Be Noticed

"This can't be happening."

The Cardinal in his crimson robes quivered violently, his teeth gritted, his gaze fixed upon Lithos with a mixture of astonishment and rage. It had been ages since such emotions had stirred within him. Ever since he started absorbing energy from the core centuries ago, emotional fluctuations had become rare for the Cardinal.

To outsiders, the Cardinal was the epitome of composure – dignified, refined, unflappable. But now, all semblance of that composure shattered.

"Where do you come from?" he demanded through clenched teeth, his body trembling under the weight of the colossal figure looming in the distance. The pressure exerted by that giant presence felt like mountains pressing down on him, and the Cardinal could almost hear the creaking of his own bones.

Lowering his head, the Cardinal surveyed the blood and carnage strewn about the ground, barely recognizable. With a determined clench of his jaw, he lifted his head, veins bulging on his neck as he fought to stand tall.

"Daring to trespass into the Lord's domain. Whatever you are, death shall be your only escape!" Golden light radiated from him as he bellowed, conjuring a dazzling celestial gate above the ruins of the bell tower, its rotations slow and deliberate.

Lithos arched an eyebrow, glancing at the Cardinal. "Impressive spatial magic, ancient indeed. If I'm not mistaken, you derived it from this ancient vine."

"And what if I did? You are no match for the power of the Church!" The Cardinal remained steadfast, his tone cold and resolute. He watched keenly, disdainful of discourse, observing both the ancient spatial magic and the Cardinal's defiance.

With a clang, the celestial gate shimmered into existence, scenes flickering rapidly within its confines. In an instant, nearly a thousand clergy members burst forth, each emanating formidable waves of energy.

"My Lord Cardinal!"

"What has befallen the Holy City?"

"What manner of creature is this?"

"Are you unharmed, my Lord?"

Instantly feeling the oppressive aura, the clergy sprang into action, each summoning a thin veil of divine light for protection.

"I am unscathed! Explanations will follow later," the Cardinal declared, straightening up slowly, the weight upon him slightly alleviated by the presence of his comrades.

Turning his gaze to Lithos, his voice turned icy. "Now, assemble and subdue him!"

After a moment of shock, the knights of the clergy realized the gravity of the situation. They turned their attention towards Lithos, their eyes ablaze with murderous intent.

"Yes!"

"Form ranks!"

With a hum, the earth quaked suddenly. Hundreds of brilliant pillars of light shot up from the ground, forming a cage that enveloped the entire city, ensnaring Lithos at its heart.

Then, a grand divine light materialized, nearly a thousand figures suspended within, linked by chains of radiant energy.

Like a colossal net, capable of ensnaring stars, exuding an aura both mysterious and terrifying!

The Cardinal stood behind the net, surrounded by hundreds of golden swords of light, his gaze piercing as he fixed his stare upon Lithos.

Throughout this spectacle, Lithos remained unmoved. Only when the elaborate magical array had been constructed did Lithos raise his head, as if silently inquiring if they were prepared.

Seeing Lithos's calm demeanor, the Cardinal felt a surge of indignation rising within him.

Surrounded by thousands of swords of divine light, his voice cold and commanding, he spoke, "You are offered one final chance to submit, to yield to me, to yield to the Church and the Lord. Refuse, and your fate is..."

But before he could finish, Lithos shook his head, a look of disappointment crossing his features, and extended a hand.

With a swift motion, everything shattered. The thirty-six light pillars, the star-catching web, the sacred swords—all were torn asunder at Lithos's touch, leaving not a trace upon his armor.

The array, dismantled effortlessly, caused the very sky to tremble. Countless clergy members screamed as they disintegrated within the net, their forms dissolving into mist.

In the Cardinal's disbelieving gaze, Lithos's hand reached out, seizing his form.

The Cardinal stood frozen, his mind unable to comprehend. "No, this cannot be. This power... capable of vanquishing demons..."

With a gentle squeeze from Lithos's grasp, the Cardinal's voice trailed off abruptly. As Lithos released him, the Cardinal's eyes remained vacant, his body crumbling into ash and dissipating slowly.

Not just him, but the entire assembly of clergy members vanished into thin air.

Lithos turned, still gripping the ancient vine with his other hand.

Seemingly unperturbed, Lithos gave a gentle tug.

With a mighty rumble, half of the city, spanning tens of thousands of meters of ground, lifted into the air. Beneath the surface lay a labyrinth of ancient vines, shimmering like precious jewels, pulsating with energy drawn from both earth and sky.

"Sitting atop a treasure trove, yet oblivious," Lithos mused, shaking his head. "Ah, well. All is quiet now. Let's see what secrets lie within."

Beyond the Rocky Mountains, nations around the world watched anxiously. As Lithos tore through the fabric of space, they quaked in the wake of his formidable power, teetering on the brink of despair.

"A spatial tear, correct? Such immense power, capable of rending space with a mere gesture."

"This is no ordinary being..."

The President of the United States, too, was shaken. His staunch resolve wavered, his fists clenched as beads of sweat formed in his palms.

"What's the status? Can the clergy halt his advance?"

"After the giant entered, the portal sealed shut. We've lost sight of what's happening inside."

Leaders of China drew a deep breath, their expressions solemn. "We must prepare for all eventualities. Should he break free, how shall we confront him?"

Leaders from across the globe could only hope in such dire circumstances. Was there truly any recourse left?

