Alex didn't have time to react when a sinister, unpleasant voice sounded behind him. It was like the screech of a fork on gss mixed with a whisper from the darkness—a sound so horrifying that it was hard to describe. The voice sent chills down his spine, like a living nightmare that had come for him.

  Alex felt something wrap around him and suddenly pull him somewhere. The st thing he saw was the worried faces of his family rushing to help him. He wanted to stop them, but he was dragged into a strange portal, and the cry calling his name was the st sound he heard before the portal closed.

  Alex was swiftly pulled through a strange pce, as if being dragged through a rainbow where all the colors swirled in a chaotic vortex. The sensation of being forcibly pulled through a portal was impossible to describe.

  But more than anything, Alex felt anger and rage. Anger at himself for losing vigince, which he always considered his number one rule, and rage because the enemy attacked when his family was nearby. "Let's see who you are, the one who dared to extend your tentacles into this world," Alex thought, looking down and seeing that he was entangled in a strange tentacle.

  The tentacle gave off an unpleasant sensation, as if something was trying to penetrate his mind, whispering disgusting thoughts. But Alex shrugged it off, accustomed to his own thoughts, which had often warned him of dangers before.

  He was pulled through another portal, and Alex forcefully tore the tentacle apart, gaining his freedom and spttering everything around with bck, murky blood that looked revolting. Faint voices whispered from the blood, as if murmuring directly into his ear. "Disgusting," Alex muttered, burning the blood around him to get rid of the irritating whispers.

  Looking around, he saw that he had arrived in a pce difficult to describe. It was both mesmerizing and terrifying, as if he stood on the edge of the gaxy where everything and nothing existed simultaneously. Surrounding him were hundreds of lifeless pnets, seemingly dead for many years.

  The only sun in this pce appeared so dim it seemed like it was about to go out, like an old light bulb. The stars shone with strange rainbow colors, appearing close yet unreachable. The entire atmosphere was bleak, as if someone had drained all life from this pce, leaving only an empty shell.

  Alex was ready for battle, expecting the enemy who had brought him here to attack at any moment. He gripped Yamato tightly in his hands, ready to unsheathe it at a moment's notice and cut down any creature that would dare attack. Scanning his surroundings, Alex didn't lose his focus. All his muscles were tense, preparing for the upcoming fight.

  All the enemies he had faced before seemed like mere weaklings compared to the one who had brought him here. He searched for possible escape routes in case the situation turned out to be more dangerous than he anticipated.

  "Do you think you can escape, young embodiment of destruction?" the same unpleasant voice echoed, seeming to whisper directly into his ear but coming from a distant pce.

  "Instead of hiding in the dark like monsters that scare children, you should show yourself," Alex said, slightly unsheathing Yamato with his thumb.

  "Hahaha. You compare me to that petty trash born from children's nightmares?" a mad ugh shook the space around him.

  "You have no idea what I'm capable of," the disgusting voice continued, echoing from the darkness.

  "I know who you are—Nyarthotep," Alex said, furrowing his brow and naming the suspected enemy.

  "You are both right and wrong," the sinister voice began to emanate from one direction.

  "So I guessed correctly that you are only a part of the original Nyarthotep," Alex said, waiting for a reaction from the creature hiding in the darkness.

  The mad ughter echoed again, coming from the darkest corner.

  "You're smarter than you seem, young destruction. But you still won't escape," the sinister voice now sounded much closer than before.

  After the creature spoke, a silence fell—thick and unpleasant, as if all the sounds in this bleak pce had vanished at once. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of something sticky and slimy approaching, as if the creature hiding in the darkness was both walking and crawling simultaneously.

  Hearing these steps, Alex tensed, gripping his bde tighter, ready to unsheathe it and strike at any moment. The creature drew closer, and each second stretched on like an eternity. From the darkness emerged a strange, deformed leg, with muscles writhing like worms squirming beneath the skin.

