CHAPTER 348: CHAPTER 348 THE SECOND SUN

The old man’s black wings spread wide, their edges shimmering with a darkness so deep it made the world around him look like it was collapsing. With one sharp beat—WHOOMPH!!!—he shot forward, his body vanishing into a blur of shadow.

His fist came raging toward Lilith like a hammer of death.

Lilith’s eyes widened. She raised both hands desperately, ice forming instantly. Multiple walls erupted before her, thick slabs of frozen barriers stacking one after another.

CRRRRSHHHH!!!

The first wall shattered instantly.

The second lasted only a heartbeat.

The third cracked like glass before it too splintered apart.

She cursed under her breath, realizing she was too weak. Her earlier avalanche had drained her far too much. Normally, she could have layered hundreds of walls to slow him down, but now? Her reserves were crumbling.

Her last resort was herself. She curled her arm over her head, covering her upper body as best as she could.

BANG!!!

The impact was brutal.

The fist slammed into her arm, and she heard it—crack. Silent at first, then sharp. A pain like fire ripped through her bones, shooting down her body. Her vision blurred instantly, her body losing control.

She was flung back through the air like a loose kite.

Her body twisted, flipping helplessly. Every nerve screamed, her arm numb, chest burning. She felt blood rising in her throat, the taste sharp and metallic. The world spun violently as she was hurled straight toward the mansion.

She clenched her teeth, bracing herself. If she hit the wall at this speed, even her body reinforced by the system wouldn’t hold up. She could already feel her ribs screaming from the impact earlier—this would finish her.

But then—

Arms.

Strong, familiar arms caught her midair, steady and firm, halting her chaotic descent.

Her entire body went rigid.

That warmth. That scent.

She opened her eyes, breath shaky. The first thing she saw was his face, sharp and intense against the light.

"Liam..." she whispered, her voice faint but filled with relief.

He looked down at her, his deep blue eyes burning with both concern and fury.

"I’m sorry," he said, voice low and heavy. "I should have come sooner."

Her lips parted slightly, a weak smile forming even through the pain. "It’s okay," she whispered. "You’re here now."

Her head rested against his chest, her body giving in to the exhaustion. And then—darkness. She passed out in his arms, her breaths shallow but steady.

Liam’s jaw clenched so hard it felt like it might snap. His wings, large and radiant, spread with force, wrapping around the two of them for a moment like a protective shield.

Then he lifted his head.

His eyes locked onto the old man in the sky.

Pure anger burned within him.

He had never felt rage like this before. Liam had faced death countless times, fought enemies that could rip him apart, stared down situations that should have broken him—but nothing had ever fueled his fury like this.

Someone had dared to hurt her.

If he had been a moment later, Lilith would already be dead.

He hated nothing more than this—someone he cared for being broken right before him.

His blood boiled. His heartbeat thundered.

The old man was still floating there, wings spread, watching. Smiling faintly.

Liam shifted Lilith carefully in his arms, then descended quickly. He landed beside Dickson, the ground cracking under his boots.

He placed Lilith into Dickson’s arms, his grip lingering for a moment. His tone was sharp when he spoke.

"Watch her."

Dickson’s face went pale as he took her. He looked at Lilith’s limp body, then back at Liam, eyes wide.

"Holy shit..." he breathed, his voice strained. "You can’t fight him, Liam. You saw what he did to her. He’s too strong."

He looked back at the old man in the air, shivering.

Dickson swallowed hard, his fear visible. His voice rose desperately. "Take Lilith and get out of here! I’ll... I’ll keep him busy!"

For a split second, Liam just stared at him.

The thought was almost laughable. The old man wouldn’t need a second to end Dickson. Liam knew that. Dickson knew it too, deep down. But still, he said it.

Even through the inferno of anger burning inside him, Liam couldn’t help it—he smiled faintly at his friend.

Then his wings burst open, light radiating as he pushed off the ground with immense force.

BOOOOM!!!

He shot into the air, straight toward the old man.

Dickson flinched at the sound, nearly stumbling back as the wind from Liam’s takeoff blasted against him.

He held onto Lilith tightly, trying to steady her body in his arms. His heart pounded so hard it hurt. He was terrified—for her, for Liam, for himself.

Then suddenly—

"Boo."

A voice behind him.

Dickson jumped so violently he nearly dropped Lilith. He spun around, eyes wide.

"Shit!" he cursed loudly. "You scared the hell out of me!"

Standing there was Seo Yeon, her figure calm, her eyes fixed on Lilith. She stepped closer without another word, her presence eerie in how composed she was despite everything that had just happened.

She gently took Lilith from his arms, adjusting her with surprising care.

