Why is Dark Furina here?!
Duke Jared's mind went numb. He had braced for the worst—being caught by Neuvillette—but never imagined Dark Furina would come after them herself.
This situation was far worse than Neuvillette's arrival. Neuvillette would at least consider the potential damage to Noah's Ark, whereas Dark Furina had likely come with the sole purpose of destroying the ship.
The other nobles felt their hearts plummet, replaced by a crushing wave of despair.
They failed to notice the peculiar expressions on Rene and Jacob's faces.
So it really happened!
Rene and Jacob exchanged surprised glances at Alva. Earlier, he had claimed that Noah's Ark had detected a high-energy entity lurking within a Spatial Rift, very likely the lurking Dark Furina.
Initially, they hadn't believed him. After all, she possessed Archon-level combat strength. If she truly sought to conceal her presence, even another Archon would struggle to sense her, let alone a mere spacecraft.
Yet, to their astonishment, Noah's Ark had actually succeeded! It was utterly absurd.
Rene and Jacob quickly regained their composure. Now that the external conditions were met, realizing Alva's plan hinged on how the situation unfolded.
Dark Furina wasted no time. She slowly raised her arm toward Noah's Ark.
Behind her, a massive, jet-black longsword, forged from a fusion of Hydro Elemental Power and Abyss Power, slowly materialized.
Seeing this, the nobles' pupils constricted sharply.
Even through the ship's hull, they could sense the overwhelming threat of death. Jared immediately lunged forward, seizing Alva by the collar, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Get the ship out of here now!"
"Lord, I've already tried, but it seems this entire area has been sealed off by her."
Alva, his collar clutched tightly, sweated profusely as he frantically manipulated the ship's controls.
The red alert indicators on the screen showed signs of diminishing, but Duke Jared felt no sense of security.
After all, their opponent was a God!
Hearing Alva's response, Duke Jared roared in fury.
"What other options do we have? Can we outrun her with this ship's speed?!"
"Use any method you can think of! Figure it out now! Do you want everyone to die here?!"
Duke Jared's mood was beyond foul. He had been on the verge of becoming the god of the New World, but Dark Furina's sudden appearance had shattered his meticulously crafted plans.
In hindsight, it made sense. Neuvillette's early dissemination of information had undoubtedly drawn Dark Furina's attention, and it was logical for her to attempt sabotage.
Their luck, however, was abysmal. They had been caught completely by chance.
That Neuvillette bastard! He provokes such a troublesome figure and then isn't even here to face the consequences! He deserves to die!
Duke Jared cursed inwardly, his heart sinking into despair. The sight of Alva, sweat dripping from his forehead as he frantically operated the ship's controls, only deepened his desperation.
"Lord, none of the other methods are working..."
Hearing Alva's words, Duke Jared's heart froze solid.
It's over. All my grand ambitions will end here...
"But I'll do my best to block her attack."
These words ignited Duke Jared's fury, finding an outlet as he roared at Alva, "Block it? Can you even block it?!"
"I can try."
"Enough! You useless wretch! You can't block a thing!"
"You're facing an Archon!"
"It's just a broken-down ship! Do you think you can stand against a god?!"
As Duke Jared spat these words, the massive, pitch-black sword behind Dark Furina fully materialized. With terrifying force, it hurtled toward the Noah's Ark.
The nobles stared in wide-eyed horror at the scene unfolding before them, a spectacle that filled them with despair.
At that moment, a massive pale blue barrier materialized around the exterior of Noah's Ark.
When the pitch-black sword collided with the barrier, a deafening roar erupted.
The Ark shuddered violently as countless blinding red alarms flashed across its interior. The pale blue barrier began to flicker erratically.
Just as the barrier seemed about to shatter under Dark Furina's relentless assault, it suddenly began to shrink rapidly, condensing into a single point that perfectly blocked the tip of the pitch-black sword. The sword's forward momentum halted abruptly, and it even began to recoil slightly.
The barrier's color deepened to a dark blue, appearing far more resilient.
"Pneumousia Obliteration Bombs, ready!"
"Fire!"
Two fire-streaked missiles shot from either side of the Noah's Ark, striking the midsection of the pitch-black sword and Dark Furina respectively. Within the distorted, surreal space, two blinding explosions erupted in quick succession, illuminating the chaos with overwhelming brilliance.
As the radiant light gradually faded, the pitch-black longsword had vanished without a trace. Dark Furina remained visible, though her position had shifted significantly from before.
Witnessing this spectacle, the nobles gaped in stunned silence, utterly at a loss for words.
In the midst of their stunned silence, Duke Jared felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Alva's youthful face, beaming with a triumphant grin.
"Lord, didn't I tell you? I could handle it!"
Duke Jared stared blankly for a moment, then clapped Alva's shoulder with fervent enthusiasm.
"Well done, young man! Excellent work!"
"I knew I hadn't misjudged you. The moment I laid eyes on you, I recognized your boundless potential!"
Good grief, Duke Jared thought. No wonder he's a duke—his ability to lie through his teeth is unparalleled!
Hearing Duke Jared's words, the other nobles discreetly exchanged disdainful glances. I wonder who was calling him worthless just moments ago...
Duke Jared remained oblivious to the nobles' true thoughts, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared. Having climbed to his current position, his skin had grown thicker than a fortress wall. Since his ascent to high office, he rarely stooped to flattery.
At this moment, Duke Jared was genuinely astonished that they had survived, and even more amazed that Alva had actually pulled it off. The attack they had just weathered had been a genuine divine strike!
Did this mean that Noah's Ark already possessed power comparable to the Archons?
The thought reignited Duke Jared's ambition, his heart burning with renewed fervor.
