Chapter 423: Chapter 423 Gate (2)

Benji's words settled over them like a heavy weight.

The very air around them seemed to grow heavier, and Kain suddenly found it much harder to breathe as he processed what Benji's words likely meant for his hometown.

A deep, oppressive silence followed, stretching between them like a suffocating shroud.

"The origin?" Clara finally broke the silence, brows furrowed.

Benji hesitated, seeming to parse through the information Aura was providing. "It's complicated. The gate isn't just some random passageway into the real world. It's being calibrated. They're attuning it to somewhere—or some people—from the real world."

Kain's stomach churned. "You mean it's locked onto Brightstar City?"

Benji nodded grimly. "It makes sense, doesn't it? Everyone used in this gate has ties to Brightstar, their families who they have blood ties with and can serve as anchors are probably mostly all in Brightstar. And if I had to guess… the more people they fuse into it, the stronger the connection becomes. The moment it's complete, it won't just open anywhere—it'll lead straight to there."

A cold dread seeped into Kain's bones.

He didn't just feel fear—he felt rage. A festering, boiling rage that made his fingers twitch with the need to lash out, to do something. These creatures weren't just invading—they were targeting his home, the people he cared about.

Yeah, he had transferred his family members beforehand, but there were still many within the city that he or his family had emotional ties with—their close neighbours Farmer Joe and his wife Sally; Kain's former teacher Mr. Evergreen; former classmates; kind-hearted members of their small city who would frequently gift living essentials to the orphanage to help them get through the toughest times.

Destroying the gate wasn't just a matter of stopping the Abyssal creatures from leaving the relic. If they didn't intervene, Brightstar City—his home—would become the starting point for an Abyssal invasion of the entire Empire.

But before anyone could voice their ideas, something else happened.

A shrill, piercing screech split the cavern. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

Aura flinched, the sound reverberating through their mental connection like nails dragging across their very souls. It was high-pitched, unnatural—somewhere between the wail of a dying animal and the distorted static of a broken machine.

The source?

A woman, half-merged into the Gate.

Kain vaguely recognized her.

Madam Rulien. He had never really spoken with her. He mostly knew of her from Cherry's 'little black book' of secrets. Kain must say, that since her husband passed, she has lived quite the colourful nightlife.

However, this well-known female merchant with a penchant for a flamboyant lifestyle, a staple of Brightstar's high society, had been reduced to this—a half-formed, screaming horror bound in flesh.

Her mouth was stretched open unnaturally wide, the scream bursting from her lips in a desperate, grating wail. Her bloodshot eyes were wild with panic, her exposed fingers twitching spastically as if trying to claw her way free from the Gate.

The Abyssal creatures below recoiled at the sound. Many of the weaker ones, moved all the way to the chamber, looking as though they wished to flee the noise. Even the stronger ones flinched at the noise, their expressions twisting in what could only be discomfort

Aura too, tried to discretely move away as far as possible without drawing attention to herself.

Then, one of the Abyssal creatures moved.

A massive one—easily the largest in the chamber—turned its grotesque head toward her. Its golden eye gleamed with something between irritation and cold amusement.

Without hesitation, it raised one of its massive, clawed arms and swung toward the Gate.

Its movements were swift and effortless.

And for the first time, the creatures fused into the Gate showed an unmistakable emotion—terror.

Madam Rulien's eyes widened in horror as the attack descended upon her. Her scream cut off into a choked gurgle, her face contorting in agony as if she already knew what was coming.

And then—

The blow never landed.

Just as the Abyssal creature's strike was about to connect, something invisible caught it mid-air.

A shimmering, translucent barrier flared into existence. The creature's attack dispersed into a wave of energy upon impact, sending rippling distortions through the air resembling heat waves.

Kain and the others tensed.

A shield?

Or some other kind of automatic defence mechanism?

Whatever it was, it was a powerful one. The largest Abyssal creature there was at least the equivalent of a high-level indigo-grade spiritual creature—equal in strength to their current strongest member, Nadia. And yet its attack had done nothing.

The Abyssal behemoth didn't react with surprise. It merely withdrew its arm, clicking its jaws together in what might have been frustration—or amusement.

A deep, guttural noise rumbled through its chest, something between a growl and an eerie chuckle. It seemed… satisfied. But with what?

Satisfied that it had terrified those fused into the gate?

Or was it satisfied that the strength of the shield covering the gate was working or even getting stronger?

However, while the other Abyssal creatures revelled in this 'interesting' scene. The hearts of Kain and the others dropped.

The Gate wasn't vulnerable. It wasn't something they could just destroy with brute force like many of them were going to propose they do.

Kain exhaled through gritted teeth.

Claudia broke the silence. "That means—"

"We can't just smash it," Nadia confirmed, her tone grim. "At least, not with the strength we have now. Whatever protections are in place, they're strong enough to withstand an attack from that." She motioned toward the Abyssal creature that had attempted the strike.

Clara clenched her fists. "Then we need more information. There has to be something we can use against it."

Benji inhaled sharply, refocusing. "Aura needs to check the other two paths. Maybe we'll find something useful."

Kain forced himself to nod. "Then let's move."

Aura turned back, scampering quickly out of the cavern and retracing her steps to the three-way split.

She had just witnessed the horror in the path to the right.

This time, she took the leftmost path.@@novelbin@@