“Ah, finally! The knife that shall usher the descent of our god to the mortal realm is complete,” the Patriarch declared, his laughter ringing out joyously as he strode forward, pulling the knife from the ground. Raising it high into the air, he inspected it closely.

The appearance of the knife remained unchanged. Though masterfully crafted, its design was unassuming, akin to the other knives one might find in most stores selling quality blades meant for practical use rather than mere decoration.

A smile crept across the Patriarch's lips, admiring not the beauty or simplicity of the knife but the power emanating from it, known only to those who wield and possess the blade. “Perfect. This is perfect,” he declared, suddenly releasing his aura. Though it didn’t physically alter the ground, any observer would perceive that it transformed into a dark liquid, resembling ink, as the ground trembled under the terrifying power unleashed by the leader of the Umbral.

Jason was instantly hurled away, like trash blown by a tempest, powerless to resist the inexorable domain of the seemingly weak old man. The High Priests almost swept along, weakened by their nearly depleted aura. With a furrowed brow, they braced against the might of their leader. This only spoke to the power and experience they possessed, as their chants never faltered for even a moment.

Within the domain of the Patriarch, upon closer inspection, one would discern crimson leeches writhing upon the inky surface. The Phantasm conjured within it mirrored his true self—a corrupt and vile creature that tainted all that it touched.

“Ah! Get this away from me!” Jason screamed in alarm as the leeches crawled on his body. He hastily released his aura, but instead of repelling them, it was swiftly sucked dry by the leeches. “Your Holiness, please help me!” he cried for help, yet he was ignored as the old man remained fully engrossed in the knife and the huge egg above. With no other recourse, he realized his only option was to run away from the Patriarch’s domain.

Even the High Priests weren’t immune; the periphery of their domain was under constant assault by the bloodcurdling leeches. Only thanks to the defensive properties of the aura they emitted, combined with their status as allies, were they able to repel the unrelenting wave of the Phantasm for the time being. Nevertheless, this cost them a lot, rapidly depleting their energy at an alarming rate.

The domain of the Patriarch encompassed nearly half of the large room, showcasing the vast disparity in power between him and his followers. Upon fully releasing his aura, his domain seamlessly merged with the massive domain already in the room, unifying with it. The effect of this integration was immediate; although the size increased by only a third, its power became more concentrated and formidable. Without a doubt, this fusion exponentially amplified the already considerable power it had.

The most apparent change happened within the Patriarch’s Phantasm. Being the sole possessor of it, the domain now manifested the apparition on a much grander scale; its power and size were immense. The once plump, average-sized leeches now increased to the size of a large rat; their teeth looked like needles, ready to bite and suck the blood of any unfortunate victim. And bite it did; one of the High Priests, Jason’s mentor, recoiled in panic, inadvertently slipping to the ground. This momentary lapse was all the giant leeches needed to launch their attack on him.

“Ah! Get it out of me! Help!” he shrieked in a frenzy, his already substantially depleted energy draining rapidly as the leeches clung to him. With no other choice, he swatted at them with his hands, but this only made matters worse as they latched onto his arms instead, swarming his body in an instant. Soon, his body was nothing but a dry husk, drained of all aura and blood. In no time, he turned to dust, serving as a perilous warning to those who were watching.

“Tsk, idiot!” the Patriarch stated sternly, casting a glance at the remaining High Priests. “I think I don’t need to remind you how important this is for all of us. So, focus! Or you’ll end up like that fool over there!”

Most of the High Priests swallowed hard, knowing they could be next if they made any mistake. Following the leader’s advice, they refocused on their tasks.

Even with the addition of the Patriarch’s formidable power, it still wasn’t enough to complete the sigil. Perhaps the emergence of the large egg and its subsequent assimilation would finally fulfill one of their long-standing wishes, obtaining the highest Authority granted to men and attaining the status of one of the most powerful organizations in all of Creation.

As the primary contributor to the melding of all the domains, the Patriarch gained full control of it. With centuries of experience, he acted like a maestro, masterfully drawing the aura towards the knife and condensing it on its edge. Such a display was a sight to behold as the monstrous energy flowed like a tributary at first—small and narrow yet constant—before gradually surging into a raging river, forceful and strong. Though turbulent, he managed to contain it on its path, augmenting the knife without a snag.

With an arrogant smile, the Patriarch nonchalantly studied it closely. Satisfied with what he saw, he flicked it toward the egg, darting swiftly and true. Expecting it to shatter the egg, he was met with disappointment. The knife wasn’t even able to graze its shell; its formidable aura protected it somehow. Thrumming, the knife remained suspended in the air, trembling as it attempted to pierce through it but failed terribly.

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The Patriarch’s conceit seemed to have clouded his mind, expecting things to go his way as they always did. As someone who held absolute power in the Umbral, what else could you expect? Though haughty, he wasn’t stupid; his position wasn’t solely attained through murder, but also through guile. Upon witnessing the outcome of his attack, he quickly adapted, shedding all his hubris as his demeanor grew serious.