Even Rene felt a tremor of awe. Though he had been somewhat prepared after hearing Alva's plan, witnessing this spectacle left him stunned. He never imagined that technology alone could achieve such heights—to rival the Archons themselves! This was the lifelong dream of countless researchers, yet this group seemed to have achieved it with almost effortless ease.
Recalling the Academy's daily spectacle of slacking, Rene and Jacob couldn't help but feel a sense of helpless frustration.
He struggled to imagine the earth-shattering transformations that would sweep Fontaine if these researchers ever truly applied themselves.
People's talent can really make others envious to death.
Jacob, on the other hand, felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu watching the scene unfold before him, as if he had witnessed it somewhere before.
Ah, right! That was the talent displayed by his most trusted subordinate. He never imagined Alva would possess such abilities too.
The mere thought of that traitorous subordinate still made Jacob seethe with anger. The man had betrayed his trust and squandered his faith in him!
Despite his rage, Jacob couldn't deny the subordinate's exceptional talent. He had originally believed that having even one person with such capabilities in a generation was already rare enough, let alone two...
Moments later, Rene and Jacob regained their composure and began focusing intently on Alva's every move, waiting for the opportunity he had promised to arise.
"Duke Jared!"
Hearing the nobles' urgent cries, Duke Jared turned back to the screen. He saw Dark Furina preparing to attack again, a far more potent energy brewing within her this time.
It's clear she's serious now.
This realization only reinforced Duke Jared's conviction that her target was the Noah's Ark.
Seeing this, Duke Jared's heart tensed, though less so than before, as he could tell the previous barrier still had reserves.
"Young Alva, you should be able to withstand this attack too, right?"
Rene and Jacob exchanged speechless glances at Duke Jared's casual familiarity with Alva.
You're still holding his teacher hostage, yet you have the nerve to address him so warmly?
At that moment, they gained a clearer understanding of the shamelessness of these nobles.
"I... I'll do my best," Alva stammered nervously.
Seeing this, Duke Jared quickly patted Alva encouragingly on the shoulder.
"Have confidence! You can do it!"
"You're one of the most talented young people I've ever met. Believe in yourself."
"If you need anything, just ask. I'll do everything I can to support you."
After a moment's hesitation, Alva spoke up.
"Actually, because today's exercise is just a military drill, Noah's Ark wasn't fully staffed. Right now, we're operating in a simplified mode."
"In this mode, Noah's Ark can only operate at about 50% of its full power. If more people were available to control it, the Ark could unleash far greater capabilities."
"50%?"
Alva's explanation stunned everyone present. They had just blocked Dark Furina's attack, and the Ark had only been operating at half its full power?!
Unbelievable!
The nobles, who had been slightly panicked moments ago, now radiated unshakable composure, as steady as an old dog!
"Monsieur Alva, just tell us what you need us to do!"
Knowing the critical urgency—Dark Furina's next attack could come at any moment—the nobles didn't dare delay and proactively stepped forward.
"Each of you Lords simply needs to move to different stations and operate the consoles before you according to my instructions," Alva quickly instructed.
Hearing this, the nobles' faces showed hesitation.
His plan required them to split up individually, which might be a deliberate trap.
Just as the nobles hesitated, Dark Furina's attack finally reached its peak, far more devastating than her previous assaults.
The pitch-black blade swiftly collided with the protective barrier surrounding the Noah's Ark. This time, the barrier began flickering violently upon contact, as if on the verge of shattering under the immense force.
Seeing this, the nobles' hearts clenched with dread.
The Noah's Ark itself began to shake violently, and piercing alarms blared throughout the vessel.
"Lords, please hurry!" Alva's voice crackled through the comms, urgency lacing his tone. "If you don't decide soon, the barrier won't hold!"
Hearing Alva's frantic plea, the nobles dared not delay any longer. Following his instructions, they dispersed to their designated areas.
Duke Jared, however, remained behind, his gaze fixed on Alva, determined to prevent any treachery. Fearing unforeseen complications, he ordered a contingent of Gardemek to follow the nobles as well.
Throughout this process, the alarms inside the Noah's Ark grew increasingly deafening, forcing the nobles to quicken their pace.
Soon, about half the nobles had moved to other areas and positioned themselves at the consoles. Initially, they had been concerned about the complexity of the controls, but upon connecting to the System, they quickly realized their assigned tasks were remarkably simple, and their anxiety vanished.
Guided by Alva, the nobles began operating the consoles. Immediately, the flickering frequency of the barrier decreased dramatically.
Seeing this, everyone's spirits lifted, and they redoubled their efforts, following Alva's instructions with renewed fervor.
As their proficiency grew, they even managed to deflect Dark Furina's attacks back at her—a spectacle that sent shockwaves through the onlookers.
What were they witnessing? Not only had they withstood an Archon-level assault, but they were even counterattacking?!
This Noah's Ark was truly beyond belief!
"Young Alva, seize this opportunity to strike her with the weapon we used before!" Duke Jared commanded Alva, his voice ringing with newfound confidence.
Having realized that Dark Furina posed little threat to them, the Duke's mind even entertained the audacious notion of godslaying.
Although the previous attacks hadn't seemed to harm Dark Furina, they had forced her to move a considerable distance, indicating that the weapon posed a real threat to her.
Since Dark Furina's attacks couldn't breach the Noah's Ark's defensive barrier for now, Duke Jared could consider counterattacking. After all, passively enduring blows wasn't his style.
Hearing Duke Jared's words, Alva didn't immediately launch an attack. Instead, he addressed him.
"My lord, the spatial warp function has been restored. We can escape this place now."
"No, we don't need to escape anymore," Duke Jared countered sharply, his gaze fixed on the figure on the screen. "Now let's do something interesting."
"Are you interested in god-slaying?"