  When the creature fully stepped out of the darkness, Alex realized that even Lovecraft would have been unable to fully describe what he saw. No words could convey the horror of this being—so revolting that its mere presence made a person want to gouge out their eyes and erase their memory to forget this nightmare.

  Before Alex stood an enormous, dark creature whose body seemed to consist of an incomprehensible substance, beneath which millions of worms swarmed in an endless dance.

  Nyarthotep, a creature without a definite form, both many-faced and faceless at once, like its creator Azathoth. The being that emerged from the darkness was one of its avatars. Its body was enormous and deformed, with limbs growing from the most unexpected pces.

  Behind it, tentacles wriggled as if they were separate organisms, and instead of a head, there was a rge tentacle crowned with a mouth full of sharp teeth, positioned vertically.

  "So, Abdul Alhazred was right when he described you," Alex said in a tense tone, seeing Nyarthotep's avatar in all its horrifying glory.

  "Ah, that little man who wandered in search of truth. I granted it to him, and he was able to record it in his book, but like all those before him, he eventually fell victim to madness," Nyarthotep replied in a sinister and indifferent tone, as if it were an ordinary matter.

  "Why did you invade this world?" Alex asked, never taking his eyes off Nyarthotep.

  "Do I need a reason to destroy a tiny world and plunge it into madness and chaos?" Nyarthotep replied in a calm tone that sounded ominous.

  "Should I care about the lives of some insects that are like dust to me in this infinite universe? Their lives are but a moment to me. The moment I close my eyes, everything that was before me turns to ash," Nyarthotep continued.

  "Then why didn't you do it yourself and instead maniputed Erebus from behind the scenes?" Alex asked, trying to gather more information and buy time.

  "Isn't it more fun when someone asks for help for a so-called great cause, only to see everything they sought to achieve descend into madness and chaos in the end?" Nyarthotep replied, bursting into mad ughter.

  Alex narrowed his eyes, watching the behavior of the creature he couldn't fully understand. Yet, at the same time, some of Nyarthotep's actions were predictable. It seemed as if it was avoiding something, unwilling to fully reveal itself. After all, if it truly wanted to plunge the world into madness and chaos, it would have descended itself and become part of the group of losers.

  "Something's wrong here; this creature shouldn't be behaving like this," Alex thought, observing Nyarthotep as it ughed maniacally. "It feels like it's hiding from someone or something," a thought fshed through Alex's mind, gaining more and more sense.

  Alex's thoughts began to take shape. He surmised that Nyarthotep's scheme was both simple and cunning. Alex gnced around and realized why the pnets and the sun looked so lifeless, as if all life had been drained from them. Nyarthotep had consumed everything possible to strengthen itself.

  Nyarthotep stopped ughing and stared at Alex as if he were prey it could not wait to devour.

  "And what will you do now, young embodiment of destruction?" Nyarthotep asked, his gaze burning into Alex.

  "I'll kill you and go home," Alex replied, which triggered another bout of ughter from Nyarthotep.

  "How many beings before you have wanted to kill me? How many heroes have uttered those words?" Nyarthotep said, ceasing his ughter and speaking in a cheerful tone. "None of them succeeded, and I devoured them all."

  "You only encountered those who knew nothing about you and were afraid of your appearance," Alex responded, unsheathing Yamato.

  "You're right, young destruction. They knew nothing. But what you know about me won't change the fate that awaits you," Nyarthotep said, ignoring Alex's threats.

  "If I don't try, I'll never know if I can kill you or not," Alex said, pointing his sword at Nyarthotep.

  "I'll give you the chance to struggle before I consume you. Show me what you're capable of, young destruction," Nyarthotep said as dark miasma began oozing from his body, distorting the very fabric of space.

  "For ruining my peaceful life, you already deserve to die," Alex said, preparing for the attack.

  Alex pushed away all unnecessary thoughts, focusing on distracting Nyarthotep so that he wouldn't notice one small but important detail behind him. He took a deep breath and prepared to strike, waiting for the right moment.

