Chapter 893: Is that really the future you want?
The battle raged onâno mercy, no retreat!
Bloodveil and Meteorfall watched the chaos unfold, quickly realizing that Ethanâs crew wasnât just toughâthey were absolute monsters. If there was a top-tier zombie nest in the world, this was it.
âWraithshadeâs already gone after Deathless Sovereign Lilith,â Meteorfall said, glancing at the battlefield. âWeâre part of the same alliance. We canât just sit back and let them steal all the glory, right?â
âYeah, youâre right,â Bloodveil nodded, not about to let his own undead underlings mock him after the war for being a no-show. âTime to remind everyone who the real boss is!â
With a guttural roar, the two regional overlords launched themselves into the fray. Bloodveil unleashed his Bloodtide Domain, a crimson tide of energy surging outward, pulsing with radiant flashes.
Even Claire, the human leader, whose body was still recovering from earlier exertion, pushed herself back into the fight, refusing to be left behind.
The heads of the other two major families moved in to protect her, leading their elite warriors into battle.
Aria, among them, activated her Domain of Tides, pushing it to its absolute limit. Her eyes burned with fierce determination.
âMom⊠the child you worried about has grown up.â
Blue energy rippled out like waves, sweeping across the battlefield, tearing the dark spirits apart piece by piece.
Behind her, Ricky stood tall, katana in hand, having been charging up for this moment. The sky was thick with malevolent spirits, their hatred feeding his power perfectly.
Dark energy surged toward him, drawn like a magnet.
His body trembled slightlyâthe power was overwhelming, pushing him to the edge of what he could handle.
In his eyes, resentment burned like wildfire, growing hotter and hotter.
A massive ghostly figure formed behind him.
âBy the Grudge of the Dead!â
His katana let out a sharp hum as he swung it forward. A black arc of energy exploded from the blade, slicing through the air like it could split the world in two.
Countless evil spirits were obliterated in an instant.
But thenâcrackâa sharp sound rang out. Tiny fractures appeared along the blade, spreading rapidly until the entire weapon shattered in his hands.
The energy had simply been too much. The sword couldnât take it.
Ricky looked down at the broken hilt still in his grip.
âGuess itâs time I got one custom-made.â
ââŠâ
One by one, the heavy hitters stepped up, clearing the path for Ethan to reach the summit.
Deathless Sovereign Lilith was powerful, no doubtâbut even she was starting to falter.
The strongest among them pushed forward, breaking through layer after layer of darkness, as if they could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Their long-held dream was within reach.
âNot one step further!â
A deep voice thundered across the battlefield.
Endless stood alone at the peak, tall and unyielding, his eyes blazing with unwavering resolve.
He was ready to take on every Zombie King by himself.
âTime Lock!â
As the words left his mouth, his Temporal Domain expanded to its absolute limit. The air compressed so violently it cracked with deafening booms.
Vrrrrmmmâ
In an instant, the entire world seemed to freeze.
Everything stoppedâenergy flows halted, clouds stopped swirling, even the wind fell silent.
EveryoneâZombie Kings, humans, all of themâwere locked in place, their bodies stiff, crushed under the immense pressure.
They had to summon every ounce of strength just to move an inch through the frozen time.
Endless was going all in, holding nothing back. His power was terrifying.
With a single move, he had the entire battlefield under his control.
âI⊠am still the strongest on all of Necroterra!â
His aura surged, voice low and grim. The usual calm was gone, replaced by something darker, more violent.
But thenâthe space in front of him shattered with a thunderous crack.
A golden figure descended from the sky, glowing with divine energy. Ethanâs eyes blazed like twin suns, his presence towering like a god surveying the world.
âNo one⊠gets in my way!â
He raised his fist and struck.
The Temporal Domain shattered like glass. If not for the sheer durability of Origin Mountain, the entire area mightâve been obliterated.
Endless gritted his teeth and met the blow head-on.
Two colossal forces collided.
And the entire Necroterra continent trembled in their wake.
