-Vol 6: Dusk of An Era-

-To Atub’s Layer-

“Joy, take care of him, I am going towards the temple,” Kenshin said with a frown. He certainly discovered something when he was scanning with his dragon sense. He actually found an energy source resembling the one used by the vampire girl who came to kidnap Axel, before she was taken over by the [Princess of Darkness]. The feeling was exactly the same with a bit of difference but basically, both are the same.

‘Is someone trying to summon some sort of demonic existence over to his world?’ Kenshin gritted his teeth in anger and decided to hasten his steps towards the temple. The world was embordered with as many problems as it was, he didn’t need new ones added to the mix. Not one of this caliber at least.

“You can’t go there!” Murata panicked a bit when he saw Kenshin was leaving. He did promise his lord to not let him be distracted until the process was over. He couldn’t allow this man to leave here. But before he could stop him, Joy stood in his way, looking at him with narrowed eyes. He was fully equipped with his gears and ready to wreck some ass.

“You liar, do you think you can get away with the lie you spun? Idiot, not even a little girl fell for it.” Joy smirked showing his fist to the man. He knew this man would be a troublesome opponent to fight, with all his illusions and all. But Joy had made up his mind. If he didn’t beat that so-called god’s underling, how was he contend against that ‘god’ he so much boasted about? This was a fight he must win no matter what.

“Hmph! You overestimate yourself too much young man. If it's that other young man, there was a slight chance. But you... hehe... you are a sitting duck to me” although Kenshin’s leaving made him panic, Murata wasn’t worried at all. He didn’t think much of Joy. He believed he could make this man grovel within a few minutes, not a big deal.

“Is that so? Let's find it out then.” Joy clenched his gauntlet covered fist as lightning surged around his body, stimulated by his [Boost] skill. The gauntlet did have a passive that generated lightning by employing his stamina. Together with his skill, it was a deadly combination.

“Come!” Murata smirked making a ‘come heather’ motion with his hands.

…

Kenshin walked away from the battlefield and into the place where he felt the weird sensation. He knew Joy would be able to handle himself pretty well. Although that Murata was a bit of a troublesome opponent, Kenshin had seen his stats. He was just Awakened recently and way weaker than Joy in ways of handling their awakened energy. All his overwhelming strength came from those tribal tattoos on his body. They amplified his skills, making the illusion troublesome even to him.

With the absence of Murata making his life difficult, Kenshin was easily able to follow the map to access the accurate location of the temple. As he went closer to the temple, the familiar feeling got Prominent as well. With all this happening, it was void of any doubt to Kenshin that what exactly was taking place over there. Therefore, he hurried his steps in hopes of stopping whatever that’s trying to descend into this world.

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Boom!!!

Suddenly the ground exploded to bits, as a burst of black smog came out of it. It surrounded Kenshin, blocking him from the outside and depriving him of almost all his senses. Forget about seeing anything, he couldn’t even hear anything at all. Upon further inspection, he found he also couldn't feel anything. It’s a complete sensory deprivation.

...yet Kenshin was not worried about that. He didn’t fear this black smog or the preparator of it. Because, that dude been already on his map and standing just on the other side of the black smog. This weird smog may have deprived his own senses, it couldn’t do so of the systems. Kenshin found this a little intriguing, as the map was easily affected by Murata’s illusions. He wanted to know why it wasn’t fooled by the black smog when that man’s illusion could do it.

“Man, that Murata... lord’s energy is wasted upon him.” a cold voice ran in Kenshin’s ears making him frown a little. This voice had ‘weight’ which even Kenshin could feel it. It wasn’t proved yet, but some of the researchers found that those who were truly powerful, their very presence could change the magnetic field around them, making them the center of attraction no matter where.

This new voice was someone like that, Kenshin could feel it. Although he wasn’t stronger than Kenshin and he might probably easily beat him to a pulp; the fact still stands, this was a formidable opponent for any other hunter at the same level. Still, Kenshin didn’t halt his steps. A person of this caliber was no problem to him, but Joy, he couldn’t handle two at the same time. Therefore, Kenshin decided to finish this man off before proceeding.

The man was still speaking coldly, like he was some bigshot when Kenshin sent a wave of fire, burning everything in his path, including the black smog. The man who stood on the other side was caught completely off-guard and nearly brunt to crisp, as a result, had he not jumped back in time. Even still, the fire caused a varying degree of damage to him.

[Name ???]

[HP: 15789/17000]

As the fires touch the person, his system immediately showed him things he wanted to see. It was clear as the day that this was above level 123 at least. Kenshin was level 113 currently and he could read up to ten levels above his by his system. Since it couldn’t read anything, this meant this man was powerful than him level-wise... as for stats and skill level wise, it's another matter.

“I see, you are a formidable person. No wonder Murata couldn’t stop you.” the man regained his composure after putting away the fire, and looked towards Kenshin. Now that the black smog no longer blocked his vision, Kenshin also saw his opponent. It’s a fifty-something years old man with graying hair and a long red beard. He had his eyes permanently shut, a prayer bead on his neck. He looked like one of those monks, only he wasn’t bald and looked fiercer.

“You are dog no. 2, right?” Kenshin asked coolly. At the end, who he wanted to stop was that Atub, not these lackeys. They were weak too, not a challenge to him at all. Then his figure vanished from the old man’s eyes before he could form a retort.

“Wha-?” before he could complete the sentence, the old man felt a heavy blow in his abdomen, making him bend forward. Then Kenshin grabbed his head while he was still feeling the effect of his punch, and slammed him to the ground, creating cracks and fissures. He lifted his right hand and encompassed it in fire and destructive energy, before going for the kill, a punch to the old man’s back of the head.

“Hmm?” but he stopped mid-way feeling nothing in his left hand that held the old man’s neck in a vice grip. The old man’s figure vanished in a plume of black smoke, at the same time it appeared a few meters away from him, kneeling and coughing blood.