The Invincible Full-Moon System Chapter 1821: Moment’s Peace Broken

Rex plunged his form into the water.

Clots had already sealed his injuries to halt the blood loss, yet the inner wounds kept mending slowly.

He succeeded in purging the lingering energy from Sky Judgment within him, though full recovery eluded him still.

To begin with, each of his Soul Artifacts bore cracks from the collision, rendering summons impossible. He might force it, yet the strain on his soul would be immense, and the artifacts would operate far below full capacity. Moreover, his frame now ached from the excessive exertion.

Ascending to Voidal Prince status and surging with Blood Moon essence came at a steep cost.

None of these boons truly belonged to him, leaving his physique frail in their wake.

He lingered at the Eternal Spirit level, yet teetered on its weakest fringe for now.

Fatigue now seized him tightly.

Hiding away like this following his rampage of slaughter felt surprisingly soothing.

"Haah..." Rex sighed, lifting his head to lean it against the rough rim. "I could sure use some shut-eye or a proper break right now, but I've got no clue about my location. Better not drop my defenses yet. Not until I find a hidden spot to truly unwind."

<Does the user wish to acquire the Soul and Spirit Solution for 2 million gold?>

"Yes, please."

Rex retrieved a vial from his inventory, brimming with dense green fluid.

It burned warmly against his skin.

He tilted the vial above his head. A stream of scorching liquid trailed over his scalp, delivering a tantalizing sting that flowed down his body before blending into the pond. He observed, releasing a gradual breath, as a bright green hue spread rapidly across the water.

The pond's cool neutrality shifted into a bubbling, therapeutic warmth.

Rex sank beneath the surface once more.

This time, he fully immersed his head as well, letting the healing essence permeate his entire being.

Though cut off from his companions, concern didn't plague him. His focus had centered on himself, so the rest ought to manage their getaway just fine. Linthia, whom he'd charged with safeguarding Devo, added extra assurance.

And with Amanir confirming April's safety, the crisis seemed largely contained.

No reason for him to agonize over it.

Evelyn appeared to hold her own too, meaning the pack remained secure.

Only Kyran troubled him, unresponsive to the call, but that was okay.

Kyran could fend for himself.

"How long has it been since I last unwound like this?" Rex resurfaced and extended his arms along the rim. He eyed the waterfall, zeroing in on the cave's position. Next, his keen gaze followed the incline by the lake from his prior battle.

Without a thorough cleanup, the bloodstains likely lingered thickly in that area.

The corpses alone had vanished.

He'd devoured nearly half and tucked the other half into his inventory.

No traces of trouble—excellent.

Rex stared into the distance at the towering misty pillars as dawn's light softened the sky, crafting a mildly stunning vista. "This place is so serene," he grinned, savoring the hush. "Gistella would adore this scenery. If she were here to share it and let me doze off without worry, that would be ideal—"

Suddenly, the atmosphere stirred.

The shift was faint, yet his heightened awareness caught it without fail.

"System, scan the surroundings."

<Scanning...>

<Notice: A barrier of starlight has been detected>

"Starlight?" Rex hesitated briefly, then dread knotted in his gut. "Fuck... How did she track me down?"

Rex bolted from the pond in a flash, racing to the brink to descend.

He remembered to slip on plain black trousers, having been all but bare before.

Though his pace fell short of usual, he arrived at the spot where the barrier still took shape. A system scan revealed the gap for his escape.

Assaulting Sky City amounted to outright treason from Rex's view.

To Rosa, Althea, and Princess Davina, his actions were utterly inexcusable.

Betrayal by a supposed ally had ignited his rage, amplified further by the overhead Blood Moon. In that fury, nothing else mattered, leading him to plunder without restraint.

It formed his contingency strategy, deployed far too soon.

Rex lacked deep familiarity with potent pack allies.

In truth, he'd only attempted bonding stronger beings into his pack within this world. Loyalty stemmed from their submission to him as Alpha. But with Davina? Such dynamics might falter.

Swish—!

Suddenly, Rex's eyes bulged as the barrier sealed quicker than he could move.

He clenched his jaw and drew in voidal energy fiercely.

Like a specter, he surged toward the opening using Voidal Moonflow Acceleration.

Rex flashed a smirk, mapping his evasion path from Davina.

Yet just as he neared phasing through, the barrier's surge repelled him forcefully.

Swoosh—!

Rex reeled backward violently, tumbling over the terrain. He glanced up to see the gap fully shut. Undeterred by the setback, he pivoted and scrambled toward the waterfall. The cave might offer another shot.

Its depths held a vast network of passages.

Fortune might lead him to a subterranean route bypassing the barrier.

Upon reaching the cave, he halted sharply.

"Fuck..." He forced a bitter smile. "It's sealed here too. Alright, I can still reason with her."

