Grimshell tore a path through the roads, charging into the city. There were speed limits in place, but an esteemed Ascension Realm expert like himself was easily able to ignore such rules. Who didn’t know that rules were put in place to restrict the weak? Let alone the fact that even if he wasn’t such an expert, he would have no choice.
The Shadow Clan needed to mobilize.
They had just lost a hundred 9th Enlightenment Realm experts, a huge blow to even a power like theirs. It could be said that they had lost almost 10% of their army’s strength in a single instant.
Just the decision to divert so much of their strength away had been one that they endlessly debated over. In the end, because of Vie’s death, they realized they had no choice.
Vie was the bastard child of the current Shadow Clan Patriarch. He was talented, just as talented as his three elder brothers. But it was precisely because his talent couldn’t suppress theirs that he was sent on this task. He had no path to the Patriarch position and could only be used as a pawn.
In truth, Vie had embraced the chance. If he couldn’t rule the Clan, ruling a powerful subsidiary would be the best Plan B he could hope for.
Who knew that he would die in such unceremonious fashion?
The Patriarch couldn’t be said to have the fatherly love one would expect, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care for his sons. Since Vie was a talent, he even had affection for this bastard son of his. When he found out that he had been killed, how could he not be infuriated? He didn’t think that the Federation would dare to do such a thing and assumed that it was a rogue soldier who had acted.
In truth, he wasn’t far from the truth. It was just unfortunate that this rogue soldier had more power than he could ever imagine, and this was exactly what Grimshell had come to learn.
Grimshell burst into the inner city, not slowing down for even a moment. He was moving so fast that the guards couldn’t even recognize him. Each one tried to stop him, only for their attacks to be shredded to pieces.
The gap between the Enlightenment Realm and the Ascension Realm was truly unfathomable.
…
“Patriarch!”
Grimshell rushed into a military meeting, his breathing heavy.
Several figures had sensed him rush over, and each one wore a frown. What could have happened to make Grimshell act like this?
The hallmark of the Ascension Realm was liquid Spirit Energy to most. But this was only the first point. It could be said that the true marker of the Ascension Realm was one’s Domain, and it was precisely this Domain that allowed the senses of Ascension Realm experts to be on another level entirely.
The Shadow Clan had five Ascension Realm experts, their Patriarch, Grimshell, and the two other men currently debating over a map. The last was on the frontier, bolstering their war efforts.
This map had an overview of the Shadow Clan’s territory. Small flags were strewn across it, representing the current distribution of their armies.
It was clear at a glance that most were concentrated due north, and that was only natural. That region was where the Enlightenment Empire was located.
Between them and the Empire was a region of wilderness that was especially dangerous. They called it the Enlightened Wilderness, and it was a location where extremely powerful Spirit Beasts flourished.
From their reports, there were at least eight Beast Kings in that region, each one capable of crushing a human Ascension Realm expert without their contract beast.
While this region was exceptionally dangerous, it was also the region with the highest concentration of resources in the whole world. It could be said that this Region was responsible for the appearance of over 90% of the Ascension Realm experts in this world. If you wanted to reach the Ascension Realm, you needed to step into this region.
Most of the troops stationed in this area, however, were there for deterrence and reconnaissance, not to mention being responsible for protecting the individuals sent to harvest the resources in the region.
The Shadow Clan, Sage Clan and Emerald Kingdom all had their own Quota Check, but they instead sent their youths to the Enlightened Wilderness. Only the best of their geniuses could flourish in this way.
“Grimshell, what is the issue?”
Patriarch Nyx Shadow was a man of few words. The frown on his face now was probably the most emotion that he might show at any given time, but this time he felt it was warranted.
Grimshell was the weakest of them, but he was also the oldest and most experienced. This was why Nyx had sent him.
For him to return like this couldn’t be good news. Could it be that the Enlightened Empire had taken the opportunity to strike a blow to them?
Things had just been going so well. Vie had sent a report not long ago that he had managed to deal a blow to the Bloodstone Kingdom. It was like killing two birds with one stone because they didn’t even have to divert any of their own power, they just used the Crimson Federation’s.
For something to go wrong now… it smelled of intervention from the Empire.
“Patriarch, there’s a problem. My troop has been wiped out, I’m the only one left.”
“What?!”
