Chapter 190 - 190: Gorak's Adventures, Finding Another Anomaly
Warlord Gorak wiped the glowing blue blood from his snout and watched the swarm devour the grounded prey. Millions of Caustic and Obsidian ants tore through the Elder Storm-Dragon's thick scales, stripping the colossal beast down to the bone in a matter of minutes.
He did not back away from the terrifying biological tide. He stepped directly into the chaotic frenzy. The ants parted instinctively around his massive frame, recognizing the sheer predatory aura radiating from his scarred muscles.
[ The meat is shared, Warlord, ] the Trinity Hive Queens broadcasted into his mind, their collective voice vibrating like grinding chitin. [ You grounded the prey. Claim your prize before the Amber core begins the final synthesis. ]
Gorak had spent the last few months entrenched in this brutal biological warzone. Red dispatched his most savage commander to the western chasm on the exact same day Iron-Scale and the first Vanguard voyage set sail for the Second Continent.
The Trinity Hive had originally petitioned the Sovereign for military aid because constant waves of wyverns, dragons, and other flying horrors kept terrorizing their exposed worker castes from the sky.
Gorak spent days tracking down temporary roosts and slaughtering the local stragglers to thin the herd. The aerial attacks still continued without pause. Fresh waves of beasts kept arriving from completely unknown coordinates.
A familiar, commanding presence manifested in the Warlord's mind.
[ Have you located the primary nest, Gorak? ] Red asked through the telepathic link.
Gorak spat out a shard of dragon bone and gripped the hilt of his massive war-axe. "Give me a few more days, Sovereign. I will track their flight paths and butcher the entire brood at the source."
High above the physical world, Red sat in his sanctuary and analyzed the planetary defense grid.
He already knew the main nest did not exist on the Seventeenth Continent. His Sovereign interface actively scanned the landmass for unregistered biological signatures. A massive breeding ground of apex predators hiding within his borders would have triggered an immediate security alert.
Red held absolute dominion over the vassal gods and their respective followers. The system also confirmed these invading dragons possessed zero divine affiliation. They operated entirely independently from any foreign god's control.
They were simply wild, migrating beasts crossing the ocean to reach the chasm.
The Sovereign's vision ended precisely at the continental borders. Red could not access any visual data regarding the open ocean or the uncharted territories beyond his domain. He needed to find the exact point of origin for this massive migration.
[ The nest is located outside our continental borders, ] Red projected his voice back to the Warlord. [ Find their exact oceanic entry point. I need to know which foreign landmass is breeding these anomalies before we launch our naval fleet. ]
Gorak flashed a terrifying, psychotic grin. He looked up at the stormy sky where the Elder Dragon had first appeared.
"I will find the edge of the world and drag their corpses back," Gorak promised.
Gorak hauled his massive war-axe over his shoulder and marched out of the western chasm. He traveled toward the uncharted coastline entirely alone. Tracking the atmospheric disturbances of the Elder Storm-Dragon required his absolute focus.
A massive biological escort of clicking ants would only slow his pace. He followed the lingering scent of fire and the trail of scorched clouds westward across the landmass.
The grueling journey consumed the rest of the day. Gorak crossed mountain peaks and deep valleys without ever breaking his stride. The sky darkened into a deep purple twilight by the time the salty ocean breeze finally hit his scarred snout.
The Warlord stepped onto the sheer edge of the final coastal cliff and stared out over the endless water. The source of the migrating beasts completely dominated the horizon.
A colossal rift violently split the ocean itself. Massive walls of black seawater spiraled upward into the sky, defying gravity to form a towering aquatic abyss. Unnatural crimson storms raged inside the jagged tear in reality. Giant winged silhouettes poured endlessly from the depths of the breach to glide directly toward the Seventeenth Continent.
Gorak lowered his war-axe and stood completely frozen on the cliffside. He stared at the incomprehensible sight in absolute silence. His savage mind struggled to process the sheer scale of the spatial anomaly.
The last time the Troglodyte felt this profound sense of bafflement was years ago upon learning the legendary Moon Hydra had been slain. Now, this tear in the very fabric of the world felt just as impossibly vast.
[ Sovereign, ] Gorak called out through their mental bond. His usual bloodlust vanished completely in the face of the unnatural spectacle. [ I found...something. You need to see this. ]
Red shifted his Sovereign perception to tap directly into the Warlord's consciousness. Red looked out through Gorak's eyes to behold the colossal walls of water and the crimson storms raging within the abyss.
He willed his system interface to scan the geographical coordinates of the breach.
A glowing text box materialized over the shared vision.
[ SYSTEM ALERT: MASSIVE SPATIAL ANOMALY DETECTED. ]
[ SCANNING... ]
[ ERROR: TARGET COORDINATES DO NOT EXIST ON CURRENT PLANETARY PLANE. ]
[ CLASSIFICATION: EXTRADIMENSIONAL RIFT. ]
Red opened his eyes back in the sanctuary. A dark thrill washed over him. The migrating beasts were spilling from an entirely different dimension.
[ Hold your position, Warlord, ] Red commanded through their mental connection. [ Do not engage the anomaly. I am sending someone to that shoreline. ]
Gorak tightened his grip on his obsidian war-axe and nodded slowly at the raging abyss.
Red tapped his Sovereign console and opened the inter-continental communication interface. He scrolled through the divine network registry and selected the profile of the Tenth Continent's ruler to initiate a direct system call.
[ Valerius, ] Red transmitted the message through the console. [ You possess a profound understanding of this realm's architecture as a Native God. I require your specific expertise on an anomaly, and I would appreciate your insight. ]
A blinding flash of golden light instantly erupted in the center of the dark sanctuary. The sheer force of the physical manifestation sent a shockwave through the room.
"...."