The mechanical arm retracted back into the spatial tear, and the spatial tear closed behind it.
The overwhelming pressure disappeared together with it, allowing Isaac to finally breathe properly again. For a few seconds, he remained where he was, trying to steady himself. Only then did he notice that something felt wrong with his body.
He looked down at his arms and saw them twitching uncontrollably. His muscles were responding sluggishly, as though they were no longer fully under his control. Every movement felt delayed, like a machine suffering from a malfunction. A chill ran through him as he realized the extent of what had happened.
’The attack wasn’t directed at me, and yet I’m injured.’
’What would have happened if I had actually been the target?’
Isaac slowly closed and opened his fists, forcing his arms to obey him. The movements gradually became smoother, but the lingering numbness remained. He had always known that powerful people existed in this world, but he had never imagined strength on this level.
A mere word had been enough to nearly kill people who were among the strongest Overlords, perhaps even Ascenders.
He quickly pushed those thoughts aside before they could distract him. Instead, he returned Selene to the Moon Pendant and made sure she was safely inside. Once that was done, his attention shifted toward Ki Beli, Beroga, and the Third Priest.
None of them were dead. However, the condition of their bodies was horrific. Their physical forms had been damaged beyond repair, but the destruction did not stop there. Their Mana Cores and mana veins had been shattered as well.
Isaac narrowed his eyes as he examined them carefully. Despite their condition, they were still alive. The realization came quickly. It seemed the Elemental Spirit of Machines had deliberately left them in this state so that others could decide their fate.
Nearby, Sera, Oz, and Ezekiel were staring at him. Surprise was obvious on their faces, but suspicion was there as well.
They clearly had questions after everything they had witnessed today.
Unfortunately, while their attention remained on Isaac, someone else took advantage of the opportunity.
Beroga moved.
The action was subtle and easy to miss. His hand slipped into his pocket and pulled out a small object. The instant Isaac sensed the fluctuation of mana, alarm bells rang in his head. His expression changed immediately.
"Stop him!" Isaac shouted.
He reacted as fast as he could, but he was too far away to reach Beroga in time. Sera moved without hesitation, launching an attack toward the burst of light emerging from the item. Her strike intercepted part of it before it could reach Ki Beli and the Third Priest. Unfortunately, Beroga himself was a different matter.
A flash of light engulfed him. Space twisted around his body, and in the next instant he disappeared completely. By the time Isaac reached the location, nothing remained except traces of spatial energy lingering in the air.
"Dammit," Isaac muttered.
He could tell immediately what had happened. Beroga had escaped.
...
Several minutes earlier.
Mother’s POV
A woman covered in black and purple mist stood atop a mountain overlooking the distant horizon. Beside her sat a man with golden fur that resembled a monkey more than a human. His feet dangled over the edge while he stared toward the distant city. Although Isaac’s City could not be seen with the naked eye from this distance, both Mother and Wujin could observe it clearly.
Wujin let out a low whistle as he watched the battle unfolding far away. His golden eyes remained fixed on a particular figure moving through the city. A grin slowly spread across his face as though he had discovered something amusing. The more he watched, the more interested he became.
"Who is that guy?" Wujin asked.
"Isaac," Mother replied without looking up from the device in her hands.
"No, I know his name. I’m asking what he is. It looks like he can copy abilities from women in the city. That’s similar to what Incubus races can do, but the degree of replication he’s displaying is far too high. Does he have some kind of mutated bloodline?" he asked.
"The last time I checked, he was a pure human," Mother answered.
Wujin rubbed his chin thoughtfully while continuing to watch Isaac. The golden fur covering his jaw shifted slightly with the movement. His grin widened as a new possibility entered his mind. Whatever conclusion he reached, he clearly found it entertaining.
"He is interesting," Wujin said.
Mother ignored the comment and continued operating the strange device in her hands. The screen displayed countless symbols that shifted every few seconds. Her attention never left it, though part of her focus remained on the distant battle. Everything appeared to be proceeding exactly as she expected.
A few moments later, space above the mountain suddenly distorted. The air twisted violently before a figure emerged from the spatial fluctuation. Beroga crashed onto the rocky ground and rolled several times before finally coming to a stop. His already ruined body suffered even more damage from the impact.
For a brief moment, Beroga’s eyes locked onto Mother and Wujin.
’Witnesses? I need to kill them!’ Beroga thought.
Killing intent flashed through his eyes almost instantly. Although he could not use mana at the moment, he was still an Overlord. Even in his crippled state, his physical strength alone would be enough to kill most people.
Unfortunately for him, neither of the people standing before him were ordinary.
Wujin casually raised a finger. He did not stand up or even change his relaxed posture. His finger simply moved downward as though he were pressing an invisible object. The next instant, a tremendous force slammed into Beroga.
The mountain trembled.
Beroga was smashed into the ground so hard that cracks spread across the rocky surface. Dust erupted into the air as the pressure continued to push down on him. He struggled to move, but his body refused to obey. It felt as though an entire mountain had been placed on top of him.
Wujin glanced toward Mother.
"So, is this enough?" he asked.
"Yes. Thank you," Mother replied with a nod.
Officially, Mother had brought Wujin along because she lacked the strength to deal with Beroga herself. At least, that was the explanation she had given him. Wujin had never believed it for a second. On paper, she should have been weaker than him, but experience had taught him that trusting appearances around Mother was a terrible idea.
He had spent enough time around her to develop a healthy sense of caution. For all he knew, she was hiding strength capable of shocking even Ascenders. The fact that she constantly avoided displaying her true abilities only made him more suspicious. Unfortunately, proving any of those suspicions was nearly impossible.
"W-Wait!"
Beroga’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
The injured cult leader stared at Wujin with widened eyes. Recognition had finally appeared on his face. It only made sense. As one of the most famous Ascenders in their Sector, Wujin was not someone people could easily forget.
"You’re Wujin."
"Wow, you really are slow. Do you not understand what is happening?" Wujin asked.
"What?" Beroga frowned in confusion before quickly shaking his head. "No, that doesn’t matter. I’ll be direct. I’m not here to fight you. There’s no reason for us to make things difficult for each other. You know who I am. I’m the leader of the Purification Cult’s branch in our Sector."