Shrrinngg
Never did Hallan think that he would be at equal odds against an ant that he named a few weeks ago and gave more field to feed so it would be able to experience exponential growth and be of great use to him in the future.
That same ant right now, was blocking his sword attacks. He could remember the first time he visited it. It was stubborn, arrogant, and nonchalant but all it had to see was a great deal of Hallan's power for it to succumb to his might.
'That is right, this bastard has forgotten what it looked like. I will show you the true magic'
Hallan was sent stumbling back by the mad power that was generated from the ant's fist hitting his sword, his feet grazing the concrete with speed and coming to an abrupt end as he intended.
"Fine. It's fine. It seems you have forgotten who you are dealing with. I will remind you."
He stabbed his sword into the ground and thus it began–
His body began to grow bigger, like a hulky transformation. His cloaks couldn't contain it any longer and began to rip apart. His grotesque face became even more grotesque. His horns grew out, larger and longer, and his eyes became deep with scary green eyes. His mouth was no different from that of a ravenous monster. All his body had become unhuman but was blessed with that macho man physique, green scales that revealed themselves and hid themselves at intervals could be seen on several parts of his body.
He was practically naked, he wasn't Hallan Lamar but a standing two-legged fiend with horns. This was the transformation of a fiend, although no one in Therut knew it.
"I will show you the might of a god" Hallan Lamar, with his voice now even thicker and more fearsome spoke and pointed one hand forward.
It was not just the ant that flinched, even Draear who has been watching with muse jumped back.
It was because of the kind of tension that came upon the atmosphere, an ominous feeling, very dangerous. And he could sense it well because it felt like the complete opposite of what he had spent his whole life cultivating. Dark mana.
It felt so ominous and dangerous, he didn't even need to think about it, he detested the feel of it from the moment he felt it as Hallan Lamar held his hand forward. It was fearful at the same time, it made his heart thump.
"This man, perhaps he is a creature that does not belong to this world?" Long Huo flowing like a raging fire beside Draear stated, even though it sounded more like a question than a statement.
"Whatever he is, he is an embodiment of evil and must be extinguished," Draear replied with his eyes tightly fixated on the dark purple energy that gathered in front of Hallan Lamar's hand.
Antares stood confident not batting an eye even after figuring out how dangerous Hallan Lamar's attack would be. It didn't feel overwhelming, not in comparison to the first time he laid his eyes on Raith, that moment of rebirth where he was made to be a soldier of Raith.
As his eyes fell on Raith, all he felt was nothing but respect and magnification, the kind of power that his mere presence exuded wanted him to fall to his feet and start licking his boot. He was a simp for strong people after all and of all, Raith was the best he has ever made.
Of course, this is because he was reborn as Raith's death soldier. He is summoned with 100% loyalty, a loyalty that can never be found faulty and will always make him reverence his master, for all of Raith's soldiers, it was like that and it is impossible for them to betray him.
"You are yet to see my full extent. I will show you the power of a soon-to-be god."
Hallan Lamar opened the finger of his stretched arm.
"Nuclear Magic"
Whoooooommm
The atmosphere immediately darkened as a dark spiraling energy formed in front of his hand, it was as if it was twisting out of the space, forcing a bend, uncommon sense, and defying conceptual laws.
The power it carried was pure destruction even though it had not been deployed, it was befitting of its name.
All others were shaking from the intensity. They stuttered back, sure that it was going to ravage the already ravaged surrounding, probably reduce the entire castle to nothing but debris.
But Antares stood tall, standing straight like a mighty warrior, without one hint of fear in him.
"ELIMINATION GRAVITY"
GBAAAMMMMM
CRASSHHHHHH
It was as they all expected, the spiraling energy dashed forward in an instant, creating a black line that immediately began to suck in everything like a black hole. Everything from that point of emergence to where Antares was standing began to be sucked in by a great force.
Antares withstood the force but was struggling. He buried his leg into the ground but even the ground began to peel open and be absorbed by the hole.
And even though Antares was resisting, he was slowly being pulled forward, like a mighty tornado was beckoning unto him, no matter how hard he tried to push himself backward, the force was mighty, it was pulling him slowly but it was pulling him.
It wasn't just him, but everyone. They were slowly being pulled into the hole, such that Long Huo and Long Shui had to wrap themselves around Draear to stop him from going into it. Amber was fairly holding her ground which was in fact notable and distinguishing amongst the new heroes who arrived and had to hold onto something, even Lamber had to stab his sword into the ground and firmly push downward.
Some were unlucky and ended up being taken, screams were heard as they flew into the black hole.
Hallan Lamar stood with a wicked grin as he watched Antares struggle. He knew it was going to not end well for him in the end.
And right in front of Antares appeared something.
[The Monarch Of Death has bestowed a skill upon you]
His large socket got larger, he was widened with surprise.
"My king..." his voice quivered.
[You have temporarily received the skill GREED FLARE]
[You can convert the target's soul into energy to devastatingly increase your power]
Antares eyes were watery, he was moved to tears by the kind gesture of his Monarch who knew he was struggling without even being there.
Raith saw the way his dark energy was falling short and could guess that Antares was losing. It wasn't just hunters he could bestow his skill on, it was especially meant for his soldiers, anyone starting from the Major rank.
He had just checked for a way to help but was happy to find out he could do that. Although the skill had a cool-down time which was very rare, almost all his skills do not have a cool-down time.
Antares glared back up with renewed anger and passion to lay Hallan Lamar to waste.
"You disgusting being! Making my king go to such extents to help me. I will make you regret being born!!" He screamed, opening his mandible into the air.
[YOU ARE USING THE SKILL 'GREED FLARE']
Hallan Lamar staggered for a second. It was so faint and it was literally impossible for anyone to have noticed. If he was human he would have died instantly from the amount of life energy Antares just sucked out of him.
"You wretched ant, what have you done to me?" He asked with a frown on his face, with his fiendish appearance, he was not short of fearsome. Very fearsome.
"You have a lot of soul energy, don't you? Perhaps I took a hundred years. Shall I take more again?" Antares taunted.
He didn't need to raise his head.
[YOU ARE USING THE SKILL 'GREED FLARE']
It was a silent skill, one that was being used and no one would know, it just sucked out the target's soul into the user, like wind.
Hallan Lamar staggered, he knew immediately.
"This goddamn bastard!"
He knew he couldn't continue to stand apart from him, and he had to interrupt that process somehow, even the black hole didn't seem to be an issue for Antares who had gained tremendous strength from absorbing his soul energy.
And so he had to close the black hole.
It close the moment he leaped over it to reach Antares in a blink. Bye-bye to the heroes that were lost.
Antares delved a punch into his head as he reached him, it was so fast and not seen, Hallan didn't see it coming and it was so powerful that it sent Hallan flying away, meters, tumbling and rolling away like an unstoppable boulder.
But even a boulder can't roll forever on a straight land. He came to a stop as he hit the wall of the only unbroken building in the castle. Every other building was in shambles, except the throne hall building, and this one, a side of the throne hall had been chopped off by the black hole and the rest of it had crack lines all around.
But this one was perfectly fine. A place where Hallan Lamar's goal for coming to the castle was. He looked back and immediately could tell.
'What I have been searching for, surely destiny is with me on this one'
