Chapter 871: The Outpouring

'I'm surrounded? Ah, I see... I was careless.'

Still firmly holding Jane in his arms, Jared watched his enemies close in on him. His gaze was especially fixed on Neron. He had noticed something different about him, after all.

"You can use Magic now? How interesting..." He whispered, maintaining his careful expression.

In response to his obviously apprehensive demeanor, Neron broke into a smile. Jared felt irritated just watching a look of satisfaction on the face of his most despised adversary, but he controlled himself.

"Isn't this the time you show us your incredible power? Tell us we're worms, and proceed to wipe the floor with us?" Neron said, radiating even more of the confidence Jared despised.

"Why do you ask? Do you already miss the last beating I gave you? I should have killed you back then..."

"You talk as if you could. In the end, you just weren't given the chance thanks to the situation."

"A situation you devised. As always, Neron... you remain the greatest annoyance that stands in my way."

At this point, Jared could do nothing but calmly watch as his adversary drew closer to him.

'I would have displayed my power, and I don't think it would be too difficult to escape this situation, but why does it seem like that is exactly what they want me to do?'

When he thought about it deeply, couldn't they have ambushed him, or perhaps attacked him with a combined effort, rather than leisurely approach him like this? It seemed to him that they were daring him to retaliate.

'Do they have some sort of trick up their sleeve? Ciel was able to hide Jane from my senses, only revealing her presence when she wanted. That shows that they're at least not the weaklings they were in the past...'

Plus, Jared could sense it—the power that the group in front of him leaked.

'They're far more polished than before. Even their equipment is astounding. They really prepared well...'

And now, they had also succeeded in trapping him.

"I suppose this is a 'Check', one step away from Checkmate." Jared gently put his down, using Magic to ensure her body didn't touch the cold, dirty ground.

Sparkles of light danced around Jane, causing her to levitate mere inches from the floor. The light also encased her in a protective dome that boasted an immense concentration of energy. In essence, it was her haven.

"How considerate of you. If only you had spared only a small degree of that affection for others, it wouldn't have come to this." Neron said, a grave expression on his face.

Jared shrugged instantly. He wasn't in the mood to get into this discussion any longer. It had been too long since he chose to walk down this path, and his dream was in sight. Only a fool would give up now.

'What has this world ever done to deserve my affection? It has caused me nothing but pain and hatred. Crushed by the weight of despair, my desire formed, and I decided to do whatever it took to arrive at my goal.'

How was he the one in the wrong? No, he just wanted what was denied of him in the first place—what he had to struggle to obtain.

"Power. All I need is more power. Jane understood that. She deserves all my love and affection... not the rest of you mongrels." Jared's thoughts leaked out as he glared at the Outers.

"You can stall for time all you want, Jared, but that doesn't matter. Once the wormhole you generated becomes stable, we'll destroy it."

Of course! They must have known that doing it prematurely would only doom the world.

"You need to get to the portal in order to get what you want. We're not going to allow that." After Neron said this, a bright light manifested from Ciel, and a highly concentrated dome covered Jared and his immediate vicinity.

"Is that so?" The white-haired overlord responded, a wry smile forming on his face.

An influx of emotions coursed through him, and his heart palpitated slightly, but he maintained a calm expression. Rather than waste his breath saying any more, he observed the shield that covered him.

'It's dense. Also rich in Mana. I see... they've really thought this true.' If he used his strongest Spell, he would be able to break out, but they weren't going to give him enough room and time to use it.

'In the end, all I can do is wait, huh?'

But, how long did he really have to wait? That was the most pertinent question.

And the answer?

>VWUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH<

"Hehe..." Jared grinned, raising his head to witness the source of the echoing sound.

It wasn't just him. The Outers also observed the rushing sound that emerged from the final stabilization of the wormhole's event-horizon.

In essence, the moment of truth had arrived.

"It seems you people misunderstood something." Jared's smile kept widening as he gazed at the blackening sky.

"I don't need to go to the portal to access Dark Energy..."

Misty blackness suddenly began gushing out of the swirling rift in the sky, like how water burst out of a leaking tank.

The outpour raged, rushing only in one direction.

"... The Dark Energy will come to me."

Just as he made this statement, the shield around him cracked, buzzing in response to the incoming corruption that gnawed at its vitality. It weakened the dome enough for him to resort to his ultimate technique.

"[Spellcraft...]"

At that moment, the dome shattered, and the darkness collapsed on him.

>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<

Everything around him shattered, and even the Outers were pushed away due to the sheer pressure that enveloped him.

Slowly, the darkness raised him above the earth, taking him to its source. The wormhole called for him, pouring out even more of its contents to him.

Immersed in the bountiful sea of Dark Energy, Jared could feel what he had sought for so long—he felt it in abundance.

"Power..."

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[A/N]

Looks like we're getting to a climax. I know some of you are wondering where the MC is...

Here's the link.