Chapter 142: Chapter 142: F*CKER!! I AM QUINN COLE, THE DEFIER OF FATE!!!!
"Hoh... so it’s really effective..." An amused voice reverberated through the air as Quinn looked down at the being he was holding in his hands.
Everything that had just happened was nothing more than a mirage. The Nekoball had been fighting an imaginary battle inside its own head after Quinn used the orb; it was not only trapped in a state of severe confusion, but its mind was completely muddled as the horrific scene unfolded deep within its consciousness.
Yes... the being Quinn was currently holding was the actual Nekoball, who was still smiling from the sheer satisfaction of the illusionary slaughter, completely trapped by the confusion effect of the orb.
The moment Quinn had thrown the orb, he had Blinked right in front of its body. He was genuinely surprised to find not a single drop of blood or even a bruise on the creature after his devastating blow. He had literally unleashed everything he had just to launch its body away, and the Nekoball hadn’t been able to follow the sequence because it happened so fast.
Quinn didn’t hesitate for a single heartbeat, noticing that its mind was already starting to recover from the confusion, not even thirty seconds had passed!
A dim light emanated from his side, revealing the Pestilence Weaver. It looked like a tiny black beetle, barely the size of a pinky nail. It flailed its legs wildly, even attempting to bite his skin.
Without delaying, Quinn shoved the creature straight into the thick fur of the Nekoball. To his absolute shock, the insect easily burrowed through the dense coat that Quinn hadn’t stood a chance of cutting or damaging before.
"ARGHH!!!"
The Nekoball’s eyes snapped open at the sudden, horrific sensation of something drilling straight into its brain. But Quinn didn’t give it another chance; he channeled every ounce of his strength, straining his entire being just to pin the Nekoball down and suppress its monstrous power.
Then...
The creature’s body convulsed violently as the insect took total control of its nervous system. The Nekoball tried desperately to fight back, attempting to reject the crawling parasite in its brain, but the insect refused to budge.
"ARGHH!!!!"
One final, strangled squeal erupted from its throat before its eyes rolled back and became completely still. The blade-like fur that had been flared in a defensive posture instantly went limp as the internal assault on its brain succeeded.
Quinn didn’t stick around to watch its reaction; his entire instinct was screaming at him to flee from the Crucible as soon as humanly possible.
Someone was approaching... and everyone knew it.
He pulled out the locket, and the system immediately chimed.
Ting...
[Activating the Mind Locket]
Srkk... srkk... srkk...
The insect that had overturned the Nekoball’s consciousness was forced to follow the system’s command. It fought against the restriction for a brief moment before the synchronization was fully complete.
Ting...
[Mind Locket - Nekoball Controlled]
The system chimed once more, text flashing to confirm that the Mind Locket was now fully controlling the Nekoball caretaker.
’Fuhhhh... it’s complete...’ Quinn let out a ragged sigh, immediately turning his head toward Lyra and Alice. Lilith was still in her room, recovering from the sudden burst of power from the core.
"Blink."
Quinn Blinked to both Lyra and Alice, grabbing them before Blinking again and again. He could feel his entire existence being violently pulled apart as time passed.
’Shit... shit... shit...’ Quinn cursed repeatedly. The space around them was visibly twisting and warping at an alarming rate. He couldn’t comprehend how it was happening, but he knew they would all die if they remained a second longer.
SSRRRRRKKKKKMMKK!!!!
The walls, the floor, and everything in the surrounding corridor began to twist and compress into nothingness. Not a single fragment of the physical structure remained.
"Lilith!! Bring Zero now!" he shouted with all the might left in his lungs as they suddenly materialized inside her room. He didn’t care about the consequences anymore; the entire hallway outside was already gone!
The absolute dread washing over him was something he couldn’t put into words. Everything was happening too fast; the entire area where his battle had taken place was being completely devoured by the void.
Lilith didn’t utter a single complaint. She scooped up the unconscious Zero and sprinted straight into Quinn’s embrace. Lyra and Alice’s minds had already gone blank from the terrifying sight of the collapsing space, and they had lost consciousness in his arms.
’Shit!!! Please work!!!’ Quinn begged for his life. Securing both Lilith and Zero, he held all four women tightly in his embrace while locking his eyes on the orb in his hands.
The activation requirements for the artifact had already been fulfilled earlier, but he hadn’t had enough time to read the prompts because reality itself was tearing apart.
SRRKKKKKK!!!! SRRKKKKKHHHKKKK!!!
An unexplainable, deafening sound tore through the air, as if the room they were standing in was the only remaining space left in existence.
"YOU WISH TO DEFY THE CRUCIBLE, INSECT?..."
A primordial voice boomed from the abyss. The sheer pressure forced Quinn to his knees, making him cough up a thick spray of blood. It was that exact same god-like entity from before.
The being who ate the limbs of the women, not even caring a single bit. It was the right hand of the Duke of the Crucible Prison...the Supreme Nekoball.
’Arghh!!!! Quinn look up...not even caring the blood that already pooled, he created a barrier for the four to take, Quinn didn’t even care about his current form.
He looked up and smiled.
"F*CKER!! I AM QUINN COLE, THE DEFIER OF FATE!!!!" He raised his hand, forcing every fiber of his body to move an inch and made a middle finger to the being
Ting...
["???"]
The ground vanished beneath the flood of white as every shadow was erased in an instant. Mountains became silhouettes. Dust hanging in the air turned silver before dissolving into nothingness. Even the wind seemed to recoil from it.
The Supreme Nekoball’s pupils narrowed to slits.
For the first time in a long while, its towering body hesitated.
The light pressed against everything with unbearable weight, forcing its massive eyes shut as a low tremor rolled through the battlefield. Cracks spread beneath its feet. The rusted plates covering its body groaned like ancient gates dragged open by invisible hands.
The silence left behind after reality itself had been interrupted.
The radiance slowly thinned, peeling away from the ruined land in drifting strands. Ash floated downward and the air smelled scorched from the intensity of what had happened.
The Supreme Nekoball opened its eyes.
The five insects that dared claw against the order written for them were gone without a trace. No corpses nor blood...and not even fragments left for the fate to remember.
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- End of Volume One: The Crucible Prison.
