CHAPTER 149: | CONFRONTING THE GRAND APOSTLE OF SKAIRA, THE GRAND HIGH PRIESTESS
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I couldn't help but chuckle at the delectable dishes gathering in front of me. Specially the one at the forefront of the Holy Knights. The Grand Overseer herself was slowly walking towards me with an unwavering devotion to her goddess. I could figure out it was Skaira herself, since the stench of divinity she exuded was too coincidentally similar to what Solia had possessed when I met her at the summit of the mountains.
A pity that the other Titans were useless, if I do say so myself. Their evolutionary pathway isn't as great as Solia’s, though they could be incredible assets if nurtured carefully. But who has the leisure to nurture some fools when I am too busy?
I have to calculate, recalculate, and refine the Theory of Liora, the 'God Veins' itself. It was something that shouldn't be carelessly dabbled upon, since such a concept was taboo itself. Only by elevating it beyond taboo could I see it becoming a concept worthy of the word 'Ascendance.'
I snickered, then glanced at the woman standing right in front of me. I took a glance at the three Holy Knight Commanders flanking her. They radiated the strength of a Zenith Sovereign, clenching their swords as they glared at me with wrathful eyes for daring to intrude upon their holy land.
I couldn't help but smile at how brazenly they were releasing their killing intent. It was cute. To see that some ants were trying to probe me, to pressure me into submission... Truly, I am discovering new things everyday. Even now, I didn't think there was anyone so brazen as to shower me with their killing intent in hopes that I would gratefully surrender. I found it too funny to watch. I nodded my head, then casually lifted my hand.
VOOOM.
The whole room went into silence as a suffocating pressure spread throughout the hallways. The Holy Knights dropped to their knees like it was time for them to worship their benevolent god. But in reality, they were kneeling from this disgusting pressure. It was so twisted that even their existence was barking at them that they should flee right this instant. It was shouting at the top of its lungs that they should run, avoid this distorted creature at all cost, or they would meet a gruesome end that wouldn't stop unless he died. But all the Holy Knights ignored their instincts.
Crack.
They plunged their swords into the ground, causing the stone to crack from their efforts. They gritted their teeth, then forced themselves up from the ground, their faces extremely pale at the realization. Even if they ignored their instincts and fought this man who had an unremarkable power level, they knew they would meet the death their instincts screamed about.
But all of them steeled their will, remembering the day they had sworn themselves to the Order, to the Grand High Priestess Annabelle. It was clear as day that these Holy Knights, with their holy convictions, had already decided they would fight to the bitter end.
The Grand High Priestess smiled at the Holy Knights conviction. She lifted her head, staring at the tall man straight in the eyes. Her golden pupils shone with purity, and her raven hair cascaded under the veil covering her head.
She clenched her teeth, then opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it, as she bit her lip in hesitation, and then finally spoke. "How curious. I didn't expect someone as enigmatic as you to possess a hint of divinity... but it shouldn't be possible since you yourself are not a god. So tell me, defiler, what is the meaning of this?!?"
I cackled at her question. I looked down at her, then seized her neck. I lifted her onto my level, since it's such an inconvenience that I have to look down at someone as powerful as her. I stared straight into her eyes, and then at the expressions of the Holy Knights.
They clenched their swords even harder, gathered their courage, lifted their weapons, and pointed them at me as they all shouted with zeal. "Let go of the Grand High Priestess Annabelle, you demonic scum!!!"
I cackled at their plea. I stared at the Grand High Priestess, or for short, Annabelle.
CRACK-SPLORTCH!
My back broke open. Tens of thousands of smaller tendrils rose from the wound, weaving together to form a set of eighteen massive tendrils covered in Cereum Carapace. In the next second, my skin shattered into pieces, instantly replaced by the same Cereum Carapace to form a demonic armor covering me from head to toe.
A pair of horns elongated from my forehead, curving back to resemble the horns of a ram. Annabelle, witnessing my transformation, broke into a cold sweat. Her body exploded into blinding radiance.
BOOM!
The explosion took three of my untransformed fingers with it, shredding my palm into bare bones. I sighed, ignoring the damage. I pointed my index finger, which was destroyed from the explosion, at her. The tendrils flashed in front of me, turning into a blur as they appeared right in front of Annabelle.
But before the tendrils could catch her, Annabelle had already utilized that explosion of radiance to teleport, appearing safely at the back of the Holy Knights. Noticing her vulnerability, the Knights clenched their teeth and charged at the monster in front of them.
Tens of tendrils threatened to pierce them. That was until Annabelle cast her spell, proclaiming its glorious name. "Hands of the Gods!"
Then, it all stopped. Thousands of smaller hands constructed from blinding radiance seized all eighteen tendrils in motion, along with their host, locking me into place. Annabelle clenched her fist, and the thousands of hands crushed inward to obliterate the man and his tendrils.
But... nothing happened. Not even a dent was left in my armor.
