Chapter 588
Rattan tried to move, to flee, but his feet were already stuck, bound to the ground by rapidly forming ice. A chilling numbness crept up his legs, and as his vision blurred, he saw, with dawning horror, that his own eyes were slowly turning into complete ice, the world fading into a frosted pane. Panic, raw and unbridled, finally consumed him. His composure shattered, he screamed into the frozen air, a desperate, guttural cry for his guardian: "Guardian! Help!"
Observing the unfolding catastrophe, Phantom made no move. He was no sixth-tier being, no master of cosmic laws. He held no authority, no inherent power to counter Lyra’s dominion, no way to shield Rattan from the inexorable spread of her chilling influence. He watched, a silent, helpless witness to his Rattan agonizing transformation.
Phantom reached out, a desperate mental plea, to Ikenga, but received no answer. Yet, Phantom knew. He knew Ikenga was watching, a silent observer of the casual, catastrophic consequences of a higher-tier war.
Seeing Rattan’s rapid succumb to the chilling onslaught, Phantom made a desperate gamble. He sent a wave of thought, a final, fervent message to his ward. Rattan, whose lower half was now a crystalline sculpture of ice, felt the surge of communication and, even in his terror, a flicker of joy ignited within him.
At that very moment, both Phantom and Rattan spoke, their voices, one a mental plea and the other a desperate rasp, overlapping in a synchronous invocation:
"Great Ikenga, Lord of the untamed wild and master of the spoken word. I humble myself before your boundless power."
"From the rustling leaves to the deepest roots, you are the breath and bone of nature’s heart. I seek your favor to walk safely within your green embrace, to be shielded from nature’s hidden fangs, and guided through paths where shadows might lurk. Protect me from the storm’s fury and the land’s vengeful tremor."
"Grant me your fierce guardianship, that I may thrive amidst the wild’s beauty and remain untouched by the venom of my foes. I offer my respect to your primal strength, and trust in your unwavering protection."
In direct response to their united prayer, a radiant golden dome shimmered into existence around Rattan. The dome pulsed with an immediate, profound warmth, pushing back the encroaching cold. Safety enveloped Rattan, and slowly, miraculously, the ice receded from his legs, his flesh regaining its normal hue and sensation. The golden light hummed with a primal energy, a clear, unmistakable sign of Ikenga’s unwavering protection.
From the ground within the golden dome, an impossible bloom began. Lush, vibrant flowers and plants unfurled with breathtaking speed, their petals and leaves a riot of greens and deep earth tones against the stark, frozen wasteland outside. Rattan, his body now fully restored from the icy grip, felt himself softly enveloped by their burgeoning forms, cradled by the sudden eruption of life. His mind, however, was filled with a sensation far more profound than the tactile comfort. A presence, immense and ancient, settled within his consciousness, a power no less, and perhaps even more, than that of the sixth-tier beings tearing apart the sky.