Chapter 129: Kraken

Louis Ferdinand stood in the vacuum of space, his long gray hair drifting gently around his head as he gazed down at the blue sphere beneath him.

?Planet Roca.

?From this distance, its continents appeared as little more than sprawling, luminous patterns across the planet’s surface, while the lights of its 234 major cities glittered faintly against the endless void.

Yet Louis wasn’t admiring the view. His attention was fixed entirely on the countless disturbances unfolding across the world.

?His senses spread outward, encompassing the entire planet in an instant.

?Every city, every sector, and every location seized by the Crimson Reckoning appeared clearly within his perception.

He could sense the hostages gathered inside buildings, the mercenaries guarding entrances, and the thousands of local Lords and Evolvers mobilizing to confront the terrorists.

?The Astral Dominion had responded quickly.

?Lords from Roca and nearby systems had arrived alongside official Dominion forces, while civilian Evolvers capable of fighting had gathered around several occupied locations.

Some were coordinating with the local authorities, others were preparing to launch assaults, and a few had already entered direct combat.

?Bright flashes of explosion rippled across his perception.

?At one location, a squad of Evolvers had breached a barricade, engaging the mercenaries guarding a massive shopping complex.

At another, a Lord’s summoned troops were attempting to secure a transport hub without endangering the civilians trapped inside.

?The situation was far from under control, but the Dominion’s forces were beginning to push back.

?Louis continued monitoring the global battlefield, mentally marking the critical nodes where his personal intervention would soon become necessary.

?However, despite his vast power, he couldn’t personally appear everywhere at once.

?Fortunately, he didn’t need to.

?’Louis.’

Seraphina’s voice resonated directly inside his mind.

?’Cassian has taken care of the Arachnid leader.’

?For a moment, Louis simply stared down at the glowing planet below.

?Then, a faint smile spread across his weathered face.

?’That boy is surprisingly fast. I haven’t even finished setting everything up, and he’s already taken care of his primary target.’

?He glanced toward the vast planet where Roca’s forces were facing off against the terrorists, mildly amused by the stark contrast between his own meticulous preparations and Cassian’s ruthless efficiency.

?’I still have to spend considerable time cleaning up this mess.’

?Seraphina’s response came almost instantly.

?’Skill issue.’

?Louis froze.

?For several long seconds, he remained suspended motionless in the vacuum of space, his expression caught somewhere between utter disbelief and profound confusion.

?’...What did you just say?’

?There was no response.

?He waited.

?Nothing.

?Louis’s smile twitched slightly.

?’Seraphina?’

?Dead silence.

?The supreme Overseer slowly closed his eyes.

?Somehow, he had just been bluntly mocked by a woman who could casually overwhelm his spiritual probes like a mild inconvenience.

?’Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.’

?He let out a long, silent sigh.

?No actual air escaped his lungs, of course. He had long since ascended past the physical limitations that once governed mortal existence.

Breathing was no longer necessary for his survival, and the freezing void of space posed zero threat to his physical form.

?Still, old human habits were difficult to abandon entirely.

?His eyes snapped open.

?The subtle amusement completely disappeared from his face, replaced by the cold, absolute resolve of an Ascendant Lord.

?"Well, then."

?Surging mana began gathering around his body.

?"Time to get rid of some pests."

?The energy radiating from Louis intensified exponentially, pouring from his form toward the empty space surrounding him.

Deep within his core, his Lord Seed stirred, releasing an immense, crushing torrent of mana that expanded like an unleashed ocean.

?The surrounding void groaned under the sudden gravitational strain.

?Louis slowly raised one hand toward the star-lit sky.

?"Come forth, Kraken."

?The space above him rippled violently.

?Reality itself began to warp and bend under the sheer pressure of an immense presence emerging from beyond the ordinary boundaries of the cosmos.

A colossal, dark silhouette materialized in the void, its sheer scale so gargantuan that the distant stars behind it were completely blotted out.

?Massive tentacles emerged first.

?One.

?Then another.

?Then dozens more, each one stretching across the void like an armored, living continent.

?Finally, the creature’s full, terrifying form tore through the spatial tear.

?A gargantuan karen floated above Louis, its colossal mass spanning nearly half the diameter of the planet below.

Its body was encased in thick layers of dark, organic armor plating, through which veins of brilliant luminous mana pulsed like rivers of molten light.

Its enormous eyes glowed with an ancient, cold intelligence, while the countless suction cups lining its tentacles shimmered with concentrated spatial energy.

?The creature’s mere physical existence distorted the fabric of space around it.

?This was no ordinary summon.

?This was Louis Ferdinand’s primary Champion.

?The Kraken.

?As a Tier V Ascendant Lord and the Overseer of the Astral Dominion, Louis possessed authority and resources that lesser Lords could scarcely comprehend.

His Champion was the ultimate manifestation of that authority, a cosmic entity capable of manipulating space on a scale that rendered conventional military tactics utterly meaningless.

?Louis regarded the planetary-scale horror with the easy familiarity of a commander addressing a trusted subordinate.

?A voice resonated directly inside his mind.

?’My Lord. What is your command?’

?The Kraken’s telepathic voice was deep and terrifyingly resonant, yet carried a strange, reverent gentleness despite the cosmic scale of its owner.

?Louis smiled faintly.

?’I’ve marked thousands of hostiles across Planet Roca. There are pests occupying civilian zones, and I want them eliminated.’

?He transmitted the exact coordinates and energetic signatures directly through their mental bond.

?Every single marked target instantly flashed inside the Kraken’s vast consciousness, paired precisely with the hostile forces Louis had identified.

?’Eliminate the assailants. Maintain absolute precision, our priority is to vaporize the threat without causing a single casualty among the hostages.’

?The Kraken’s colossal eyes narrowed slightly.

?’As you command, my Lord.’

?Its massive tentacles began to move.

?One after another, the titanic appendages rose through the vacuum, their fluid movements sending shockwaves through the surrounding spatial continuum.

Concentrated spatial energy gathered at their tips, condensing into brilliant, luminous circles that expanded until each was large enough to swallow an entire city block.

?The glowing rings shimmered with layers of complex, interlocking runes, their edges visibly bending the starlight around them.

?Through their mental connection, the Kraken’s cold intent radiated toward every designated target across the globe.

?Its telepathic voice echoed once more, deep and utterly merciless.

[Planetary Barrage]

?The spatial circles ignited.