The ground trembled beneath Damien's boots as the air rippled with mana pressure. The entire area was chaos — the shattered remains of trees and carcasses of beasts glowing faintly where their essence had been drained.
Above it all, the Gate still loomed like a living wound in the air, its surface now covered in web-like cracks of dull crimson light that pulsed in rhythm with General Ivaan's heartbeat.
Damien's lungs burned. His coat was torn, his knuckles bleeding, but he refused to step back. His every sense screamed that if Ivaan wasn't stopped now, the entire continent would pay for it.
"Ivaan!" Damien's voice cut through the storm of mana. "Stop this! You'll tear everything apart!"
But the general didn't even flinch. His eyes were voids of black light now, veins throbbing at his temples as blood continued to stream down from his nostrils.
