SCC Chapter 28 Fall of Olympus(4)

(What does an array require to be created?) asked Ansel, towards Declan. They had come to a stop, surrounded by lush vegetation, yet without any beasts in the vicinity. It seemed that the gods had disdained sharing the same place with the demons.

(A place with abundant spiritual energy, mostly attributeless.) answered Declan, though Ansel could pick out the irritation within, slightly dousing his excitement.

(That's correct. Unless of course, there is some sort of energy source, a battery of some kind. But here, I doubt there is any as I could have sensed it already. That means, this array is running on inscribed runes. Those are what we should be searching for. And they must have been camouflaged well enough to be undetectable through normal means.)

Even as he spoke, he was looking around. Not just with his eyes, but divine sense too. That was when something captured his attention, something that looked like a scratching one might create with a piece of black charcoal.

He moved towards its location, upon the bark of a tree, and scrutinized it. Faintly, there were fluctuations being emitted from it, judging by the fact that his dark particles were clearly absorbing energy upon landing on its surface.

He brought his hand close in order to scratch it off only for the mark to move, trying to disperse into the surroundings. But he acted faster, having ensured a net of dark particles around, which devoured the small motes, allowing him to perform an analysis, whose results were enough to take him aback.

(What was that? Runes don't just simply move!)

(That is the common knowledge. But what if? Instead of ink, tiny micro-bots were used instead?)

(You mean, as in robots?)

(Yes. This is fascinating! These things are decades ahead of what the Federation can create! I need to collect more samples!)

With those words, Ansel became frenzied, scrutinizing everything intensely. And that intensity was rewarded, as after a few minutes, all the micro-bots were found, with some stored for further research, while the rest were devoured by his darkness.

(There is something that has always puzzled me. Does your devouring intent absorb everything, even the energy? Or is there something more to it.)

(Where would all of that go? If it was like that, then all those who have the devouring intent would be miles ahead in terms of cultivation. What happens, is that everything is simply broken down into the smallest possible particle, and then released back into the world.)

(But wouldn't there have been some sort of discharge signal that could be picked up?)

(We haven't yet managed to create a sensor capable of sensing those particles. I have heard rumors of those with divine sense powerful enough to sense particles smaller than a neutron particle, but I still have my doubts.)

After taking care of the array, their path forward was cleared, allowing them to make haste, with Ansel now following the faint trail of radiation.

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A few minutes of walking passed before they found themselves infront of a massive gate, one which was hewn into a perfectly vertical cliff face.

(The Olympians surely love ostentious displays.) commented Ansel upon taking a good long look at it.

Gems, each cut to perfection, had been embedded within the gates, with pathways, which he was certain must have, at a point, been filled with something that could allow the conduction of spiritual energy, turning them into an array.

Someone had taken the conductive material. And Ansel was debating whether it had been Hera, or someone else. He dispersed the darkness attribute particles of his spiritual energy, infiltrating into its inner depths. What took him by surprise was how easily they had managed to infiltrate, but after considering it, he came to the conclusion that the materials themselves must have lost their spiritual nature, making it easy for him.

(Is there any way it can be opened?) transmitted Declan, whom Ansel could sense to be practically rearing to go. He was barely keeping himself calm.

(My prior analysis indicates that it's just a door. All the enchantments that should have been working to prevent us from entering have been depowered, probably because of the missing array conduits.)

(What are we waiting for then?)

Declan snarled before making his way towards the door, with an orange flame appearing on his entire form before changing to white, with that allowing him to simply walk through the gate, leaving behind a humanoid shape whose edges were melting.

After an exasperated sigh was released, Ansel followed behind him, with a massive cavern greeting him upon entering.

Glowing stones embedded within the ceiling provided enough light for him to be awed by the massive construct upon the floor, one which was circular, and occupied the entire cavern. No, he was certain that the entire cavern had been built just for it.

It was a circular array, carved into plain rock, with the lines missing the fundamental material needed to activate it. Just like the door, it appeared to have been taken.

Ansel studied the marks, trying to deduce what the array was for, yet failed to glean anything. He recognized that all the rune symbols were familiar, but their arrangement was meant for something he couldn't fathom right now.

All that was discarded in favor of gazing at a frozen Declan, who was staring off in the distance, right at the centre of the array. Ansel's gaze picked up a figure kneeling in the centre, doing absolutely nothing.

Declan turned into a white blur, circling the woman to appear right in front of her. She was startled, with her figure turning into a green blur to dart to the side, making sure to keep the both of them within her sight.

Ansel was taken aback by her plight. Tear stains clearly streaked her face, her hair was disheveled, and her clothing wasn't as appealing as before, marred by dirt. She was utterly different from the arrogant figure from before.

"How did you find this place?!" she screeched.

"That's a brainless question, dear Hera, wife of Zeus, the God of the sky! I never would have thought that I would get to see a GOD filled with despair..." hissed Declan as he paced, circling her.

"... Ansel! No matter what happens! Don't interfere!"

"She probably knows where Zeus has gone. Make sure that you don't kill her before she divulges that. And hurry up! Someone's life is on the line." Ansel took a step back, sinking within the shadows of the wall, obscuring himself from normal senses.

"Don't worry about him. He won't attack you. We are going to have ourselves some fun." Declan spoke, while the white flames went back to orange colored, before extinguishing upon his body.

"Do you recognize me?"

His question prompted the wary Hera to intently gaze at him, yet her face failed to materialize any signs of comprehension before she spoke...

"Are you important enough for me to remember you? Ah! I see! You probably used to reside in our state. I wonder what those cretins guarding the border were doing, allowing your pathetic escape? So, you latched onto the thighs of the Federal dogs, hoping to come back here... And do what exactly?"

A glint crossed Declan's eyes before his face contorted into a myriad of expressions, with embers rising around him, before it gained a calm stoic and detached expression. That wiped the smirk off of Hera's face. It seemed that she had wanted to destabilize his mental state.

"I used to be happy. I had a loving family, a friendly village, and most of all, freedom and dreams, and goals. But all that was torn down by one jealous woman arriving within the village. Every single mortal was killed except me, who was left behind to listen to the mumbling of a crazy unhinged jealous bitch..." still seeing a lack of incomprehension, Declan continued on with his monologue.

"... You must have done that to a countless number of villages if you can't even remember me. Though, I doubt your memory would degrade that easily. You must be hoping to rile me up such that you could have a chance at survival. Maybe I should show you true despair."

Declan kicked off the ground at that, turning into a blur that sped towards the woman, who conjured up a green wind to surround her like a tornado, holding numerous tiny blades of wind.

Ansel was certain about her elemental attribute being wind, with her intent being 'cut'. But all that was just speculation. She could have just shaped the wind into blades as a camouflage. Many cultivators always made certain to hide their intents. After all, the more information an adversary had, the greater the chances of your loss.

Through an amazing display of physical might, Declan stopped himself right a few centimeters away from the wind barrier, with his punch releasing a powerful jet of flames that were funneled skywards by the rotation of the wind, effectively sparing the woman from the wrath of his attack.