CHAPTER 740: SIPHON OF THE VOID

Ethan couldn’t help but grin as the cracks spread like lightning through the dimensional shell.

Without wasting a second, he dove straight into the breach.

Behind him, he unleashed a storm—countless Energy Discs spun into existence, slicing through the air like a hurricane of blades. They tore into the walls of the space, hammering the interior with relentless force.

"RAAAGH!"

The monster, frozen and silent until now, suddenly let out a guttural, agonized scream.

Its massive hands clawed at its own belly, trying to shield itself, but something—some invisible force—held it paralyzed. It couldn’t move. Couldn’t defend. It could only feel.

BANG!

After what felt like an eternity, a small rupture finally tore open in the creature’s abdomen. Ethan burst out of it like a bullet, his body glowing with energy.

Auri and Idra followed close behind, their power flaring wildly. As they surged through, the hole widened with a sickening rip, tearing the creature open from the inside.

"RUMBLE!"

"RUMBLE!"

A thunderous shockwave erupted from within the monster’s gut, shaking the entire battlefield.

The force rolled outward like a divine detonation, rippling through the air, the ground, the very fabric of the dimension.

The Emerald Castle warriors staggered as the wave hit them. Their eyes widened in disbelief.

They’d known the creature was powerful—but this? This was something else entirely. The energy it had been hoarding inside its body was vast, volatile, and now it was breaking free.

"AAAAARGH!"

A final, piercing shriek tore through the sky, raw and desperate. The monster’s body convulsed violently, its flesh shriveling, its massive frame collapsing in on itself like a dying star.

Its carapace cracked open, and from within, torrents of energy burst forth—wild, uncontrolled, beautiful and terrifying.

Ethan hovered above it all, chest heaving, heart pounding like a war drum.

He could feel it—that energy resonating with his own, calling to him. His body responded instinctively, drawing it in, matching its fury with his own.

Then, as if on cue, he and his companions unleashed everything they had.

Auri’s wings flared like twin suns. Idra’s aura burned violet and gold. Ethan’s hands glowed with blinding light as they channeled their full power into one final strike.

They didn’t hold back.

"BOOM!"

"BOOM!"

"BOOM!"

Each blow landed like a meteor, shaking the dimension to its core. The monster’s body buckled, groaned, and then—

CRACK.

The final strike hit its core.

And the creature shattered.

Its body disintegrated in a blinding explosion, reduced to ash and light. The energy it had hoarded for so long—stolen, digested, corrupted—was finally released.

But it didn’t vanish.

It surged outward in a radiant wave, sweeping across the battlefield and slamming into the Emerald Castle warriors.

They gasped as the power hit them, not with pain, but with overwhelming force. It poured into their bodies, filling every cell, every nerve, every corner of their being.

In an instant, their strength surged. Their Tiers climbed. Their senses sharpened. It was like being reborn.

They stood taller. Stronger. Transformed.

And for a moment, there was only silence.

Then—

"RUMBLE..."

The sky above them growled, low and ominous.

The warriors tensed, eyes scanning the horizon. Weapons raised. Breaths held.

But nothing came.

The rift in the sky widened, its edges glowing faintly, but no new enemy emerged. No shadow. No scream. Just the slow, steady unraveling of the dimension itself.

They exhaled, cautiously.

It wasn’t an attack. Not this time.

The space was collapsing—too much energy, too much strain. The monster’s death had triggered a chain reaction, and now the pocket dimension was breaking apart.

Just the aftershocks.

Ethan drew a deep breath, eyes fixed on the sky as it slowly settled into calm.

Once the last traces of energy had been absorbed by his team, he gave a nod and led them onward—toward the next dimensional realm.

It didn’t take long before they stepped into a world that felt like something out of a dream.

The air was crisp and clean, laced with the scent of blooming flowers. Birds chirped in the distance, and sunlight filtered through a canopy of gentle green. The place radiated peace, like a sanctuary untouched by war.

It was the kind of quiet that made you want to stay.

But just as Ethan turned to leave this tranquil haven behind, the ground trembled.

Without warning, massive tendrils erupted from the earth at the heart of the realm.

"Shhhk!"

"Shhhk!"

"Shhhk!"

They shot upward, thick and sinuous, writhing like serpents. At first glance, they didn’t seem particularly threatening—but there was something off. Something wrong in the way they moved, in the way the air around them seemed to hum.

The tendrils gave off no obvious energy signature, but the moment they appeared, the atmosphere shifted. The warmth vanished. Tension spiked.

Ethan’s eyes snapped wide.

Through the twisting limbs, he saw it—those tendrils weren’t just flailing. They were wrapping around his team. Auri. Idra. Even Namyanna and several of the rank-and-file soldiers were caught, bound tight.

And worse—he could see it happening. Their energy was draining. Fast.

It wasn’t just a trap. It was a siphon.

Power bled from their bodies in steady streams, drawn into the tendrils like water down a drain. Their strength, their stamina—it was all being devoured.

"What the hell?!"

Ethan’s heart lurched, but he forced himself to stay calm. No charging in. No reckless moves. He steadied his breath, kept his distance, and launched a barrage of ranged attacks.

One by one, he severed the tendrils, cutting through the writhing limbs with precision. Namyanna dropped free first, then the others, gasping as they hit the ground.

But just as he moved in for another strike, the air snapped.

A surge of power exploded from the tendrils—raw, violent, and sudden.

The entire realm seemed to shudder. The sky dimmed. And then, rising from the center of the chaos, came the true threat.

A colossal octopus hovered in the air, its presence suffocating.

It didn’t radiate energy in the usual way—no blinding aura, no thunderous pulse—but the power it held was unmistakable. It was coiled beneath its skin, dense and deadly, like a bomb waiting to go off.

Its eyes—two massive, unblinking orbs—shifted slowly. Wherever they looked, the space around them cracked, revealing deep, yawning voids.

"You pathetic insects dare trespass in my domain?" the creature roared, its voice booming like a god’s wrath. "Today, I’ll scatter your souls to the wind!"

The octopus’s fury surged outward in a tidal wave of force, slamming into Ethan and his team.

Ethan felt it the moment it touched him.

His power began to drain again—faster this time. As if invisible hands were reaching inside him, ripping the energy straight from his core.

If this kept up, he’d be empty in seconds.

"Damn it!" he growled, teeth clenched. He shot into the air, hovering high above the battlefield.

With a sharp breath, he summoned a massive bow of light, radiant and crackling with energy.

But before he could even draw it back, the octopus struck again.

That same devouring force surged forward, swallowing the bow’s energy in an instant. The weapon flickered—and vanished.

"What?!" Ethan’s eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn’t expected this thing to be so strong. Not like this.

His pulse spiked. He dropped back a few paces, steadying himself midair.

"Still resisting, little worm?" the octopus sneered, its voice thick with contempt. "Why not save yourself the pain and offer up your power willingly?"

Its tone was cold, absolute—like a god speaking to ants.

...