Chrysalis Chapter 1716 - Beam of the Heavens

If I do say so myself, Singularity is one incredible spell. Obtained by reaching the next tier of Gravity Mana specialization, it is easily one of my personal favorites and delivers a devastating blow. To balance that ridiculous damage potential, however, the difficulty of casting the wretched thing is absolutely mind-cracking.

The pattern is more intricate than a sculpture made of jelly, but that isn't the only issue; simply holding the mana in place is an ordeal.

To produce the catastrophic beam of doom that erupts from the singularity, I essentially have to maintain two gravity bombs and force them to bleed into one another. Managing that much mana is a massive pain in the thorax, and doing so with such precision is twice as exhausting!

Still, I make no effort to conceal my actions as I draw forth the mana and begin the weaving process. Since there is no immediate time pressure, I avoid rushing, allowing the energy to flow like a thundering river as I mold it and give it purpose. It doesn't take long for power to start radiating from me—a shrieking warning and a clanging alarm to anyone sensitive to the local mana.

I can only hope these delvers don't underestimate the coming storm. If they have any sense, they should be fleeing for the hills this very moment. It is obvious their position has been compromised, so why bother trying to hold their ground? It would be even worse if they attempted to raise shields.

I have never actually tested the singularity against defensive magic, but holy moly, a barrier would have to be extraordinary to withstand this.

As the casting continues, maintaining a slow and controlled pace becomes increasingly difficult. The more mana I weave into the spell, the harder it becomes to contain. It feels like a boulder I am trying to brace on a steep hillside, one that grows heavier with every passing second. Soon, it will be beyond my control, and it will begin to roll regardless of my will.

Two dense spheres of Gravity Mana manifest above my head, swallowing the light and bathing me in a purple-tinged gloom. Each orb rotates with an inevitable momentum, drawing closer and closer until a furious reaction is sparked between them.

Delvers, please, for your own sake, I hope you've moved.

When the beam is finally unleashed, it seems to consume every scrap of light in existence. More than merely blinding and faster than light itself, the bolt tears through the air, leaving a screaming void in its wake.

A distant rumbling escalates into a calamitous roar that makes the earth tremble even where I stand, kilometers away, as my magic carves through the air, the ground, the heavens, and the hells alike.

As the light flickers and starts to dim, I am met with nothing but a wall of debris and rising clouds of pulverized earth. From this distance, sensing exactly what is happening at the ambush site isn't easy, but if any delvers stayed put… let’s just say they won't be happy.

Satisfied that any traps prepared for me are likely in ruins, I march forward with purpose, ready to face my enemies.

[Crinis, can you start attacking me? Just lightly, there's no need to go overboard.]

[Uh… I would really rather not… Master,] she responds.

Hiding within my shadow, Crinis has been on her best behavior lately, only attempting to sneak beneath my carapace a few times every hour. After my long slumber, I suspect she went through some sort of withdrawal. She is even more clingy than usual, which is truly saying something.

[It’s just to get my healing network active, alright? It’s nothing strange. In fact, you’ll be doing me a favor.]

[Well… if you say so.]

A few tentacles emerge from my shadow and begin to prod at the underside of my shell.

[Come on, Crinis! That doesn't even count as an attack! Put a little more oomph into it!]

[Fine!]

Her strikes are still incredibly gentle, barely more than an aggressive tickle, but it is finally enough to get the healing network to start ticking over. Just barely.

Pushing through the haze, I keep my wits sharp and my senses on high alert. Hundreds of delvers are still out here, so I must remain cautious. While the singularity likely destroyed most of their preparations, I cannot afford to underestimate my foes. This battle will likely be the most challenging I have faced since waking from my evolution.

With my mind constructs spinning, I draw out mana and prepare my spells. Sensing carefully, I sniff out the faint gravitational fields emitted by the delvers. They are nearby, hidden within the dust clouds. It appears they have huddled together in the rubble to pool their strength.

A wise tactic. I should probably clear this dust to improve my visibility. While tracking enemies via gravitational fields during a fight is possible, it's barely manageable, and I would much rather rely on my eyes.

I just finished resetting them, so I might as well use them!

A powerful gust of wind surges through the tunnel, blowing the dust clouds away to reveal the absolute devastation that has been inflicted here.

It… isn't a pretty sight.

The singularity has gouged a horrific trench through the stone, annihilating everything in its path and shredding the delvers' prepared traps. It looks as though several devices exploded and two separate rockfall traps were triggered prematurely. There are scorch marks, rocks melted into slag, and others frozen solid.

Yikes! It seems they really had some nasty surprises waiting for me!

Now, what is their next move? I expected an attack to have started by now…

The wind continues to howl, clearing the thick dust and finally exposing the gathered delvers.

They are all crowded together, down on their knees.

Uhhh… what?

I extend a mind bridge to the delver closest to me.

[What… what on earth are you doing?]

[Surrendering!]