《Destroy The Heavens!》 Prologue-The Kingdom Struck Down An ancient kingdom stands shrouded in darkness and bathed in an infinite blackness. Looming over the kingdom, a twisted spiral of metal and demonic magic pierces the sky. Wolves, tens of meters long and tens of meters tall, seem almost minuscule in comparison to innumerable dragons, flying around the city, with clouds of miasma coiling around them. Towering giants and frightening disfigured horned demons, true monsters, move around submissively, seemingly fearful of disturbing the peace of the city. Inside the spire, a large hall, decorated with fine black chandeliers, candles burning blue, and deep purple carpet, sits the king, Dmitrius, on the Twilight Throne. Covered in shadow, he looks coldly down upon his advisor, who rushed to his liege, to inform him of Heaven''s decree. The advisor says, "Lord, Heaven has ruled that you may not have a child." Dmitrius, in an alarmingly calm tone, slowly responds," What did you just say?" The advisor, fearfully and nervously stutters out an answer," I...I said t..th...that Heaven h...has decreed that you, m...my king, can...cannot have a child." Dmitrius, filled with anger, replies coldly,"Very well." He stands up and disappears, in a swirl of dark energy. Dmitrius reappears in a long, wide chamber, with walls covered in bright green venom, flowing down from vents in the ceiling. The darkness surrounding Dmitrius disperses, and he becomes fully visible. Dmitrius has long black and silver hair, with deep crimson eyes and strong features. His wife, Alitra, the lamia queen, appears from a room, occluded by the flowing green venom, asks him impatiently,"Dmitri, how did Heaven rule?"Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Dmitrius looks to Alitra and steps forward so that he is but half a meter away. He takes her into his arms and sadly replies,"We have been denied the right to a child..."Alitra, in shock, says nothing. Dmitrius smirks and continues, firmly stating,"But I refuse to give in to the demand it has made." Alitra, confused, starts to say,"What do you..." However, she is cut off by her husband, who begins to kiss her. Alitra''s long, resplendent green tail coils around Dmitrius, and they disappear into their room... White lightning cracks overhead, striking the great spire. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nine months later, Dmitrius'' and Alitra''s child is born. All the kingdom bows to the heir of the Twilight Throne and the great spire of Aruel lights up in reverence. The Heavens start to light up, angered, and within mere minutes, the entire kingdom is destroyed, with only a single boy alive. The prince, immediately after being born, was put into the safest place in the spire; he and the Twilight Throne were placed into the shelter below the great spire. An old man, a friend of the royal family, arrives upon the destruction but a day after the event and falls to his knees crying, devastated. After a moment of weakness, he shakes off his tears, then looks up and sees the remnants of the great spire. He walks slowly there, and when he arrives, he starts to sort through all the broken bits and pieces of the tower. After over two hours of searching, he finds the door to the secret shelter. Opening the hatch, he climbs into the chamber. Upon noticing the child sleeping on the Twilight Throne, he picks up the boy, touches the throne, causing it to disappear, and walks slowly back to his home... Chapter 1-The Boy Finds A Home A lonely mountain, shielded from the world by cloud and mist, stretches above the sky, reaching out endlessly over a desolate plain. Circling around the peak are birds of Icefire; they live bathed in a cooling flame, reaching temperatures of intense frigidity. A humble old man heads towards the foot of the enormous mass of rock and ice and cuts through the thick, frozen crystals obscuring the view of a hidden path, one leading, without any deviation, to the top of the mountain. With a child in his arms, the old man steadily climbs the steep path, snaking through the most dangerous areas, paying no heed to the treacherous environment or the powerful beasts lurking underground. When he eventually reaches the peak, the old man stretches his hand out to an extremely large cave to his right. Silently, sneakily, a colossal mansion, designed in the fashion of a castle, appears in the depths of the cave. Promptly, the top of the cave is washed over in an ultramarine shine and disappears as the brilliant light vanishes, silently. The elderly fellow starts to make his way to his abode, walking straight, as the main gate opens to allow him passage. He heads into the door, and finds the mansion warm and inviting, decorated in soft brown carpetingand accented with comfortable yellow lights. A creamy white chandelier hangs over a small, circular wooden table. The aging man walks over, slowly and deliberately, to an old, decrepit crib, and carefully sets the small boy sleeping in his arms onto the crib. He moves over to his kitchen, paved in snowy silver tile. Leisurely, the man prepares two meals, one of which he puts into an odd, large black box near his stove. After finishing his meal, he relaxes on a dull green armchair. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One day later, the boy wakes up as all infants do; while crying. The aging individual to his side stands up and takes the boy into his arms. The man looks warmly at the child and greets him calmly, despite the wailing,"Good Day, my young boy, it''s nice to finally meet you. My name is Oromius, and yours is Astraoth." Seeing the boy continue to cry, ignoring his speech, Oromius puts Astraoth down and touches his ebony box, and as it lights up in a bright azure aura, with lines of raw energy running up and down its surface. Oromius'' hand sinks into the surface of the portmanteau, withdrawing a small cylindrical glass after a short few seconds of searching. Placing it before Astraoth, the boy automatically grabs it with his hands and starts to drink the reddish-orange liquid inside. After the infant finishes his meal, he falls asleep; the home once again slips into silence. Oromius sets the child down once again into the crib, but unlike before, he starts to make his way to his room, the master''s bedroom.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Arriving in the room, Oromius lets his hand gently caressthe side of a soft black bookshelf to the side of his bed. His bed, designed for elegance and comfort, has a frame made of interlocking black and white rings and a mattress of soft blue feathers and a down of a warm light brown. Oromius starts to search around the room, eventually finding a small switch, hidden in the drawer accompanying his bed, in the center of the room. Clicking the tiny button in the middlemost area of the switch, his bookshelf disappears quietly, leaving behind no trace of it ever existing. Hidden behind the delicate counter of book storage is a small pile of books, each with vivid auras radiating from their bodies in waves. Oromius, stretching out his hand, levitated the books off the floor, into his hand. Walking out of his room, he starts to plan out a room for Astraoth. He visits the west wing of his... significantly large abode, and inside is a garden, filled with plants of innumerable quantity. Passing the enormous garden, Oromius finds a room inside which is relics and powerful items, of which there is an uncountable number of. Collecting them with a wave of his hand, he quickly leaves toward another part of his mansion; the east wing. In the east wing of the mansion lies an area, constructed with only glass; a dome, multiple kilometers long and multiple kilometers wide, shields a training area, with ranges for practicing magic and dummies for practicing weapon arts and martial skills. Oromius arrives at this very area, and, placing his hand on the ground, retrieves weapons of assorted variety and rarity; he takes all types of weapons, such as scythes, swords of multiple varieties, sabres, also of multiple varieties; axes, whips, hammers, spears, gauntlets, knives, boomerangs, chakrams, staves, and many, many more. Oromius stretches his hand out, but this time he sends out a spiral of blue light and energy, seemingly absorbing the numerous armaments into his hand. Strolling back, unhurriedly, he opens the door to the room directly to the left of his, and, finding it empty, starts to place inside important items. First is his crib, which he moved ever so slowly, to avoid waking Astraoth. The second is a transparent bookshelf, filled with the books taken from the master''s bedroom. Third are the weapons, placed on racks made of a uniquely gentle wood. Oromius, after the first round of decorating, starts to place decorations around the room, such as carpet, paintings, and historical relics. For the final item, Oromius places a deep black banner with a blood red crown in the center, which hangs directly over Astraoth''s crib. Leaving, he brings his dull green armchair into the room and falls asleep peacefully next to Astraoth. Chapter 2-A Violent Battle? Inside the mansion, Oromius starts to wake, rousing himself from the deep slumber that had overtaken him. Standing up from his armchair, Oromius shuffles over to Astraoth''s crib, still half-asleep. Seeing Astraoth deep in sleep, unfazed by any events happening in the outside world, Oromius slowly smiles and begins to reminisce about his time with Astraoth''s father. Suddenly, Oromius adopts a look of shock and surprise; he senses a clash between two powerful energies. Becoming solemn, determined to find the sources of the strong powers, Oromius disappears from the mansion. Oromius reappears in a tundra, one hundred kilometers away from the mansion. Only one kilometer from the old man is two magicians, bothwomen, flying in the sky above. One woman, to the left of Oromius, is dressed in a white Dobok with a symbol showing a star glowing brightyellow on her chest. She holds a slightly curved long spear of a soft ivory coloring. With pale skin and short snowy, silver hair, highlighted with short streaks of light gray running across it, her presenceexudes confidence. The other woman, contrasting with the woman in white, wears a black gi with a long yellow crescent moon, dressed in black, across her chest. Her eyes shine with a deep, dark purple light, and she has long raven black hair hanging down. Holding a double-edged longsword, the woman readies for another bout. Rushing at each other, they clash violently, causing waves to emanate from the point of collision. The waves sweep across the nearby land, shattering icebergs and glaciers, disturbing the land and sea. The pale woman pushes forward, stabbing at the abdomen of her opponent. The woman in black disappears as the spear approaches her, and reappears behind her adversary, who jabs the blunt end of her spear backward, directly toward her face. Without any other choice, the woman with the crescent moon raises her sword to block the attack. The blow sends her flying, and she crashes into a nearby glacier. Recovering quickly, her eyes start to shine, and she streaks forward in a blaze of violet energy... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Astraoth starts to wake up, sensing the raging energies and fierce battle. Eyes shining a blood red, filled with a primal excitement and bloodlust, he looks toward the battle, his demonic instincts taking over. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The women separate and the woman in white releases a radiant golden aura, which gathers on her spear in a spiral. The woman with ominous eyes raises her hand to they sky and a small heliotrope pentagram appears above her hand. The woman of the bright sun''s face turns ashen white and hurriedly strengthensher spear, putting all her power into it- the spear starts to shine with a golden light, bright enough to cause blindness. She surges forward with the energy of a blazing sun, ferocity in her face, but fear deep in her eyes. The amethyst eyed woman smirks confidently, then relaxes her raised hand downward, towards the ocean. The small pentagram expands to an unprecedented size, and...Deep within the ocean, a powerful light starts to rise up, and something begins to surface... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Astraoth, stimulated by the raw power and killing intent emerging, feels an ancient, amaranthine aura and a profound, commanding strength start to flow throughout his body and emanate into the air, as he ascends above the ground... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...Defeated, the lifeless body of the woman in white falls to the ground. The woman in black descends to the floor, exhausted and pale. Releasing her magic, she limps over to the body of the woman with a blazing sun, and starts to search all over, but stops as she finds a small ring, which she slips onto her hand. As the ring starts to glow, Oromius runs through her with a long sky blue spear, which spreads a blue aura into her body, causing it to begin deteriorating into particles in the air in front of her very eyes. Her body fully is destroyed, leaving only the small ring, which Oromius takes as he returns back to Astraoth''s room. Finding Astraoth shrouded in a blood red light, Oromius starts to rejoice, picking Astraoth up and crying silently into him as Astraoth''s aura withdraws into his body. Oromius, after realizing Astraoth is awake and hungry, pulls a similar container of the same reddish-orange liquid, and delivers it to his child. Astraoth, tired from all the excitement and fighting, drinks it quickly and falls into a deep slumber once again. Oromius, stupefied, sighs and tiredly remarks," Of course you would fall asleep nearly immediately after I arrive...Raising a child is challenging work." Oromius puts Astraoth down into his crib and begins to search through the spatial ring. Inside he finds only one thing; an old map leading to a location deep in the mountains of Darendel, the northern continent. Marked on the map is one single phrase, emitting a mysterious aura and an archaic power. The phrase simply reads: "Go To My Tomb, Inherit My Legacy! Avenge The Death Of I, Dracul Mephilius, The Strongest Under Heaven!" Chapter 3-Two Places To Call Home? Oromius slowly begins to read the note, feeling the oppressiveaura press down on him more and more as he continues; his eyes start to widen in surprise, and after which, he looks to the roof of the mansion, seeing the sky beyond his horizon. Looking down at the map, Oromius has a realization, as starting to drop the note onto his small wooden table. The world, from Oromius'' perspective, seems to slow, during which, he appears in his master library, in the South Wing, and races through each book, desperate to find something, anything about what he is searching for. Inside one of his oldest books, hidden deep within its ancient majesty, is a single page, inside which is a folded up page of another, even older book, which tells of the great deeds of Dracul Mephilius, the strongest under heaven. Oromius, however, did not search through every book in his collection carefully enough to find the small page, and thus, in his impatience, missed his chance to find it. Returning to his room, Oromius sits in his chair, disappointed, letting go of his magic, Oromius loses his enhanced abilities, and he finally sees the note fall onto the table. Oromius releases his tension and excitement, finally beginning to relax. Unhindered by his emotions, Oromius recalls the events of the day... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Odd black bubbles rise up from the sea and explode into particles of water and darkness as a deep shadow follows. Suddenly, a terrifyingly huge figure, shrouded in black mist, ascends from the sea into the air. The mist dissipates with a wave from a woman in white, and a blast of wind. The woman in a pitch black gi smiles softly in satisfaction as the strange figure is revealed... Suspended in the air is an odd sort of chimera, with three heads, each of a different type of demonic fish, the long coiling body of a sea serpent, the wings of a hawk, and the tail of a wolf. The woman in white is determined and readies her spear for battle. She explodes forward in a blaze of golden light and energy, as she collides with the sea-chimera. Immediately after the clash, the serpentine monster moves its third head to the woman''s head, which is shrouded in flame. The head spews out a disgustingly bright, green liquid; the woman''s flame shield is dampened and as the liquid lands on her face, she screams out in pain and anguish. Her face melts away, leaving a disfigured mess in its wake. Panicking, she backs away from the monstrosity but is surrounded on three sides by its heads, which bite and clamp onto her skin, leaving only bone. The chimera''s tail pierces into the woman''s neck, finally putting the woman out of her misery.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The woman in black, licking her lips in pleasure at the sight of the ruined woman, uses the last of her energy to cast away the monster, who, if removed from her control while still with her, would, in all likelihood, try to kill her. Now exhausted, she, and the corpse of the woman in white, no longer held by the monster, fall to the ground... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oromius begins to think to himself," The women fighting were likely in opposing sects, as they used different techniques and wore different uniforms. The women wore white and black, common colors used by sects, and they wore emblems on their chests, one a golden sun, the other a yellow and black moon. These two features are uncommon in sects when together, but not unheard of...However, only two sects are enemies, have techniques of that calibre, are in areas close to this, and have uniforms with emblems like those...The women must be from the ''Golden Burning Sun'' Sect and the ''Black Crescent Moon'' Sect respectively." Oromius returns to his library and researches the two sects. Again thinking to himself, Oromius decides on his course of action,"Both of the sects are decently powerful, though not enough to worry about them defeating me. However, if they notify the powerful sects of my presence, I...no, we, could be in serious trouble. We''ll have to relocate...The only problem is that there are no other places that can provide a training environment as good as this. Hmm..." Puzzling it over for a couple hours, Oromius reaches a solution,"Yes...Yes, that could work..." Oromius clears the table, placing the note by Dracul Mephilius in his spatial ring with a light touch. Rolling maps out over the table, Oromius searches for a place that would fit his requirements, contemplating to himself the possible locations,"We need a place with green mountains, volcanoes, a forest, and a tropical beach, with plenty of resources..." "...Darendel is out of the question; it has many green mountains and forests, but no tropical zones near those. Astrial, the eastern continent, has icy plains and quite a few floating islands and reverse volcanoes, but reverse volcanoes are redundant, as we already have a location to embody ice; this mountain, which is one of the coldest places on this continent, Gastruo, the western continent." "The southern continent, Fendrel, is a perfect fit; it has the most temperate areas and is by far the largest continent out of this cluster. In the northwestern region, there is an area which has all four of the climate zones I need all in one area and is very isolated from the rest of this cluster of continents." Finally decided, Oromius stands up from his table and appears over his mansion. Oromius places his hand lightly on the huge building, and an azure-blue pentagram appears over it. Suddenly, both he and the building appear in Fendrel, on the beach of the northwestern region. Placing his residence on the sand, Oromius sets up a permanent magic circle on the spot where the mansion lies. Fortunately, the pentagram disappears when not in use. Teleporting back to the mountain in Gastruo. There, Oromius places a similar magic circle, in the same spot the mansion was before. satisfied with himself, Oromius thinks,"...With these, we can move from Gastruo to Fendrel nearly instantaneously, leaving no traces behind; I can raise Astraoth in peace, and train him in any environment I like..." Smiling to himself, Oromius whispers,"Damn, I''m pretty good." Chapter 4-The Road Of Memories On a warm summer day, the sun hangs high in the sky, and a warm, soft breeze runs through the forest and into the beach. The long white hair of an old man flows outward as the wind passes, and a small child plays in the pure white sand of the beach. Oromius, the old man, sits in his favorite armchair, observing Astraoth, who is nearing four years of age, as he begins to run and jump from tree to tree and stone to stone, moving around the smaller mountains and safer areas of the forest and beach around his house. Looking upward, into the azure blue field stretching overhead, across the horizon, Oromius starts to reminisce about the time he has spent with Astraoth, and soon he is lost in his memories as he closes his eyes... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oromius and Astraoth arrive in the central room of the mansion, filled with papers and tables all over. Moving an old, dusty wooden cabinet out of the way, Oromius places Astraoth down onto a small brown chair and moves to the back of the room, where a large blackboard stands. Dragging the blackboard to an optimal spot, directly in front of Astraoth, Oromius starts to lecture,"History is a complicated topic, for many civilizations and empires, have existed, all over the world, at various times. Very few records exist of those times, though, so we do not know exactly how advanced or powerful the great civilizationsof the past were." Taking a deep breath, Oromius continues, turning back to the board, writing his lecture as he speaks,"Almost all the remnants recovered are of cultures and traditions, so we know that differentareas of a continent can house several sets of cultures, each with unique magics and martial skills. Thus, if even only one continent can have multiple civilizations, distinct from each other, then over all the clusters of continents, over the hundreds of millions of kilometers of the world, there have been countless empires. In the end, we do not know how this world has existed; Heaven houses the secrets of the world." Turning back to Astraoth, Oromius, interested in his retention of the information, asks,"Did you understand any of the parts of the lecture?" Astraoth, at the timeonly three months old, looks blankly at Oromius, tilting his head in confusion. Oromius, still interested, stares back... ....After over three minutes of silence, Astraoth finally speaks, with a look of understanding beginning to dawn on his face, simply replying,"No." This was Astraoth''s first word... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Astraoth was one year old, Oromius decided to take him on his first vacation. Running out the mansion, Astraoth starts to bounce around excitedly. Oromius follows slowly, smiling sinisterly as they continue on. Astraoth suddenly turns around and, while begging with his large, bright red eyes, begins to talk, asking,"Dad, can you tell me where we are going now?" Oromius, with a mischevious light in his gray eyes and a smile on his aging face, answers,"No, no...I cannot tell you the destination of our travels, else the surprise would be ruined. However, I can tell you that the wait will be worth it." Pouting, Astraoth replies,"Fine." Soon after, though, he starts to forget about his conversation and begins to run all over, arriving at a bright azure pentagram and stopping immediately outside. Oromius steps into it, his hand on Astraoth''s back, making sure of his safety. Astraoth, with a bright, shining light in his eyes, can barely hold his excitement back. Energy is drawn from the surroundings in a sudden swirl of magic, and the circle lights up, with pure blue bubbles rising from between the lines of the pentagram. The scene shifts as world whirls around Astraoth and Oromius, and they appear on the top of a snowy white mountain, a blizzard roaring around them. Astraoth, confused and shocked, slowly turns around, meeting Oromius'' eyes. Astraoth, annoyed, says,"This is the "fun" vacation spot. Hmm..." Oromius, eyes sparkling, throws his arm out theatrically in front of him, as his robe flutters in a gust of frigid wind, and, in a serious, solemn voice, replies,"Yes. This is our vacation spot."The day was Astraoth''s very first birthday, and this was his very first birthday "present". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On a slow autumn day, a gentle breeze scatters multicolored leaves and gray ash across the sky and onto the earth. White and black clouds swirl around, occluding the sun and casting a slightly dreary atmosphere athwart the area. Oromius strolls through a small lane with blue and purple trees lining the modest pathway, and enjoys the soft autumn wind, closing his eyes as tiny remnants of leaves swirl around him. Astraoth, at two-and-a-half years old, starts slowing his breathing and begins attempting to conceal his presence as he hangs over an inconspicuous platform, looking down on Oromius. As Oromius continues his slow saunter, Astraoth follows on his platform, eventually passing Oromius. Reaching the edge of his terrace, Astraoth jumps and gracefully soars into the air, flipping silently, over a spiky black ornate gate, and lands on another rostrum, one leading to a huge doorway.