CHAPTER 69: SERA IS BULLIED - 1

The typhoon came down, but before the dust touched the ground, it began to transform. When the last mote settled, the central island of Sanctum became eerily silent.

If one were to look, they would be terrified. Where there had been a plaza of shattered dust, there was now a silent, waiting legion.

Thousands of Ashen Vindicators stood in perfect, disciplined ranks, their grey armour and shadow lances absorbing the ethereal light of the starlit void.

The entire island was now his fortress, his barracks, his kingdom of the dead. Rhys stood at its heart, the sovereign of this silent legion, the details of a thousand slain monsters’ souls coursing through his mind.

He felt the threads of connection to each member of his Ashen army, a vast, complex web of loyalty and absolute control.

It was not the bond of a slave and owner, but rather that of a people who considered him their only god.

’Let’s evolve them...’

He first evolved the three thousand Ashen soldiers into Vanguards. Sadly, every Feral he had killed fell into this category.

’So, not all ferals can be evolved further. Only those with a powerful bloodline can.’

It was fine, because before him stood the five Elites. They were the resurrections of the Sanctum Archons, already a cut above the rest of his legion, their golden-ash bodies radiating a palpable power.

[Burning a considerable amount of lifespan to evolve Ashen Archons into Ashen Crusaders. Do you agree?]

[Warning! This process is irreversible.]

’Yes.’

A torrent of golden energy rushed from his body, covering the five Ashen Archons. It converged into five columns of brilliant light that engulfed the Archons’ bodies.

The ground shook. The silent Vindicators around them took a collective step back, their silver eyes reflecting the awesome power of the transformation.

Inside the columns of light, the Archons’ forms began to change. Their golden-ash bodies became denser and purer, the grey ash burning away to leave behind a form of flawless, shimmering platinum.

Their massive great swords of light dissolved, reforming into a heavy, serrated longsword in one hand and a massive tower shield in the other.

The shields were etched with void-black runes that seemed to drink the light. Their six angelic wings became more solid, like blades of solidified shadow, and a heavy, horned helmet of the same platinum-ash material formed over their featureless faces.

When the light faded, they were no longer Archons...

[Evolution Complete]

Type: Knight

Race: Ashen Crusader

Trait: [Aegis of the Void] - The tower shield can absorb an incoming attack and release the stored energy as a concussive blast of void energy.

Cultivation: Fake Stage 2 (Mid)

Evolutions: 0

...they were knights.

This was true power. A power sufficient to shock the entire province.

Before he could submerge himself in the new feeling of strength, a sound tore through the quiet island, changing his expression.

ROOOOAAAARRRR!

It was a roar that thundered from the north, a rage that shook the floating islands to their foundations.

It was a sound that spoke of a power far greater than the Sanctum Sovereign he had just vanquished.

’Fuck... fuck... System, don’t tell me that’s where Sera is.’

[...]

’Did that fucker bully my child? If so, I swear the pain I inflict on it will be unlike anything the world has ever seen. Even if I summon it into my legion, it will pay for its crimes.’

[...]

He ran. Rhys had deliberately sent her to what he thought was a quiet, monster-free corner of the Sanctum.

He had wanted this battle for himself, a grand training session to test the limits of his new abilities, a feast he had no intention of sharing.

The thought that his selfish desire for a solo challenge had put her in the path of such a terrifying entity sent a spike of cold dread through his heart.

[WARNING! Boss-level entity detected!]

[Guardian Behemoth detected.]

[Bloodline: Boss]

[Cultivation: Fake Stage 3 (Mid)]

[Description: An ancient guardian of the Sanctum, forged from the heart of a dying star. Its body is composed of solidified constellations, and its core is a source of immense gravitational and stellar power. It is a creature of law and order, and it has been awakened by a great transgression.]

’Stage 3... Mid-grade...’ Rhys’s blood ran cold. The Elites had been a Low-grade Stage 3, and even though they were fake, it had taken his entire army and a significant portion of his own power to bring them down.

This Behemoth was on another level entirely. He didn’t hesitate.

"MARCH!" he commanded, his voice a thunderclap that echoed across the island.

ROOOOAAAAR!

This was nothing like the Behemoth’s roar; it was more terrifying, as thousands of monsters roared in unison.

The Behemoth’s roar was dwarfed by it, and Rhys could feel the massive creature turning in his direction.

’That’s it... System, do anything, burn anything... just make sure Sera is safe. I don’t fucking care about anything else.’

[H-Host, you hurry up.] The System’s voice sounded tearful.

Rhys instantly activated a series of continuous, low-distance jumps, his body propelling across the island.

From afar, members of the great families watched a man jumping from one building to another, followed by a wave of rushing monsters.

’How did he mess with so many monsters?’

That’s what everyone thought. Daemon had a wide smile on his face.

So what if you are stronger?You are being hunted by an army of monsters, and you are running towards a place where a godlike monster waits.

"I think I don’t have to run anymore." His voice was laced with a laugh that his followers mirrored without fully understanding the situation.

It would be amusing to see their expressions when they learned that Rhys wasn’t being hunted, but was instead leading the hunt with his personal army.

Rhys was like death, destroying anything in his path. His heart was pounding with a fear he hadn’t felt since his rebirth.

A fear not for himself, but for the small, silver-haired child who called him Papa.

Meanwhile, Sera was sulking.

She sat on a large, glowing crystal, kicking her small feet against its side. She glanced down at the beautiful, pulsating gem beneath her.

It was the size of a small hill to her, a perfect sphere of swirling blues and purples, like a miniature galaxy. It was the most beautiful, shiny thing she had ever seen.

Behind her, the source of the apocalyptic roar was beginning to stir. The Celestial Behemoth, a massive, quadrupedal creature made of constellations and solidified starlight, was rising from its slumber.

It was the size of a small mountain, its four powerful legs ending in claws of pure, black void. Its hide was a living star chart, constellations shifting and moving across its powerful frame.

Where its third eye should have been, there was now an empty, bleeding socket.

"I just took a gem and you complained to Papa. Hmph," she muttered to herself, trying to hide the treasure from the big bully.

"Huh, Papa is already here." Sera’s eyes glinted mischievously.

The big, sleepy puppy had so many shiny things; it would be a waste to leave them all to this ugly creature.

It would be better to take all of them for herself, the most beautiful daughter in the entire universe and multiverse.

As the sounds of destruction neared, her expression shifted in an instant.

The mischief vanished, replaced by the well-practiced look of a terrified, wronged child.

Her pitch-black eyes welled up with crocodile tears.

She turned towards the approaching army and cried out, her voice a pathetic, heart-wrenching wail.

"Papa, this big ugly bullied me!"

[...]

The behemoth let out a choked roar: "..."