I waved my hand. The tips of the tendrils split apart, the skin retracting to reveal the horror hidden within them.
The Holy Knights went still, their blood running cold as they witnessed human-like canines and gnashing teeth inside all eighteen tendrils. In the next second, the tendrils, or the eighteen separate mouths, vanished from sight as they lunged to feast upon the frozen Knights.
The three Holy Knight Commanders, being the first to regain their cool, barked their orders.
"Order of Strength, cast your defensive spells!"
"Order of Wisdom, reinforce the Order of Strength shields!"
"Order of Unity, raise your swords at the judgement of the one true God, Skaira!"
I smirked at their words. I flicked my hand, and the eighteen tendrils stopped their activities. They split into thousands of pieces, much to the relief of the Holy Knights, only to join into my hand. They wove together to strengthen my fist, making my hand and back thicker, more defined. And Mercy who was hovering behind my back like a magic circle, disintegrated into ashes. The ashes fused into my claws, much to the horror of the Holy Knights. I infused Mercy with seven thousand units of my mana.
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I casually clawed at the Holy Knights, who were bracing for my attack with confidence as Annabelle helped them by reinforcing the shield with all of her mana. But I merely smirked at their futile attempts. I casually clawed the empty air.
CRASHHH!!!
The sound of glass shattering into pieces echoed through the hall as I muttered softly. "I am not one with mercy... but maybe my claws, Mercy, does!"
Some of the Holy Knights closed their eyes in acceptance. Others stared in despair at the claws cutting through the barriers they boasted to the entire world.
Annabelle herself watched as her Holy Knights were eviscerated into powder. Her three Commanders flew across the room, crashing into the walls to their deaths with limbs missing from their bodies. She clenched her teeth in indignation, glaring at the man, only to find that he wasn't even there.
Squelch.
Pain pierced through her stomach. She coughed a bucket of blood and lowered her head to shakily look down at her chest in horror. In disbelief. Claws were protruding from her chest, with her Demonic Core in their grasp.
Annabelle was in utter disbelief that someone could kill her in her lifetime. She was a Champion, a Zenith at that. She couldn't believe that her strength as a Higher Champion, reaching that of nearly fifty million metric tons, was rendered useless against this man's armor. It did not even leave a dent, nor did it kill him.
It was in that moment she knew that her being here was a mistake in itself. And when she witnessed him swinging his claws? Annabelle's resolve strengthened, she knew she would die right here. She stared at his claws slowly retracting.
She coughed another bucket of blood. Before she could turn her head to cast another spell to bind him for a minute so she could escape, she was sent crushing into the floor with a kick.
THUD.
Before she could crawl away from this hell, the man kicked her stomach again, sending her hurling away. He sneered, waving his hand at Annabelle, who was having a difficult time breathing. Her vision had already grown too weary to see anything clearly.
She tried to lift her hand to grab his leg, hoping to cast her last spell that would bring the two of them to the depths of hell.
Crack.
The man kicked her hand, breaking the bone. He waved his hand, and thousands of tendrils, thinner than thread, seized the battered Annabelle, who had already given up on her life. He smirked, letting the tendrils pierce through her skin, invading her veins and cutting them off to prevent her from retaliating.
Annabelle merely laughed her fate off. She stared down at the hazy floor, murmuring. "Is this the end of me? Me... the Grand Apostle of Skaira?! Ending in this pathetic state... I... am I truly fated to die like this?"
Her words were laced with despair. The man, Alister, walked towards her. He stared at her for the final time. With a flick of his fingers his armor was absorbed back into his skin, settling into his bones to reinforce them. The eighteen tendrils retracted, leaving only three, while the other fifteen split into thousands of pieces that settled into his body as a new set of veins to increase the efficiency of his mana distribution. The other free tendrils tore into the corpses of the three Holy Knight Commanders, feasting upon their nutrients to grow stronger.
He, the man who possesses beauty greater than the most beautiful woman, stared at Annabelle. She felt his stare. But before she could bite her lip, Annabelle was taken by surprise. The unknown man pressed his lips onto hers. She felt it. Tendrils entering her mouth, sliding down her throat, attaching to her insides. She felt disgusted, but she couldn't resist him. One of her arms was broken, and her strength was slowly being siphoned away from her and into the man.
Annabelle let out a soft laugh of despair inside her mind. She looked at her hands becoming a husk, her vision deteriorating with every passing second. But before she could reach for his face, to touch the first man to ever kiss her, she was already dead.
Alister broke free from the kiss. He flicked his hand, and the thread-like tendrils attached to Annabelle's body were retracted. One of the massive tendrils on his back surged forward and devoured what remained of her. Alister wiped his lips.
He smiled at the gains. This time, he was satisfied with the levels he gained and the skills he would get. He turned his back, slowly walking back to the chamber where Samantha was. He had already decided to act like nothing had ever happened in the hallways. He smiled, opening the door as he entered the room, already picking up his spoils of war. He snickered, excited to see what conclusion Samantha had come to.
