The Invincible Full-Moon System Chapter 1774: A War of Wills

Gloomy. Desolate.

A significant amount of time had passed since the world last appeared in such stark shades of black and white.

The departure of those close to him felt like losing fragments of his own soul, dragging him toward the brink of oblivion.

Gaining power, ascending as a Scion, or reaching the pinnacle of invincibility—these were never his true goals. His purpose here was the protection of others, and in the wake of his failure, all color had bled from his reality.

Yet, for a brief moment, the world seemed to gaze upon him with genuine compassion.

That mercy manifested as a radiant, flaming avian, possessing a brilliance capable of tearing through the darkness of the Black Rift.

The fire of a phoenix is everlasting; its light cannot be suppressed.

As the blaze erupted with a magnificent, cinematic grandeur—one of the most stunning sights Rex had ever seen—the world regained its hue. Waves of gold and crimson heat surged outward, their warmth beckoning the vibrant colors of existence to return.

Malice. Rage. Bitter resentment. Every dark emotion was instantly cleansed.

Rex felt as though his entire being was submerged in sanctified waters.

Along with this sensation came a spark of vitality, allowing him to straighten his slumped posture slightly.

"You’re finally useful for once."

<Notice: the Countess of the Banished Dark Moon is vanishing!>

<She will die in four minutes.>

Growl—!

From the murky shadows, several Long-limbed Void Ghouls lunged at them with the ferocity of wild beasts.

They were salivating, driven by the scent of flesh rich in Cultivation energy.

"Rex!" Alana cried out, reflexively reaching for him as she sprinted forward.

Her dwindling reserves of Qi swirled around her legs, building momentum for a final effort.

Rex caught her hand just as five Long-limbed Void Ghouls closed in, their jagged claws and teeth only inches from his skin.

Boom—!

At the critical moment Alana’s fingers gripped Rex’s wrist, a burst of solar energy propelled them forward like projectiles. The pair narrowly escaped the lethal reach of the Long-limbed Void Ghouls.

A single second of hesitation would have seen them overwhelmed.

There were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of these abominations.

Soaring through the air at the speed of sound, Rex and Alana looked down to see a literal tide of monsters—a shifting river of elongated limbs flowing across the jagged earth, all scrambling toward the spot they had just vacated.

It was clear they hadn't just entered a dangerous zone within the Black Rift.

They had stumbled into the very heart of a hive, a subterranean maze overflowing with these creatures.

Attempting to fight through such a horde would be nothing short of suicide.

Flight was impossible for two people so battered and drained of Qi.

Their only viable option was a massive, singular leap.

Summoning the remnants of her strength, Alana launched them both in a desperate, high-arcing jump toward the distant glow of the Phoenix Feather. At least two miles separated them from Amanir, and Alana sought to cross as much of that treacherous gap as possible in one go.

She was well aware that they would be painfully slow once they hit the ground.

Swoosh—!

"I can’t slow our descent! Prepare yourself!" Alana screamed.

The leap had drained her completely, ensuring their landing would be violent.

Rex’s obscured vision scanned the landing zone, relieved to find it free of voidal threats. However, this also allowed him to see the deep gash in Alana’s midsection, which was leaking a terrifying amount of blood.

Her life force was fading rapidly.

Even her complexion had turned a ghostly shade of white.

Just before they struck the earth, Rex pulled her into a tight embrace, shielding her with his own body.

Crash—!

"Huarghk!!"

A spray of blood erupted from Rex’s mouth.

The impact carved a massive crater, sending plumes of dust and rock into the air.

Blinking away the haze, Alana sat up.

Strangely, she didn't feel the level of pain she had anticipated.

A fall from such a height without any protective Qi should have shattered her skeleton. Instead, the impact had merely knocked the wind out of her—painful, but not debilitating.

When she turned around, the reason became clear.

Rex had acted as a human shield, using his superior physical Foundation to absorb the brunt of the collision for her.

"W-Why did you do that?!" Alana demanded, grabbing his collar. "You shouldn’t have taken that hit!"

<Warning!>

<Warning: the user is in a critical condition!>

<It’s recommended to bathe under the moonlight to quicken the user’s recovery!>

Rex lay there, his strength spent.

He tried to focus on Alana, but his vision was failing.

The constant flicker of system notifications further obscured his view of her face.

She was speaking to him, her voice raised in a shout.

But Rex heard nothing but a high-pitched ringing in his ears, drowning out her words.

Ignoring everything else, Rex accessed the System Shop, searching desperately for a way to heal them.

Though the Shop contained everything imaginable, finding a specific item in his state was a struggle. He managed to filter for potions and rank, then began swiping through the list with a hand stained in blood.

He scrolled through the items one by one.

He wanted to ask the System for guidance, but his mind was too fractured to form the request.

The mere attempt sent a stabbing pain through his skull.

Nearby, Alana felt the ground begin to tremble and gritted her teeth.

From the bottom of the crater, she looked up toward the rim; though she couldn't see them yet, she knew the Long-limbed Void Ghouls were closing in. With no other options, she placed her palm on Rex’s chest.

