CHAPTER 200: CAPTURED

Adam’s domain fell apart. A flurry of dazzling white light replaced the endless, reassuring blackness. He had lost control. He was drawn from Eric’s body by a strong, unstoppable force that seized his spiritual form.

He witnessed the terrifying, out-of-body experience. The two tiny, black devices that were glowing on Eric’s chest were the target of the extraction of his essence.

A terrifying thought briefly occurred to him: Am I being transferred? In a new prison, trapped in a new body? However, after seeing the gadgets, he realized their actual function. There was no transfer here. It was a capture.

For Eric, the procedure was excruciating. His body trembled on the forest floor even though he was unconscious. His features were etched with a silent scream, his face a mask of unadulterated agony.

Now that he was partially detached from the body, Adam was able to see the scene with terrifying clarity. He noticed Eric writhing on the floor. He noticed Void standing above him, pressing a firm hand against the capture device and directing his own magical energy into it to increase its potency.

He also noticed two additional figures. Their hands, which were also glowing with power, were on either side of Eric’s body, directing their energy into the barrier that was weakening him rather than the device.

Their faces grim and intent, they held Eric down.

Gold and silver were involved. Adam was physically struck with the realization of the betrayal. A wave of deep disbelief swept over him as he gazed at them. It was all a lie—the team, the mission, the trust. An exquisitely designed trap.

Beside his spiritual form, the red System Window flickered violently. [Master! Caution! They are capturing you! You will not be able to get out of this device without the captor’s help. This is a very powerful artifact!]

There was no need for the warning. Adam was already using all of his resources to fight. In a desperate attempt to gain his freedom, he gave his own tremendous magical power against the pulling force.

However, it was pointless. They were ready. Now he realized that the magical barrier and the strange, energy-draining lumber were all a part of their net.

Before the actual attack even started, they had set up devices all over this area of the forest that were intended to weaken him and drain his strength. They had taken him completely by surprise. They would not have had a chance if he had been at his strongest. They were aware of it.

With a bead of sweat running down his temple, Void gritted his teeth. The spirit is resistance was much more than he had expected. His voice was strained with effort as he grunted, "Gold! Silver!" "This one is strong! It will not give up easily!

Void reached into his other pocket without removing his hand from the gadget. He produced a small, multifaceted crystal that glistened in rainbow colors. A crystal of mana. He smashed it in his fist without hesitation.

His body experienced a tremendous surge of unprocessed energy. With a roar, he directed this fresh, borrowed power straight into the capture apparatus.

It had an instant impact. The pulling force became ten times stronger. Adam felt his own strength falter after exerting all of his might in resistance. His spiritual form was stretching and distorting as he was pulled into the device more quickly now.

Here, he lacked a physical body to hold onto himself. A group of professionals who were experts in the art of capturing his kind faced him as a disembodied spirit.

His physical form was drawn violently and slowly into the small black box. The first to go were his legs, which stretched like smoke before being drawn in by the violet light.

Then his upper parts. Next, his chest.

Adam’s entire being was enveloped in a sheet of confining energy as the device on his chest pulsed. Eric’s flailing body was pinned to the ground as Gold and Silver, the two girls, stood on either side, their hands still glowing, put their own mana into the confinement field.

"All this preparation," said Gold, the girl with the golden hair, in a low, amazed growl. "Even with the highest-quality mana crystal and the three of us, it is still putting up this much resistance."

With an angry yet pale face, Silver, the person with silver hair, nodded. "This one will make the Apostle very happy."

Void ignored them, still straining, his knuckles white. "Do you think this is it?" he asked, his voice lower and intense. "The Prince-Spirit the Apostle prophesied?"

Silver and Gold remained silent. Their silence itself was a response. In their service to the Apostle, they had captured dozens of spirits, but none had ever been like this. They had never experienced such vast, pure power.

They had never been so vulnerable. Although they were experts, they were also extremely aware of the dangerous path they were treading.

This spirit would destroy them all without hesitation if there was even the slightest error or brief breakdown in the containment field. They were aware of spirits’ potential for danger. This one was completely different. They were attempting to contain a god.

They are fairly right about how dangerous Adam could become if he knew their intention a little in advance.

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We are so grateful to each and every one of you for joining the adventure! Your assistance is greatly appreciated. I appreciate each and every one of your Power Stones, which are like mana potions that keep me writing if you are enjoying the story.

Let us have some fun now! I want YOU in this world. The new signature technique is about to be named by our hero. What ought it to be called?

Leave your most inventive suggestions in the comments section! I will choose my favorite, and it will be included in the story’s canon with a special mention for you.

I am eager to read your insightful recommendations!

Alphaboss

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