?
''There''s no mistaking it. This aura is definitely of shadahi origins. But the question remains. Is it possible that there is a shadahi hiding within the Night Lord''s Crypt? If that''s the case, then the more pressing question bes how it was achieved without the use of a gateway.''
So far, the only known shadahi in the Mortal Realm was Commander Ekquilore who was summoned via the Gateway of a Thousand Bloodless Hands. However, ording to thetest reports, Commander Ekquilore had yet to leave the confines of the Demilitarization Belt.
Needless to say, the shadahi had numerous watchful gazes locked onto his every movement. The moment he decided to step out of the Demilitarization Belt, there was no way news of it wouldn''t spread fast.
Furthermore, the shadahi aura Izroth detected from the corridor did not even remotely match that of the Commander Ekquilore he faced back in the Shadahi Realm.
While it was possible that crossing over into the Mortal Realm changed his aura, Izroth did not believe that it would be to the point where it waspletely unrecognizable.
''Could it havee out of the rift in Tempest? If so, does that mean Tempest has found a way to stabilize the rift?''
Izroth knew that there was a rift that connected the Shadahi Realm to the Mortal Realm somewhere in the kingdom Tempest. However, to his knowledge, that rift was too highly unstable for anyone to travel through—be it going oring from the Shadahi Realm.
If Tempest truly did find a way to stabilize the rift between the Mortal Realm and Shadahi Realm, then this news was too huge to remain undiscovered.
''No, right now, it''s nothing but spection. There''s also a chance the aura I''m feeling is from a Chaos Variant. It''s not too far-fetched considering the secret rtionship between theherworld and the shadahi.''
Chaos Variant—this was the name Izroth called those who took on the cursed power of the shadahi and could transform to mimic some of a shadahi''s abilities.
So far, Izroth hade across two such individuals. One of them was the ex-leader of Fatal Touch known as Silent Steps. As for the second person, it was, of course, Dolos Jestal.
The aura given off by a Chaos Variant was virtually indistinguishable from that of an actual shadahi.
The presence of a Chaos Variant made the most sense in Izroth''s mind due to the circumstances that surrounded the potential summoning of a second shadahi from the Shadahi Realm. That being said, Izroth did not entirely write off other possibilities.
''There''s no use thinking too much about it. The answers I seek; I will naturally obtain them once we reach the other side of this corridor.''
Izroth cleared his mind and increased his level of concentration as he focused on manipting the strands of the corridor. As he did so, the temperature in the atmosphere rose to a point that even those positioned near the bottom of the staircase started to feel as though they were dropped onto an ind surrounded by scorching mes.
A few minutester, Lances eyes shot open as he pushed his arms halfway into the ground at his sides.
"Hear me, Ruler of the zing Inferno! Grant me authority over your undying mes through your 8th Incarnation!" Lances chanted as arge seal of mysterious origins formed at his back.
Right as hepleted his chant, a ming creature emerged from therge seal. This time, however, there was something different about it.
For one, it was much weaker than the first ming creature that Lances previously summoned. In addition, its appearance was much less intimidating and closer to that of a human''s than a monster''s.
The ming creature''s appearance resembled that of a young female fire spirit with flowing hair of brilliant mes. Though, unlike the members of the Seventh Demon n, this fire spirit-like entity''s entire body was crafted from mes.
"I am the 8th Incarnation of the Inferno Ruler, Emberosia. Rejoice, mortal, for my lord has chosen to grant your request. I shall now lend my power to you. Use it as you see fit." The ming entity, Emberosia, stated.
Without waiting for Lances'' reply, Emberosia morphed into a spiraling whirlpool of mes that converged to a single point at Lances'' back.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the mes rapidly flowed into Lances, causing his entire body to burst into mes.
To those who witnessed this scene for the first time, it was a terrifying sight to behold. But there were no screams of anguish from Lances. Instead, the energy around him abruptly grew exponentially.
Lances stood to his feet as his physical appearance had undergone a few changes.
The 5th Unit Commander donned a suit of armor made entirely out of mes. The armor was made up of multipleyers of mes, with the outermostyer being the brightest and hottest part.
The mes seemed to be constantly moving and flickering with every breath he took. And his face was partially concealed by the mes, leaving only his glowing eyes that contained a fiery intensity visible.
The dominating fire element that epassed Lances made it evident with a nce that he had be a much more formidable force.
"Everyone, be sure to brace yourselves!" Lances cautioned as he extended his right arm out to his side.
At the same time, five wisps of mes emerged at the tip of Lances'' fingertips.
Lances clenched his fist as the wisps of mes dispersed before nimbly swirling around his right fist like a rotating ring of mes.
Crack!
In a sh, the floor beneath Lances shattered as he kicked off his back foot and dashed toward the corridor, leaving a trail of mes in his wake.
"Break!" Lances roared as the fire element around him spiked considerably.
BOOOOOOOM!
Arge explosion sounded throughout the room as it violently shook.
Upon impact with the corridor''s entrance, several intense shockwaves were unleashed.
''Oh? The fire element contained within those mes are not as powerful as the first ming creature summoned, but... These mes, somehow, it''s splintering the space between the strands I''m manipting and the corridor. Employing this method, as long as he doesn''t make a misstep along the way, this corridor-''
Craaaaack...!
''Won''t be able to hold up.''
Shatter!
The entrance into the corridor was destroyed as a hole of luminous light revealed itself.
"Move now! We won''t have much time before the protection on the corridor repairs itself!" Lancesmanded.
Woosh! Woosh!
Without dy, Izroth and Lances were the first two to sprint through the corridor.
Immediately after doing so, the brilliant light quickly started to fade as the entrance into the corridor seemed to be fixing itself just as Lances warned.
"Go! No one is allowed to fall behind!" Niflheim shouted as he charged up the staircase along with the rest of the vanguard.
Not far behind the vanguard were the rest of the 9th Division and 5th Unit members. And, one by one, they sped into the corridor.
Woosh!
After making sure there was no one left behind, thest two to go through the corridor were Kol''Jil and Zel''Kan.
Zeeeeut!
Almost instantly after the two Seventh Demon n members stepped into the corridor the light vanished as the corridor returned to its previous state.
...
''Strange... Are we still in the Night Lord''s Crypt?''
After rushing into the corridor, Izroth arrived in arge chamber that was lit by a red hue. However, it was nothing like that Night Lord''s Crypt he''d seen so far.
The area mirrored a lifeless wastnd that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.
''An isted space within an isted space... No wonder it''s not easy to invade the Night Lord''s Crypt. Under normal circumstances, essing this ce is nearly impossible unless you''re apanied by the one who created it.''
Izroth attempted to scan the area with his Energy Vision Sense; however, he discovered that its range was limited. Therefore, he had to rely mostly on his natural senses.
''I don''t sense the aura of a shadahi. Was it my imagination?''
There was no telling the results that woulde from manipting the strands of the corridor in the manner he did. So, it was not aplete impossibility that he may have detected a fake aura. That being said, Izroth was not convinced that was the case.
''I''m certain the aura I sensed earlier was genuine. However, there''s no obvious ce here for anything or anyone to hide.''
In the wastnd-like chamber was apletely open area. The only thing in view was an object located at the chamber''s center—a pitch-ck coffin epassed by an overwhelming amount of death energy.
Naturally, the coffin was the first thing to draw Izroth''s gaze, as well as that of Lances who stood next to him.
''It matches.''
Izroth felt a familiar aura leaking out of the coffin. Even with his Energy Vision Sense not working correctly, he could tell that it belonged to the owner of this Night Lord''s Crypt.
''The Antumbra of Decay, Zars. So this is where you''re hiding away.''