Dickson blinked at her, still shaken. "Wait—have you been here the whole damn time?"

Seo Yeon nodded calmly, her expression unreadable. "Yes. I saw everything. From behind you."

Dickson stared at her, mouth open. He wanted to say something, anything—but all that came out was a weak mutter.

"Damn... you could’ve said something."

She didn’t answer. Her attention was only on Lilith, her hands steady as she supported her weight.

She Lilith in her arms carefully, her face calm despite the chaos. She looked straight at Dickson.

"Go into the mansion," she said firmly. "Find Vanessa and Kelly. I’ll take Lilith back to the car."

Dickson’s eyes went wide. "What? Are you insane?" He pointed at the sky where the old man and Liam were. "If I get hit by even one of those stray attacks, I’m dead before I take ten steps!"

Seo Yeon didn’t flinch. Her eyes cut into him like knives. "You drove a car into this compound while bullets were flying at you from every direction," she said coldly. "And now you’re scared of stray attacks?"

Her words stabbed him where it hurt. Dickson’s jaw tightened. He gritted his teeth, veins showing on his neck as he looked at the mansion, then back at her.

"You’re right," he muttered through clenched teeth. Then louder, almost shouting, "You’re right! I am fucking protected by the gods!"

Without another word, he turned and bolted toward the mansion, his boots pounding the ground. His heart hammered in his chest, but his determination kept his legs moving.

Seo Yeon didn’t waste another moment. She turned on her heel and dashed in the opposite direction, Lilith in her arms. Her speed was frightening, her figure blurring as she darted straight for Lilith’s car.

In the sky, Liam had finally reached the old man. Both of them floated, wings stretched, the air vibrating around them.

The old man’s lips curled into a smile as he looked at Liam’s radiant white wings. His voice was almost joyous, full of recognition.

"So the rumors are true," he said. "Aet-khenu-ra. You are one of them."

Liam’s eyes narrowed. He understood instantly. Vanessa had told him about this, whispered of those ancient beings connected to light itself. He didn’t need to hear more.

He attacked.

With one powerful beat of his wings, he shot forward like a missile, fists raised, rage burning in his chest.

The old man wove his hands calmly, and instantly, shadows poured out around him, twisting and writhing like living creatures. They expanded outward, coiling around Liam in an instant.

Darkness swallowed him whole.

Liam vanished inside the writhing blackness, his entire existence consumed.

The old man smirked, his tone mocking. "You are still not a match for me. Perhaps in a few years, your strength will be worth something. Unfortunately, you will die today."

But then—

Something shifted.

The old man’s smirk faltered. Inside the cocoon of shadows, he saw it. A glow.

Light.

At first faint, then brighter. It was pure, overwhelming, and radiant. The shadows that had once seemed unbreakable began to peel away, disintegrating as if the light was burning them alive.

The old man’s eyes widened.

"No..." he muttered.

The glow intensified, exploding outward. The shadows split apart violently, shredded into nothing. And out of them—

Liam.

His body surged forward, his wings shining so brightly it was like a second sun had erupted in the sky. His fist drove forward with unstoppable momentum.

BOOOOOM!!!

The impact connected square into the old man’s chest. The sound alone shook the compound.

The old man’s body bent under the force as his wings folded awkwardly. His breath was ripped from his lungs as the punch carried him downward. His body tore through the air like a missile, his black aura scattering in all directions.

BANG!!!!

The ground split open as he hit. The impact was catastrophic.

A shockwave burst out from the crater, sending dust, frost, and shattered debris flying in every direction. The earth quaked as the ground caved inward, swallowing the old man into its center. Cracks spiderwebbed out from the point of impact, stretching across the courtyard, deep enough that the soil itself seemed to scream.

Chunks of stone and brick from the mansion’s foundation rained down. The sound of crumbling echoed, sharp and violent, as the crater widened with smoke and dust spiraling into the sky.

The old man’s black wings twitched once before going still, buried under the rubble.

Above, Liam hovered, chest heaving, eyes locked downward, his aura blazing so strongly that every shadow around the courtyard recoiled. His white wings glowed with a golden-white hue, radiant enough that the compound itself seemed to be lit by day even though the sky had been swallowed by darkness moments earlier.

Down below, Dickson had just reached the mansion entrance. He stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth falling open.

His eyes caught the sight of Liam in the sky—glowing, wings spread, golden-white radiance burning like a star.

Dickson blinked, his throat dry, his voice cracking as he muttered the only words that came to mind.

"Holy fuck..." His lips curled into a grin even as fear gripped him. "This fucker is magnificent."

The mansion broken entrance loomed in front of him, but his eyes stayed fixed on Liam for a moment longer.

Then he turned, clenched his jaw, and charged inside.