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Moving ahead, Astraoth sneaks silently, transversing the ledge, so he is at the top of the entrance to the mansion, over the doorway. Nearing a bucket filled with a natural, bright blue water, Astraoth slowly picks up the bucket, and, negating his presence, waits for Oromius to arrive. As Oromius starts to push open the door, Astraoth leaps down, bucket in hand, water starting to spill out. Tilting the bucket down, the water flows down and nears Oromius'' hair. Suddenly, the water stops in the air, and Oromius turns around, smiling playfully. As Astraoth approaches him, Oromius grabs Astraoth''s clothes, shifting around to face the door. Dropping Astraoth on the floor, Oromius looks at Astraoth, raising one eyebrow, and, smirking sarcastically, asks,"How''d you come up with that prank?" Dismayed, Astraoth pouts, saying,"I really thought I could catch you..." Oromius, pushing open the door, looks back at Astraoth, and, confidently, declares,"You''re one-hundred years too early to prank me." Moving through, the door closes, and Astraoth is left outside. Astraoth, after seeing Oromius leave, hears an odd voice, strongly asserting,"This is a real prank!" The water, now no longer suspended in the air, falls down onto Astraoth, soaking the boy in freezing, cold water. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inside Astraoth''s room, Astraoth, three years old, sleeps soundly as Oromius hurries around, gathering all the ancient artifacts and relics in Astraoth''s room into a small pile, which promptly disappears. Astraoth, waking from a long nap, opens his bright crimson red eyes, brushes his snow-white hair out of his face, and stands up, trying to fully wake himself. Seeing Oromius stand elegantly in front of his tiny bed, Astraoth rouses himself awake, and walks to Oromius, putting his little hands around Oromius neck, climbing onto his back. Oromius, shifting Astraoth around so he is held in his hands, makes his way to his room, and opens a small passage with a wave of his hands. Entering the passageway, a room full of ancient artifacts and relics appears. Putting Astraoth on a plain wooden chair, Oromius places the artifacts formerly in Astraoth''s room into various places then quickly sits down, and waits for Astraoth to begin talking. Astraoth, looking around confusedly, asks,"Where is this place?" Oromius answers calmly," This place is the only remaining record vault of the Domiscius Empire, also known as the Kingdom of Eternal Night, the former home of demons and devils." "I previously was a noble of this empire, until it was destroyed. I found you in the rubble of the ruined Kingdom, and I fled with you in my arms." Astraoth, in deep thought, asked,"And what exactly does this mean?" Oromius quietly answered,"All it means is that you and I have to inherit the legacy of the fallen Kingdom, as the only survivors of the massacre." Getting up from his seat, Oromius begins to show Astraoth the importance of the remaining artifacts,"This rock is a part of a sophisticated magic formation..." Pointing to a long flatblack board, Oromius continues his explanations,"And this board is used for long distance travel by lower level cultivators..." After around ten minutes of explanation, Astraoth and his father finally leave the room, in solemn silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On a cold winter morning, a storm of fire and lightning rages high in the sky, disturbing the quiet darkness permeating throughout the northwestern region of Fendrel. Oromius stands onthe roof of the tall black tower of the south wing, observing the storm in the distance. Astraoth arrives upon Oromius, and, exchanging glances, jump off the roof, landing on the ground. Upon reaching the ground, they dash off silently, looking for their next prey. Astraoth darts from tree to tree, as silent as a mouse. Astraoth, coming across a small ravine, leaps off a tree branch, and grabs onto a vine hanging out over the gap, swinging past the miniature fissure. Landing on the ground, Astraoth breaks into a sprint, flashing across the forest floor, bouncing from rock to tree to vine, his momentum never-ending. A baby doe appears into view, grazing on a patch of grass. Wary, Astraoth looks around carefully before jumping into action. He soars down from his perch atop a high branch, and lands on the baby doe, slamming his foot into the soft skull. As the doe falls down, dazed and confused, a gigantic, three-meter-tall stag looks to Astraoth and finds him attacking his child. Angry, the stag starts to charge at Astraoth, moving quickly. Astraoth, aware of the raging beast, immediately begins running away, grabbing the downed doe as he sprints away. The enraged stag doesn''t move, even in the face of hitting a tree; he slams into a large tree, causing it to break and fall. Continuing his charge, the stag bursts forward in a blind rampage. Astraoth dodges its head, and, leaping onto a tree, lures it to the west. Astraoth''s kinetic energy carries him from tree to tree, from ledge to ledge, never slowing down, always a step ahead of the beast chasing him. Finally reaching the edge of a cliff, Astraoth skids to a halt, turning back to face his pursuer. The stag, with victory in sight, charges once more at Astraoth...Barely dodging, with only a millimeter of distance, Astraoth shifts away, in a feat of pure agility, right as the beast reaches him, causing the stag to fall off the cliff. Smiling, Astraoth heads back and reconvenes with Oromius... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Opening his eyes, Oromius finds the sun setting, and the sky bathed in gold and red. Looking into the distance, he sees Astraoth coming back from a hard day of play, tired and dirty. Taking Astraoth inside, he bathes his son, and feeds him, taking care to make sure of the food''s quality. Finally setting Astraoth in bed, Oromius falls onto his favorite armchair, and, once again, falls into a deep slumber... Chapter 5-The Path To Power A lone mountain looms over an icy tundra, surrounded by blizzards and algific clouds swirling around its frigid majesty. Dark clouds menace over all the land, eclipsing the rays of the radiant sun. Emerging from a small cave near the peak of the mountain, a young boy with medium length snowy white hair and large, bright red eyes begins to walk toward a huge cavern, his elderly companion close by. Reaching his destination, the boy signals to the old man to his side, and, arm outstretched, the old man forms a small blue pentagram near his hand. Suddenly, azure blue lines of light emanate from beneath their feet, forming a huge magic circle, which, in a flash of light, causes the pair to disappear. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in Fendrel, at Oromius'' mansion, Astraoth and his father` return after a three-week training exercise in Gastruo. Walking out of the center room of the house, the pair enters the north wing, moving to the kitchen for breakfast. Lounging on a wooden dining table, while eating a small bread roll topped with an odd pink cream, Astraoth turns to Oromius, saying,"Dad, not to be impatient, but...Isn''t it my birthday today? Don''t I deserve a gift?" Gesturing to Astraoth, Oromius makes his way outside, and, while staring at the pure white moon hanging in the sky, he sighs and solemnly replies,"Your birthday is coming, and will arrive in approximately one hour. Upon reaching this hour, your training will officially begin." Smiling with an alarming confidence, Oromius continues," In preparation for the...momentous occasion ahead, I will explain, in detail, over the next hour, cultivation. With a wave of Oromius'' hand, the night is lit up by tens of small blue orbs, hovering around Oromius and Astraoth. Oromius sits down cross-legged, beside Astraoth. Pausing and taking a deep breath, Oromius begins his explanation,"Cultivation is the accumulation of energy in one''s body and allows amazing feats to be performed. All around us are wisps and particles of Essence Energy, which is gentle and cannot be used for violence in its natural state. Using specific methods, called cultivation techniques, we can absorb and transform the energy into usable forms." Oromius pauses and Astraoth, listening intently, folds his hands, and waits for Oromius to continue. Oromius stretches his hand out slightly and forms a small magic circle above his hands. The azureblue pentagram glows softly, and Oromius resumes his explanation,"One form of energy that you can convert Essence Energy into is Mana, which can be woven into spells via magic circles, usually in the form of pentagrams. Magic spells created affect primarily the world around the Caster."Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Retracting his hand, and dismissing the magic circle, Oromius halts his speech, and deeply breathes, continuing his explanation," Another form of energy is Qi, which is formed into martial skills. Martial skills primarily affect the User, strengthening them in some manner. Every person has an affinity towards at least one element, be it strong or weak. Your affinity decides what type of martial skills and magic spells you can use. I have affinities for wind and space, so my Mana is azure blue." Astraoth, curious, interrupts Oromius, asking,"So then the color of energy is determined by the affinity of the owner?" Oromius, smiling softly, answers,"Not necessarily, but most cultivation techniques are based on affinity. Anyway, Mana and Qi are by far the most common forms of derived energy. There are many other forms, but most are not as powerful. Besides, techniques that use other forms of energy are very rare. Back to the main topic, there are ten stages of "base" cultivation; after that, one ascends to a completely different level." "This is the basics of cultivation for all the races; however, each race has unique characteristics in their cultivation. Humans, for example, use the essence cores of strong beasts when breaking through; they, as a result of their low natural strength and weak bloodline, can use the essence of beasts to take on their characteristics. Eventually, when they ascend past the limits of "base" cultivation, they form a bloodline and create a spirit from the essences cores they have absorbed. The spirit could be a familiar; if they used wolf cores, they could form a wolf spirit. It could also be a weapon spirit, for their personal use. Regardless, as demons, we do not have that ability." Astraoth, trying to absorb all the information given, asks, confused,"If they can form a spirit, what can we do?" Oromius smiles disdainfully, and explains,"The humans'' abilities are weak at best when compared to the natural gifts of the demon race. As a demon, when you cultivate past a stage and breakthrough, you gain a unique ability from your bloodline, which can be modified or improved if you use a beast''s essence core when breaking through. In addition, we have much more powerful bodies, which, when combined with our natural abilities, allow us to easily surpass an ordinary human of the same level. You, as an S-Class demon, are especially strong when compared to humans." Astraoth, finally managing to calm down, even through the influx of new information, asks,"Exactly what type of demon am I? You never have told me or answered me when I ask." Oromius avoided the question, saying,"You have had enough to digest for one day. I will reveal everything in time. Regardless, your training is about to begin...." Astraoth just blankly stared back, disappointed. The sun finally dawning, Astraoth''s fourth birthday finally began... Chapter 6-How To Train With Style? As the glorious, resplendent sun rises above the horizon, a wave of brilliant light sweeps across the land, illuminating all touched by its lustrous rays. A small boy and elderly man, as the sun irradiates the pair, stand up from a cross-legged position, the wind surging against them. They look into the sky as daybreak arrives, and the old man starts to speak,"Astraoth, you are now of four years. Your training will soon begin. Follow me to the training ground." Oromius walks away, toward the mansion grounds. Upon entering the mansion, he, with Astraoth following closely behind him, moves toward the east wing''s training grounds. Inside the huge glass dome of the eastwing is a very large courtyard, tens of kilometers long, with artificial mountains and lakes, that could easily be used for training. Turning to Astraoth, Oromius speaks, saying,"This ground is where you will practice and cultivate, at least temporarily. You cannot cultivate until your sixth year, so you will instead strengthen your body, learn to manipulate and control energy, and matriculate to study combat. We will start with physical training; a healthy and strong body is a basis necessary to become truly powerful." "Before you start practicing, I will explain why you need a robust body. To put it simply, all cultivators will form an essence core from their energy, be it Mana, Qi, or another type of energy. When using essence cores of beasts to break through, a core of a higher level beast is required; if you tryto break through from the third level to the fourth, you need to use the core of a level four beast. The higher level of energy will agitate and excite your energy, bringing it to a higher level. In order to survive a stronger being''s energy, one needs a very powerful physical body." Smiling proudly, Oromius continues,"Of course, demons do not need essence cores to break through if they have a powerful bloodline; demons with high-level bloodline lineages can use their blood in place of an essence core, but cores make it much easier.Anyway, do you understand why you need to improve your body?" Astraoth, nodding thoughtfully, responds, saying,"Yes, I think I understand." Happy with his son''s progress, Oromius decides to begin the training... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Astraoth climbs up a small mountain, one-hundred meters tall while wearing twenty-five-kilogram weights, pushing through the heat and steadily moving up the steep cliffside. Sweat pouring down his face, arms aching, gritting his teeth in pain, Astraoth continues moving through his suffering, relyingonlyon his willpower. Pieces of rock and stone sprinkle down as Astraoth moves his hand to an outstretched slab. Struggling to pull himself up, Astraoth becomes ever more intimidated by the huge face of the mountain. Pushing himself further, Astraoth begins the hardest stretch of the climb, the last fourth, in which the face of the mountain becomes completely straight, then curves back, causing the climb to become extremely difficult. Sweat curves down Astraoth''s face, falling from his body. Arms glistening, the heat of the sun becomes even more intense, and Astraoth''s body becomes ever more tired and ever weaker.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Eventually, he overexerts his body to the point where he can no longer feel the blood flow through him; even his will cannot keep him on the mountain any longer; he feels his body stop movement and let go, and he falls off the ledge. Streaking toward the ground, Astraoth closes his eyes in fear and shock, unable to overcome his limitations. Suddenly, his descent starts to slow, and, opening his eyes, he sees Oromius holding him, suspended in the air. Oromius, chuckling, says,"I never expected you to even make it halfway through, let alone three-fourths of the way. You did very well, now you can rest.." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, the routine begins again. First Astraoth runs twenty-kilometers while pulling a fifty-kilogram boulder tied to his back. After that, he swims in the largest artificial lake, with carnivorous fish and aquatic beasts placed by Oromius following him. The third exercise in the warm-up is the mountain climb, after which there is a two-hour rest period. The first day only brought the warm-up, but, on the second day, combat training is introduced. Oromius has a small pair of gloves, used for protection, which he hands to Astraoth, saying," These gloves will protect your hands from being too injured. You will first learn basic hand-to-hand combat, and only after you have mastered the basics, will you begin learning how to use weapons and manipulate energy. Now, come show me what you know." Upon hearing this, Astraoth dashes at Oromius, punching out as he approaches. Easily dodging Astraoth''s tiny fist, Oromius mocks Astraoth,"Is that all you can do? My pet rock could throw a better punch." Astraoth responds with a roundhouse kick, aiming toward Oromius'' stomach. Oromius quickly counters, grabbing Astraoth''s foot as it arrives. Pulling back, Astraoth tries to twist his foot out of Oromius'' grip, but Oromius simply removes his grip and steps forward, lightly pushing Astraoth, throwing him off balance, and ending the skirmish. Oromius comments, smiling,"You are untrained, but you have very strong instincts; I see much potential in you. First, let''s go over how to punch; you put your hand in a fist while keeping your shoulders level, maintaining a firm foundation and using centripetal force to enhance the momentum of your punch." "For kicks, make sure you keep your body relaxed, and if you want to kick with speed, lead into the attack quickly, and pull your knee faster to optimize increases in your momentum. Make sure to... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sun finally leaving the sky, the light begins to fade; the sun sets, and the Eventide ends. An old man stands, holding four books in his hands, looking at a young boy, resting on the ground, exhausted. Oromius, the old man, starts to talk to Astraoth,"Anyway, take these manuals and practice the basic forms inside- they will help you gain proper posture and teach you basic combat skills. The day is ending, so let''s go inside. You did a good job, Astraoth. Now get up..." Going inside, the day ends, and the first two days of training finally come to a close. Chapter 7-Origin Of Energy A pure, smooth full white moon hangs suspended on the horizon, as another mysterious sphere begins to rise, opposite the first. Darkness flees from the brilliant silver light of the two sovereigns reigning over the night sky. A small boy wearing a white, flowing Dobok dances in the lustrous moonlight, intertwined with an elderly companion, dressed in a loose, light gray gi, weaving back and forth in their battle. Astraoth, the young boy, aims his fist at Oromius'' stomach, leveraging his momentum to augment his power. Oromius slides back smoothly, seizing Astraoth''s hand and attempting to pull it with him as he moves backward. Astraoth, in response, shifts his weight into the hand, leaning into the grab, using the forceprovided by Oromius to flip over into a kick directed at Oromius'' abdomen. Letting go of Astraoth''s hand, Oromius readies himself, correcting his posture, falling into form. Astraoth fully flips over with theextra momentum previously provided, abandoning his kick, and focusing on landing and form, quickly prepares himself. Adjusting his breathing, Astraoth launches into another flurry of attacks, directing four lightning-fast kicks at Oromius, each intended to hit a different target. Oromius counters, his hands turning illusory, matching each attack, blocking every kick perfectly. Astraoth, narrowing his eyes, twists his knee up, shifting his center of mass to add speed and strength to his strike. Oromius taps the knee twice as it approaches, once on its base, and once on its side, causing the trajectory of the attack to change, making it stray from its intended target. Astraoth moves with his momentum, utilizing it to transition it into a wide roundhouse kick with his other foot, speeding toward Oromius'' face. The foot is grabbed as it approaches, but, Astraoth, learning from previous mistakes, finishes the kick using his considerable momentum, and, placing his foot back on the ground, twists around moving in for a swipe with his right, trying to stay on the offensive. Oromius, after letting go of Astraoth''s foot, dodges the right swipe, and, finally taking the offensive, lands a palm strike on Astraoth, pushing him backward, and, in a spiral of blue light and energy, spins around, soaring through the air into a courtyard wall. After a painful landing, Astraoth looks up, annoyed, and complains,"Not fair Dad! You weren''t supposed to use any energy!" Oromius looks back, amused, and, helping Astraoth up, smiles and replies," I said I wouldn''t use energy until you had mastered basic hand-to-hand combat." Shocked, Astraoth adopts a look of confusion, until, understanding dawning on him, he starts shouting in excitement," I''m really done with basic combat training?" Upon hearing his father''s confirmation, Astraoth continues, asking," Does that mean I can finally start learning to control energy?" Oromius elaborates on his previous statement, saying," Well, you can''t start until tomorrow, but you can -and will- start tomorrow." Going inside, the ninetieth day of training comes to a close. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meeting early the next morning, Astraoth observes the golden shine of the sun as it sweeps across the land, shielding his eyes from her intense gaze. Oromius directs his gaze toward a mountain one kilometer away and begins to talk to Astraoth,"Today, we will change up your schedule a bit. You recently have succeeded in all your exercises, so we will amp up the difficulty of the activities. You will climb a two-hundred-meter tall mountain now, with twice the weight attached." Astraoth''s eyes go wide, and his face becomes drenched in a cold sweat; he begins shivering in fright. Oromius, upon noticing Astraoth''s condition, smiles wide, and continues,"The lake you swim in will be changed to sub-zero temperatures and you will run twice as much with a weight four times as heavy."This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. After hearing this Astraoth tries to speak, but is cut off by Oromius, who resumes his explanation,"After your rest, we will begin energy manipulation practice, then proceed into combat practice, utilizing energy in battle." Astraoth, finally finding a chance to speak, nervously asks,"B...But how will I survive if I do all that?" Oromius reassures him,"Don''t worry. I will personally make sure that you survive and also guarantee you that you will not have any permanent damage to your body." Astraoth responds, convinced,"Okay." Calming himself, Astraoth turns to Oromius, and calmly asks,"Can I start?" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Astraoth sprints his forty-kilometer run, dragging a gigantic hundred-kilogram boulder behind him. His face and back are drenched in sweat, and his legs begin to numb, losing feeling from the intense exercise. Finishing up the run, he begins the swim, body freezing from the icy cold water, avoiding poisonous fish and extreme aquatic monsters laying in wait. Eventually, Astraoth finishes his required laps and starts his climb, the most difficult leg of the journey. The climb is straight up for one-half of the journey, and the last half curves backward, causing Astraoth to have to climb with his body hanging down on the curve. Managing to finish only through a feat of willpower, Astraoth rests for a two-hour break, eating and sleeping to rejuvenate his body and mind. Happy, Astraoth thinks to himself, smiling,"Finally, the energy control training is going to start!" Arriving at the courtyard, Astraoth stares at Oromius, excited beyond belief. Oromius waits for him to calm down then, his voice solemn and face serious, commences his explanation,"Cultivation is energy absorbed into one''s body and transformed into the desired state using a cultivation technique. Depending on the technique, the energy can take form influenced by affinity or bloodline- or both. The core is the energy compressed into one''s body." "You cannot cultivate yet, but, by studying cultivation techniques, you can prepare for actual cultivation. If you absorb energy and infuse it immediately into specific parts of your body, you can strengthen attacks, and learn to manipulate and command energy. I will now show you how to do this. Watch closely." Oromius stretches his hands slowly outward and closes his eyes, opening his consciousness to the world around him. Slowly, multicolored specks of light begin to appear and gather around his hands, swirling above his palms in an ellipse. Flipping his palms over, he releases a small burst of energy, which emanates outward in waves, creating beautiful rainbows of color. Opening his eyes, he turns to Astraoth and begins, saying,"You will need to open your consciousness to the world, spreading out your awareness. It will be very difficult and could take days, or even weeks to achieve. Once you successfully expand your consciousness, you will need to reach out to the energy permeating the world around you. It will be difficult to gather it around your body, but especially difficult to guide into. Now, move under the artificial waterfall, and try your hand at this." Chapter 8-Spiritual Awareness A gentle stream of pure, clear water runs softly down from a warm spring and collapses with other streams into a large sheet of water gently flowing downward, into a pool, resting in the center of a clearing surrounded by the lush greenforest. A boy sits cross-legged in the heart of the pool, the waterfall cascading down him smoothly and calmly. Astraoth, the boy, rests, his eyes closed and heart trying to quiet into peace. The forest breathes around him, soft, but not silent. The wind travels through the forest, drifting past the trees, and exiting the blanket of the forest, flying into the great blue sky, free from the restrictions of the earth. Astraoth, trying to achieve a state of oneness, loses his patience and becomes frustrated, unable to expand his consciousness. Tightening his fist, he looks around the forest desperately, losing his relaxed state of mind, and sinking further into frustration. Sighing, he looks into the azure blue field over his head and gets up to leave the waterfall, his place of meditation, his first session a complete failure. Astraoth steps forward in a burst of speed, beginningto sprint past the forest, leaping onto a small branch, jumping from tree to tree, in an attempt to outrun himself, and, slowing himself down, sighs, depressed, and leaps off the tree, opting to slowly walk the rest of the way to the mansion. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Astraoth comes to his spot in the waterfall and sits down, attempting to meditate, and tries using all his intellect and all his will to understand the world and its secrets. The trees wave in the light breeze, flowing like the wind. The water grinds, unstoppably, into the rock, which almost seems to bend like the wind from the water. The sun seems to release cooling rays and the sky lords over the world. Astraoth sits, unable to understand, unable to truly live. Many hours pass with no results, frustrating him endlessly. Getting up, he falls into the pool, smashing his fists onto the hard stone floor, bleeding into the once pure water. Getting up again, Astraoth storms off into the forest, away from everything. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Astraoth arrives once again at the waterfall, and, removing his shirt, sits down under its gentle caress. Closing his eyes, Astraoth rests his hands on the stone floor of the tiny pool, feeling its cool surface, finally managing to remove some of his frustration. Suddenly, a bird flies out, landing on his shoulder, beginning to tweet into his ear. Annoyed, Astraoth loses what little focus he has, swatting the bird off his shoulder. The bird flies away, soaring into the clear blue above Astraoth''s head, leaving him alone, water surrounding him, seated on the hard earth, lonely in a forest full of life. Astraoth looks into the majestic, royal sky above his head. Losing himself in its beauty, his eyes close, and his body disappears, and all that is left is the world around him; the forest in its glorious, lush green life; the water, in its soothing embrace; the stone, in its everlasting stability; the sun, in its brilliant, radiant blaze; the wind, in its eternal freedom; the sky, in its endless love and calming blue. Astraoth truly lives, understanding all, yet knowing nothing. Opening his eyes, Astraoth, for the first time, sees the world around him; the energypermeating throughout everything. The breath of life returned to him, Astraoth sleeps, under the waterfall, under the stars. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, the evening arrives, and Astraoth returns, his white hair blowing into his face, and his eyes seeming gentle and peaceful. Oromius looks at Astraoth, nodding his head, satisfied, and smiles quietly, wordlessly beginning his demonstration. Gathering Essence Energy around his hand, Oromius snakes the multicolored energy around his body, moving as water flowing around an obstacle. Transitioning into another, stable stance, his hands together, close to his chest, Oromius forms the energy into a sturdy shield around his hand. Stretching his hands out, the shield becomes bright, beautiful flames, which spread out into the air, dissolving into streams of light which curl around Oromius'' body, flowing down, into the earth. Turning to Astraoth, they begin the ceremony in unison, dancing back and forth in a tribute to the beauty of nature and love of the world. Finishing the dance, the ground lights up as the particles of light and energy flow into it, and the Essence of life completes a full cycle. Returning to the mansion in a comfortable silence, the ninety-third day of training ends... Chapter 9-The One-Hundred And Eighty-Sixth Day Of Training Oromius and Astraoth face each other in the mansion''s eastern courtyard, at the beginning of a training session. Oromius begins to advise Astraoth,"You have begun to use energy in battle. However, you have not demonstrated a full control over it in battle. You will attack me with all your might and I will use no energy of my own in any capacity. In addition, I will solely use defensive techniques. This will allow me to see how you will adapt to a primarily defensive opponent." Moving two steps back, relaxing to a defensive position, Oromius calls out,"Come when you are ready." Astraoth, summoning Essence Energy, incorporating it into his feet, shoots out at Oromius in a burst of speed, light pouring out around his feet. Astraoth, gathering energy around his right fist, punches upward at Oromius face, but, his attack a feint, transitions his fist into a palm attack aimed at Oromius'' solar plexus, Essence Energy wrapping around it. Oromius reacts quickly, using his right hand to shift Astraoth''s hand away with a quick strike, blowing the energyto the left with the hand, attempting, using his left hand simultaneously, to counterattack and push Astraoth away, his palm flying toward Astraoth''s chest. Astraoth shifts his body around, flowing with the force exerted by Oromius'' right hand to transition into a roundhouse kick, avoiding Oromius'' palm strike, attacking back while gathering energy at the tip of his right foot, bathing his foot in streams of brilliant prismatic energy. Oromius pulls back, avoiding the kick entirely, and leans to the left, expectingAstraoth''s next move. Astraoth, completing the kick, twists into a right hook, multicolored light spiraling around it. Oromius, already leaning to the left, catches the fist as it files at him, guiding Astraoth to the left, pulling him, utilizing his existing momentum, simultaneously neutralizing the energy. Astraoth keeps his balance, and, following a natural flow, twists his body around further, pivoting on his left foot, rotating around so his right foot connects with Oromius'' right leg, attempting to trip him. Oromius, finally letting go of Astraoth''s right arm, counters with an elbow to Astraoth''s abdomen. Pulling back, Astraoth dashes away, avoiding the elbow. Pressing forward, determined to regain momentum in the battle, Astraoth swerves forward, and, his speed peaking, pivots on his right foot, sliding into a kick aimed at Oromius'' solar plexus, gathering energy in his left foot and left hand simultaneously. Oromius avoids and grabs the incomingfoot using his right hand, guiding it to his side, absorbing the energy gathered around the foot, and, letting the leg go, the energy swirling around him, transitions it to his right, using that to project a shield, utilizing it in an attempt to block Astraoth''s incoming left hand, sweeping toward him.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The fist meets the shield, with Astraoth''s punch losing out, unable to break the shield. Sighing, Astraoth moves away, and the two separate, relaxing their bodies after the brief but intense confrontation. Astraoth, refusing to give up, condenses energy at his fingertips and starts flinging small orbs of energy at Oromius, flicking his fingers quickly, aiming toward Oromius'' shield. The bullets of energy bombard the shield and ripples begin spreading throughout it. A small section of the top of the shield shimmers oddly as the ripples spread past it, the tiniest crack appearing. Noticing this, Astraoth flashes toward Oromius, appearing before him, energy and light coursing through the air. The energy gathers around Astraoth''s hand in an instant, the hand piercing toward Oromius'' shield with the speed and grace of the mantis. The shield surface shimmers, revealing a perfect shield; Oromius smiles softly, his opponent in his domain once again. However, foreseeing Oromius'' deception, Astraoth retreats suddenly, his energy flaring, and steps to the side, flowing like water around Oromius, the energy omitted covering his movements. The energy attack at the front fades, and simultaneously, Astraoth stabs toward Oromius'' exposed back. Sadly, as the attack reaches Oromius, the energy previously released by Astraoth surges toward Oromius'' back, condensing into a shield, blocking the attack. Retreating, Astraoth sighs, disappointed, and, exhausted from the fight, falls to the floor. Oromius turns back and, seeing Astraoth''s tired face, smiles wryly, understanding his fatigue. Oromius sits on the floor, cross-legged, and begins the evaluation, announcing Astraoth''s results,"Astraoth, you handle energy competently overall, but you overlook how your enemies can use your energy to their advantage. In addition, you telegraph your attacks by gathering energy prematurely near them. Always consider their viewpoint and capabilities in a fight. Regardless, you have advanced enough to the point that only experience can improve your capabilities in hand-to-hand combat and external energy manipulation." "You have gained physical strength and endurance, learned basic combat, and mastered the basics of energy control and manipulation. Now, you will begin weapons training, in addition to your other exercises. You will, however, not learn only one weapon. No child of mine will be so lacking. Rather, you will learn the basic techniques of one-thousand weapons. You have the rest of your two years to learn all one-thousand weapons. It is the one-hundred-eighty-sixth day of training. Therefore, you have five hundred and thirty-four days of training left to complete this task. We will begin weapons training tomorrow." Smiling, Oromius ends his statement,"Now, you have the rest of the day off. Rest and relax." Chapter 10-The Journey Begins Light streams down onto a soft, deep black carpet, scattering into specks of gold along its velvety surface. A single orb, filled with a goldenglow, hangs above. Rows and rows of shelves furnished with countless books rest under the resplendent orb of light. A young boy sits quietly under the Orb of light, a dark shadow cast on the floor under him. An ancient book rests in his hands, bound with a profoundly dark leather, black as the night itself. Reaching the center of the ancient tome, a small, folded piece of a yellow Papyrus, stained dirty by its age, falls out, coming to rest on the young boy''s leg. The boy slowly lifts the paper, bringing it to his eyes, the orb''s light circumfulgent, seemingly avoiding the page. Unfolding the page slowly, a mysterious, archaic aura begins leaking out... The entire library is clouded in a wave of intense energy, boundlessand unfathomable. The world seems to lose its luster as the words scrawled on the Papyrus dominate the environment and demand the boy''s attention. Unable to look away, he begins to read the page. A short poem appears before his eyes, and the boy, subconsciously, starts to speak, his eyes cloudy, his mind and soul in an incomprehensible, endless trance... "Life And Death, An Eternal Struggle Up The Summit. Clawing Back From Below The World. At The Peak, All ToFall To The Bottom. The Road Ends At The Sky." Asingle phrase appears after the poem, and,continuing on, the boy''s eyes begin shining a crimson red... "Reach The Pinnacle Through Life. Fall To The Foot ThroughDeath. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Unyielding, Even Under The Burden Of Fate. Erased, Only His Will Left." The boy, his eyes dimming, slowly closes his eyes, and falls backward onto the floor, the page still in hand. Suddenly, Oromius burstsinto the room, frantic and concerned. Finding the boy on the floor, he gently picks him up and disappears from the library, reappearing in a small white room. Lit by a tiny white crystal, each of its sides a different shade of white, the light shifts color as the crystal slowly turns. The room, furnished with only a plain bed, the color of pure snow, is bare and carries an odd, unsettling atmosphere. Oromius quietly sets Astraoth down onto the bed, and lays his hand on the young boy''s chest, sending energy through his body, scanningfor something, anything that could signify a problem. Closing his eyes, Oromius focuses on searching Astraoth''s body, and from the page, finds a stream of demonic energy coursing into Astraoth''s body. Opening his eyes, Oromius rests his hand onto the page, and, feeling the energy flowing from it, smiles, understanding what occurred. Taking Astraoth into his arms once again, Oromius disappears from the room, and, laying Astraoth down onto his bed, begins to prepare food water, and supplies. Pulling out a map from his spatial ring, Oromius lays it down onto a small, circular wooden table, once again finding the final words of Dracul Mephilius. Circling the location of the tomb, Oromius begins to plot out a path to Dracul Mephilius'' resting place, cutting through mountains and rivers, forests and lakes. Oromius smiles, and, finally speaking, says,"Now, Astraoth will begin his first trial." His eyes turning solemn, Oromius resolves himself once again, preparing himself for what lies ahead... Chapter 11-The Path Through The Mountains A lonely road snakes through a mountain range painted in green and blue, stretching into the distance. Illuminated by the rising sun, the isolated path is bathed in orange and gold light. A young boy''s silver hair waves in the wind as he follows the path forward, accompanied by an old man, who matches his slow, deliberate pace.Walking onward, the two partakein a comfortable silence, looking forward into the steadily ascending, radiant sun. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many hours later, the pair exits the mountain range,thesun now setting. The boy''s clothes in tatters and his body exhausted, the old man continues conversing with the young boy,"...And that is why you never try to eat a broccoli spear, Astraoth." Astraoth, in response, merely sighs and turns to Oromius, frowning. Oromius smiles wryly and continues,"Anyway, we will have to make camp today; there are no inns on our way." Astraoth grumpily responds,"Fine." Closing his tired eyes, Astraoth speaks to Oromius, walking forward with coordination despite his lack of vision, asking,"How long exactly is the trip? You''ve never told me the details of this journey." Oromius glances at Astraoth silently and answers,"You know how you finished weapons training half a year early?" Astraoth nods in response, his eyes still closed. Recapitulating,"Well, because we have over one-hundred and eighty days left before you can cultivate, I decided that taking you on a half-year long excursion for practical experience would be helpful. Opening his eyes, Astraoth resumes his questioning,"Butwhere are we going? What is our destination?" Oromius suddenly halts in place and looks toward the setting sun and the great azure sky, expanding out endlessly above, remaining silent, his eyes reflecting a soft blue sadness. Astraoth looks to Oromius but doesn''t say a word, only stopping in place, waiting for Oromius. Oromius removes his gaze from the depressing blue sky and fixing it on Astraoth, finally answers his question, putting his handon Astraoth''s shoulder,"We will be traveling together to a certain place, but only you will enter. The destination is for you. As for what it is, it is the place where you shall gain your cultivation technique, the place where your future will be decided."Astraoth doesn''t respond; he just steps forward, purpose in his stride.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coming to a small grove of trees, Astraoth and Oromius begin to set up camp, moonlight streaming through the thicket, casting pale white light upon the tiny tent used by Astraoth. A fire burns a fierce orange as Astraoth feeds it with streams of multicolored energy. Astraoth looks to the deep black night sky, a full moon hanging overhead, and a crescent moon peeking out over the horizon. Astraoth points to the crescent moon,"Hey, you can see two of the moons at once here!" Oromius chuckles to himself, responding,"Yes Astraoth, here, in this part of Fendrel, you can see more than just one of the moons." Astraoth''s eyes turn wide, and suddenly, he turns directly toward Oromius, and asks,"Dad, couldn''t you just have teleported us to our destination?" Oromius smiles and replies happily,"Yes. Yes, I easily could have teleported us." Astraoth, beginning to be annoyed, asks,"Then why did you not? If it is easy, we could save so much time." Oromius, still happily smiling, raises his eyebrow, then laughs and answers,"Because it''s much more fun this way." Astraoth looks down, frowning. Oromius looks to Astraoth, putting his hand on Astraoth''s shoulder, asking gently," Still not recovered from the broccoli spears?" Astraoth turns to Oromius and buries his head in Oromius'' breast, as Oromius wraps his hands around his son. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oromius and Astraoth awaken, the crescent moon beginning to set. Oromius cleans up the equipment and tent while Astraoth sleeps on the small wooden table usually reserved for dining. Rousing Astraoth from sleep, Oromius tosses Astraoth a chain-whip, arming himself with a wooden great axe. Astraoth, catching the chain-whip, looks around, confused. Oromius explains,"I wanted to test your ability with the whip, specifically a chain-whip, a type of weapon you have not yet used. Because you have mastered the basics of one-thousand weapons, you should be able to understand a weapon''s basic functions just from its design. Now, get ready." With a smirk of slight confidence, Astraoth leaps off the table and lands on the grove floor, readying his weapon... Chapter 12-The Light Of The Lonely Path A soft breeze flows past a giant mountain range in the early morning, the sun not yet risen. Coming to a small grove, it blows through, rustling the fine silver hair of a small boy holding a chain-whip ready in his hand, the handle resting in his right. Suddenly striking out at an old man oppositehim, the tip of the whip flies toward the old man''s face. The old man dashes backward, easily dodging the strike. Within a second, Astraoth, the small boy, retrieves the whip, and, rotating his body, lashes out at Oromius. Gathering Essence Energy, Oromius deflects the whip with a short blast, sending multicolored light soaring through the air, pushing the whip past him. Astraoth, in recovering the whip, wraps it around his left hand, using it to launch the whip at Oromius. The tip goes streaming past Oromius, easily avoided. However, Astraoth,smiling confidently, uses the handle of the chain-whip, jerking the whip downward diagonally, causing it to fly to Oromius. With merely a half-second to react, Oromius flashes forward, multicolored light streaming out behind him. Completely avoiding the whip, Oromius looks to Astraoth, smiling gently, amused. Astraoth narrows his eyes, focusing, and, coiling the body of the chain-whip around his left arm, utilizing its existing momentum, dashes backward, opening the distance between him and Oromius, stopping at seven meters apart. Essence Energy accumulating around him, Astraoth transfers the energy to the chain-whip, and, releasing the body of the whip into the air, begins to slash with the whip, sending blades of multicolored light and energy hurtling through the air towards Oromius. Oromius manifests an energy shield to block the strikes, but as the strikes arrive, Astraoth flashes forward in a blur, immediately beginning to attack the shield, lashing out to the left, transitioning to another blow as the first ends, whipping at Oromius'' right. Continuing the assault, Astraoth goes into a frenzy, his strokes getting faster, attacking from every direction, his figure beautiful; as if dancing. Finally breaking through Oromius'' shield, Astraoth rushes toward Oromius, caught in the thrill of battle. Oromius readies his great axe, racing at Astraoth, and beginning to take the initiative, Oromius smashes down with his axe, aiming directly for Astraoth. Astraoth dodges to the left, sliding over a meter away from Oromius, lashing out with his chain-whip, attempting to keep a meter of distance. Oromius projects a tiny shield and sprints at Astraoth, using the shield to block a single blow from Astraoth''s whip, predicting the strike''s trajectory. Oromius whirls the axe around at Astraoth, sending it hurtling to Astraoth''s right side. Astraoth quickly manifests a shield to block, unable to dodge. The axe slams into the shield and blows Astraoth away, the shield barely holding. Astraoth flies over two meters into the air, falling back down, shaken, but only slightly injured.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Extending a hand to Astraoth, Oromius helps Astraoth up, smiling tenderly; Astraoth, however, frowns, annoyed at his injury, complaining,"Dad, why did you have to hit me so hard?", his eyebrows knit together in frustration. Oromius calmly looks to his son and rests his hand on Astraoth''s shoulder, his eyes calm and reassuring. Oromius responds,"I did not want to injure you, but I had no choice; you were caught in lust for battle and would keep attacking unless I managed to wake you from your fervor. To that end, I had to at least deal some damage. I am glad it was not worse; it is but a minor injury." Astraoth narrows his eyes, confused. Asking,"What do you mean father? Was I not in the right state of mind?" Smiling wildly, his eyes red with blood, Astraoth continues,"My recollection is that we merely had a fine battle." Oromius rests his other hand on Astraoth''s head, attempting to calm him down, speaking slowly and deliberately,"This is exactly what I mean; you need to relax and calm down, you still have not escaped from the chaotic allure of violence. Calm down, take a deep breath." His eyes returning to their usual calm crimson, Astraoth collapses to the floor, his hands clutching his head, filled with confusion. Speaking weakly to Oromius, asking,"What happened Dad? I...I felt...odd, very, very odd. I can''t quite remember what just happened." Oromius takes Astraoth into his arms, holding him as he explains,"What happened was not unusual; people of your lineage often undergo such fits before their awakening. Don''t worry, once you learn how to wield your powers correctly, you will no longer have any more attacks. I can''t explain in detail now, but just know that after your demonic awakening, on your sixth birthday, you will no longer have to worry." Astraoth, finally calm, lets go of Oromius and stands up, replying,"Okay Dad, I will wait for answers. However, I want to find a way to control this...affliction." Oromius, also standing up, responds,"First of all, it is not an affliction, secondly, to control it, all you need to do is have complete mastery over your mind. Try meditation. Anyway, we need to pack up, you did a good job in the skirmish, but now, we have to get moving." Leaving the grove, the sun begins to rise above the heavens, and shines down upon the lonely path, the morning finally present. Chapter 13-The Town Shrouded In Mist A cluster of trees soar into the sky, tens of meters tall, bright green leaves congealing together into a glorious screen of radiant verdant light as the tips of the trees come together. Astraoth bursts through the screen, pushing through the cluster, gliding through the air. Dropping quickly after reaching the peak of his arc, Astraoth lands on a treetop, hopping from one to another, Oromius following closely behind. Astraoth speeds away, dancing on the top of the forest, looking into the stunning sunset, his figure bathed in the warmth of the evening sun. Continuing on, Astraoth and Oromius pass through the majority of the forest by nightfall, coming to a small, grassy valley, a tiny town resting in the center of its young heart. The pair stands on a cliff, overlooking the entire valley. View of the humbletown is obscured, a thick, heavy mist surrounding the village. Astraoth stands, his back to the cliff, smiling brightly, and falls back, diving downward, hurtling through the air, wind ruffling through his short silver hair. Oromius, seeing Astraoth begin his descent, leaps off the cliff, his tired eyes sparkling with joy and excitement. Reaching the township, Oromius casts a spell, and, a magic circle hovering above the tip of his index finger, starts slowing Astraoth''s descent, following by halting his own fall. Coming to rest just outside the town, Astraoth looks to Oromius, eyes wide, begging,"Please Dad... can we sleep in an inn here tonight?" Oromius raises his eyebrow, face serious, his eyes joyful, responding,"I''d rather not; I think it''d be more fun to sleep on the forest floor." Astraoth, crestfallen, replies,"Okay, I really wanted to sleep in an inn, but if I have to...I can sleep in the forest." Oromius bursts out in laughter, and, reassuring Astraoth,"Don''t worry Astraoth, we can sleep in an inn; I was just joking." Astraoth, eyes glowing in anticipation, grabs his father''s arm, and begins to pull him, begging,"Dad, let''s go! Let''s go! I want to get to the inn!" Pulling Oromius, the pair walks to the village gate, entering easily; there were no guards at the entrance.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Lanterns suspended in the air light up as the two walk by, orbs of light sweeping across the tiny village. Walking through the entire town in less than two minutes, Oromius and Astraoth come to a small inn, titled,"The Foggy Shore" Entering inside, the two are greeted with a nearly empty reception room, with only one other person in the room; a man with a slim figure and dark eyes, obscured by the room''s poor lighting. Oromius, approaching the man''s desk, calls out to the man,"You have any rooms left?" The man, turning to the back wall, responds, with a deep, gutturalvoice,"No...Indeed...We have many a room, but for you two, we have no vacancies." Oromius tries to bargain, but the man behind the desk refuses service, not even turning to look at the prospective customers. Oromius turns and leaves, Astraoth at his side. Outside the inn, Oromius looks to Astraoth, apologizing,"I''m sorry, but he refused; we cannot sleep inside the inn tonight. However, I can give you something even better; follow me." Grabbing Astraoth''s hand, Oromius leaps upward, floating softly up to the roof, landing gently, looking over the town. Astraoth, silently, sits down onto the floor, closing his eyes lightly. Oromius lay on the roof, holding Astraoth in his arms, closing his eyes to sleep. Mist gathers around the township, surrounding it completely, coiling into the sky, a pillar of white. The earth rises up around it, forming a ring around the town. Part of the mist coiling around the town drops backward to the ring of earth, dying it white. The heavens themselves split apart, and a figure clad in pale light descends down to the earth, dropping down into the center of the town. Only a single mark is left; a spiral of white and gold, with a small black triangle in the center. The mist dissipates into the air and the ring of earth retreats back. Oromius and Astraoth awaken early the next morning, jumping down from the roof of the inn, preparing to leave town. Astraoth, while leaving, notices the white spiral, and asks Oromius,"Dad, what is that... strange symbol over there?" Oromius, looking at the spiral, his eyes cold, covering a violent rage, respond quietly,"Nothing. The symbol is nothing. This town is nothing." As the pair crosses a mountain, Astraoth looks back at the lone town, shrouded in a strange mist. As he looks back, however, he sees nothing; only the white spiral is left. Turning around, Astraoth looks forward, and continues on, following Oromius. Chapter 14-An Odd Encounter, A Cloudy Sky A bleak and cloudy sky hangs overhead, imprisoning Astraoth in its pale, frigid gaze. Moving through the vast, sandy desert, Astraoth climbs over a gigantic dune, a speck in front of its size. Cloak draped around himself, Astraoth begins to dash through the desert, harsh winds blasting around him. Looking forward, Astraoth scans across the horizon, still sprinting ahead, all the while, alert and ready. Suddenly, a thick pinkish-grey claw bursts out of the sand below Astraoth''s feet, aiming for his heart. Expecting the attack, Astraoth dodges to the side, flashing around the attack, and, pulling out a small knife, stabs into the sand, two inches to the left of the base of theclaw. The animal leaps out of the sand and readies itself. The beast, standing at two meters tall, has a short torso with the knife embedded inside, two long, thin arms with spikes on the ends, and seven solid legs. Itstail, previously used to attack Astraoth, snakes around its body, and it begins lunging at the boy, using its two long arms to pierce Astraoth. Astraoth sidesteps the arm and appears at the beast''s side, pulling his knife out of the creature''s torso, leaping up high into the air, using the monster''s body to propel himself further into the air, his knife ready in reverse grip. At the peak of his arc, Astraoth curves downward, falling directly toward the animal. Slashing down with all his strength as he passes the monster''s neck, Astraoth flips, and lands solidly on the ground. Returning his knife to its sheath inside his cloak, Astraoth continues moving forward, the animal fallinginto the sand, dead. Through the haze of sand and wind, Astraoth walks on, eventually coming to a crack in the ground, three meters wide and tens of meters long. Seeing it, Astraoth smiles, his silver hair waving in the unrelenting wind. Jumping down into the crack, Astraoth prepares his knife in reverse grip, his eyes turning serious. Falling around ten meters, Astraoth lands on the hard cave floor, his eyes searching around, wary. The cave rests at ten meters tall and twenty meters wide, with a five-meter tall hole in the cave walls opposite to Astraoth. Eyes locking onto an entrance into the cave, Astraoth quickly backs away, creating three meters of distance between him and a huge hole in the cave walls. Light appears and, from the dark hole, appears an enormous white lion which towers over Astraoth at four meters tall. The great beast''s golden mane is draped over its pure white fur, which covers its entire body. The lion begins to look down at Astraoth, its golden eyes seeming to surround him, emanating power and strength. The resplendent beast approaches closer to Astraoth, standing only a meter from him, narrowing its eyes and baring its teeth as it advances. Astraoth gulps slightly, attempting to calm his nerves, tightening his grip on the small knife. Astraoth, willing himself to remain steadfast, refuses to back down, stepping forward, despite his fear. Springing into action, Astraoth dashes forward, swinging around to the left of his opponent, a blur of light. Readying himself, Astraoth leaps onto the lion''s leg, climbing higher, eventually steadying himself on the lion''s back. Sprinting forward, Astraoth arrives at the lion''s neck, bringing down his knife in a stab, attempting to slice through the mane in a single blow.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As the blade approaches the neck, however, a brilliant white pentagram appears below the lion''s feet, and flames begin to rise from it in a spiral, curling around the terrifying beast. The mane ignites in flames of a dazzling white, forcing Astraoth backward, away from the neck. Astraoth, seeing the rest of the lion''s fur ignite, gathers Essence Energy in his right hand, wrapping it around the blade, diving off the monster''s back, cutting into the beast''s flesh with his knife as he falls. Landing on the ground, Astraoth''s energy surges into the air, obscuring his figure as he retreats. Astraoth, reaching the leftmost wall of the cave, looks up, finding a small crevice five meters above him. Astraoth, filling his legs with energy, leaps into the air, grabbing onto the ledge, pulling himself up with a casual flip, landing solidly on the rock. Looking over to the lion, he sees it rushing at him, bathed in flame. Astraoth flips his knife around his hand, grasping it tightly, his body cloaked in a burst of energy. Leaping off the ledge, Astraoth streaks downward toward the lion''s head, eyes burning red. As he reaches the lion, the beast opens its mouth, revealing a pentagram, flame streaming out from it, heading directly toward Astraoth. Astraoth cuts through the flame with a swipe of his knife, and, arriving at the lion''s mouth, slice only a centimeter into its flesh, backing off the lion as he completes his cut, kicking off the lion''s face, landing on the ground in front of the lion. The monster is filled with rage, its flames soaring into the sky, drawing Astraoth''s attention upward. Seeing the cloudy white sky, even the sun blotted out by a muted white, Astraoth shakes slightly, his opponent''s aura rising higher, incomparable to before. Unaffected by Astraoth''s attacks, the lion steps forward, Astraoth, intimidated, stepping back subconsciously. Astraoth, falling from his calm state, is separated from nature, losing his enhanced awareness, unable to draw energy from his surroundings, dropping his knife into the floor. Swallowing once, Astraoth closes his eyes, trying to calm down. Opening them, his eyes are drawn to the sky, as a small patch of blue is revealed, the clouds finally parting. Looking downward, a small fold of the lion''s skin exposes the beast''s soft neck. Astraoth''s eyes surge in intensity with a burst of bright crimson light. Astraoth picks up the knife from the floor, his energy gathered on the floor, a circle of light surrounding him. Astraoth shoots out at the left, toward the ledge he used before. Leaping on top of it, Astraoth leaps from it once again, energy gathered in his feet. The lion once again races toward him, flame streaming from his mane. As Astraoth reaches the lion, he flips upside down, using his energy to propel himself downward, switching his orientation as he approaches the lion''s neck. As he speeds toward the lion''s neck, Astraoth''s energy leaks out, and a hint of red light curls up his arm, and into his knife. Accompanied by the red light, the blade easily cuts into the beast, ending its life. As the beast falls to the floor, the world turns black, and suddenly, Astraoth opens his eyes, seeing a beautiful night sky. Turning around, Astraoth sees Oromius sleeping happily in his hammock. Shaken, Astraoth looks to the sky, resolving himself, for the first time, to gain full command over his body and his mind, his will only made stronger by his lack of control. Chapter 15-The Tomb Of The Worlds Strongest Rising high into the sky, the bright golden sun paints the world in brilliant shades of light; even the cloudless blue sky seems to reflect the sand below and its hazy aurelian. A thin stone path extends from the bottom of the dunes up into the vast sky. A weak breeze flies low above the ground, rustling sand and creating a film of heat that washes across Astraoth, sand filtering through his thick silver hair. Walking slowly on the slim stone trail, Astraoth makes his way past great dunes of blinding white sand, heading toward the enormous sun, which continues rising slowly past the horizon. Oromius treks beside Astraoth, leading him forward.Reaching the top of the bend, Astraoth, finally able to see pastthe rocky pathway, scans across the desolate wasteland, spotting a colossal pyramid looming in the distance, towering over the entire desert. Astraoth pauses as he notices the titanic leviathan, looking to Oromius, and, upon seeing him nod in confirmation, continues on toward the massive goliath, increasing his pace. As they march forward, Astraoth carefully observes his surroundings, feeling uneasy despite Oromius'' presence beside him. Oromius, cognizant of Astraoth''s strange behavior, rests his hand on Astraoth''s shoulder, reassuring him gently. Astraoth takes a slow, deep breath, calming his heart and mind. Astraoth, preparing himself for arrival at the pyramid, begins to talk with Oromius, asking,"Dad, are we finally about to reach our destination?" Oromius, a wide smile on his face, responds happily,"Yes, we are finally about to arrive. However, it is your destination alone." Astraoth, confused, looks to Oromius, inquiring,"What do you mean? Aren''t we going there together?" Oromius looks to the magnificent giant hanging over the horizon, and replies,"We are traveling together to the tomb, but you will enter-and succeed-alone." Gesturing to the pyramid, still far away, he continues," This is your future. Not mine." "...I see," answers Astraoth, closing his eyes, silently preparing himself for the task ahead. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arriving at the base of the pyramid, Astraoth observes the building, finally able to see the ancient behemoth in all its glory. The monolith is a dusty yellow, with lines of pale white spiraling around its vast bed, extending to the top, a milky white peak, glorious in its beauty. Astraoth, realizing its size, is astounded; the tomb towers over even Oromius'' mansion. Standing at over one hundred kilometers tall, the edifice is immeasurably large, tens of thousands of times taller than Oromius. Even the sun''s glory is diminished in front of the immense, magnificent tomb of Dracul Mephilius. Astraoth, astonished at its size, turns to Oromius, asking,"Why did we need a map to find this if this...tomb is so large?"This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Oromius replies softly,"It''s quite simple; even though the pyramid is huge, the desert that houses it is much, much larger. Even then, this desert is small and hard to find, relative to the size of this continent cluster, and the cluster itself is already exceptionally tiny and unknown. No one would expect the resting place of such a powerful man to be in a location this remote. We needed the map to know his tomb was in this cluster, we didn''t really need the exact location." Finding the stairway leading to the entrance, Astraoth and Oromius begin the long trek up to the main hall, crossing many tens of kilometers of stairs to get to the entrance, which rests at twenty-five kilometers up the pyramid, at the quarter way-point. Arriving at the gateway, Astraoth, and Oromius stop, looking up to the massive door to the tomb, ornate and luxurious; inscribed with shining white letters carefully, the gate is gilded and aureate, crafted precisely with gold and diamond. Standing at 5 kilometers tall, the gigantic entrance was nothing short of immense in scale. Still, the passage could not be called gaudy; it was adorned with wealth, but, crafted to accentuate and enhance the imposing image of the pyramid, the gate was flamboyant in its style but impressive in its artistry. Astraoth, as he reached the base of the entrance, sits down, waiting for Oromius. As Oromius begins to rest on the floor, in the shade of the door, Astraoth starts to pelt him with questions,"Dad, can you finally tell me how you got the map, and what this ''tomb'' is? Also, can you explain who this tomb really houses-I know it is for ''Dracul Mephilius'', but I don''t know who that really is? Anyway..." As Astraoth tries to continue, Oromius cuts him off with a wave of his hand, beginning his explanation,"I found the map in the possession of a young student of the ''Golden Burning Sun'' Sect. After a short fight with a student of the ''Black Crescent Moon'' Sect, she perished, and I managed to escape the Victor. I don''t know where she got the map, but it is very likely her sect didn''t know about the tomb, and she kept it to herself, intending to reach the tomb and succeed Dracul Mephilius." Astraoth, curious, interrupts Oromius,"That''s why I wanted to know who he was..." Oromius, though, cuts Astraoth off again, annoyed at his refusal to quiet down, asking,"Then why do you keep interrupting me?" Seeing Astraoth remain quiet at his question, Oromius continues,"Anyway...I do not know who he is, not fully, but, judging by the energy left over in the note you found, and his title, I would guess that he is a very old and very powerful demon." Astraoth, finally satisfied, replies,"Okay...Then when can we start the exploration of his tomb?" Oromius responds, shaking his head,"We will not explore the tomb-you will. And you will start tomorrow." "Why tomorrow?" Astraoth complains, disappointed and annoyed, pouting. "Well Astraoth, it is quite simple- right now, it is nearly night, and I''d rather you be well-rested when starting an expedition." "But Dad, don''t demons work better at night?" Astraoth replies. "Be that as it may, we still want you to be in top condition when starting to infiltrate a tomb-especially when we don''t know the environment inside it," Oromius responds. "Fine, then I''ll go to bed." Astraoth finally begins to ready himself for sleep, tired from a very long day. Chapter 16-Descending Into The Dark, Arriving Into The Light The radiant sun rises above the horizon, golden light streaming down from the sky. Astraoth glances upward toward the top of the massive pyramid, and, seeing the sun ascend above the tip of even the imposing obelisk in front of him, Astraoth steps forward firmly, his eyes burning red with passion. Pushing open the gigantic doors of the entrance to the monument, Astraoth enters the tomb, descending down a long flight of stairs, stepping into the inky blackness below. A tap....Then another... And another. Striding through the darkness, his feet tapping on the cold stone floor as he ambles along, Astraoth sinks lower and lower into the mighty tomb. The shadows of the forgotten crypt surround him and push forward, leading Astraoth down, descending into the endless, boundless unknown.An eternity passes as he plunges into the never-ending depths of the great necropolis... Finally, a light emerges from the unending expanse of the ancient mausoleum and Astraoth steps downward, into the light. Walking into an enormous room, tens of kilometers tall, the ceiling cannot even be recognized clearly with an untrained eye. Adorned with streaks of gold and lines of soft white, the grand hall rests in its quiet majesty. Decorating the great concourse''s zenith, chandeliers of black and gold hang high above, while carpets of a radiant white line the ground, stretching over many meters. At the end of the vast corridor lies tiny translucent sphere in front of a magnificent statue, tall and noble, proud in its dignity and power. Approaching the sculpture, Astraoth observes it with a look of wonder; the effigy is incredibly lifelike, presenting a figure with unparalleled might. Standing tall, a woman with long, raven black hair and a clear crimson eye gazes down upon the world, energyemanating from her, the signof authority and command in her one eye. Her second eye rests closed, ruined with a long scar laid across it diagonally. Draped in black and purple, her presence, while elegant and mysterious, demands one''s attention and respect. Astraoth, arriving at the foot of the memorial, analyzing the statue, noticing the fine details of the piece; feeling the ancient aura emitting from the venerable relic. Looking into the one open eye of the woman, Astraoth feels her power, and prepares himself, ready for whatever may lie ahead, subconsciously recognizing and knowing that he will need that very power.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. And so, Astraoth begins by touching the small transparent orb floating in front of the statue. His hand sinks deeply into it, and a voice rings out from all around him, solemnly declaring, "You Who Strive To Inherit All I Have. Prepare To Prove Yourself. For All Of The Greatest Will Arrive, And All Have Tried. All Have Failed. You Are The One-Thousand And Twenty-First To Come. All Others Have Perished In This Tomb.Now, Come And Prove Your Will. Prove Your Strength. Become What I Could Not. Surpass All, Even The Strongest Under Heaven." As the voice ends its statement, the room begins to glow with a bright red- the white strokes lining the hall radiate a bright crimson, and the entire pyramid begins to activate. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Outside the pyramid, Oromius hovers in the air, observing, waiting for Astraoth. Suddenly, the white lines spiraling around the obelisk begin to shine a dangerous crimson and the tomb is illuminated in a burst of ruby light. As quickly as it begins, it ends, and the tomb is once again silent. Oromius nods thoughtfully, muttering,"...So, it finally begins. Is he ready? Only time will tell." Closing out his thoughts, Oromius closes his eyes, and clasps his hands tightly, saying,"...Astraoth, please survive," ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Astraoth awakens lying down in a vast forest, painted a bright violet, with vegetation growing all around. Vines of a deep purple crawl along the ground and snake up trees, helping enclose Astroth in a small grove, lined by thin indigo trees with soft blue leaves. Standing up, Astraoth looks around, noticing a bright sky, colored a brilliant ruby. Lost, Astraoth begins to observe his surroundings... Chapter 17-The Four Great Obelisks A cloud drifts through the ruby sky, a comforting amber. Arriving in front of a radiant blue sun, the world is cloaked in shadows of a brilliant, deep black. Long, soft leaves painted a brilliant violet scatter from a tree high above the ground, and land gently on the forest floor, overlooking a steep hill. A tiny shadow, landing on the tree, leaps forward, soaring into the air. Quickly, however, the shadow begins to fall downward, its momentum rapidly increasing. Landing on the hard forest floor, the shadow rolls forward, offsetting its momentum, distributing it throughout its whole body. Long, soft leaves painted an intense violet scatter from a tree high above the ground, and land gently on the forest floor, overlooking a steep hill. A tiny shadow, landing on the tree, leaps forward, soaring into the air. Quickly, however, the shadow begins to fall downward, its momentum rapidly increasing. Landing on the hard forest floor, the shadow rolls forward, offsetting its momentum, distributing it throughout its whole body. However, the shadow, not noticing the bend in the hill, starts to roll down the steep hill, speeding up drastically, unable to stop his accidental descent. Thinking quickly, the shadow uses its arms to strike the hillside, propelling itself into the air, flipping over in the air, landing on its feet. Still, the shadow is not able to stop its momentum, so instead, it uses the momentum gained to augment its descent down the hill; it slips into a smooth slide down, managing to keep control by utilizing its momentum to race downward, arriving at the bottom quickly, dusting itself off wordlessly as it arrives. The shadow, now at the bottom, looks up into the sky, seeing the golden cloud overhead as it shifts away. As the cloud high above wanders past the sun, the world is once again illuminated, and the tiny shadow''sidentity is finally revealed.The sun shining overhead once again, Astraoth''s figure is revealed, washed in the pale blue light of the sun, and, looking at the horizon, he puts his finger to his head and taps, pondering,"Hmm...it is already midday. I should probably go back and restock my provisions- if I get caught unprepared, I will die." Astraoth turns to the left, focusing, recalling exactly how to get to his cave. Gathering Essence Energy, Astraoth concentrates it into his legs, bending his knees carefully, placing one hand on the floor, and, leaning slightly forward, bursts forward silently, his figure disappearing in thefaint breeze. Dashing through the trees, hopping from one to another, Astraoth flips through the air, landing on a thick branch, stabilizing his body perfectly, crouching on the tree''s long limb, whispering,"Finally Here."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Standing up, Astraoth leans back and falls downward, transitioning into a dive mid-fall, quietly slipping into a lake below. Opening his eyes, Astraoth begins to swim deeper into the water; with a few strokes, Astraoth launches himself downward 10 meters and arrives quickly upon a small opening in the wall, sliding into it calmly, noiselessly. Pulling himself up a small ledge, Astraoth reaches his destination; a small cave, with two days'' supply of food and other small necessities. Drying off, Astaroth begins to reflect on his brief time in this world... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Astraoth, after waking up in a small forest grove, stands up, beginning to observe his surroundings, noticing much different vegetation; vines of a deep purple slither around the forest floor, thin indigo trees wearing soft blue leaves line the enclosure, and a brilliant ruby sky hangs overhead. Looking around the small grove, Astraoth hears an ancient, wise voice from all around him, "You Who Strive To Inherit All I Have, The First Of My Four Trials Shall Begin Now. I Have Brought You To My World, And Here, To Proceed To The Second Trial, You Must Unearth Four Great Obelisks And Slay The Mighty Guardians That Protect Them. You Have Four Weeks To Accomplish This Task. Now, Begin..." Chapter 18-The Depths Of The Great Lake A small cove, isolated from the world, lies peacefully in a hazy blue calm. Until the cove''s long multicolored roof, housing many long stalactites has a tiny drop of crystal water winds down a stalactite, and a single tearfalls gently onto the floor below, happening to fall directly in front of Astraoth, who, stuck in a reverie, did not notice the outside world.As the droplet scatters into specks of water, the sound of a single drop resounds throughout the cavern, awakening Astraoth from the depths of his memories. "What!...Who!?...How?" mumbles Astraoth as he resumes consciousness, looking around the room warily. Remembering where he is, Astraoth sighs,"I really need to stop doing that." He says, resuming preparation for his departure. Going around his base, Astraoth gathers small packets of food; with plants and fruits being exceedingly common, Astraoth had no problems finding sustenance in natural materials. Besides food rations, Astraoth grabbed a small pack made from vines and leaves scattered around the forest. Astraoth also collected "rope" made from vines, reinforced with some natural materials, Essence Energy, and a little ingenuity. After preparing all his equipment, Astraoth set out, crawling into the small hole he came out of, pulling himself into the water. Astraoth begins to swim as his body submerges below, into the deep blue. Propelling himself forward, Astraoth utilizes his energy to launchhimself up to the water''s surface, noticing thatlandwas only a scant few tens of meters away. As he swims front crawl rapidly toward land, Astraoth glances to the sides of the lake, noting that the furthest edges of the lake cannot be seen. Reaching land, Astraoth grabs onto a ledge and clambers up, his body soaking wet. Once firmly standing on earth, Astraoth gathers a bit of Essence Energy and filters it around his body and through his still-dripping silver hair, rendering his body-and hair-dry. Extending his gaze to the furthest ends of the lake, Astraoth runs a hand through his hair, combing it slightly to the side. Breathing out slowly, Astraoth begins the long trek around the lake, to the other side, thinking,"I finally am ready to find the Western Obelisk, the first of my conquests. After I find it, I will need to prepare to fight the guardian, which will likely be a water-based creature." Finishing assembling his thoughts, Astraoth stops smoothly, bends his knees, and crouches down slightly, spreading out his fingers on the floor. Closing his eyes, a swirl of energy starts spiraling around him, and Astraoth feels his body lighten and strength fill his limbs. Suddenly, Astraoth opens his eyes, and, stamping his foot on the floor, the swirl of energy disappears, completely absorbed into his body; lowering his body slightly, Astraoth bursts forward, leaving behind only a blurry afterimage. Racing through the forest, avoiding tree branches, leaping from the trees to stones to the ground and back, moving at over thirty meters a second all the while. A slight smile on his face, Astraothwas a blur as he advanced forward, circling around the edge of the lake, bounding forth with great speed, confidence radiating out in his style, his demeanor, as he races through the wilderness, wisps of multicolored energy trailing behind him. Eventually, Astraoth managed to sprint his way around the tens of kilometers of forest and woods neighboring the lake, finally arriving at the other side of the vast body of water. Speeding up, Astraoth reaches down, grabbing a small handful of rocks, then gathers some of the energy residing in his body, and concentrates it at the core of his legs and feet, using the energy to propel him upward via a powerful leap into the air, Essence Energy emanating off him as he travels higher. As he rockets skyward, Astraoth looks around, finding a nearby tree, and latches onto a nearby branch, then begins pulling himself to the top of the tree, starting to observe his surroundings.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Standing tall, the world opens up as Astraoth turns his head, the wind ruffling through his lustrous silver hair, and Astraoth becomes able to view the entire lake all at once. Focusing his vision on the leftmost outskirts of the lagoon, closest to himself, Astraoth''s bright eyes narrow, crimson light emanating out from his intense gaze, and Astraoth begins peering into the great reservoir from above, scanning the surface of the water. Moving his eyes across the bay, Astraoth searches for many minutes occasionally throwing a rock into key areas of the lake, sweeping his stare over almost all the lake, eventually coming to a small section of the lake, forty meters out from the leftmost edge, and decides quickly, tossing a stone directly into the center of the spot, observing the ripples spread, listening closely with his acute senses. Suddenly, he speaks, "Ahh...That must be the deepest location in all the lake. Finally, it is found." Leaping off the tree, Astraoth dives into the water easily, starting the swim to the determined spot. Reaching it quickly, Astraoth takes a deep breath, calms his mind, and dives down into the azure blue beauty below. Once submerged below the water, Astraoth opens his eyes, helping guide him into the depths of the vast basin of water. Swimming quickly, Astraoth makes his way deeper and deeper into the lake. After reaching the thousand meter mark, the water pressure became nearly unbearable for Astraoth; his organs, his limbs, his skin, all of it was squeezed and compressed to their limits. Only managing to continue thanks to a formidable natural healing ability, Astraoth was in constant pain and felt all the parts of his body pushed to the peak of exhaustion. Astraoth even felt his mind nearly black out, and only could continue on through sheer force of will- a single thought dominated his mind; ''I Must Push Through- I Must Succeed.'' This thought alone let him overcome his limits and make it to the very deepest part of the lake. At two thousand meters, Astraoth reached the bottom of the lake, but instead of a floor, he saw something much stranger; there was a floor of water, and, placing his hand on it, the water rippled, like it would if the surface of a body of water was disturbed. Desperate to escape the immense water pressure, Astraoth dived down past the floor and fled, falling into a large cavern, forty meters long and forty meters tall. Gathering all his energy, Astraoth released it in a stream of energy through his hands, pushing against gravity, slowing down his descent enough for him to land safely-albeit uncomfortably. Crashing down onto his side, Astraoth groans and pushes himself up, observing the cavern he has landed in. In the hollow, he notices a thick black chain resting on the floor of the cove, in the center. Beside the chain, however, is a gigantic beast, ten meters tall- it has pale blue skin, long purple ears draping backward, thick gray flippers attached to lengthy, equally gray arms, and four white legs, folded beneath it. Noticing the mighty creature silent and unmoving, Astraoth realizes,"It''s asleep, luckily for me. I need the obelisk, and that black chain is very likely to be the way to unearth the ancient...pillar, I guess. But to do that, I will need to defeat- and kill- that...odd thing. I can''t make it back up, so...I''ll have to do it now, but first..." Astraoth sets his bag down, pulls out the vines, takes out a couple of rations, eats them quickly, and drinks the water collected in his bag during his swim. Finally, Astraoth searches around for two thick, weighty stones, and ties two of the vines onto them, whispering,"Finally, the fun is about to begin." Chapter 19-A Fools Errand? A thick purple vine curls around a hefty gray stone, resting on a solid bed of rock beneath a ceiling of enchantingly beautiful, azure blue water. A silver haired youth stands before the vine of a vibrant violet, holding a similar contraption in his left hand. Resting his right hand on the makeshift flail before him, the youth grips the plant tightly, picking it up, shifting his gaze to an imposing figure in the distance; an immensely large beast, a strange thing, with four white legs, two gray flipper-arms, long purple ears, and unsettling pale blue skin. Standing at ten meters tall, it could only be called one thing- a monster- and attempting to kill the peculiar beast could only be called one thing- a fool''s errand. Nevertheless, the boy, Astraoth, only had one choice to make; to kill the beast, or to die trying. And, as made evident by his preparation, Astraoth chose the former. Glaring at the immense creature blocking his path forward, Astraoth begins to walk forward toward it, the vines of his makeshift flails wound around his arms tightly. His bright crimsoneyes staring intently at the monstrosity, Astraoth breaks into anall-out sprint toward the beast, ferocity radiating from his body. While dashing forward, Astraoth extends his right arm backward, releasing the vine coiled around his arm, letting the flail fully extend behind him, and, still advancing rapidly, summons Essence Energy, spiraling around his body, flowing into his whip. Suddenly, mid-sprint, only ten meters from his foe, Astraoth leaps into the air, his energy propelling him upward swiftly. Multicolored streams of energy follow Astraoth as he soars ever higher into the air, and when he begins to slow, Astraoth whips his flail skyward, launching it up to the ceiling, the bed of pure water. The tip of the flail, the stone, breaks through the roof, and the rock is soaked in water, which begins to surge downward, following along the vine, prompted by Astraoth''s Essence Energy. And, midair, Astraoth brings down his flail with all his might, and it crashes down toward the sleeping beast, with the speed of a furious typhoon and the power of a passionate tempest. Descending onto the mighty monster''s misshapen head, the creature is smashed into the floor, shrieking loudly in shock and surprise. With its cry, its pain and anger radiate throughout the room. Astraoth, falling quickly downward, shifts his trajectory slightly, managing to direct himself toward the creature''s exposed back. Falling onto the unprotected body part, Astraoth coats his left hand in energy and stabs his fingers into the skin, ripping and peeling off large sections of skin and flesh aggressively. However, Astraoth''s foe recovers quickly and begins to shake violently, and the surface temperatureof its skin lowers dramatically; in seconds, it is below zero degrees Celsius. The air around it starts to become frigid and cold; frost forms on the stone around the creature''s body. In seconds, the skin is too cold for Astraoth, and he leaps off the monster, retreating to the left, away from its line of sight. However, Astraoth''s adversary is not weak nor is it powerless, and turns its head around over one hundred eighty degrees, and stares directly at Astraoth. Lifting up its two gray arms, the monstrosity lowers its body temperature even further and disappears from Astraoth''s view. Very quickly it reappears behind him and stabs downward viciously with its left arm. Astraoth, using his enhanced senses, instantly leaps to the right as it stabs down, managing to avoid death narrowly. Landing back on the ground, Astraoth slides around to face his foe, and, retreating backward, still facing the Guardian, uncoils the other flail, and whips it around sideways. However, as the stone approaches the beast''s side, it vanishes once again and reappears next to Astraoth. Lowering its body temperature once again, to below negative eighty degrees Celsius- a cold vapor begins emanating off its body, and it rockets its arm again toward Astraoth, but this time, Astraoth could barely react in time, and couldn''t completely dodge the attack- its edge scratches Astraoth''s right arm slightly, and the scratched part of his arm begins to blue; his entire arm lowers in temperature drastically, dropping his weapon. Backing away from the monster, Astraoth gathers Essence Energy and surrounds his right in it, thawing it. Looking around, Astraoth desperately searches for anything to help; suddenly, an idea pops into his head.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Gripping his last whip, Astraoth throws it into the air, launching it upward, and summons Essence Energy, drawing on all his energy, and, with a stomp onto the ground, thrusts himself westward, towards a nearby wall. Arriving almost instantaneously at the rock, Astraoth pushes his palm into the wall, gripping the stone as his fingers dig into the smooth surface. Pushing down onto the rock, Astraoth finally releases his pent-up energy, propelling himself upward in a blaze of brilliant color, slipping his hand out of the rock as he is launched ten meters into the air. As he reaches a small ledge in the rock, Astraoth grabs onto the tiny crevice with his left hand, and, glancing sideways, his whip still in the air, Astraoth smirks cunningly. Then, twisting around, Astraoth places his feet onto the face of the rock, and lets go of the ledge, leaping sideways into the open air. Midair, Astraoth gathers his energy around his right arm, seizing his flail in his right, twists around, stretching upward toward the blue ceiling above him, the tip of his weapon, soaked in Essence Energy, piercing through the water resting peacefully overhead. Flicking his wrist downward as he falls to the floor, his flail scatters water droplets below, toward the beast staring directly up at him. The perverted monstrosity leaps up, its arms heading directly toward Astraoth. Expecting this, Astraoth brings his flail around, releasing his energy in a slash of Essence Energy fused with water; a dazzling blue stream of power heading directly at his opponent. The creature ignores the attack, still reaching toward Astraoth. With its frigid shield, the bolt of water and energy freezes as it approaches the animal. Astraoth, expecting this, flicks his weapon once again, thrusting the thin sheet of ice at the beast. The distorted monster reaches out still to Astraoth, determined to kill him; however, as Astraoth''s attack hits him, Astraoth snaps his fingers, and the Essence Energy expands instantly, exploding, sending the water around it all over the disturbing creature, soaking it in the blue liquid. Surprised, it pulls back, and Astraoth lands safely down in front of his adversary, also safe on the ground. This only lasts for a moment, though, as the water on the creature''s skin freezes on it, contorting it oddly. Smiling confidently, Astraoth whips his flail around, to his foe''s side. The beast, narrowing its eyes, slams its gray arm onto the flail, deflecting it easily; despite that, it flinches in pain, the ice frozen onto its body smashed, injuring it by pushing it inside his body. Greatly limited, the animal leaps toward Astraoth, violence in its eyes. Astraoth clashes against it once more with his whip, brought over his head in a vicious blow. Though the blow is easily deflected, the beast still is harmed, but it refuses to relent, and the enemies meet, again and again, each volley of blows more awesome and terrifying than the last. Tens of clashes later, Astraoth breathes in deeply, and decides silently,"This attack will be the last. It will end now, either in my victory or my death." Pushing himself forward, Astraoth summons up all the energy left in his body; this is not only the strongest blow he can muster, it is also the last. His reserves empty, his blood excited, Astraoth''s eyes glow with a dark, terrible power and a bright crimson light. Whipping his flail around him, Astraoth cloaks his mighty weapon in a haze of energy shrouded in the aura of violence and blood. In his final attack, Astraoth''s flail flies toward the head of his opponent. The vile beast is on its last legs, and leaps forward, its arms ready to strike. As the whip is about to hit the creature, it disappears for the final time.Striking only the air, Astraoth''s whip misses his foe. However, as the beast appears behind Astraoth, he smiles, and flicks his wrist, sending the flail circling around him. Finally releasing all his energy, the whip blazes toward its target, now unable to defend itself. Smashing into the monster''s face, its head is blown off, and it collapses down to the floor, with Astraoth following shortly after, a smile still on his face. Falling unconscious, he sleeps, till the dawn of a new day, where the seeds of a bright future lie. Chapter 20-The First Obelisk Found! A drop of water slips downward, sliding toward the ground, curling around a thin tendril of stone fixated into the uneven surface of the cave. The trickle of water flows to the bottom of the tiny pillar, falling silently, softly onto the face of a boy lying next to the small column of stone. The boy, waking up slowly, blinks his eyes tiredly as he reaccustoms himself to his surroundings. The cavern surrounding him rests calmly, disturbed only when Astraoth stumbles to his feet, and awakens fully. Scanning the tiny cove, Astraoth quickly notices the guardian''s corpse lying motionless only a few scant meters away. With unsteady steps, Astraoth walks slowly over to the beast''s remains, and, as he approaches the monster''s side, rests his hand quietly on the carcass, feeling its smooth skin. Glancing at its head, Astraoth moves towards it quickly, easily arriving at its most important appendage. Beginning to gather energy, Astraoth channels it into his hand stabs it into the beast''s still corpse, plunging into its head, and begins digging around in its skull. Eventually, Astraoth grasps onto a small sphere and rips it out, finding a tiny blue crystal radiating a soft aura in gentle waves of energy. Smiling broadly, Astraoth places the crystal in his pocket, and glances around the cave, beginning to stare at the center of the cavern, immediately dashing to the small patch of discolored rock he discovered.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Energy converging around his hand, Astraoth places it softly onto that patch of rock and drives it into the floor. The rock cracks, and as energy fluctuates around Astraoth, a thin black pole is revealed. The totem is but half a meter tall but radiates a controlled strength and reserved power. Grasping it tightly, the miniature obelisk is pocketed, and Astraoth prepares to leave the cave, staring sternly at the ceiling of water. Looking back down at the floor, Astraoth smirks confidently, closes his eyes, and rests his hand on the cold ground. Energy pulses throughout Astraoth''s body, and as Astraoth''s eyes burst open, he skyrockets into the air, streams of crimson emanating off him. Piercing through the sheet of water, Astraoth races into the pool of water, and hastily swims upward into the water. With grace, Astraoth maneuversthrough the water, darting upward quickly, subsequently arriving at the surface of the pool. Pulling himself out of the spring, Astraoth shakes the water out of his hair and begins to scan his surroundings, attempting to find the date through his surveillance. The survey soon yields results; Astraoth, carefully thinking through this situation, decides he had been unconscious for approximatelytwo days. Astraoth, determining his path to his hideout, leaps into the trees, and races back to his residency, entering quickly. After removing his old, torn clothes and changing into fresh regalia, Astraoth prepares food and supplies, readying for his next conquest... Chapter 21- Into The Storm Streaks of blue and gold lightning arc across the sky and thunder resounds throughout this gloomy land. Lying in the deep south, this area lies under constant bombardment by storm systems and dark, violent clouds blanket this land''s sky in a deep black. These clouds crackle with intense energy and generate freezing cold water, viciously sharp winds, and extreme lightning, all of which continually strike the earth below.This earth is barren and desolate after countless years of constant bombardment by unceasing storms. Even the steady downfall of rainonly hampers the growth of this cursed land, dooming it to a dismal fate. Traveling toward this endless storm, Astraoth races quickly along the harsh terrain of the plain, his eyes never leaving the center of this endless tempest. Even when lightning begins to strike the very ground beneath his feet, his gaze never wavers; he flashes from place to place, avoiding all the lightning easily, grasping a small obelisk tightly in his hand. Astraoth leaps from rock to rock, seeing the storm around him with his spirit, extending his consciousness around him with his Essence Energy. But the lightning does not halt and only becomes more ferocious as Astraoth advances further into the storm. Lightning strikes fall faster and faster as Astraoth dashes into the tempest. The wind''s edge cuts harsher and deeper with every step Astraoth takes; the earth itself hardens and sharpens, piercing into Astraoth''s bare feet even more as he unceasingly advances. The storm raging around him strengthens further until even the rain cascading down upon him is colder than ice, and freezes his skin upon contact. Eventually, the ground was soaked in rainwater, and the lightning began to strike the water, sending streams of electricity coursing throughoutAstraoth''s body constantly; every single step would bring a new challenge, and every new challenge wouldstrengthen another. Astraoth''s pain and suffering grew ever stronger under these severe conditions.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Each challenge would augment the next, leading to neverending increases in the difficulty of merely moving; electricity and ice would hamper Astraoth''s movements, leading to more lightning striking him. The wind would cut and slice his skin, leading to water freezing it, in turn opening only more vulnerabilities. Eventually, Astraoth''s entire body became numb from the pain and cold, but he refused to accept defeat, instead using his Essence Energy to warm himself, saving his life at the expense of bringing back his sense of pain. Astraoth refused to stop and he refused to give in; every injury, every wound, every ounce of pain and suffering, only furthered his resolve and only deepened the strength of his will. Astraoth''s eyes burned a bright crimson, radiating the full strength of his conviction; this unbearable hardship has not daunted him, only encouraged his growth. The ever-worsening weather only increased Astraoth''s speed, and the ever-increasing hardships only augmented his strength. Astraoth''s cultivation was far weaker than those who previously attempted the trials. His strength was far weaker than theirs'', and he was far less experienced than any of them as well.His powers were weak and fragile compared to his predecessors, whose foundations were sturdy and firm. His frame, small and flimsy, was similarly incomparable to their robust bodies. Nothing he had could compare to them in any way, save for one thing; his will was incomparably stronger than any of theirs''. This conviction, this determination, stemmed from one thing; his desire to protect his father. As Astraoth sprinted on, into a new trial, his mind filled with the memories of Oromius, and the promise he made; the promise to overcome the odds, to overcome the hardship, the promise to survive no matter the challenges he may face. Astraoth, finallynoticing the center of the tempest surrounding him, races quickly towards it, smiling slightly as he moves forward. And so, Astraoth continues onward, with a thin trail of blood streaming from his battered body, marking his path into the storm. Chapter 22-A Hint Of The Dao? The dark majesty of a violent tempest blankets the sky and emits bursts of terrifying energy, which stream down from the storm onto the earth below, scarring it with the cyclone''s endless fury. A young boy walks unceasingly toward the center of this raging hurricane, avoiding even the rain and thunder striking out around him. This boy, Astraoth, holds his eyes locked firmly on the heart of this tempest, and never removes his gaze from his goal, even as nature''s rage assaults him. Eventually, the boy reaches near the core of the storm, and as he steps into it, there is a sudden burst of energy at the hurricane''s focal point, and it explodes outward in a wall of energy, reaching to the peak of the sky. As it rushes toward Astraoth, he reacts quickly, pulling out a solid stone pole out of his cloak and stabbing it into the ground. Astraoth narrows his eyes and gathers Essence Energy, channeling it into the pole. The Essence Energy reaches the tip of the pole and expands outward, creating a multicolored shield around Astraoth. As the fierce wall of energy reaches Astraoth, it collides violently with his shield, attempting to destroy the energy opposing it. Astraoth''s body spasms under the immense pressure of the massive threat facing him. Gritting his teeth, he pushes back against the wall with his Essence Energy; however, it is still utterly dwarfed by the power of the wall. The wall begins to push back at him, even stronger than before; it even forces Astraoth''s body back, to the edge of his shield. Only by gripping onto the pole with all his strength can he stay in place, but even that stability is threatened when the pole begins to be forced backward. Astraoth struggles as intensely as he can against the wall, but its overwhelming might is too powerful. As he is overcome with fear, his consciousness starts to fade, and Astraoth closes his eyes, asking himself,"Will this be my last stand, my final moment?" But, as Astraoth is about to perish, his answer comes; a memory of Oromius fills his mind, and a single phrase reverberates through his consciousness, his very being. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Astraoth, remember this. To understand one''s self, to understand one''s environment, and to understand one''s enemy is necessary. Only through knowledge can you find the path to victory." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Astraoth''s eyes snap open, emanating a powerful crimson light, and suddenly his path becomes clear. Astraoth removes the pole from the ground and releases his control over his Essence Energy. The shield dissipates, and the energy flows naturally around Astraoth. The wall, now unchallenged, slams toward Astraoth with unrivaled force, but Astraoth simply raises his hand toward it in response. As it reaches his hand, the wavelength of Astraoth''s Essence Energy shifts dramatically, matching the wall''s energy signature perfectly. The wall harmlessly passes through his hand and bypasses his body completely. Astraoth smiles as the wall of energy races past him, and he begins to walk toward the storm''s heart once again. The storm''s focal point continues to rage violently, releasing many more walls of pure energy, and the tempest grows ever stronger. Lightning strikes become even more fearsome, raindrops grow even colder, and blades of wind slash even faster. Astraoth isn''t fazed by any challenge; however, and avoids the storm''s blasts of energy easily. Now, Astraoth quickly steps past the puddles of freezing water accumulating on the ground, dodges past the electricity coursing through the ground, and adapts his body to the cold gradually; every challenge facing him is easily bypassed. Even the walls of energy, which are even fiercer and stronger than before, are easily circumvented by synchronizing with the walls'' energy and understanding his surroundings properly. No longer can these obstacles faze him; Astraoth now walks to the heart of storm unhindered. Astraoth approaches the center of the tempest, his confidence soaring to the heavens. As he steps next to the storm''s focal point, blue and purple lightning erupt from it, condensing into a giant monster, five meters long and two meters high. It is a pegasus with deep black four-meter-long blue wings, solid purple hooves, and a stunning blue mane. Its eyes radiate an eerie purple, and violent bursts of lightning and dark energy surround it. The pegasus stands tall, emanating a sinister, yet powerful majesty. Astraoth''s crimson eyes match the pegasus'' cold gaze; he pulls out his stone pole. and readies himself for a fierce battle. Suddenly, Astraoth sprints into action, racing toward the monster, the violent thunderstorm surrounding him foreshadowing a terrible and earth-shattering battle. Chapter 23-The Second Guardian Defeated! Thunder resounds throughout a dark and stormy sky, concealing beneath a violent and explosive battle. Astraoth, fighting under this vast tempest, thrusts a gray stone pole swiftly at the terrifying monster opposite him. The black Pegasus meets his weapon with a vicious charge forward. As the polearm approaches, it is blocked by a shield of dark energy surrounding the beast, and the Pegasus continues its charge toward Astraoth completely unharmed. Astraoth is unsurprised and dodges his foe''s lightning-fast charge. After his dodge to the right, Astraoth whips his pole at the Pegasus, aiming to hit its side. As the polearm is about to strike its body, the Pegasus dissipates into a storm of blue and purple lightning bolts, rematerializing on the other side of Astraoth. As it reappears, the beast launches a flurry of lightning bolts at Astraoth, streaming from its sparkling blue wings. As Astraoth notices the barrage of electricity rushing at him, he slams his pole on the floor, infusing it with Essence Energy. Astraoth quickly rockets upward in a stream of light, avoiding the lightning below him. As he falls rapidly toward the ground, Astraoth pushes the air to his right with Essence Energy and flies toward the Pegasus at his left. Astraoth, as he descends toward the Pegasus, slams his pole at the beast, but as he is about to strike it, the Pegasus disappears in another storm of lightning. Still in the air, Astraoth flips around, and finds the Pegasus above him, surrounded by a spiral of darkness and electricity. Astraoth reacts instantly, channeling his Essence Energy to his feet, and releasing it from them in a burst of light, rocketing him away. The Pegasus descends rapidly, attempting to trample Astraoth underneath its hooves, but Astraoth''s maneuver saves him. Quickly, Astraoth flips onto his feet, stabilizing his position on the ground. The Pegasus, as it lands on the ground, flaps its wings powerfully, and launches itself into the sky. As it reaches the focal point of the storm, the Pegasus begins to gather its energy into itself, forming a cocoon of raw energy around its body. After accumulating a gigantic mass of energy around it, the Pegasus launches it outward, sending tens of thousands of bolts of energy flying in all directions. Seeing this, Astraoth closes his eyes and expands his consciousness outward, remaining motionless as the bolts of energy approach. The bolts of energy become so numerous that they cloud the sky with their mere shadows. If Astraoth were to open his eyes, his entire field of view would be stained a bright blue by the energy bolts. But still, Astraoth''s eyes remain firmly closed, even as the energy bolts surge toward him with lightning speed. Only when the first bolts are less than a meter from him does Astraoth move; as it rockets at his face, Astraoth slightly tilts his neck, sending the energy bolt whizzing by. Astraoth still barely moves as the mass of energy bolts become ever closer, only swaying his body slightly to avoid the attacks. Eventually, Astraoth begins to walk slowly forward, still swaying his body slightly. With only Astraoth''s small movements, the bolts of energy miss him entirely, unable to even scratch him. Astraoth slowly advances toward the Pegasus, untouched by any of its attacks. Seeing this, the Pegasus screams violently and explodes its energy outward, launching it all at Astraoth. Still, Astraoth easily avoids all its attacks with only the slight sways of his body. The Pegasus, having expended all its energy, stops its barrage. Astraoth quickly approaches the Pegasus, swiftly reaching its cocoon, and as he does, Astraoth''s eyes snap open, revealing two bright crimson eyes. As Astraoth''s eyes open, he leaps into the air, releasing his Essence Energy, simultaneously pulling out his stone pole. The Pegasus flies at him quickly, darkness spiraling out from its sinister purple eyes. As the Pegasus arrives, charging at him, Astraoth thrusts his pole downward, using his energy to propel himself upward, dodging the beast''s charge.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Astraoth, seizing the Pegasus'' moment of weakness, gathers his Essence Energy into his pole and launches it downward, and it streaks downward like a thunderbolt, reaching the Pegasus almost instantly. The Pegasus, once again, dissipates into a storm of electricity, and reappears ten meters away, unharmed. Astraoth falls back down, landing softly on the pole, now stuck deep into the ground. Astraoth leaps into the air again, directly at the beast, and the Pegasus returns in kind. Astraoth gathers his energy into his fingertips, and as he reaches the beast, he propels it outward in a burst of raw energy, sending it directly to his foe. The Pegasus disregards it, and as the energy beam approaches, it is deflected by its shield of dark energy. Astraoth, focusing on the beast, notices that immediately before its shield activates, the Pegasus pulls energy from the massive storm system surrounding it. As Astraoth lands on the pole once more, he has an epiphany, suddenly realizing how to defeat his opponent. Astraoth extends his hand upward, closing his eyes, and relaxing his body fully. His consciousness is extended from his body, reaching up to the immense tempest raging overhead. Astraoth, his spirit relaxed, feels the darkness of the storm, and it naturally begins to gravitate around him. As Astraoth''s consciousness grasps the storm''s enormity, dark energy starts to converge around Astraoth. Within half a minute, the entire storm starts to gather around Astraoth, forming into a massive spiral of dark power. The Pegasus reacts quickly, beginning to gather the storm''s energy for itself, but only manages to attract lightning energy. It still, however, creates another spiral in the sky. Quickly, the storm''s energy is split into two, and the sky is split down the middle by two gigantic masses of energy, one of darkness, and one of lightning. Astraoth, after fully absorbing half of the tempest''s energy, feels his body''s meridians expand under the raw pressure, but his powerful body can handle the immense stress of the energy, though only for a short period of time. Noticing the amount it taxes his body to maintain this state, Astraoth acts immediately and leaps with his full strength into the air, rocketing towards the Pegasus with frightening speed, darkness spiraling around him. The Pegasus responds in kind, and flies directly at him, lightning trailing from it. The two rapidly approach each other, but when Astraoth is about to meet the beast, he punches upward using a burst of dark energy to swiftly descend, while simultaneously obstructing the Pegasus¡¯ vision with darkness. Astraoth fires a bolt of dark energy from his feet as the Pegasus continues toward his previous position. This propels him quickly upward, directly into the vulnerable stomach of the Pegasus. Astraoth gathers all his energy in his right hand, raising his left hand to strike at the beast. As Astraoth is about to strike the beast, it disintegrates into sparks of electricity, and reappears at Astraoth¡¯s right, away from both him and his cloud of darkness. Astraoth smiles and sends a massive bolt of darkness at the Pegasus, which explodes into waves of dark energy that bombard the Pegasus. It attempts to use its shield to guard but has no remaining darkness energy. Immediately, it transforms into lightning and flees. The Pegasus, attempting to flee, uses its wings to fly swiftly away. However, Astraoth summons his energy and utilizes a sudden burst of energy to advance rapidly on his foe. As he catches up to the beast, he descends quickly, launching a massive bolt of energy at the Pegasus. The Pegasus avoids his attack with a flap of its wings, falling backward. Astraoth suddenly uses a burst of energy to halt his forward momentum, and he summons the rest of all the darkness energy he gathered, creating a field of darkness around the Pegasus. Astraoth descends onto the beast, and punches in its head with all his strength, bruising it, and causing it to bleed. The beast attempts to escape with its lightning, but cannot in a field of pure dark energy-there is no medium for the current to travel to. Astraoth begins to infuse his Essence Energy into his fists and strikes it over and over again, hundreds, thousands of times. The Pegasus screams and roars and wildly rampages, in a desperate attempt to escape, to survive. However, the beast, despite all its attempts to escape, eventually falls under Astraoth¡¯s fists, and the two start to fall to the ground, the Pegasus¡¯ wings no longer able to keep them afloat. Soon, the Pegasus'' dead corpse begins to fall at a rapid pace, nearing the ground quickly. Astraoth barely slows his fall with the last of his energy, and the corpse slams into the ground viciously; Astraoth hardly managing to survive, his organs shaken and disrupted. He tries to dismounts the horse but immediately falls to the ground exhausted, collapsing weakly. He falls asleep once more, until his energy is restored, until morning arrives once more. Chapter 24-A Fleeting Sense Of Peace... The deep black of a violent storm paints the sky in the colour of a dark shadow. Sleeping on the ground far beneath this tempest is a small boy, collapsed on the corpse of a Pegasus long since dead. Slowly the storm dissipates, over two days and nights, and finally, when the black is washed out from the heavens, the boy begins to wake. This boy, Astraoth, opens his eyes to a boundless red sky, finding himself in the same position as when he first collapsed. Rubbing his eyes, Astraoth sits up, looking around at his surroundings, slightly shaken by the significant change in scenery. Still, Astraoth quickly regains a grasp on his location, and ponders,"Hmm...The sky is now red again, but the ground is still dry and desolate. If I am in the same area, which I very likely am, then the storm likely dissipated after I killed the Pegasus, and thus, the second obelisk should be here." Astraoth quickly gets to his feet, patting the dust and dirt off his clothes, which are now stained a dusty gray. Astraoth looks to the dead Pegasus and coats his hand in Essence Energy, stabbing it into the beast''s skull. Quickly, Astraoth pulls out the Pegasus'' beast core, finding a small black sphere pulsing with blue and purple energy. Astraoth places the beast core next to the first and begins to extend his consciousness outward, searching for the next obelisk. His mind is drawn to the former focal point of the storm, where the Pegasus first emerged from. Astraoth stumbles over there, still sore from fighting so hard, and creates a small ball of Essence Energy in his palm. Placing his palm on the ground, Astraoth sends the energy into the ground, and it resonates with the obelisk deep in the ground. It is forced out and appears in front of Astraoth, and is, like the first, a half-meter tall. It radiates a quiet aura, and Astraoth grabs it tightly in his hand, readying himself to leave. Astraoth looks to the horizon and, unable to distinguish one part of the land from the next, attempts to sense which direction he came from. Focusing his mind, Astraoth feels a remnant of his aura left behind in the west, to his left.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Astraoth quickly whips around to face the west, closing his eyes softly. Breathing in sharply, Astraoth''s eyes snap open, and Astraoth sprints forward in a burst of speed, rushing quickly toward his temporary home. Astraoth rushes past the desolate land of the south, passing through land worn and battered by wind, rain, hail, ice, lightning, and unceasing storms. Astraoth''s mind wanders as he runs to his safe haven, thinking,"This land is, for the most part, barren and lifeless, but with the storms finally ending, perhaps life could reawaken someday...But regardless of this land''s situation, I need to get to my shelter." He continues on, past the south, and arrives eventually into the west, with abundant life and vegetation. Eventually, Astraoth comes at the same small gorge he first arrived at when he was transported to this world. Astraoth begins to contemplate his time spent in this western land, since he first arrived in this beautiful land, with its ruby sky, blue sun, and auroral violet plant life. He recalls how he felt when he first came to this land, reminiscing,"When I first arrived here, I was stunned by this land''s flamboyant colours and vibrant beauty...Its brilliance was simply astounding. And now that I''m back, I feel it again. This feeling of peace." Shaking his head, Astraoth tries to refocus,"I must not be distracted. This peace is wonderful, but peace cannot save my life in this cruel world of mine. Once I pass this trial, once I survive and grow strong, I can enjoy peace all I want, I can enjoy life all I want. Now, I must go and prepare. My next battle awaits." And so, Astraoth forces himself to leave the beauty of life and the comforts of peace he enjoyed so dearly. He begins the rush to his shelter, the rush to ready himself for his next battle, not knowing that his troubles, his battles, were only just beginning, not knowing that the peace he so desperately craved, the peace he so desperately loved, would not be his for a very long time to come... Chapter 25-The Land Of Flame Light falls gently onto the ground, painting the entrance of a small cave in brilliant shades of gold. Orange hues colour the landscape beside it, transforming the trees and grass and sky into a rare calm. Inside that cave, a young boy sleeps quietly, resting in the center of this tranquility. Eventually, the boy opens his eyes but lays still, immersed in the world surrounding him. This peace, ultimately, cannot endure forever, as the boy stands up to start his quest. Gathering up his items, and grabbing a small wooden cane, the boy leaves his home, beginning the journey east, to the land of his next conquest. In the land of the east, massive volcanoes tower over the land, spewing out gigantic bursts of smoke and flame, which scatter across the land, forming small pockets of magma throughout the east. These pockets spew magma and ash out constantly, creating a seriously demanding land to traverse. In the center of the east lies the tallest mountain of all, towering over all its brethren. Its mere shadow is marked by kilometers of darkness, and the behemoth''s summit reaches to the edge of the heavens themselves, with wisps of smoke and flame streaming out of its peak endlessly, foreshadowing a violent eruption. Astraoth, even at the edge of the east, has the mountain dominate his view; even the other volcanoes, mighty as they may be, pale in comparison to its peerless majesty. But Astraoth, as he steps into the east, is forced to shift his focus elsewhere; the land is swelteringly hot, with the air reaching temperatures easily over two-hundred degrees Celsius. Even discounting the heat pressuring Astraoth immensely, bursts of magma and flame stream out endlessly around him, forcing Astraoth to maintain his guard constantly. Astraoth closes his eyes, calming his heart and mind, and begins to expand his consciousness outward, reaching two meters out in all directions. As his eyes snap open, Astraoth begins to sprint forward, immediately aiming for the center of the east, sprinting toward the volcano dominating his view. The violent explosions and outbursts of lava around Astraoth do nothing to faze him, as Astraoth calmly avoids it all, his gaze steady, set firmly on the volcano in his view. Eventually, Astraoth arrives at a river of magma, of liquid stone and immense heat. This river, hundreds of meters long and forty meters wide, is far too large to leap over or cross normally. This, however, still doesn''t bother Astraoth, as he pulls a small pale blue bead from his clothes. This sphere pulses with cold and frigid air, with swirls of icy energy misting around it. Astraoth crouches down near the riverbed, channeling energy into the blue stone. Reaching out his hand near the river of magma, the frigid white energy streaming from the blue sphere freezes the river quickly into stone once more.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Astraoth smiles gently and begins his walk across the river of lava, with it freezing under his feet, as the blue stone emits streams of icy energy. The river is crossed soon, and Astraoth looks up to the mountain, still commanding his attention. The vast distance between them becomes evidently clear, and it is plagued by similar vats of lava, pockets of violent magma, and weak footing. Astraoth''s gaze does not waver and only strengthens as the difficulty becomes more and more apparent. Astraoth closes his eyes once more, relaxing completely, fully merging into his environment. His eyes slowly open, and Astraoth begins to walk leisurely forward. All the lava flying through the air is avoided, the rivers are passed through, and the rock below him is willed to harden, and Astraoth passes through all of the difficult terrains of the east while his gaze is still focused solely on his next conquest. Astaroth soon approaches the mountain he seeks, halting as he reaches its base. The volcano''s raw scale astounds him; words are simply not enough to describe such a sight. At over twenty kilometers high, it''s shadow stretches over the east. Astraoth''s calm countenance is finally disturbed, as his eyes widen slightly, daunted by the task of scaling such a beast. No path up the mountain exists, and it is far to steep to run up; the only option is to scale the side by climbing it. Astraoth sighs, thinking,"Really? I have to do this? I never knew mountain climbing would be necessary to gain this power...Regardless, I have no choice now; I''ve got to climb this, and quick." Astraoth begins the climb up the mountain, digging his fingers into the rock, and pulling himself up painstakingly, inching his way up the volcano. With no gear to support him, the climb is miserable, with the heat increasing rapidly as Astraoth ascends closer to the summit. Astraoth''s clothes become soaked with sweat, his eyes blurred by the heat, as he struggles up kilometers of harsh terrain. For hours on end, Astraoth is forced into this hellish ascent, only finding respite in short breaks on his way up. But these breaks cannot stop the sweltering heat or lengthy climb, and though Astraoth is immensely tired and exhausted by the time he reaches the top, he still reaches the peak. Moving to the edge of the summit, Astraoth is overcome with a wave of satisfaction. Looking over the east, the towering mountains and endless streams of lava lose their danger, and they blur into the red sky looming overhead until both the Heaven and Earth are painted in a haze of orange and red. This momentary peace is broken, however, when a shocking roar emanates from the mountain, and the summit explodes with a blur of red and black magma. Flames erupt outwards, and from the depths of the volcano streams magma and flame, with a deep rumbling foreshadowing a true monster''s awakening... Chapter 26-An Absolute Defeat!? Smoke drifts aimlessly into a red sky, marked only by dark clouds of soot and ash slowly wandering across. Ash hangs in the air, eventually falling gently onto the terrified face of a young boy. Astraoth, still standing near the summit of the central volcano, stares blankly at magma and ash streaming constantly out of its peak, frozen in fear at the massive energy lumbering just beneath the volcano''s surface. The soft rumbling grows ever more fearsome until it seems to shake the entire mountain range, spreading throughout the entire east. Astraoth begins to back away from the volcano''s summit, a deep feeling of dread permeating through his entire body. But he is too late- the volcano''s peak erupts in a sudden burst of energy, exploding magma and flame into the air. From the volcano''s innermost depths emerges a leviathan. With a flat head, massive hands, and a mass of flame and magma taking place of legs, it looks like a giant coated in liquid rock. Its body is a dull brown, with streaks of crimson red energy pulsing through its body. Standing at over twenty meters tall, it dominates the peak, with glowing red eyes of flame staring intently at Astraoth. Astraoth, realizing its stare is directed at him, feels his legs go soft; he instinctively realizes he is no match for the beast in front of him. He trembles, thinking,"How powerful is this monster...The Pegasus was strong...But with this size, just how much stronger could it be?" The Flame Demon swipes its hand downward, sending tons of magma and rock flying through the air as it crashes into the ground. Astaroth''s vision is blanketed by stone and lava exploding toward him. Astraoth steels his nerves as he dodges the assault, narrowly avoiding the masses of lava as they pelt the ground beside him. Astraoth focuses on the Flame Demon as it continues to launch attacks at him, sending tons of stone and rock hurtling toward him. Astraoth bypasses these obstacles with ease as he expands his consciousness outward, harmonizing with his environment as he rushes toward it. The onslaught of flame and magma and rock doesn''t faze Astraoth and is dodged easily, as Astraoth prepares his first attack. Pulling out his wooden pole, Astraoth gathers Essence Energy, channeling it quickly into the polearm. Arriving at the Guardian, Astraoth leaps into the air, reaching ten meters swiftly. The pole strikes out, launching a slash of multicoloured energy at the giant. The Flame Demon turns around, absorbing the slash with ease, and slaps its hand out towards Astraoth. Astraoth, seeing the hand racing at him, jabs his pole outward, using the Essence Energy expelled from it to fly backward, attempting to evade the hand. Astraoth manages to avoid most of the hand, but the tip of his pole touches the beast lightly.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Astraoth lands quickly on the ground, tossing the pole away as it begins to melt, the lava from the beast''s hand already beginning to destroy Astraoth''s weapon. The Guardian looks down at Astraoth, with smoke and ash twisting around its massive body as it towers over him. The beast lifts its two hands and brings them together, forming a small circle with them. Immediately, the volcanoes throughout the east begin to erupt simultaneously, sending enormous amounts of magma and flame into the air. This lava twists around the central peak, converging around the Flame Demon. As its eyes glow a dark red, the lava is launched at Astraoth, covering the sky with its attack. Astraoth raises his guard, channeling his energy into the blue sphere in his clothes. Wisps of icy blue energy curl around Astraoth and converge into a hazy shield around his body, solidifying into a blue sphere around him.Tons of magma and flame and rock assault the shield endlessly, as the Guardian continues its ruthless attack. This shield neutralizes the heat and manages to hold under the barrage; however, Astraoth is still pushed back and is sent flying away from the mountain, overwhelmed by the assault of the Demon. The colossus of flame turns its head slightly as Astraoth is launched away, and releases the rest of the lava and rock gathered around him, launching it outward in all directions. Even the sky is obscured by the sheer scale of its attack, and it collapses back into the volcano under it, its assault finished. Astraoth, now speeding toward the ground, whips his head around toward the Demon as it descends back into its lair. As Astraoth accelerates toward the ground, he looks upward, turning downward as he grimaces at his precarious situation. Astraoth channels his energy into the bead, offsetting his downward acceleration with a slight upward propulsion. His shield glows with a frigid light as it brightens with intensity, growing in strength as Astraoth desperately injects energy into the icy blue bead. Astraoth crashes to the ground only moments later, sliding through the dirt and rock as he slows down. Eventually, Astraoth stops entirely, with his shield still intact. But then, the thousands of tons of magma and rock and stone smash into the ground, covering the east in layers of liquid stone. Only a small fraction lands onto Astraoth''s shield, but the weight and immense heat cause Astraoth to struggle under even such a tiny amount. The lava doesn''t cool quickly; the heat of the east prolongs its existence. Slowly, it begins to cool, and Astraoth waits for the magma above him to cool; seconds turn into minutes, and minutes flow into hours as Astraoth waits until he can safely leave. Eventually, the lava cools, and Astraoth releases a small burst of energy, forcing the dried magma off him, and dissipating his shield, standing up to survey the scene. Looking out over the east, all Astraoth can see is utter devastation, thinking,"This destruction...This power...I have no chance against this." His vision is filled with giant craters and pockets of bubbling magma, with every inch of ground in sight burned black by the Demon''s single attack.Astraoth swallows silently, turning to walk back to his home as he ponders his absolute defeat. Chapter 27-The First Step? A red haze fades into a soft blue sky, as a faint rain pours down from the heavens. A boy walks alone, surrounded only by the weight of his thoughts, as this rain floods him with the memories of his failure, still lingering in his mind. This walk is slow and aimless, yet he arrives at his house with the sky still in a perpetual gloom. The boy steps into the house weakly, his mind stuck in a nebulous fog, permeating through his consciousness. He stumbles around, attempting to take off his clothes, burnt and destroyed by flame. The boy barely succeeds, the outside world obscured by the staggering pressure weighing him down. The boy turns weakly to the wall behind him, and in its inky blackness, he sees the devastation caused by the Demon. The boy shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the terror surfacing every time he is reminded of the leviathan''s monstrous power. But the fear...the more he ignores it, the more it grows. The boy walks through a small opening in his home and comes to a tiny pool of water, enclosed by the rocky walls of his cave. The boy climbs in and closes his eyes as he attempts to relax. For a short moment, he does...But the peace of the cave doesn''t last, as the boy''s eyes snap open, filled with anxiety and a lingering feeling of dread. The dark colours and distant contours of the cave ceiling paint the face of the Demon haunting him, in the shades of a deep, unsettling fear. The boy attempts to close his eyes, to turn away from the monster, from the fear in front of him. But the Demon cannot be avoided, and the boy finds himself unable to look away, as the monstrosity in front of his eyes advances closer...closer...closer...until it suddenly stops.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The beastly figure dissipates into a current of air, which lifts the hazy mist clouding his mind, as the boy''s mind is filled with the comfort of a single memory, reverberating throughout his very being... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sun hangs low, painting the horizon in hues of yellow and orange. This sky surrounds a man and a boy, sitting together, staring at the sunset. The man turns to the boy and says,"Astraoth, when you find a challenge, a fear so profound and terrifying you seem to have no way to survive under its gaze, remember this: A fear in the present, no matter the strength, no matter the potency, is limited to the present. A fear in the past can never be overcome, and you will never surpass that fear, not truly, if you cannot face that fear in the present." As the sun fell below the horizon, and the world was coated in shadow, Oromius told Astraoth the few words he would always remember, and said,"To survive...To be the man I know you will be, you must confront your fear, for only then can you surpass your limits, and become the man I see in you now." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That memory resounds throughout the boy''s mind as he confronts the demons he once ignored,"I refuse to let someone else decide my feelings. I refuse to let someone else defeat me like this. I refuse to let someone else decide my fate...I will rise up. And I will NOT lose anymore..." Astraoth''s eyes snap open, emanating a beam of crimson light, as his body is filled with energy, with confidence. Astraoth turns to face the Demon once overlaid upon his ceiling, and gazes back at his fear, his terror, with the steadfast conviction of a man, of a legend in the making... Chapter 28-Unstoppable. The sky is painted in a dark red terror; the ground beneath lies scarred and blanketed in ash as a figure strides forth through this desolate landscape, unhindered and unafraid. His eyes are locked firmly on the center of this land, on the peak of the tallest mountain, on his next target. With each step, the charred and ruined land beneath him seems to tremble intangibly. As this figure advances, with each step, with each stride, the very air around him warps and twists to his will. The volcano that once towered over all this land seems to shrink back at his very presence. This figure''s cloak streams past him, revealing his face...and his boundless crimson eyes. Astraoth steps forward, only a pace away from his target: the volcano at the center of the east, the volcano at the center of this broken land. His eyes brighten with an otherworldly crimson, and energy twists around him, lifting the boy gently off the ground. Astraoth''s gaze shifts upward slightly, and he rockets into the air, racing up the volcano''s side. In mere minutes, Astraoth reaches the top and scans across the summit, awaiting his prey''s arrival. Suddenly, a burst of flame explodes out of the volcano''s peak, revealing a colossal figure, a true Flame Colossus. With magma and pillars of flame curling around the giant, its terrifying aura permeates throughout its domain. As the Demon''s energy sweeps across him, Astraoth closes his eyes softly... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "How can I defeat this monster, this demon?" ..."How did I defeat the others?" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oromius hovers quietly outside the tomb, desperate for Astraoth''s success. "Astraoth...Remember your birthright, remember your inheritance...Remember, you are heir to the Demon King and among demons, you are Supreme; among demons, you are Unstoppable." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Astraoth''s eyes snap open and his face twists into a vicious smile and a massive wave of bloodlust radiates from him, causing the very air around him to warp and distort in his wake. Astraoth''s eyes shift slightly upward and he stares at the Flame Colossus, his feet lifting slightly off the ground as his eyes once again glow with an eerie crimson darkness.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The giant launches a mass of magma and flame at Astraoth, releasing his demonic power to its fullest as it begins to gather power from the surrounding volcanos. Astraoth''s cruel smile distorts even further as he feels a power awaken from deep within, responding to the waves of demonic power surging from the Flame Colossus. The giant barrages Astraoth with enormous balls of magma teeming with demonic power. One especially large ball appears near Astraoth, and as it arrives only centimeters away from his face, it stops instantly. Astraoth pulses with a crimson energy and all of the Flame Colossus''s attacks halt instantaneously. Astraoth stretches his arms out as his cloak streams out behind him, his eyes flashing with a devilish light. "You, my large, large friend, are a very powerful demon indeed. Even while restricted so heavily, you still nearly managed to kill me. But you made a mistake. See, I may be young, and my true form may be sealed, and I may not even know what I really am...", Astraoth remarks, his face darkening,"But among demons, I reign supreme; among demons, I am Unstoppable." The demonic power swirling around the Flame Colossus is suddenly dispersed and it begins to flow to Astraoth, creating a pillar of fiery energy around the boy. The balls of magma Astraoth halted suddenly start to move again, but this time, they rocket toward the Flame Colossus. The demon raises two hands of lava from its home inside the volcano and sends streams of magma to meet the balls flying at it. They collide, and the balls of lava are swallowed by the Flame Colossus'' attacks, and they splash to the ground as their momentum wanes. The giant collects lava from the volcano below but fails to launch any powerful attacks as Astraoth siphons off its energy. Astraoth rises further off the ground as he collects more power, with flame and lightning forming around him as an immense amount of demonic power swirls around him. The dark power deep inside his body permeates throughout his being and Astraoth''s instinct takes over; soon his mind is lost... Suddenly, Astraoth rockets forward, arriving at the Flame Colossus in an instant. He reaches his hand out slightly and touches the Flame Colossus gently. The remaining power on its body parts and Astraoth''s hand begins to drain the demon''s remaining energy. As Astraoth waves his hand to the right, the Flame Colossus''s very body breaks apart to follow, with part of massive amounts of magma forming its body ripped off. Astraoth reaches forward once more, his eyes now dyed a deep crimson and he radiates a dark power; the Flame Colossus''s body twists and contorts to Astraoth''s will, revealing a dark red crystal core inside. The core floats gently to Astraoth''s hand, as the Flame Colossus looks on in horror. As Astraoth grasps the core for the first time, he smiles a cruel, vicious smile as he slowly shatters the crystal as the light in the Colossus''s eyes fade away. When the core is completely shattered into pieces, Astraoth flips his hand over and watches as the remnants of the Flame Colossus fall to the ground and disperse in the wind, never to appear before mortal eyes again. Astraoth gently floats to the ground. The mysterious power taking over his body and filling his mind fades away, and Astraoth falls to the ground, having finally awakened part of his true power. Chapter 29-Newfound Power?! The Third Obelisk Found! The east...Once it was terrifying. Its red sky bled into the nightmares of men and its landscapes were charred and ashen and hellishly violent. Once a Colossus, a true behemoth of flame and magma ruled over this hellscape. But he no longer lives; the red sky has faded into gray, the landscape is lifeless and barren, and the heat that gave this land life has fled. On the tallest peak of this soon-forgotten land lies a boy submerged in dreams. He is the one who changed this land, and he is only one who will remember it. Astraoth awakes as the first dawn arrives; light pours out and welcomes Astraoth. It grasps his body and mind and steeps his life in the relaxing ideal of peace. The demonic power deep within hides from Astraoth''s gaze; whether conscious or unconscious, the power that destroyed the Colossus sleeps still, even as Astraoth awakes to day. Looking out over the valley below, the everpresent heat that once tormented Astraoth is entirely gone. All the violent and aggressive energy drawn to the Flame Colossus has dissipated with its untimely demise. The valley is blanketed in a soft gray, but the sun''s glorious light paints the valley in a warm gold. Astraoth raises his eyes to meet the sun''s bright gaze. Though the intense light nearly causes Astraoth to avoid its stare, Astraoth greets the sun directly. The light bores into Astraoth''s soul but it does not hurt; it surrounds Astraoth in the passionate embrace of acceptance. Though Astraoth may not understand all of himself, the sun accepts all of him. But Astraoth eventually turns away from the sun, to see for himself what he did once he lost consciousness. Astraoth begins to draw on his memories,"I remember drawing on the Colossus'' demonic energy and feeling an...echo resound throughout my body. Something awakened from deep inside but...I don''t know what it did." Astraoth continues, "I have never forgotten anything like this before...What exactly did I do?". Astraoth looks to the location he first saw the Colossus at, noticing an odd swirled pattern in the floor. "This...These are not scorch marks but something else entirely. Demonic energy markings, perhaps? Hmm...Whatever the case, I know I used the Colossus'' demonic energy, and with that, I likely would have controlled the flow of lava infused with it. To use its demonic energy freely, the Colossus must have been a mature demon, so it must have had a demonic core. Could I have used the flow of its demonic energy to seize its core directly?"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Regardless, I have defeated the third Guardian, and I am now almost done with the first trial. All I have left for now is the fourth guardian to the north. But first...", Astraoth turns his head slightly, to the volcano''s peak, and its open chamber, which formerly housed the Flame Colossus. Pressing his foot firmly into the rock beneath his feet, Astraoth steps forward, dashing to the summit. In a flash, Astraoth arrives at the opening to the volcano''s inner chambers, still filled with lava. Astraoth looks down at the tons of magma flowing beneath his feet and smiles. He pulls out a small sky blue bead, channeling massive amounts of energy into it. A small shield of icy blue energy forms around him and Astraoth plunges into the depths of the volcano. Astraoth''s shield repels the magma around it, allowing him to traverse through the volcano''s depths with ease. Astraoth wades deep into the volcano, swimming down further and further into the abyss. He closes his eyes as he reaches one hundred meters under the lava''s surface, extending his consciousness outward in his search for the third obelisk. As his consciousness expands outward to thirty meters, Astraoth finds the obelisk; in the deepest cavern of the volcano lies a small notch on its wall, and the third obelisk rests there. Astraoth''s eyes snap open, and his eyes lock on the totem. He uses a burst of energy to rocket himself there, and in mere seconds Astraoth arrives at the wall concealing the totem. Astraoth waves his hand, brushing past the obelisk; the layers of dust and rock covering the totem break apart, following the waves of energy left by Astraoth''s hand. The obelisk is revealed, and Astraoth grasps it in his hand, exiting the volcano in a blur of motion with a slight smile. Entering the open air, Astraoth rises into the sky, bursts of magma and flame swirling around him as he rises up. Astraoth looks down at his right hand, a smile curling upward as Astraoth realizes his newfound power. The blue energy shield protecting him fades away as Astraoth steps forward, using a small burst of energy to propel himself forward, past the volcano''s peak. Astraoth begins free-fall, releasing multicolored Essence Energy as it curls and streams outward behind him. Smiling once more, Astraoth rockets to the ground, beginning the hunt for his next target. Chapter 30-The Dao Resurfaces!? Desert winds drift aimlessly through endless sands; across the horizon stretches only the boundless sands of time. The cloudless sky hangs low, painted in the hazy amber of past days. Beyond the countless dunes of sand, beyond the lonely desert winds lies a truly ancient demon. Its fossilized skeleton dominates the sky of this desert. Its ancient bones are colored a dark gold by time''s ceaseless advance. But no amount of time dulls this demon''s presence; even as merely a skeleton, it reaches into the sky with its immense size. Tens of kilometers tall and hundreds of kilometers long, the beast''s body alone could be considered a desert. The demon''s body is long and thin and has rows of bones forming an enormous ribcage, extending into truly gigantic, outspread wings. The tail is plated with thick bone and is half as long as the body itself. But the most terrifying feature of the demon is its mouth; the head extends outward into an open jaw, with tens of thousands of sharp teeth inside. Its feet curl into long claws at the ends, digging into the sand beneath with its talons. The beast is no simple creature; it is a dragon. As the desert winds drift, a figure comes into view, a long black cloak streaming out behind him. Each footprint impresses into the sand; not even the strong northern winds can erase this man''s path. Astraoth sets foot near the skeleton that conceals his next target: the fourth guardian of the north. With this step, the originally relaxed wind excites and begins to accelerate, whipping around Astraoth in a swirl of sand and ancient dust. The skeleton starts to move, each bone linking together and rising up from the ground slowly. As the dragon straightens itself out Astraoth makes his move, using a pulse of energy to launch himself into the air, clear of the sand formerly trapping him. Astraoth spreads his arms out as Essence Energy gathers around him, creating an aura of energy. Heading directly toward the dragon, Astraoth expels bursts of energy to propel himself at the beast with even greater speed. As soon as the dragon fully assembles itself, the beast waves its claw and sends blades of sand flying at Astraoth. Astraoth easily avoids the attacks with blasts of energy instantly shifting both his momentum and his position, allowing him to evade all the skeleton''s attacks with ease. The dragon flaps its wings, propelling massive waves of sand at Astraoth, covering his entire view immediately. Astraoth clears his view with a wave of his hand, utilizing Essence Energy to form a shield around him to repel sand and dust. The bone dragon retreats quickly, using his wings to thrust itself backward. Astraoth steps forward, surging forward in a storm of power, leaving only clouds of dust and sand in his wake. As Astraoth thrusts his palm forward, about to attack the skeleton, it disassembles itself and disappears in a tempestuous blast of energy. The bones reassemble itself around Astraoth, creating a cage of solid bone around him. Astraoth attempts to gather Essence Energy, but the dragon''s bones isolate energy from the outside world. Astraoth attacks the cage around him, but the dragon''s bones are too solid to injure with merely Astraoth''s physical strength. Astraoth continues to attack the cage, despite his attacks having no impact on the bone. Minutes of entrapment turn into hours, and Astraoth remains stuck, with no way out.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Astraoth stops his attacks and begins to ponder his situation,"What is it doing? Why is it just trapping me?...It never really attacked me, unlike the others. Maybe...Maybe it knows it can''t kill me. It''s a demon and if it knows it can''t kill me, it would make sense to avoid directly fighting me." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You Who Strive To Inherit All I Have, The First Of My Four Trials Shall Begin Now. I Have Brought You To My World, And Here, To Proceed To The Second Trial, You Must Unearth Four Great Obelisks And Slay The Mighty Guardians That Protect Them. You Have Four Weeks To Accomplish This Task. Now, Begin..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It wants to trap me until the time I have left runs out! I only spent thirteen days to eliminate the other three, so I have two weeks left. This guardian is probably the intelligent one, and it may be the strongest of them all. It is a demon, however, so its power doesn''t matter to me." "How do I escape?" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oromius stands above Astraoth as he lay on the floor, tired after a long day of training. Oromius begins to talk to Astraoth, saying: "Astraoth, I know you do not understand why this training is important. That is fine-you will understand soon. Just know this: the only way to decide your own destiny, the only way to break the bonds of fate is to destroy that which chains you down, to destroy those who attempt to impose their will upon you." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Why did I kill the first three guardians, why did I come here in the first place, why did I choose to survive?" "To succeed." "Than what do I need to do now?" "I need to sever the chains that bind me. I need to cleave apart those who tie me down. I need to slaughter my enemies." Astraoth draws on the energy dormant within his body, pulling from the monster slumbering within. This Demonic Energy rampages out from his body, causing waves and disturbances in the air, eventually forming a long, thin blade in Astraoth''s hand. Astraoth glares. "I will sever your chains." He swings his blade, slashing apart the cage around him instantly. With a wave of his sword, the bones are split, and the skeleton''s vulnerable core, only fifty meters away, comes into view. The dragon''s bones come hurtling toward Astraoth, but Astraoth avoids the bones easily, rushing toward the core. Astraoth''s blade destroys any bone that comes near, and in seconds, Astraoth arrives at the demonic core. Astraoth brandishes his blade once more, and he slashes the core apart instantly, ending the life of the fourth guardian. The blade dissipates in a flash of energy, and the rush of energy leaves Astraoth''s body. He nearly falls to the floor, but Astraoth manages to maintain consciousness. Astraoth hobbles his way over, behind the leftover bones of the dragon, and he lets himself drop to the floor, immediately falling asleep. Chapter 31-The First Trial Cleared, The Second Trial Starts! The sky stretches off into the distance, past every horizon. No longer is the sky a crimson red; its azure blue has ascended past the world''s limits, beyond even the reach of the world''s strongest. Under this newfound freedom, Astraoth awakens, staring into the boundless sky overhead. He finds the world around him changed; the sand drifting about has become vibrant green leaves and grass. The air is fresh and cool, and the north is painted in the soft colours of spring. "The skeleton''s death must''ve caused the desert to change; now it''s a normal forest. Or perhaps it is the death of all the guardians that has caused this? Either way, I''ve almost finished my first trial. I''m a quarter way there already, in half the time I was allotted. Now, I''ve just got to find the final totem." Astraoth stands up, surveying the land he once feared as its new monarch. Though the terrain is entirely different, and the skeleton''s bones have disappeared, Astraoth is able to find the totem in seconds. The earth slopes down into a crevice, two meters wide, and the totem lies in that crevice. When still hidden by the desert''s vast sands, it would have been impossible to find, but it became effortless once the sand vanished. Astraoth goes west, the fourth obelisk in hand. The newly forested north is beautiful and green and peaceful, undisturbed by war''s violent grasp. Astraoth manages to relax as he slowly walks back to his shelter, knowing that this respite, this safety, is fleeting.