Chapter 191

The sky is collapsing.

There’s no other way to describe it. When you look up, an abyss darker than pitch-black looms above. If someone were to shine a light into that darkness, it would ripple like the surface of a night sea, with water gently lapping.

But while water naturally flows downward, all around, the water is being pulled upward toward the sky.

And it’s spreading in every direction, covering the heavens.

To the east, the mountain range glows faintly orange under the twilight, half-submerged underwater. Meanwhile, to the west, the ocean reveals nothing but murky black sludge as its waters are siphoned up into the sky, exposing the seabed below.

But no one dares approach—it looks like the entrance to some mythological hell.

Shifting focus elsewhere…

North leads only to endless sea, south is blocked by a massive river.

Though the river isn’t there anymore—if you run fast enough, you could reach Bern City. But thanks to the water blotting out all light from above, it’s just an impenetrable darkness now, effectively sealed off.

Common sense dictates the river should still be flowing. With the horizon obscured by the ocean swallowing what little remains of the fading evening light, who would dare cross?

There’s nowhere to escape.

And then, slowly, the water begins descending from the heavens toward the ground.

Everyone stares at it blankly, transfixed.

There’s no point fighting anymore.

Soldiers stationed here and citizens resisting alike lift their heads to gaze at the approaching surface.

Some fool optimistically claims they can swim through this if the water descends gradually enough—but upon seeing the tallest spire buckle and groan under pressure as it submerges, even *they* fall silent.

Crushing force.

It’s not just floating water.

Almost nobody understands what this phenomenon truly is. But everyone realizes one thing clearly: touching that water means death.

No magical energy radiates from it; the world feels eerily still, suffocatingly quiet. No source of power or disturbance can be detected.

Who caused this? No one believes this is something humans are capable of doing.

Even if eliminating whoever created this might save them, such thoughts remain unspoken.

So… what do people do?

Flash!

A beam shoots upward from the ground, melting away part of the water wall above.

“Maybe we can evaporate it,” someone thinks aloud, attacking whatever stands before them without much strategy. Simple, instinctive action.

But water is heavy—and it absorbs incredible amounts of heat.

The beam fizzles out almost instantly.

And if there’s enough force to condense vapor back into liquid form, any thermal damage becomes negligible. The disturbed water quickly settles back into place, leaving no trace of resistance behind.

Except… it didn’t stop there.

BOOM!

Like countless blocks stacked together, the portion directly above where the attack originated collapses vertically, crushing everything beneath it.

In seconds, Craft Nine—a pinnacle of magical science—is pulverized under the sheer weight.

At a small port near Bern City…

The villagers refuse to believe this is real. But denying reality won’t make the water covering the sky vanish.

Instead, it inches closer like damp tissue paper pressed against your face—or perhaps the land itself is sinking.

As soon as they realize contact will mean death, panic ensues. Some lash out wildly at the sky, driven by fear. Others blame others for the situation. A few try building makeshift escape devices using whatever tools they have, while many simply collapse onto the ground, waiting to die.

Magic spells, objects, fireballs, ice shards, arrows, bullets—everything imaginable flies upward in desperate attempts to fight back.

But against an ocean, even pouring oil has little effect. Each assault fades into the dark void above, leaving no mark.

When magic briefly illuminates the surroundings, the sudden return to darkness afterward feels even more oppressive.

Dread and terror seep into hearts alongside the encroaching shadow.

Throughout history, rivers often symbolize death due to how mercilessly floods claim lives. Those staring up at the sky succumb to despair.

And despair shatters minds.

In extreme situations, human nature doesn’t emerge so much as fractured remnants of sanity scatter everywhere. Breaking a glass bottle with a hammer and claiming it represents its original state requires either stupidity or artistic license.

While some kneel and pray aimlessly, others shift blame onto each other. Some craft survival tools frantically, while others give up entirely, sitting on the ground to await their end.

Each response varies wildly.

Most cling to fragments of broken minds, refusing to let go despite bleeding despair from their fingertips.

CRACKLE…

The water level surpasses two stories now. Buildings crumble as they’re dragged upward by hydraulic forces, disappearing into the depths.

Panic spreads uncontrollably among the populace. Architectural supports are being ripped away, and the sky feels oppressively low.

Above lies a sea of certain death.

Claustrophobia grips those trapped below, driving some to leap into the water willingly, seeking release.

Dying proves absurdly easy.

