Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 645 142.1 - Void Dragon

As I stepped into the darkened passage, the air shifted, cool and heavy, wrapping around me like a second skin. The doorway behind me shimmered briefly, and I heard a low hum—the spell formation sealing itself once more, locking me into this hidden path. I glanced back, watching as the intricate web of mana threads layered over the entrance, twisting and merging until the way out vanished entirely.

The formation was seamless, beyond anything I'd expected. I activated my [Eyes], focusing intently, yet the mana threads remained elusive, slipping just beyond the limits of my perception.

The formation didn't just conceal—it erased, rendering the entrance indistinguishable from the stone wall around it. Even my heightened senses couldn't pierce through the barrier completely.

'Impressive,' I thought, letting my hand hover near the veil, feeling the faint trace of energy lingering there. The mana here was different, older, with a refinement that suggested it came from a source of higher rank or potency than what I could wield.

The spellcraft wasn't merely intricate; it was layered, built to conceal and repel even the keenest observer.

'Whoever crafted this formation didn't just want it hidden—they wanted it forgotten.'

The Void Clan's skill in weaving spells of concealment wasn't new to me, but this level of craftsmanship spoke volumes.

'Indeed. It is much stronger than the one that Zharokath was using.'

It was the work of someone who had perfected the art, using techniques far beyond my own current mastery. Every strand of mana held a precise purpose, each line drawn to repel, to conceal, to mislead.

I observed the way the threads intertwined, their seamless fusion indicative of mana manipulation on a level I'd only read about. A faint shimmer pulsed through the lines, a mark of mana embedded in the stone itself, as though the formation had become part of the tunnel's very structure.

The more I observed, the more I realized that this formation was not just advanced—it was ancient, bound by the kind of magic that survived the ages, unyielding to time and degradation.

'It makes sense why I can't just see through it just at the first glance.'

I noted, memorizing the pattern. The sheer complexity made it evident that the Void Clan had crafted this with a high-ranking intent—either an incredibly rare mana or a formation that scaled well beyond standard techniques.

'Though I can't study it right now, it will be a good future reference.'

Satisfied with my examination, I shifted my focus back to the path ahead.

'There you are.'

The tunnel wasn't as long as I'd expected. Just a few paces ahead, I spotted a small stone platform, illuminated faintly by a dim, ethereal glow.

The closer I drew, the more apparent it became: this was a focal point, the very heart of the concealment formation, carved with a purpose. Symbols etched into its surface pulsed faintly, reacting to my presence with a slow, rhythmic beat, like the pulse of a sleeping giant.

Reaching the platform, I pulled the necklace from my coat, its cool weight resting in my palm. The intricate design of the pendant matched the cavity in the platform exactly, down to the smallest detail.

I ran my thumb over its surface one last time, feeling the faint traces of mana thrumming beneath its surface, before carefully aligning it with the hollow.

With a steady hand, I placed the necklace into the cavity. As it settled into place, a faint hum echoed through the air, and the symbols on the platform flared to life, casting a soft, pale light that filled the tunnel. The platform's edges shimmered, the old mana swirling as it awakened, each line of the formation coming together in a harmonious glow.

I watched as the platform's light intensified, filling the room with a calm, resonant energy. The air around me thickened, charged with mana that felt ancient and potent, infused with a power that seemed to belong to another age entirely. The path ahead was opening, responding to the key now resting in place.

'Finally.'

I thought, the faint pulse of anticipation thrumming.

–SHINE!

A sudden, blinding light flared from the platform, flooding my vision and swallowing the dim tunnel in an instant.

Before I could react, a powerful force tugged at me, as though the very air had shifted to draw me in. The sensation was unmistakable—a warp gate activating, its pull wrapping around me, drawing me forward as space distorted, compressing reality into a single, pulsing heartbeat.

The platform, the tunnel, and even the air seemed to dissolve as I was pulled through the twisting fabric of space, weightless and suspended in a liminal state.

And then, as quickly as it began, the pull ceased. I felt my feet touch solid ground, and I opened my eyes.

Before me lay a vast, empty expanse. The air here was dense, thick with mana that seemed to float and swirl like mist. Faint glimmers of light traced through the space, illuminating fragments of jagged stone structures jutting from the ground like the bones of an ancient creature.

The sky—or whatever ceiling encompassed this place—was of a purple color, different from the blue sky of Earth or other places.

This place was different.

'Indeed...A whole different dimension.'

I kind of expected this, coming here from the start.

