Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2724: Earth

The ship’s monitor flickered, and the image of a familiar blue planet appeared.

For a long moment, Emery simply stared, lips parting as an unbidden smile curved across his face. It had been too long. To the people of Earth, he had been gone for a little over twenty years. But for him, the years had stretched differently—ten long years trapped in the belly of a world beast, followed by the timeless seasons his soul endured within Skyroot’s Heaven and Earth Scales. By his count, nearly three decades had passed since he last set foot on his homeworld.

A deep longing stirred within him, heavy with expectation and unease. The sight of the planet brought comfort, yet his mind strayed to darker thoughts—rumors carried by Minerva, whispers from Thrax.

"Has it really been taken over by the Nephilim?" he muttered under his breath.

The answer came swiftly, not from memory but from the comms system. A cold, metallic voice crackled through, carrying no warmth of familiarity.

"Unidentified vessel. This is Nephilim-protected space. Cease your approach immediately."

The words struck him like a blade to the chest. Not only did they claim authority over Earth’s skies, but their tone was hostile—territorial.

Emery’s brows furrowed. Beside him, Varrek, ever steady at the helm, quickly sent their identification. "This is registered vessel Void Wolf. Aboard is an Earth Magus returning home."

The comms fell silent for a full minute, the kind of silence that stretched and pressed against the nerves. Finally, the reply came.

"This planet is under strict quarantine. Hold position and await further confirmation."

A quarantine? Emery’s brows knitted. Something was deeply amiss.

When Varrek pressed for details, the response grew even sharper.

"Stand by, or divert immediately to the nearest Nephilim outpost."

Emery’s jaw clenched. A wave of anger burned through his veins. To be ordered away from his own home. Impossible. The words of his future self thundered in his mind: Return immediately. Every moment mattered.

He rose, his voice a command that brooked no hesitation. "Advance!"

Varrek hesitated this time, and the crew stiffened. The name Nephilim was not whispered lightly—it carried fear even in the neutral zones. Yet none dared disobey.

The Void Wolf streaked across the void like a spear of shadow, closing the distance to Earth with unstoppable momentum. As the planet grew larger on the ship’s forward display, Emery extended his divine sense toward the familiar satellite orbiting it. What he found made his heart sink.

The Moon base had been reforged into a fortress. Its surface was covered in blackened alloys and layered defenses that pulsed with energy. Within its walls, he sensed the auras of several powerful magus, but not the ones he hoped for. There was no trace of Anpu, the hybrid grand magus, nor of the twins, Yama and Yami. Instead, three unfamiliar grand magus presences loomed like cold sentinels.

"Captain," Varrek’s voice broke through, tense. "They’ve activated their defenses."

The fortress awoke. Turrets swiveled, locking onto the Void Wolf. Then flying drones appeared—hundreds of them. Metallic wings shimmered as more than three hundred units fanned out into a glittering web, creating a lethal net of steel and light.

Varrek’s voice carried dread. "Those drones are advanced models. We won’t be able to break through their lines."

Emery’s jaw tightened. He could feel the complexity in the way the drones moved.

"Proceed!"

Without hesitation, Emery’s figure blurred as he shot out of the ship.

Brollak roared and followed, his massive hammer crackling with power. Livi swept out behind them, flames licking at her arms. Together, they clashed with the encroaching swarm, holding the line to guard the ship as it pressed forward through the wall of drones.

The drones struck first—energy beams cutting through the void in precise volleys. Emery raised his hand, weaving layers of void barriers over the ship, each shield sparking under the relentless bombardment. Brollak swung into the nearest drone, his hammer slamming against its surface with thunderous force, yet the strike left only a crack, unable to destroy it. Livi unleashed torrents of flame, but the drones’ alloy plating shimmered, dispersing and absorbing much of the heat.

Brollak snarled, his hammer grinding against metal, sparks scattering. "Their shells are extremely hard!"

The swarm adapted instantly, shifting into razor-sharp formations. Their firepower tripled in an instant, forcing Emery and his companions back onto the defensive. Emery’s jaw tightened as he watched the patterns unfold. This was no scattered defense—it was a coordinated battle array, one designed to contain even the strongest grand magus. Breaking through would take hours.

Decisively, Emery gave the order. "Suppress them!"

The Void Wolf’s cannons thundered, Brollak’s hammer smashed shockwaves across the swarm, and Livi released a storm of burning spirals. For a split second, the swarm faltered, their formation disrupted.

It was all Emery needed. His hands cut through space, weaving the intricate patterns of a teleportation spell. Light folded, reality bent—

—and he was gone.

The Void Wolf and his allies fell back, retreating to a safe distance. Emery alone had slipped through, bypassing the swarm.

He was not heading for the Moon base. His destination was Earth itself.

Wings of pure starlight burst from his back—[Icarus Wing]. Each beat propelled him forward at a speed that tore ripples into the void. He chained two spatial gates in quick succession, his body blurring across the stars until the blue curve of Earth filled his vision. The planet’s atmosphere shimmered like a jewel.

He reached for a third spatial spell, the final gate that would bring him down to the surface. But as he cast it, the runes cracked and fizzled into smoke. His momentum faltered mid-flight.

"A formation!" His eyes widened.

The entire planet was shrouded in a defensive array. Not only did it suppress teleportation, it pressed down on him like invisible chains, slowing his movements. Irritation warred with reluctant admiration. Whoever had woven these wards was a master; Earth’s defenses had never been this strong before.

In less than a minute, three streaks of golden light erupted from the Moon base and cut across the void toward him. They arrived with military precision, halting in a perfect triangle around him. One was a muscular man built like a fortress, another a bald figure with a sharp gaze, and the last a woman whose eyes burned with cold resolve.

All three wore gleaming golden uniforms emblazoned with the mark of the Nephilim. Their cosmic energy was only at the first stage, yet their discipline was palpable. Behind them, dozens of drones swarmed into tight formation, their weapons trained squarely on him.

"Surrender," the lead grand magus barked. "Or face consequences!"

Emery’s lips curled. His aura flared, two cosmos igniting around him like suns. He was prepared to burn down every obstacle, to crush anyone who dared bar his path to Earth.

But just as the air thickened with the promise of battle, his divine sense caught movement from below. Two more presences were rising swiftly from the Earth’s surface. One was an elder, an ancient power wrapped around him like an ocean. This was no ordinary grand magus. The man’s cultivation was deeper than the trio of Nephilim grand magus combined.

Emery’s eyes narrowed, unease sparking in his chest. A powerhouse? Guarding a lower realm world? What is happening here?

Then he saw the second figure who followed just behind the elder. His breath caught.

A young magus, face familiar yet matured, eyes shining with both awe and glee.

"Master... It’s really you!" the youth cried, voice trembling.

Emery’s heart lurched.

It was Damo.