Chapter 13 – The Roar of the Voidspawn
The earth trembled like a living beast as the Voidspawn Colossus rose from the cracked soil, its massive frame blotting out the twin moons above. It was a grotesque fusion of bone, shadow, and writhing tendrils, its hollow eye sockets glowing with purple fire. Every breath it exhaled corrupted the air, spreading decay to the trees and ground around it.
Its roar shattered the night, a sound that wasn't just noise but pure malice given form. The shockwave flattened the nearby trees and nearly threw Velira off her feet.
"By the frost gods…" she whispered, summoning every ounce of her mana to reinforce her defenses.
Chen Yue stood still, feeling the ground quake beneath him. The Dual Harmony ritual had left a strange aftertaste in his soul—warm and intimate, like threads of Ayara's essence now flowed alongside his own. Their connection pulsed in rhythm, syncing heartbeats, thoughts, and even instincts.
[System Alert]
Dual Harmony Amplification Active – 300 Seconds Remaining
All Stats +200%. Shared Techniques Enabled.
Bond Synergy Bonus: Starpierce Ascension Unlocked.
Chen Yue glanced at Ayara. She looked nothing like the calm archer he'd met in the guild weeks ago. Now, her hair streamed like molten silver in the moonlight, her bow shimmering with astral patterns. Wings of light arched from her back, and the air around her throbbed with lethal energy.
"Ayara," he said softly. "Stay with me. If we lose control of this power…"
She smirked, eyes blazing with confidence. "Then we take the monster—and the whole damn forest—with us."
He couldn't help a faint grin. That's Ayara.
The colossus moved. One titanic arm, thick with bone plates, swung down like a mountain falling from the sky. The sheer force split the ground into deep fissures.
Chen Yue and Ayara leapt in unison, soaring through the air like twin comets of light. The impact behind them was catastrophic—trees shattered, the earth cratered, and shockwaves rippled outward for miles.
"Its reach is insane," Ayara hissed mid-flight, already nocking an arrow glowing with golden Qi. "I'll pin it down. Give me five seconds."
"You've got three." Chen Yue flipped mid-air, landing on a jagged rock outcrop as the monster turned toward them. Its hollow sockets locked on him with murderous intent. Shadows coiled around its arms like living serpents, lashing toward him with terrifying speed.
"Vein Burst Acceleration!" Chen Yue roared, activating the technique. His body blurred, dodging the lash as he dashed up the creature's arm, Qi flaring in his veins. His blade ignited with astral brilliance.
"Astral Fang Slash!"
He cleaved downward, splitting through the creature's corrupted flesh. Black ichor sprayed into the air, sizzling as it hit the ground. The colossus howled, shaking violently, trying to fling him off.
Before it could, Ayara unleashed her volley.
"Starpierce Ascension!"
She drew her bow to the fullest, her arms glowing with intertwined mana and Qi threads. The single arrow she loosed became a storm of astral meteors, each shard burning brighter than the stars themselves.
They rained upon the monster, detonating in a cascade of explosions that lit the night like dawn. Chunks of corrupted bone shattered, and tendrils writhed in agony as the voidspawn staggered back.
Velira watched from a distance, ice forming around her fists as sweat dripped down her pale face. She'd fought abominations before, but never had she seen such raw, alien power—and never wielded by mortals.
Her gaze fixed on Chen Yue and Ayara. Their movements were seamless, as if they were one entity. The bond between them was undeniable—and it burned something inside Velira that she couldn't name.
Why her? Why not me?
The colossus roared again, its wounds knitting together with streams of black energy. Purple glyphs burned across its skeletal frame as its body grew, doubling in size. The sky itself seemed to twist, stars dimming as a vortex of void energy spiraled above.
Chen Yue felt the pressure slam into him like a tidal wave. His lungs burned, his meridians screamed, and the System chimed urgently in his mind.
[System Alert]
Boss Entering Phase Two – Corruption Surge Detected
New Ability Incoming: Void Annihilation Ray
Warning: One direct hit = Guaranteed Death
Great. As if this wasn't bad enough already.
"Ayara!" he shouted, leaping down from the monster's shoulder as it charged its next attack. "We finish this now or we're dead!"
She landed beside him, her face pale but determined. "Then let's give them a show."
Chen Yue grabbed her hand again, feeling the pulse of their shared power. Together, they channeled everything—every drop of Qi, every thread of mana, every ounce of will. Their bond flared like a newborn sun.
The System roared in his mind:
[Ultimate Technique Available: Heaven-Severing Starfall]
Requirements: Dual Harmony Full Resonance – Achieved
Warning: 80% chance of permanent meridian damage.
Proceed?
YES / NO
Chen Yue didn't hesitate. "YES."
Light erupted from them, blinding and pure. The ground shattered beneath their feet as they shot skyward, leaving a trail of starlight in their wake. Ayara's bow elongated into a celestial weapon forged of Qi and mana, while Chen Yue's blade turned into a stream of molten silver energy.
Together, they unleashed Heaven-Severing Starfall.
The sky split open.
A pillar of astral fire, brighter than the moons, speared down from the heavens, slamming into the colossus with apocalyptic force. The creature screamed, its body unraveling as reality itself buckled under the onslaught. Shadows tore apart, void energy collapsed, and the ground for miles glowed molten red.
When the light faded, nothing remained of the monster but a smoldering crater.
Chen Yue and Ayara crashed to the ground, their bodies trembling, their breaths ragged. Blood seeped from Chen Yue's lips as pain like molten iron seared his meridians. He forced himself to sit up, clutching his chest.
"System… report."
[System Notice]
Boss Eliminated: Voidspawn Colossus
Rewards: +5,000 EXP, +2 Fragment Cores, +1 Rare Skill: Astral Dominion.
Warning: Host Meridians Damaged (45%). Recovery Required.
Ayara Status: Severe Mana Exhaustion – Immediate Rest Needed.
Ayara collapsed against him, her head resting on his chest. "We… did it." Her voice was weak but laced with a small, triumphant laugh.
Chen Yue smiled faintly, stroking her hair. "Yeah. We did."
Velira approached slowly, her boots crunching on the scorched earth. Her face was unreadable, but her eyes… they were a storm.
"Chen Yue." Her tone was calm—too calm. "Explain. Now."
Before he could answer, the System chimed again, but this time, its tone was unlike before—deeper, almost… ominous.
[System Alert: Fragment Prophecy Triggered]
Condition Met: First Dual Bond Formed + Voidspawn Defeated
Prophecy Revealed:
"Seven Bonds shall awaken the Nameless Path. Seven Flames shall defy the Void. When the Seventh Star falls, the heavens shall bleed, and a god shall rise."
Chen Yue stared at the glowing words in silence, his breath catching. A prophecy. About him. About them.
And somewhere beyond the burning forest, unseen by mortal eyes, a pair of ancient, malevolent orbs watched—and smiled.
End of Chapter 13 – The Roar of the Voidspawn