The Moment of Rupture

Linsey: Alvitte, weren't you far away?

Alvitte: This is the surprise I prepared for you. How is it? Happy and surprised?

"..."

Linsey somewhat regretted teaching Alvitte so much internet slang.

Especially when those words were turned on him—the feeling was incredibly subtle. Even if Linsey was unhappy about it, it seemed he could only blame himself. After all, he was the one who had taught Alvitte those phrases.

For a moment, Linsey hovered in midair.

He casually laid out two floating blocks and lay on them, slowly waiting for the duration of his Freedom Mark to cool down.

At the same time, he checked the Strategic Map. The Fog of War was drawing a rapidly advancing trail.

Alvitte was indeed racing toward him!

"..."

Linsey was briefly nervous, but soon relaxed. He even sent a smiling message through the channel:

Linsey: Alvitte.

Alvitte: Hmm?

Linsey: Guess which of all these Awakened at the scene can't fly?

The Friend Channel fell silent.

Linsey happily waited a few seconds before text appeared again.

Alvitte: Linsey, you can fly now? Was that the doing of that Eighth Stage Elemental Spirit?

Linsey: Com! Plete! Ly! Correct!

Linsey glanced at the map.

As he had expected, the Righteous Walker Girl's astonishing speed suddenly slowed considerably.

Boom—

Before Linsey could continue enjoying himself, an even more astonishing surge of source material power erupted from the nearby battlefield.

He turned to look and saw the Feathered Serpent and the Mutated Ones stirring up trouble.

Those two had no allegiance whatsoever. After joining the battlefield, they began indiscriminately attacking anyone nearby. Even the Awakened who had been standing by and watching were dragged into the mess by them.

When Seventh Stage Awakened fought each other, taking someone down was never something that could be accomplished in