Chapter 454: Chapter 453 - The Demonic Eye!

Space distorted violently around Luca as his mana erupted without restraint, the air itself twisting beneath overwhelming spatial pressure while his crimson eyes narrowed with killing intent.

The sight before him ignited something primal inside his chest.

Sylthara’s body hung suspended in the air within the chained creature’s grasp, her silver hair fluttering wildly amidst the corrupted storm while blackened mana spread rapidly from the creature’s fingers across her throat and shoulder like living poison.

Yet even then—

She did not panic.

Her golden eyes remained sharp despite the pain clearly flashing across her face as shadow mana exploded outward around her body in violent waves. Darkness spread beneath the creature’s feet unnaturally before dozens of shadow blades erupted upward simultaneously toward its blind spots.

The chained being barely reacted.

Its crimson eyes remained fixed calmly upon her while the shadow blades pierced through its body—

Only for the darkness composing its flesh to distort and regenerate almost instantly.

"You carry the blood of the old night," it whispered softly while tightening its grip slightly.

Sylthara’s expression twisted faintly in pain.

"Let—her—go!" Lilliane’s voice rang through the collapsing sanctuary.

Mana exploded around the pink-haired girl as enormous magic circles appeared one after another behind her, overlapping layers of crimson and gold illumination spreading across the ruined chamber. Though fear still trembled within her eyes, she forced her staff forward with both hands while compressing mana far beyond her usual limit.

Flames roared into existence.

Not ordinary fire—

But concentrated explosive mana condensed into dozens of burning projectiles that shot toward the chained figure like falling stars.

BOOOOOOM—!

The explosions swallowed the creature instantly.

Heat and shockwaves blasted across the sanctuary while collapsing stone disintegrated beneath the impact.

And at that exact moment—

Luca arrived.

Space folded.

His figure vanished from one location and appeared directly beside Sylthara in the next, moving faster than sight itself while silver-blue spatial fractures cracked through the air around him.

His black and white sabers descended simultaneously.

One blade carried spatial distortion sharp enough to tear through mana itself.

The other carried compressed time mana that slowed the surrounding flow of movement for a fraction of a second.

The combination struck perfectly.

SHHHHKKKK—!

For the first time—

The creature’s arm was severed completely.

Black blood erupted through the air as the chained figure staggered backward slightly, the severed limb still clutching Sylthara’s throat before dissolving into corrupted smoke moments later.

Luca immediately caught Sylthara before she could fall.

The dark elf coughed violently against his shoulder while traces of corruption continued spreading faintly across her skin.

"Sylthara!" Lilliane rushed toward them instantly.

"I’m fine..." Sylthara muttered weakly, though her trembling body clearly betrayed otherwise.

Luca’s jaw tightened.

The corruption spreading through her mana circuits was dense.

Far denser than ordinary corrupted energy.

And behind them—

The chained figure slowly regenerated its arm.

Its crimson eyes lowered briefly toward the stump before lifting toward Luca once more.

This time—

There was genuine interest in its gaze.

"Space..." it murmured softly.

Then after a pause—

"...and time."

The sanctuary trembled harder.

The abyss below them churned violently as the enormous existence rising from beneath continued approaching closer and closer to the surface. Massive black tendrils now stretched upward from the darkness below, wrapping around the shattered sanctuary like roots emerging from hell itself.

Adrian landed beside Luca heavily, gravitational force crushing the surrounding rubble downward as he steadied himself.

His expression had become grim.

"Whatever that thing is," he said quietly while staring at the chained figure, "it recognizes your abilities."

Luca already understood that much.

And that terrified him.

Because neither spatial nor temporal affinity had existed in this era naturally.

Very few people even knew such mana paths were possible.

Yet this creature had identified them instantly.

As though—

It had seen them before.

The chained figure suddenly took another step forward.

The pressure throughout the sanctuary multiplied instantly.

Several remaining club members collapsed entirely this time, unable to withstand the corruption flooding the area any longer.

Then the creature smiled again.

And slowly—

It raised one hand toward Luca.

The black corruption around the sanctuary began converging violently into its palm while countless crimson eyes opened throughout the darkness surrounding them.

"You truly returned," it whispered softly.

Luca’s heartbeat stopped.

And from the abyss below—

A gigantic eye opened.

The gigantic crimson eye opening beneath the abyss froze the entire sanctuary in place.

It was impossible to properly comprehend its size.

Even partially concealed beneath the endless spiraling darkness below, the eye alone dwarfed the shattered sanctuary itself, its pupil moving slowly through the corrupted void beneath them like something ancient awakening from the deepest layers of hell.

And the moment it opened—

Everything changed.

