Chapter 353: BATTLING THE ELF QUEEN

"What does that even mean?" the man asked in confusion, unable to understand Astral’s words.His brows furrowed deeply, a puzzled expression crossing his face as he tilted his head slightly in the cosmic glow.

"It means you are a dead man," Astral answered, his voice steady and devoid of malice.

The words hung in the cosmic void, echoing faintly amid the swirling nebulae that painted the backdrop in shades of indigo and silver.

"I’m not going to let you have your way!" the elf screamed, his voice raw with defiance.

He lunged towards Astral, his movements fueled by rage, the starlight glinting off his daggers like fleeting comets in the endless expanse.

Astral didn’t say anything. He simply snapped his fingers, the gesture sharp and precise.

A subtle crackle of energy rippled through the vacuum, invisible threads of power weaving through the space between them.

"Huh?" the elf muttered in confusion, his advance halting abruptly.

He discovered that the mana within him was going haywire, chaotic surges twisting through his veins like unruly storms, disrupting his inner harmony.

"What did you..."

Boom!!

Like fireworks erupting in the night sky, the elf exploded into bits, his form shattering in a brilliant cascade of light and fragments.

The remnants scattered into the void, dissipating like dust among the distant stars, ultimately marking his demise.

"Like I said, you were already dead," Astral muttered, his tone calm and matter-of-fact.

He turned his attention back to the elf queen, his runes pulsing softly on his skin, casting a faint glow that illuminated his resolute features against the galactic tapestry.

While the elf had been blasted away by the attack previously, he had been marked by Astral’s dark mana.

It had infiltrated his body unknowingly, seeping in like shadows merging with the night, a silent invader waiting for activation.

Astral had simply activated his dark mana, spelling the end for the elf.

The power ignited from within, a fatal chain reaction that sealed his fate in an instant, leaving no room for escape in the vast emptiness.

"Impressive," the elf queen praised Astral, her voice carrying a melodic undertone of genuine admiration.

Receiving praise from the queen herself, Astral was forced to be on his guard.

He tensed subtly, knowing full well that she was definitely not going to be easy to deal with, her presence radiating an aura of formidable authority in the cosmic silence.

Especially with her being of the galactic rank.

Her power resonated through the void, a palpable force that made the surrounding stars seem dimmer in comparison, hinting at depths of strength yet unrevealed.

"What exactly do you find amusing about your subordinate’s death?" Astral asked out of curiosity, his gaze locking onto hers.

A flicker of intrigue crossed his mind, probing the layers beneath her serene exterior amid the twinkling celestial lights.

"Simply the way you killed him. That’s what happens when they forget their place and try to get ahead of themselves," the elf queen answered, her words laced with a cool detachment.

"Anyone else willing to impress me?" she asked, her question hanging in the air like a suspended challenge.

It echoed through the group, the void amplifying the subtle edge in her melody.

Every elf remained still, their forms rigid and unmoving.

No one volunteered, the weight of her words pressing upon them like an invisible gravity, holding them in place amid the starry expanse.

"Hmm. Good. You all have learned your lesson at the very least," she smiled, the expression serene yet carrying a hint of steel.

Her lips curved gracefully, but her eyes held a sharpness that cut through the cosmic haze.

’Kind and gentle, my foot,’ Astral thought after hearing the harsh words of the queen.

The irony stirred within him, a silent scoff in his mind as he observed her composed demeanor against the backdrop of swirling nebulae.

The queen smiled, noticing the look on Astral’s face. It was a knowing curve of her lips, as if she could glimpse the thoughts flickering behind his impassive gaze, the crystals in her crown pulsing in quiet rhythm.

Without answering him, she strung an arrow that materialized just like the bow, placing it on the bow with fluid precision.

The arrow shimmered into existence, its form infused with vital energy that hummed faintly in the vacuum.

She drew it back, the bowstring taut under her elegant fingers.

The motion was graceful, yet charged with impending power, the wood of the bow flexing smoothly in her grasp.

"I hope you don’t die like him," the elf queen said to Astral, her voice calm and almost whimsical.

She released the arrow, sending it hurtling through the space with unerring speed, a streak of vibrant light cutting across the starry void.

The arrow streaked toward Astral like a falling celestial star, its blazing trail scorching the very fabric of space.

Verdant flames licked along its path, distorting the surrounding void into rippling waves of heat and light that made distant nebulae shimmer unnaturally.

"You won’t be able to stop that," the space clone warned urgently, materializing beside him in a flicker of ethereal energy.

Its form hovered close, translucent edges blurring against the starry backdrop. "Just get away while you can."

Astral’s eyes narrowed, a faint frown creasing his brow. "I told you to continue with your job. Not to offer assistance here."

"You can’t tank that yourself," the clone pressed, voice edged with concern. "Don’t be foolish, it’s beyond your current limits."

Astral offered no reply, his focus sharpening like a blade.

He turned his full attention to the oncoming projectile, determination hardening his stance amid the cold expanse.

The queen had issued her challenge, and he refused to back down so easily. Pride and resolve burned in his chest, hotter than the arrow’s glow.

Concentrating deeply, Astral extended his senses outward.

He began drawing mana from the surrounding void, slowly at first, then with increasing intensity, siphoning the ambient energy like a vortex pulling in stardust.

The area around him grew barren, a desolate pocket devoid of mana’s vibrant hum.

The arrow’s momentum faltered, its fiery trail dimming slightly as it entered the depleted zone. Speed diminished, but not enough.

The projectile pressed onward relentlessly, propelled by the queen’s galactic might.

Astral raised both hands, palms outward. Layers upon layers of mana shields erupted into existence, stacking one atop the other in rapid succession.

Hundreds formed in moments, each a translucent barrier of compressed power, glowing with azure intensity and woven so tightly they hummed like a symphony of restrained force.

The arrow’s tip, now radiating heat fiercer than the cores of a thousand suns combined, slammed into the outermost shield.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the void, stars flickering in distant protest.

The shields melted away in an instant, obliterated, liquefied into vaporous wisps that evaporated into nothingness.

Layer after layer succumbed, the arrow carving through them like a hot blade through fragile ice.

Finally, it pierced the last barrier and struck Astral’s head cleanly.

His skull dissolved in a burst of searing light, the intense heat melting flesh, bone, and rune alike into molten slag that dripped away into the darkness.