"Hold on, I’ll transfer my vitality to you. I’ll give up my soul if that’s what it takes. Just stay alive..."

As her hand began to radiate light, Rex caught her wrist.

The sudden movement startled her.

Alana looked down to see him shaking his head in a weak refusal.

He reached out with his other hand, and a small object materialized in his palm.

It was a vial, shimmering with the soft light of an elixir.

"What is this?" she asked, seeing him gesture for her to consume it. "You want me to take this?"

Alana did not hesitate.

She snatched the vial, uncorked it, and swallowed the contents in a single gulp.

Almost immediately, a wave of energy washed through her—it didn't restore her life force, but it replenished her stamina. It wasn't a full recovery; she was still exhausted and breathless, but the crushing fatigue had lessened significantly.

After finishing the potion, she saw Rex already struggling to get onto his hands and knees.

He was attempting to rise despite a grotesquely dislocated left shoulder and several ribs that had pierced through his skin and garments. Given the trauma he had suffered, it was sheer madness that he was even conscious, let alone trying to move.

Alana realized she had never met anyone with such terrifying willpower and endurance.

Not even the Divine Saintess compared.

"Come on," she said, draping his arm over her shoulder to help him up. "I’ve got you."

Together, they fought for every inch as they climbed out of the impact site.

Upon reaching the surface, Alana looked around frantically, realizing she had lost her bearings in the chaos.

As if sensing her confusion, Rex pointed a finger in a specific direction.

Alana immediately turned that way, supporting Rex’s weight as they moved.

She tried to run, but the most she could manage was a strained, rapid walk.

In the distance, Amanir remained a far-off goal—still at least half a mile away.

<Notice: the Countess of the Banished Dark Moon is vanishing!>

<She will die in three minutes.>

"Move, move, move!" Alana pleaded with her own legs, but she had reached her physical limit. She glanced at the sky, but no sunlight could penetrate the thick gloom.

Even so, she cried out for help, "Divine Saintess... Please, look down upon us. Hear my voice. We need your aid!"

Despite the hopelessness of it, she continued to pray for Kei Xun’s intervention.

The density of the Black Rift likely blinded the Saintess, but Alana clung to hope.

Roar—!

A massive roar thundered through the air, causing Alana to whip her head around.

The sound was dangerously close.

Meanwhile, Rex gathered the final shreds of his Qi, crushing several Nightfall Stars in his hand. He channeled their essence to patch his failing life energy, while the Aegis of Moon Sentinel shimmered faintly in front of him, struggling to stay active.

Maintaining the shield required a constant drain of life energy.

Even a small amount was becoming a burden he couldn't bear.

ROAR—!

A Long-limbed Void Ghoul charged from the rear like a rabid animal, snarling as it leaped with its claws extended.

Clang!

Alana spun around to intercept the strike.

The force of the blow rattled her internal organs, but she recovered instantly, cleaving the beast in two with her great sword. Not waiting for the rest of the pack, she took a deep breath and leaped once more.

This jump was a shadow of the first one.

However, it still covered over a hundred meters of ground.

"Arrghk..." Alana groaned, clutching her midsection as tears fell.

The injury inflicted by Empress Morgana flared with agonizing pain whenever she pushed herself.

Blood continued to flow from the wound as she squeezed her eyes shut and bit her own arm to stifle a scream.

"Let me..." Rex’s voice was a faint rasp in her ear. "I... I can still use my right arm."

Alana looked at him through tear-filled eyes and nodded.

Though she was more mobile, her body couldn't withstand another direct hit. Conversely, Rex was too exhausted to move freely, but his physical cultivation made him far more durable than her.

Gallop—!

Alana stood up and helped Rex to his feet.

The moment they were upright, another monster was upon them.

This time, Alana stepped aside, letting Rex take the brunt of the assault.

The impact sent both of them sliding across the dirt.

A Long-limbed Void Ghoul sank its teeth into Rex’s right arm, but it struggled to pierce his skin.

With a final surge of strength, Rex grabbed the monster's tongue and ripped it out of its throat.

The creature let out a pained shriek before Alana ended it with a decapitating swing. They pressed on, repelling wave after wave of attacks that grew more frequent as the main horde drew closer.

Rex acted as the shield with his right arm, while Alana delivered the killing blows.

His left arm was useless, but his left hand still gripped Alana’s waist, trying to stem the flow of blood from her wound.

She was on the verge of collapse; it was a pure battle of endurance.

"A-Amanir..." Alana whispered the name, her voice barely audible. She lifted her sword, letting a flicker of sunlight dance on the blade as a signal to Amanir, who had to be nearby. "Amanir!!"

Not far off, a dark shape moved through the thick smoke.

The sight gave Alana a final burst of motivation.

Just a few more meters and Amanir would surely hear her.

"Amanir!!"

The silhouette shifted at her shout, confirming it wasn't just a rock formation.

It had to be Amanir.

Swoosh—!

Alana’s eyes widened as the figure vanished instantly, as if it had never been there.

She feared she was losing her mind until a cold shiver raced down her spine.

Looking up instinctively, she saw the silhouette falling toward her with the force of a falling star.

"Amanir...?"