  "What are you waiting for? I've given you a chance to attack me," Nyarthotep said in a mocking tone.

  Alex ignored the taunt, concentrating on his task. In the blink of an eye, he vanished, appearing at Nyarthotep's head level, striking to deliver serious damage with the first blow.

  There were no records of weaknesses in such beings, but Alex assumed that since this was an avatar seeking to absorb the power of destruction, it must be significantly weaker than the original, giving him a chance to win.

  Alex struck swiftly, hoping to sever the head or the tentacle repcing it. He felt his sword pierce something, but before one of Nyarthotep's tentacles sent him flying, he realized that he hadn't actually cut the creature itself.

  The blow had been blocked, but Alex still flew a considerable distance. He squinted, trying to figure out how Nyarthotep had avoided a strike capable of slicing through space itself.

  "What's the matter, already given up?" Nyarthotep mocked. "Those who fought before you sted longer."

  Alex pondered the reason for his failure. He felt he had nded a hit, but it seemed as though he had cut through something else, unreted to Nyarthotep's body. Now he understood that every mistake could be fatal.

  He decided to test his theory and attacked the tentacle again.

  "If it didn't work the first time, do you think it'll be different the second time?" Nyarthotep continued to taunt.

  Alex once again felt his sword pierce something other than the enemy. After the failed attack, he didn't wait for Nyarthotep's response but quickly retreated, continuing to analyze the situation.

  "It seems my assumption is correct. Instead of merely distorting space, he's shifting it, creating the illusion that I'm attacking but causing no harm," Alex thought.

  "That's the second time, and another failure. Is this all you're capable of, young destruction?" Nyarthotep said disdainfully.

  "Why don't you use your power of destruction? Oh, I forgot—you can't. Instead, you rely on petty tricks," he continued. Alex realized that Nyarthotep hadn't seen how he defeated Erebus, giving him a chance for an unexpected strike.

  Alex charged toward Nyarthotep, confidently dodging the tentacles that sprouted from dark corners. As he got closer, he saw a smirk on his enemy's face, but he didn't let it distract him.

  "Let's see if my theory is correct," Alex whispered, swinging his sword and aiming at Nyarthotep's leg. Instead of striking in front of him, he aimed behind the leg, feeling the resistance of flesh.

  The theory proved correct—Nyarthotep was indeed distorting space, shifting the blows. Alex exerted all his strength, gripping his sword with both hands, and severed the avatar's leg.

  Nyarthotep, who had previously scorned Alex's feeble attempts, suddenly felt pain. This sensation, long forgotten but not erased from memory, resurfaced. He remembered the moment when the original Nyarthotep inflicted simir pain upon him when the avatar defied him. The pain, humiliation, and disdain he had experienced then came flooding back into his consciousness.

  Alex teleported to a safe distance and began to watch Nyarthotep closely, anticipating his next move. The hostile being no longer spoke a word, merely staring gloomily at its severed leg, from which bck blood slowly oozed. The severed limb soon turned into a viscous, bck liquid that, as if alive, crawled back to Nyarthotep and merged with the wound.

  Alex bitterly realized that he had missed a rare opportunity to inflict serious damage, and now he would have to put in much more effort to achieve a simir success again.

  "Don't get too proud, young Destruction," Nyarthotep said mockingly, growing a new leg and turning to face Alex. "Your first successful attack doesn't mean you've won."

  "If I was able to wound you once, I can do it again," Alex replied confidently, preparing for the next attack.

  "The games are over. Now I will consume you," Nyarthotep's voice grew even more sinister, and the power emanating from him began to increase, intimidating with its might.

  Dense bck miasma poured from Nyarthotep's body, engulfing everything around. The concentration was so high that it seemed as if the world had been plunged into eternal night. The sun dimmed, and the stars in the sky vanished. Alex tightened his grip on his bde, waiting for the enemy's first move. However, Nyarthotep, merging with the surrounding darkness, vanished from view.

  "You won't have a chance to escape now," Nyarthotep's voice echoed from all directions simultaneously.

