Chapter 613: You Better Not Let Go!
On the other side… next to the blood lake.
’The Deity’s Reincarnation!’
The Elder Witch abruptly snapped her head east the instant her ears perked up at the sound of that spiritual screech… recognizing it instantly!
While Bragh cursed and Odrum examined the tunnel beneath the blood lake, tracing its path east… her aetheric vision followed it across the forest… until she spotted the Dean approaching the Dimensional Array with Levi held over his shoulder.
When she realized their destination was the Academy, which was outside of their Spatial Jammers, she didn’t hesitate to transform into a spirit.
’I am not losing you again!’
Her jade-green body turned translucent… then shot above the canopy like a needle of green light, trailing thin soul-threads behind it!
The Elder Witch crossed the distance in less than a blink… her spiritual aura raced ahead of her, reaching toward the Array!
In slow motion, she watched the Dean tighten his hold on Levi as he stepped onto the platform.
The spatial passage was already open… another step, and they would leave the forest’s blockade!
Her slender fingers curled.
The soul-threads carrying her aura whipped past the guarding instructors, reaching the Dean before his instincts picked up on her.
His crimson eyes narrowed as he swiftly forced his own spiritual aura to block it… but alas, against a Tier 8 Psych Specialist, he never had a chance.
An invisible, thin green spiritual thread brushed across Levi’s back… but he had no idea about any of this, as his spirit had already been dragged into the Aether Realm!
***
Meanwhile… a few moments earlier, at the Blood Arts Academy.
Nurah stood before the Teleportation Array Platform in the Academy’s wide-open plaza, watching its spatial inscriptions flicker as another group of troops emerged.
Vallow soldiers guarded the surrounding approaches, keeping their weapons ready while leaving the platform clear… she knew they feared something far worse might follow their retreating comrades through.
Behind her, an open dimensional gate led to Jasmine’s territory.
’Nurah… has he arrived?’
Shia’s message reached her alongside another from Arthur.
’The moment you see him, send him through… I’ll catch him.’
’He’s with the Dean,’ Nurah replied, keeping her gaze fixed on the Array.’Prepare for Scenario C.’
Her shadowy hair stirred restlessly around her shoulders as she recalled Levi’s final message.
A few seconds separated them from the escape of the century or the death of their captain.
The moment Levi’s spiritual Tree first began flickering, she had notified everyone… their return routes had been prepared long before, and after months of waiting, none of them wasted time asking whether he would survive the trial.
Jojo descended from the mountain immediately, while Shia entrusted her father’s care to her family and teleported over.
She had refused to leave her father’s side despite every attempt by her family to persuade her, but when it came to Levi… she didn’t hesitate even for a split second.
Arthur was already waiting at the camp when they arrived.
As for Jasmine… Nurah knew that even her weakened condition wouldn’t persuade her to remain in bed while Levi struggled to return.
’The room is ready,’ Jasmine informed her.’Bring him straight here.’
’We’re all beside the gate,’ Jojo added.’Focus on your side.’
Nurah let out a long exhale as all she could do now was wait and stare at the empty teleportation platform.
For months, she had negotiated with the delegates… while arranging Levi’s escape privately with him, Severin, and the Dean.
Yet these few seconds left her feeling more helpless than all those meetings combined.
Suddenly, the Array’s inscriptions brightened.
Nurah stepped forward at once with her breath held… and then, the Dean emerged with Levi’s motionless body.
If it hadn’t been for his heartbeat, she would have thought he was dead.
’Arthur!’
With no hesitation, her shadowy hair came alive as it lashed forward, forming dark hands that secured Levi.
The Dean released him into her grasp, and Nurah immediately swung him through the waiting dimensional gate behind her.
On the other side, Arthur caught his brother against his chest.
Once Nurah received the notification that their captain was safely secured, she turned toward the Dean and the surrounding troops.
She gave them a solemn, appreciative nod.
"Neither Levi nor I will ever forget what you have done for us… for as long as we live."
Then, she stepped through the gate and Jasmine closed it behind her.
While Arthur and the girls helped settle Levi on the bed… they watched his body twitch once in a while before lying flat again.
Arthur swiftly reached out to Levi’s dimensional wallet and used the password incantation to open it.
Then, he entered Alzhukar’s massive pocket dimension through his spirit and went straight for the Primordial Tree of Life’s fallen leaf.
Even though Levi would live and die for his friends as much as they would for him… he still trusted only his brother with his wallet’s password.
