Chapter 161: The Descent of the Watcher
The three crimson eyes began descending.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
The clouds twisted around them as an enormous pressure spread across the forest.
Noah tightened his grip on Shadowfang.
"Everyone, stay behind me."
Eric looked at him.
"You’re seriously saying that after what just happened?"
"Yes."
Damien stepped beside Eric.
"Fair enough."
Sophia and Luna raised their barriers.
Laura remained close to Noah.
The hooded stranger struggled to stand.
"Don’t fight it."
Noah glanced back.
"Why?"
"Because you don’t understand what you’re looking at."
The stranger pointed toward the sky.
"The Watcher doesn’t have a body."
Noah looked upward.
The three eyes continued descending.
"Then what are those?"
"Windows."
Noah’s expression changed.
"Windows to what?"
The stranger shook their head.
"I don’t know."
The Dead Zone spoke inside Noah.
"They’re not windows."
You said it doesn’t have a body.
"It doesn’t."
Then what are the eyes?
The Dead Zone stared upward.
"They’re the body."
Noah’s stomach tightened.
The first eye descended beneath the clouds.
The forest bent away from it.
Trees snapped.
The ground fractured.
The crimson light became so intense that Noah could barely see.
[UNKNOWN OBSERVER ANALYSIS: 41%]
The system flickered.
[43%]
Noah’s eyes narrowed.
"It started again."
Laura looked at him.
"What?"
"It’s analyzing me."
Sophia’s expression hardened.
"Can we disrupt it?"
Noah looked toward the hooded stranger.
"Apparently not."
The stranger shook their head.
"You can."
Everyone looked at them.
The stranger continued.
"But you need to make it look somewhere else."
Noah frowned.
"Meaning?"
"Give it something more interesting than you."
Eric looked toward the enormous eye.
"That sounds difficult."
The stranger’s gaze shifted toward Shadowfang.
"Not necessarily."
Noah looked down at his sword.
The crimson runes were glowing.
"What about it?"
The stranger’s voice became quieter.
"That weapon carries the same signature."
Noah’s expression changed.
"Shadowfang?"
"Yes."
The Dead Zone suddenly spoke.
"Don’t."
Noah frowned.
Why?
"It’s bait."
Exactly.
A pause.
"That’s what I’m worried about."
The first eye stopped descending.
It focused on Shadowfang.
The system changed.
[UNKNOWN OBSERVER ANALYSIS: 43%]
[TARGETING: SHADOWFANG.]
Noah raised the sword.
The crimson eye brightened.
The forest shook.
The Watcher had taken the bait.
"Now!" Noah shouted.
Sophia released her barrier outward.
Luna followed.
Eric and Damien attacked the surrounding crimson energy.
Laura moved with them.
Their combined attacks struck the invisible pressure surrounding the eye.
BOOM!
The eye flickered.
For the first time, the Watcher reacted.
The hooded stranger stared.
"You actually hurt it."
Noah’s expression hardened.
"Not enough."
The second eye descended.
Then the third.
Noah’s smile disappeared.
"There are three."
The Dead Zone answered:
"One was enough."
The three eyes suddenly aligned.
The forest went silent.
The Watcher’s analysis resumed.
[ANALYSIS: 48%]
[RAGNAROK SIGNATURE DETECTED.]
Noah’s eyes widened.
"It found Ragnarok again."
The crimson eyes shifted away from Shadowfang.
Straight toward Noah.
The bait had failed.
The Dead Zone’s voice became colder.
"Run."
Noah looked at Laura.
"Get everyone back."
Laura shook her head.
"No."
"Laura."
"We’re not leaving you."
Noah looked at the three eyes.
The pressure was increasing.
He couldn’t argue.
"Fine."
He raised Shadowfang.
Crimson energy gathered around the blade.
The Watcher descended another hundred meters.
And for the first time...
a shape began forming beneath the three eyes.
Not a body.
Not a creature.
Something resembling a gigantic hand made entirely of crimson light.
The hooded stranger stared upward.
"No..."
Noah looked at them.
"What?"
The stranger’s voice trembled.
"It isn’t observing anymore."
The gigantic hand reached toward the forest.
"It has made its decision."
The system flashed.
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE: 50%]
[TARGET CONFIRMED.]
[HOST: NOAH BLACKWOOD.]
Noah’s crimson eyes narrowed.
The Dead Zone smiled inside him.
"Finally."
