John's aura exploded outwards without hesitation, his action startling everyone including Zuri, who jumped in fright, her shadowy form being washed away by John's powerful aura, revealing her true form.
She stared with mouth agape as John revealed himself to all, stepping out of his spatial cocoon. Green dragon-scales covered several parts of his body, while he wore a bizarre yet heroic looking set of draconic armor that covered his shoulders, waist, and legs.
"What are you doing? We need to flee!" Zuri cried out in panic, both of them now revealed to the others. They were the closest to the tunnels, and if they used everything to flee, escaping was a possibility.
"Use your fastest speed to rescue the chained victims, and then shelter them in the tunnels we came from. After that, ensure that no one else escaped through the tunnels, not a single person, until I am done," John commanded her, his eyes glued to the stunned cultivators within the chamber.
"What are you-"
"Do as I commanded," John roared at Zuri, his gaze snapping towards hers.
There was no fear or panic in his gaze, only fury, rage, and hate. Zuri felt a shiver crawl up her spine at the cold gaze she saw, and then nodded her head.
"Fine," she said, speeding into the chamber towards the closest bound victim. She slashed at the chains, breaking them instantly, freeing the person who fell to the floor. Her figure flashed towards the tunnel, moving the victim there, and then sped back into the chamber, freeing the second one.
By now, the stunned cultivators had recovered their wits, and were glaring at John with a mix or anger at being disturbed, and amusement at the fact that they had revealed themselves. They had initially been stunned by John's aura display, but once they noticed it was just a youth at the Early Dao Transformation Realm, they laughed at themselves for being so scared.
"Who is this boy? Is he one of yours?" one of the cultivators asked Galvsten.
"I have no idea who this stupid boy is," Galvsten replied calmly, eyeing John up and down. "But his aura alone intrigues me. The Devil Race would pay a fortune for someone like him."
"Indeed," the two near Galvsten said, their eyes widening with greed, as if they were looking at a treasure to be sold.
"And the others being taken away?" the woman asked, eying Zuri who was taking the victims to the tunnels with incredible speed.
"There are multiple guards stronger than them upstairs," Galvsten said calmly. "I don't know how they got in here, but there is no escape now that they have revealed themselves."
Despite saying this, one of the Half-Step World Expansion cultivators hastily moved to block Zuri. Her figure flashed into a mass of shadows, and in the blink of an eye, a dagger sliced through the man's neck, severing his head from his body.
The others gasped with surprise, while Galvsten narrowed his eyes at Zuri.
"So the Shadows have discovered my actions?" he said, sighing as if it were a great inconvenience. "No matter, once I deal with you two, I'll move my operations to a different place. It's not like I haven't done so before."
"You won't be leaving this chamber alive tonight," John said coldly, his words causing the others to return their gazes to him. None took action against Zuri again, instead opting to leave it to the Early World Expansion cultivators within the chamber. However, none of them took action either, as they knew there was no escape for Zuri even if she freed everyone.
They were outmatched down here, and outmatched outside. There was no escape. Instead, a wide smile appeared on Galvsten's face as he stared at John, as if he had found a new plaything to enjoy.
"Oh? And are you going to be the one to kill me?" he asked amusingly.
"I am," John said, his voice simmering with rage as he slowly walked towards them. He could have taken action right away, but wanted to buy Zuri time to free the others. Once the battle started, everything within the chamber would be destroyed, the victim's included. He didn't know any of them, but would not wantonly slaughter them in his rage.
Zuri moved with incredible speed, freeing half of the victims before John even reached Galvsten and the others, who still found the whole thing nothing but an amusing distraction.
"This chamber restricts all communications," Galvsten said with a smug smile, "something you were definitely not aware of before you came here. Any sound transmissions you sent will not work, and so the reinforcements you are expecting will not arrive either. Not only that, but the reinforcement formations are top of the line. The only way out of this chamber is that tunnel. Not even a Late World Expansion expert could break through these formation defenses."
"The woman you just spoke of. What do you know of her?" John asked with a furious glare.
"The woman?" Galvsten repeated, a surprised look on his face. He then smiled widely, figuring something out. "You know that woman? There's no other reason for you to blow your cover and display such anger if you didn't."
"Where is she?" John asked.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that," Galvsten said, the smug smile never leaving his face. He felt in full control of the situation. Zuri was not strong enough to fight them, and neither was John in his current form. Thus, he entertained John's theatrics, instead of taking action right away. He was no doubt a man who indulged in the pain and suffering of others.
John stopped walking towards the group when he was one hundred yards away. The group of ten cultivators had all gathered around Galvsten, waiting for their host to make a move. They looked at John with equal amusement, while keeping an eye on Zuri, making sure she didn't try anything against them.
Zuri made incredible work of the task John had given her, and freed the last victim as he arrived before the group. Galvsten laughed heartily as he noticed Zuri reappear at the base of the tunnel, as if acting as a guard.
"Hahaha, not going to flee? You freed all the slaves? Wasn't that your plan? Why are you not running?" he asked with much amusement, the others chuckling as well.
"Flee?" John asked, as if it was the dumbest thing he had ever heard. "I already told you, I am going to kill you, all of you, tonight. But before that, I need answers."
"Hahaha," the others burst out with boisterous laughter, unable to contain themselves.
"Before we get started, which one of you knows the most about the woman you just discussed?" John asked calmly, although his barely contained rage was bleeding into his words.
All eyes instinctively turned to Galvsten, who remained smiling as he stared at John. They glanced back to John shortly after, none of them answering the question. However, their actions had been enough of an answer for him.
When he was done, only Galvsten needed to be breathing. Once he questioned him, then he would let Galvsten join the others in hell.
"Tonight, I will make you all feel tenfold the agony you inflicted on the others," John roared, his anger and fury finally exploding outwards.
Laughter filled the chamber again.
Asura Transformation Art!
The laughter of the others instantly faded away and looks of shock and horror appeared instead as the youth before them turned into a demon from their worst nightmares.
The entire chamber trembled as John pressed off the ground, flashing towards the group, scythe appearing in hand. He appeared before them in an instant, blood red eyes staring at them with murderous fury, scythe slashing towards them.
The night of blood and slaughter had begun!