“Tsk, this is going to be extremely difficult,” the Patriarch muttered, studying his people, who were already driven to their limits. He frowned, understanding the urgency of the situation. He knew he needed to act fast. “Even with the amount of aura I used, it didn’t even touch that thing,” he continued, sighing in exasperation. “It seems I don’t have any choice but to utilize all the available energy in here to ensure success.”

Glancing at his men, the Patriarch’s eyes turned red as the leeches suddenly converged towards the High Priests.

“Huh?! Your Holiness, what’s happening?!” one of the priests exclaimed, surprised by the suddenly relentless attacks of the Phantasm.

“Your Eminence, please, don’t!” another priest cried, foreseeing already where this was heading. “I’ve always been loyal to you. You can’t do this!”

“I’m sorry, my children. It breaks my heart for this to happen, but I don’t have a choice,” the Patriarch responded, shaking his head as lamentation descended upon his face, draining the color from it. “Like everyone else, we all must make sacrifices to achieve our most cherished dream.”

“B-But Your Holiness, you promise me… you promise that I’d be one of the rulers to bring about the dawn of a new age,” he stated, his voice trembling as he realized the betrayal he did not expect. “I sacrificed all that I held dear—my family… They died for the Umbral. They died for you. P-Please don’t do this. I don’t want to die.”

“I did promise you, Demetrius, and don’t worry, I will keep my promise,” the Patriarch remarked, smiling affectionately at him.

“Thank you, Your Holiness, I’ll always be your most loyal servant,” he responded, smiling in relief at what he heard. However, this quickly turned into a frown when he saw the leeches’ assault did not abate; instead, their attacks grew even more relentless. “Huh?! Your Holiness. Your Holi… Ah!” he screamed as his defenses collapsed, overwhelmed by the Phantasm.

“Don’t worry, Demetrius, I will inscribe your name in the Annals of the Umbral Sanguinaries, proclaiming that you’re one of the rulers in the new world that we created,” the Patriarch declared. With a melancholic smile, he glanced at the others, who flinched in panic. “For all your sacrifices, we shall eternally honor your selflessness. May the God of blood and dread welcome you in his embrace for your service in his name.”

Upon hearing the last statement, they were overcome with fear. The High Priests immediately disengaged, flying into the air and choosing to save their lives rather than face eternal damnation. With a depleted aura, they couldn’t move fast enough as the leeches surged upward, converging to form giant snakes that gobbled up the escaping men like fruit hanging low on a tree.

“Ah, such unwavering devotion! I’m genuinely proud of your selfless actions. Sacrificing yourself for the greater good of the Umbral. Well done! Well done!” the Patriarch exclaimed, his voice echoing through the chamber, clapping his hands while smirking as if it were all just a game to him, a mockery of the recent tragedy he witnessed—or caused. “I don’t think I even have the resolve for such zealous dedication. All of you were truly brave souls,” he stated, enjoying himself before turning serious again. “Hmm… Now, where were we? Ah, yes…”

“Now that all the threats have been taken care of, I can fully focus on the real hurdle,” the Patriarch muttered softly, relief in his voice. Knowing full well that he would need to use every ounce of his energy to pierce the defenses of the gigantic egg, he would succumb to aura exhaustion after his attack. Now, he no longer needed to worry about someone double-crossing him when he became vulnerable.

With no apprehension in his mind, the Patriarch didn’t just let the aura gradually flow as before. Instead, he spread his arms in the opposite direction, pulling with all his might. Like an unstoppable avalanche, the aura flooded from all directions toward him as he brought his two arms together, dragging the energy along. With firm resolve, he compressed the energy, amplifying it by many folds before redirecting its flow toward the knife, which remained resolute in fulfilling its sole purpose.

Empowered by a vast amount of aura, the knife’s sharpness was instantly enhanced to such a degree that the air around the egg started to rupture. Boosted by the continuous supply of energy, it granted the blade enough power to push itself forward. Little by little, it gained ground as the battle between the two forces became more intense.

“Tsk, darn it! Even though I’m winning now, if this continues, I’ll lose this war,” the Patriarch cursed as he assessed the current situation. Though he was able to pierce its defenses, he’d run out of energy before even touching the egg. Something had to change if he was to win this struggle. Gritting his teeth, he gave it his all, compressing the aura to a third of its previous size. This instantly increased the piercing power of the knife, driving it forward. With a final push, he rammed it through and screamed, “Ah!”

The knife thrust started slowly, gradually penetrating the outer defenses. However, its movement exponentially increased as the built-up momentum propelled it forward, slicing through the defenses like butter—an inevitable force that refused to be stopped. Yet, when it finally reached the shell of the egg, it seemed to hit a snag, finally meeting its match.

“Ah, will I f-fail? I-I mustn’t! This is my only chance! If I can’t do it now, this opportunity will be lost forever,” the Patriarch exclaimed, his face falling into despair. He gritted his teeth in defiance, still refusing to give up. “Ugh, ah!” he shrieked again, attempting to squeeze every last ounce of energy left, but he had depleted all the aura he had. With nothing left, he crumbled to the ground from aura exhaustion, his old age exacerbating his condition. “No… N-No. No, this can’t happen to me. I’m… I’m…”