The hand descended.
"Now we can fight."
The crimson hand descended.
Noah moved first.
"Everyone, run!"
The enormous hand struck the forest.
BOOOOOOM!
Trees exploded outward.
The ground split apart.
A shockwave tore through the clearing and sent everyone flying.
Laura rolled across the ground before stopping against a tree.
"Noah!"
"I’m here!"
Noah stood in the center of the impact.
Shadowfang was planted into the earth.
The crimson hand pressed down from above.
Noah’s arms trembled.
The ground beneath his feet collapsed.
[RAGNAROK DEAD ZONE RESONANCE: 32.4%]
The Dead Zone laughed.
"There it is."
What?
"Its strength."
Noah gritted his teeth.
"You’re enjoying this?"
"A little."
The hand pushed harder.
Noah’s knees bent.
Black markings spread across his arms.
"Not..."
He forced himself upward.
"...today."
Crimson energy erupted from Shadowfang.
The hand recoiled.
BOOM!
Noah launched himself into the air.
He slashed upward.
A massive crimson arc tore through the hand.
For the first time, the Watcher reacted.
The three eyes above the forest narrowed.
Sophia helped Luna stand.
"Is Noah fighting that thing alone?"
Eric wiped blood from his mouth.
"Looks like it."
Damien looked at the hooded stranger.
"You said you were sent to observe him."
The stranger nodded.
"Correct."
"By whom?"
"I can’t tell you."
Eric sighed.
"Of course."
Laura ignored them.
Her eyes remained fixed on Noah.
"He’s going to push himself too far."
Sophia looked at her.
"You’re worried."
"Yes."
Laura stepped forward.
"We help him."
The stranger immediately shook their head.
"You’ll die."
Laura looked at them.
"So?"
The stranger went silent.
Laura’s expression hardened.
"If Noah is fighting something that can destroy this entire forest, I’m not standing here watching."
Sophia nodded.
"Neither am I."
Luna raised her hand.
"Then let’s make sure we’re useful."
Eric smiled.
"Finally, someone said it."
Damien drew his weapon.
"Let’s go."
Noah landed hard.
The crimson hand had vanished.
But the three eyes remained.
The system flashed.
[ANALYSIS: 54%]
Noah breathed heavily.
"Halfway."
The Dead Zone appeared beside him.
"No."
Noah glanced at it.
"What?"
"It’s only halfway through understanding you."
The Watcher’s three eyes suddenly changed position.
One focused on Shadowfang.
One focused on Noah’s body.
The third focused directly on his chest.
Noah’s expression hardened.
It was examining Ragnarok.
He felt the pressure enter deeper.
[RAGNAROK SIGNATURE ANALYSIS: ACTIVE.]
Noah’s heartbeat accelerated.
The Dead Zone’s smile disappeared.
"Don’t let it finish."
How?
"Break its focus."
Noah raised Shadowfang.
"Any suggestions?"
The Dead Zone looked toward the approaching group.
"You have five."
Noah turned.
Laura, Sophia, Luna, Eric, and Damien were running toward him.
"Noah!" Laura shouted.
He immediately understood.
"Spread out!"
They separated.
Sophia and Luna attacked from the left.
Eric and Damien attacked from the right.
Laura remained behind Noah.
The Watcher’s three eyes shifted rapidly.
Its attention split.
The analysis stopped.
[ANALYSIS: 54%]
Noah smiled.
"Got you."
He surged forward.
Shadowfang ignited.
A crimson slash struck the center of the Watcher’s vision.
BOOM!
The forest shook.
The three eyes flickered.
For a moment, the enormous presence disappeared.
Everyone froze.
Eric looked around.
"Did we win?"
Noah lowered his sword.
"I don’t think so."
A faint crimson glow appeared behind them.
The hooded stranger suddenly shouted:
"MOVE!"
Everyone turned.
The Watcher had not disappeared.
It had simply changed position.
The three eyes were now directly above the group.
And beneath them...
a massive crimson silhouette was finally taking shape.
Noah stared upward.
"That isn’t a hand anymore."
The Dead Zone’s voice became quiet.
"No."
The silhouette continued forming.
Head.
Shoulders.
Arms.
A body made entirely of crimson light.
The system flashed.
[ANALYSIS: 55%]
[PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION: INITIATED.]
Noah tightened his grip on Shadowfang.
The Watcher had finished observing.
Now it was coming down.