In New Kirk, the stronger someone was, the more clearly they could feel the terrifying energy contained within the vortex.

It was a spacetime passage.

But a spacetime passage of this scale had never appeared before.

At that moment, every DMB in the world detected the energy signature coming from the vortex above New Kirk.

Despair spread everywhere.

Beyond SSS Rank.

There was simply no way to stop it.

Van stood atop a floating skyscraper, staring up at the gigantic vortex in utter despair.

Even with the spacetime passage right in front of him, he was powerless to close it.

The energy difference was on a completely different level.

"Earth... is finished..."

Boom!

A figure streaked across the sky from thousands of miles away, blazing with surging energy.

Under Van’s astonished gaze, the figure charged straight toward the vortex overhead.

"SS Rank?!"

He could hardly believe it.

Since when did Arkenfall gain another SS Rank powerhouse?

Below them, skyscrapers floated upside down while fused together with hospitals and office buildings.

Dragged by the vortex, they continued drifting through the sky, randomly merging with other structures.

Caelum looked toward the blazing figure overhead.

Then quickly remembered.

"It’s them?"

It was Derek and Guy.

Back in the Super Universe, Caelum had obtained Fusion Technique from them.

After modifying it, it became Absorption Technique.

That was why he remembered their energy so clearly.

Derek and Guy had died several times inside the Super Universe.

But when players returned to reality, the power they brought back was calculated according to the strongest state they had ever reached in the game world.

Because of that, they successfully brought Fusion Technique back with them.

Even after being weakened by two ranks, their fusion still amplified their power to an outrageous level.

With it, they had stepped directly into the realm of SS Rank players.

At this critical moment, they had no choice but to stand up and fight.

After fusing.

The warrior created by the two was called Dereguy.

Boom!

Dereguy’s aura erupted violently.

The closer he got to the giant vortex, the stronger the energy turbulence became.

Sweat slid down his forehead.

Eventually, he was forced to stop outside the vortex itself.

"Looks like this is as close as I can get."

Dereguy’s expression hardened.

Brilliant light burst from both hands as he released all the energy inside his body at once.

A massive energy shockwave blasted toward the center of the vortex.

Even if the chance was one in ten thousand, he still had to try.

Boom!

The shockwave exploded inside the center of the vortex. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

After the dazzling light faded, the attack vanished completely.

The giant vortex, however, remained utterly unmoved.

It was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

Buzz.

The energy inside his body was exhausted.

Fusion Technique automatically came undone.

Derek and Guy separated once more and were instantly blown away by the vortex’s turbulent energy.

Both of them fell toward New Kirk below.

A streak of brilliant light flashed past.

Van caught the two of them.

"You guys okay?"

"Hah..."

Derek let out a deep breath as his stamina slowly recovered.

His exhausted face looked pale.

"I’m alive. Barely."

Guy stared at the completely unharmed vortex.

His expression turned helpless.

"We couldn’t even shake it. We’re completely out of options. My advice is to go home, get some sleep, and hope Earth explodes after we finish our nap."

Van immediately warned them.

"Forget the jokes. We’ve got a bigger problem."

The two looked up at once.

Figures radiating terrifying auras emerged from the giant vortex one after another, descending toward different parts of New Kirk.

One of them flew directly toward their position.

Aggressive.

Without a word, the battle began instantly.

In a flash of lightning fast movement, Van and the others were smashed away like black streaks across the sky.

The newcomer had a massive body, curved horns, and black scales covering his skin.

His crimson eyes radiated bloodthirst and battle lust.

His appearance was especially bizarre.

With a look of disdain, he said,

"So these are the humans of the new world?"

"He’s strong!"

Van clutched his injured right arm as blood dripped slowly downward.

Random people coming out of the vortex already possessed SS Rank strength.

How were they supposed to fight this?

Derek and Guy were injured even more severely.

"Too weak."

The newcomer shook his head.

"You aren’t even qualified to die by my hand."

The three exchanged looks.

Seems like they had barely escaped death.

Rumble!

At that moment.

The giant vortex thundered violently.

All clouds in the sky were sucked into it as an even more vast aura emerged from within.

Everyone’s breathing stopped.

It felt as though the sky itself was collapsing.

The invading characters who had just emerged from the vortex suddenly revealed fearful expressions.

One after another, they returned before the vortex and knelt in submission, welcoming the arrival of some supreme existence.

Buzz.

An invisible wave swept across the entire Earth and spread beyond the solar system.

In an instant, it alarmed the entire Milky Way.

Even the whole Earth Universe.

Time itself seemed to freeze.

A massive sense of terror and pressure appeared in everyone’s hearts.

Rumble!

A gigantic shadow emerged inside the vortex.

The figure was hazy and indistinct.

Ordinary people could not even look directly at it, much less perceive its true appearance.

Two enormous hands burning with brilliant flame like light extended out from the vortex.

Half of the shadow’s body slowly passed through the giant spacetime gate.

Descending toward Earth.

Van gritted his teeth and tried to raise his head.

But he could not move at all.

It was as though time across the world had been frozen before this supreme being.

Earth itself seemed unimaginably small.

And yet there was one person.

One person who casually stared straight at the shadow inside the vortex and instantly saw through its true nature.

The shadow sensed it.

Then looked directly toward Caelum.

The instant their gazes met, the shadow trembled violently as though it had seen something horrifying.

It immediately stopped moving through the vortex.

Then tried retreating back even faster.

"Trying to run?"

Caelum reached out and clenched his hand remotely.

The shadow was instantly seized.

He forcibly dragged it out through the spacetime vortex and held it up like a chicken.

The shadow shook in terror.

Before it could even speak, Caelum pulled with both hands and ripped it cleanly in half.

Boom!

Immense power erupted from the corpse of the shadow.

Caelum controlled that power and transformed it into an enormous barrier surrounding all of New Kirk.

Buzz.

A hazy mist slowly descended from the sky, sealing off the entire city.

Otherwise, the people coming out of the vortex would blow Earth apart sooner or later.

Time resumed flowing normally.

The pressure and frozen sensation disappeared.

The gigantic shadow inside the vortex vanished as well, as though it had never appeared at all.

Everyone stared in confusion.

"Lord God?"

The invading characters looked around blankly.

Where did Lord God go?

Since Lord God was not descending, they naturally stopped holding back.

The invading characters immediately let loose and rushed toward the outside of New Kirk.

Laughing wildly.

"New world, here we come!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of muffled explosions rang out.

The invading characters trying to fly out of New Kirk smashed directly into the barrier surrounding the city and exploded into clouds of blood one after another.

The remaining invaders hurriedly stopped.

Their expressions filled with shock.

"A barrier?"