Vexen, a burly man with a head of wild black hair that descended to his back, stood with a fierce momentum. If it wasn’t for the fact the map and table were nailed down, it was likely that everything would have gone flying.
“I’m almost certain that he let me return on purpose. I can still feel his gaze now, it’s the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime.”
“He?” Nyx frowned, grasping the crux of the matter. “Just one person?”
“Not just one person, Patriarch,” the words let them sigh a small breath of relief… until he continued, “it was a youth who couldn’t have been much older than 20 years old. He had a beast that made my Darkshell tremble, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
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The Ascension Realm experts froze.
A youth? A beast that could make a 5th Circle Ascension Realm Spirit Beast tremble with fear? Wiped out a troop of 100 9th Enlightenment Realm experts all on his own?
How was any of this possible?
At that moment, a roar echoed through the skies that made them freeze.
They were deep within the palace, hidden well underground. There were dozens of meters worth of limestone above them, and yet they could hear the roar almost as though it was reverberating through their very bones.
The last of the Ascension Realm experts present, Morgrim, stood to his feet. He was the most willowy in stature, lanky and unassuming in presence, but there was a sinister light in his eyes that hid a deep murderous intent. For such a person to react like this, one could imagine the level of shock they were all experiencing.
Patriarch Nyx pulled out a talisman he slapped onto the table, pouring a large amount of Spirit Energy into it.
He barked out a series of orders and soon the entire Shadow Clan was shaken into action. The ground rumbled as formations were activated while the gates began to close far earlier in the day than they should have.
“Come,” Nyx said boldly, his gaze filled with malevolence. By this point, he was almost certain that this was the intention of the Enlightened Empire. How else could such a powerful expert appear?
It made sense. With the blow Vie just dealt to the Bloodstone Kingdom, it could be said that they had corralled two of the strongest powers under their jurisdiction in a small time. They had expected retaliation, but not so soon.
With a step, they all rushed out, taking out their beasts one after another.
…
Ryker stood on Phoenix’s back, Patience still standing by his side. He gave her hand a squeeze and then urged her down.
To his back, the Federation army, a wave of Crimson, was slowly catching up. It was impossible for them to keep up with Ryker, however they had kept their discipline, moving in perfect lines as their Crimson Lions charged forward.
Ryker didn’t want them to fight, not yet. They were here to spectate.
Today, whether it was the Federation or the Shadow Clan, they would have his prestige burned into their minds.
ROAR!
Phoenix sensed Ryker’s emotion and reacted with a furious bellow. The skies shook and a swirling hurricane of clouds formed high above.
BOOM!
The city gates slammed closed, leaving those frolicking on the outside shaken with fear. They tried to rush back to the city, but the smarter among them ran the opposite way. What good was it to rush toward the city now? There was no way they’d open them now just for the few of them.
Ryker ignored all of this, his gaze landing on four figures that surged up the tall city walls.
He recognized Grimshell and his Dark Type turtle beast immediately, but it was the others that he took real note of.
There was the large Vexen and his oxen. He sat on its back as though it was a horse. Its coat was as dark as night and its irises were a demonic shade of red. Each one of its horns exuded a black fog that seemed capable of corroding even the air itself.
There was Morgrim, a man with a venomous gaze. By his side, a raven beast that was a meter and a half tall stood. Every time the wind blew, the black, crucifix earrings he wore swayed along with his hair.
Then there was the Patriarch, Nyx. A six meter long black python coiled around him, forming a shield or barrier that boomed with crackling thunder.
Ryker recognized it as a variant immediately. Lightning Type Beasts were already extraordinarily rare, and extraordinarily difficult to deal with. But a Lightning-Dark Type Variant… he could only think of a few off the top of this head.
All of these were 5th Circle Beasts.
He wasn’t surprised that they had taken out just one beast each. Maybe if they had the capability of taking out more, he wouldn’t have come at all.
Even those that had extra Circles to spare in this world only seemed to ever rear three beasts at a time. Raising just one beast was difficult enough, let alone aiding it in crossing over to the Ascension Realm.
The reason he had been caught off guard by Auberon’s Ascension Realm beast was precisely because of this as well. The Crimson Supreme had likely done it on purpose in order to keep up appearances.
Tremble.
