Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 3088: Evacuation

Emery opened the door, but this time, it wasn’t Soltz standing outside.

A dwarf guard stood waiting in the corridor, his armor freshly polished and his expression carefully composed. He straightened when Emery appeared and gave a respectful bow.

"Lord Grand Magus, we wish to inform you that the desert storm has begun. We will depart in twelve hours."

Emery nodded. "Understood."

The guard bowed once more before turning and leaving.

With twelve hours remaining, Emery decided to make use of the time and take one last look around the settlement before they departed.

His first stop was the forge.

Sure enough, Soltz was still parked exactly where Emery had left him days ago. The old man sat nearby with his arms folded, watching the three dwarven masters work with intense concentration. The bronze gauntlet rested on the center of the forge, surrounded by layers of glowing formation lines and tools. Sparks occasionally flew from its surface as the dwarves carefully carved the final runes into the artifact.

They were clearly in the final stage of refinement.

Emery had genuinely wanted to observe the process, especially after watching the Earth Core Flame become part of the gauntlet, but Soltz immediately waved him away without even looking up.

"Don’t bother us," he called. "We’ll be done soon."

Emery raised an eyebrow.

"All right, then," Emery said with an amused smile. "Good luck."

He turned and climbed back toward the main level.

The settlement felt completely different from the last time he had walked through it. What had once been a bustling, if subdued, underground city now felt almost hollow. Most of the dwarves had already gathered their belongings, leaving entire sections of the settlement strangely quiet. Doors stood open, while homes that had once contained generations of possessions had been emptied almost completely.

Only a few dozen stragglers remained, hurrying through the streets as they finished their final preparations. Some carried small bags over their shoulders, while others helped elderly relatives or guided children toward the evacuation routes.

The atmosphere was tense, but there was also a strange sense of determination.

They had spent years hiding within the mountain.

Now, they were finally leaving it behind.

Emery followed the last of the crowd through the main tunnel until he reached the massive metal ark waiting in the cavern outside. The enormous flying vessel towered over the surrounding structures, its metal hull covered in layers of formation lines that had been prepared to receive the settlement’s defensive artifact.

Hundreds of dwarves were already gathered nearby, forming orderly lines as they prepared to board.

But Emery quickly noticed something unique.

The noncombatants and the non magus weren’t boarding the ark.

Instead, they were lining up in front of a metal sphere roughly the size of a human head. The surface of the sphere was covered in intricate runes that emitted a faint blue-white glow. Every few seconds, one of the dwarves stepped forward and placed a hand against its surface.

A subtle ripple of spatial energy immediately spread outward.

The dwarf vanished.

Another person stepped forward.

The same thing happened.

Emery watched for several moments before understanding what he was seeing.

A spatial artifact.

More precisely, it was an artifact containing its own independent space, large enough to shelter the people who couldn’t safely endure the journey aboard the flying ark. Instead of forcing thousands of ordinary dwarves to remain exposed during the dangerous voyage, they would be transferred into the artifact’s contained domain and protected there until they reached their destination.

It was a simple solution, but an extremely practical one.

Emery couldn’t help nodding in approval.

The familiar voice came from beside him.

"Smart, isn’t it?"

Bragnir approached with his arms crossed, a note of unmistakable pride in his voice. His eyes followed the dwarves as they continued loading supplies onto the massive ark.

"People think dwarves are simple-minded," he said with a smug grin. "We aren’t."

"I never thought that," Emery replied evenly. "Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many master craftsmen coming from your race."

The usually gruff dwarf lord immediately broke into a wide grin.

"Ha! You understand us well!"

That was apparently all the encouragement Bragnir needed.

He launched into an enthusiastic account of the ark itself, proudly introducing it as the Floating Tortoise. The name struck Emery as somewhat underwhelming for a vessel that was supposed to carry thousands of people across a continent, but he wisely kept that opinion to himself.

Bragnir, meanwhile, continued without the slightest hesitation, proudly explaining the ark’s defensive formations, weapon arrays, reinforced hull, and various emergency mechanisms. With every new feature he described, his pride seemed to grow, as though he were personally responsible for every piece of metal that had gone into its construction.

"Don’t worry," Bragnir finally declared, patting the side of the enormous vessel. "Nothing on this journey could put a scratch on it."

Emery gave a quiet sigh.

Durability wasn’t really his concern.

Speed was.

And if there was one thing a tortoise was famous for, it certainly wasn’t speed.

He glanced toward the enormous vessel again, imagining it crawling across thousands of miles of dangerous territory while an infected Supreme could be lurking somewhere nearby. The more Bragnir talked about its incredible defenses, the more Emery found himself wondering exactly how long this journey was going to take.

"Of course," Bragnir continued proudly, "the outer shell alone can withstand—"

Emery’s expression slowly became more complicated.

The conversation was beginning to drift into slightly uncomfortable territory.

Fortunately, rescue arrived.

One of the male High Elves approached from the direction of the settlement, his silver robes moving gently as he walked. Before Emery could say anything, Bragnir turned toward him.

"Thalen. All the gears are set. We’re just waiting for the priestess to finalize things. Where is she?"

"She’ll be joining us shortly," Thalen replied.

His attention then shifted toward Emery.

"Lord Emery, our priestess wishes to see you."

Emery blinked, mildly surprised. With the evacuation about to begin, he hadn’t expected Versa to want to speak with him at a moment like this.

"All right," he said. "Lead the way."

As they walked, Emery tried probing gently, asking a few questions along the way, but Thalen offered little in return, speaking only when necessary.

He was apparently a holy guard assigned to protect the priestess, and judging from his quiet demeanor and unwavering attention, he took the responsibility very seriously.

They soon arrived at a modest chamber. The second male High Elf greeted them at the entrance before stepping aside to let them through.

Inside, Versa sat calmly at the center of the chamber.

She looked exactly as Emery remembered her from their earlier conversation. Her long silver hair fell neatly over her shoulders, while her pale skin carried a faint, almost ethereal glow. There was a quiet serenity to her appearance that seemed completely out of place considering the evacuation happening throughout the settlement.

Yet something about the scene immediately made Emery cautious.

The room was too quiet.

Versa had specifically asked to see him alone, and now two of her companions were standing behind him.

Emery didn’t show his suspicion. He simply walked forward and stopped several meters away.

"Lord Emery. Thank you for seeing me."

"Priestess Versa," Emery replied politely. "What is this about?"

For a brief moment, Versa said nothing.

Her gaze remained fixed on him, as though she were making one final decision.

Then her expression softened.

There was almost an apologetic look in her eyes.

"Please forgive me."

Emery’s instincts screamed.

Her eyes suddenly ignited with brilliant golden light.

At the exact same instant, an overwhelming wave of spiritual energy erupted from her body.

A soul attack.

Emery reacted immediately.

Spatial energy surged through and coiled around his legs. His body shifted as he prepared to execute a Rift Step, intending to tear open space and escape the room before the attack could reach him.

But he never got the chance.

The two High Elves moved.

One seized his right arm while the other locked down his left shoulder, their movements so fast that even Emery’s enhanced senses barely caught them. Their hands clamped down with terrifying strength, instantly preventing him from completing the spatial technique.

Emery’s eyes narrowed.

At least peak Two-Cosmos.

Both were ready.

The realization came only a fraction of a second before Versa’s soul attack reached him.

There was no time to dodge.

The golden light struck directly into his consciousness.

The world around Emery disappeared.