"Departing already?" A refined voice echoed toward him. "I figured you'd seized a brief respite."

Rex drew a steadying breath to steady himself—and pondered his words. Then he vaulted downward, piercing the waterfall, and touched down at the crystal lake's verge. Gradually, he straightened and turned to the silhouette on his right.

Amid a dense fog drawn by unseen pull stood Princess Davina.

Her mismatched eyes fixed on him with the ferocity of a raging predator.

The rest of her form hid within the haze.

"How did you locate me?" Rex inquired, aiming for even tone.

"In just days, you've erased me from your thoughts, it seems," she scoffed. Her tone sliced like velvet-edged steel, laced with scorn. "A shame. Or perhaps you overlooked that I command the moon's tether as well? Someone conveniently cleared the skies and extended a summons."

Rex tsked in irritation.

He'd unveiled it for barely a minute, yet that sufficed for Princess Davina to zero in on him.

"Got anything to tell me?"

Rex's focus yanked back to her. He hesitated, weighing a fitting reply.

"I get that you're mad at me, b—"

"Mad? Do I come across as mad?"

She did sound mad.

But her wording suggested otherwise to Rex.

"Aren't you mad?"

"No, I'm not. I'm utterly furious."

Her voice quivered at the close, resembling a faint snarl.

"You sound suspiciously like you're an—"

Crash—!

Rex hurtled across the lake, crashing into the cavern wall with brutal force, expelling air from his chest. No chance to regroup followed as an arm jammed against his throat, holding him firm. In his weakened state, he stood no chance against Princess Davina.

Truth be told, even unscathed, overpowering her lay beyond him.

<No>

<Pack members cannot slay the user without evident intent. A pack member may only contest the user via formal duel to claim independence, akin to integrating a superior being into the pack>

<This resembles a minor spat>

Rex locked eyes with Princess Davina, spotting raw bloodthirst in her gaze.

"Harggh..."

A pained grunt slipped from Rex as her elbow ground into his throat—and her tails coiled around his wrists, binding them to his sides. "You concealed everything from me for days," she flashed her elongated fangs, growling as if eager to devour him. It held an odd charm, though irrelevant now. "Then you abruptly chose to plunder the royal domain and sky city?"

"Damn it, Davina," Rex snarled in return, his eyes flaring crimson. "I had no alternative!"

"No alternative?!"

Davina clamped her fangs into Rex's collarbone, inflicting a torturously sharp love bite.

She even harnessed gravity to drive her teeth deeper into his skin.

"The empire will endure! Just inform the Sky People that I acted alone and speak not for the empire!"

Sensing Davina's bite intensify, Rex unleashed his aura with a rumble.

The aura jolted awareness into Davina's form, instinctively acknowledging him as Alpha. It allowed him to seize her by the throat and reverse positions, slamming her against the wall and hoisting her aloft.

"I intentionally spared the empire's folk," Rex stated firmly. "To let them reconstruct."

Yet the gaze meeting his stayed icy and merciless.

"I'm not addressing your rampage against the empire," Davina murmured icily, nipping his arm in rage.

Bam—!

Her tails hammered Rex's torso like a mallet, hurling him away.

Rex skidded over the ground until his feet dangled over the drop, nearly pitching him downward like a boulder if not for his grip on the ledge. He lifted his eyes, puzzled, "Then what has you so enraged?"

"I'm enraged that you deem me feeble," Princess Davina glided over the lake with elegant poise.

"Feeble? When did I imply that?"

"You hid from me on purpose because you planned to defy the empire, right?"

Naturally, that was the motive.

Given his intent toward the empire—the realm that nurtured Princess Davina, rooted in her kin—he figured her loyalty wouldn't align, and he wouldn't fault her for it.

Thus, he shouldered the burden alone to spare her the dilemma.

"Wait," Rex held up a hand, halting her. "You're claiming you'd have aided me if asked?"

"Even now, you condescend to me," Princess Davina's eyes slitted into a lethal glare.

She towered over Rex in that instant, yet perceived utter disdain from him.

"I'm baffled, not condescending," Rex clarified while rising once more. "This concerns the empire's utter downfall. Your homeland. Potentially slaughtering countless innocents. Your kin would face consequences too."

Princess Davina held her silence at first.

She averted her gaze, "Sister, reveal it to him."

Rex's brow furrowed as Liliana materialized from thin air, a ornate chest hovering nearby.

With a flick of her wrist, she propelled the chest to Rex, letting it settle at his feet.

"Open it," Princess Davina commanded.

Even sealed, the box wafted a metallic tang of blood. Rex met Princess Davina's impassive expression, then pried it open. His eyes flew wide in an instant.

Within rested a lone severed head, pale and pallid, cushioned delicately on satin.

A face he identified without delay.

"Duke Lorcan...?" Rex gaped at Princess Davina in stunned disbelief.