CHAPTER 174: The Pack Engages in Three Realms in Its Greatest Conflict
CHAPTER 174: The Pack Engages in Three Realms in Its Greatest Conflict
The valley has become a combat zone. The once-familiar landscape was now a hostile, changing labyrinth of fissures and gaps as the eclipse's spooky shadow plunged the region into a twilight vacuum. The gap had opened, and creatures from a dark world had surfaced from its depths, their shapes changing in ways that were contrary to the laws of nature. However, they weren't alone. The pungent stink of old magic and the smell of danger filled the air as the earth shook.
With her eyes searching the horizon and her breath coming in short gasps, Selene stood at the head of the group. There was a strange pulse to the soil under her feet. The combat broke out in full force as the distant cry of wolves reverberated over the landscape. The eclipse had now completely engulfed the sky above them, with the sun reduced to a ghost beneath the moon's black shroud.
Despite the commotion all around them, Selene's voice remained calm as she whispered to Kael, "We must hold the line." Her gaze strayed to the nearby wolves, some of which were already engaged in combat with the shadow monsters that flowed from the split. Others stood by, ready to attack at the first hint of weakness.
Kael nodded as he stood at her side, his Eclipse power glimmering with a mystical brightness. "We have spent our whole lives preparing for this moment. We won't allow everything to collapse just yet.
But given what they were facing, his words seemed meaningless. This was unlike any of the countless threats the group had seen. What had begun as a small-scale conflict on their homeland swiftly grew into something much bigger. The pack's only chance was to stop the entire eruption of the ancient power that threatened to destroy everything, and the gap was more than simply a fissure between worlds.
Selene's thoughts whirled. Their prior encounter with the beast was only the start. She felt the power building under the earth, throbbing like a pulse and becoming stronger every second. None of them could afford the price she had to pay to mend the gap. The fissure eroded the borders between the Abyss and their domain, the Eclipse domain, with each passing instant. Everything would be lost if they failed.
Selene looked directly at Kael and said, "We'll have to divide our forces." While the rest of us repel the monsters, some of us must battle to keep the rift open. We need time.
With a frown, Kael said, "The rift it's not just the creatures we're fighting against." It is the cornerstone of our world. This area has unstable energy. Selene, I sense it. Everything is being infused with the majesty of the eclipse. I don’t know how much longer we can hold the rift.”
She nodded, realizing the importance of what he had said. The Eclipse magic corrupted everything it came into contact with, making it more than just a weapon. Whether they were men or wolves, if they did not act quickly, the eclipse's force would swallow them all.
Despite the doubt in her heart, Selene responded, "We'll make it." She raised her hand and looked at the group. "Get ready! We battle for all of existence, not just our earth. It's not over after the eclipse. A new age is dawning on us!
The storm that was building around them was not much calmed by her words, which reverberated across the valley. The abyss swirled with evil energy as the gap continued to quake. Nightmarish beasts with luminous eyes and gaping maws appeared as shadowy individuals issued from it. They attacked the pack mercilessly, moving swiftly and deliberately.
With a combined howl, the wolves charged forward, their might and solidarity creating a strong barrier against the approaching animals. However, Selene sensed a terrible force encroaching from every direction, an overpowering pressure rising in the atmosphere. This was no longer merely a struggle for survival. This was the beginning of an age-long conflict. There would be a catastrophic clash between three realms, one that was dying, one that was changing, and one that was about to be destroyed.
"Remain concentrated!" With a roar, Selene sprang into the battle, her claws tearing through the dark creatures. With the Eclipse energy roiling in her blood, her power exploded all around her. It was all she had, albeit she hadn't completely used it yet. She would not let the group down; they depended on her.
At her side, Kael was a haze of movement. His power blended with the air surrounding him, and his Eclipse magic sparked with force. With merciless accuracy, he sliced through the dark forces with his energy like a sword. Around him, the wolves engaged in ferocious combat, letting their instincts take over and tearing through the shadow monsters with ruthless efficiency.
However, it was insufficient. The monsters continued to flood out of the breach, apparently inexhaustibly. Selene saw that the tide was turning and that the sheer might of the enemy's troops was bearing down on them.
With his eyes blazing with resolve, Kael said, "We need reinforcements." "The rift will widen and we'll be fighting on all fronts if we don't stop them here."
Selene's thoughts whirled. The barriers between worlds were already being undermined by the gap. The monsters were pulling the fundamental fabric of reality with them, not merely overflowing into their realm. However, while she contemplated their next course of action, she saw a flicker in the sky. The air glistened for a moment as the eclipse reached its peak.
Selene's voice was filled with urgency as she abruptly added, "I know what we must do." "The rift must be fully sealed. I'll need assistance, but there's only one way to do it.
Kael looked at her, his expression bewildered. "What do you mean?"
Selene was so familiar that her eyes widened. It was more than simply a portal between realms. It served as a tether and anchor, binding the Abyss, their planet, and the Eclipse Realm together. If she could cut that bond, the gap would fall in on itself. However, it was a team effort and utilized more than just her Eclipse power; it wasn't a job for one wolf.
As Selene realized the seriousness of the situation, she said, "It's a sacrifice." “I need the pack. Every one of us. Our magic and power must be combined and directed toward a single goal. The connection that keeps the rift open will be severed. But we would lose everything if we do that.
"You're requesting that we surrender our magic," Kael stated in a hushed tone.
"It's the only way," Selene said in a very determined voice. But we have to act fast. The gulf will become larger the longer we wait.
The wolves hesitated, staring at Selene with steadfast devotion and faith. Rowan looked up at her as he moved forward from the sidelines. "We support you if it means preserving the realms."
With pride in her heart, Selene nodded. "Then, together, let's put an end to this."
With their bodies gleaming with power, the pack clustered around her. They roared at the gap in unison, their energy melding into a dazzling flash of light. The energy was overpowering, and the eclipse's impact increased the strength of their might. The split rattled furiously, and for a second, it looked as if the fabric of reality might rip apart utterly.
Then, however, there was a frightful tremor in the ground. From the gap came a surge of evil power that knocked the wolves back. As the magic hit her and knocked her to the ground, Selene let out a cry. She saw something that chilled her blood through the fog of anguish.
The protector of the rift, the monster, was not alone itself. More figures appeared, huge and unrelenting. Furthermore, they were more than simply shadow beings.
They were the Eclipse Realm's lost gods.
Their bodies flickered in and out of existence, as if they were both a part of and distinct from the gap, and their eyes shone with old, malevolent power. The sky above them also started to break with them, the blackness threatening to swallow everything up.
Then Selene heard the distinct sound of a new force approaching in the distance. There was someone or something on the battlefield.
The gods of Eclipse, however, could not be opposed by anyone or anything.
It would be too late to find out. There would be no going back now that the last fight had begun.