  Alex felt as though he had gone blind and deaf, as everything around him was enveloped in absolute darkness and silence. Only the sound of his own breathing and the sight of his hands reminded him that he was still perceiving the world. Alex strained all his senses, trying to detect the opponent, and began using a magical pulse as echolocation to locate Nyarthotep.

  Suddenly, Alex felt movement from one side and turned sharply to block an attack, but there was nothing there. The next moment, he felt a sharp blow to his back, and blood spurted from his mouth. Alex looked down and saw a tentacle protruding from his body.

  "Damn..." fshed through his mind as he tried to sever the tentacle.

  But before he could do anything, the tentacle began to dissolve, and a scream full of pain came from the darkness. Alex suddenly recalled the properties of his blood.

  "I completely forgot about the properties of my blood," he murmured, healing the wound.

  Alex realized that there was no longer any point in holding back. Nyarthotep had already been wounded by his demonic blood, which could corrode and melt everything in its path. Acting quickly, Alex reached into his subspace and pulled out one of his inventions from the workshop. He crushed a box, and a strange white crystal appeared in his hand, glowing brightly in the pitch-bck darkness.

  "Do you really think your toys will save you?" Nyarthotep's raspy voice sounded.

  "You foolishly invested your power in the abomination you gave Erebus. That allowed me to create a crystal of order that will help contain you," Alex said, and the crystal in his hand began to shine even brighter.

  "Do you think this will affect me?" Nyarthotep clearly did not believe in the power of the crystal.

  "Runes are an amazing thing. They are like the words of the world itself, allowing one to alter reality if you know how to use them," Alex replied.

  "If I were facing the original, I wouldn't dare use this thing. But you're just a pitiful avatar, and that's enough to keep you from escaping," Alex added, and the crystal began to shine so brightly that it started dispelling the darkness.

  "You still can't escape me; you're trapped here with me," Nyarthotep's enraged voice echoed.

  "I wasn't pnning to run. Now you're the one trapped here with me, not the other way around," Alex said, crushing the crystal in his hand.

  At that moment, a blinding light burst from the crystal, dispersing all the darkness around and revealing Nyarthotep hiding within it. Nyarthotep experienced something long forgotten—pain. Burns began appearing on his body, and the wounds looked as if his flesh was starting to melt. Alex smiled with satisfaction, realizing that his invention had proven useful.

  "How is this possible? You shouldn't have such power!" Nyarthotep screamed, struggling with the pain.

  "I don't possess it, but with the runes, it became possible," Alex replied calmly.

  "That changes nothing! I'm still stronger than you and will destroy anyone who cannot use the power they have!" Nyarthotep roared with malice.

  "The fact that I haven't used it before doesn't mean I can't use it. I always knew that the power of destruction is dangerous to those around me, and I subconsciously suppressed it to avoid harming those I care about," Alex said, and the ocean of power within his body began to rise as if awakening.

  "Pitiful excuses for a weak being who needs attachments and emotions," Nyarthotep sneered disdainfully.

  "You'll never understand that because you're just an avatar allowed to live and nothing more," Alex responded, ignoring the taunts.

  "And now I no longer need to hold back," he said, unleashing all the power avaible to him.

  A powerful surge of energy burst from Alex's body, pushing Nyarthotep even further back and driving him into the corner of the space created by Alex with the crystal of order.

  Alex focused, determined to summon something that would help completely destroy the being before him. He pnned to call upon the power he had begun to feel in his soul after he first explored his strength.

  Alex opened his palm and raised it above his head, as if calling upon something mighty. Nyarthotep realized something dangerous was happening but couldn't stop Alex, as he had not yet adapted to the territory that limited his chaos. Seeing that Nyarthotep was still recovering, Alex knew it was the perfect moment to act.

  "Answer my call, Demon King's Castle 'Delzogeid'," Alex announced loudly, and an even greater surge of energy erupted from his body.

