THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 697: Legends Awaken

The true nature of the brutal conflict was finally being unmasked within the Empire's borders.

A massive, coordinated invasion had fallen upon humanity, led by Geppetto and his legions of the undead, flanked by a swarm of formidable demons.

These were far from noble entities.

They were the primal demons—wild, nightmarish creatures with gray, cadaverous skin, twisted horns, massive skeletal wings, and talons forged like jagged steel.

Humanity had not laid eyes on this original demonic lineage for hundreds of years, yet here they were once more, consuming the world.

Initially, the slaughter of humans was relentless. In a mere sixty minutes, entire city sectors were reduced to rubble.

But then, the tide shifted.

The legends of old returned to the fray.

In the east, a broad-shouldered, towering figure appeared, marked by snow-white hair and piercing black eyes. Though he looked to be in his forties, his aura was suffocatingly powerful.

Alone, this man began a systematic massacre of the demons before him.

"Stardust Style: Cannon of Light."

A pillar of brilliant radiance erupted from his blade, slicing through the darkness and vaporizing thousands of demons and corpses in a single flash.

His arrival reignited the flickering spark of hope.

"Fall back to the Oclas Mountains! The Empire has fallen!"

He bellowed, his voice carrying authority. Some recognized him from ancient portraits.

This was Nova Starlight, the First Star of the Starlight Family.

A battle-hardened veteran who had once fought alongside the hero Kazis, he was a living relic of the Age of War.

Nova possessed overwhelming Cultivation—enough to hold the entire eastern Starlight territory by himself.

Suddenly, his eyes caught another wave of enemies surging forward.

"Demons never change, regardless of how many eras pass..."

Nova spat a curse, preparing his next technique.

However, before he could strike...

A torrential wave of searing fire roared across the field, turning the demons to ash in a heartbeat.

Nova knew the source of those flames instantly.

The Eternal Flame—a power belonging to only one individual.

"Why the delay, Nova? I thought you were supposed to be the quickest among us?"

Perched upon a jagged cliff, Enver Sunlight, the Founder of the Sunlight Family, stood firm.

His hair was a vibrant, burning red, and his gaze was stern.

Strangely, he looked even younger than Iris Sunlight, who was one of his own distant descendants.

"Enver."

Nova called his name as the man plummeted down to stand beside him.

"You’ve already finished with the Sunlight lands?"

Enver gave a curt nod.

"They were weaklings. I traveled here assuming the situation would be more dire. It seems I overestimated them."

He let out a breath, stretching his arm.

"We’ve been in hibernation for far too long... waking up to this feels unnatural."

"It has been centuries since we last drew blood. That feeling is expected."

Nova replied, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

Ages ago, each of them had utilized unique methods to seal themselves away, waiting for the arrival of a destined moment.

While Semiramis Moonlight had discarded her physical vessel entirely...

The others had hidden their bodies away to preserve them.

Enver had slept deep within volcanic depths, causing his skin to take on a bronze hue from centuries of exposure to the heat.

They had all been waiting for a single signal—a specific presence.

"You sensed it as well?" Enver inquired.

Nova nodded solemnly.

"A familiar aura... it called out to me. That was when I knew the time had arrived."

"That outsider... the one they call the Engineer."

Enver spat the words, referring to Gehrman.

"This means the one from the prophecy has finally shown himself... the one fated to conclude this war and give us our only path forward."

Nova spoke with a hint of wary hope.

They had all spent lifetimes waiting for this one person to appear.

What sort of man would he be?

How would he guide them to a final victory?

Countless lives had been sacrificed to ensure this moment could happen.

"Let’s just hope that man's predictions weren't flawed."

Enver sighed, resting a hand on Nova’s shoulder.

"First, we need to locate Semiramis and the others."

"I agree."

They prepared to depart...

But a blind old man slowly approached them.

"Gentlemen... there is no need for worry. The person you’ve been waiting for has already arrived."

They spun around, failing to recognize him at first glance.

However, his aura was impossible to mistake.

"You... Avalon?!"

Enver shouted, his face pale with shock.

Nova remained composed.

"The years have been cruel to you."

Avalon appeared frail and hollowed out compared to the man of his prime, a result of the catastrophe at Helmund.

"Time has been cruel to all of us. I am here to guide you to the Shadow Sect. We have no moments to waste."

Enver’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"What of Semiramis... and where has Zephyr gone?"

Avalon hesitated.

"Semiramis is currently holding the Moonlight capital. She cannot be moved yet. As for Zephyr..."

A heavy silence filled the air.

Zephyr—the warrior whose name had been scrubbed from the annals of history.

Avalon shut his eyes, the memory of that terrifying man resurfacing.

"Zephyr departed from Earth a long time ago. He refused the path of hiding."

"What do you mean by that?" Nova asked, visibly startled. Avalon nodded.

"His current fate is a mystery."

Neither Nova nor Enver had anticipated such news.

Every member of Kazis’s elite squad had committed to the grand plan.

Zephyr was no exception.

None of them dreamed he would be the one to betray the pact after they had entered their seals.

"Damn it... Zephyr was the most powerful among us. Without him, our strength is severely diminished."

Enver cursed under his breath, but Avalon shook his head.

"We must leave. We can discuss these matters once we are safely within the Shadow Sect."

Avalon urged, and both Nova and Enver conceded.

However...

Just as the trio prepared to leave...

They froze in their tracks.

An immense, crushing pressure descended upon their shoulders, causing their eyes to widen in pure shock.

The shock didn't stem solely from the sheer magnitude of the force...

But from the fact that it didn't originate from a demon.

It was something entirely different.

Slowly—excruciatingly slowly—they turned their heads.

There, perched on a massive ridge, staring down at them with a cold, contemptuous expression...

As if a monarch were observing insignificant insects...

Was the source of that pressure.

All three were paralyzed, though for different reasons.

Enver was stunned that a human could emit such terrifying power.

Nova, however, identified something else immediately...

The man was utilizing the Stardust Style.

He didn't need to engage in combat to be certain.

The Ten Stellar Nodes were radiating around him as clearly as the midday sun.

"He is at my level... No... wait—"

Nova narrowed his gaze.

Both of them had achieved the pinnacle—the Ten Stars.

But there was one terrifying distinction.

Nova’s stars were tranquil and steady.

This man’s stars were in a state of violent combustion.

That epiphany caused Nova's expression to turn grim.

"This is impossible..."

Meanwhile, Avalon’s hands clenched into fists.

He was the only one who truly knew the identity of the man.

"That is... Abraham Starlight."

Avalon whispered the name in sheer disbelief.

Nova and Enver looked at him, reeling from the revelation.

"So he belongs to your bloodline, Nova. Doesn't that make him an ally?"

Enver asked.

Nova let out a dark, hollow laugh.

"Does an ally radiate this kind of suffocating killing intent?"

The truth was undeniable—Abraham did not stand with them.

He had come for their lives.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Avalon cursed.