From dawn until dusk, the world's leaders set aside all else, their eyes fixed on the monitors before them.

Tension hung heavy in the council chambers, as if a tempest brewed on the horizon.

This was the final straw. Should they fail once more, none could fathom how to proceed.

In the weeks since Lithos breached the secret realm, the leaders of the world convened in emergency session.

That night, they jointly issued a proclamation to the world.

"An Extraterrestrial Being, the giant, entered the United States ten days past."

"For ten days, he has been ensnared within the secret realm, unable to escape."

"The civilization of Earth stands on the brink of calamity, yet relief washes over us!"

With this declaration, cheers erupted across the globe!

Gratitude swept over humanity, thankful that the threat had abated!

Yet, little did they realize that since the appearance of the golden pillar, Earth had entered a new epoch.

Humans were not solitary denizens of the cosmos. In the vast expanse of the universe, Earth might scarcely register as a mote of dust.

Before the arrival of Lithos, humanity remained oblivious to the impending threat.

It wasn't until Lithos arrived.

From the moment the crimson-gold meteorite plummeted, within just half a month, the Extraterrestrial Being turned Earth on its head.

Despite nations mobilizing all their resources—fighter jets, tanks, rockets, and the pinnacle of human technology—every effort proved futile, plunging everyone into panic.

During that time, even walking down the street, people couldn't help but glance skyward, fearing the Extraterrestrial Being's descent.

This pervasive fear persisted, despite the concerted efforts to suppress news of the joint attack on Lithos in the Pacific. If word of the events there leaked out, chaos would ensue.

Thankfully, that sense of dread dissipated half a month ago.

"Hey, have you heard? It seems the Americans have trapped the Extraterrestrial Being in the Rocky Mountains!"

"I know. The area's completely locked down. They say it's become an absolute no-go zone, with a base established. No one's allowed near without orders from the President and the Department of Defense!"

"That's right. I heard some internet celebrities wanted to go there for clout and got shot dead on the spot. No nonsense, real bullets!"

"It's a shame. If we could study the extraterrestrial civilization, it could mean significant advancements for humanity."

Amidst the shock, some expressed gratitude.

"The United States still leads this planet, saving humanity."

Some expressed skepticism, suspecting something fishy. Could such terrifying giants really be trapped so easily?

And there were those who sighed, noticing the recent changes on Earth.

"Earth has changed a lot lately. Is everything caused by that Extraterrestrial Being?"

Meanwhile, in China, at the Ministry of National Defense.

A middle-aged man yelled incredulously into the phone.

"What? Mount Tai has split open? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"No mistake! Sir, Mount Tai inexplicably cracked open at three o'clock this morning. Apart from the main mountain body, the surrounding ground also cracked, with fissures extending up to ten meters! It circled around Mount Tai completely!"

"What about casualties?"

"About a hundred injuries, no fatalities. We are currently providing full medical treatment!"

"That's fortunate..."

The middle-aged man groaned, collapsing onto the couch with a thud, weakly massaging his temples. "What's been happening on Earth lately? Why are there always these inexplicable events..."

As one wave subsided, another rose.

Just as the "Extraterrestrial Being incident" had ended and global calm was restored, leaders of various countries collectively invested in constructing state-of-the-art observatories in the Rocky Mountains, where the extraterrestrial giant was trapped, sealing off an area of hundreds of miles.

There was no activity there.

Leaders of various countries breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking they could finally settle down, but then they began to receive strange messages one after another!

It seemed like Earth was changing!

The Earth's tectonic plates were highly unstable, not just in specific areas, but globally!

"What is going to happen to Earth?"

To the east of China, in the Pacific Ocean, along the coast of Japan.

Splash!

A figure emerged from the azure sea, climbing onto a fishing boat.

"I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like the ocean has been getting clearer and deeper lately!"

The old man wiped his body, feeling quite content.

Ever since his second son discovered the Extraterrestrial Being first and filmed a video of it, he had become famous worldwide.

Now, his second son's videos were getting a lot of views every time, and there was a constant stream of people coming to him for endorsements.

"My son is more capable than his old man, haha, that's good, that's good!"

But today was a bit strange. Steering the fishing boat, the old man furrowed his brows slightly.

"Why haven't we returned yet? We should have been back long ago."

Finally, after several hours of sailing, taking ten times longer than usual, the old man finally saw the horizon swaying.

"What's going on? Did I take the wrong route today?" The old man shook his head in confusion.

But the next moment, the old man froze.

Splash...

The sea churned, and on what was once a calm and vast expanse of water, the sea suddenly churned, and then, a massive island, tens of thousands of meters long, appeared out of thin air in front of the old man!

At sunset,

Almost at the same moment when something unusual happened on the old man's side,

Bizarre phenomena erupted simultaneously worldwide!

Mountains and rivers shifted!

The earth cracked!

Mountain ranges rose from flat ground!

Countless inexplicable events unfolded globally!

An invisible wave, centered on Earth, suddenly spread out into the vast expanse of the universe!

In the Rocky Mountains of the United States,

Lithos, who had been absorbing the ancient vines for a month, raised his head in the moment of the wave's appearance.

His eyes, like molten lava, flickered slightly.

He exhaled slowly.

"Finally absorbed."

"Now, they should be coming..."

In the vast expanse of the universe, not far from the Milky Way galaxy,

A pair of deep azure eyes,

Abruptly appeared amidst the myriad stars.

"The scent of Lithos..."