  Behind him, the space began to crack like gss, revealing a strange structure resembling a massive dark castle. The powerful force following the castle created a mana hurricane that was destroying the very fabric of space.

  "Let's see how much you can endure before your body and fragment of your soul disintegrate," Alex said, activating the spell he had been preparing since arriving in this pce.

  Above Alex, purple lightning began to appear, forming ten magical circles that rose one above the other. These circles started to merge, creating one enormous circle radiating a power capable of destroying everything.

  "I won't allow it!" Nyarthotep roared, using spatial and reality distortion in an attempt to destroy Alex's magical circle.

  "It's too te. I started preparing this spell the moment you dragged me here, gradually gathering power while you were focused on me," Alex replied, releasing an even greater surge of mana.

  "Let's see if the avatar of the outer god can withstand a lightning capable of burning everything that exists, even order itself. 'Ravia Gig Raveraz'," Alex said, pointing his hand towards Nyarthotep.

  A massive purple circle towering above the battlefield began to glow brightly, and streams of lightning began to fall from it like rain, destroying everything in their path. The previously dim space was illuminated by the lightning, obliterating everything they touched. Nyarthotep, trying to stop the spell's activation, missed the moment, underestimating Alex and not realizing that Alex had been preparing for this battle since he received the first crystal of corruption and began searching for a way to counter it.

  The lightning struck Nyarthotep's giant body, which soon vanished under the torrent of purple bolts, leaving nothing behind but charred remains and a tentacle that served as a head.

  "You should have destroyed me as soon as I arrived in this world, instead of waiting until I gained strength," Alex said, his voice echoing in the silence.

  His steps in the empty, ruined space sounded like an echo as he approached the remains of Nyarthotep.

  "As parents often tell their children, 'Don't py with your food.' You yourself helped me start exploring my power when you gave one of the chaos crystals to Erebus," Alex continued, getting closer to the fallen enemy.

  Alex's steps remained confident and steady, despite the energy expended in summoning Delzogeid and using 'Ravia Gig Raveraz'. It was enough to severely injure the avatar of the outer god.

  "You wanted to amuse yourself, thinking I wouldn't be able to harm you. But from the moment I learned that this group of misfits was being aided by someone from outside this universe, I began preparing for a battle with enemies possessing power simir to yours," Alex said, stopping beside Nyarthotep's remains.

  Nyarthotep didn't respond, his body healing and being destroyed under the impact of the purple lightning, preventing him from fully recovering.

  "Like many powerful beings, you became arrogant, believing that nothing could threaten you, that everyone you pyed with was just dust before you," Alex said, lighting a cigarette and exhaling the smoke through his nose.

  "But I was weak myself and understand beings like you. All my actions were aimed at lowering your vigince. Since the moment I arrived in this world, I never used my destructive power openly. And when I learned who was hiding behind the scenes and assisting Erebus's group, I started learning to use it in a way that wouldn't destroy everything around me," Alex said, taking a deep drag and blowing the smoke towards Nyarthotep.

  "Your fatal mistake was bringing me here, to a pce where I can fully use my powers," Alex continued.

  "Maybe you're right, but you still haven't won," Nyarthotep rasped, his body beginning to slowly recover, ignoring the damage inflicted.

  "No, you've already lost. Even you can't escape destruction," Alex said, a long dark sword starting to form in his hand.

  Nyarthotep saw the sword and realized that the power contained within it was the embodiment of destruction. He knew he wouldn't survive a strike from this sword.

  "This sword is called 'Venuzdona, the Lawbreaker'. It embodies the essence of destruction. It can annihite everything that exists in the universe, any ws of nature and principles, and even the chaos within you," Alex said, moving towards Nyarthotep.

  Alex approached Nyarthotep, raising the sword above his head, ready to finally destroy him and begin his journey.

  "Even if you had consumed me, you wouldn't have surpassed the original, because he wouldn't have allowed it," Alex said, swinging to deliver a fatal blow.

  However, at the st moment, his hand froze, sensing danger behind him.

