552: Astarat's War: Humans v. Terrors (V)

Astarat's War: Humans v. Terrors (V)

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The Three Heavens turned back towards the pit with exasperated expressions. The quakes indicated signs of activity deep below, and there was only one being that far down. However, even if Brukti caused this situation, two minutes felt absurd to Solomon and the others. How could he heal from that attack in two short minutes?

"There's no way he's coming back up already," Solomon muttered with a blank look. It seemed as if he wanted to groan away his frustrations. Although he knew that he carried a tremendous burden on the battlefield, their opponent was turning out to be an absolute painstaking affair. 

"This guy is just too absurd!" Valerie exclaimed. Afterward, she clasped her hands together, manipulating a vast amount of Natural Essence mixed with slight bits of Spiritual Essence. The energies melded together until they formed a massive cover for the pit. Even though she was a powerful cultivator, Valeria strained herself to influence the immense amount of Essence required.

An enormous quake ensued when the cover solidified and landed on top of the bottomless pit. Even if it were a Disaster, it would take a few hits to shatter this cover. By the time that happened, the Three Heavens should be more than ready to unleash hell upon Brukti.

"Valerie, recover some of Soren's Spiritual Essence. I'll monitor this area in the meantime," Solomon ordered while stepping before the covered pit. He crossed his arms and focused intently, trying to sense any unusual movements below. Although he couldn't reach the deepest depths, his perception could burrow far enough to give him a general understanding.

…

Down in the pit, Brukti stood up from within the mountain of debris and tapped his finger against the huge laceration across his chest. In a fit of rage, he unleashed a barrage of punches on the walls. "HOW DARE HE? I will rip you apart for giving me such an egregious wound. If I do nothing else, I will ensure your demise."

While rampaging inside the pit, Brukti stabbed his arms into the walls and continued to roar. All of the Death Essence collected above ground penetrated the ground and flowed towards Brukti after feeling the attraction force of the Death Command. At the same time, almost all of the Rank 4 Terrors turned towards the pit and rushed without another thought.

Since he couldn't handle the matter personally, Brukti targeted his enemies with an absurd number of Terrors. Once he returned to the surface, he would see who had the last laugh. After all, the humans didn't possess the perverse abilities of a Terror. There was no Death Command that could virtually materialize a Terror after experiencing death.

Once a human died, that was it. There was no second chance for them as not even their Spirits could return something as mysterious as a human's life, which involved countless factors. Perhaps it would be easier if it were another Spirit since they could request the assistance of their Arclite, the most powerful Arcana. 

The gash on Brukti's chest mended at an alarming rate as he exhausted the nearby Death Essence, which left a deposit of toxic fumes in the area. These remnants, while faint, were enough to fuel the Terror unleashing a torrent of attacks upon the Three Heavens. Brukti closed his eyes and used the body of another high-ranking Terror to monitor the situation.

Thousands of Rank 4 Terrors deluged the area. Some tried to shatter Valeria's makeshift cover to ensure Brukti's unabated return. But, suddenly, a sea of purple and crimson flames washed over the area as an aged male with wrinkly skin appeared.

His pitch-black eyes seemed profound as he waved a staff, summoning a second wave of purple and crimson flames from the opposing direction. An immense hammer made of dark energy smashed the ground once the second wave appeared, eviscerating countless Terrors in one fell swoop.

"Forcing this old man out from his humble abode. You all should be very welcome that the Vermillion name still lives on. Now, is that a Disaster I sense? Quite a powerful one at that," the old man said.

'What…? This old geezer is still alive?' Soren thought with a stupefied expression. This old man before them was no minor character. While the Supreme Families had their Grand Masters, this old man was of that same generation. In fact, he hailed from the Vermillion Night Academy and was heralded as one of the strongest headmasters.

Unlike the Grand Masters, this particular character avoided all conflicts. However, as this issue had escalated to unprecedented heights, all members of the human race were now implicated.

"Headmaster Gideon," Solomon said in a respectful voice. He bowed his head slightly to pay respects to the old man as he witnessed the aftermath of his simple attack. What appeared to be a casual action annihilated thousands of Rank 4 Terrors. Solomon could only imagine what happened during the catastrophe in the past.

"Young Braum, what has happened? Have we weakened so much that we can't deal with a single Disaster?" Gideon questioned. Furthermore, he waved his hand, melting away the barrier that Valerie formed. While this could be seen as disrespectful, none of the Three Heavens uttered a word of discontent.

"His power is unusual. He continues to grow to stronger the longer he fights," Solomon admitted.

"Well, young one, that is precisely why they are known as Disasters. They continue to grow in the most dreadful of conditions, which is why you need to eradicate them while they are still weak. Why didn't you all do so to avoid this situation?" 

"We couldn't."

"Couldn't?" Gideon repeated, finally showing some intrigue. 

Solomon disclosed the matters related to the barrier deep within the Endless Death Domain, which ultimately resulted in a drastic change in Gideon's expression. A tinge of horror appeared in his eyes and recounted the battle in the past.

'That thing could possibly still be alive? If that's the case, then I understand why these young people couldn't overcome the barrier. That guy was truly formidable,' Gideon thought with a heavy sigh.

Gideon walked to the edge of the pit a moment later before gently tapping his foot. "I need to confirm a few things. I will be back shortly." Within seconds, Gideon vanished completely, descending to the depths of the pit.

After a few moments, Gideon arrived at the pit's bottom and stood before Brukti, who had recovered considerably seeing as the wound was in the final stages of closing. "What robust regeneration abilities. I guess what they said was true. Now, tell me you ugly thing, how were you born?"

"I owe you no explanations. Vanish from my sight, vermin," Brukti barked. He raised his weapon just centimeters away from Gideon's nose, indicating his hostile stance. Brukti wouldn't bow his head to any human regardless of the wound.

However, Gideon ignored the comment and merely flicked the axe aside, smashing it into the wall beside Brukti. "If you're comparing me to those kids from earlier, then you're sorely mistaken. They are not my equal, just as you are not my equal. Now, I'll ask more time; how were you born? You would need some kind of catalyst, one that can't be found in this world. At least, not in the version meant for us."

"Don't worry. This planet will soon be all ours. You won't need to worry about any version because we will control it all, morphing it into a domain of death and miasma!" Brukti chuckled, which soon grew into boisterous laughter.

Unfortunately, Gideon seemed unamused. He extended his right hand, summoning a cluster of flames with a heat signature so terrifying that crackles flickered from its repeatedly. "Once you lose all of the Death Essence, you're no longer a threat. I'll be more than happy to see how many times you can heal until you exhaust all of the Death Essence available."

"That'll be almost impossible. Because by the time that happens, my Lord will have already taken his first steps. Once he moves, no one will be able to stop him," Brukti said with unwavering confidence.

All of his actions paved the way for Az'kayzak's return. After all, why else would he create the Seed of Death before diving into battle? The Seed of Death fed off all the death generated in the Catastrophe Line, including the Terrors and humans alike. The Death Essence that vanished without prior signs was precisely the essence supplied to the Seed of Death to incubate it.

Once it was saturated, it would make the doomsday for the humans of Astarat.

Gideon's eyes narrowed with a deadly glint. "As I expected, you're nothing more than a glorified diversion!"

Whoosh!

Gideon rushed to the surface in an instant before turning towards the depths of the Endless Death Domain. With the amount of death that already took place, Gideon wouldn't be surprised if Az'kayzak amassed a surplus of Death Essence.

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