing—run. Whatever curiosity had brought me here evaporated instantly. My instincts took over, and I was already preparing to use [Warp] to get the hell out before this thing decided I was worth crushing.

But just as the skill flared in my mind, the system chimed.

Ding!

[All skills have been sealed by entity: usage unavailable.]

My breath caught halfway up my throat.

"No..." I whispered.

Then the voice came again.

"Who dares invoke my name with so little of a sacrifice?"

The way he spoke made my insides clench, every word carrying weight, like a verdict being read.

I swallowed hard, but it did nothing.

My throat was dry, my tongue heavy, each breath rasping out like sandpaper.

The tremor in my knees grew worse, the pressure bearing down harder and harder until it felt as though the air itself wanted to force me to the ground.

My whole body quaked, every muscle seizing as sharp, shallow gasps clawed their way out of my chest.

I could hear my heartbeat hammering against my ribs, frantic and uneven, like a drum trying to outpace the silence that followed his question.

I tried to steady myself, but my legs had already given up, turned to jelly beneath me, weak and useless.

The weight in the air thickened, almost tangible, pressing against my lungs until even breathing felt like defiance.

My body wasn’t just trembling anymore—it was resisting, refusing to stand before something that wasn’t meant to be stood before.

Then the shadow shifted.

The featureless face turned toward me, and though it had no eyes, I could feel it looking straight through me.

"Was it you... goblin?"

The question crawled across my skin like static.

The sheer weight of his voice pressed into my spine until my knees finally gave out, hitting the floor with a dull thud.

"Yes... Lord Drugar," I managed to let out, my voice small and unsteady. "This humble goblin summoned you."

A pause followed, and then, he repeated, almost to himself, the tone low and cold.

"Humble..."

Then, without warning, his voice erupted, deep, thunderous, and violent.

"You offer me bones, and you dare call yourself humble?!"

The last word hit me like a shockwave.

It wasn’t just loud; it carried power.

My chest vibrated painfully, my teeth clenched involuntarily, and I could feel my bones quivering under the sound.

"Chosens...you think you can just offer me crumbs and expect me to obey your whims," he said, his voice dripping with anger. The air thickened again, heavier than before, pressing down on everything around me.

"I should start squashing insects who believe they can take whatever they desire."

"Arghh!" The sound tore from my throat before I could stop it.

The weight bearing down on me was unbearable.

My body trembled violently, bones creaking as if the air itself wanted to grind me into the stone beneath.

"Using my name," he continued, voice rumbling with growing fury, "to invoke oaths and rites as they please..."

My vision blurred, black spots dancing at the edge of my sight.

I couldn’t hold on much longer; the pressure was suffocating, burning through every nerve. In a desperate rush, I forced out the words before I lost consciousness.

"What... what do you demand then, Lord Drugar?"

The moment I said it, the weight pressed down on me lifted, and I collapsed forward, gasping. Air flooded back into my lungs, and I could feel the sweat dripping down my face, tracing along my jaw before hitting the floor.

Each breath came ragged, uneven, but at least I could breathe again.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then, at last, he spoke.

"Hmm... let’s see."

The way he said it made my stomach drop.

There was a deliberate slowness in his tone, like a cat toying with a cornered mouse.

And I knew I’d made a mistake. I knew whatever came next wouldn’t be good, but what else could I have done? I was seconds away from being crushed into paste if I didn’t say something.

Drugar then revealed:

"I demand the hearts...