  "You're right, a copy can never surpass the original," a mysterious and mystical voice said from behind Alex, sending shivers down his spine.

  "Who's there?!" Alex excimed, spinning around sharply and pointing his sword in the direction of the voice.

  "Don't shout, my dear Destruction. If I wanted to harm you, I would have already done so," the enchanting voice replied.

  Suddenly, Alex felt thin, cold hands wrapping around his neck. A shiver ran down his body as if something was trying to invade him but was immediately destroyed by his power. He tried to turn around to see the owner of the hands, but there was no one behind him, and the hands had vanished.

  "You're right, a copy can never surpass the original," the enchanting voice said again, this time from the direction where Nyarthotep's body y.

  Alex tightened his grip on Venuzdona and turned around, tensing at what he saw. By the massive body stood a strange woman in a bck and violet dress that shimmered as if alive. Her hair flowed down like a dark waterfall, blending with the shadows. Alex couldn't see her face, but something told him that the woman was extraordinarily beautiful.

  "Who are you?" Alex asked, aiming his sword at the stranger.

  "You already know the answer, my dear Destruction," the woman replied, slightly tilting her head. Her face was covered with a strange bck mist that obscured her features.

  "You... the original," Alex said quietly, gripping the sword even tighter. He noticed that the area of order he created had no effect on her.

  "Correct," the woman, who turned out to be the true Nyarthotep, confirmed.

  "But how are you here? Your true body is locked in chaos with Azathoth," Alex frowned.

  "I'm surprised that you even know that," Nyarthotep said, turning to Alex before disappearing.

  "You're right, this is just my projection, manifested by the presence of my avatar here," her voice echoed behind Alex.

  "But how do you know all this?" Nyarthotep asked, wrapping her arms around his neck again.

  "Lovecraft... wrote about guesses and theories," Alex replied, trying to suppress the strange feeling from her touch.

  "Ah, Lovecraft. An interesting man who managed to peer beyond the veil and remain sane, and even wrote something about it," Nyarthotep said, reappearing next to her avatar and sitting on it.

  Alex realized that he was facing something unpredictable, the embodiment of pure chaos and madness. At that moment, he couldn't quite grasp what was going on in the woman's mind; while the behavior of the avatar could be anticipated, the thoughts and actions of the woman before him were entirely unpredictable.

  The avatar of Nyarthotep had been silent since the appearance of the original, and Alex guessed that the original had regained control over the avatar, or perhaps had never lost it and was simply observing.

  "Why are you here? Do you also want to consume me to gain the power of destruction?" Alex asked, pointing the sword at Nyarthotep.

  "Oh, my dear, why would I want that?" she replied, pretending to pce her hand on her cheek.

  "Like your avatar, you want to surpass Azathoth, and for that, you need my power," Alex guessed.

  For a moment, Nyarthotep seemed taken aback, then burst into melodic ughter as if Alex had told the best joke in the world. But her ughter boded ill, instilling only madness in those who heard it.

  "You're so amusing, my dear. I never wanted to harm Papazathoth. I'm not an ungrateful daughter," Nyarthotep said as her ughter subsided.

  "Then why are you here?" Alex asked, keeping his eyes fixed on her.

  "I just came to see who was fighting my avatar. And how surprised I was that it was the embodiment of destruction," she replied in a rexed tone.

  "And what now? Are we going to fight? Or will you let me go out of the kindness of your heart?" Alex squinted.

  "Who knows, dear. But I will be waiting for you at Azathoth's throne," Nyarthotep said, leaping down from her avatar's body.

  Alex widened his eyes, not understanding what she meant or why he should go to a pce where there is nothing, yet everything at the same time.

  "I have no business there," Alex replied without hesitation.

  "Oh, dear, if you had no business there, you wouldn't be rejecting me," Nyarthotep said in a feigned sorrowful tone, making a gesture as if wiping away a tear, but the bck mist on her face made it impossible to discern.

  "And yet I have nothing to do in primordial chaos, let alone at Azathoth's throne," Alex said firmly, rejecting her offer.

