36. Back to the Real World

"Heh... hehehe... I guess... it's over... Forgive me... Lord Rama... Lord Sugriva... I... couldn't protect... your sub..jects... cough... cough..."

Jambhvan knelt on the ground, clutching the bleeding wound in his gut. Blood sprayed from his mouth with each violent cough, splintered fragments of his internal organs mixed in.

His eyes grew moist with sorrow and regret, tears streaming down his weathered face.

'The wise one, they said... heh... To be a minister for Lord Sugriva... it was truly an honor... And to serve Lord Rama... the opportunity itself was beyond measure...'

*Cough... cough...*

'...to gain their trust, my life hasn't been in vain... If there's any regret... it's not being able to see that valiant figure again... Forgive me, Lord Rama... I've betrayed your expectations...'

*Cough... mmphh... cough...*

Flashbacks raced through his mind—the satisfaction of great achievements, the regret of unfulfilled promises, the sorrow of parting. Jambhvan's thoughts were a chaotic swirl of emotions.

The thoughts remained in his heart, unspoken, only blood spilling from his mouth as they reached it. His eyes stared into the void ahead as he made one last struggle to speak. "Forgive me... cough... cough... Lord... Rama... I've fail..ed... cough... you..."

"Roar..." Sid roared in victory, his hands slashing out once more, severing Jambhvan's head. The lifeless body fell to the ground with a dull thud.

"Roarrrr..." Without resistance, Sid's rampage intensified, destroying everything in sight. Soon, the entire mystic realm stood silent, lifeless, with only Sid's frantic roars echoing through the emptiness.

Seeing the desolate realm, Sid became even more irritable. He looked around for something to destroy but was left with nothing. Trees, boulders, even the ground itself had been ravaged by his relentless fury. If anything remained intact, it was the sky above.

Sid looked up at the red sky. It was dawn, and as the morning sun rose, the eastern sky was bathed in a saffron-red hue that gradually blended into the darker tones of the western horizon.

"Roar..." With a roar, Sid's hands moved, slashing at the sky. A cross wave of aura flew out—sharp and violent, cutting through the heavens. Huge spatial cracks formed, crisscrossing like spider webs, spreading further and further.

*Crash...*

With a deafening crash, the entire sky shattered, revealing the dark void beyond. The destruction spread across the mystic realm, which gradually collapsed into nothingness.

Sid looked around in the empty void, bewildered by it all. He roared, shuttling through the void left and right like a mindless beast.

Soon the space distorted, an unprecedented suction force locking onto him. With unwilling screams, his body was sucked into the turbulence of space and time, thrown out of the reality of the mystic realm.

.....

Outside the Mystic Realm:

The people gathered on both sides, staring warily at each other. The preparations for war were complete; only the final verdict remained.

The wait wasn't long. The saffron skies soon returned to their blue color as the mystic realm collapsed, causing the vortex surrounding it to disperse, revealing the core.

But before anyone could react, an enormous pressure erupted from within the core as it destructed, pushing the surrounding people back. A distorted figure was expelled from the explosion, landing on the ground on all fours.

A gentle ray of light shone upon it, causing its eyelids to twitch open. "Roar..." With a reverberating roar, Sid announced his presence to the world. The vast expanse of land ahead filled his black irises, along with the crowd surrounding him.

Sid's blood boiled with fury as his obsession took over once again. "Ki...kill... destroy..." The dry words left his mouth, bathed in a bottomless intent for chaos and destruction, causing the crowd to shrink back in fear.

The militants gathered to fight the war trembled with each breath, some even kneeling with weak legs. They looked in terror at the horrifying monster crouching ahead.

The figure was somewhat humanoid, but the chaotic aura distorted its appearance. The only prominent feature on Sid's grotesque form was the similarly chaotic aura emanating from the wings that grew from his back.

His hideous grin and unnaturally twisted spine, laced with deadly thorns, were complemented by the similar thorns extending from his elbows and knees. Countless thin, wriggling tentacles sprouted from his spine, making it difficult to discern whether the figure was truly human or not.

"Is that the kid you mentioned?" the Lady President of the Underground Black Market questioned the woman beside her, her eyes still locked on the monster ahead.

