CHAPTER 94: CHAPTER 94 - WORLD BENEATH GOD

"Instead of wasting time here, I have a better idea," said Marain, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Let’s go back to the mansion first," she added.

Before anyone could even ask what her plan was, Marain had already jumped from the top floor down into the central hole. The others glanced at one another briefly, then quickly followed her lead.

The guiding wind surged once again, pulling them through the tunnel and eventually delivering them back to the Blessing Crystal’s mansion.

"This is something I recently discovered," Marain explained once they arrived at the entrance, "We can actually transport directly outside from the Blessing Crystal without needing to go through the city."

"But the issue is," she continued, "it used to be Jin and Gin who directed the teleportation. And since they’re not here, I can only hope the guiding wind can take over their task."

She turned toward the swirling wind in front of her, speaking directly to it.

"There’s something I need to get before we evacuate," Auran suddenly said. Without waiting, he turned and sprinted back into the mansion. Clara followed swiftly behind him.

"Oho, so you can communicate... Ah, only with the owner of the Blessing Crystal Mansion? I see," Marain murmured, surprised as the guiding wind seemed to respond to her. To the others, it showed no signs of intelligence or language, yet with Marain, it acted almost sentient.

After a few moments, Auran and Clara returned. But there was no visible sign of what Auran had retrieved from inside.

"Hmph," Marain exhaled as she finished her quiet exchange with the guiding wind, then shook her head.

"It says it can transport us outside," she explained, turning back to the group, "but not through the usual portal. That one’s overwhelmed with the crowd constantly pouring through it. Instead, it’ll use an alternative channel—one reserved for a select few in the city."

"What are we waiting for then? Let’s go," Octo urged. "Even if it’s not the normal way, we’ll still get out of the underground."

Marain nodded, relayed their agreement to the guiding wind, and once again, the swirling current picked up. This time, however, it pulled them not downward, but upward—through the core of the Blessing Crystal itself.

As they ascended, Auran suddenly felt the space around him blur and ripple, like he was passing through overlapping dimensions.

A moment later, they all found themselves standing on solid ground—not beneath stone ceilings, but under a radiant, open sky. White clouds drifted above them, the wind blew gently, and birds soared through the air.

"Huh!—who are you punks?" a voice barked nearby.

Turning toward the sound, they saw a group of figures who had also just arrived through spatial travel. These newcomers were dressed in elegant, noble-style clothing and carried themselves with the typical arrogance of high-ranking elites.

"They must be the kind who usually use this private spatial gateway," Henry muttered, putting the pieces together.

"I know this place," Marain said after a moment of recognition. "We’re within the kingdom’s borders—dammit, if those two dumb golems could’ve teleported me this close before, why did they send me somewhere so far away back then?"

She looked around with a mixture of relief and irritation. They were in a small village nestled just inside the kingdom’s territory. Marain remembered passing through it once before while traveling by carriage—it was familiar ground.

"You said this village is inside the kingdom’s borders, right? So... where exactly are the borders?" Henry asked, scanning the surroundings.

"What? Can’t you see those giant—" Marain began, but her words caught in her throat as her eyes settled on the horizon.

Normally, from this distance, she could easily spot the massive walls encircling the Ragun Kingdom—titanic stone structures that towered like pillars around its perimeter. But now... there were no walls.

What lay before her was devastation.

The once-mighty border walls had crumbled into ruins. Stone and rubble lay scattered across the land, and the destruction didn’t stop there. Even from afar, it was clear: nearly every structure within the kingdom had collapsed. Fires burned in the distance, smoke billowed into the sky, and the sounds of chaos echoed—shouts, screams, and monstrous roars woven together into a symphony of sorrow.

This village, being located between the kingdom and its outer edges, offered a direct view of the scene. Marain and the others could see the state of the kingdom clearly from where they stood.

"What... what happened to the Ragun Kingdom?" Marain murmured, her voice full of disbelief as she stared at the ruined land.

"Do you see that too... or am I hallucinating?" Henry asked, pointing toward a figure in the distance.

Amid the debris of the fallen kingdom, a towering creature strode across the ruins. It was at least three times the height of an average human, its body cloaked in shimmering, crystalline scales that glinted ominously in the sun.

Even from this distance, the group could tell—it was no ordinary being. Its form was humanoid, yet undeniably alien, exuding power and menace with every step it took through the wreckage.

The towering figure, easily rising above the half-collapsed buildings of the ruined kingdom, continued to walk with heavy, deliberate steps. Its immense size made it visible even from the distance where Henry and the others stood.

"What kind of abomination is that...?" Marain asked, her voice low with shock.

Just then, the massive being came to a stop. A unit of kingdom soldiers rushed toward it, weapons drawn. Swords, spears, and bows aimed at the towering figure—all ready to strike.

"You monster, halt!" one of the soldiers shouted, and without hesitation, they launched their attack.

Blades sliced the air, arrows flew, and spear tips struck the creature’s body.

But none of it worked.

Every weapon either bounced off or shattered against its crystalline form. The creature stood still, seemingly unbothered, observing them with cold indifference.

Then, it slowly raised one of its massive hands.

The moment its arm reached full height, the earth itself began to tremble.

"A shockwave? Could this be one of its abilities?" Auran muttered, narrowing his eyes.

The ground shook violently. Even Auran struggled to remain on his feet, and the soldiers near the creature were thrown off balance completely.

Worse still, the already fragile ruins of the kingdom couldn’t withstand the quake. Buildings that had barely survived the earlier destruction crumbled in an instant, adding to the devastation.

Dust rose. Walls collapsed. Screams echoed once more through the shattered city.

And the towering figure remained still—untouched and unshaken—like a god watching a world break beneath its feet.

The population of the kingdom fled in terror, their screams echoing through the crumbling streets. But nearly half of them were caught in the chaos. Some were buried beneath the falling debris, others lay injured—limbs broken, bodies crushed by the wreckage that rained down from above.

Amid the dust and devastation, a battered soldier, blood trickling down his brow, shouted through the noise:

"Hold your ground, soldiers! Even if we’re wounded—even if it’s hopeless—we must bring down that monster! For tomorrow’s peace, and for the future of our children!"

His voice was raw with pain, but filled with determination.

All around him, fellow soldiers struggled to rise from the shattered earth, many wounded themselves. One of them, a man pinned beneath a massive slab of collapsed stone, groaned in agony—his lower body trapped, motionless.

And yet, even in that dire state, there was no surrender in their eyes.

Only the will to fight. Even if it meant their last breath.