  Nyarthotep pced a finger on her chin, as if pondering something, rhythmically tapping it and humming a melody.

  The melody Nyarthotep hummed strangely affected Alex, as if wrapping him in magical charm. However, the power within Alex served as a reliable shield, preventing anything from penetrating his body.

  "Then I'll give you an incentive to come after me," Nyarthotep said in a cheerful tone, as if she had come up with a clever joke.

  "I don't think you'll succeed," Alex replied confidently.

  "Are you so sure of that, dear?" Nyarthotep asked with a pyful mockery.

  "If I send all my avatars after you and your so-called family, even those currently asleep scattered across the multiverse, how long will you be able to run from me?" Nyarthotep said with a threatening tone.

  Alex narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the sword, ready to attack the woman before him.

  "And then we'll see who sts longer," Nyarthotep continued, slowly approaching Alex.

  "Will you be able to track each of my avatars, or will you come to me yourself to stop it? It will be interesting to watch you," she added, gently pcing her hand on Alex's cheek and stroking it.

  "Finding hidden pces has always been my favorite task," Alex replied calmly, pushing her hand away from his face.

  "We'll see, dear. Then we can call it our wager. It will be interesting to see who loses first," Nyarthotep said with a smirk, standing before Alex.

  Nyarthotep stood so close to Alex that it seemed he could hear the sounds of drums and flutes emanating from the dark mist surrounding her face. However, these sounds vanished as quickly as they had appeared, like a fleeting vision.

  "Here's a little welcome gift for you," Nyarthotep said, stepping back from Alex and pointing at her avatar, which began to swell.

  "What have you done?" Alex shouted, noticing the changes in Nyarthotep's avatar.

  "This is my gift to motivate you to come to me faster," Nyarthotep replied.

  Alex realized she was about to explode her avatar, and if it happened, the entire gaxy he was in would be destroyed. The avatar contained enough energy to obliterate an entire gaxy if released in an instant. If he couldn't stop or at least contain the explosion in time, it would be the end.

  "Dammit," Alex cursed, rushing towards the avatar.

  "Hurry, dear, you have little time left," Nyarthotep encouraged him as if she wasn't the cause of it all.

  Alex swung his sword at Nyarthotep's projection, slicing through it like butter. The projection began to disintegrate.

  "Oh, dear, you're so rude. But we will meet again, I promise. For now, good luck saving your world," Nyarthotep said before her projection completely vanished.

  Alex used all avaible powers to reinforce the zone of order, aiming to trap the explosion in that pce and prevent it from spreading. He even used the castle as a shield to prevent the destruction of his world.

  When Alex applied all possible methods to contain the explosion, he realized it wasn't enough and used the force of destruction on the barrier to obliterate everything that the explosion carried. Exhausting his st reserves of strength, Alex managed to reinforce the shield enough to contain the explosion. He erected another barrier around the avatar.

  As Alex finished, the Nyarthotep avatar, which had previously been swelling like a balloon, began to compress, forming what seemed like a supermassive supernova. Alex thought that a simple solution would be to throw this avatar into another gaxy or even universe.

  But that would risk the lives of innocent people, which he did not want. At that moment, Alex wished he could confront the original Nyarthotep, but he knew he didn't have that opportunity yet. And when the avatar's body compressed into a small bck sphere that started cracking and emitting light, Alex realized the explosion was inevitable. He stood outside the barrier, hoping that the two barriers would withstand the explosion's force.

  A powerful explosion erupted, shattering the first barrier and beginning to spread through the zone of order, lingering within it and not spreading further. However, the shockwave was so intense that it destroyed the space inside the barrier, and Alex was thrown into one of the cracks formed by the explosion.

  "Not again," Alex thought as he was pulled into the spatial rift and lost consciousness.

  After Alex was absorbed by the spatial rift, the castle began to vanish like a mirage. But the explosion that remained within the barrier started to dissipate, as if nothing had ever happened.

  To be continued...