Chapter 184: The Radiance Within!

Chapter 184: The Radiance Within

King Rhopgin's eyes narrowed until they were mere slits, a sharp, calculating gaze that bore into Tessa. He scrutinized her, seeking cracks in her composure, some clue to undermine the confidence in her words. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he found himself unable to act against her.

A strange hesitation clung to him, an unfamiliar weight that made his limbs feel leaden. He clenched his fists, trying to shake the inexplicable restraint. Why can't I strike her? he wondered, frustration brewing beneath his regal exterior.

"Imprison her!" he finally thundered, his voice ricocheting off the chamber walls like a cannon blast.

By now, several nobles and attendants had gathered in the hall, drawn by the commotion and the promise of a spectacle. The piercing alarm that had signified the death of the crown prince had already echoed through Base 137, jolting everyone awake with its grim message. Whispers rippled through the crowd as they exchanged anxious glances, the weight of the situation pressing down on them like a suffocating fog.

At once, the cobalt-armored guards snapped to attention. Moments earlier, they had tread lightly around Tessa, wary of the unknown power she exuded. But under the command of a lesser god, their fear dissipated, replaced with a surge of emboldened arrogance. Their armor clinked as they marched toward her with newfound confidence, chests puffed and shoulders squared, as if daring the impossible.

Tessa didn't flinch. Her stillness was unnerving, her calm almost mocking. She let them approach without resistance, her gaze steady, her body unyielding.

But calmness on the surface didn't equate to inaction beneath.

Since awakening on this planet—her birth planet, her true home—Tessa had felt an unshakable connection to its elements. The soil beneath her feet, the moon hanging in the night sky, and the blazing sun above all resonated with her, as though ancient chords tied her existence to theirs. Deep within, something stirred—a restless energy, raw and untamed, like a pot on the verge of boiling over, restrained only by her measured self-control.

The guards moved to seize her, their gauntleted hands reaching out.

And then it happened.

A brilliant flash of light exploded from her abdomen, brighter than anything they could have imagined. The intensity swallowed the room, obliterating all shadows, as if a star had ignited within her. It was not just light—it was power, raw and unrelenting, radiating with a force that was both awe-inspiring and utterly terrifying.

The guards never had a chance. The energy consumed them instantly, their bodies reduced to floating ashes that swirled briefly in the blinding glow before vanishing altogether.

The room fell into stunned silence, save for the faint hum of residual energy lingering in the air. The onlookers, noble and common alike, could only stare, their disbelief etched across their faces. This was no ordinary force—it was ancient, celestial, and far beyond their comprehension.

"What in the actual fuck…" Prince Derek stammered, his voice breaking the silence. His eyes were wide, his jaw slack as he stumbled back, grabbing the edge of a stone pillar for support. His usually sharp tongue faltered, his thoughts struggling to process the sheer impossibility of what he had witnessed.

The other nobles and officials in the chamber exchanged panicked glances, their faces pale and drawn. The other princes were as well stunned. None dared to speak, their gazes darting between Tessa and the ashen remnants of the guards.

King Rhopgin's composure wavered, his regal confidence crumbling as his fingers twitched against the golden armrests of his throne. The air around him was heavy, oppressive, as though her presence had rewritten the very laws of his dominion. His voice, usually a booming proclamation of authority, faltered, dropping to a rare and unfamiliar tone—fear.

"What... what are you?" he demanded, his words barely above a whisper.

Tessa's eyes lifted slowly, meeting his with an unflinching calm that carried the weight of worlds. Her expression was serene, yet there was an unmistakable edge—a deadly certainty that sent a chill down the spine of everyone in the room.

"I am Tessa," she began, her voice steady and resonant, as if the chamber itself bent to carry her words. "Daughter of Solaris and Lunara." Her words hung in the air, shimmering with the power of a name that seemed older than time.

"I have come with a message for my father," she continued, her gaze sweeping the room as though daring anyone to challenge her claim. "Earth is in trouble."

Her words struck like a hammer, true and through, echoing in the silence. The very foundation of the chamber seemed to tremble under their weight, the marble floors groaning as if the earth itself had heard her declaration.

Rhopgin's breath hitched. For all his divine influence, for all his strength as a lesser god, he felt a creeping insignificance. The daughter of Solaris and Lunara—a lineage so ancient and powerful it bordered on myth— stood before him, radiating a force he could neither match nor understand.

The nobles and attendants remained frozen, their faces pale with disbelief. Whispers rippled through the chamber, hushed voices trembling as they tried to process the revelation.

Tessa stepped forward, each movement precise, her presence spreading through the room like the unrelenting rise of an unstoppable tide. Her voice softened, yet it lost none of its authority as it echoed through the chamber. "I am not here to destroy, neither do I have any of such notion," she declared, her words sharp with purpose. "But do not mistake restraint for weakness. Harm me again, and this place will learn the true meaning of devastation."

King Rhopgin's jaw clenched, his knuckles whitening as his hands gripped the pillar beside him. His regal demeanor wavered as he fought to maintain control, but her calm, piercing gaze seemed to strip him of power. He opened his mouth to respond, yet the words dissolved on his tongue, drowned in the storm he could see simmering within her unblinking eyes.

'So that's why…' he thought, his chest tightening with unease. 'That's why I hesitated. She carries the blood of higher deities—not just Lord Solaris but Lunara as well. She's more than a threat—she's an inevitability'.

The realization sent a shiver down his spine. He could obliterate her with a flick of his hand, but the price would be unthinkable—his life, his lineage, everything he had built. To strike her would be to invite extinction, he concluded grimly, his composure cracking further as he stared at the young woman who radiated more power than he dared fathom.

The tension in the room was suffocating, the weight of unspoken truths pressing down on every soul present. Prince Derek, still reeling from the spectacle he had just witnessed, leaned closer to a nearby attendant and muttered, "Earth's in trouble? After what I just saw, I think we might be worse off if we continue to poke the bear..."

The murmurs among the gathered nobles grew louder, uncertainty and fear swirling like a tempest. The balance of power had shifted irreversibly, and they all knew it. Tessa wasn't just a visitor from another world—she was a herald of something far greater, and the devastation she spoke of was not an empty threat but a promise.

'These babies in my womb... What exactly are they up to?' Tessa wondered, a mix of awe and unease coursing through her as she felt their connection with the forces around them. It was as if they acted like a siphon, drawing energy directly from the planetary body itself, weaving it into their essence with a precision that defied explanation.