The ground shook as the army approached and Phoenix took a step. Their heads raised high into the skies, the aura of the 6th Enlightenment Realm rippling from them in waves.
They were even more eager than Ryker for battle. They had made a mistake in their battle against Auberon, and they had been clambering for a chance to make up for it.
The Shadow Clan would be their sacrifice.
An enormous formation covered the city, but when Ryker saw it, he sneered.
Patience looked at him with worry, but he looked over and gave her a wink.
“Just sit back and watch. This husband of yours won’t be stopped by this pitiful display.”
Earth Reborn.
A bronze halo appeared above Earth Phoenix’s head, a violent ripple rushing out and suddenly stabilizing the world.
If this was Ryker’s home world, this wouldn’t be nearly enough. They knew how to entrench their formations with more than just Spiritual Patterns, but also with materials and ores. Large scale formations like this one needed a root in something more than just the patterns they were formed by.
However, this formation relied purely on the earth itself. While this made it easier and less expensive to set up, it was also more vulnerable. This sort of formation could be disrupted with just an earthquake.
But Ryker didn’t need to go so far.
With Earth Reborn active, it had no right to posture in front of him.
Nyx’s expression changed when he saw the formation flicker.
“Let’s go unleash some carnage big guy,” Ryker grinned, already loosening the armor on him.
ROAR!
Phoenix shot forward, activating Accelerate and crossing a hundred meters in just a breath.
Soar.
Their wings spread and they launched themselves into the air.
Ryker stood on Phoenix’s back so stably one would have thought that the big guy had never moved.
But the instant they reached their highest peak, their wings blotting out the sun and casting a shadow deeper than even the ancient tree over the Shadow Clan’s city…
A wild grin appeared on his face.
Two pieces of armor were flung to the side as Ryker unfurled his whip and chain. They danced with a crimson light in the air as he crossed his arms, lashing out with them both at once.
A crosswind of blades surged and erupted, lashing out against the rippling formation.
BANG!
The result was instantaneous. A rain of shattered fragments fell from the skies, painting a beautiful scenery that quickly became a hellscape.
The shattered fragments of the formation fell in lumps of condensed Spirit Energy, rampaging across the city and even leaving ghastly wounds across their ancient shadow tree.
Fire Phoenix’s throat began to glow and at that moment, Earth Reborn erupted. The falling shards of Spirit Energy were suddenly forcefully ripped from the skies, fueling the fireball accumulating in Fire Phoenix’s throat.
At the same time, the rumbling clouds above formed a cyclone of wind. Tempest Lord activated and a violent, stormy surge kept the large beast afloat in the air.
Fire Phoenix’s maw opened, a row of jagged, shimmering white teeth baring for the world as a fireball appeared.
From a foot in diameter, it instantly expanded to a meter under the influence of Earth Reborn and its commandeering of the fallen shards of broken formation.
But then a true hell broke loose.
The fireball shot forward, expanding again and then again until it was easily over five meters in diameter… all before a tempest of wind descended.
Fire could not exist without air, and wind gave life to fire.
In that moment, a simple fireball became a molten, spiraling pillar of flames, descending with the might of a heavenly judgment from the skies above.
The Federation soldiers, even the Crimson Knights, stood in shock and awe. Was this the power a human should be able to command?
The Ascension Realm experts of the Shadow Clan were even more shaken. Was this even a power that they could defend against?
Their auras flared up one after another and they struggled to put together a defense. None of them had expected for their ancient formation to fall so quickly, they weren’t even prepared for the battle to begin so suddenly.
They were swallowed whole by the assault, their eyes lighting up with despair as they seemed to realize this was beyond them.
How could you even fight against such a thing?
The sturdy walls of the Shadow Clan, walls that had stood for centuries, unblemished and unmoved were blown apart. The gates were shattered from their hinges before melting into a paste that coated the streets.
The Ascension Realm experts barely managed to protect their lives, ganging together to form a wall of Dark Type Spirit Energy, but they couldn’t stop themselves from being blown backward, their bodies taking a ride into the waves of destruction along with their beasts.
Phoenix landed heavily in the rubble, the molten metal and earth not affecting them in the slightest. They stood tall above the ruins, flames licking at their claws and scales.
“Hello. My name is Ryker Valorian, pleased to make your acquaintance.”