NOVEL WEB Chapter 388: The Devil Within
The Sea of Quanta is boundless, without up or down. Time stands still, and the boundaries of space lose all meaning.
Within this void, remnants of fallen worlds drifted. A relatively intact tower stood among the ruins, like a colossal warship adrift in a deep ocean.
A floating, quantum phantom emerged from a crack in the tower, curiously observing the distant "sky."
These phantoms occasionally flickered into and out of existence with the quantum tides. This one was lucky; the tower's structure offered some protection from Kevin's power.
Hum
It looked up as a starlight glimmered in the distance.
Are there stars in the Sea of Quanta?
Before it could ponder this, the starlight transformed into a streak of violet light, hurtling towards the tower faster than sound. The lucky phantom was instantly obliterated, becoming another speck of debris in the quantum sea.
The violet streak slammed into the tower, carving a massive crater into its thick walls and spreading cracks throughout its structure.
At the crater's center, a purple and white longsword was embedded deep within the debris.
A second later, a white-haired girl appeared, as if from nowhere. She touched the ground lightly, grasped the sword's hilt, and pulled it free, raising it to block.
A heavy greatsword, wreathed in roaring flames, crashed down upon the longsword. The force traveled through Ren's arm, shattering the tower.
Amidst the flying debris, Ren smiled, unscathed, then vanished again.
"Hmph!"
A muffled grunt echoed from the flames. Before Ren could teleport further, he found the surrounding space had become viscous.
The Sea of Quanta's space was difficult to manipulate, yet it was now frozen by extreme cold.
"Tsk." Ren lowered his sword, not bothering to break the spatial lock.
This level of confinement wouldn't hold him, but prolonging the fight was pointless.
"Who are you?!" Kevin, clothes tattered, emerged from the flames. His voice was as cold and hard as millennia-old ice.
He was clearly enraged. Horns protruded from his head, and a single, wide wing sprouted from his back, making him look less than human.
This wasn't a loss of humanity, but a deliberate choice—the activation of his MANTIS form, the Devil form within.
"As you can see, just an ordinary girl," Ren replied, his voice strained. He wasn't in good shape.
Burns covered his body, some deep enough to reveal charred flesh. But considering his performance against Kevin, these injuries were miraculously light.
"..." Kevin's eyes grew colder, his Chimera genes urging him to tear Ren apart.
"If you insist, a Herrscher."
"Herrscher..."
Images of death, despair, and tragedy flashed through Kevin's mind. In the Previous Era, only the Final Herrscher and the Herrscher of Binding had forced him to use his MANTIS form.
A flicker of pain crossed his face, but he quickly recovered. This "girl" was clearly not the Previous Era's Herrscher of Binding. Herrschers of the Current Era were weaker. Even all of them combined would be no match for him in this state.
Yet, this person had not only forced him to activate his MANTIS form but had also held her own. Her true power far surpassed that of an ordinary Herrscher.
If all future Herrschers were this strong, humanity wouldn't even have a chance against the Final Herrscher, let alone succeed with the Stigmata plan.
"If you claim to be a Herrscher, you must be prepared to fall here." The surrounding space contracted, closing in on Ren. Kevin advanced, Judgment of Shamash raised.
But his greatsword didn't fall. Instead, the flames died down as they stood side-by-side, like old friends.
"Tell me your purpose, and your true identity." Kevin wasn't stubborn. Ren's presence here indicated confidence, and their pre-fight conversation had been clear: Ren wanted to negotiate, with their battle serving as proof of his worthiness.
Ren had clearly demonstrated his right to bargain.
"Simple. I need to know the nature of the Stigmata plan, and..."
"I didn't know this base held such a space."
Elsewhere in the Sea of Quanta, Senti stepped onto a floating platform, looking around with excitement.
The scene was familiar. She'd studied the Sea of Quanta and knew where she was.
However, this space was different, more like a contained pool of water than the vast ocean.
"Kevin's presence... this must be his hiding place. But why isolate this part of the Sea of Quanta?"
"Whatever. Finding Kiana is more important." Dismissing these complexities, Senti followed Kevin's energy signature.
Soon after, Mei arrived at the same platform.
"What is this?" As a new Herrscher, Mei hadn't encountered the Sea of Quanta before. She immediately felt a strong repulsion, as if the space itself was trying to expel her.
But Mei was a Herrscher. After a brief period of adjustment, she could ignore the repulsion.
Her current concern was different. This chaotic space, while accessed via Kevin's guidance, held an unknown purpose.
"Where am I?" Wary, she placed her hand on her katana's hilt.
As she began to explore, a familiar voice called out from behind her.
"This is the Sea of Quanta."
Mei froze, then spun around, her eyes widening in shock.
"Kiana?!"