Chapter 132: Second Phase ( First - Of Mass Release)

Chapter 132: Second Phase ( First Chapter Of Mass Release)

?From the surface, it felt as though the planet itself had been seized by an enormous hand.

Billions of people looked toward the sky, wondering whether the terrorist attack had finally reached its catastrophic conclusion.

?Far above the planet, Louis Ferdinand’s expression darkened as he sensed the global disturbance.

?Deep beneath the surface, Cassian’s situation was becoming increasingly desperate.

?The Worldbreaker Core was approaching its final stage. Its energy output continued multiplying, and the counter-reaction he had established was struggling to keep pace.

The equilibrium was beginning to destabilize, and he could feel the difference through the hand pressed against the machine.

?’Not yet.’

?Cassian increased his mana output.

?The core responded with another violent surge. His muscles tightened, and his teeth ground together as he fought to maintain his position.

?’Come on. Just hold together a little longer.’

?He had already committed himself to this course of action. Retreating now would accomplish nothing, and allowing the reaction to reach its conclusion would condemn everyone on the planet.

?He needed to stabilize the core. Somehow, he had to force the reaction into a state where its energy could no longer escalate uncontrollably.

?But the margin for error was disappearing.

?The Worldbreaker Core’s central column flared with blinding light. For an instant, Cassian felt the equilibrium slip beyond his control.

’?Shit!’

?His eyes narrowed as he poured even more mana into the machine, desperately attempting to restore the balance.

?Then, in the midst of the chaos, a notification appeared before his eyes.

?[LORD’S DOMAIN — EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION]

?Warning: A portion of your anchor civilization, the Astral Dominion, is on the verge of destruction.

Planet: Roca

?Emergency Objective: Prevent the destruction of planet Roca.

?Completion Reward: Undisclosed.

?Cassian stared at the notification for a fraction of a second.

?Then, he smiled.

?This was it. This was the reason he had decided to intervene personally, despite the risks involved.

?When Louis had explained the situation, Cassian had immediately recognized an opportunity.

The Worldbreaker Core was a weapon capable of destroying Planet Roca, but its destruction would also threaten a portion of the Astral Dominion, the very civilization serving as his anchor.

?And the Lord’s Domain had now confirmed it. His anchor was in danger.

?More importantly, the system had offered a reward for preventing its destruction.

?Cassian’s smile widened slightly.

’?So I was right.’

?He had not told Louis the entire truth about his motivations. Claiming that he owed the Overseer for saving Ruby had been a convenient explanation, one that concealed the more calculated reason behind his decision.

?Of course, he was grateful to Louis, and he had no intention of allowing Ruby or the billions of innocent people on Planet Roca to die.

?But Cassian was also a Lord. He understood that opportunities to advance were rarely presented without a price, and the Lord’s Domain had just placed one directly before him.

?A reward for saving a portion of his anchor civilization? He would be a fool not to seize it.

?The Worldbreaker Core roared. Its energy surged toward the point of failure, threatening to overwhelm the counter-reaction entirely.

?Cassian’s smile disappeared. The opportunity was there, now he had to survive long enough to claim it.

?His blue eyes sharpened, and the mana pouring from his hand intensified until the entire chamber was engulfed in a blinding radiance.

’?All right.’

?He tightened his grip against the machine.

’?Let’s do this properly.’

....

Cassian gritted his teeth as he attempted to regulate the mana flowing from his body.

?It was easier said than done.

?His mana control had always been terrible. While his [Infinite Mana] blessing provided an inexhaustible supply of energy, it did nothing to improve his precision.

He could overwhelm opponents through sheer quantity, but directing his mana efficiently was an entirely different matter.

?Unfortunately, the Worldbreaker Core offered him no choice.

?The slightest mistake could destabilize the counter-reaction and condemn billions of people to death.

He needed to regulate his output, maintaining just enough mana to counter the energy released by the device without allowing either side to overwhelm the other.

?’What a perfect opportunity to improve my mana control.’

?Even now, with his body aching and the entire planet trembling beneath his feet, Cassian couldn’t help thinking about the benefits of the situation.

?’Have I been influenced by Morghanna?’

?His second Champion had an insatiable appetite for battle and an almost unreasonable willingness to throw herself into dangerous situations.

Apparently, some of that recklessness was beginning to rub off on him.

?Cassian almost laughed at the thought.

?Almost.

?Another surge of energy erupted from the Worldbreaker Core, forcing him to grit his teeth as the pressure intensified.

’?Well, if thinking about that keeps my mind off the pain, I’ll take it.’

?He refocused his attention on the machine.

?The Worldbreaker Core was still in its first phase.

?This was the stage in which the binary fusion reaction began, producing an enormous amount of energy as two opposing forces interacted within the device.

The resulting output spread outward, generating a powerful repulsive force that pushed everything surrounding the core away from it.

?That was why the entire chamber had been shaking so violently.

?The energy released during this stage was immense, but it wasn’t the weapon’s true horror.

?The first phase was merely the beginning.

?Once the binary fusion reaction reached its peak, the nature of the force would change.

?Repulsion would become attraction.

?And everything would begin moving toward the core.

?Cassian had understood the principle intellectually, but experiencing it firsthand was entirely different.

?The change came without warning.

?WHOOOOOOOM!

?The outward pressure abruptly vanished.

?For a fraction of a second, the chamber seemed to hold its breath.

?Then, the Worldbreaker Core began pulling.

?Cassian’s eyes widened as the mana flowing from his body was suddenly dragged toward the machine.

The force was so powerful that it felt as though an invisible hand had seized his energy and begun ripping it out of him.

?His hair whipped forward.

?The shadow circles binding his legs tightened as the floor beneath them groaned.

?Even the enormous steel beams surrounding the machine began to vibrate, their surfaces creaking under the sudden change in pressure.

’?So this is the second phase!’

?Cassian immediately understood what had happened.

?The binary fusion reaction had reached its critical point. The Worldbreaker Core had entered the stage for which it had been designed.