A single jump drowns you instantly under crushing pressure, which then drags your body upward.

The town sinks gradually, like a ship about to capsize.

Amidst the chaos…

A lone girl stands amidst shattered emotions.

Victoria Bet.

Even if rage boiled over completely, failing to stay calm here would’ve already gotten her killed back at Daegon’s forward base.

She analyzed the situation coldly, concluding she must act because necessity demands it.

According to Polaris, her flying ship was attacked by a powerful weapon designed to kill people and bring down the vessel. Meanwhile, protesters tied up at the port demanded access to Bern City.

Moments ago, soldiers massacred the demonstrators—all witnessed firsthand.

Thus, logically speaking, securing this area comes first.

Next, investigate events unfolding in Bern City, then prioritize returning home to family.

Once the water reached slightly above Victoria’s head—average height for a girl but shorter compared to adult men—she halted its rise.

Leaving enemies barely able to function suits her plan perfectly.

Having secured relative safety, Victoria strides toward the protest site.

Broken barbed wire fences litter the area, with several soldiers cowering, clutching their heads. Some took their own lives by embedding weapons into their skulls, while others tremble silently, praying fervently.

After confirming the boundary lines drawn by the soldiers, Victoria lowers the water further.

Their defensive barriers vanish underwater, imploding violently upon submersion.

With a gesture, she flushes them away like toilet water, continuing onward.

No time to mourn the dead—not when fury boils within.

Instead, she constructs walls of water columns around nearby buildings, sealing off potential escape routes.

Anyone inside gets crushed under immense hydrostatic pressure whenever she drops another column.

Methodically eliminating low-ranking troops, she enters a partially destroyed two-story structure.

Inside, she notices the ceiling remains intact. To eliminate blind spots during attacks, she lowers the water slightly, ripping apart both the second floor and first-floor ceiling.

Screams echo from deeper within.

Rather than rushing ahead, Victoria carefully inspects the scene from the entrance. Though capable of reducing everyone present to cellular debris instantly, caution prevails as she systematically searches room by room starting closest to her.

Paperwork scattered messily across desks catches her eye, alongside discarded weapons lying haphazardly about.

She reviews documents methodically, testing weapons cautiously to understand their mechanisms.

Thoroughly examining the surroundings, she proceeds deeper inside.

Carefully pushing open a large door backed against a wall…

“GAAAH! Protect me!”

Loud cries erupt alongside commotion and footsteps. Keeping distance strategically, Victoria prepares a water pillar near the doorway, ready to block anyone rushing out.

Trapped, the soldier hesitates after realizing his escape route is sealed.

He wields a firearm powered by kinetic energy derived from magical conversion systems, pointing it nervously around the room.

Then he notices a small figure crouched nearby watching him.

Mistakenly assuming she came to help, he lowers his weapon cautiously.

Bad call.

His mistake costs him dearly.

Thin streams of water snake out from all directions, wrapping tightly around him. Unlike previous instances, he isn’t crushed outright but instead gagged by a watery mass, lifted helplessly into the air.

Struggling futilely until oxygen runs out, he eventually goes limp. Water continues flooding his lungs via his trachea.

Only then does Victoria lower him, searching his body for clues. She examines his weapon thoroughly and tests weaknesses in his protective gear by probing it with water jets.

Cross-referencing scattered papers earlier with this man’s identity—a knight serving a marquis—reveals connections.

“Marquis Gaston? You’re the one responsible for sealing off Bern City?”

Target confirmed.

Victoria steps confidently into the room.

“W-Woman?”

Two male guards flank her position. One female companion stands nearby. In the center, a man clutches a shiny sword, visibly trembling despite his otherwise imposing physique.

“Marquis Gaston. Was it you who sealed off Bern City?”

“This woman, do you know who I am and yet dare-”

Negotiation tactics suggest maintaining confidence and applying mild threats when necessary. Recalling Beatrice’s advice, Victoria summons a rectangular water pillar directly over the foremost guard.

Before he can scream, the pillar crushes him violently, vanishing him instantly before everyone’s eyes.

“I’ll ask again. Gaston, you currently have exactly two options.”

Eyeing the remaining pair flanking him, Victoria continues.

Recalling Beatrice’s lessons on negotiation—grabbing leverage and forcing compliance—Victoria interprets literally, dragging the conversation into brutal territory.

“Explain why you sealed off Bern City.”

Creating motivation for someone present to answer ensures results.

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