CHAPTER 363: THE FINAL BASE

The fights so far had shown me the power each law held on its own.

Fire....raw, consuming, and fierce.

Lightning....fast, precise, and deadly.

Space....the silent warper of reality, bending paths, folding distances, opening doors where none should exist. Each law had its own language, its own rhythm.

I thought about fire first. The way it could spread uncontrollably, scorching everything in its path, turning solid into ash. It was unpredictable but powerful, a force of destruction and renewal. I could feel the heat of it in my veins, the energy of burning fuel.

Lightning came next, sharp and crackling, electric pulses racing faster than thought. It was precision and speed combined, the sudden strike that could fell even the toughest foe before they knew what hit them. When I covered myself with it, I could feel the surge of raw Essence flowing through my body, every nerve ending alive and alert.

Then space. The invisible law that I was only beginning to understand. Space didn’t just mean distance; it was the fabric of reality itself—folding, stretching, and twisting at my command. When I opened portals or bent the path of attacks, I was using space to reshape the battlefield.

As I sat there, I tried to imagine what would happen if I combined these three laws.

A single skill that could weave fire’s burning fury, lightning’s blistering speed, and space’s distortion.

Could I create something that strikes like lightning but burns like fire, and arrives with the suddenness of folded space?

I pictured it vividly: flames dancing with electric sparks, swirling around me like a storm.

Then, instead of folding space to shorten distance, I imagined it tightening around an enemy like a vice. A sudden collapse of the space around them—locking their limbs, crushing their movements, holding them still for just a moment.

Enough for fire and lightning to strike. A trap made of laws, burning from within, sparking through the gaps, while their own space turned against them. They wouldn’t be able to move, dodge, or even breathe right. Not when the space around them refused to let go.

I could almost feel the Essence shifting inside me, waiting to be shaped, waiting for my command.

The possibilities excited me.

A fusion skill like that would be beautiful. In the chaos of battle, speed and power weren’t enough; I needed unpredictability, versatility. Something new that could overwhelm even the strongest defenses.

But mastering such a fusion would not be easy.

Fire, lightning, and space were either wild or complex. Combining them required not just power but deep understanding. I’d have to sense the Essence flows carefully, balance the heat and the charge, and control the warping of space without losing grip.

I clenched my fists, feeling the tiny sparks of energy dancing beneath my skin. This was the next step. I’d create a skill born from the heart of the storm—fire, lightning, and space working as one. It would be my answer to the battle to come.

For now, I let the idea settle in my mind. Soon, I would start shaping it, feeling the laws flow through me, and pushing myself to new limits.

I stayed seated a few minutes longer, finishing the blueprint of the skill in my mind. Around me, I could sense everyone preparing to move.

I stood up slowly, stretching my limbs. Around me, others were already gathering. Steve tightened his grip on his sword, his shoulder wrapped in fresh bandages. North adjusted her clothes, the glint in her eyes sharper than before. Gary, Edgar, and the rest of the Grandmasters stood in silence.

Arkas nodded once. "We move."

The rings hummed louder. Lines of Essence danced across their surfaces, locking coordinates. I stepped onto the circle, and one by one, they joined me. Everyone stood ready, those still able to fight, still willing to strike the final blow.

The air rippled, and we were gone.

On the other side was chaos.

We had arrived inside what must have once been a fortified chamber, a command post or an old meeting hall but now it looked half-destroyed. The roof was torn open, sunlight spilled through gaps in the shattered beams. Rubble covered the floor, and parts of the walls had already caved in.

We were deep inside the Empire’s capital. But this wasn’t just any part of the city, this was the Holt district.

It stretched across nearly ten kilometers. A maze of streets, wide plazas, bunkers, and towering skyscrapers. The buildings here weren’t just military—they were homes, command centers, resource halls, and training zones. It was like a city inside a city, packed with Holt soldiers, citizens, and families tied to their bloodline.

Now, it was a war zone.

Flames rose from shattered windows. The air shook with bursts of Essence as buildings crumbled under the force of ongoing battle. Sirens screamed in the distance, and across the rooftops, figures rushed to regroup or flee.

Thick barricades had been set up across major streets, turning entire roads into kill zones. From above, I could see flashes of lightning, blades of wind, and streaks of fire flying in every direction.

They had sealed off this whole place. Locked it with layered spatial laws, hoping to trap intruders and keep the fight contained.

It wasn’t enough.

Above the skyline, many of our Grandmasters were already in combat. They traded blows with Holt elites midair, keeping them from reaching the teleportation circle at the rear. Their attacks lit the sky, light and shadow clashing in bursts of deadly color.

I took a breath and extended my Psynapse.

The Holt forces were thick, packed into streets and towers. Too many skills were flying. Too many formations still holding. If we let this drag, even with support, they could recover.

Arkas stepped to the front, looking over the torn roof and the battlefield beyond. Lightning sparked along his shoulders.

"All right, folks," he said calmly. "This is the final boss. Let’s rid the Empire of this cancer."

And with that, he shot into the sky like a bolt, leaving a trail of lightning behind him. The Grandmasters followed one after another, Essence flaring as they rose into the air to join the others already fighting above the Holt district.

I turned and looked at the group of Masters behind me, some already gripping weapons, others adjusting cracked armor. Each one carried fatigue in their body, but fire in their eyes.

"You’ll be on your own from here," I said, meeting each of their eyes. "I’m going ahead. Do your best."

They didn’t speak, but I saw heads nod. Shoulders stiffen.

The group broke apart quickly, fanning out through the ruined streets and alleys to join the fight wherever they could.

Steve walked past, slinging his sword over his shoulder. "See ya at the end," he called, flashing a crooked grin.

I smirked back. "Don’t die."

And then I turned to North.

"Take care," I told her. "I’ll keep an eye on you."

She gave a short chuckle, then leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. "You better," she said.

Then she was gone, dashing off through the broken archway ahead.

I stood alone now.

The sky above was chaos. Spells lit the clouds. Grandmasters collided in air like gods in a storm.

I spread my crimson wings wide.

And then, I shot upward like a flare through smoke.