Chapter 116: The Other Legendary summoner

Chapter 116: The Other Legendary summoner Meanwhile, around the academy side of the military base, chaos erupted. A thunderous blast shook the ground as a towering pillar of flame burst from one of the older buildings—once a student facility, now reduced to rubble. The explosion was sudden, fierce, and all-consuming, tearing through the structure from the inside out, engulfing everything in its path. In mere seconds, the entire facility collapsed, sending fragments of concrete and steel crashing into the surrounding area. Despite the terrifying magnitude of the explosion, the building had long since been abandoned. It was rarely used, and no students had been present at the time. A miracle, some might call it. But from within the ruin, something stirred. A soft rumble rose from beneath the debris, barely audible at first, like a breath being drawn in. Then—crack! The sound of stone splintering echoed through the air. Massive slabs of wall shifted, pillars groaned, and the dust cloud that had begun to settle was suddenly disturbed. Something was moving beneath the wreckage. And then, in an instant, a radiant burst of energy erupted from deep within the rubble—blinding light flashing outward like a pulse, hurling shards of broken concrete and rock into the air. The blast settled, and three figures emerged, kneeling amidst the devastation, breathing heavily. Lina, Darnell, and Carlos. They coughed as the dust settled around them, their clothes scorched and their faces stained with ash and sweat. The energy shield surrounding them shimmered faintly before fading. Thanks to Carlos’ quick thinking, they had survived. Without hesitation during the explosion, he had created a protective dome of energy around them—a skill neither Lina nor Darnell had ever seen before. It was a strange ability, foreign and unexpected, yet undeniably effective. But it came at a price. Carlos’ hands trembled violently as he clenched them into fists. His skin had turned a searing shade of red, steam rising in thin tendrils from his palms as if they were cooking from within. Flesh cracked and burned, veins pulsing with agony. "Ahhhhhhh! Damn that bastard!" Carlos roared, his voice echoing across the rubble. "If I get my hands on him, he’s dead! You hear me, Ravin?! DEAD!" He bellowed with fury, pain bleeding into his words. But Lina remained silent. She stood still, arms folded tightly across her chest, her brows furrowed deeply in thought. Her eyes lingered on the crumbling horizon before her. What had just happened wasn’t a mere act of destruction—it was a message. She gritted her teeth. Ravin Elteth... She had underestimated him. They all had. And now, seeing the extent of his power, she understood something terrifying—he wasn’t just a force to be reckoned with. He was intelligent. Calculated. Precise. And worst of all, he was always ten steps ahead. On the other hand, Darnell remained frozen. Kneeling, unmoving. His hands dangled at his sides, eyes wide and distant, his lips parted in silent disbelief. His mind was lost in the chaos, not from the explosion, but from something deeper—an overwhelming guilt eating away at his spirit. He had promised to save them. The kids. The mutants. The ones he’d vowed to protect like a brother. Every single one... left behind. He couldn’t protect any of them. And he couldn’t even protect himself. The weight of failure pressed down on him like a mountain. He wanted to scream, to rip out his own skin, to tear apart the very essence of who he was. But instead, he sat still, paralyzed by shame. His gaze lowered to his open palms—hands that had failed. Then something shifted. A chilling sensation crawled up his spine, slithering into his mind. It started in his gut, a slow, writhing discomfort that quickly grew into something unearthly. Darkness. It wasn’t a presence. It was a calling. A voice, low and seductive, whispered from the depths of his soul. ’Darnell... let me take it from here... release me.’ The voice was ancient. Possessive. Coiled with a power so commanding, so intense, that any normal man would have surrendered instantly. It didn’t just echo in his mind—it enveloped it. He trembled, sweat trickling down his temples as he clenched his teeth, trying to resist. ’It’s been years since you caged me,’ the voice hissed, each syllable creeping closer, warmer, more intimate. ’But I can find him. Ravin Elteth. I can find him within seconds if you just release me... Then we can get revenge.’ Revenge. That word echoed like a war drum in his chest. The voice was right there now—breathing down his neck, whispering into his ear with a terrible grace. Darnell’s breathing grew erratic. He wanted to resist, but the thought... the thought of vengeance... of watching Ravin fall beneath his feet... Suddenly, the ground beneath him twisted. A void as dark as midnight formed under his knees, pulsating outward with an ominous hum. Shadows bled across the fractured debris, catching the attention of Lina and Carlos, who turned swiftly to witness the change. "Darnell?" Lina called out, eyes narrowing. But it was already too late. Darnell’s head slowly tilted back, his blank eyes staring into the sky. He was trapped—ensnared in a trance. And then came the sound. BOOOOOOM! The air split open with a roar so immense, so catastrophic, that the ground itself quaked violently. A fissure raced across the terrain, shaking the entire academy grounds. Lina dropped to her knees, hands clutched over her ears, but it was no use. The sound penetrated deep into her skull, making her feel as if her eardrums were about to rupture. The darkness exploded. And from it... something colossal emerged. A creature unlike any they had seen before—taller than any building, radiating a dark energy that made the sky itself tremble. Its roar alone cracked windows and shook the heavens. It was no mere summon. No basic construct. It was something ancient. Something mythical. Lina’s eyes widened, her heart pounding furiously against her ribs. ’This summon...’ she thought, awe flooding her voice. ’A Titan.’ --- Meanwhile, deep within the settlement... Ravin Elteth waited. His cold eyes watched the other generals depart, each of them heading off toward the base to defend it against the chaos. It was perfect. The distractions were in motion. Now was the time to act. He moved toward the door, his posture composed, but his thoughts fixated on his true objective. He had spoken truths to Albert, but not the full truth. His goals ran deeper. Far more ambitious. And now they were in motion. But then... he stopped. Something pierced his awareness. An instinct. A feeling in his core. He turned his head slightly—just in time to hear a roar so loud it felt like someone had screamed directly beside him. The walls vibrated. The very air trembled. The other soldiers froze, spinning on their heels, their weapons raised. Confusion ran wild across their faces. "Is something in here?!" But there was nothing. Ravin, however, smiled. No—he grinned. A slow, twisted expression pulled across his face, his left hand rising instinctively to grip his right arm. The mark beneath his sleeve pulsed with a familiar energy. "Oh, so he didn’t die," Ravin whispered, almost to himself. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "The legendary Summon Titan... has been released once more."