The corrupted mana flooding the ruins became heavier.

Denser.

Alive.

The pressure descending upon the sanctuary no longer felt like ordinary mana suppression. It felt closer to standing beneath the gaze of a predator so ancient and monstrous that human instinct itself rejected its existence.

Several club members collapsed unconscious instantly.

One senior screamed while clutching his head before blood began pouring from his nose and ears beneath the unbearable pressure radiating from the abyss below.

Even Adrian staggered faintly this time.

Gravity mana fluctuated violently around his body as cracks spread further beneath his feet while lightning sparked uncontrollably around his arms.

"What..." John whispered hoarsely, his face completely pale now. "...What kind of monster did we awaken...?"

No one answered him.

Because no one knew.

Luca stood motionless.

Not because of the gigantic eye beneath the abyss.

Not because of the chained creature before him.

But because of those words still echoing endlessly inside his mind.

You truly returned.

Returned.

Returned?

His heartbeat thudded painfully against his ribs as his thoughts spiraled faster and faster amidst the collapsing sanctuary.

What does that even mean?

The chained figure’s crimson gaze remained fixed solely upon him while corrupted mana twisted around its body like living shadows.

It had recognized his space and time affinities instantly.

It had spoken as though it knew him.

As though—

It had met him before.

But that was impossible.

Luca’s grip around his sabers tightened harder.

Fragments of memories flashed chaotically through his mind.

The game.

The countless playthroughs.

Hidden lore entries buried within forgotten ruins.

The strange feeling of familiarity ever since entering this sanctuary.

And now—

This thing speaking as though Luca himself did not belong here.

You should not exist here.

You truly returned.

The words echoed relentlessly inside his skull.

A cold unease crawled deeper through his chest.

Because for the very first time since arriving in this world—

Luca felt something he had desperately avoided thinking about.

What exactly was he?

Not Kian.

Not fully Luca Valentine either.

A soul from another world occupying the body of a character who originally should not have existed beyond fiction.

Yet somehow—

The chained being’s gaze carried recognition deeper than merely seeing his abilities.

It felt personal.

Ancient.

As though the creature standing before him saw something hidden even from Luca himself.

"...Luca..."

Sylthara’s weakened voice pulled him partially from his spiraling thoughts.

He looked down instinctively.

The dark elf remained leaning against him slightly while traces of corruption still crawled faintly across her shoulder and neck despite Lilliane desperately purifying the lingering black mana with trembling hands.

Her silver eyes remained fixed on him carefully.

"You are distracted," she said quietly.

Luca blinked.

Only then realizing his breathing had become uneven.

The chained figure noticed too.

Its smile deepened faintly.

"Yes..." it whispered softly while countless crimson eyes opened throughout the surrounding darkness. "...You feel it now."

Luca’s chest tightened violently.

"Feel what?" he demanded sharply.

The creature tilted its head slowly.

"That emptiness."

The sanctuary trembled harder.

The gigantic eye beneath the abyss shifted upward slightly.

Watching him.

Only him.

Luca felt cold sweat run down his back.

What the hell is happening...?

For the first time since reincarnating into this world—

True uncertainty began creeping into his mind.

Not uncertainty about the future.

Not about the story changing.

But about himself.

Because what if this world was not merely reacting to the changes he caused?

What if—

Something about him had existed here long before he ever arrived?

The thought alone made his stomach twist.

"No..." Luca muttered under his breath, almost trying to deny the feeling himself.

But then—

Another fragment surfaced suddenly inside his mind.

The gigantic crimson eye beneath the abyss continued staring upward without blinking, its presence alone making the entire sanctuary feel unbearably small beneath the overwhelming weight of ancient corruption.

Luca could feel his heartbeat thundering inside his chest.

The chained figure still stood amidst the collapsing ruins calmly, blackened sealing chains dragging behind its feet while corrupted mana spiraled endlessly around its body like a living storm.

And throughout all of it—

Its crimson gaze never once left Luca.

The atmosphere had become suffocating.

Stone continued collapsing into the abyss below while distant screams echoed through the sanctuary as several members desperately tried helping the unconscious students escape the spreading corruption. Adrian’s gravity mana distorted wildly throughout the chamber as he struggled to stabilize the collapsing ruins long enough for everyone to retreat.

"Luca!" Adrian’s voice thundered sharply through the chaos. "We are leaving now!"

But Luca did not move immediately.

Because the chained figure had suddenly raised one hand slowly toward him.

Not attacking.

Calling.

Almost inviting.

Then softly—

Very softly—

It spoke once more.

"...Come."

The moment the word fell—

The gigantic crimson eye beneath the abyss narrowed slightly.

And Luca’s space mana reacted on its own.