The dim light illuminated the expanse, casting a haunting glow over the scene. It wasn't the familiar warmth of sunlight nor the stark, cold light of a close star. Instead, the light seemed to seep in from somewhere far off, as if drawn from the remnants of distant, dying stars hanging faintly in the endless purple void above.

I looked up and saw them—vast celestial bodies drifting through the sky, their shapes twisted, fractured, hollowed out from ages of decay. Dead planets, or perhaps stars that had long burned out, lingered overhead like the ghosts of a ruined cosmos, floating in silent testament to whatever cataclysm had once ravaged this place. The entire sky seemed a graveyard of shattered worlds, suspended in endless stasis.

'A dimension outside of our own lost to time and destruction,' I noted, feeling the weight of the ancient mana clinging to the air. The ground beneath me was uneven and cracked, scattered with fragments of stone that jutted out like the remains of a long-lost civilization. The air hung heavy, carrying a strange stillness that felt too quiet as if the sound itself struggled to exist here.

Ruined structures rose around me, their jagged silhouettes casting angular shadows against the soft, eerie glow. These weren't merely remnants of buildings—they felt like the vestiges of an entire reality, left abandoned and forgotten.

I stepped forward, each footfall echoing softly against the stone, the sound swallowed almost instantly by the thick, dense atmosphere. Mana drifted lazily, swirling around in faint, luminous tendrils, clinging to the cracks and crevices as if the dimension itself held on to the last fragments of life that once thrived here.

'This place… holds the memory of its destruction,' I thought, my gaze tracing the remnants of crumbling towers and empty hallways. It was as if the dimension itself mourned, locked in a silent requiem.

Yet, amidst the silence, a steady pulse of energy reverberated through the air, a hum felt more in my bones than heard. The mana around me, that lingering, ancient essence, wasn't simply hanging in place—it was converging, drawn toward a single point in the distance. I could feel it, a gravitational pull of sorts, siphoning the remnants of this dimension's life force into something—or someone.

I turned my gaze in the direction of that pull, my body still cloaked in [Shadowborne], melting seamlessly into the darkness. The presence was unmistakable, the energy vast and patient, consuming all that remained of this place. I let my mind analyze the clues, piecing them together with what I knew from the game's lore and my own observations.

'Just as I predicted,' I mused. 'The Void Dragon… it died. Its death weakened the Void Clan, leaving them vulnerable, forced to retreat from the influence they once commanded.'

But Primordial Demons like the Void Dragon weren't creatures that simply ceased to exist. Their essence clung to reality, their power too potent to simply vanish. Instead, the Void Dragon had found refuge in this forsaken dimension, hiding within its shattered remains and beginning the slow, arduous process of rebirth. It was siphoning every last scrap of energy from this space, resurrecting itself from its own ashes, piece by piece.

'Three years,' I reminded myself, recalling the timeline from the game. Three years from now, it would emerge from this dimension in full force, unleashing its destruction upon the Federation in a catastrophic strike, the Void Clan reclaiming its lost glory through its resurgence.

But, was it really three years of energy absorption in this world as well? Or, how much of a strength the Void Dragon had recovered, at this point in time?

That was a question that I couldn't answer.

I began walking forward, each step silent as I moved deeper into the desolate realm, [Shadowborne] blending me into the void. My thoughts circled the questions I couldn't answer, calculations shifting in my mind like pieces on a chessboard.

The Void Dragon had been here, absorbing energy for an unknown stretch of time, and the game's timeline was only a faint guideline—a rough estimate in a world where changes could alter the very fabric of fate.

But three years for a rebirth in a game didn't mean the same here. For all I knew, the Void Dragon's energy could be exponentially closer to completion.

It could be halfway through or merely a fraction away from full power. The difference between encountering a weakened, recovering Void Dragon and one nearing rebirth was stark, but that risk was one I'd chosen to accept.

A dangerous gamble, one where the margin for error was narrow. Yet here I was, feeling the weight of my choices settle over me.

After all, there were no guarantees in a place like this. The Federation and the Void Clan might have been betting on the same three years, but the Void Dragon was not a creature bound by human logic or timelines. Its resurgence was more of an inevitability than a question of "if," and waiting was a luxury I couldn't afford.

The path opened ahead, widening into an immense cavern-like expanse. The pull of energy was stronger here, thickening the air to a near-stifling density. I took another step forward, sharpening my senses and letting my focus zero in on the source.

'Bring it on.'