Rewrite of last chapter

Hey everyone! Been a while since I've had to do this. Sometimes I write a chapter, and it doesn't hit the mark you all expect of me and the story. When this happens, I'm also self-reflective and, in some cases, go back and rewrite the old chapter.

In Chapter 484's case, after some re-reading, thinking, and consulting other authors, I figured it needed an edit. While I would suggest a re-read, as I added 800 words of new content, the main change is an overall shift in the chapter's framing (Ashlock is now given more agency and is more in control of the situation throughout, which helps reduce the frustrated feeling some of you had while reading). There is also a new ending, which I will post below if you prefer not to re-read the chapter. The chapter is supposed to show Ashlock on the back foot so he can make a big comeback next chapter, but I still missed the mark.

Sorry about that!

New Ending:

The dragon had gone feral. With reality-warping claws, he swiped at Moros's shields and opened his mouth—his throat glowed as if he had swallowed a star. Clamping his mouth on Moros's shield, a star beam of unbelievable force blasted into the shield. Like a dragon-sized plasma saw, he burned a hole through the layers that Ashlock couldn't repair in time. Astralis reached in with his monstrous claw and swiftly pulverized Grand Elder Redclaw and Elysia into ashen statues as if it were nothing.

Ashlock quickly sprang into action and used telekinesis to drag the statues away as Larry surged forward, his ashen crown spinning to lock Astralis's arm in place with his soul pressure. Larry then began to devour Astralis's arm, turning it into ash to repair the dome and regrow his body.

They managed to push the enraged dragon away and restore the shields.

"Just a minute or two more!" Ashlock shouted through Anubis. They were so close to victory, he could almost taste it. Suddenly, he got verification from Akasha that the Spatial Lock had been broken.

They could escape.

Without hesitation, aether Qi enveloped Moros, and they retreated into the aether.

Ashlock let out a breath—they were safe.

"So you're the one behind it all."

A voice so close said, sending a chill down his bark.

He looked down, and standing right before Erebus was Zephyrine.

"Domain of Starwoven Delirium," the Monarch Realm monster said, planting her head on Erebus's trunk, and Ashlock felt a sudden buzzing in the back of his head.

[WARNING: Hostile intent detected]

[WARNING: Your consciousness is under attack. Activating Soul Fortress]

The buzzing grew increasingly louder and more intense as system messages flashed through his mind.

[Soul Fortress Failed]

Ashlock knew that was going to be the outcome—the system had warned him that his A-grade skill wouldn't stand up against a Monarch Realm. But he had thought of a counter to this.

So what if he couldn't block the mental intrusion? He would just have to give Ig'Zal a warm welcome into the chaos of his mind.

"System, redirect Ig'Zal's domain into the ethereal root network," Ashlock said. "Let's see how he likes facing all of us."

After all, he wasn't alone here.

Ig'Zal wasn't facing a lone tree... he was facing a whole forest.