BOOOOM!
Endless unleashed everything he hadâbut it still wasnât enough. Ethanâs punch sent him flying backward like a ragdoll. His arm throbbed with searing pain, completely numb.
âChrono Rewind!â
But Endless didnât flinch. With a flash of light, he reversed time on his own body. In the blink of an eye, his injuries vanished, like theyâd never happened.
Ethan, however, had already anticipated this. He was right on top of him.
His Domain of the Dead surged forward like a tidal wave of death, and his hand shot out, aiming straight for Endlessâs head.
Endlessâs eyes widenedâhe barely managed to dodge, shifting sideways just in time.
But as he backed away, he froze.
Ethan was suddenly right next to him.
âAn illusion?â
Endless wasnât easily fooled. His mental strength was top-tierâhe sensed something was off immediately.
He spun and drove his elbow back hard.
Sure enough, the Ethan beside him shattered into a spray of starlight.
âAt this level of combat, you think cheap parlor tricks are gonna work?â
âOh yeah?â Ethanâs voice echoed from all around.
Suddenly, multiple Ethans appeared, flickering into existence mid-air, all lunging at him in perfect sync.
Endless narrowed his eyes, focusing hard. He could sense the fakesâhe could feel the difference in their energy.
But then he realized something terrifying.
The real Ethan⊠was gone.
âWhat the hellâŠâ Endless muttered, smashing through a few of the illusions with his fists.
Fake.
Fake.
All of themâfake.
But then, just as he swung again, a powerful hand clamped down on his wrist like a vice.
âShit!â
Panic surged through him.
The âillusionâ heâd just struckâits energy was rising fast. It wasnât fake anymore.
It was real.
Before he could react, Ethanâs fist came crashing down againâand againâand again.
Endless broke free with a desperate burst of strength, but his entire body screamed in pain. There wasnât a single spot that didnât hurt.
Still, his face remained calm.
He activated his ultimate ability againâtime reversed, and his body rewound to its uninjured state. Even his clothes looked freshly pressed.
âYou canât kill me,â he said coldly. âAnd your Blood Rite⊠itâs almost out of time, isnât it?â
He could feel itâEthanâs energy had stopped climbing.
That meant heâd hit his peak.
And after the peak⊠came the fall.
âUse Blood Rite too long, and your body starts to break down. Irreversible damage,â Endless said, voice steady.
âOh? So you do know about that,â Ethan replied, completely unfazed. âBut your Chrono Rewindâs gotta be running on fumes too. Your bodyâs already showing signs of wear.â
âYouââ
Endless clenched his jaw. Heâd tried to get in Ethanâs head, but the bastard had flipped it right back on him.
And truthfully⊠he was starting to feel the pressure.
If he took a few more hits, he might not be able to rewind time again.
Ethan turned his gaze toward the summit. It wasnât far now.
The square-shaped recess was clearly visible, and the intricate patterns converging above it glowed faintly, like veins of light.
With a wave of his hand, Ethan summoned a heavy stone tablet. It shimmered with radiant energy, and as it floated upward, it seemed to be drawn toward the mountaintopâlike a long-lost child finally returning home.
Endlessâs eyes went wide. He stared at the Star Map tablet in horror.
âWhat⊠what are you doing?â
âWhat else?â Ethan said casually. âIâm opening The Origin Mountain.â
Panic flashed across Endlessâs face. âYou canât! You canât open it! If you do, every living thing in the universe will be wiped out!â
âOh?â Ethan raised an eyebrow. Heâd heard the legendsâthat opening The Origin Mountain would usher in a new era, and crown a new Epoch Sovereign.
But judging by Endlessâs reaction⊠there was more to the story.
âThat bastard from the Forbidden Zone lied to you!â Endless growled, his voice tight with desperation. âYes, opening The Origin Mountain will start a new eraâbut the cost is wiping out everything that lives. The entire universe, erased. A full reset.â
âIs that really the future you want?â
âŠ
Hereâs a redemption code for everyone: