《The Empyreal Gem Master》 Chapter 1: A New Beginning I The air was filled with a sweet morning breeze, the rays of the sun piercing through the intricatelyid out trees in neat rows. Just like these trees, there were also neat rows of young men and women walking through a path in between the trees. The mood was one filled with expectations and fear, this procession of young men and women barelying of age currently going up the Ancestral Mountain of the Mortal Branch of the glorious Asmodeus Bloodline. The count showed hundreds of such men and women as among them, there was a young man with dark hair andnguid eyes that didn¡¯t seem to hold too much weight to this whole event. He was the son of one of the two Mortal Branch Leaders- known for his quiet demeanor and introverted nature as even under the limelight of the Four-Link Gem Master as his father, he didn¡¯t make any grand moves! For this, many rumors came and went as even then, he seemed unbothered by them. This was Alexander Asmodeus. What people found the most baffling was the fact that the only daughter of the other Mortal Branch Leader, ire Asmodeus, had somehow been pulled by him to the extent that wherever he went, she would follow. Even though the two Branch Leaders of the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline were of the same human lineage, there was still a sense ofpetition and hegemony as they essentially came from two opposing sides vying for more power. And yet, as far as anyone saw, these two were the best of friends. ire was on the more beautiful side of things, with dark hair that popted most of those of the Mortal Asmodeus Bloodline, but with eyes that shone with a gorgeous blue hue. Like all other young men and women around them, they wore simple white robes as they traveled on the path lined up with trees on the Ancestral Mountain. ire had a smile on her face as she looked around while speaking to Alexander. "Everyone else looks tense and worried for the Awakening Ceremony, but you are still asid back as ever. Are you that confident in the types of Life Sockets you will awaken to?" Words of utter fantasy left her mouth as their world was a unique one. A terrifying one. Extremely vast in nature and filled with a few powerful Bloodlines that were defending thends under the Banner of Human Lineages- it was a world where the strong ruled. And all strength rted to nothing else but Life Sockets. When one came of Age, they would be viable for undergoing an Awakening Ceremony as their whole life would change from then! Alexander mulled the words of ire in his head before he shook it while replying. "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m confident, but I am simply resigned to whatever the result will be. Nobody can change the results of Awakening as what we all have is Innate to us. So long as I have even a Three-Link Life Socket, it will be enough for me to get stronger and survive against the onught of Beasts of Corruption." It would be enough. He didn¡¯t say thest words as in his shroud ofzy eyes, a fiery light reminiscent to that of his Father shed. It would be enough for him to strike back against those who had taken something extremely precious to him. He had cause to be as tense if not more than anyone here, but at the end of the day, it would not matter. What he was born with would be it. And if his father was a Four-Link Gem Master, could he truly be so much worse? "We¡¯ve arrived." He was taken out of his thoughts by ire¡¯s words as he saw the group of men and women barelying of age arrive at the peak of the Ancestral Mountain. Each wore the same white robes as him as their faces were filled with tension and worry while they looked around. The area was t and filled with white stones, no trees present in this clearing as massive statues of past Gem Masters were erected all around. When one looked at them, they would notice dazzling circles of light on their chest- these circles being the Life Sockets one gained after awakening their Primal Life Force! Most of the massive statues of previous Gem Masters had Three-Link Life Sockets, with the more terrifying ones having Four-Link Life Sockets as they were the Gem Masters of their era. But ultimately, even they fell under the constant grind of the Beasts of Corruption. They were that terrifying. Humanity was outssed by that much as in this day and age, powerful Gem Masters were much needed- especially those with many Life Sockets. The more Life Sockets one had on their chest at the time of their Awakening, the more powerful they could be. "Alright! The day hase for the next generation of Gem Masters to rise within our Mortal Branch of the glorious Asmodeus Bloodline!" Far ahead of the group of young men and women in white robes, a man with a robust body adorned in green robes could be seen. Beside him, two women holding huge clear white bowls filled with sparkling golden crystals could be seen. The golden crystals¡­were the Primal Life Gems that could be found within the Breaches stretched out across their world. Within the Breaches where Beasts of Corruption were abundant, and broke out of constantly to wreak havoc on Human Lineages. They were the tools to awakening one¡¯s Primal Life Force and reveal their Life Sockets! "It is Gem Master Azazel overseeing the Awakening Ceremony¡­" ire¡¯s eyes were sharp as she was locked onto the dim glow of three circles that could be seen below the robes of the Three-Link Gem Master Azazel. Alexander nodded while replying lightly. "From thest reports I peeked at from father, he was paramount in the victory of defending the Northern Front in the recent Breach." A powerful Gem Master! His Gem Recipe was one that any lucky Three-Link Gem Master followed- especially those who wanted to be forces of destruction while withstanding the ridiculously powerful Beasts of Corruption. Among the many resources and treasures that could be discovered within a Breach. There were the Primal Life Gems used for awakening, and then¡­there were the Primal Ability Gems. Ability Gems could be ced in Life Sockets, and they were ssified into two categories! Main Ability Gems, and Support Ability Gems. A Gem Master with a single Life Socket could only support a single Main Ability Gem. They were powerful- but their power was limited. But if one had multiple Sockets, they could augment their Main Ability Gem with Support Ability Gems and explode with tremendous capabilities! The Gem Master Azazel was one of such powerful beings with three Life Sockets, his Gem Recipe that was favored by many being the Main Ability Gem, [Barbarian Blood], that was supported by the Support Ability Gems [Ironblood Support] and [Energy Preservation Support]. Alexander knew of the Barbarian Blood Main Ability Gem as he had seen it many times brought into the Gem Treasury- this being a somewhat rare but obtainable Gem in the Northern Front that was filled with the Titan Beasts of Corruption. Its capabilities were as such. [Barbarian Blood]:: Once anchored in a life Socket, this Ability Gem passively causes one¡¯s body to burn with a powerful life force, increasing your physical strength and defenses by a factor of 2. One can also activate the Barbarian Blood in their body and burn it to momentarily increase their physical strength and defenses by a factor of 5. The maximum time to actively burn the Barbarian Blood is 30 seconds, and burning it any longer may result in permanent damage to one¡¯s life force. It was a powerful Main Ability Gem. Any Ability Gem that gave both passive and active effects was guaranteed to be a powerful one, and the Barbarian Blood Ability Gem covered one both offensively and defensively as it could make one a decent Gem Master! A decent one. But if someone had more than a single Life Socket¡­this was where the true power could be expressed. With a second Life Socket, one could bind to themselves the [Ironblood Support] and [Energy Preservation Support]. [Ironblood Support]:: Any blood rted Ability Gems can be supported to cause any boons granted to be further multiplied by a factor of two. [Energy Preservation Support]. Any Ability Gems can be supported by this Universal Support Ability Gem. It allows the effects of a linked Main Ability Gem to reduce all resource costs while actively catalyzing the energy production of the body, allowing you to be constantly filled with energy. Two simple Support Ability Gems. But when you looked at a Single-Link Gem Master who simply had the [Barbarian Blood] ability or a Three-Link Gem Master who had the [Barbarian Blood] Ability supported by [Ironblood Support] and [Energy Preservation Support]...their ranks and power were tremendously different! The addition of the two Support Ability Gems alone caused Gem Master Azazel to constantly be filled with valiant levels of power and energy, where he could burn his Barbarian Blood and cut down Beasts of Corruption for hours instead of a mere 30 seconds. One could be a moving tank of destruction with such abination of Gems, with it being capable of even facing Tier 3 Beasts of Corruption that couldy waste to entire cities. ¡¯If I can have at least Three Life Sockets. I can use this Barbarian Gem Recipe or a few other viable Gem Recipes¡­¡¯ Alexander¡¯szy eyes almost shone with a fearsome light that he kept down as he moved towards the front naturally with ire. Others lined up behind them as the Son and Daughter of the two Four-Link Gem Masters overseeing the many City Fortresses of the whole Mortal Branch of the glorious Asmodeus Bloodline had the opportunity to go up first. Gem Master Azazel looked at the two of them and nodded with recognition, such an action causing some eyes of a few other young men and women in the back to sh with envy and jealousy. "You all are here today for a paramount moment in your lives- where you will either burn with glory and be a weapon that defends our homes against the foul Beasts of Corruption, or¡­there is no Or!" ¡­! A burst of crimson light burst from his body from his simple shout. It shook the white severy oneey stood on as everyone of the young men and women stood straight to attention. "There is only glory, and that is the only thing waiting after your Awakening! Now¡­" His green robes fluttered as his bright eyes turned to stare at Alexander and ire. Those who would awaken on this day as expectations were high. It was the start of their journey as Gem Masters! Chapter 2: A New Beginning II "Will you two take the Primal Life Gems and awaken first, or¡­" He gave the preference to the Scions of the Mortal Branch Leaders to awaken first, but ire smiled gracefully towards Gem Master Azazel as her voice rang out. "Thank you for the opportunity, Gem Master Azazel. But if there are any who have the urge to volunteer, they can go first." "..." Alexander blinked as he turned to look at ire briefly. Was this girl actually nervous about this? Having known her for years now, he looked at her hands and as expected¡­they were stoic and rigid without a flutter of nervousness. Which actually meant¡­ ¡¯She¡¯s actually this nervous?¡¯ It was a surprise and understandable at the same time, with today being a truly big day that would decide one¡¯s future. After ire¡¯s words, a few hands rose hesitantly amongst the few hundred young men and women as ten volunteered to go first while they did their best to defy their fears. Gem Master Azazel nodded as he pointed to the nearest figure- a young man with dark hair like all those standing above this Ancestral Mountain. "You,e on up." His demeanor was a terrifying one as even the air felt hotter around him, the young man going up with fast strides as Gem Master Azazel took one of the Primal Life Gems and crushed it above his head. The Primal Life Gems could be taken and dissolved orally, or one could crush it in their hands, or even make a cut anywhere on the body and ce it in. Being about two inches in size made many things possible as either way, it would get absorbed in the body and awaken the Life Sockets lying within! The golden dust of the Primal Life Gem fell on the head of the young man and was absorbed as momentster, his body began to shine with a dull golden glow. "Ah¡­" A yelp of pain echoed out from this young man, his front turned towards all others in the clearing of the Ancestral Mountain as visibly, they all saw two bright points of circr light sh on his chest! Gem Master Azazel looked at this scene and nodded with appreciation as he voiced out. "A future Two-Link Gem Master, good! Dione, stand on the side." A face of ecstatic joy was present on the young man called Dione as he went off to the side, his future already brighter than most as it meant apart from a Main Ability Gem, he could have a single Support Ability Gem to aid him in the future! "Next!" The bright eyes of Gem Master Azazel seemed to be hungry for more results as more stepped up. Next was a young girl with a determined expression who stood facing everyone while a Primal Life Gems was crushed above her head, and¡­ The glow of a single circle shone on her chest after a brief moment as her bright eyes quickly became dark and sunken. "One Life Socket, next!" The voice of Gem Master Azazel was akin to a sharp knife on all those here as they were reminded how nearly 50% of Gem Masters¡­would only ever awaken a single Life Socket! Nobody wanted to be among them. But the Awakening Ceremony continued as the voice of Gem Master Azazel continued to ring out. "One Life Socket, next!" "One Life Socket, next!" Two young men left with darkened faces as they achieved the same result one after another, but the next one¡­ "A future Two-Link Gem Master, good! Stand on the side." Another one with two Life Sockets appeared as the mood brightened up again. Alexander looked at this scene and clicked his lips as beside him, the tense shoulders of ire remained high as he couldn¡¯t help but try to assure her. "Remember, whatever ising is already set in stone. There is no use worrying about it now." He wanted to calm her down, but he felt like his words weren¡¯t entirely the mostforting thing to hear as ire only nodded at them and continued looking ahead. "One Life Socket, next!" "One Life Socket, next!" "One Life Socket, next!" "One Life Socket, next!" More and more of the same results came as they showed just how rare and powerful Gem Masters with multiple Life Sockets were, and as Alexander saw the mood starting to sour¡­he breathed out while taking a step forward. ¡­! Gem Master Azazel was about to call on another random figure from the group when he stopped. He looked into the determined eyes of Alexander Asmodeus and nodded, giving the go-ahead as, with calm steps, he went forward. Behind him, it was as if he could feel ire¡¯s nerves buzzing as she almost reached out for him when he stepped forward, but he continued because he simply wanted to know. Would he be able to achieve what he wanted? Would he have sufficient strength to at least look at those who took his mother from him straight in the eyes? With a heavy heart, he came and stood before the eyes of a few hundred people as he closed his own eyes. Behind him, he felt the pressure of Gem Master Azazel, along with the risen hand of this being that crushed a golden Primal Life Gem right above his head! "..." It was a unique sensation. He kept his eyes closed as he felt the cooling sensation travel down his head and towards his chest- this cooling sensation wrapping around his Heart as in the next moment¡­ BOOM! He broke out in cold sweat as he clutched his chest, feeling like his own heart had exploded! "Huff¡­" He breathed out a few times while remaining standing, his eyes opening at this moment as they momentarily shed with an iridescent white hue. But it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared as he felt like every part of his body was burning. He felt a unique sensation begin to travel all throughout him, but he couldn¡¯t focus on this fully as he saw the faces full of shock among those who had yet to awaken! Because from where they stood, they could only see a single amalgamation of light on the chest of Alexander! A single Life Socket? On the Son of the Four-Link Gem Master?! Chapter 3: A Variant Life Socket! I It was such a shock that even Gem Master Azazel paused, his enhanced senses also initially seeing the single glow of light that represented one Life Socket, but uniquely¡­ Its size was much bigger than a normal Life Socket. And¡­ "Not circr?" His voice was akin to a boom as others quickly focused and realized it too. On his chest, there was a singr glow, yes. But it wasn¡¯t a circle like every Life Socket was known to be, but something holding sharp edges that looked like multiple triangles! The moment Gem Master Azazel confirmed this, his gaze became cloudy as he spoke out sternly. "Variant Life Socket. Stand by for an Analysis." ¡­! A variant Life Socket. Something that wasn¡¯t understood by the masses! It very rarely urred, but even when it did happen in the past, it wasn¡¯t something good. It made for good studies and research on the different Life Sockets out there, but most of the time¡­Variant Life Sockets were defective Life Sockets. The words smashed into Alexander¡¯s head like a hammer as he walked off the stage, ignoring the gazes of others as he wanted to understand himself. Ever since the golden dust of the Primal Life Gem fell on him and he underwent this change, he felt like he had a new vision of his body as he could look inside of himself in a way that even he couldn¡¯t believe. He could see his chest and back without turning around or using a mirror, he could even see the soles of his feet without raising them. He could also see¡­the massive Life Socket that upied his chest. It was¡­seemingly a collection of pointed triangles- nine triangles at that! If he could give it a name, it seemed like an Enneagram. A nine-pointed star! When he gazed at it, it felt grand and pristine- like something so far above that it didn¡¯t even make sense for it to be on him. But before he could study it any further¡­ He heard the calm steps of someone he recognized quickly. And he raised his head to see on the stage a now visibly nervous ire, her fists clenched in defiance as she was staring daggers towards a few groups among the few hundred who had begun to whisper the word ¡¯Defective¡¯ among others as they pointed towards him. The Son of the Four-Link Gem Master Julius- with a defective Life Socket! It was a shocking development as whispers would, of course, be spread by those who had always looked at his position and privilege with envy. Alexander didn¡¯t even pay it any heed, but it had gotten to ire as she went up next. "Gem Master Azazel." Her voice was respectful and sharp as she pulled the attention of all eyes here. She faced the crowd of young men and women with sharp eyes as behind her, Gem Master Azazel moved his hand with a hint of hesitation before he crushed the Primal Life Gem above her. The Daughter of the other Branch Leader. Surely, she wouldn¡¯t be aplex case like Alexander, right? This was the thought in his head as in the next moment, ire¡¯s body began to tremble as a bright sh of light bloomed on her chest! A bright light. One that outssed all others before it as wondrously, a burst of golden brilliance even shot upwards as if to announce something. It was only after this blinding light died down that everyone got a chance to see just what had risen on ire¡¯s chest. And¡­ ¡­! Everybody was forced to pause with their mouths agape, their jaws barely hanging on their mouths! On the side of the stage, Alexander smiled while speaking out silently. "And you were worried this whole time?" The one who was more tense than he was. At this moment¡­ Her chest shone with five dazzling lights. Lights that caused even Gem Master Azazel to stare nkly before he shouted out. "A Five-Link Gem Master!" It was like a bomb had exploded. Those waiting to awaken and those who had awakened stumbled back at the sheer reality of what was ahead of them, and even ire herself¡­she seemed frozen as she looked at her chest as if she couldn¡¯t believe it A Five-Link Gem Master! More pristine than even the two Branch Leaders of the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline. Someone with a grand future- someone that could be cultivated to be a pir of not just the Asmodeus Bloodline, but even for the other three Human Lineages! The moment that the shout of Gem Master Azazel echoed out, the skies shed and boomed with a p of thunder and lightning as the figure of a muscr middle-aged man with radiant blue wings of light behind his back appeared. One of the two Mortal Branch Leaders. ire¡¯s Father. The Four-Link Gem Master with the famous Gem Recipe termed the Lightning King- Gem Master Axel! His eyes pulsed with tendrils of lightning as from the skies, he shed again to appear beside his daughter, his eyes burning with waves of joy as if he were looking at the most precious thing in the world. It didn¡¯t take long before, from the bottom of the Ancestral Mountain, and even from above, other Gem Masters began to appear. At this moment, there was only a single being who seemed to be the center of the world. Her chest shone with five circles of light. Her eyes held a hint of fear as she wanted to turn toward the one friend who could calm her. Towards the young man who was always by her side. She could barely see him and his supportive smile as he was all alone on the side of the stage. Everyone was surrounding and suffocating her, and his figure looked extremely lonesome in the distance with nobody around him. Momentster, the stout figure of her Father was in front of her as Alexander¡¯s figure was taken away from her eyes entirely. It was the advent of a star that shone entirely too bright- a star that momentarily overshadowed and took attention away from a young man whose chest was burning with silent brilliance! Chapter 4: A Variant Life Socket! II The appearance of a Five-Link Gem Master. It was news that spread rapidly, and one that energized any City Fortress it was spread to under the banner of the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline. This was because, in all thends that the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline protected, there wasn¡¯t a single Five-Link Gem Master! Such talents appeared rarely and were all within the Ascendant Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline. Mortal Branch. Ascendant Branch. All Four Human Lineages had such a distinction as the tremendously powerful Gem Masters that were the hope of Humanity to stand against Beasts of Corruption that could wipe out entire City Fortresses within a blink of an eye stemmed from the Ascendant Branch of the Four Human Lineages. But today, ire appeared and made an exception. Alexander observed the bustle of activities still ying out as after the Awakening Ceremony where ire showed her Life Sockets, everything afterwards seemed like a blur. She was taken away by her father right after as Gem Master Azazel hurriedly finished the rest of the Awakening, and only 4 Three-Link Gem Masters appeared as the vast majority had either two Life Sockets or a single one. Such results would have been average for any other time, but of course, there was nothing average with the emergence of ire¡¯s Awakening. With all the attention spread elsewhere, Alexander had taken the time to go down the Ancestral Mountain and enter the carriage he arrived here in, motioning for the Butler his father had assigned to him to return home. Home. Past the neatly lined trees, one could barely see the outline of a massive obsidian wall that surrounded everything. The Wall of one of the bigger City Fortresses under the banner of the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline. A Capital City Fortress- Carthage! It was filled with structures built to withstand the earthquakes that regrly urred from the eruption of Breaches, with buildings rising up into small skyscrapers and castles to show a mixture of the advancements they had made in technology while utilizing the resources from the Breaches. Exquisite carriages pulled by horses like the one Alexander was on were rare and reserved for those with a little more wealth, the roads stretching out across the Capital City Fortress of Carthage filled with people moving about to make their daily living. The passage of buildings and houses across the busy city center was all a blur for Alexander, the shops selling Primal Ability Gems, Weapons of Corruption made from Beasts of Corruption, and many more things not evennding in his eyes as he continued to inspect himself. As he continued to inspect the Nine pointed star on his chest! He didn¡¯t even feel the half-hour ride until it arrived at the massive gates of the Mansion of Branch Leader Julius, the guards with vibrant two Life Sockets shining on their chest saluting Alexander as he went past the gates and into the mansion within. Past the garden filled with verdant grass and gorgeous flowers. Past the maids and butlers moving across the three-story mansion. Alexander went past all of it to arrive in his room as he ignored the shocked gazes and whispers of everyone he passed who saw only a single glow on his chest. He shut the door to his room and took his white robe off to view himself in the mirror. With simple white briefs remaining on him, His fair skin looked pale in the mirror as his chest¡­it looked like it had a massive tattoo of an Enneagram. Of a Nine pointed star! It glowed with a simple white light that would make it somewhat discernible even if he wore clothes. As he was looking at it¡­ ¡¯Is it not just a bit too bright? I don¡¯t want all the gazes to turn in my direction every time¡­¡¯ He thought this. And as if the Enneagram could hear his thoughts, it began to dim to the point that it could barely be seen- even its branding on his chest barely showing as if he had never awakened! ¡­! His eyes opened wide as he paused. And then momentster, based on his thoughts, the Enneagram brightened and dimmed as he wished, with his final action being to dim it greatly to the point that it could barely be seen! But he could still see it with extreme details as he continued studying it and confirmed a few things. At the pointed ends of the Enneagram on his chest, he could see faint circles of light. And in the center of the Enneagram, there was a slightlyrger faint circle of light! "..." These faint circles caused his heart to beat with a heavy light of fear and excitement. Was it actually possible? Was it what his thoughts were leading him to believe? A Variant Life Socket. Something that would mostmonly be defective! If it was real. If¡­what his own brain was telling him about it was real¡­ He controlled his breathing. He put his white robe back on as on the side of his bed, there was a table with amunication device to speak into and a round ck button beside it. He pressed it as he spoke calmly. "Butler James, is my father in his study?" His words were light as they traveled quickly. And in a short period of time, a reply came. "Yes, Young Master. He has been expecting you." "..." His father had been expecting him? His eyes remained cid as he walked out of his room, across a long hallway filled with paintings of old men that had long since passed. He went to the other side of the sizable mansion and passed a few maids and butlers that bowed to him as soon enough, he was in front of two doors painted gold, crimson mes burning on their very center. He knocked. "Enter." A cold voice boomed from the room as Alexander pushed the doors open, walking in while nodding to the aged Butler with white hair who bowed towards him with a smile while leaving through the open door behind him. Once this door closed, the darkly lit room came into focus as one could see a ck rectangr table made of exquisite materials at the very center, an authoritative seat that almost looked like a throne behind this table as the figure of a single man was seated on it. The same dark hair as Alexander. The same dark eyes and a face that showed charm and ferociousness. A face filled with wisdom and age as on his chest, four dazzling Life Sockets could be seen. The one at the very center burned with crimson mes as this being, his father, Gem Master Julius- he continued perusing through the many papers on the table as he spoke out without even raising his head. "A Variant Life Socket?" A question of affirmation. Of course, his father had already been notified of everything the moment it urred as he was somewhat surprised he wasn¡¯t curious enough about the rise of the Five-Link Gem Master that was ire to go see her. "Yes, Father. A Variant Life Socket." He replied calmly and with respect as this was their rtionship. Since that day, everything had changed as the words they exchanged were very short and precise. At this moment, his father raised his head and looked at his son, his eyes not showing any emotions as he asked once more. "How can I help?" ¡­! Simple words. But they were exactly what Alexander wanted to hear as he replied while staring straight at his father, who seemed to be squinting his eyes to see the Life Socket on his chest. "I need to enter the Gem Treasury and see which Gems will fit me best. If I have your permission¡­" "Gems?" His father¡¯s eyes shone sharply as he picked up on the words he said. Gems. Plural. Why would anyone need multiple Gems if they had a single Life Socket? Did his Variant Life Socket have something nobody yet understood? Chapter 5: The First Gem Recipe! I Within the eyes of the Four-Link Gem Master Julius, a me briefly burned as he saw his son give a nod of affirmation. He looked at him silently as after a few seconds, he reached under the table and pulled out a chest that had multiple sparkling gems. "Some of the rarest Main Ability Gems and Support Ability Gems in our Treasury. Choose the ones you want and return the rest whenever. Unless you are absolutely confident afterward, I will not allow you to go to the Awakened Expeditions with the others." ¡­! The Awakened Expeditions. Journeys that recent Awakened Gem Masters take after they choose their respective Ability Gems as they are taken to Low Tier Breaches to gain a better understanding of Beasts of Corruption and begin their journey as Gem Masters. His father was warning him that unless he was absolutely confident, he would not be allowed to go. This showed that his father still trusted his judgment. And that he wanted to take all the extra precautions to make sure that Alexander¡¯s Life was not lost! Alexander stepped forward and looked at the small treasure chest holding dozens of dazzling Primal Ability Gems, taking it into his hands while nodding at his father. The weight was still manageable for him as he grabbed its handles, giving a light bow to his father as he then turned around and stepped out of the study. He had to hold the treasure chest with one hand while opening and closing the huge doors as when he pulled the door close with his left hand, the treasure chest shook as a single blue Primal Ability Gem fell out. He momentarily set the chest down to grab the Gem that fell, and the moment he did so¡­ HUUM! His right hand trembled as he felt like his brain was buzzing. He felt a strong reaction on his chest where the Enneagram was, its center brightening up and releasing an undeniable suctioning force as if it wanted to swallow this Primal Ability Gem right then and there! His breathing quickened as, along with the humming sound, he felt a part of himself expand outwards. He could see any part of himself ever since he Awakened his Enneagram Life Socket, but at this moment, he felt like he could see all around him even if his eyes were closed. Whatever sense this was, it expanded outwards as it even passed through the huge double doors into his father¡¯s study, and he was able to see inside once more as there¡­ He saw his father holding a framed painting. A painting that showed a woman with dark hair and blue eyes, with a smile so dazzling that it would take one¡¯s breath away. It was a smile containing endless kindness and radiance as Alexander nearly stumbled seeing this painting of his Mother. His father grasped this painting in his hands as his calm and stoic demeanor was gone, tears leaking from his eyes freely as one could feel immense pain from them! Alexander felt the same pangs of pain as on his father, he could see immense guilt and pain in his eyes. "I¡¯m sorry¡­" He whispered to the painting while passing his fingers over it. Alexander knew the story as he heard it from other Gem Masters. His father never talked about it with him as he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. Alexander heard about how his mom had stayed behind to stop the advancement of terrifying Beasts of Corruption that would haveid waste to the entire Squadron his father led. He heard how his father had screamed out towards her. How he felt like all of his power was utterly worthless as even when everyone was saved, he couldn¡¯t save the woman he loved. He couldn¡¯t save what mattered the most to him! "..." The image of the stoic man was nowhere to be seen as subconsciously, Alexander felt tears streaming down his own cheeks as he recalled the few memories of his mother while he was young. Her warmth. Her love. He grasped the Primal Ability Gem in his hand ever tighter as he pulled back whatever senses that had expanded out, picking the chest back up and walking across the halls back to his room silently. The halls were wide, yet at this moment, they felt so small. So constricting. The image of the ferocious Beasts of Corruption he had only heard of from Gem Masters shed in his mind as his steps were steady. Power. He needed power. If he was to rectify what happened in the past, power was critical! And he would soon find out just what level of power he could obtain with his Variant Life Socket. With his Enneagram Life Socket! He arrived within the privacy of his own room within moments, setting the chest down on his bed as he grasped the dazzling blue Primal Ability Gem that had caused his senses to expand outwards to the extent of even seeing past heavy doors. The Primal Ability Gem glowed with a gorgeous blue radiance as it emitted waves of information about what it was to anyone who touched it, its capabilities being understood within a matter of seconds by the holder! [Ice Wave]:: Once anchored in a Life Socket, this Ability Gem passively causes one¡¯s senses to burn with an icy perception that can spread out for a few meters. Anything within the field of perception can be sensed instantly. One can also activate the Ice Wave to release a burst of freezing cold energy in a semi-lunar direction in front of them- freezing anything on their path as the icy coldness shuts down the functions of living beings. Using it too frequently will drain your life force and may even cause permanent damage. It was a Main Ability Gem he knew of from the many Gem Recipes out there! There were Gem Recipes that Three-Link Gem Master utilized, and even Gem Recipes focused on [Ice Wave] theorized for any powerful being who had Four-Link or Five-Link Gem Sockets. He grasped the Primal Ability Gem as he thought about all the Gem Recipes he was thinking of trying. Expanded senses and the ability to freeze the enemies in front of you- with their life force being drained while they were frozen until the inevitable happens. "This could work¡­" His thoughts moved rapidly. A Main Ability Gem by itself was powerful, but it could be made ridiculous depending on the Support Ability Gems adding to it. Once one bound an Ability Gem into their Life Socket, removing it injured one¡¯s life force- with such an injury taking days to heal as one couldn¡¯t freely change their Main Ability Gem in a short period of time. What he bound now would be what he would have to utilize if he joined the Awakened Expeditions. "..." His hands moved rapidly and with purpose as he looked through the treasure chest his father had given him, sifting through dozens of Primal Ability Gems as he quickly located the Support Ability Gems of the most powerful Gem Recipe for [Ice Wave], a Recipe known as the Ice King! At a minimum, two Support Gems were required, and Alexanderid them out as he began the test that would determine his future. He held up the [Ice Wave] Primal Ability Gem as the suction force that he felt since grabbing onto it¡­he focused on it and brought the blue Gem closer. ¡­! Chapter 6: The First Gem Recipe! II Ice Wave. He knew of it alongside many of the other Main Ability Gems in the treasure chest his father had given him. After analyzing the positives and negatives, the capability to control Beasts of Corruption by freezing them in addition to dealing heavy damage¡­he chose this Gem over a few other possibilities. A brilliant light erupted at the very center of his chest. At the very center of his Enneagram Life Socket, the faint circle glowed and sucked in the Ice Wave Ability Gem as the pointed ends of his star-shaped Life Socket began to spin around it. The temperature began to drop around him. He felt his body begin to course with a cold butfortable energy that made him feel stronger than before- no matter how small this change was. He closed his eyes, but he could still see everything around the whole room and even further beyond it, his senses expanding to cover halfway into the rooms connected to his! It was a terrifying new change that he needed time to get adjusted to as he breathed out, his eyes shining brightly. The first test was sessful. His Enneagram Life Socket could ept Main Ability Gems on the faint circle at the very center. Naturally, what he thought to be an oundish possibility of the Nine faint circles at the ends of his Life Socket being capable of holding Nine Support Ability Gems¡­ "..." DUM! DUM! DUM! The beat of his heart felt resounding. It felt entirely too loud as what would such a thing even represent? For him, it wasn¡¯t even the immense possibilities that tugged at his heart! It was what he could do with it. Those that took away the most precious thing to him¡­he may actually be able to face them without fear! So¡­ "Let¡¯s continue." He spoke to himself as he looked closely at his Enneagram. With the Ice Wave Ability Gem on the very center of the Nine pointed star, Alexander noticed a change where five of the 9 circles were now lit up brightly. The other four were dim as if they couldn¡¯t be utilized! It meant that only 5 Support Ability Gems could be utilized for the Ice Wave Ability- was this limitation due to the level of the Ability Gem itself? From the knowledge he had gathered so far, there were different tiers between Main and Support Ability Gems. Some were naturally higher in tierspared to others. Now he had to confirm what type of Ability Gem would allow all Nine ends of the Enneagram to light up. He turned his gaze to the Support Ability Gems to get started. [Energy Preservation Support]. Any Ability Gems can be supported by this Universal Support Ability Gem. It allows the effects of a linked Main Ability Gem to reduce all resource costs while actively catalyzing the energy production of the body, allowing you to be constantly filled with energy. The first one was simr to the recipe utilized by Gem Master Azazel and others as it truly was a universal support ability gem. The boons of reducing the cost of the main ability and even allowing one¡¯s body to be filled with even more energy were too paramount! As for the second Support Ability Gem lying on the bed¡­ [Frost Energy Support]:: Any Ability Gem rting to cold or frost can be supported by this support ability Gem. The Linked Ability has the Cold Damage output increased by 200%, and the area of effect is increased by 200%. Straightforward and simple. And yet its capabilities were tremendous as a Three-Link Gem Master with this recipe could be known as the Ice King of the battlefield! "Come!" Alexander beckoned to the two Gems as they smashed onto the two faint circles on his chest, fusing into it as instantly, he felt his body buzz as if he had swallowed a freezing sun. His skin glinted with radiance. His somewhat skinny body seemed just a bit more packed as his eyes gained a small hint of blue! But this was only the beginning. There were theories on what Gems could grant shocking effects if added to the recipe of the Ice King- If someone with Four or Five-Link Gem Sockets were to utilize it! Additional support Gems included¡­[Frost Infiltration Support], [Elemental Discipline Support], and [Explosive Surge Support]. Alexander picked out all three from the treasure chest and allowed the pull of his Enneagram to intensify- all three Gems shimmering with white or blue lights flowing to the three remaining lit-up circles. ¡­! And his body trembled. It trembled as if it were epting and limating to tremendous power- pain beginning to course across his body as he could actively feel all parts of him changing! His t stomach gradually gained structure. The faint lines of abdominal muscles began to show as his shoulders, back, thighs, and many other parts of his body began to be more noticeable. His senses even told him his jawline was getting sharper as he should have gained even more charm. And when he looked at his Enneagram Life Socket that had all the five lit-up Support Ability Sockets filled, he saw this unfathomable Nine-pointed star begin spinning at its own unique pace. Spinning. Since when did one¡¯s Life Sockets move around crazily like this? And just what did this movement signify? There were too many unknowns still with his Enneagram Life Socket. He continued to watch its spins as in real time, he could feel himself getting just a little stronger! ¡ª The day after the Awakening Ceremony. Hours came and went along with a bustle of activity in the Capital City Fortress of Carthage, the main topic of conversation being the future Five-Link Gem Master who had appeared in their Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline. In passing, the name Alexander was mentioned as a contrast to how one of the two Scions of the Mortal Branch Leaders had ascended to the skies while the other had fallen below the earth. A Variant Life Socket? A defective Life Socket? Would this Scion even be able to force himself to step out of his father¡¯s mansion after this? There were many whispers and gossips under the talks of those pertinent across the city Fortress. But nobody dared to gossip too loudly. They all knew how terrifying the father of this Young Master could be. So even as this gossip came in whsipers, nothing could beat the gossip on the future achievements of ire Asmodeus! Chapter 7: Awakened Expedition I When looking at ire Asmodeus or any Gem Master, the biggest question was always about strength. Those recently Awakened were always looked at as potential or future Gem Masters because to truly have the distinction of a Gem Master, you had to obtain it over time. Because it was only over time that one¡¯s life force became stronger. It was theorized that the socketed Primal Ability Gems naturally and passively increased someone¡¯s strength, and that the more Life Sockets one had with Support Gems in ce, their strengthening effects would only stack as they would gain more strength even faster. Their life force would increase even faster. A recently awakened Five-Link Gem Master with all their Life Sockets filled would not be able to survive even a 1-minute spar against a Five-Link Gem Master who had been active for years. But¡­A newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master with all their life Sockets filled may just be able to fight equally against a veteran Four-Link or Three-Link Gem Master- the single additional Support Gem being that effective. Age and experience always came out on top, and this wasn¡¯t even mentioning the transformation to one¡¯s Life Sockets that urred after they raised the level of their Primal Life Force to a sufficiently high level. So before they fully grew up, if any genius potential Gem Masters appeared¡­their safety was paramount. Until they understood how to use their power most effectively. Until they at least had undergone¡­their first Ascendancy. It meant that for this year¡¯s Awakening Expeditions, there would beyers of protection surrounding the one girl whose potential publicly shone the brightest! "Are you sure about this?" In the mansion of Branch Leader Julius Asmodeus. Julius asked his son for what seemed like the third time, and Alexander nodded once more with eyes full of confidence. His father gazed at him sternly before rising anding forward with a set of green garments. "A Gem Master is always distinguished by how they act in private and in public. I¡¯ve never seen you show any pride and arrogance before, nor should you start now. Regardless of other people¡¯s gazes, let your power speak for itself." As he spoke he ced the green robes that many Gem Masters wore on Alexander, Julius looking at his son closely before he embarked on his first Expedition. "There are genuine and horrible monsters outside, but know that Beasts of Corruption are not the only monsters out there. Humans can at times be worse monsters than even Beasts of Corruption. Do you understand?" ¡­! Words of caution. Words from a father to a son that were taken seriously as Alexander nodded with seriousness. His father then backed away and spoke thest set of words to him for the foreseeable future. "Gem Master Azazel and his forces will follow you in this Expedition to ensure your safety. You are there to learn and face Tier 1 and 2 Beasts of Corruption. Do not try to be a hero, do not try to show off. Learn the ferocity of Beasts of Corruption from these weaker ones, and they will prepare you for the ones you will face in the future. Understood?" "Understood." Alexander nodded once more with affirmation as his father gave the go ahead. He looked towards the tall bookcase filled with manuscripts on the wall of his study as behind him, the doors closed. His son would soon set off. What he hoped for the most at this time¡­ "Be safe, my son." He closed his eyes as his chest burned with brilliance. Those with truly perceptive eyes could barely see that his four Life Sockets¡­held a faint blue hue in addition to the initial white circr hue that covered the Gems within powerfully! ¡ª Outside of the mansion of Branch Leader Julius. Alexander had only just stepped outside to see the Squadron of green robed Gem Masters led by Gem Master Azazel waiting for him. "Young Master Alex, I apologize for getting swept up in the excitement earlier and not being able to observe your Variant Life Socket a little more. Have you been able to gain an understanding of it?" The eyes of a loyalmander burned brightly as he didn¡¯t hold any prejudices, and Alexander could see simr eyes in the faces of at least half of those following him. The other half held skepticism as if they didn¡¯t entirely believe in the task they were given, but they followed orders! Nobody outwardly expressed any disrespect to the Son of the Branch Leader based on rumors they heard. Alexander nodded towards Gem Master Azazel with a smile as replied. "No harm done, and my Variant Life Socket is enough for me to not be powerless on the battlefield. Until then, thank you for taking care of me." He had known Gem Master Azazel for some time as this burlymander was a veteran with a lot of experience and more battles won than lost. As they talked, the horn of an airship could be heard in the distance as in the skies, the vessel that would be carrying the newest batch of Awakened Gem Masters came towards the Mansion of Branch Leader Julius. It was ovoid in structure with a t base at the bottom, artificial wings that stemmed from unique Aerial Beasts of Corruptioning out of the sides of this massive vessel that was nearly half the size of the Mansion near them. A product born from mixing ideas of innovation and wonders of terrifying Beasts of Corruption. It was known as a Corrupted Airship. The wings fluttered constantly as they released a blue hue that kept the massive vessel afloat until it came to hover above them. Over a dozen ropes were then flung down as Gem Master Azazel nodded towards Alexander. "We are thest to board, Young Master Alex. The Expedition this time¡­will be just hours outside our walls of Carthage." As he talked, he grabbed onto a rope nearest to him and tugged, his figure being taken upwards as his people followed. Alexander felt the beat of his heart pulse with a bit more caution as he breathed out before reaching towards another dangling rope- giving it a tug before he was also pulled up towards the Corrupted Airship! As he went up, he gazed down below at the mansion he had spent most of his life in. At the countless other houses of important figures and vast city streets of Carthage that followed everything. He paused at this scene ever so briefly. And then¡­he could even see a glimpse of the top of the wall in the far distance before his eyes were covered with the darkness of finally stepping inside the vessel. Chapter 8: Awakened Expedition II All the ropes came from a circr opening on the bottom of the ship that closed with a grinding of gears the moment thest Gem Master passed through, and Alexander released his hands from the rope as he fell a few meters onto the metal floor. Such a feat was simple for Gem Masters with their activated Primal Life Force, this simple action causing Gem Master Azazel who had already swung down to give a nod of recognition towards Alexander before he pointed towards the stairs leading up from the lowest floor of this airship. "Let¡¯s head up and meet the rest of those in this Awakening Expedition." The area they arrived in was the very lowest level of the vessel, and when one climbed higher, voices mixed with expectations, excitement, and a tinge of fear could be heard. The color green permeated all around to distinguish the new Gem Master, with a few like Gem Master Azazel having inscriptions and des on their robes to distinguish them even more. When arriving on the second level, Alexander could see an array of people grouped together and talking amongst each other, many of them with Two-Link Gem Sockets as among the few hundred newly Awakened Gem Masters, there were less than 100 on this vessel that were participating in this Expedition. These were the stronger and more resolute Awakened Gem Masters, and past all of them, towards the very front¡­a graceful figure surrounded protectively by multiple powerful Gem Masters could be seen. ire Asmodeus. The one with Five Life Sockets. At least five Three-Link Gem Masters could be seen surrounding her, with a dozen more Two-Link Gem Masters upying the space in the surroundings. At their arrival, Gem Master Azazel led Alexander in this same direction as their entering figures captured the eyes of those they passed. The prestige of Gem Master Azazel made it so that nobody spoke even in hushed tones about the young man he was escorting on this trip. Regardless of the rumors of the Son of Branch Leader Julius who had awakened a Defective Life Socket, nobody wanted to outwardly speak about them and get on the bad side of Gem Master Azazel! This caused a hush of conversations wherever Alexander passed as in no time, the figure of ire far ahead noticed this as they turned. And in an instant, ire¡¯s eyes instantly locked onto Alexander as she instinctively took a step towards him. Coming forward, Gem Master Azazel nodded towards her and the 5 Three-Link Gem Masters tasked with protecting her. "Circling around her like this, are you guys even giving the girl space to breathe?" He spoke with a smiling expression as those opposite him harrumphed, one man pulsing with power gazing at Azazel and Alexander as he replied. "Branch Leader Axel has already told us that if even a hair is missing on Lady ire, we¡¯ll face the torment of his lightning. If it weren¡¯t for his duties, he may havee here himself." ¡­! Branch Leader Axel was very protective of his daughter, and he had to be when she showed such potential as five Commanders who could have been defending different points of the City of Carthage from any unexpected Breaches were tasked with protecting her. And all of this was for an Expedition outside the Walls of Carthage on a newly risen Breach that Tier 1 and Tier 2 Beasts of Corruption had begun toe out of. As the Commanders talked to each other, Alexander nodded towards the tightly protected figure of ire and walked towards her, but before he could get too close¡­ A handsome face stood before him. One of the few Three-Link Gem Masters to have Awakened in this recent ceremony. Stemming from a powerful family on the side of Branch Leader Axel, he could be considered a cousin to ire. Adorned in a simr green battle robe with dark hair and eyes, Alexander smiled at the young man before him as he spoke. "Now why would you be standing in front of me, Charlie?" Someone who stayed out of his way many times in the past when they came across each other. He held obvious jealousy over Alexander¡¯s rtionship with ire, but he never said or did anything in front of Alexander before! Did the advent of his Variant Life Socket and ire¡¯s Five-Link Gem Sockets make him think things had changed? The expression on Charlie suppressed the fire of jealousy within as best as he could, an entourage of a few Two-Link Gem Masters lining up beside him as he spoke out. "Things are no longer the same as they used to be, Young Master. Lady ire is not someone you can still freely be around." ¡­! He was the first to speak boldly to Alexander when nobody else could! As someone who Awakened to Three Life Sockets, he was looked at as a force that could be another Gem Master Azazel one day. His pride and position had risen as he thought he could step up at this moment. But even before Alexander could reply¡­ "Who decided that?" The surrounding atmosphere buzzed. The chilly voice of ire Asmodeus rang out along with a sense of pressure that caused others to feel a sense of suffocation. A pressure that many weren¡¯t used to here as it could only stem from a Five-Link Gem Master! Charlie¡¯s expression turned ugly as the envy within his rose even more, his head turning behind him. "Lady ire, I-" "Step aside." WAA! A silent wave of light burst out from her chest as she spokemandingly, Charlie gritting his teeth before he looked down and moved himself to the left- the rest of his entourage also scattering. The Three-Link Gem Masters who were there to protect her adopted stern expressions as the strongest one was about to intervene when Gem Master Azazel stepped forward. "Todd, give the kids some space, hmm? We¡¯re a distance away from our destination. Let¡¯s get ready when things need our attention then." Strong words without a hint of rebuttal echoed out! Chapter 9: Awakened Expedition III Gem Master Azazel¡¯s words held a lot of weight as after a few seconds, Gem Master Todd nodded and waved his hands as many Gem Masters visibly rxed. ire¡¯s figure came out of the encirclement and wanted to talk to Alexander, but seeing all the gazes looking towards their direction...she couldn¡¯t even freely act how she wanted. Alexander looked at her and saw the sense of urgency in her eyes as he looked around, seeing the door leading to the topmost deck where ranged Gem Masters were stationed to be on the lookout in case any Aerial Beasts of Corruption appeared. He nodded to himself as he stepped forward and took ire¡¯s hand to the dismay of many eyes, walking with confident strides towards the metal door on the side opening to a set of stairs that led higher as nobody dared to stop him! He left behind the figure of Charlie who was clenching his fists as under the watchful gazes of many powerful Gem Masters, he closed the iron doors behind them and walked to the middle of the stairs. Above, there was another door that would lead to the upper deck, but for now¡­there were only the two of them here. On this staircase where no other gazes could peer into. Alexander nodded in affirmation as he turned around while speaking. "Are you oka-" ¡­! He didn¡¯t finish his words as the figure of ire flung itself towards him in a hug, Alexander shocked to feel the body of this girl trembling. Trembling. His eyes became filled with concern as he patted her dark hair, bringing their figures to sit down on the stairs as he asked again. "Are you okay?" The girl who held tremendous value. A potential Five-Link Gem Master who could be a pir of their Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline. She pulled her head back as her blue eyes were actually hazy with held-back tears, and she looked at Alexander closely before sheid her head on his shoulders and spoke softly. "I¡­they¡­they are putting so many things on my shoulders¡­" Her words were akin to whispers. She was a powerful futurebatant, yes. But her mentality was not at all there yet. She wiped the tears on the rims of her dazzling blue eyes as she continued. "My dad told me that the rise of our entire family lies on me. That in the future, I will have to protect us and ensure that the lives of hundreds and thousands do not fall to Beasts of Corruption. That soon, I will have topete with even the Scions of the Ascendant Branch of our Asmodeus Bloodline. I¡­I don¡¯t¡­mean to be ungrateful for what I received. I don¡¯t mean to¡­" Her words held immense frustration. She knew her position was one of privilege. She knew that everyone wished they had awakened Five-Link Gem Sockets! So even though she couldn¡¯t bear the weight of the expectations her father ced on her, she still kept a strong front. Alexander stroked her dark hair as he replied to her softly. "It¡¯s okay." He spoke calm words he had said to her many times before. "Is it though? How can I-" "Just leave it to me." His reply was firm. ire blinked and lifted her head to look at him, and he looked back with a calm gaze as he repeated himself. "Whatever expectations they ced on you. Whatever heavy weight you are carrying¡­just leave it all to me, okay? I¡¯ll help you shoulder it all." ¡­! They were words filled with confidence. So much confidence that after ire froze while looking at him for a few seconds, she gazed down towards his chest where she realized she couldn¡¯t even see anything there. Her fingers came to his chest as she wanted to ask him. She wanted to ask him how he could so confidently say that he would carry the weight ced on the shoulders of a Five-Link Gem Master. But she remembered the one thing she knew all her life. Alexander had never once lied to her. He had never once broken any promises. So¡­he wouldn¡¯t start now. She didn¡¯t ask him how or why, but she felt like the suffocating weight she had on this whole time lessened somewhat as she nodded and ced her head on his shoulder once more. Even though they had awakened, nothing had changed. He was always someone she could rely on. She closed her eyes as after what seemed like a day of people gazing up at her with expectations she could never meet, she could finally rx. "..." Alexander looked at the girl that seemed ready to fall asleep on his shoulders as clicked his tongue and touched the small bag beside his waist as he thought about the future. This bag held a few more Gems he had taken from the chest his father granted him, and he didn¡¯t fully know how they maye of use in the future, but he took them just in case. Out of the many lessons from his father, a major one was the fact that within Breaches- always be prepared for the unexpected. And for what he wanted to do, Alexander could not afford to lose his little life here! With a sharp gaze, he spoke softly to the girl beside him. "Come on, I think we¡¯re getting over the wall now." He said this, but he knew it with surety as on his chest, a total of six Gems continued to spin in his unfathomable Enneagram. A single Main Ability Gem, and five total Support Gems! Compare this to ire who was a Five-Link Gem Master, she only held a single Main Ability Gem and four Support Ability Gems as the difference was clear. But nobody knew. And nobody needed to know as his power was his secret. With the augmentations that his central Gem [Ice Wave] received from 5 additional Support Ability Gems, Alexander¡¯s senses did not just cover a few meters. Ridiculously, if he truly focused- he could sense things all around for a diameter of 1 mile. 1 mile! Chapter 10: Awakened Expedition IV A mile of omnidirectional senses was something entirely unrealistic for anymon Gem Master, much less one just starting out. This ridiculous capability came through from nothing else other than the umted support effects of [Frost Energy Support], [Frost Infiltration Support], [Elemental Discipline Support], and [Explosive Surge Support]. And this was only a single aspect of what they increased. When it came to the damage and area of effect from utilizing Ice Wave actively at this moment¡­he would need Beasts of Corruption to see just how terrifying the capabilities of having Six Gem Sockets active were. Six Gem Sockets. It effectively made him a Six-Link Gem Master, and not a single soul knew. Even more ridiculous was that if he could get his hands on a higher tier Main Ability Gem, the rest of the Sockets on his Enneagram may just light up. If and when such a time came¡­ HUUM! The sound of a deep horn could be heard as the Airship crossed over the tall wall of the City of Carthage. Alexander took ire¡¯s hand and led her up the rest of the stairs,ing onto the third deck where Gem Masters with bows only gazed at them on the periphery of their eyes before they remained gazing outside like hawks. Heavy winds battered onto their bodies as this third deck held many openings, but from it¡­they could see the City of Carthage they were leaving behind. A vast wall stretching out circling so far that one couldn¡¯t see its end. Countless small houses and huts in the periphery near the Walls of Carthage, but they progressively became bigger and taller as they went toward the center of the city. Of course, the weaker and poorer Gem Masters that did not risk their lives going through Expeditions lived closer to the Wall of Carthage, while the more powerful and richer Gem Masters held abodes deeper in. Even now as their Airship climbed over the tall reinforced wall that Alexander remembered was raised from materials found within Breaches, they could see an archway of metal gates opening and closing that led out of the City and into a rough road that branched out into multiple directions. From these reinforced gates that had to be opened one after another for one to enter or leave, other Gem Masters either walked out in parties or carriages pulled by horses and moved towards other locations. Crowds of many were not going too far away, as a few dozen miles away from the City of Carthage, Alexander could see something that had appeared a few years ago. A Breach. A Breach that towered to the skies and looked like a massive tear in space- as if someone had looked at the skies and earth and simply tore a hole through it. One couldn¡¯t call it a portal as when you looked at it directly, you could already see a different world within it! This was a Tier 3 Breach that had appeared near the City of Carthage years ago, thousands of Beasts of Corruption erupting from it that the Gem Masters of the Asmodeus Bloodline fought against. After heavy losses and sacrifices, all emerging Beasts of Corruption were cleared as Gem Masters gained control of the Breach, and they set up camp and defensive lines outside of the massive Breach and within it- beginning to explore inside it deeper and eliminating any Beasts of Corruption they came across. This was a Tier 3 Breach that held powerful Tier 3 Beasts of Corruption as the weakest, so the Awakened Expedition that Alexander and ire were a part of...would not be delving into something like this. There was another Breach further away from the City of Carthage that their forces had also gained control over- a Tier 1 Breach that only ever held Tier 1 and a few Tier 2 Beasts of Corruption. Rtively safe- especially if they were being escorted by veteran Three-Link Gem Masters! But as Alexander stated at the distant fading City of Carthage and the rich movements of people within that made it work, his eyes couldn¡¯t peel away from the Breach close to it. The tear in space that looked like it was leading into another World entirely. There were a lot of theories regarding Breaches, with some of them stating that they could be gateways to other worlds. But some Breaches were small and could be explored by those powerful within a few days, while other Breaches had not been fully explored even now after years had passed. They were a curse, as well as a blessing. Within, Primal Life Gems to awaken more humans to be Gem Masters could be found. Ability Gems. Unknown Metals and Ore that could be used to enact Fortresses. Bodies of Beasts of Corruption that could be broken down to make weapons or armaments. As he looked at the fading tear of the skies and earth in the distance, the voice of ire rang out beside him. "The Tier 3 Breach termed the Den of Corruption. Every day, Father receives reports of a Gem Master or two that have fallen to Beasts of Corruption within from the rare appearence of Tier 4 Beasts. But we keep going again and again. They have to reinforce the defensive lines both within it and outside of it, they have to continue mining for more Ore and Gems to sustain our City. It is¡­" She didn¡¯t finish her words. She spoke of the reality of Gem Masters whose lives were unpredictable. Each one could die within days of their journey, while some lived for years. Even they didn¡¯t know what the future held. It was only after the City of Carthage was a distant blip in the distance, along with the Tier 3 Breach slowlying out of sight, that Alexander looked away. Their airship floated far above the earth below, and one could see mountain ranges that were filled with trees¡­that had no leaves. Seeing them made one think of death as a distance below them, there used to be a running river that stretched out for hundreds of miles into the Northern Sea. But at this moment, that river was dry. In their world¡­In the world of Ephesus, rain had been a rarity for decades now! Chapter 11: The Jungle Grounds! I Within their World of Ephesus, rain was a hazy concept. When it came, it came for a whole day as Gem Masters celebrated, and ever so briefly, life bloomed again. But after a brief respite of rain, it may nevere for months, and the longest had been years. It caused some areas to be devoid of life, and for Gem Masters to rely on Breaches and the abundant resources that could be found within as one of the resources always looked for¡­was water. Water was one of the precious resources brought into the City of Carthage to allow for the trees that lined up the Ancestral Mountain. For the few points of verdant vegetation that granted a false reality full of life. But the moment one left Carthage, they would be reminded of the true state of reality everywhere else. Looking at the mountain ranges filled with half-dead trees, Alexander was silent. Around them, the winds became rougher and rougher as the Airship delved further in, cracked and splintered earth being the only scenery all around them. A few minutes after that, a Two-Link Gem Master holding a fiery crimson bow looked toward Alexander and ire as he spoke out with a stern voice. "Rougher winds areing, Young Master Alex and Lady ire. It may be best for you to join the other recently awakened Gem Masters down below." The voice still carried a hint of respect in its authority as this should be someone from his Father¡¯s camp. Alexander nodded towards this man as truly, there wasn¡¯t anything worthy of looking at in these deste mountains that didn¡¯t remind one of death. So with light steps, Alexander and ire made their way back down as they waited to arrive at the Tier 1 Breach meant for them to explore. A Breach that was known as¡­the Jungle Grounds! ¡ª When outside a City Fortress, time always seemed to pass by differently as after what seemed like forever, the outline of a tear between the earth and extending to the skies could be seen ahead of them. Surrounding it were a few other Airships and rows of enacted walls and defenses, with hundreds of people seen stationed or moving to and fro. "Begin the Descent!" The voice of Gem Master Azazel boomed out as those controlling the Airship followed themand right away, the rough winds being cut through as after over 2 hours, a long trip through the skies ended. CLANG! As winds parted, the massive Airshipnded on the metal of a small hangar as the wings on its side buzzed rapidly, the impact being light- but not light enough to the extent that Alexander couldn¡¯t feel his body shaking from the vibrations. It even caused other Airships nearby to vibrate. When everything settled, all those who were already on the lowest deck of the Corrupted Airship faced the same direction. A doorway that hadn¡¯t opened this whole time began to widen with the roaring of gears, revealing the world outside. HUUM! The first thing that Alexander noticed was a constant but low humming sound that only became more prominent when they began to disembark the Airship. A humming that his expanded senses that could cover a single mile quickly located the Source of- this being nothing else but the tear in space that was the Tier 1 Breach known as the Jungle Grounds. Being this close to a Breach came with a lot of new sensations, as well as a different atmosphere entirely. The Awakening Expedition got off the Airship as Gem Master Azazel and others led the way forward, with Azazel greeting other Three-Link Gem Masters stationed here as they talked amongst each other while walking. The newly Awakened Gem Masters followed behind closely as they took on everything around them. "Everybody seems to be on the edge, even though they are guarding a Tier 1 Breach¡­" ire¡¯s voice echoed in Alexander¡¯s ears as before he could even reply, Charlie, who was near them with his entourage, spoke out. "Any Breach is enough to make Gem Masters tense. Too many deaths have urred from even minorcency¡­" He replied lightly as he wanted to show he was knowledgeable as well, ire turning towards him briefly to nod as they continued forward. Alexander was tuning in on many more conversations than just this as his senses also expanded to hear the dozens of Gem Masters that had been stationed to guard this Breach for who knew how many weeks or months. A dozen meters away from them, three Two-Link Gem Masters were moving crates filled with Ores that were being loaded on the very Airship they came out of as they talked amongst each other. "I¡¯ll bet a single Support Gem that at least Three of these younguns will piss themselves at the first sight of a Beast of Corruption." "Only three? And I know one will do more than just piss. Remember months ago when that one guy shat his pants¡­" The conversations didn¡¯t have much value, but Alexander did keep his senses open moreso on what the powerful Gem Masters were talking about. Especially those moving with Gem Master Azazel. Their words entered his ears as they walked closer and closer toward the massive tear stretching across the earth and skies. "We¡¯ve confirmed over thest months and done a thorough check in the periphery of 50 miles past the Inner Barracks of the Breach. Only less than a dozen Tier 2 Beasts of Corruption and the rest are Tier 1. You all have nothing to worry about." A Three-Link Gem Master with a buzz cut talked to Gem Master Azazel and Todd with a stern expression. "Good. We will stay within that perimeter for no surprises. You¡¯ve practically been living in this Breach right, Richard?" Azazel turned towards the Gem Master with a buzz cut, Richard, as this man shook his head with a sense of annoyance and gave in. "Yes, yes. I will act as a guide to you and the young chicks. You guys brought so many Three-Link Gem Masters that could have been deployed to the Den of Corruption¡­but I guess I do understand the reasoning." As he spoke, he turned around to nce at ire. He wasn¡¯t the only one as while they walked, many other eyes hade to lock onto their group- specifically on ire. The newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master. "Alright, it¡¯s settled." The leaders came to their own conclusions as at this time, their group passed the opened metal doors of a reinforced wall that rose slightly above their heads- effectively leaving the Outer Barracks of the Tier 1 Breach in front of them anding near the bounds of the tear in space! At this time, Gem Master Todd turned around to stare at the less than 100 newly Awakened Gem Masters as he spoke out sharply. "We have already discussed how to move within this Breach. Remain within your ranks and only move when you are called upon. You are not to veer off on your own. You are not to make a move on your own. If you vite any of these rules and those we mentioned before to put everyone in jeopardy, I will personally send you back to your families in a body bag." ¡­! Chapter 12: The Jungle Grounds! II The words of Gem Master Todd were harsh, but the situation was just that serious. The moment Gem Master Todd finished speaking, the three circr Gems on his chest shed with a brilliant blue light. And in the next moment, a dazzling blue bow of lightning appeared in his hands- Alexander recognizing its features right away as such a bow could only be formed by following the recipe of [The Lightning Archer]! Most of those who followed Branch Leader Axel, ire¡¯s Father, tended to stick with Ability Gems geared towards lightning. Gem Master Todd was no different as momentster, simr bows of Lightning appeared on two others, while the Two-Link Gem Masters around them raised ck metallic shields that soon became reinforced with crackling Lightning. Defenders and Attackers. At the same time, a woman with three Sockets raised a weapon that looked like a staff attached to the skull of an Unknown Beast of Corruption- and yet it shone with a radiant white hue. The staff in her hands pulsed as it formed two pure white wings of light on the skull- Alexander recognizing the features of this Ability to stem from nothing else but the Gem Recipe of [Light Acolyte Healer]. Some with the rare Ability Gem of [Life Force Rejuvenation] could actually heal themselves and others to an extent. Defenders, Attackers, and Healers. Branch Leader Axel truly wanted to ensure the safety of his daughter as this lineup was something that would rarely even be formed when going into the Tier 3 Breach- the Den of Corruption. And yet here they were at a Tier 1 Breach! Whether Alexander¡¯s father knew this or not, he sent Gem Master Azazel and his squadron to ensure Alexander¡¯s safety. Azazel who at this moment released a fiery red light- visible red mes beginning to swirl around him as his body radiated a terrifying pressure of a one-man army. Those behind him burned with a simr brilliance as they showed their [Barbarian Blood] to the fullest. "Let¡¯s go." The Breach was right ahead of them. Gem Master Azazel nodded towards Alexander, and beside him, ire stood close by! Around them, cautious Awakened Gem Masters moved along with hints of fear and excitement as they moved towards the tear in space ahead of them. Was it truly akin to another world? Was it a simple separate space? Fear and anticipation were abundant as after walking across the tightly guarded Outer Barracks that showed many Gem Masters moving crates of Resources and load them towards Airships, Alexander and dozens of other newly Awakened Gem Masters entered a Breach for the first time. How could the sensation of entering a tear between the skies and earth even be described? When Alexander was right in front of it, he could see vibrant green vegetation and trees within this tear in space, but his senses could not enter it to sense everything yet. It was only after he followed the procession of Gem Masters and stepped foot from what he knew to be Ephesus and entered an entirely different ce did the diameter of his senses expanded wildly again as he was able to sense everything around them for a mile away. The instant he stepped into the Breach, he felt his Enneagram pulse as the constant spinning that the Six Gems had been doing ever since he socketed them in...became just a little faster. And he noticed something unique as the speed of the spinning increased. Based on his own perception. Based on how these circr gems were when he socketed them. Did they not seem¡­smaller right now? Smaller. He had never heard of Main Ability Gems or Support Ability Gems bing smaller over time! Why were the Gems in his Enneagram bing smaller, and what end result were they going towards? Alexander couldn¡¯t confidently answer this yet as his focus was forced toe out into thends around him. The air. The atmosphere. The grass at his feet. All of it...felt so beautiful that it creeped him off. This was a Breach? A ce filled with terrifying monsters? So why did it give this unique sensation of an abundance of life? Why was the air here¡­so rich with life force? Before he could answer any of these questions¡­ "Who can tell me what Beasts of Corruption we can expect in these Jungle Grounds?" Up ahead, within this silence, the voice of Gem Master Todd echoed out. It was silent as everyone followed one of the first rules given to them. Do not speak or make conversation unless you were asked to. In the back, a young girl wearing green battle garments along with three Life Sockets that gave her the confidence she had chirped up to answer. "The Emerald Tree Boas, The Eight Eyed Tarants, and the Poison Dart Frogs are among the most frequently encountered ones, sir!" Her voice seemed filled with respect and excitement as Alexander recognized her to be Rachel Asmodeus- a girl from a distinguished family on the side of Branch Leader Axel. Gem Master Todd nodded as he turned his head to nod towards Gem Master Richard- the one who mapped out and knew the few dozen miles nearby like the back of his hand as he beckoned everyone forward while speaking calmly. "The first area we will head to is where there are thest dangerous lot- the Emerald Tree Boas." They began moving towards the left. Their pace was a quick one as another rule among the many they were given was to always move fast. If you stayed in one ce for too long within a Breach, you had to either be stupid or very assured of your strength. Many of those escorting them were strong, but even they didn¡¯t wish to be conceited even in this Tier 1 Breach! Beasts of Corruption had instilled this much fear in them. So they went deeper into the Breach. Ahead,rger trees and foliage arose as Alexander knew within seconds, all of them would be covered by the shade of these tall trees. They would freely enter the jungle! Chapter 13: The Jungle Grounds! III Alexander¡¯s eyes could only see the scene ahead of him, but his senses¡­were spread out for a mile all around as he captured everything nearby. The dewdrops on the leaves of theserge trees he could feel all around. The moisture of the damp grass on his feet. The tail of a green scaled¡­! A tail! His senses quickly focused on a straight path to the left of where they were- and there, .8 miles away, he could sense the outline and life force of something unique for the first time. Ten¡­twenty¡­25 meters in sheer length alone. Green scales that melded with the Trees and grass around it. A head with two Serpentine eyes that shone with a green hue, and on the backside of this terrifying creature, on the verdant scales that camouged it in a terrifying manner¡­a dazzling Gem Socket could be seen. The Ability Gems that humans obtained from Breaches. The vast majority of them¡­stemmed from terrifying Beasts of Corruption like these! The vast majority. Not all of them did. Alexander felt a sense of suffocation when watching such arge beast, his senses catching it opening its jaws to reveal an opening that could swallow a human being whole. They were slowly moving towards it as Gem Master Richard who had been moving in these Jungle Grounds a great deal seemed to know its general direction well. In his hands, wisps of tendrils of mes had begun to gather as after a while, he nodded to Gem Master Azazel and Todd who became stern- Azazel moving closer towards Alexander while Todd came closer towards ire. The powerful Three-Link Gem Masters who were supposed to ensure her safety guarded her from all angles as when they were a few trees away froming face to face with the massive Emerald Tree Boa¡­ HU! The hand of Gem Master Richard rose up along with his voice. "When youe across any Beast of Corruption, you should always strike first and strike hard. Since today is a day of lessons, you all will first see how to handle one, and subsequently take care of the rest under supervision." His rising voice of course caused a rustle of leaves ahead of them. ROAR! A booming Shockwave split apart the trees ahead of them as in the next moment, the unfathomably green scales of the head of the Emerald Tree Boa peered out with murderous eyes. It didn¡¯t hold any reservation or fear at observing dozens of Gem Masters in front of it, the Gem on its back radiating a frightening light as from its opened jaws- a swirl of poisonous green light formed and shot out towards their party! It was enough to cause some of the newly Awakened Gem Masters to stumble back, but one of the Two-Link Gem Masters holding shields buzzing with lightning jumped up- his shield held high as it came in contact with the poisonous ball of light and subsequently knocked it away. It sshed onto a tree to the left that began to melt as soon as it was hit. "This is still considered a Tier 1 Beast of Corruption, but there are Emerald Tree Boas that can have two Gem Sockets and yet remain as Tier 1 Beasts. A single attack from them can melt any average Gem Master who isn¡¯t prepared, but it remains a Tier 1 Beast purely because when ites to killing it, even a veteran with a single Socket is capable of doing so." ¡­! Gem Master Richard spoke as he valiantly walked towards the Emerald Tree Boa. He had fought and killed these Beasts many times. He knew their behaviors. He knew their movements. He walked up until he was meters away from the slithering body of this Beast that roared towards him, its heavy tail flung out like a fast hammer from the right side as¡­ ¡­! Gem Master Richard¡¯s hands surrounded by tendrils of mes rose to intercept the heavy tail smashing towards his body, a heavy impact booming out as his feet sank into the bare earth a few inches. But he remained immovable. With his right hand holding the vibrating tail of the Emerald Tree Boa, his left hand rose as a spear of mes formed around it, his eyes shing with a crimson radiance as he flung this spear out at a fast speed. HU! The Main Ability Gem, [me Spear]. The Emerald Tree Boa never got even a chance to dodge as the spear pierced its head from below- its jaws spewing out mes as a momentter, its entire head became scorched. Its massive body that could turn the Awakened Gem Masters fearful tumbled from its high point as it smashed into the earth below, the smell of scorched meat permeating outwards as the veteran Gem Master Richard took care of this Tier 1 Beast of Corruption with rtive ease! The strength and corrtion of Gem Masters to Beasts of Corruption could be made with rtive ease- the number of Gem Sockets a Gem Master had often corrted to the level of Beasts of Corruption they could potentially kill. Potentially. Take ire for an example. She had Five Life Sockets, but she still had the designation of a newly Awakened Gem Master as not much time had passed for her Life Force to grow under the influence of her socketed Gems. If she came across a Tier 5 Beast of Corruption who had 5 Life Sockets just like her, she would not even be capable of lifting a finger. Even a Tier 4 Beast with 4 Life Sockets would likely trounce the power she held currently. But if there was a genuine Gem Master- a Veteran with Four Life Sockets or even Five whose life force and power were robust, they could face Tier 4 or 5 Beasts without an issue! There was the factor of time needed for a Gem Master to truly represent the power of their Gem Sockets. Of course, theoretically, one could ovee experience and time with more Sockets. But who could easily awaken to five or six Life Sockets? Gem Master Richard finished his presentation as he looked back and spoke. "Simple enough, yeah? After you get over your initial fear, these Emerald Tree Boas are the easiest to hunt due to their size and the fact that their defenses are not that high." He went to the body of the Emerald Tree Boa he had killed and jumped on its back, his hands going down to yank the Gem from its Socket and cing it in a small bag beside his waist as his voice continued to ring out. "But, you can never really hunt even these Emerald Tree Boas alone as after a single one falls¡­" ¡­! The earth near them began to shake. In the back, Alexander watched this whole initial battle y out with sharp eyes that rose up halfway through the battle- his senses discovering three more Emerald Tree Boas rushing out from different directions after they heard the roar of the one they faced. These Beasts loved to draw each other as after a single one fell, three more that captured the roars of the first one appeared! Fear tensed in the Awakened Gem Masters behind him. But his own heart...felt steady. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t fearful. There was a sense of caution inside him no matter what. But¡­it also wasn¡¯t as pronounced as others, his right hand going towards his chest as he felt his Enneagram. With it, his mind knew that he didn¡¯t have to be fearful. Not of these Beasts of Corruption ahead of him. Below his feet, the grass had just begun to freeze over as the hidden strength within him was stimted, his senses heightened for what was toe as all Gem Masters around prepared. "Three areing up based on these vibrations- shall the kids get a first taste?!" Chapter 14: Catastrophe I Gem Master Richard bellowed out as two ming spears appeared in both his hands, and Gem Master Todd held his lightning bow tightly as he looked back toward ire. "Lady ire." As much as this was an Expedition for all newly Awakened Gem Masters who were brave enough to seek to join the ranks of Gem Masters, it was mainly an Expedition to introduce the future Five-Link Gem Master to Beasts of Corruption. ire¡¯s rigid figure heard the voice of Gem Master Todd, her eyes facing forward and seemingly frozen, but a momentter¡­ Alexander¡¯s hand came tond on her shoulder as her figure became less rigid. She turned to look towards him as he nodded, almost as if reminding her to remember his words. ire¡¯s eyes then became firm as a momentter, crackles of lightning began to buzz around her. HUUM! Her blue eyes gained an even deeper shade of blue. Behind her back, wings of Lightning formed that looked reminiscent of those her father had when he flew in the day she Awakened her Five-Link Gem Sockets! The same Gem Recipe as her father. Lightning King. Main Ability Gem, [Body of Lightning]. And unlike her father who only had three Support Ability Gems aiding him, she had four! Along with the formation of her blue wings of Lightning, five floating balls of lightning coalesced around her as they buzzed with interminable brilliance- their light even causing some of the weaker Awakened Gem Masters behind them to squint as at this time¡­ ROAR! Three massive Emerald Tree Boas arrived in the clearing. Gem Masters had shields ready to reinforce as Gem Master Azazel and Todd were already in front of Alexander and ire, ready to move at any point. But in the next moment, as if receiving guidance- three of the five bundles of concentrated lightning around ire shot out to an Emerald Tree Boa each. Fast. This was the only word that could be used to describe what happened next as even Alexander was only able to follow the trajectory of the bundles of lightning with his senses. In the middle of their roars, before they could unleash any attacks...the concentrated bundles of pure lightning smashed into the heads of the three Emerald Tree Boas at speeds they couldn¡¯t even react to! BOP! The unique explosive sounds rang out simultaneously as chunks of meat and blood rained from the skies. The heads of the three massive Emerald Tree Boas were blown to smithereens at the moment of their entry as the scene left many speechless. The damage of her single bundle of concentrated lightning was far more potent than even the spear that Gem Master Richard had thrown out, and the speed was something that no Two-Link or Three-Link Gem Master could follow! "Haha!" Amidst everyone¡¯s shock, Gem Master Richardughed boisterously as he pped. "Now that¡­is an uing Five-Link Gem Master!" Undeniable power. With additional support from a Gem even her father couldn¡¯t use, she had something none of them didn¡¯t. At this stage, her damage output and survivability may already be nearing a weak Four-Link Gem Master. Maybe a tenth of the power that her father, Branch Leader Axel, or Branch Leader Julius held- without any of their battle experience added in. Maybe. She seemed just as shocked as everyone else as she controlled her breathing while turning to look at Alexander. Almost as if to confirm whether she had truly done that! She only saw his smile, which caused her heart to calm down even more, her fears lessening somewhat as she looked ahead. It was at this moment that behind her, the dozens of newly Awakened Gem Masters came to a realization that caused their eyes to brim with confidence. They were in a Tier 1 Breach with only Tier 2 and Tier 1 Beasts of Corruption. Apanying them were multiple Three-Link Gem Masters who regrly fought against Tier 3 Beasts, and they also had a young Five-Link Gem Master in their Expedition! Of all the Awakened Expeditions that had urred in the past, this had to be the safest one that ever urred. The tall trees around them and the endless jungle that followed did not seem that menacing anymore. With so many powerful Gem Masters around them, their safety was assured as they could simply focus on getting experience on how to handle Beasts of Corruption themselves. Nothing could possibly go wrong. ¡ª The goal of the Awakening Expedition was to be familiar with Beasts of Corruption and gain thebat sense to face them. So any time the Expedition came across an Emerald Tree Boa¡­ "Damian, join the fray!" A newly Awakened Gem Master was sent forward to go against the Tier 1 Beast that was already surrounded by others. From the ranks behind them, over a dozen had already gotten the chance to fight against an Emerald Tree Boa under the protection of the veteran Gem Masters here. The person with the most takedowns so far, though, remained ire Asmodeus. ROAR! Another Emerald Tree Boa crashed the nearby trees in front of it and came into the messy clearing where a few dead bodies of its brethreny dead, Gem Master Todd turning towards ire who retained her wings of Lightning. "Lady ire, you can finish this one off. With it, we should havergely cleared this region of Emerald Tree Boas." They had been moving across the jungle for thest hour. They were at least 30 miles in at this point, the thick foliage of trees being even more radiant. ire had gotten used to things at this point as the moment these words were uttered by Gem Master Todd, another concentrated ball of lightning formed above her and quickly smashed into the thick head of the Emerald Tree Boa- taking it down in a single shot once more! With every kill, her confidence grew. She turned towards Alexander beside her as he gave her thumbs up, their small exchanges causing annoyance in the eyes of others as at the same time, the other Awakened Gem Masters cut through the scales of thest Emerald Tree Boa andid it to rest. "Alright, that¡¯s thest of them¡­take the time to rest as after this, we will head towards the region of the Eight Eyed Tarants. Whoever hasn¡¯t gotten a chance to enterbat yet will take priority!" The voice of Gem Master Richard echoed out as he ced his hand on the bare green earth and closed his eyes- confirming no other vibrations or even the smallest movements. At this time, the figure of Gem Master Azazel walked toward Alexander and ire as he spoke to them with a smile. "Young Master Alex, you¡¯ve sat back this whole time and given Lady ire the limelight. How about we have you participate against the Eight Eyed Tarants and clear up any misconceptions others may have about you?" ¡­! Chapter 15: Catastrophe II Gem Master Azazel¡¯s voice was robust as others easily heard it. This whole time, Alexander had yet to make a move as everyone attributed it to his Variant Life Socket. And when they truly thought about it, a few realized how they could barely see the outline of this Variant Life Socket on him as they didn¡¯t even know the shape that made it defective. But was there actually something with it? For Gem Master Azazel to be speaking so confidently about Alexander joining the next battles? With these questions beginning to rise, Alexander couldn¡¯t help but nod with a smile towards Gem Master Azazel. He never meant to hide his power in the long term. He was his father¡¯s son. Strength didn¡¯t juste purely with one¡¯s output of power as a Gem Master. It also came with their position in this world. The higher the position, the more things he will gain ess to. "You don¡¯t have to worry, Gem Master Azazel. I¡¯ll take the next Beast of Corruption wee acros-" ¡­! Others had begun to rx and sit down while discussing the blood-pumping battles. The first taste of defeating Beasts of Corruption. asional nces towards ire as they wondered what her Support Ability Gems were to give her such a high damage that could kill Tier 1 Beasts in a single shot. Everything had begun to calm down, and yet in the middle of speaking, Alexander never finished his words! This was because his senses that extended up to a single mile felt something that did not seem real. He had to raise his head to make sure he wasn¡¯t imagining things as he looked to the skies. The skies! And there, in the far distance about half a mile in the air, he could barely, just barely see the same thing his senses clearly captured. It was¡­a tear in space. And it was only getting wider. His expression rapidly changed from surprise to shock, his turned gaze confusing Gem Master Azazel and ire as they also looked up. And at such a moment. CRACK! As if ss was shattered. As if the skies themselves were crying at being ripped apart! Within a second, the sky in the distance became torn as an unbelievable scene unfolded. From the sides of the tearing sky, massive furred hands pulled and stretched as the tear becamerger andrger. Until the body of the furry hands tearing apart the skies showed itself. The first thing that Alexander noticed was its eyes. Its deeply red eyes pulsed with arcs of red lightning, its face being that of a massive ck-furred Gori! The second thing that instantly came to attention was on the chest of this massive gori that seemedrger than even the Emerald Tree Boa- towering at the very least to be 30 meters. On its chest¡­were four vibrant Life Sockets. Four Life Sockets that each shone with radiant crimson Gems. It was a surreal reality. DUM! Alexander felt the beat of his heart and the spinning of his Enneagram that seemed to bring him to attention to the current situation. It was...a Breach inside a Breach. Something he had never heard of! But most disastrous in all this was the fact that the first Beast of Corruption to peer its head through was a massive ck furred gori that had four dazzling Life Sockets. At a minimum, any Beast of Corruption with 4 Life Sockets was considered a Tier 4 Beast. And they could very well scale up to being Tier 5 Beasts depending on their Bloodline! Such Beasts needed someone like his Father leading multiple Squadrons just to hold up against it and see if it could be taken down. For such a Beast to appear inside a Tier 1 Breach¡­was a death sentence. Time felt like it was going slower. With his heightened senses, Alexander felt the oppressive air of this beast closely, along with its face. He was able to see as its eyes looked around and came to lock on them right away, and they went further by distinguishing them as it seemed to be looking through them one by one! Until¡­ "No¡­" His shock turned into horror. This was because he saw the crimson eyes of this Beast lock onto none other than ire- at the dazzling collection of Five Life Sockets on her chest. And its eyes shone with intelligence and intellect as they curved into smiles. The furry arms of this massive beast that were tearing open the skies then grabbed onto the ends of this tear, and using them as leverage¡­it flung its body from the skies and towards their location instantly. Before anybody could even react! HUUM! At such a time, Alexander felt his Enneagram spin with even more speed. And yet time seemed to be moving ever slowly. He moved by instinct. He reached out and wrapped his left hand around ire¡¯s waist, and his right hand flung out in front of him and released a terrifying burst of cold light that flung his figure and ire backward! It was unfathomably quick. So quick that even the Three-Link Gem Masters like Azazel, Todd, and Richard could not react to it. But he had to do it as a momentter, where they used to be standing¡­ BOOOM! The earth splintered and cried as if a meteor had thundered down. Nearby, Gem Master Azazel was flung back as his body began to burn with crimson radiance of utter shock. Finally, time seemed to move again. The shocked Gem Masters came to grasp the realization that somehow, a massive Beast of Corruption with Four Life Sockets had appeared within their midst! The shock and fear from this alone were intense as, with his arms trembling slightly, Gem Master Todd raised his blue bow of lightning as he yelled out. "Protect! Lady! ire!" A dazzling arrow, nay, a dazzling spear was released from his bow made of lightning. A spear of lightning so quick that it instantly smashed onto the lustrous ck fur of the Beast of Corruption in their midst. And¡­what urred next caused the fear budding in their hearts to rise by another octave. The powerful attack from Gem Master Todd, one of the few most powerful Three-Link Gem Masters here¡­it smashed into the fur of this Beast as it fizzled out entirely before it pierced anything! "...!" Chapter 16: Bobo! I "Ah¡­" The rising bows and long ranged attacks that were being prepared by many faltered. At the center of the Gem Masters, the ck-furred Gori actually had its lips twist into a cruel smile as its fist smashed onto its chest, bursts of crimson tendrils of lightning erupting from its body and tearing apart the surrounding earth as a st was sent out in all directions. ROAAR! The bodies of most Gem Masters were flung back like ragdolls. The Three-Link Gem Masters were in better states as their robust life force protected them somewhat, but even they felt their bodies rocked to their core! And to make things worse, in the ruptured skies above, other roars could be heard as dozens of ck furred creatures began to rush out of the Breach. Their eyes glowed crimson, and either on their chests or backs, Two or Three Life Sockets released astounding radiance. It was a hellish scene that changed everything far too quickly, a scene that changed a safe Tier 1 Breach into something unthinkable! And at the center of it all seemed to be the newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master; with the roaring Four-Link ck Furred Gori honing its eyes on her figure and the figure of Alexander that actually evaded its attack earlier. With a flicker of crimson radiance over its ck fur, it ignored everyone else and kicked off the earth below it, surging towards their two figures that were still smashing backwards. What was most horrifying was the speed its massive body had- the gap between them rapidly being closed as great peril was waiting ahead! Just what was this? Just what had gone wrong?! ¡ª Her heart felt like it was about to explode. By the time she blinked when she followed Alexander¡¯s gaze to the skies, she could already see the massive hand of the ck Furred Gori right before her eyes. Her senses barely kept up as her power wasn¡¯t able to move so quickly! But luckily, she felt his hands. His protective hands. They wrapped around her as a momentter, Alexander released a burst of cold white light that flung both of them away from the grasp of the terrifying beast. No sooner had they smashed into a tree that stopped their advance, the Beast was already cruising towards them again, the earth splintering beneath its feet as tall trees became torn as if they were paper! Its sheer pressure was so suffocating that ire barely managed to force her life force to move, but before she could activate anything, this beast was already on top of them again. This was when she came to a realization. This was truly a Beast of Corruption. The snakes they were fighting just before were absolutely nothing! In such a perilous situation, amidst her very own life force moving sluggishly, she felt her body pushed back as Alexander stepped in front of her. Directly in the path of the massive oing beast! "No¡­!" ire cried out as lightning finally began to gather around her, but at this time, she saw a ster scene. The temperature around them dropped drastically. And with Alexander as the origin, a tremendous wave of white blue cial Frost erupted outwards, freezing everything in its path as it shockingly slowed and covered the massive figure of the ck Furred Gori entirely. Its massive body became encased in what looked like a cier as after this, Alexander flicked his hand up! The waves of cial ice wrapping around the massive beast then exploded as its figure was actually flung towards the skies, its fur remaining frozen as in the skies, a ss shard spun above its head. The face of the ck Furred Gori showed tremendous shock and surprise as it gazed down below. But the ss shard spinning above its head exploded momentster, a gush of freezing cold waves of light wrapping around it again as its massive body became covered entirely with ice and frost! Like a cier floating in the sky. But it didn¡¯t stay like that for long as ire saw from the corner of her eyes¡­the fingers on Alexander¡¯s right hand flick down. BOOM! An explosive sound of shattering ice echoed out as a terrifying force smashed the massive body of the ck Furred Gori back for the green earth below, an impact booming out as the entire region raged with icy cold waves of light. The earth held an icy indentation as within it, the body of the ck Furred Gori could be seen. And yet at this moment, a gash leaking crimson blood was present on its shoulder- this blood freezing into icy streams soon after as an immense silence followed. The crimson eyes of the ck Furred Gori red with shock towards Alexander. ire stared with shock and stupefaction towards Alexander! In the distance, the distraught figures of Gem Master Azazel and others who were bleeding stared with their jaws flung wide open. In another direction, amidst the cluster of newly Awakened Gem Masters, manyy bleeding with bruises and broken limbs as among them, Charlie fell to his knees amidst his shock and fear as he stared at the progression of events that had just urred between Alexander and the massive ck Furred Gori. This¡­was Alexander? This was his Defective Life Socket?! ¡ª His Gem Recipe was a straightforward one. The Main Ability Gem of Ice Wave supported by [Energy Preservation Support], [Frost Energy Support], [Frost Infiltration Support], [Elemental Discipline Support], and [Explosive Surge Support]. The addition andpound effects of thest three Support Ability Gems added to this recipe was what made the ridiculous output of power that Alexander just unleashed on the Four-Link ck Furred Gori possible! [Frost Infiltration Support]:: Any Ability Gem rting to cold or frost can be supported by this Support Ability Gem. The Linked Ability is capable of ignoring 90% of the defenses rting to cold or ice within the target, and has a 100% chance of freezing the target. [Elemental Discipline Support]: Any Ability Gem rting to the elements can be supported by this Support Ability Gem. When applicable, the supported Ability will trigger for a second time on the same enemy if there are no other targets nearby. If other targets are near, the supported Ability will trigger onto a maximum of three other targets. [Explosive Surge Support]:: Any Ability Gem rting to the elements can be supported by this Support Ability Gem. The Linked Ability has its Damage Output increased by a factor of 4, and will activate an Explosive Surge of Elements under your directional control on any immobilized targets by gathering the released Elemental energy and exploding it with three times the damage. Ayering of ridiculous effects and increased damage outputs. What made the current reality possible! Chapter 17: Bobo! II The [Frost Energy Support] already granted Alexander a boon of 200% in increased Damage and Area of Effect, and the above mentioned [Explosive Surge Support] further increased the damage while adding an explosive effect! This wasn¡¯t to mention the boons of the Frost Infiltration Support and Elemental Discipline Support. Because of everything working together in a shocking harmony, he had released a single Ice Wave that entirely froze the massive Tier 4 Beast of Corruption. The support effect of Explosive Surge Support was triggered as he pushed the direction of the explosion up- and this sent the ck Furred Gori to the skies. The support effects of Elemental Discipline Support then activated as Ice Wave was triggered yet again on the ck Furred Gori, its figure bing frozen in the skies before Alexander chose the direction of the Explosive Surge towards the earth below! He used its own weight and this heavy Elemental explosion to deal even more damage, and with the capability of ignoring 90% of the target defenses when it rted to cold or frost¡­he was actually able to injure this Beast greatly while someone like the Three-Link Gem Master Todd wasn¡¯t even able to get past its fur. "..." And now, here everyone was. In the midst of a heavy silence as Alexander saw first hand how terrifying a single Main Ability Gem supported by five Support Ability Gems was! If someone with a single Life Socket also had [Ice Wave] and cast it towards the ck Furred Gori¡­it may not have even been able to cover a single limb of this Beast, nor even have the power to freeze it- much less fling it¡¯s body to the skies and back down to earth. Proper support abilities were that terrifying. This Gem Recipe that only he had right now from theories others only mentioned¡­he was keeping it simple with the same distinction as the Ice King Gem Recipe. DUM! The beat of his heart was still very loud. He felt a mixture of fear and exhration as even though he theoretically knew how many Gems he had and what they should be able to do, he still had never put it on disy as the results were unknown. And for his first Beast of Corruption to be a Tier 4 one? It was a shock not just for him, but for everyone else as in this silence¡­a few battle hardened individuals still broke out of it to react the quickest. Gem Master Azazel was the first. His figure felt like it was ame with mes of blood as [Barbarian Blood] went into overdrive, his voice booming out towards every single Gem Master here as when one looked towards the skies, they could still see an outflow of more and more Beasts of Corruption from the second Breach. "Head to the Inner Barracks! Carry those who are injured! Do not engage- only run!" ¡­! Do not engage. These words thundered into the newly Awakened Gem Masters, a few like Charlieing out of their stupor and on their feet, looking at their friends who were either knocked out or couldn¡¯t even walk as they carried them and began to make a run towards where they came from. The Veteran Gem Masters did the same as they carried anyone injured that couldn¡¯t move- and they all began to surge towards the entrance of the Breach where a defensive line was already established! The Gem Master with some healing capabilities continued to wave her staff towards those heavily injured- her face already drained of color and life essence as she seemed to be on herst straw while she made her retreat as well. Swiftly, all Gem Masters moved back. With their blood pumping, Gem Master Azazel, Todd, and Richard bolted towards Alexander¡¯s position as their eyes betrayed their urgency while Azazel shouted out once more. "Young Master, Lady ire! Please do not engage, we will buy time as you retreat!" ¡­! As he said this, Azazel¡¯s strong voice shuddered towards the end. He knew what it meant to buy time. Against the Beast that even the attacks of Gem Master Todd could not pierce the fur of, they may only be capable ofsting seconds. But Alexander could not die. Lady ire could not die! In the distance, Alexander heard their words clearly. But he did not move a single step as his eyes remained locked onto the figure with frozen fur and a bleeding shoulder that had already been covered with frostbite. An undtion of crimson tendrils of light had already begun to dance on this creature as its eyes were locked onto him and ire with tremendous malice. Alexander did not take a single step as he knew any move he made, this creature would react. A single p from it could kill others. Chunks of ice fell from it as its chest shone brightly, a frightening aura ring from it as, in the next moment, its devilish jaws opened to reveal a blood-curdling voice. "Humans¡­can never. Be. Trusted." ¡­! The Hearts of all Gem Masters dropped. The eyes of Gem Master Richard became painted with despair as he stopped in his tracks. Only Gem Master Azazel and Todd continued while their faces drained of all color as they all heard the same voice. Their humannguage¡­from the mouth of a Beast of Corruption! Such a thing was only possible for highly intelligent Peak Tier 4 Beasts of Corruption, and even moremonly for those Tier 5 and higher. The broken speech gave them hope that this Beast was of peak Tier 4. Because if it wasn¡¯t, they would all undoubtedly die. The heavy chunks of ice all fell from this massive beast as it got on all Four limbs while giving a deadly re towards Alexander. "They...tell about girl. But. Not. You. Was this...a trap for Bobo?" Bobo. Bobo the Four-Link ck Furred Gori uttered words that caused everyone tremendous dismay. Words that caused Alexander and ire to open their eyes in shock for what they represented! Why did a Breach suddenly appear inside a Breach? Why did a Four-Link Beast of Corruption look for and lock onto ire? It came here with purpose after receiving a single piece of news about a newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master. And it was precise enough to even know what Breach they would enter, and once they had actually entered! Chapter 18: Bobo! III The moment the Four-Link Beast of Corruption appeared, its gaze had honed in on ire alone as this was its purpose. And the most catastrophic thing was that the only way any word about ire could have spread to a Beast of Corruption such as this¡­was through the mouth of Humans. Someone within the City of Carthage, or any of the distant surrounding City Fortresses hadmunicated such critical information about a powerful uing Gem Master to the Beasts of Corruption! Who? Why? Someone from their Asmodeus Bloodline, or one of the other three Human Lineages? Alexander¡¯s mind was buzzing with all the possibilities as he remembered his father¡¯s words. At times, humans could be worse than monsters. "Dare. To Scheme. Against Bobo?!" ¡­! The frozen earth splintered below the massive beast. It brought its thick right hand on one of the gems on its chest- a crimson light shing before Bobo grasped something¡­and pulled it out from the crimson Gem. Wondrously, an obsidian spiked bat made out of crystalline materials was pulled out of the support ability Socket- something that caused the ashen gazes of those running away to be even cker as this represented a dreadful spatial element. "Scheme. Against. Bobo?!" BOOM! The massive club smashed onto the frozen earth as like a speedy mountain, the Beast flung itself forward again. Alexander¡¯s senses told him many things. It¡¯s trajectory. It¡¯s speed. And just how painful it would be if this massive thing ever smashed into him. He then felt the rapidly spinning Enneagram Life Socket on his chest that seemed to be heating up and spinning ever faster in the middle of all this, his mind feeling tremendous strength from it that calmed his beating heart. He could do this. For his own sake. For the sake of his Father. For the revenge he still wanted to take against those who took away what was most precious! Beasts of Corruption like these¡­were the reason why. He felt the anger and hatred that was always submerged against the specific Beasts of Corruption that killed his mother. The Elven Beasts of Corruption that could speak humannguage fluently. Why did he only reserve his hatred for them? Even this Beast of Corruption before him came from the same camp! DUM! The beat of his heart came, but it did not bring him rity this time around. It further roused his anger and directed it as Alexander no longer wanted to beid back. He wanted to release these heavy emotions. He wanted to prove to himself that he could at the very least take care of this Beast in front of him if he was to target the even more terrifying Elven Beasts of Corruption in the future! For the first time in his life, he felt like screaming. And so, while an average of ck fur surged towards him, he screamed. "OOOH!" A scream of anger from the depths of his heart. It was met with a swing of a massive obsidian club that darkened the skies above them and threatened to turn him and ire into pulps of meat, but a st of ice rose up to meet it! Ice Wave. BOOM! The descending club never reached as even the hand swinging it down froze, the ck Furred Gori roaring out as tendrils of crimson light surrounded it again. But an explosive force cracked the ice and flung the club upwards before it became encased in ice once more, and another subsequent explosion urred that flung both the club and the ck Furred Gori that held it back. The support ability Gems on his chest continued to show their wonders as once more, the Four-Link Beast of Corruption was pushed back. And this time, Alexander didn¡¯t wait for it to strike first as feeling the strength of his body, he spoke to the girl behind him while he shot towards the ck Furred Gori. "Run." ¡­! His figure jumped towards the massive beast, the scene being etched in the hearts of all those watching and running as Gem Master Azazel roared out while he also followed. "Do not engage, Young Master! We will hold it back while you and Lady ire retreat!" The veteran Gem Master wanted to do his job. But¡­Alexander¡¯s voice came out just as robust and with surety. "You will die." Yes. As his figure shed over five meters high in a single jump, he told Gem Master Azazel and any other Three-Link Gem Masters what their fate would be if they neared this Beast- or if its attention actually changed to them. So¡­ [Ice Wave] Alexander called out to life force surging in his body once more as without giving the ck Furred Gori any time to regain its momentum in the skies, he released another cial wave of ice that froze its figure entirely. And once more, the ice then exploded as Alexander pointed up! BOOM! The ck Furred Gori bellowed out in rage and pain as it was flung further to the skies. Even before its bellows continued, it was frozen yet again before the cier of ice surrounding him once more exploded and pushed its massive body ever higher. Into the skies. The figure of Alexander that was almost beginning to fall pointed with his right hand down as a small st of Ice Wave erupted beneath him, propelling his body higher in the skies as well in an utterly astonishing scene. A single Awakened Gem Master was freezing and flinging a massive Four-Link Beast of Corruption ever higher in the skies. On the ground below, the earth was shaking as a flood of ck furred creatures spilled out of the Breach in the skies. Gem Master Todd reached ire¡¯s figure that was defiantly about to take to the skies towards Alexander as this Gem Master actually tackled her down. With fear present in his eyes, he yelled out towards her struggling figure. "Lady ire! Please! For the sake of your father, retreat. That beast is only one, there are hundreds of its kining behind us. Once your life force is spent, you will be nothing but meat on a tter!" She had been using her power these past two hours to attack the Emerald Tree Boas. Nobody knew how much of her life force she had left, but she could definitely overdraw if she also joined the fight against a Four-Link Gem Master! He knew this. She also knew this. And yet¡­ "I cannot leave him!" She shouted out while gritting her teeth, a burst of lightning erupting from her wings of Lightning and pushing away Gem Master Todd as she rose to the skies as well. Her eyes were firm. Her mind was made up. She relied on Alexander, yes. But it didn¡¯t mean she had to be helpless. After all, she was a Five-Link Gem Master. And this Beast of Corruption before them was a Four-Link Beast. Her power should be able to work against it! Chapter 19: Bobo! IV Gem Master Todd looked at the scene of ire buzzing with her wings of lightning and flying up with incredulity and dismay as he couldn¡¯t help but curse. "Shit!" The earth below him continued to shake. His figure was pulled up by Gem Master Azazel as these veterans had to make a hard choice, gazing at the dozens of other injured Gem Masters as they bellowed out. "Retreat!" They moved speedily. They didn¡¯t even look back towards the flood of ck Furred Beasts surging towards them. They gathered everyone they could- they gathered all those with a heartbeat as they rushed back towards the direction of the Inner Barracks! Those with a heartbeat. This was because during the initial st of red tendrils of light that the ck Furred Gori had released in their temporary camp- it was powerful enough that a few Awakened Gem Masters never rose again. There were already casualties- they couldn¡¯t afford any more! OH! OH! OH! Behind them, the bellows of Goris echoed out as they moved ever faster, Gem Master Todd and other long ranged Gem Masters asionally turning around to shoot lightning arrows at the wave of darknessing towards them. Todd and Azazel had to grit their teeth while looking at the skies and hoped. They hoped that somehow, the bright light with the Variant Life Socket that had surprised all of them wouldn¡¯t fail, and the newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master would fall along with him! In the midst of all of this danger, they didn¡¯t even have time to entertain and wonder how Alexander was able to do what he did. Just what Variant Life Socket did he have, and howe it allowed him to erupt with such power?! Such thoughts only came in passing as under the assault of a cloud of ck furred Beasts behind them, they only rushed towards the entrance of this Tier 1 Breach faster. ¡ª BOOM! Another cial explosion echoed out that moved the body of Bobo, the Four-Link ck Furred Gori, ever higher. Multiple ruptures on its skin with frozen blood could be seen on this creature, its muscles spasming and contracting constantly as it had to be in immense pain! In the skies of the Jungle Grounds, chunks of ice floated and were eventually pushed down by gravity as the figure of Alexander was using the heavy chunks of ice falling off Bobo as footholds to jump ever higher, his heart pumping him full of exhration as he did things he would have never even imagined doing just a day ago. When he wasn¡¯t even Awakened, he would have never entertained the idea of jumping up and using an Ability to propel himself high in the skies, nor that he would push himself even higher while he used the ridiculous support capabilities of Gems to fling an oversized Gori through the skies! But here he was doing it. "Coward! Human!" The constant freezing and bombing effect had taken Bobo to its limits as at this moment, a second after it became unfrozen from thest explosion- its chest gathered all the tendrils of red lightning around it as its central Gem glowed. And Alexander felt a piercing sensation in his head- a sensation he wasn¡¯t entirely familiar with, but it urged him to send his life force towards the Gem in the center of his Enneagram right away! Ice Wave. In front of him, a heavy cier of ice and frost instantly erupted and covered everything for 50 meters, even freezing part of Bobo¡¯s limbs in the distant skies as within the depths of this cier¡­was a thick crimson pir of crimson lightning. ¡­! Lightning that had shot out of Bobo¡¯s central Gem and would have smashed onto him had he not frozen it before it arrived! And that piercing sensation in his head that forced him to act even when he didn¡¯t know what wasing...was that still the passive effect of the senses of Ice Wave that even granted him a sense of danger? These questions buzzed in his head, but even as they did, he was already moving to act. He didn¡¯t trigger the initial explosive effect of Ice Wave just yet as the massive figure of Bobo began to fall from the skies- the cier it¡¯s limbs were connected to pulling him along. Alexander began to feel the same sensation of falling as he released a burst of Ice Wave below his feet that gave him leverage and pushed him higher once more, his small figure just passing the fiery eyes of rage filled with Blood of Bobo. He went up, Bobo went down. It was the final step of the n he came up with seeing the weight of this massive beast and the fact that he could move it across space with his explosive Ice Wave. He hoped it would be enough. No, it had to be enough! After pushing his body ever higher, the force propelling him upwards ended as well as momentarily, he found himself gazing at the endless blue skies of this Tier 1 Breach while suspended in space. Truly, it didn¡¯t seem like some separate space. It felt like another world entirely. Before he began to fall, he wondered. Just what would he be able to see if he reached the highest point of these skies? Just as he had this thought, his eyes caught something on the edge as it was¡­ "Alexander!" The buzzing figure ire, with her radiant blue wings of Lightning, reached him. His figure that was about to begin its descent felt her hands wrap around him, her bountiful chest pushing on his back as she looked down at the falling Bobo. He didn¡¯t ask her why she didn¡¯t listen to him as since she was here¡­ "On my signal, release the strongest st of lightning you can gather, okay?" ¡­! He spoke calmly in the skies as she nodded towards him. "Now, dive down." Without hesitation, she followed his words. They on top, Bobo on the bottom. Their figures fell down with the sheer weight of Bobo making him crash towards the earth at an unprecedented pace! And it was at this point that Alexander released the st of explosion from the frozen cier and directed it downwards, further adding on to how fast Bobo was crashing down. "Now!" Behind him, ire¡¯s wings fluttered as he felt her hot breath on his neck. His senses showed him her serious gaze as the centermost Gem on her chest shed with a brilliant blue light- a cerulean lightning bolt instantly crashing down from above them to further strike the figure of Bobo and elerate him even further! A fearsome bellow was heard as the earth neared for Bobo. Below him, a cloud of ck furred creatures that were chasing the other Gem Masters only felt a shadow cover them as by the time they looked up¡­ BOOM! Like a meteor, the massive body of the Four-Link ck Furred Gori smashed down! Chapter 20: The True Enneagram! I Like a meteor crashing down! CRUNCH! A glimmer of frost and lightning shed. Bones cracked and splintered! In the skies, Alexander glided down gracefully with ire behind him, watching a heavy wheeze of unfathomable pain escape Bobo¡¯s mouth as all of its limbs were fractured or broken, the bones on its chest and back copsed into itself and even piercing some of its own organs! "..." It was a gory scene. On the earth below, a deep concavity could be seen with limbs and blood strewn about all around But Alexander faced it head on as he spoke lightly. "Ice Wave." He still saw signs of life in this beast even though it was gravely injured. So he sought to finish it. Yet another cial brilliance shed as the massive figure of Bobo was frozen- a booming impact shattering this cial block a momentter before Bobo¡¯s body was frozen again! And then, it exploded for the final time as at this point, the rageful eyes of Bobo that were looking up into the skies¡­were covered entirely by frost as they began to dim. Its heart was entirely frozen over. Its lungs and all other organs were encased in ice as, by all means, it should be dead! And yet its splintered jaw still opened as somehow, its voice echoed out. "Dirty. Humans. Tricked. Bobo." ¡­! It¡¯sst words. It took great effort to even utter these as after that.. all light faded from its eyes. Dirty humans tricked Bobo. Alexander and ire had these words repeat in their minds again and again as they both understood what they meant. This Beast of Corruption before him was given information about ire- a newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master who would be entering the Jungle Grounds for her Expedition. But there was no information on Alexander. Well, there was- but it was that he had a Defective Life Socket so he wasn¡¯t someone to worry about! In the skies, the figure of Alexander tapped ire¡¯s shoulders as she let him go, his bodying down andnding on Bobo¡¯s chest as he went towards the nearest crimson Gem near him, his voice echoing out. "There are traitors." ¡­! His words were filled with calmness as he was just noting something about the weather. ire nodded with anger at these words as she didn¡¯t watch Alexander retrieving the Four Gems on Bobo, but her gaze was on their surroundings where dozens of dead, injured, and some very alive Two-Link and Three-Link ck Furred Goris were beginning to rise- those who could move anyways. Alexander moved towards the Gem Sockets of this Beast that was asrge as him, but the moment he made a lifting motion on the crimson Gem within this Socket that had no Life...it lifted off without any resistance as it even began to dwindle in size until it fit the palm of his hand. The size of the Gem was always erged or miniaturized to fit a Life Socket- so long as it held the same universal circr shape of Sockets! The Gems on defeated Beasts of Corruption could be plundered and utilized by Humans freely. But this wasn¡¯t all. There was one additional thing inside the bodies of powerful Beasts of Corruption- especially those that reached Tier 4. Behind their Life Sockets, after any Tier 4 Beast of Corruption or above died¡­the remnant umtion of their Life Force actually converged into something fantastical. Something that could be utilized by Gem Masters to further increase their own life force at a faster pace! After Alexander picked four dazzling crimson Gems from the fractured chest of Bobo, his foot forcefully smashed onto the Linked Sockets as they shattered and allowed the already fractured chest of this creature to open freely. There, shining with a dazzling red radiance, was a gem the size of Alexander¡¯s head. Ascendant Life Gems. Inside of a Breach, one could locate Primal Life Gems that Awakened an adult human to be a Gem Master in areas with concentrated energy that formed into mines. Unique and rare Breaches filled with powerful Beasts of Corruption even had Ability Gems of specific elements appear in regions of extreme heat or coldness- anything rting to the elements. And then, there were Ascendant Life Gems. Located and found only in the bodies of Tier 4 Beasts of Corruption and above. The Ascendant in the name was because these were the rarest resources utilized by Gem Masters to go towards their first Transformation that enhanced their Life Sockets! Alexander reached out and grabbed this dazzling Ascendant Life Gem, and the moment he did so¡­ HUUM! His Enneagram lit up. The humming of energy buzzed as he felt the Gem he held gush out its pristine life force within, all of it going towards his Enneagram as the rate it was spinning became faster and faster! The Gems connected under the Gem Recipe of Ice King within that had already be small continued to do so rapidly at this moment as in the next second¡­they seemingly became smaller than even a grain of sand as they entirely disappeared. The Ice Wave Ability Gem. It¡¯s 5 Support Ability Gems. Every single one disappearedpletely as in the next moment, the Enneagram stopped spinning. It was lit up brightly on all ends as Alexander could feel an unfathomable sensation spreading from it, his brain feeling like it was about to overload as next- he heard a voice! He heard his voice. As if it was something he thought. [The Enneagram Life Socket has been innervated sessfully.] [The Ability Gem Database has been sessfully constructed.] [The Gem Recipe designated as Ice King and all the Gems within its makeup have been recorded in the Ability Gem Database.] ¡­! All the gems he had socketed in his Enneagram had disappeared. Thereafter, he heard a voice inside his head. He heard his own voice ringing out inside him, but it wasn¡¯t his thoughts! He could feel these thoughtse from the currently shining Enneagram on his chest as he couldn¡¯t help but ask¡­ "What are you?" ¡­! Chapter 21: The True Enneagram! II What are you? A heavy question. One that wasn¡¯t capable of being answered so easily. And yet¡­ [I am you.] ¡­! His voice, no, the thought that came from the Enneagram and rang out in his mind- it felt monotone and free of any emotions. ¡¯The Enneagram itself? This is¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t something entirely feasible- something outside of the scope of what he currently understood! But this was the Nine pointed star on his chest. Something that other people didn¡¯t understand, and it now seemed he didn¡¯t understand it either. If he was to suspend everything he knew, then at this moment, his Life Socket was speaking to him. Communicating with him as the first thing it said was how the Enneagram had been innervated sessfully! "..." His eyes were bright as they turned up to briefly gaze at the stern figure of ire floating in the skies with thunder crackling in her hands. Other people¡¯s Life Sockets didn¡¯t talk to them, right? [My current knowledge is your current knowledge added to what I know about myself. Whether there are other Life Sockets like me is unknown, but the possibility of there existing something like me is infinitely close to zero.] The voice came out again. Its tone, without any semnce of emotions, was something to get used to as Alexander sensed the changes around him. He suspended his beliefs on anything he thought he knew. And he breathed out as he then asked calmly. ¡¯Okay. Aside from you being a part of me, what else are you? What can you do?¡¯ [I am as you named me, The Enneagram Life Socket. Any Gems ced within me will be broken down, their abilities extracted, and then recorded in the Ability Gem Database. Any Gem Recipe recorded within the Database can be used freely, and once more Gem Recipes are recorded, variations in Recipes can be utilized. Once a Gem Recipe has been sessfully extracted and recorded, another Gem Recipe can be ced within me as this process can be repeated again.] ¡­! Utterly terrifying words echoed within Alexander¡¯s mind. They were terrifying because every single Gem Master could only ever use the Gem Sockets they had socketed in their Life Sockers. They could change from one Gem Recipe to another and hurt their life force briefly in this process, but each Gem Master only ever possessed a single Gem Recipe at any moment! But his Enneagram¡­ His supposedly Defective Life Socket¡­it could actually break down Ability Gems and allow him to simultaneously have multiple Main Ability Gems. He had the Ice King Gem Recipe currently recorded as his Sockets were bright and empty. He could choose to put another Main Ability Gem right now and he would be capable of using both this and the ridiculous linked capabilities of Ice Wave simultaneously! This¡­ This¡­! [In terms of Support Ability Gems, all those Recorded in the Ability Gem Database can have their effects applied to the current Socketed Gem Recipe.] The voice of the Enneagram rang out again to deliver even more ridiculous news. Something like this was entirely out of the scope of his wildest dreams. The potential here. The possibilities here! He could feel his heart beating faster as when he thought about all the possibilities, he couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡¯Are there any¡­limitations in the number of Gem Recipes that can continue to be recorded? Or any other Limitations? Is what you can do now it, or are there more things?¡¯ [If there are any limitations or, we have yet to experience them. In terms of future advancements, there is a 99% probability of them urring over time. But no limitations have yet to be experienced by us. When we do, we will know.] ¡¯...¡¯ As unbelievable as it was, he felt like he had awakened something that could overturn everything they knew about Gem Masters. The power it could provide¡­it may just be enough for him to achieve what he wanted. It may even be possible to do a whole lot more! He clenched his fists. There was a lot to learn, and he and ire were still in a predicament. There were traitors leaking information to Beasts of Corruption, and there were also...injured and uninjured Two-Link and Three-Link ck Furred Goris carefully circling the massive body of Bobo. They were careful of the one who had killed their leader as they didn¡¯t attack freely- a level of logic still burning in their brains. Alexander looked at the remaining half of the Ascendant Life Gem in his hands as the voice of the Enneagram rang out again. [Unique Gems like this Ascendant Life Gem can be utilized to elerate the process of extraction and recording of Gem Recipes, and they can also be utilized for strengthening our current Life Force. Shall I proceed with the absorption of the remaining life force and the quantification of our resultant Life Force?] The Enneagram was proactive. It was Alexander, and Alexander was it. It knew his thoughts as with a simple nod, the remaining part of the Ascendant Life Gem disappeared into a sh of light as his body began to feel a burning sensation! ¡¯Quantification of life force, you said?¡¯ [Yes. I can proceed with an analysis of the Life Force inside the body, and even track its usage with different Ability Gems, as well as how much we have remaining.] Even more daring capabilities were slowly unveiling themselves. Alexander nodded at this amazing feature of getting numerical values that the Enneagram spoke of as if it were nothing, his eyesing to lock onto the Four Ability Gems taken from the Four-Link ck Furred Gori. [Corrupted Lightning Maniption]:: A rare ability gem that has been Corrupted, making its cost of usage higher along with its output. Once socketed, it passively courses a unique type of red lightning throughout your body- naturally reinforcing the defense and speed of your body by an unknown margin corrted to your Life force. Actively, you gain the ability to manipte and call down Red Lightning to strike against your enemies. The Main Ability Gem that Bobo utilized to cause raging tendrils of red lightning, as well as why the attack of a Three-Link Gem Master didn¡¯t even cause it a dent, and the fact that it was so fast even with its massive body! It was a rare Ability Gem that Alexander had not read about before. If its tier was considered greater than the Ice Wave Ability Gem, would the number of possible Support Ability Gems for it be higher?! Chapter 22: The Second Gem Recipe! While his body itched and burned from the absorption of the remaining half of the Ascendant Life Gem. While his Enneagram Life Socket began analyzing what he knew as Life force and quantifying it! Alexander grasped the Main Ability Gem [Corrupted Lightning Maniption] and allowed the suction force of his Enneagram to pull it. And wondrously. Seamlessly. It floated to the central slot of the Enneagram that began to shine brightly, the connecting lines leading to three support slots dimming right away. But this left behind six lit up Support slots at the ends of the Nine pointed star. 6 possible slots for Support Ability Gems- 1 more than the Ice Wave Main Ability Gem! ¡¯How difficult will it be to find a Gem that allows for all 9 support ability Gems¡­¡¯ His mind buzzed with the possibilities as he nced at the Support Ability Gems from the ck Furred Gori quickly, sensing the agitation of the Two-Link and Three-Link ck Furred Goris in the surroundings who seemed ready to surge towards him at any moment. [Spatial Pocket Support]:: Any Ability Gem can be supported by this Universal Support Ability Gem. The Linked Ability gains the capability to be cast anywhere within 100 meters, and an isted storage space of 100 cubic meters can be essed within the Spatial Pocket Support Gem itself. ¡­! Prior to this, Bobo had pulled out a heavy Obsidian club from his chest. It actually came out from an isted space inside of this Support Gem- something like this being extremely rare as Alexander had not yet heard of a Gem like this within the hands of the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline. He quickly flung this Gem towards his chest as the suction force absorbed it into a Support Life Socket right away, his gaze going towards the other two. [Life Force On Hit Support]:: Any Ability Gem can be supported by this Universal Support Ability Gem. An Unknown Quantity of Life Force is gained whenever the supported Ability sessfully hits any enemy. [Chance to Corrupt Support:: Any Ability Gem can be supported by this Universal Support Ability Gem. The linked ability gains a 50% Chance to Corrupt on hit. Corrupted enemies face a temporary leakage of their life force, and half of their Life Sockets are turned inactive for a duration of 30 seconds. "Shit¡­" Alexander¡¯s face was stern. All the gems that Bobo had were of tremendously high quality, with the Life Force on Hit Support and Chance to Corrupt Support being equally terrifying Support ability Gems that also became absorbed towards his chest and filled another two slots. Three of the six Support Life Sockets for this new Gem Recipe were filled. With every Gem he socketed, he felt another burst of increased life force in addition to the sensation he was feeling from the absorption of the Ascendant Life Gem. Herein came another fantastical boon of his Enneagram Life Socket. The measure of a Gem Master¡¯s power over time came from the Gems they had socketed as their life force increased over time depending on the number of Gems. He¡­already had Six Gems active with the Ice King Gem Recipe. And now, he could add 7 more Gems under his roster centered around the Corrupted Lightning Maniption Main Ability Gem! His hand went towards the bag with a few Gems he had carried from the Treasure Chest his father gave him as he traced the Spatial Pocket Support Ability Gem on his chest. He felt his thoughts and life force flow into it. And thereafter, a part of himself was sucked into a space of 100 cubic meters. It was dark, and asionally lit up with a crimson radiance. He tapped on the bag he had on his waist that held the remaining Gems he kept from the treasure chest his father granted him as momentster, the bag shed and disappeared with a crimson light into his chest! An isted storage space. The utility of such a such a Support Gem was too extensive as after giving it a brief nce, he turned his gaze and looked around the ck Furred Goris that had entirely surrounded him. In the far distance, theirpatriots could still be heard chasing after Gem Master Azazel and the others towards the exit of this Breach. Their eyes seemed to only hold madness without a trace of logic. "You see your Leader lying dead under us, and your minds are still so muddy to surround and threaten us?" He didn¡¯t know whether they could understand him. But he gazed coldly at them while his foot smashed on the shattered chest of Bobo, his actions rousing the Goris even further as they beat their chests while roaring out! OOH! OOH! OOH! He looked at the madness in their eyes. He looked at their Bloodlust that sought to destroy everything. He hated it. Every time he looked at their emotionless eyes and need for destruction, he only remembered one thing. The body of his mother that wasn¡¯t even able to be recovered for a proper burial. Such a scene shed every single time as truly¡­they didn¡¯t understand just what their madness and destruction brought to others! "Alex¡­" Above him, ire called out softly as she could see the Beasts about to strike. Alexander nodded as he closed his eyes. He felt the Ice King Gem Recipe. He also felt the iplete Gem Recipe that he would term¡­the Corrupted Lightning King. He felt them both, as well as the vibrant and bustling life force inside of his body as he lifted his right hand and pointed forward, while his left hand pointed backwards. His hatred towards Beasts of Corruption¡­burned every brighter. "All of you can die." Calm words. And yet what followed them was anything but that. ¡­! In front of him, a burst of a massive crimson lighting erupted while behind him, a wave of cial ice thundered out. Dozens of ck Furred Beasts were frozen behind while ahead, dozens fell down with their bodies charred. BOOM! Behind, the frozen cier exploded as chunks of frozen bodies exploded with it, another Ice Wave being cast automatically as a few more dozen ck Furred Goris became encased in ice that soon shattered into another explosion! Chapter 23: A Leak! I Heavy bursts of explosions that decimated dozens of Two-Link and Three-Link ck Furred Goris. "...!" WU! WU! Any remaining Two-Link and Three-Link ck Furred Goris roared out with trepidation at such a devastating scene of carnage. But this was a clear disy of the power of someone with many Life Sockets. A veteran Five-Link Gem Master would be able to erupt with power simr to this! Yet within over a day after Awakening, Alexander was already there. And the ce where he currently was right now. His level of power at this moment. It was truly momentary. His eyes remained closed. With the Ice King Gem Recipe, his senses stretched out 1 mile around him. He felt everything. The low guttural roars of Beasts. The dead bodies of those he had killed! The Gems on their Sockets that had dimmed. His senses came to focus on these gems as he instinctively tried something. The Spatial Pocket Support allowed the Linked ability to be cast anywhere within 100 meters in all directions. So he activated Corrupted Lightning Maniption as multiple balls of crimson lightning appeared on top of the Gems on the dead Sockets of all ck Furred Goris he had killed. They were born from his life force as after this, he pulled every single Gem that his red lightning touched towards the Spatial Pocket Support Gem! And¡­ SAA! Lines of crimson brilliance shed behind and ahead of Alexander in a fantastical reality, all of them sank into a single red Gem within his Enneagram! "..." He did it by instinct. But it was his first action that used the expanded senses of one Gem Recipe and the capabilities of another Gem Recipe to simultaneously achieve a very precise action! He may be the first Gem Master to begin looking at the Synergy of having multiple Gem Recipes at once. The Main Ability Gems and Support Ability Gems of multiple killed ck Furred Goris entered his isted space as it was a scene of utter fantasy. Above him, ire looked at all of this with stern amazement as with every passing second since the attack of the Four-Link ck Furred Gori, she had begun to feel a sense of urgency. An urgency that seemed to show her and tell her that Alexander was pulling away to a ce where she might not be close to him anymore if she stayed right where she was. If she wanted to catch up, she had to run towards him. She had to run with everything she had! HUM! Her surroundings began to buzz with blue lightning. With her at the center, a rain of blue lightning began to surge as bolts thundered down onto the remaining Two-Link and Three-Link ck Furred Beasts! And in synchrony, with his eyes closed, more crimson lightning and a wave of cial ice streaked from Alexander and towards the remaining Beasts surrounding them. It was a gorgeous scene that, sadly, did not have any other eyes to witness. Within 30 seconds, no roars of Beasts could be heard in the surroundings. There were only the figures of a young man and a woman. Crimson streaks of light shed from the dead bodies of Beasts of Corruption and flowed to the young man, his green battle robe shing with an icy re as frost covered it with a chilling light. From above, the figure of ire descended with her lightning wings to stand beside him, her eyes showing tiredness as she breathed out heavily- but she couldn¡¯t help from admiring the scene around them! Dozens of powerful Beasts of Corruption left dead. No others wereing from the Breach inside this Breach, the only remaining enemies being those that were chasing Gem Master Azazel and others. "Huff¡­What do we do now?" Controlling her breath, ire looked towards Alexander as she asked. What could they do now? After such a thing had happened¡­ Alexander finally opened his eyes as he turned to look at ire, his eyes looking straight at her, and yet seeming to be thinking of countless other things. "There is a leak, and we do not know from where. All we know is that they passed information about you to powerful Beasts of Corruption, and that Beasts of Corruption have uses for