Ian’s vision blurred, and his ears rang. Time seemed to slow to a crawl.0

Rumble... rumble...0

A distinct rumble spreading from within snapped Ian’s consciousness back; it was the bead of chaos essence.0

Though time still felt sluggish and his senses remained dull, Ian recalled being swept away by the shockwave. He also remembered reflexively deploying the Platinum Barrier the instant the mist had flared—and the chaos-condensed eyeball swelling between Inaskurgl's ribs.0

So this is what happens when the balance collapses.0

Yog's whisper from earlier echoed in his mind.0

No matter that Inaskurgl was free from its bindings, that eyeball couldn't be its true body. It was a separate entity, likely chaos itself, corrupted by the creature’s madness and now given physical form.0

Inaskurgl was dead, but the chaotic self it had failed to fully merge with was still alive. Having grown powerful enough for even an archdemon to barely suppress it, perhaps it could be said to have escaped its prison, in a sense. Though certainly not through normal means.0

Then, would this not have happened if I’d absorbed the chaos while the creature was still alive?0

As Ian pondered this, the faint whistling of the wind grew gradually sharper. His vision cleared even faster than that. At least, it was clear he hadn't been blinded.0

Regardless, the sight that unfolded before his clearing...0