Chapter 135
Ivan's POV
Morena's shriek tore through the air.
The sound was like rusted nails scraping against bone. My eardrums flooded with pressure, and the cheers around us were crushed beneath that wave of malice. She swung her staff, and the great hall's floor began to tremble. Soil churned and erupted as countless skeletal remains and rotting corpse puppets burst from the ground, lunging straight at the panicked crowd.
Lightning surged around me, instantly pulverizing the undead creatures that tried to approach Chloe. Ash floated through the air, carrying the stench of charred flesh. I shifted to block her, feeling her trembling hand clutch tightly at my sleeve.
"Don't be afraid," I said quietly, though my own heart was pounding like it might explode.
The space witch Elvira hovered in midair, arms raised high, maintaining that dark purple energy barrier in the sky. The thing was contracting like a giant maw slowly closing, intent on trapping every elite member of the Lightning Wolf Pack in one fell swoop. I could feel the air being compressed, breathing becoming difficult.
This wasn't just an attack. This was an extermination aimed at the Lightning Wolf Pack.
Connor stood inside the barrier, a crazed smile plastered across his face as he pointed in my direction and shouted at Morena, "Focus fire! Kill him first!"
Morena's eyes lit up with an eerie green glow, and more corpse puppets crawled up from the ground, surging toward me. I took a deep breath. Lightning crackled at my fingertips, weaving into a massive electric net that shielded Chloe and my father Frank behind me. The puppets slammed into the net and instantly turned to charcoal, but more monsters emerged from the gaps.
I bombarded them with lightning while simultaneously fighting against the oppression of the space barrier. That force was like an invisible palm pressing down hard on my shoulders, making every swing of my arm heavier. Though thunder naturally countered the undead, I was gradually feeling overwhelmed.
Sweat slid down my forehead. I clenched my jaw, forcing the electric net to remain stable. I could clearly sense that once the barrier fully closed, space would be completely sealed off, and everyone would become fish in a barrel, ready for slaughter.
I glanced back at Chloe. Her face was pale, but her eyes were resolute. One hand protected her belly while the other gripped my arm tightly. Frank stood behind her, his aged face full of worry, yet he didn't retreat.
I made my decision.
Thunder roared violently inside me. I bit through the tip of my tongue, using pain to awaken the deepest reserves of my power. An unprecedented surge of violent thunder energy exploded from my body, blue-white lightning nearly illuminating the entire hall. Morena's offensive was instantly forced back, and the corpse puppets turned to ash in the lightning.
I seized the opportunity to rush toward the edge of the barrier, grabbing that layer of dark purple light with both hands and tearing at it with all my strength. The barrier was still unstable, and under my brute force, a crack appeared.
"Dad, take Chloe and go! Now!" I grabbed Frank's arm, my eyes resolute and grief-stricken.
Frank stared at me in shock, wanting to refuse, but I shoved him hard toward the opening. He saw the light of self-sacrifice in my eyes, saw how I was protecting Chloe's belly, and the old father instantly understood my intent.
I thought of that note—the one I'd written in desperation, my last will to entrust my family to him. Now, I had to make the same choice again.
"Go!" I used every ounce of strength to push Frank and Chloe toward that rapidly healing crack.
Chloe cried out, unwilling to leave. Her hand clutched desperately at the hem of my clothes, tears streaming down her cheeks. I steeled my heart and used lightning to shock her hand loose, roaring, "Go! For our child!"
Under Frank's tearful dragging, the two stumbled out of the barrier's range. The next second, the dark purple light curtain slammed shut with a thunderous boom.
I stood alone inside the barrier, my back to my escaped lover and father, facing the tide of dark creatures and sneering enemies surging toward me. Lightning exploded once more in my eyes.
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Chloe's POV
I collapsed onto the cold grass, watching helplessly as that crack disappeared.
The Lightning Wolf Pack's territory was now completely encased in a massive, translucent purple-black dome. From the outside, sickening runes flowed across the barrier's surface. Everything inside became blurred and indistinct—no sound, no scent, no breath—as if that space had been completely severed from the world.
"Ivan!" I threw myself at the barrier like a madwoman, pounding on it, but it was futile. A massive recoil force threw me back. Beyond despair, I couldn't touch anything.
My palms went numb from the impact, tears blurring my vision. I scrambled up again, wanting to charge forward, but Frank grabbed me.
"Don't let Ivan worry about us while he's fighting!" Frank's voice was hoarse yet stern, tears streaming down his face, but he held my shoulders firmly. "We have to find a way!"
I stared at the faint flicker of lightning inside the barrier—that was Ivan fighting. My heart felt like it was being carved with a knife, and a broken sob tore from my throat.
Frank released me, his trembling hands pointing at the barrier. "With just the two of us, there's no way to break through a black magic barrier of this level. The only hope is the Silver Moon Pack, with their powerful elemental foundation."
He gripped my arm, his gaze more resolute than ever. "Go find Walter! Tell them everything that's happened here. Tell them that if our lips are gone, their teeth will freeze!"
I nodded through my tears. I knew I carried Ivan's life and our unborn child's future on my shoulders. I couldn't collapse here. I had to run.
"What about you?" I asked, my voice shaking.
Frank shook his head, his gaze fixed on the barrier. "I'll stay here and wait for Ivan to come out so I can support him the moment he does."
I took one last long look at that massive prison of light and the old man standing guard beside it, wiped away my tears, and mounted my horse.
Wind howled past my ears as the horse galloped beneath me, but I didn't dare stop.
I swore in my heart: Ivan, wait for me. I will bring help back to save you!