The runic Ritual Array etched into the altar flared to life all at once, unleashing a crushing wave of pressure that rolled out like a tidal surge. The entire space trembled under its might.
Ethan didn't flinch. Blood energy ignited around him in a blazing crimson aura as he activated his Blood Rite.
With a thunderous stomp, he slammed one foot into the ground. The entire altar shuddered violently—cracks spiderwebbed across the stone tiles, and the golden runes above flickered and died.
Then came the eruption of his Domain of the Dead—a suffocating force that seemed to freeze the very air. Space itself warped under the pressure.
The massive stone fists descending from above suddenly slowed, as if sinking into molasses. Their momentum faltered, and they began to tremble mid-air.