---
[You have slain.]
? S: 1 | T: 10 | Level 50 | Grand High Priestess: Annabelle [8★]
? S: 1 | T: 10 | Level 50 | Holy Knight Commander of Strength: Gilford [7★]
? S: 1 | T: 10 | Level 50 | Holy Knight Commander of Wisdom: Mira [7★]
? S: 1 | T: 10 | Level 50 | Holy Knight Commander of Unity: Harley [7★]
[You have gained.]
[50 Trillion - EXP.]
[You have gained a level.] x25
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[You have slain a champion, you have gained the Title.]
? Champion Slayer
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[You have successfully devoured]
? [Annabelle 8★]
? [Gilford 7★]
? [Mira 7★]
? [Harley 7★]
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[You may devour one of the following.]
? Stats
? Select a Skill
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[You have chosen to select a skill.]
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Holy Knight Commander of Strength: Gilford
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[Demonic Core]
? Scripture-Engraved Cerebrum Core [Ascension III]
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[Passive Skills]
? Sanctified Muscle Weave
? Oath-Bound Endurance
? Divine Impact Resistance
? Martyr’s Physique
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[Active Skills]
? Sacred Shield Deployment
? Judicator’s Strike
? Faith-Driven Body Reinforcement
? Crushing Consecrated Slam
---
[Ascension Skills]
? Bulwark of the One True God [Ascension III]
? Judgment Rampart Invocation [Ascension IV]
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Holy Knight Commander of Wisdom: Mira
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[Demonic Core]
? Scripture-Engraved Cerebrum Core [Ascension III]
---
[Passive Skills]
? Holy Mana Optimization
? Scripture-Engraved Mind
? Divine Calculation Focus
? Sanctified Spell Stability
---
[Active Skills]
? Rapid Benediction Casting
? Multi-Layered Ward Formation
? Holy Formula Compression
? Tactical Divine Redirection
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[Ascension Skills]
? Scripture of Absolute Reinforcement [Ascension III]
? Divine Calculation Domain [Ascension IV]
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Holy Knight Commander of Unity: Harley
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[Demonic Core]
? Concordance Trinity Core [Ascension III]
---
[Passive Skills]
? Shared Faith Resonance
? Synchronized Combat Rhythm
? Oath-Link Presence
? Unity-Based Morale Engine
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[Active Skills]
? Collective Blade Uplift
? Oathbound Formation Shift
? Shared Damage Distribution
? Coordinated Divine Assault
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[Ascension Skills]
? Judgment of United Blades [Ascension III]
? Trinity Oath Convergence [Ascension IV]
---
Annabelle — Grand Apostle of Skaira
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[Demonic Core]
? Apostolic Sun-Seraph Core [Ascension V]
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[Passive Skills]
? Apostolic Mana Reservoir
? Divine Conduit Physique
? Skaira’s Favor
? Absolute Faith Synchrony
? Sacred Regeneration Cycle
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[Active Skills]
? Grand Miracle Invocation
? Radiant Teleport Rite
? Solar Purification Burst
? Mass Benediction Field
? Divine Light Compression
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[Ascension Skills]
? Hands of the Gods [Ascension V]
? Apostolic Radiant Displacement [Ascension IV]
? Solar Cataclysm Benediction [Ascension V]
? Grand Apostle’s Dominion of Faith [Ascension V]
? Skaira’s Mortal Vessel [Ascension V]
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[You're skill: Grotesque Physique, had successfully devoured six skills.]
Bulwark of the One True God [Ascension III]
Manifestation of layered holy shields that scale with personal conviction.
Hands of the Gods [Ascension V]
Summons thousands of divine spectral hands that immobilize and crush targets through layered holy compression.
Judgment of United Blades [Ascension III]
Forces all allied weapons to resonate under shared divine authority.
Scripture of Absolute Reinforcement [Ascension III]
Exponentially amplifies allied shields, wards, and resistance fields.
[Initiate mutations]
[Yes] / [No]
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Quest Issued: Tomb of the Lost Dragon Emperor]
[Description:]
You have unearthed a relic of the First Calamity, the final resting place of the Dragon Emperor, whose reign ended in tragedy beneath the claws of the World Enemy. Bound by regret and unfinished purpose, his spirit lingers, unable to ascend.
As the chosen bearer of this revelation, you stand before a fateful decree. Will you become the vessel of his fractured will and carry forth his forgotten legacy, or will you sever his tether and consign his soul to oblivion?
---
[Segment Completion Confirmed.]
[All hostiles in Segment One have been neutralized. Solo clearance verified.]
[Dimensional Record observes your progression with interest.]
[Issuing Rewards:]
? +50 Levels
? Item Acquired: [Veil of the Grand Priestess] — Tier: Higher Champion
? Supplement Acquired: [Standard Holy Pill ×10] — Tier: Higher Earth
? Manual Acquired: [Thousand Divine Fist] — Tier: Earth
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