Chapter 507 : Spoils of War
Chapter 507: Spoils of War
"Crack—"
Just as the three of them were healing their injuries in the seawater, a sudden cracking sound echoed unexpectedly from the seabed. In the next moment, countless fissures—spreading like a spider’s web—rapidly crawled through a deep ocean trench.
"The 【Plane】 is starting to collapse. Let’s go up."
Hela-Helheim, upon hearing the sound, did not panic. She simply spoke calmly to the two beside her.
Upon hearing Hela-Helheim’s words, Janna only cast a glance toward the trench before following the others upward, leaving the seafloor and returning to the surface.
"Rumble—"
Moments after they left the seabed, a deafening roar shook the ocean floor like an earthquake. The seawater began to boil as torrents of magma surged upward through the cracks of the trench.
"So this is what a 【Plane】 looks like when it’s destroyed——"
Due to the underwater quake, the previously calm surface erupted once again with towering waves. At the same time, countless space fissures—like gaping holes—appeared densely across the skies of the 【Water Elemental Plane】, causing Janna’s heart to tighten in awe.
"Soon, a spatial storm will follow. We should stay as far away from those rifts as possible."
Although Hela-Helheim had already activated the thin, veil-like 【Veil of the Guardian】 in her hand, even she felt uncertain facing a spatial storm powerful enough to annihilate an entire 【Plane】.
"Louisto, when the 【Source Power】 appears, you must seize it before it’s swallowed by the rifts."
"No problem."
Among the three, Louisto-Tulan had expended the least Spiritual Energy, making him the best choice to “capture” the 【Source Power】.
After all, since their plan had changed, Janna could no longer summon the Ocean Envoy Anna-Russell, who possessed the power of a full-fledged witch. Thus, Louisto-Tulan—blessed with the bloodline of the 【Phoenix】—had to temporarily take her place as the final “Hunter.”
Although Louisto-Tulan had consumed much of his Spiritual Energy during his battle with the Apprentice of the Two-Headed Dragon, Orne, the 【Phoenix】 bloodline was renowned for its endurance and recovery. With just a short rest, he had regained much of his strength—unlike Janna and Hela-Helheim, who were still weakened.
"Rumble——"
With a flash of silver lightning, a silvery-white storm of spatial energy began to rage across the 【Water Elemental Plane】.
The spatial fissures that already filled the skies extended all the way down to the seabed, tearing everything apart.
"There it is! The 【Source Power】!"
Keeping her gaze fixed on the shifting 【Plane】, Hela-Helheim was the first to locate the appearance of the 【Source Power】.
It was a cluster of blue light—somewhere between illusion and reality. As it gradually solidified, the once-surging sea stilled in an instant, turning into a deathly calm expanse, as if all vitality had been drained away.
"The ocean has fallen silent… after losing its 【Source Power】———"
Though Janna had mentally prepared herself for this, witnessing the end of a 【Plane】 with her own eyes still left her heart heavy.
After all, once upon a time, the 【Primary Material Plane】 had faced a similar fate under invasion from the Outer Gods.
"Whsshhh—"
As the blue light cluster fully solidified, the active 【Source Power】 began to shatter and scatter—like headless flies—fleeing in every direction.
"Huhh—"
The moment the 【Source Power】 took physical form, Louisto-Tulan, who had been waiting, immediately acted. Using the second 【Veil of the Guardian】 prepared by Hela-Helheim to shield against the spatial storm, he transformed his Spiritual Body into an elemental form and darted swiftly toward the dispersing fragments of 【Source Power】.
"What a pity... such a massive cluster of 【Source Power】. Judging by how fast the rifts are spreading, Louisto will be lucky to keep even half of it..."
Watching as large portions of the 【Source Power】 were devoured by spatial rifts, Hela-Helheim couldn’t help but wince in pain.
If her current Spiritual Body weren’t so unstable, she would never have allowed such precious 【Source Power】 to vanish into nothingness.
"Crack——Crackle——"
Time ticked by as magma continued to spew endlessly from the ocean floor, dyeing the entire sea crimson.
During the collapse of the 【Water Elemental Plane】, Janna noticed that besides the ocean’s own 【Ocean Source】, there were also smaller representations of the 【Magma Source】 and the 【Sky Source】—though far less potent.
"There’s not much time left. This 【Plane】 will soon be gone entirely. We have to leave before it collapses."
Though there was still much 【Source Power】 left uncollected, for safety’s sake, Hela-Helheim used mental transmission to call Louisto-Tulan back.
"What’s wrong? The 【Plane】 can’t hold any longer?"
Having just secured a large fragment of the 【Magma Source】, Louisto-Tulan was reluctant, but upon hearing her tone, he immediately turned back.
"Yes. In another minute or two, it’ll collapse. Janna, I’ll leave it to you."
"Understood."
Having regained a fair amount of her Spiritual Energy, Janna took a deep breath as she gazed at the crumbling remnants of the 【Water Elemental Plane】. Clearing her mind, she decisively activated her innate gift.
"Spirit Traverse—"
A streak of silver light flashed through Janna’s eyes, and in the blink of an eye, the three were transported from the collapsing 【Water Elemental Plane】 back to their original coordinates within the 【Black Hole】 Universe.
In the next instant, another flash of light—accompanied by rapid shifts in their surroundings—and when they opened their eyes again, the three had returned to the White Tower’s meditation chamber.
"Finally… we’re back—"
Seeing the familiar room, Louisto-Tulan, whose nerves were still tense, finally relaxed.
"Louisto, release the 【Source Power】 you’ve gathered."
"Alright. But be careful—it hasn’t been sealed yet."
With that, Louisto-Tulan activated the Interdimensional Space Ring in his hand, releasing all the 【Source Power】 he had obtained.
In an instant, the active energy burst forth, turning into streaks of light that darted rapidly around the meditation room—
—