CHAPTER 207: FINISHING IT

Roar!

As if provoked, the monster bellowed in fury. Its mouth gaped wide, and ten purple energy balls—just like before—hovered in the air.

Whoosh!

With astonishing speed, the monster hurled them at Nolan. Yet, all the attacks proved useless; the giant mouth swallowed them whole once again.

The sight only fueled the monster’s rage. With a deafening roar, it planted its legs and charged toward Nolan.

Nolan, of course, remained unfazed. He stretched his slightly stiff body and shouted, "Alright, let’s get started!"

Whoosh!

He launched himself at the monster, right fist raised.

Bang!

His fist smashed into the monster’s nose, snapping its head back. The giant toppled, crushing the surrounding trees under its massive body.

Roar!

The monster roared again, swinging its razor-sharp right claw.

Whuum!

A magical barrier flared around Nolan, blocking the attack. He lifted his left hand and whispered, "Wind magic, fire magic, lightning magic!"

Whoosh!

Six enormous magic circles materialized above the monster’s head.

In the next instant, fireballs, tornadoes, and dozens of lightning bolts—tens of meters long—rained down, striking the monster with relentless force.

Boom!

The explosion shook the ground, sending shockwaves in every direction. Thick black smoke billowed across five hundred meters, blotting out everything from sight.

Moments later, the smoke gradually thinned and finally vanished.

The monster’s form emerged—it was in a horrific state. Its stomach and chest were perforated, black blood gushing freely from the wounds. Its mouth was shattered, the lower jaw split in two.

Its right arm had been severed, blood spurting into a small, spreading puddle. The sight was so gruesome that anyone who saw it would recoil.

Then, something shocking happened. A pitch-black light radiated from the monster’s body.

In the next instant, its wounds began to close at an astonishing speed.

Nolan, however, showed no surprise. On the contrary, it seemed as if he had expected this.

As expected of a catastrophe-level monster... extraordinary, he murmured, nodding slightly.

Catastrophe-level monsters were dangerous not only for their immense strength but also for their rapid regenerative ability.

It would take ten—or more—Celestial Mages to bring one down, and even then, victory was not guaranteed.

So it was no wonder that the previous attack had failed to kill it.

"Even so..." Nolan’s lips curved into a faint grin. "That means nothing. Crossing paths with me only guarantees your death."

Snap!

Nolan snapped his fingers. A mask materialized in the air. He seized it and placed it over his face. Instantly, his aura shifted dramatically.

What had once seemed lazy and careless was now cold, stern, and radiating an overwhelming pressure.

"Time to end this..."

With that, Nolan raised his right hand and clenched it. Instantly, a massive black hole materialized above the monster’s head.

Its presence silenced the atmosphere, as if time itself had stopped.

From a distance, those on the decks of the warships gaped in shock at the black hole.

That black hole... Elina whispered, stunned. Doesn’t that belong to the Singularity of Chaos?

Her heart raced, her body frozen. She still remembered vividly how a similar black hole had swallowed the catastrophe-level dragon in the palace square during the succession announcement.

The sheer power had been beyond reason, seared into her memory and impossible to forget.

And now, the same black hole had appeared—directly above the mysterious monster’s head. There could only be one explanation: the Singularity of Chaos was fighting it.

The Singularity of Chaos... Elina murmured, biting her lower lip.

She had never met the man, nor spoken to him, yet there was a strange, inexplicable sense of familiarity.

More importantly, he was the reason Elina had remained safe until now. Even her own siblings had been forced to tread carefully, unwilling to make any rash moves against her.

She also knew that the reason the noble families supported her—or at least showed interest in doing so—was entirely because of the Singularity of Chaos.

After all, she was the most ordinary of the throne candidates—lacking a powerful background like Aldric and Adalen and without a glorious reputation like Cedric.

"Is that the Singularity of Chaos?" Rafine gasped, her breath catching.

She had never seen him in person but had read countless reports about incidents in the northern region and the palace square.

Moreover, Masha often spoke of his prowess, making his image even more vivid in her mind.

Could it be that the Singularity of Chaos came to kill that monster? she wondered.

The thought brought a slow, creeping sense of relief. If the mysterious monster truly attacked, Rafine knew the outcome would be certain: death.

Even if they survived thanks to the Celestial Mage’s protective magic, the cost would still be enormous.

Bang!

The second ship shuddered violently, slammed by a sea monster. Rafine, Ruthark, and the rest of the soldiers snapped out of their reverie, their expressions hardening as they fixed their gaze on the creature.

"Everyone, stay focused! Attack!" Ruthark shouted.

"Attack!" the soldiers responded in unison, renewing their assault.

The first ship fared no better. Elina quickly rallied her troops, ordering them to resume the fight.

The battle at sea erupted once more, explosions rocking the ships and echoing in every direction.

***

Roar!

The monster bellowed, its massive body writhing. The immense gravity of the black hole slowly pulled it upward.

It opened its mouth, unleashing every attack it had. But it was all in vain; the giant black hole swallowed it without a trace.

In the distance, Nolan watched calmly. His face was unreadable, devoid of even the slightest emotion, as if the entire scene were nothing more than a trivial spectacle.

How sad, he murmured, shaking his head. If only he hadn’t fallen into darkness... he could have been the Empire’s greatest asset.

As he explored Mathias’ memories, Nolan traced the course of his life. Mathias had been born in the eastern region of the Great Velmora Empire.

His parents were high-ranking mages, respected and prominent in their city.

Tragically, his father chose to join the Underworld Gate cult. There was a reason, of course.

Mathias’ mother suffered from a terminal illness. At that time, a member of the Underworld Gate offered a cure—an antidote that promised to save her life.

In return, Mathias’ father was asked to join the cult. With nothing else he could do, he agreed.

But soon after, a massacre of Underworld Gate members took place, claiming the lives of Mathias’ father and his mother, who had only just recovered from her illness.

Mathias, still a boy, saw it as a profound injustice and vowed to avenge his parents.

As an adult, he eventually learned the truth. Yet revenge had already shaped him from childhood, and by then, it hardly mattered.

"Fate is... cruel," he whispered.