Some things weren’t meant to be shared except in emergencies… in this case, Arthur having his password was enough.
The moment he pulled out the blanket-sized white leaf… Jasmine felt her weakened body instinctively drawing on its life force.
’Excuse me.’
She immediately stepped out of the room and watched from a distance… her slightly aged face showing only concern for Levi’s recovery.
Arthur draped the leaf over Levi, and its rich life force began pouring into his body.
Jasmine could tell that his condition appeared more severe than hers… after all, he had used the Ancestral Dominion for a long while, unlike her, who had brought it out to save her friends from Alzhukar before canceling it.
"Now what…?"
Jojo asked softly as she gazed at Levi’s body devouring the life force akin to a bottomless black hole… only the life force wasn’t being fed to him, but the universe itself!
’We wait for the universe to receive its payment in life force and lift the punishment,’ Jasmine answered.’Until it receives the full price… Levi is still not safe.’
***
Meanwhile… inside the Aether Realm.
’Argh… damn it! I am paying! I am paying! Stop pulling already!’
While Arthur and the girls surrounded Levi’s body, they had no idea that their captain was currently clinging to his own body in spirit form, right in front of their eyes.
The sight resembled a tenant clinging to his doorframe… while the universe tried to evict him for unpaid rent!
He had escaped four Tier 8 monsters, crossed the Academy, and reached his friends… pulling off a legendary escape that no one thought possible.
Yet, none of these things meant anything to the universe tearing at his soul.
KREEEE!!
Beside him… his partner in crime wasn’t faring any better!
The Soulleech Maw’s spiritual form had wrapped its tongue around its physical stem, clinging to the body rooted in Levi’s palm while the same invisible force tried to rip it free!
Levi would have laughed if he weren’t suffering himself.
The little menace had been more than happy to burn everything with him, but now that the bill had arrived, it was holding on even harder than he was!
Levi had expected soul-burning pain or such… after everything he had put his soul through, he even believed he was somewhat prepared for it.
But being forced to watch his connection to his body weaken while having no idea when it would snap?
That was something else entirely.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, just when Levi thought this was the highlight of his troubles, a green soul-thread whipped past his face… then a slender figure appeared beside him!
Gorgeous mature face… Jade-green skin… dark emerald hair… a black veil!
’You?!’
Levi barely recognized the Elder Witch before the invisible force caught her spirit and dragged her backward as well!
Her hands reflexively caught onto his shoulder, while the other caught his arm!
’Don’t pull, you stupid bitch!’
Levi cried out in anger as his own grip slipped… he rarely cursed and always maintained a polite expression, but not now… not here.
’Then hold on!’
As if he needed the reminder.
Levi stared at her, feeling a chill course through his soul after he noticed the thin soul-thread connected to his subconscious barrier.
He figured out at once that his escape hadn’t been as perfect as he thought.
A Tier 8 witch had already reached him… and judging by that thread, she intended to possess him!
Yet, the Elder Witch had not an ounce of satisfaction in her face as they stared at each other.
She was in crisis mode, just like him, as the moment she touched his subconscious barrier, the universe’s authority took hold of her soul as well!
’What the hell did you do for the universe to react like this!’
As a Tier 8 ancient witch, she might not recognize what Levi had done, but the feeling of the Universe’s Authority pressing on her soul wasn’t foreign.
Whoosh!
Before Levi answered, another intense pull left both of them scrambling for a better grip… even the Soulleech Maw tightened its tongue around its stem.
Alas…
’I can’t hold on!’
’You better not let go!’
’Shut up!’
***
In the real world… Arthur and the girls watched Levi’s body arch unnaturally beneath the leaf, as though he were in the middle of an exorcism ritual.
It stayed like this for a second, then it plopped back on the bed and remained motionless… only this time… there was no heartbeat.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Arthur, Jasmine, Shia, Nurah, and Jojo… every single one of them felt their hearts drop to the bottom of their stomach at the sight of his silent, resting, spiritless corpse.
Then… they scrambled to give him CPR and whatever means possible to resuscitate him, shouting his name, and even slapping him to wake him up!
Unbeknownst to them…
AAAAAAAAAA!!!
Kreeee!!!
Kyaaaaaa!!
Three different screams resounded above their heads as Levi’s main soul, the Soulleech Maw, and the Elder Witch were all pulled further and further away from Levi’s body, disappearing into the Green Canvas of the Aether realm…