Black mist surged down like a natural disaster, as if an entire night sky had been stripped from the heavens and pressed down upon Elbaf.
The towering black Giant, as lofty as a mountain, coiled at the heart of the mist. Its silhouette was blurred and warped, like a malevolent spirit lurking in the depths of a nightmare.
With every breath it took, the air seemed to be drained away. A low rumble echoed through the sky, carrying the unease of a god's wrath.
Beneath the Giant's feet, the earth trembled faintly. Stones split apart on their own, rose into the air, and drifted before shattering amid distorted gravity.
All of Elbaf sank into an unprecedented atmosphere of oppression.
Though the Neo Marines' army had endured countless battles, fear still showed on their faces at this moment.
The soldiers' expressions were rigid, sweat sliding down their cheeks, yet none dared move—as though a single twitch would make the black Giant fix its gaze upon them and doom them.
High above Elbaf, Jin An stood at the very front, straight as a sword.
His brows were tightly furrowed as his icy gaze fixed on the strange phenomenon at the horizon.
The wind howled beside his ears, but he remained unmoving. Only one hand slowly clenched, his knuckles turning white.
That was restraint—restraining himself from charging out now.
"This aura..."
He murmured, and his eyes suddenly sharpened like blades.
Bang!!
A thunderous roar erupted from the distant heavens, like the sound of shattering glass.
Everyone turned toward it at once. Above them, a vast stretch of space seemed to have been torn apart, a rift cutting across the sky like a gateway to the abyss.
From within the rift, black mist that made souls tremble poured forth like a raging torrent. Wherever