Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2602: Last Stand

”Commander, what are your orders!?” a desperate voice rang out from the defenderʼs upper platform of the Northstar Citadel.

The rumbling grew louder—earthquakes shook the foundations of the stronghold, and the booming sound of rock cracking and walls collapsing echoed in everyoneʼs minds.

”Heal up… be ready to fight,” Commander Jhett said grimly.

The defenders didnʼt need further explanation. The situation was bleak. The outer walls were already buckling. Reinforcements werenʼt coming. They were surrounded, trapped like prey within a slowly collapsing cage.

Then Emery stepped forward, ”Commander… we still have one path. The Stargate.”

At those words, a spark lit in the eyes of some nearby defenders. Hope. Commander Feil nodded silently in agreement.

But Jhettʼs response came like a cold slap. ”No. The Stargate leads straight to the enemy realm. Weʼve confirmed this. But—we do have one thing left to do. We must destroy the gate… so they canʼt use it.”

A heavy silence followed. Then Feil stepped forward, tense.

”There must be another way. Let my men check the gate. Even if it leads to their realm—itʼs better than sitting here, waiting to be slaughtered!”

Jhett snapped, blood rising to his face. ”Thereʼs no time! Itʼs not possible!”

”No!! We canʼt give up yet,” she said firmly.

”I wonʼt give up!” Jhett roared, his body trembling. ”I am the commander of this stronghold—and I will defend it to my final breath!”

His voice broke into a cough, and blood spilled from his lips. The wound beneath his armor was deeper than he let on.

Before the argument could continue, a booming voice thundered across the citadel. The Supreme Being, Rosin Karat, raised his voice:

”BE READY!”

A sudden silence fell. Every defender standing atop the citadelʼs high walls froze, senses sharpened, all eyes turning toward the northern barrier.

They felt it—an overwhelming, unnatural energy building just beyond the protective perimeter.

Then came the sound. A low hum that became a roar.

A second later, the wall erupted outward in a devastating explosion. Shards of enchanted rock flew like shrapnel across the platform. A gaping hole had opened, and from it emerged the enemyʼs elite—cosmic-level enemies surged through.

”EVERYONE!! FIGHT!!” Jhett bellowed, lightning igniting around him. He surged forward with the fury of a dying storm, his Lightning Domain bursting into life as he led the charge directly into the breach.

Commander Feil clenched her jaw in frustration. ”Damn you, Jhett…” she muttered. Then turned sharply to Emery. ”Go to the gate. Now. If thereʼs any hope, itʼs there. Iʼll hold them off.” ṛÄＮɵꞖĚ𝘴

Without waiting for a reply, Feil raised her arm skyward. A gust of frozen wind howled as she summoned her frost wind Domain—an ethereal mist flooded the battlefield, rapidly condensing into the form of a colossal frozen beast. Its roar echoed with hers as it slammed into the incoming enemies, claws slicing through armored flesh.

But the enemy was too many.

More and more surged through the breach. Demonic transform barbarians—mutated, maddened—leapt through the opening. Some had grown additional limbs, others dragged wicked weapons fused to their arms. They did not hesitate. They dove straight into the heart of the stronghold, tearing through the outer defenders with terrifying force.

Emery acted swiftly. He grabbed a panicked defender, his hand glowing with green light. ”Tell me where the gate is. Now.”

The defender, eyes wide with fear, reveals the location. Emery nodded and bolted. Behind him, the Supreme Being Rosin Karat stood tall. Despite the wounds that marred his radiant form, he remained upright. And more than that, he had made his choice.

With a motion of his arm, the last of his golden constructs rose from the depths—shimmering warriors of celestial energy. One by one, they appeared, assembling into rank along the platformʼs edge like divine statues brought to life.

A final defense.

”Go!” the old man wheezed, blood running down his chin.

Emery stared a moment longer, then gave a heavy sigh. There was no time to argue, no time to linger. He turned and sprinted, Veyarel and Ivaris following close behind.

The fortress shook violently as they raced down spiral stairs and winding tunnels. Within a minute, they arrived at the base of the citadel, where the newly constructed Stargate lay.

The gate was vast—an obsidian ring lined with runes, suspended above a circular platform that shimmered with unstable spatial energy. Several researchers and noncombatants were stationed there, their faces pale from the distant sounds of battle.

The guards panicked at Emeryʼs sudden appearance. ”Stay back!” one of them shouted, raising a weapon.

Emeryʼs roots surged out, disarming them in an instant.

”I donʼt have time to explain! Commander Jhett sent me to check the gate. Itʼs the only way we survive.”

His strength and authority silenced the room.

Veyarel stepped up to the gate itself, the magnetic aura around his body crackling as he extended his hand toward the swirling rift. He focused his senses, feeling the spatial current.

When Emery approached the console, one of the researchers shook his head. ”You… you canʼt operate it,” he said. ”Only Commander Jhett has the activation rune. Itʼs keyed to his soulprint.”

Emery cursed under his breath and stalked toward the console. ”Then Iʼll force it open another way.”

”VIA, can you operate this gate?”

The artificial voice responded inside his mind with a calm tone that belied the urgency of their situation.

[This device is rune-based. There are 3,290 possible combinations. Estimated time to break the lock: approximately six minutes.]

”Do it. Now!”

Without waiting for acknowledgment, Emery turned to one of the cowering non-combatants. Emeryʼs hand darted out, two fingers pressing to the manʼs temple. His eyes glowed golden as he probed into the frightened manʼs surface thoughts.

Images flooded his mind—protocols, override sequences, fragments of knowledge about the rune system. With VIAʼs guidance, he began rewriting the controls manually, fingers blazing across the arcane interface.

Meanwhile, Veyarel stood with eyes narrowed. ”The gate is active, but not stable. Itʼs linked to the realm of the parasites. Their energy signature is everywhere. Weʼre already connected to them.”

Ivaris growled, ”Then weʼre about to open a door straight into hell.”

Emery didnʼt look up. ”Is there a way to redirect the exit point? Anywhere else?”

[Insufficient data. Spatial flux is still stabilizing. Estimated time for trajectory analysis: unknown.]

Veyarel closed his eyes and pushed his magnetic senses deeper into the storm. ”There might be another path,” he said at last. ”If we want a new destination… someone has to go in, find a way out, and establish the path.”