"Well, milady... it... it's the same... but this form is somewhat new..." Riya gritted her teeth, muttering under her breath, slightly nervous. The ominous aura from this new form made her shiver to her core.

"Roar..." Sid moved, his figure launching toward the crowd as aura gathered around his hands, forming a destructive whirlwind.

"Open fire, now!" came the commanding order from both sides, as if they had reached a consensus to immobilize the monster before settling their scores.

*Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...*

A barrage of gunshots rang out, mercilessly piercing through Sid's body like a raging tempest. His figure flew back from the impact, but the damage was minimal, healing almost as soon as it appeared.

"Aim, fire!"

*Boom, boom, boom...*

With another order, large shells were fired from the armed jeeps, hoping to blast the monster's figure to pieces. The sky was covered in a shower of small-scale missiles, racing toward Sid at extreme speed.

But to everyone's horror, Sid, unaffected by the dazzling sight, stood unmoved. "Roar..." An ear-splitting roar rang out, carrying with itself a wave of aura. Wherever it passed, the bombs exploded midair, triggering a chain reaction that carried the explosion further. The sky was dyed in a blinding golden light, making it impossible to see.

Meanwhile, in the Underground Black Market's military camp—

"Hmph, don't underestimate the technology, you... big-bad monster." Anaya shouted, taking cover behind Aarav's figure as her eyes darted around, trying to avoid Sid's hideous form. "What are you guys doing? Fire the latest product! Fire—fire! Quick!"

The general commanding the army was put in a difficult position, looking to the Lady President for further instructions.

"Do it!"

"Yes, ma'am!... Men, prepare the SFM 006 to fire." The general acted quickly, without hesitation after receiving the approval.

"Hmph! I said do it. What's the fuss?" Anaya scoffed in annoyance at the general's behavior, no longer paying attention to him but focusing on the battlefield ahead, eager to see the results of her proud work.

"Take aim... fire!"

*Boom*

With a loud boom, a missile that seemed insignificant among the dazzling blasts in the sky flew out of the armed jeeps.

The small missile vanished in the blinding light as it flew past the aura wave, landing squarely on Sid's body. Caught off guard, Sid was unable to dodge in time.

*Boooooommmm...*

"Gyaaaahhhhhhhh... Roaaaarrrrrr..."

A loud bang echoed across the barren land, startling everyone present, followed by a huge energy wave spreading from within the dazzling light, accompanied by the miserable screams.

As the light and smoke cleared, the onlookers were left bewildered by the sight.

Sid now lay on the ground, panting slightly, as evident from the erratic rise and fall of his chest. A huge gaping hole had opened in his torso, almost tearing away a good chunk of his upper left body.

The soldiers widened their eyes, unable to comprehend the severe wound on what seemed an indestructible monster.

"Roar..." Sid's figure swayed as he struggled to rise, only to fall back down. Although slow, the wounds began to heal as his eyes burned with fury at the crowd ahead.

"Open fire! Attackers, use your strongest skills, now!" The orders came, bringing down the hammer of judgment on Sid's head.

His figure was soon engulfed in the indiscriminate bombardment of bullets and attack skills. Only his miserable screams were left echoing throughout the barren lands.

With unwillingness filling his eyes, he fell into darkness, losing consciousness. His figure collapsed on the ground, completely motionless, yet, no one dared to approach rashly.

A group of men emerged from both sides of the crowd, carrying heavy machinery as they cautiously advanced. Their hearts pounded in their chests as they approached.

"What are you doing—what are you doing? Come onnn... let's go—let's go!" Anaya cheered enthusiastically from the crowd, adding to the already tense mood.

Soon the group reached the body, steadily examining its condition. With an "OK" gesture, they signaled that he was still alive, but everything was under control.

With tacit understanding, the teams moved quickly, dividing the labor as they loaded the body into a sophisticated machine, then sealed it in a special vault. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

"Ready to battle!" The orders rang out, almost giving their just-settled hearts a severe shock.

"F*ck, it's time for the war! Guess it's inevitable after all this. Dammit, why involve us researchers in your military disputes!" The reasercher teams could only sigh.