svetikya Chapter 274: The Clash Between Rules and Freedom
Chapter 274: The Clash Between Rules and Freedom
After the illusory rift was completely shattered, the Guardians stood at the center of the collapsing energy vortex, everything before them frozen in an eerie stillness. The entire space seemed to be frozen; both the surrounding purple energy fluctuations and the rift fragments floating in the air were suspended in mid-air. This scene unsettled them, yet it also made them realize that this battle had only unveiled a larger mystery.
"Is it dead?" Wagner gasped for breath, his face bearing the marks of battle, but he still gripped his battle axe tightly, fearing another sudden danger.
“Uncertain.” Selena pointed her sniper rifle around, her eyes as alert as an eagle’s. “The whispers of the rift have disappeared, but I feel… it hasn’t been completely destroyed.”
Ares stood before the rune sword, its light dimming, though the runes still shimmered faintly. He murmured, "The core of the rift may have crumbled, but its will does not depend on a physical existence. What we destroyed was only a part of it."
This statement made the atmosphere in the squad even more tense. They had no time to catch their breath; the threat of the remnants of the rift still lurked in this dimension, and might even be waiting for them in deeper places.
In this still ruin, the light of the star map suddenly shone down, and the observer's voice echoed in the air.
"Guardians, your actions have successfully halted the expansion of the rift, but this is only a temporary victory." The observer's tone was calm, yet revealed a hint of barely concealed tension. "According to the analysis of the star chart, the will of the rift has not completely disappeared. It is attempting to merge with the rules of the universe at a deeper level."
Selena frowned and said, "Its will can merge with the rules of the universe? That's impossible! The rules themselves are absolute and cannot be changed."
“The rules are not immutable,” the observer responded. “The formation of the rules is the result of the universe being shaped through countless balancing processes. The will of the rift exists outside the rules; it tries to find the loopholes in those rules and use them to reshape the universe.”
Ares pondered for a moment, then gripped the rune sword tightly. "If it can manipulate the rules, then we must act faster and completely stop it from completing the fusion."
“You need to go immediately to the origin of the rules—the ‘Anchor of Destiny’,” the Observer said. “It is one of the foundations of the universe’s rules, and the only entrance through which the rift attempts to alter them.”
"The Anchor of Destiny?" Wagner looked puzzled. "How come I've never heard of this place before?"
“The Anchor of Destiny lies hidden deep within the universe, only revealing itself when the rules are severely threatened,” the observer explained. “You need to traverse the core of this ruin to reach the Anchor of Destiny. But be careful, a rift may already be lurking there.”
After adjusting their stance, the guardians embarked on the path leading to the core of the ruins. The environment here was completely different from before; countless broken runes of rules floated in the space, each radiating intense energy fluctuations, as if they were fragments of some ancient language.
“These runes are not like ordinary rift symbols; they are closer to the laws of the universe themselves,” Selena said in a low voice after analyzing them with the scanner. “They are distorted by the rifts.”
Ares nodded. "These runes may be the keys to our anchor of destiny. We must handle them carefully and not let them get out of control."
As they continued their journey, a massive rift appeared before them. The rift was bottomless, shimmering with an eerie purple light and emanating a faint, low humming sound.
"Are we going to get through here?" Wagner looked at the bottomless crevice with some unease. "This place feels like a living monster."
Selena examined the edge of the crack and found it covered with intricate runes. "This is a barrier erected by the rift. We can't reach the core area without crossing it."
Ares stepped to the crevice, his rune sword trembling once more, as if sensing some power. He took a deep breath. "I'll clear the way. You follow me."
He raised the runic sword, infusing it with his own energy, causing the blade to radiate a dazzling light. A straight blade of light slashed towards the crack, the intense energy surge shaking the entire space. The crack's edges emitted a piercing shriek before slowly widening, forming a narrow path leading into its depths.
"Run!" Ares shouted.
The three quickly passed through the crack, but just as they were about to leave, a powerful energy surged out of the crack, transforming into a huge phantom that blocked their way.
The phantom's form constantly changed, sometimes appearing as a distorted giant, sometimes as a blurry beast, but each change was accompanied by an intense sense of oppression.
"Guardians, you are truly stubborn." The phantom's voice was deep and malevolent. "But do you think this path will lead you to victory? The anchor of destiny is already in my grasp."
“You’re lying,” Ares said coldly, brandishing his rune sword at the phantom. “If you had already taken control of the Anchor of Fate, we would have lost long ago.”
The phantom let out a chilling laugh, "Foolish guardians, your vision is too short-sighted. The foundation of the rules is crumbling, and I am becoming the new law."
"Enough talk, take this!" Wagner roared as he charged toward the phantom, his battle axe slashing down with ferocious energy.
The phantom easily blocked the attack, then released a powerful shockwave that sent Wagner flying several meters back. Selena quickly aimed her sniper rifle at the phantom's core area and fired several energy blasts, but these attacks were blocked by the barrier surrounding the phantom's body.
“Its barrier is stronger than the previous guards!” Selena said through gritted teeth. “We need a stronger attack!”
Ares closed his eyes and sensed the energy fluctuations between the rune sword and the phantom. He quickly discovered that the phantom's barrier was not indestructible, but rather had a brief energy conversion gap.
"Its barrier switches its energy frequency every three seconds!" Ares shouted. "Seize that opening and concentrate your firepower on its core!"
Selena immediately adjusted her firing rate, while Wagner concentrated all his power on a single burst of attacks. As the phantom's barrier shifted again, the three attacks simultaneously struck its core, and the phantom let out a shrill scream as its body began to rapidly disintegrate.
After the phantom vanished, a brief stillness returned to the space, and a portal of light leading to the core appeared before them. The guardians knew that what lay behind this portal might be their greatest challenge yet.
“This is the entrance to the Anchor of Destiny.” Ares looked at the portal of light and gripped the rune sword tightly. “We cannot back down.”
"Now that we've come this far, even if it's hell, we have to get through it." Wagner grinned, battle axe in hand, his steps firm.
Selena took a deep breath and checked the weapons one last time. "Hopefully, we haven't wasted our time."
The three exchanged a glance and stepped into the portal of light at the same time, where they were met with the final battlefield where fate and rules clashed.