Chapter 2651: Void Stream Emery had encountered the Duskrath before—void-born phantoms that haunted the Eternal Void. These creatures were not made of flesh and bone, but of spectral malice and devouring hunger. They moved effortlessly through the turbulent currents, unfazed by debris or gravitational shifts. Veyarel and Rosin Karat, seasoned by their past ventures, recognized the threat the instant the first wave appeared. Dozens of twisted humanoid forms, their bodies trailing smoky tendrils, descended from the void. Their claws scraped across the glowing barrier in a screech that echoed inside the group’s minds. Rainbow light shimmered from the fey’s protective dome, but it flickered under the relentless assault. "Fascinating creatures!" Galael, the Ember Sage, exclaimed with morbid curiosity, his eyes shining with both awe and calculation. "They’re getting in!" cried one of the fairy warriors, panic rising in her voice. Though the barrier held, the Duskrath’s incorporeal forms seeped in through the smallest fractures, like smoke twisting through cracks in glass. The bear-like half-blood warriors charged in, fists raised to intercept—but Emery grabbed his arm mid-step. "Don’t touch them directly!" he warned. Emery thrust his hand forward. Elysian roots erupted and wrapped around the incoming wraith, holding it in place. But within seconds, the roots shriveled, blackened, and crumbled. Life itself was siphoned away. The bear-warrior snarled and backed up. Glowing runes ignited across his arms. Stones coalesced into a gauntlet, covering his hands in jagged armor. With a snarl, he channeled his cosmic energy and slammed his fist into the wraith. The creature shrieked and exploded into black mist. The deer-antlered warrior followed up with massive spectral arms, sweeping through the air and pulverizing another. Still, more broke through. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚 Emery drew his [Embernight] sword. With a shout, he unleashed [Dao Edge], a slashing wave of crescent force that sliced through a phantom mid-dive. The Duskrath howled as they dissipated, only to be replaced by three more. Beside him, Galael raised both hands, his eyes igniting with flame. A twin wave of cosmic fire surged forth—[Fire Wave]—burning the invaders in streaks of emerald and crimson heat. His fire proved especially effective, and he cackled as the creatures writhed under the searing magic. "I guess I’m joining in too!" said Soltz as he manipulated the shattered stone debris, turning them into flying bullets that bombarded the incoming threats. The combined might of the group began to push the wave back. But even as the rear was secured, the worst was yet to come. Up ahead, dozens more Duskrath loomed—larger, more malicious. And something far worse accompanied them. A chain of black lightning danced through the void, shattering a boulder the size of a fortress. The arc sizzled toward the platform with mind-breaking speed. "Hang on!" Rosin shouted. With the calm force of a true Supreme Magus, he twisted the entire platform, dodging the bolt at the last instant. His flying metallic spheres swirled around them, smashing debris and shielding the sides. Veyarel bent space itself, shifting the currents and pulling them back onto course. The team fell into a rhythm. The two fairies took turns swapping with Kaeylin to keep the rainbow barrier active. Emery, Galael, Soltz, and the two elite fey warriors stood as the frontline, intercepting every Duskrath that breached the dome. Rosin and Veyarel focused on navigation and protection. With such a formidable group, the voyage through the Eternal Void became noticeably more manageable. Hours passed in this deadly ballet, the group growing more synchronized with each wave. Even so, Emery could not shake the tightness growing in his chest. Time ticked mercilessly in the back of his mind. If the calculations from VIA were correct, he had less than three days to make it back. Less than three days to face Kronos in the promised duel. He tried to suppress the rising anxiety by observing Veyarel closely—how he tuned into the magnetic currents to stabilize their trajectory. He knew Veyarel was doing everything he could to get them home. But the Eternal Void was a living labyrinth. Even with a directional compass, the routes constantly twisted and bent. Every time they thought they were on the right path, the currents would shift and sweep them sideways, forcing detours that cost precious hours. It wasn’t until another full day passed that Emery felt it—a sudden stillness. Kaeylin was the first to voice what they all sensed. "Where... are the Duskrath?" They had gone nearly two hours without an attack. The black lightning that once streaked like cosmic whips through the void had stopped entirely. The violent gravitational tugs and whirling debris had diminished. Now the stream was unnaturally quiet. The platform glided slowly forward, each person on high alert. Then, they saw it. Not chaos. Not death. But emptiness. A region of the void stretched out before them in all directions—a pitch-black expanse devoid of anything. No broken rocks. No void rivers. No stars. Then the silence broke. A movement in the distance. Far ahead, coiling through the darkness, was a massive, serpentine figure—its body the size of a mountain, gliding silently in the distance. Its eyes glowed like twin dying stars. "That... that’s a god-level creature," Galael whispered, voice barely audible. Awe filled every syllable. But it wasn’t alone. More appeared—three, four of them—serpents of legend, swimming through the emptiness. Emery’s heart clenched. He recognized them. The same kind of creature that had nearly killed him once, back when Killgragah made his ultimate sacrifice. Rosin and Veyarel recognized them too. The Supreme Magus stared grimly ahead and asked, "There’s no other path?" Veyarel shook his head, face solemn. "I’ve tried over a dozen different streams... they all lead here. I believe this place is the very wall that separates our realms." Rosin sighed heavily. "This is the same stretch of void where most of my expedition was wiped out... We need to be extremely careful." The Supreme Magus revealed that the Magus Alliance was no stranger to the Eternal Void. For over a millennium, they had sent hundreds of expeditions to study its anomalies, seeking the truths that lay beyond. But this particular region of total darkness was the one place no one had ever crossed. "Can we really survive this?" Soltz asked, panic rising in his voice. Veyarel revealed that his spatial attunement still allowed him to trace a path toward their destination, the Magus realm. He was confident they wouldn’t get lost—but that didn’t mean they were safe. The weight of his words silenced everyone. And yet, there was no choice now. The platform crept closer to what appeared to be a mirrored veil stretched across space, thin, translucent, shimmering faintly with hues that shifted between dimensions. Rosin approached it. His hand touched the surface. "This is it." The mirror pulsed in response, and with a surge of power, the Supreme Magus tore it open. A rift yawned wide, a whirlpool of void essence forming around it. Their platform shuddered as the group was pulled in. The moment they crossed, the pressure changed. Gravity twisted. Energy screamed. The Eternal Void’s final threshold was worse than any before—more crushing, more soul-wrenching. Rosin’s voice rang clear through the maelstrom. "Brace yourselves!" And with everything they had, they surged through the void.