Chapter 1282 - Void Storm (1/2)
The powerful storm whistled past his ears.
Rhode darted ahead without looking back. Despite that, the Chaos fog around him vanished instantly as though it were drained. The constant rumblings of the ground were more than enough to show how critical the current situation was. At that moment, Rhode lifted Lesa with his left arm and Lapis with his right as he dashed forward. The wild void storm followed closely behind him, mercilessly giving chase.
Tsk, everything went well until a few moments ago.
Deep down, Rhode felt rather depressed. Things were going much smoother than expected. Even though he was concerned that Ion would return with his army upon realizing that something was amiss, he didn’t expect things to be so successful. He also didn’t face any issues after the Plane Destruction Bombs were set up. This made Rhode loosen up for a while. Since his mission was accomplished, the next step was naturally to evacuate. However, it was at that moment he realized that he neglected something crucial.
He underestimated the devastation of the Plane Destruction Bombs.
Although Lapis had ‘theoretically’ calculated the time, damage, and range of void that would occur after the series of explosions, that was only ‘theory’, after all. There was always a difference between reality and theory. Rhode initially decided to blend into the Chaos fog as quickly as possible and leave the place by teleporting. That way, they would be able to escape the disaster. However, he didn’t expect the devastation of the Plane Destruction Bombs to be far stronger than he expected. Before the teleportation process was completed, the Chaos fog was completely ripped apart by the void storm, revealing his group, which was laying low and relying on the fog for concealment. Without a choice, they had to rely upon their trusty legs and run for their dear lives. If they were to stop now, they would surely be swept into the void storm. And when that happened, they would be dead for sure.
It went without saying that Lesa and Lapis lacked physical strength, which was why Rhode carried them around his waist like sacks and sprinted without looking back. Although his strength was weakened, he was still a Spirit Swordsman, after all, and didn’t have any issues doing this. Besides, they were both delicate young ladies, so they weren’t too much of a burden even if he were to lift them at the same time. That was why the instant they landed on their feet, Rhode seized their slender waists and ran for his life.
“Hurry, hurry! Everyone keep up!”
Mini Bubble Gum followed closely by his side, extending and holding her arm down. Along with this action, an enormous, revolving white circle expanded abruptly with the young lady in the middle, shrouding everyone in an instant. With this spiritual effect, everyone’s speed increased to a whole new level. They could no longer see themselves running. The only thing they witnessed was their indistinct figures as they zoomed across the land.
Not quick enough! Hurry!
Rhode heard the loud rumbles of collapsing land behind him. At that moment, he spotted the vague silhouette of the steel fortress above the horizon in the distance. But this wasn’t enough. Even though it seemed as though they spent a lot of time fleeing, as a matter of fact, it wasn’t even 10 seconds after his group was revealed from the fog until now. The void storm had already devoured all the lands that were contaminated by Chaos. If one compared the entire land of Chaos to sliced bread, the void storm had almost swallowed this entire slice of bread in one bite, leaving only the sides. But despite that, they wouldn’t survive for long.
“What in the world? It’s never ending!”
In the blink of an eye, Rhode’s group dashed to the edge of the land of Chaos. But it was at that moment when they faced a huge obstacle: a bottomless trench of nearly 100 meters wide. This trench was none other than the one Rhode left behind when he fought against Ion earlier. Even though he failed, the damage he inflicted on the land using his powerful strength didn’t vanish. And now, it was this marking of a failure that obstructed their escape!
“Everyone, get ready to… Jump!”
But in the face of this wide trench, Rhode yelled without any hesitation, grabbed Lesa and Lapis in his arms, and leapt over it. The group who followed closely behind him also didn’t hesitate as they jumped straight across it.
At the same time, Canary spread her arms apart and a mysterious, elemental rune appeared between her hands. Then, green gales emerged and formed transparent wings behind everyone’s back, carrying them forward in a speedy dash like jet engines.
“Ssss…!”
At that moment, Rhode was finally in the mood to turn back briefly. But after witnessing the scenery behind him, he couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath. The vast land was shattering and crumbling in pieces. Deep, purple lightning clapped along with ear-deafening bellows from the void as they slammed onto the ground. Shortly after, along with a piercing ray of light, the solid ground fissured, disintegrated, and disappeared gradually in the spiraling storm. The shining purple was like a pigment that penetrated the darkness, tinting it with a whole new color.
This is ridiculous!
Rhode wasn’t willing to be struck by that purple lightning to see whether he was lucky enough to survive. Because that wasn’t just any ordinary lightning, but a spatial crack instead. As soon as one was hit by it, one would most likely be swept into the torrent of broken space and could forget about leaving. One also wouldn’t know where one would end up in it. Rhode had suffered from a transmigration once and didn’t wish for a second experience…
Hurry, hurry!
Even though the group had the aid of their wings, the thunderous lightning still closed in on them quickly. The flickering purple brilliance grew brighter, and the loud rumbles almost caught up with Rhode!
“S-Sir Rhode!”
“Lapis, Lesa, hang on tight!”
Along with Lapis’s scream, Rhode yelled and swung out his right arm abruptly, and a card appeared swiftly in his hand. Shortly after, the Spirit Bird emerged, expanded its wings, and a dazzling bolt of lightning flickered on its body.
In the blink of an eye, Rhode transformed into a blinding light that streaked across the sky, arriving at the edge of the bottomless trench in an instant. Almost at the same time, a deep purple lightning bolt struck from the space crack and blasted where he was at earlier. If he were slower by one second, perhaps he would have been headed to another world with Lapis and Lesa for a brand new start.
Bam!
Rhode crash-landed on the ground and continued to sprint ahead without patting off the dust on his clothes. Lapis and Lesa who were in his arms couldn’t even speak a word. The violent air currents along the extreme speed forced the two young ladies to turn their heads around and close their eyes to resist the winds and dust. At that moment, they had as though boarded a speeding car. Apart from grabbing onto Rhode’s clothes with all their life, they couldn’t do anything else!
Rumble!
Yet another thunderclap. The distant sky turned pitch-black and large patches of space were completely twisted and shattered like a smashed skylight. The void storm overflowed and tinted everything in sight like a deadly poison.
“Haa… Haa… Haa…”
Rhode looked over his shoulder after the ground was no longer trembling. After ensuring that he had left the proximity of the void storm, he turned over, plopped on the ground palely, and let go of the two young ladies. Even though he didn’t witness it, Lapis clearly saw the entire explosion process. Although she calculated and understood how strong the devastation of the Plane Destruction Bombs were, there was a huge difference between the data in her head and reality. After she witnessed the storm that almost destroyed the world, she sat on the ground, drenched in sweat, and couldn’t stand on her weakened knees. Her expression turned incredibly ashen, especially after witnessing this nightmarish scene that left her shuddering. Earlier on, when she was locked in Rhode’s arm, she saw the purple lightning bolts forming a chain and pursuing her. She felt as though she were gripped in the hand by a terrifying monster that widened its jaw and was about to devour her. If it weren’t for Rhode who transformed into a lightning bolt that zoomed past it, perhaps she wouldn’t be able to see the sky again.