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Astraoth arrives at his cave. The west is as lively and exotic as ever, and Astraoth''s cave is untouched. Heading in, Astraoth sees his home for the last time, vowing to remember the trials he underwent here; the struggles and the defeats, the triumphs and the failures alike. In his back room, Astraoth finds a pair of pants sewn from leaves and grass and cotton. It is a soft purple, and the last clean clothes Astraoth has. He slips it on and walks outside holding the four obelisks. Astraoth places the totems on the forest floor, each obelisk facing the direction it came from. A darkness gathers in the air, above Astraoth''s head, congealing into a large black orb suspended in the air. It explodes downward and slams into Astraoth, swallowing him whole. Astraoth wakes up on a dark purple platform hanging in the air, surrounded by a bleak fog. He stares into the void, dazed and confused at his sudden teleportation. This haze only breaks when he hears Dracul Mephilius speak once more: "You Who Strive To Inherit All I Have, The First Trial Has Concluded. You Are The One-Hundred And Second To Come To The Second Trial. To Proceed To The Third Trial, You Must Conquer Yourself. Only Then May You Move Forward Once More. You Have One Day To Accomplish This Task. Now, Begin..." Astraoth looks forward, seeing the fog in front of him shift ever so slightly, warping and congealing together into a hazy black figure across from him. Instinctively, Astraoth knew this figure would be the greatest test he had yet faced; Astraoth knew that this time, the one he would be fighting was equal to him in all aspects. This time, Astraoth would need to defeat himself. Chapter 32-Surpassing Oneself?!; A Glimpse Of A Peerless Dao!? "Do you change the world with your will or do you change your will with the world?" Endless black. Alone, in the endless void lies a dark platform. Standing on it are only one man but two separate figures. Astraoth''s eyes blaze a deep crimson red and his harsh white hair flutters softly as he strides forward. "I''ll go all out from the start this time." Looking to the hazy black outline across from him, Astraoth says,"Let''s see if you can keep up." Shooting forward, a storm of blood-red energy erupts from within, forming into a crimson blade in Astraoth''s right hand. Astraoth swings it forward, and the Shadow responds in turn, wielding a black blade. They clash, sending ripples of energy coursing through the void. Astraoth steps back and steadies himself, slashing toward his clone. The blades collide, but Astraoth doesn''t retreat; Astraoth slams his left palm into the Shadow and sends him flying back. Stepping forward, Astraoth leaps into the air above his clone. Using a small burst of energy Astraoth sends himself rocketing downward. His blade slashes down, cleaving the Shadow in two. Astraoth turns away as his double reforms in a swirl of black energy. Astraoth tightens his grip on the crimson blade in his hands, sending waves of energy rippling across the sword. Its edges solidify and sharpen as they congeal into a stronger blade. The Shadow reacts similarly and copies Astraoth''s actions. "So this is how you fight. This might be a little troublesome." Astraoth''s eyes narrow slightly and he begins to draw upon the well of energy within himself. Astraoth whips back and he stabs forward, with his clone copying his every movement. The blades meet; sparks and energy crackle and warp around them. Astraoth shifts his blade to the right suddenly, pushing the clone''s blade outward, stepping up to the Shadow with a left hook. The Shadow is once again sent flying and Astraoth dashes to the clone. As it hits the ground, Astraoth looses a diagonal slash upward, ripping the clone in half as it''s launched into the air. Astraoth rises with the Shadow, rocketing upward with a stomp on the "ground". In the air, Astraoth readies his sword and begins to slash at the clone, hacking its body into hundreds of pieces with a frenzy of attacks. As the two reach the ground, Astraoth launches a sweep with his left leg, sending the clone''s broken pieces flying. As it flies back, the clone reforms yet again... but this time, the Shadow''s power skyrockets. Its dark aura emanates softly from it, congealing into a long and thin blade in its right hand. A wave of black energy rises from its hazy outline and forms into demonic wings on its back. Blood red energy begins to orbit around the Shadow, and the two combine together. It emerges from the dark quickly. Its wings are a violent, bloody red and its figure is a mix of crimson and a deep black. "So I see how this goes...the longer you live, the more innate energy you are able to utilize. Your energy is the same as mine, and you can utilize the same amount of energy I can. But you don''t have any seals or limits artificially placed on you." "Guess I don''t have a lot of time...". Astraoth grasps his blade in both hands and his surroundings disappear from his eyes; only himself and his opponent are left. The Shadow''s wings flap and it appears instantly in front of Astraoth, its blade slashing out. Astraoth dodges and appears by its side, thrusting his sword forward. The Shadow counters with a slash, attempting to parry the attack. Astraoth shifts his blade downward and uses its momentum to get in close. Astraoth''s energy gathers in his left hand, and Astraoth stabs his left hand at the Shadow''s chest, leaving streaks of red energy in its wake.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The Shadow avoids it easily with a flap of its wings. Astraoth swings his hand down, dispersing the energy outward in a wave. Astraoth chops with his sword, using the wave''s energy saturation to condense blade energy and launch the attack at the Shadow. The Shadow raises its hand and creates a wall of crimson energy. Its hazy figure distorts as a burst of demonic energy winds around it, staining it in the colour of violence. The Shadow dashes forward, a cloud of crimson energy swirling around it as it appears in front of Astraoth. Its sword chops down and Astraoth dodges to the left, stabbing at the Shadow. The Shadow steps back to avoid the stab and slashes sideways at Astraoth. He ducks downward and steps forward, rising up from the ground with an uppercut. The Shadow dodges again, and the two battle fiercely, with the Shadow''s raw speed, stamina, and power easily exceeding Astraoth''s. The Demonic Energy sealed within Astraoth is utilized by the Shadow, and Astraoth struggles to cope with fighting its innate power. They exchange another volley of blows then separate. Astraoth is exhausted and is dripping with sweat, but the Shadow is unfazed, with its power only increasing over time. Astraoth returns to battle. With each blade clash and each collision of energy, the shapeless void around him seems to change. It becomes the house he lived in as a child, the icy mountain he would play on, the warm beaches he would sleep on. It becomes the sleepy library he read in, the mountainous courtyard he trained in. The void becomes the great lake he swam through to find the first guardian, the storm system he weathered past, the volcano he climbed to defeat the Flame Demon, and the endless deserts he wandered through to complete his trial. In the Shadow, Astraoth sees everything he¡¯s ever known, everything he¡¯s ever hated about himself. The indecisiveness, the crippling fear, and the bouts of uncontrollable rage. Defeating the Shadow is not eliminating this; it is confronting his insecurities and conquering them. Astraoth takes his sword in both hands. His eyes close softly and his consciousness expands to overcome the whole of the void. Deep within the recesses of his soul, a spark of energy appears, bypassing the seal placed on him. This energy flows out of his soul, flooding into his body and flowing into his sword. This void reflects himself. The Shadow is the void and his blade is the reflection Astraoth knows he must defeat. "You are my failures, my worst insecurities. No matter how much I attack and defeat you, you only rise up again and again, stronger each time. But I will not resign myself to this fate.My sword will reign supreme. No man, no power, no fate can surpass my blade. I see within myself and I see outward to the world. Your role ends here. This sword here will rule myself, and my world. Now, face this blade.¡± Astraoth¡¯s eyes snap open and the world is bathed in a deep crimson. His consciousness, expanded to enclose the void, contracts to a single point inside of himself, transforming at once. It begins to pulse, flowing from the size of the world to the smallest particle of dust. The circle resonates with Astraoth¡¯s energy, his very will, and the circle forms a complete circuit. The world itself begins to bend around Astraoth. Even the Shadow warps as the world shifts. But the blade in Astraoth¡¯s hand only blazes ever brighter as the circuit surpasses the bounds of Astraoth¡¯s mind and touches the Dao. From conquering all to relinquishing oneself, the sword reigns supreme. Astraoth¡¯s consciousness suddenly disappears; the world rights itself, and Astraoth slices lightly with his sword. The void and the Shadow and all the world are split and all dissipate in the gentle breeze left in Astraoth''s wake. Chapter 33-The Second Trial Ends, The Third Trial Begins! "You Who Strive To Inherit All I Have, The Second Trial Has Concluded. You Are The Third To Come To This Trial. To Proceed To The Fourth And Final Trial, You Must Prove Your Will And Face The Spirit King. Take This Origin Egg And Find Your Spirit Within." Astraoth''s world appears before him; the void is gone, and a wondrous forest surrounds him. The trees and grass and greenery are a soft blue-green; the blossoming forest is dyed with a tinge of light marine. Faint orbs of golden light flicker throughout the forest and the sky above is a brilliant stream of violet. It is beautiful and otherworldly with an air of ethereal, intangible majesty. A golden light descends from the sky as Astraoth awakens, falling gently into Astraoth''s outstretched hands. As the light disappears, a small golden egg is left in Astraoth''s hands. It has a smooth, reflective surface that belies hidden depths. "This...This is a real Origin Egg. I remember these, Dad told me about them. The eggs are said to be birthed from the core of the Spirit Realm by the Spirit King himself, but they''re supposed to be extremely rare. How did Dracul Mephilius get three?" "Well, whatever the case may be, I need to be extremely careful with this. An Origin Egg will birth a Spirit Beast based on the owner''s aura, will, and intent. I nurture the egg with energy and guide its growth, but if my will wavers or my intentions are impure, the beast could be an evil or violent monster...or a Broccoli Spear." With that thought, Astraoth shudders, quickly moving on to his next course of action. "This must be the mythical Forest Of Beginnings, where the legendary Spirit King resides. Dracul Mephilius must have known the Spirit King, and she must have been quite friendly with it for such a powerful being be willing to evaluate the candidates for her successor. Regardless, if this place is the Forest Of Beginnings, then I have to head to its center in order to see the Spirit King."Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Astraoth grasps the egg tightly, beginning to gather up the forest''s naturally occurringSpirit Energy while simultaneously drawing on the small stream of Demonic Energy leaking out from his seal. As Astraoth steps forward, both energies are directed into the Origin Egg, starting the nurturing process. The energies flow through the egg, with the egg siphoning off parts of the energy, and the streams returning to Astraoth''s Dantian. The Spirit Energy is concentrated into the Dantian, while Astraoth''s Demonic Energy gathers into the Dantain after flowing out from the seal. The streams of energycirculate through his body and flow into the egg, completing a circuit of energy. This circuit continues as Astraoth starts his walk through the forest. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oromius hovers outside Dracul Mephilius'' great pyramid. His face is clouded with worry and stress for Astraoth. Suddenly, the pyramid awakens with a burst of light, and blue energy begins to spiral around the tomb as a link is reestablished with the Spirit World. Tendrils of Spirit Energy flood into the pyramid and form a portal to the Spirit World, which Astraoth vanishes into. "Astraoth''s consciousness has disappeared into the portal. If he''s been transported to the Spirit World, he must have reached the latter half of the trials already. Astraoth my son...Survive, for me and for your late parents. For the Demon race and for justice, you must survive and succeed... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And with Oromius hoping desperately for his success, Astraoth begins his journey through the Forest Of Beginnings. Inside he would find his first companion and best friend, see the true nature of spirits and find his first clue to the nature of his greatest enemy, his first clue to unraveling the mysteries of the heavens themselves. Chapter 34-The Spirit Realms Darkness The Forest of Beginnings was warm and soft, bathed in the otherworldly light and power of the Spirit Realm. But not all the world of spirits is so bright and inviting. The Spirit Realm is split in two. The Forest Of Beginnings is divided similarly, being the center and focal point of the Spirit Realm. Though Astraoth was transported to the light side, Astraoth would need to traverse through both the dark and the light to find the center of the Forest of Beginnings and meet the Spirit King. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inside the Spirit Realm, time loses its power and its meaning altogether. Astraoth could run for days and move centimeters or walk for seconds and move kilometers. Despite not knowing where he was or how he was moving or if he was moving at all, Astraoth steadily continued on. Before Astraoth stood a wall of gray and white. It was not strong or stable but continued outward endlessly, past even the horizon. Spirits and souls swarm around the wall, vanishing in and out of its faint iridescence. Astraoth looks to the sky, seeing the wall stretch upward to the heavens. Behind the wall, a silvery white moon stands. The moon hangs over the west; it is painted in the blues and soft radiance of the Spirit Realm''s light half. Astaroth takes a deep breath. He closes his eyes, steps forward, and walks into the wall, pushing past his fear without hesitation. While Astraoth passes through, an odd feeling begins to overcome him. As he steps out, Astraoth opens his eyes and finds the dark side of the Spirit Realm. A deep chill creeps into his bones as the violet sky and warm tones of the light twist and contort into dark and pale reflections of the other side. The sky is an ashen black; the ground is cold and dead and gray. An icy wind lingers softly as Astraoth takes his first step into this new land. Astraoth looks at the wall he came through, but in its place lies a dark portal. It is gray, black, and small; it is but the size of a small man. Astraoth turns around, finding the moon once more. But this time it is not blue; it is neither warm nor inviting. It is desolate and heavy, stained a blood red with the shadows that lurk in the darkest black. This time, the moon hangs over the east, signaling the beginning of the neverending night. A hazy fog lies in wait for Astraoth, stalking him and blanketing his view in the ghastly, pallid white of darkness. The once bright Forest of Beginnings is dreary and lifeless and bleak. The light that flowed freely through the trees and grass is gone, and in its place is only pale darkness. Souls and dark spirits float around the forest and the sharp bite of death is ever-present. Astraoth, strangely enough, feels better in the dark side than in the light. He is no longer vulnerable; Astraoth is stronger and his powers more potent, more complete. Looking at the crimson moon, he thinks, "This place, its shadows and darkness and twisted reflections, it feels...like home. Is the night where I truly belong?"Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Even the naturally occurring Darkness Essence Energy is subject to my control. I couldn''t at all manipulate the Light Essence of the other half, but I can absorb this easily." Astraoth grasps the flow of outside Darkness Essence and directs it to the Origin Egg, still held in his left hand."As a demon, I know I am aligned with darkness, but..." "It doesn''t matter. If I belong in the dark, so be it. As long as I can make it through this trial and survive. Now, it''s time to go." Astraoth disappears into the twilight fog, starting his journey through the Spirit Realm''s darkness. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A serpent hides in wait in the forest''s shady underbrush. The beast is enormous at nine meters tall and three meters wide, yet is obscured entirely by the surrounding flora. On a lonely path, a boy walks throughthe endless mist. As the boy reaches the serpent, it springs up from the forest floor and lunges at him. Its mouth opens, revealing rows of teeth and an eye deep inside its mouth. Astraoth looks up from the floor and raises his right hand. As the beast is about to swallow the hand, it suddenly halts. Astraoth''s eyes flash a blood red, narrowing into slits as he glares at the serpent. The spirit beast retreats instantly, attempting to flee until it halts in place once more, frozen in fear. Astraoth gathers Darkness Essence from the forest, congealing into a ball of pure power. Astraoth saunters over to the snake, still suspended in place. He stretches his hand outward, directly in front of the serpent and launches the ball of dark power. Darkness wraps around the spirit beast, strangling it in place and invading its body. The snake is pulled to ground level, its head forced into the dirt. Astraoth crouches down, staring at the snake. "Do you know who I am Little Snake?" Hardening his expression, Astraoth lays his hand on the beast''s head. "I am the one creature here you should not have attacked." "Now, you can be swallowed by darkness." A surge of Darkness Essence appears and swarms the beast, engulfing it whole. In seconds, it is consumed entirely, leaving nothing behind with its death. Astraoth steps past the serpent''s final resting place and continues onward. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A steep cliff cloaked in shadow overlooks a bottomless abyss. Rising up from the depths, a black worm appears, climbing up the cliffside with hundreds of beastly arms. A giant scarab beetle crawls across the forest floor, while enormous monsters and beasts fly across the sky. Birds with four faces, tigers with human arms, wolves with snakes as fur, dogs with demonic wings, and countless monstrosities lie everywhere in this world. Astraoth cloaks himself-and the Origin Egg-in layers of Darkness Essence and Spirit Energy as he walks past these Spirit Beasts, seemingly invisible to these creatures. Soon enough, Astraoth continues past these monsters, coming across the first real challenge he would face in this world. Chapter 35-The Corrupted Thrones Master Oromius sits with Astraoth in his lap, reading him a thick book-the history of their world contained within. "And so Astraoth, the source of the world''s creation is still unknown. What we do know is that there are remnants of the event that caused the world''s creation. These artifacts are dubbed "Fragments of Creation" and there are one-hundred of them. The strongest of these were forged into the Divine Thrones by the gods themselves. There are six Divine Thrones, three of the light and three of the dark. Of the three Darkness Divine Thrones, there are two representing Dark Lords, and one representing the Monarch of Darkness. This is the Twilight Throne, and it will one day be yours, assuming you can reawaken it and conquer one of the two strongest objects in all existence. The Light Divine Thrones are much the same..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The crimson red moon stares down at the ruined earth; darkness bathes the world in black under its eternal sentry. Astraoth walks underneath its gaze, feeling the night''s darkness awaken within him the vestiges of true power. The abyss'' black depths twist and contort as Astraoth walks beyond them, the crimson moonlight guiding his descent into the night. In his wake, Astraoth leaves only the demonic winds of the world''s fiercest storm, remnants of the hellish winds that can freeze ice or burn fire. These dark winds bend and deform and corrupt even the deepest abyss, transforming light into darkness and joy into fear. The night''s creations scatter and flee in sight of this demonic power, leaving Astraoth alone under the blood moon. He steps forward, sending ripples of darkness through the abyss. The abyss disappears under the prince of the night''s power, revealing a lonely path, gilded in nightmare and evil. Astraoth steps forward, onto the path to the Spirit Realm''s Corrupted Throne. Astraoth descends further into the night, disappearing fully into the looming shadow. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soon Astraoth stands before a new challenge; a giant skeleton of a wolf-man sits atop a decaying throne, towering over Astraoth. The skeleton''s bones are yellow-black and ancient; the throne is a darkened violet, with black shadows and corrosion whispering around it. A wave of dark energy blasts towards Astraoth, attempting to flood into him, invading even the Origin Egg in hand. Astraoth''s full demonic power bursts out as the corruption attempts invasion, easily repelling the would-be invader. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Astraoth looks upon the Corrupted Throne and its master, facing the Dark Lord without hesitation. The skeleton speaks, " Welcome to my domain, boy. I remember you...no, I remember your kin. What are you here for, I wonder?" Astraoth responds," I am here to meet your king." "Interesting...you mean to see the king? Hmm...I wonder- why would you expect me to let you see the king?" "I don''t expect you to let me see him willingly, but I have a feeling you''re going to do it anyway..." The skeleton towers over Astraoth, and with every passing moment, he only seems to increase in size. "And how, pray tell, would this happen? How can you make me release you?" Though Astraoth can only look up at the Dark Lord, he faces the being without fear. "I don''t need to make you release me. You''ll do it without me moving a finger." "Why would I help you, boy?" "I have three reasons you''ll let me go: One, you don''t have complete confidence in killing me, because touching me might cause a certain estate''s counterattack; Two, you remember my family, and because you do, you know what happens when my family is slighted; Three, the darkness within me is beyond even your conception, and disobeying your prince is a capital offense. The skeleton''s withered throne glows with an evil gleam. The stagnant air within the room grows thick with the stench of corruption. The Dark Lord looms over Astraoth, eyes filled with rage and killing intent. "Prince? What farce is this? I have no lord or master besides the Spirit King." Astraoth glares back, apathetic yet supremely confident," You have more than one master. Surely a Dark Lord does not presume himself above the future King of Darkness." "I am master of the Corrupted Throne. You are a boy with delusions of grandeur." "I am no mere boy; you should know my family and my history. After the end of my last trial, I will be the successor to Dracul Mephilius and heir to the Twilight Throne." Upon the mere mention of ''Dracul Mephilius'', the skeleton seems to shrink in his seat; his gigantic frame grows small, and the Dark Lord grows instantly silent. " I will let you pass, but not because I hesitate to kill you. Dracul Mephilius is one I can only admit inferiority to. You, however, are merely a remnant of her, not even a fraction of her greatness. With a finger, I could wipe you out of existence. But perhaps you may one day be powerful. To this end, I grant you your life. Go visit the Spirit King. Maybe you''ll even survive the meeting." Astraoth calls upon his demonic power, and reaches out to the thick darkness around him; shadows curl and distort around his hand. Astraoth turns around, and the light of the blood moon shines upon him, through the inky blackness permeating through the air. Astraoth walks forward, out of the Dark Lord''s lair. The moonlight guides his way forward, but it too can only bend under his will. Astraoth holds the moon''s crimson light, joining it with the darkness and demonic power collected in his hand. A new circuit begins again, flowing from his hand to the egg. The current of energy flows to his Dantian then travels out, to his hand. The cycle thus begins anew. Astraoth, finally out of the Corrupted Throne''s reach, lets his tension go and relaxes. Still, he knows what he will have to do soon. Astraoth looks to the sky, seeing only a bright crimson moon among endless black. His eyes sharpen once more into a deep blood red, and he turns around, heading to the Spirit King, ready for the Spirit King''s test- ready for the time of his ascension.