you- or really any Five-Link Gem Masters. Since a Four-Link Beast came for you, is it somehow possible for Beasts of Corruption to take the Life Sockets of Humans and somehow make them theirs? Or do they have other uses?" ¡­! Alexander voiced out some of the countless thoughts in his mind. ire was a young and newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master. It was rtively easy to take her down and use her for whatever cruel means these Beasts of Corruption had! Thinking of what could have happened, ire¡¯s gaze was ashen as she voiced out with hesitation. "We¡­cannot go back?" She said this with hesitation. But Alexander nodded his head with heavy affirmation as he replied thoughtfully! "We cannot go back to Carthage. Not until we know just who may be passing by information. They could be in the Barracks of this Tier 1 Breach, or on the walls of Carthage, or in an important position. You will be a walking target so long as they tell the Beasts of Corruption where you are. And they can¡¯t find out too much about me either. They will know something went wrong with Bobo here, but they won¡¯t have too many details." He was thinking. He was trying his best to think of the best course of action! He felt like his brain was burning up, but the cooling sensation from the Ice King Gem Recipe always came and cooled him down as he continued to think. Beside him, ire was the same as she uttered out. "But inside Carthage, we have my Father, your Father, and hundreds of powerful Gem Masters. If they waited for me to leave Carthage before ambushing us, maybe their capabilities would make it so that they can¡¯t even have any designs on Carthage." "Maybe¡­" Alexander nodded in reply, his gaze going towards the Barracks of the Breach where Gem Master Azazel and others should have received reinforcements- and they should be more than okay in handling the few dozen Two-Link and Three-Link ck Furred Goris that had been chasing them with those reinforcements. "Maybe, but my father recently reminded me how Humans could be worse than monsters. We don¡¯t know who among those in the City of Carthage are on our side. Until we understand this, the safest bet is to contain any information about us- about you, to a minimum. Once we have a clearer picture, and even understand the core reason for them wanting your Life Sockets¡­we can move freely. For now¡­" A possible n formed in his mind! Chapter 24: A Leak! II He thought about it again and again before he nodded and crouched down, tapping his back as he called out to ire. "Hop on." He spoke to her nonchntly as she blinked. "Huh?" "You¡¯ve spent a lot of your life force, reserve your power and recuperate for now. Hop on." Alexander spoke with seriousness as ire naturally came behind him with her cheeks slightly tinged red, her reply low and barely discernible. "Mm¡­" The brilliant blue wings of Lightning behind her faded as she climbed on Alexander, her legs wrapping around his waist while her hands went over his shoulders and held tightly on his chest. ire felt her heart beating just a little faster at this, her face burying itself behind Alexander¡¯s back as he began to move forward. The only thing ire could think at this moment¡­was how warm Alexander¡¯s back felt. And¡­was it always so muscr? A passing thought. Even she didn¡¯t know that inside his body, he carried a total equivalent of 10 Socketed Gems. Each of them were providing a constant increase in life force and power. Six from one Gem Recipe, and Four from another! And the second Gem Recipe of the Corrupted Lightning King¡­Alexander was already analyzing which three other Support Ability Gems could be Socketed into it to make a terrifyingbination. But yes. At this moment, his back felt warm. Inside a Tier 1 Breach that had something life changing ur. A girl rested her head on the dependable back of a guy. A simple moment in these times of great danger, but for just this moment, everything felt okay. No matter how fleeting this moment was. Everything was okay. ¡ª "Do not let a single one through!" "We need a Three-Link Gem Master here!" Shouts were constantly booming out across the Inner and Outer Barracks- inside and outside the Breach. A few dozen ck Furred Goris were being pushed back by Gem Masters at this moment, with no one shining as brightly as a Gem Master who seemed to be surrounded by a sea of blood. The Blood of a Barbarian was burning as Gem Master Azazel used his bare hands to grasp the jaws of a Three-Link ck Furred Gori before he ripped it open! He seemed to be releasing his anger at the fact that the attacks of Richard, Todd, or himself never even stood a chance against the Four-Link ck Furred Gori. The monster that he left a child to deal with- someone he should¡¯ve been protecting! "OOH!" He roared out as every so often, he would look behind into the depths of the Jungle Grounds and fear he would see the massive shadow of the one called Bobo. But it never appeared. His fists swung like a hammer as they smashed onto the bodies of two Two-Link ck Furred Goris, their chests bursting as they fell down, his rampage continuing. The injured Awakened Gem Masters were moved outside of the Breach- with all defenses raised as not a single Beast was allowed to go outside. With the cooperation of all the Three-Link Gem Masters here along with the raised bastions of defenses, only a bit over 20 ck Furred Goris remained as they should be cleared within a few minutes. But what about the cloud of the rest of them that wereing out of the Breach? Why did so few reach the Barracks? ¡¯Young Master Alex...Lady ire¡­¡¯ Gem Master Azazel was filled with immeasurable guilt as at such a time. "Azazel." ¡­! His head rose as he crushed the neck of a Two-Link ck Furred Gori. He heard a voice in the wind. A voice that was of nobody else other than¡­ "Young Master!" He nearly shouted out at the top of his lungs as he looked around him, but he saw nobody. Amidst the heavy shouts of battle, his words were barely heard as he breathed out while looking for Alexander! But the only thing he heard was his voice ringing out beside his ears, his senses barely catching a sh of crimson lightning with this voice. "I¡¯m going more for a covert route, Uncle Azazel. ire and I are okay, the Four-Link ck Furred Gori is taken care of." ¡­! Unbelievable words echoed out as Azazel nearly stopped in ce. But the words in the wind continued. "News of ire has been spread to Beasts of Corruption, and we don¡¯t know who is spreading it, or how many there are. They could even be here in these Barracks. To ensure ire¡¯s safety, I want to propose something¡­" Words in the wind. They continued as a battle slowly ended, a n unfolding to ensure the safety of a Five-Link Gem Master! After a few minutes passed, bodies of Goris littered the Barracks of the Jungle Grounds as Gem Masters breathed heavily. The Three-Link Gem Masters looked at each other with stern eyes as one who was stationed in the Barracks couldn¡¯t help but shout. "What do you mean a Breach within a Breach?! Where is Lady ire? Young Master Alex?! And where the hell is Azazel?!" Words burning with a tinge of fear and rage as nobody truly knew what was happening. But¡­one mile away from the Barracks. Shrouded by trees, Gem Master Azazel carried two green robes with hoods in his hands as behind him, the confused and fearful figures of Charlie and Rachel followed After passing a few more trees, their eyes nearly bulged out of their Sockets as they came to a clearing that showed the figures of Alexander and ire! Unharmed. Fully in one piece! "Lady ire!" Charlie nearly shouted out while rushing over and stopping a few feet away from ire, his gazeing to hang on Alexander as he remembered the terrifying Beast of Corruption that this young boy had stayed behind to battle. If he was here in one piece¡­ "I am filled with joy at your safety, Young Master Alex, Lady ire." The figure of Gem Master Azazel came and spoke, a lot of emotions lifting from his shoulders as he came to ce his hands on Alexander. "How is this possible? Just what is that Variant Life Socket you Awakened?" Gem Master Azazel had many questions, but Alexander shook his head at all of them as he replied lightly. "Did you brief them about it?" He asked while looking at Charlie and Rachel who seemed to be shell shocked as Gem Master Azazel replied with a wry smile. "A little. They didn¡¯t believe me until now." The bodies of Charlie and Rachel came to as they pulled to attention. Alexander looked at them as he spoke calmly. "It¡¯s entirely your choice to do it, and you will likely be cing yourselves in a level of Danger. But if you agree¡­you can enact a y and take on the roles of Alexander and ire in returning to Carthage. Return in our ce as we figure out who has betrayed the Asmodeus Bloodline and ismunicating with outside forces- Beasts of Corruption nheless!" ¡­! Chapter 25: A Leak! III Yes. Part of the n. Alexander looked into the eyes of Charlie and Rachel- Scions of their Mortal Branch who both held Three-Link Gem Sockets. Powerful futurebatants, and the only one who may be up to the task. He saw their determination mixed with fear as he continued. "Because they didn¡¯t know about me, they sent someone that would have done the unthinkable to ire with this Breach inside a Breach. The less knowledge they have, the better. If you both wish to protect ire- the future Five-Link Gem Master of our-" "I¡¯ll do it!" Charlie nearly yelled out. The young man who was always filled with envy towards Alexander and held a level of infatuation towards ire. He was on board as beside him, Rachel clenched her fists as she nodded as well. "For the Bloodline." ¡­! ire stared at the two of them with a sad expression as she sighed. She went forward to hug Rachel as she whispered something in her ear, while Charlie looked at Alexander without saying a word. He was working through too many emotions right now. So he could only ask. "What will you two do?" Yes. Where would they go? What would they do? Alexander turned towards Azazel as he smiled. "We will initially remain in the Barracks of these Jungle Grounds. I want to see if I can sniff out any traitors here. I¡¯ll be in constantmunication with Uncle Azazel for any changes." As he spoke, Gem Master Azazel handed him a small device that actually had a Primal Life Gem embedded in it. It was a Gem Messenger Device, and Azazel handed it over with a gaze that was stern as he spoke. "Messages will take longer to reach you the further the distance, but it shouldn¡¯t be too drastic. Are you sure about this? When Branch Leader Axel hears you kept behind his only daughter with you, he will explode." Azazel asked carefully. And Alexander only shook his head dismissively as he replied. "Better his daughter be alive and safe than anything else. Any rage he has, my Father will calm it. And even when ites to me¡­don¡¯t reveal too much information. Just tell my father that I fully believe I can protect ire- even if another Four-Link Beast of Corruption appears. Nobody else needs to know anything else about me. Let¡¯s collect information first, see who is behind everything, and go from there." Alexander¡¯s eyes shone sharply as he outlined a n for how they would move. Looking at his figure, Azazel nearly sighed to himself as he felt like he was back to the time when Branch Leader Julius wasmanding them in battle, never expecting the same disposition of leadership toe from his son when he was so young. He always looked at him as just a young boy even after he Awakened. Had the time trulye to consider him a man? Gem Master Azazel sighed as he gazed towards the far, far distance where the Breach within a Breach that had appeared was already closing- almost as if the skies were healing themselves from a wound. He then turned around resolutely as he spoke out. "Let¡¯s do this." Charlie and Rachel followed behind him. They were shrouded by multipleyers of clothes that somewhat hid the configuration of the Life Sockets on their chest- where even if one looked closely, they would only see a singr dim glow of light and nothing else. Alexander and ire wore the hooded green robes as they became entirely covered, too, their faces being shrouded unless someone looked at them head-on. Covertly, they trekked back towards the nearby Barracks. ¡ª "Make way for Lady ire and prepare to set off at once!" A booming shout echoed out as in the Barracks, the figure of Gem Master Azazel was burning with a hint of blood around him as he carried the body of a young female Awakened Gem Master in his hands. Gem Master Todd and others tasked with protecting her changed their expressions and came over. "How bad are her injuries? Is she-" "MAKE WAY! Ensure the safety of the other Kids and get them on another Airship right away!" ¡­! His shout was invible as all others stopped in their tracks, seeing the urgency and anger in Gem Master Azazel¡¯s eyes as he stepped out of the Breach and went towards one of the few airships ready to deploy. Behind him, a hooded figure of a young man followed as Azazel turned to urge him. "We must hurry back to Carthage, Young Master Alex." His tone was that of urgency as while others recuperated from battle, they watched the scene of Gem Master Azazel entering an Airship with an injured ire whom he held in his hands, and a hooded Young Master Alex who followed in tow. Within seconds of their boarding, the vibrant shouts of Gem Master Azazel continued to whoever was controlling this Airship, and within moments¡­the blue wings on its sides began to buzz as it lifted off. Gem Master Todd and others looked at this scene while gritting their teeth, Todd looking around and beginning to gather all the injured and uninjured remaining newly Awakened Gem Masters and get them ready for departure too. "We are on high alert until further notice. Make sure all walls are manned!" A cacophony of activities ensued. The bodies of the dead ck Furred Goris were looted and subsequently assessed for viability of consumption. Opinions differed, but there were those who looked at the bodies of Beasts of Corruption entirely as resources- utilizing all parts of them to better the Human Lineages as some even looked at the meat of Beasts of Corruption as nutrients that were considered conducive to the growth of Life Force. The Airships utilized in Carthage had the wings of a rtively powerful Tier 4 Beast hunted by one of the Branch Leaders in the past as because of them, Carthage could have fast and smooth air travel! The possibilities were many when it came to Beasts of Corruption, and it only depended on how far one was willing to go in their utilization! Chapter 26: Quantification and Conspiracies! I As the busyness ensued. In a small tent among many inside the Barracks that were used for sleeping, two figures sat within. One was Alexander as he sat down with his eyes closed, his senses expanded out for a mile in all directions as he covered a lot of the Inner Barracks and Outer Barracks around the Breach tearing apart the sky and earth! His senses were fully expanded through the Ice King Gem Recipe as currently, he was fishing. He was fishing for anything abnormal around these Barracks as another Airship carrying the remaining newly Awakened Gem Masters was setting off, and the Barracks were gradually bing more and more secure as a calm wasing after a heavy battle. With his senses stretched out, he wanted to see whether the idea of someone spreading information about their entry into the Jungle Grounds was still here- and if they would do so again. With his senses stretched out, he could clearly feel the figure of ire sitting opposite him, her blue eyes blinking with a sense of calmness as she currently chewed on rations they found within this tent. She seemed to be spacing out thinking about who knew what, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice the curves of her lips every time she chewed. The way her nose wrinkled ever so often as she seemed to be thinking of somethingplex. Her deeply blue eyes that were a rarity within the Asmodeus Bloodline being so bright that he could swear some of their radiance was spreading out in front of them. Her¡­ ¡¯Hmm?¡¯ Alexander quickly shook himself out of this trance as he refocused. There wasn¡¯t any time to entertain other thoughts at times like these when their lives were in danger and they were still in the dark about many things! So he remained vignt. He listened in on any conversations that were noteworthy between Gem Masters. He tried to focus on any Gem Master that seemed suspicious in any way. And in the midst of all this, his voice- the voice of the Enneagram on his chest rang out in his head. [The quantification of the Life force within the body has been sessful.] Alexander¡¯s eyes fluttered with activity as a part of himself became more involved with the thoughts of his Enneagram. [The Value of Life Force that is mostmonly referred to by Gem Masters has been analyzed and found to be a mixture of a value of life that has been distinguished as Vigor, and a value of energy that has been distinguished as Energeia.] [These two Values of Vigor and Energeia intermix within the body of a Gem Master and are used when activating the effects of the Main Ability Gem and what it is linked to.] [The Value of Energeia is what is initially utilized and used up whenever Ability Gems are used, and it naturally regenerates over time. The Higher the maximum value of Energeia, the faster its rate of Regeneration. When this value is depleted, a Gem Master can still tap into their Life Force to activate their abilities- and this, in turn, will begin to deplete the Value of Vigor.] Alexander listened to the sound of the monotone voice in his head with focus as many things became clear. He felt like he was giving himself a lecture as the monotone voice of the Enneagram continued. [The depletion of Vigor is a costly process, and it takes much longer for this to regenerate if it was used as an active source of energy. The Value of Vigor in conjunction with Energeia together can express the level of power of a Gem Master. The higher their maximum values are, the more potent one¡¯s power, defensive, and offensive capabilities are.] [An Ice Wave Ability Gem utilized by a Five-Link Gem Master with Vigor and Energeia Values that are theoretically 20 or 30 times the Values of a Two-Link Gem Master would express vastly different results.] "..." Alexander understood it for the most part as he saw some changes in his Enneagram. On the topmost right side of this radiant Enneagram, he saw two dazzling rectangr bars erged from one side until the halfway point of the Enneagram. The top rectangr bar was a dazzling red color while the bottom one shone with a gorgeous blue hue! And at the ends of these bars, numerical values began to manifest. [The current value of Vigor is determined to be 898/898.] [The current value of Energeia is determined to be 677/811.] ¡­! A quantification of his values came! His levels of Energeia were still recovering from the recent battle, and his Vitality- his Vigor was unaffected and remained full. The values were great to see, but something to put them into a little bit more context¡­ [The casting of the ability of Ice Wave with its current Support Gems has been analyzed to have a cost of 5 Energeia, while the usage of the ability of Corrupted Lightning Maniption can range from 15-30, or even higher depending on the selected output.] The cost for Corrupted Lightning Maniption was much higher than Ice Wave. This could of course be attributed to the fact that unlike the Ice King Gem Recipe, the Corrupted Lightning King Gem Recipe did not have the [Energy Preservation Support] added to it, and it was of course, of higher rarity. This issue caused Alexander to wish to finalize the remaining three Support Ability Gems to be ced into the remaining avable sockets of the Corrupted Lightning King Gem Recipe. He had gone through dozens of Support Ability Gems and gotten the chance to view some unique Main Ability Gems from the Two-Link and Three-Link ck Furred Goris he had looted, which when added to the Support Ability Gems he kept behind from the treasure chest his father had given him¡­he had a wide array of choices on how the Corrupted Lightning King Gem Recipe could be made even more fearsome! After deliberating in thest hour and finally arriving where he was right now, he finally picked the three he would utilize for this Gem Recipe¡­ Chapter 27: Quantification and Conspiracies! II [Unity Support]:: Any Ability Gem that releases an Elemental Ranged Attack can be supported by this Support Ability Gem. The Linked ability and the Gem Master be one, allowing for the output of damage to be increased by 5 times, while the resource cost is cut by half. When the linked elemental ranged ability is used, one¡¯s body will temporarily turn into this Elemental ranged attack and further amplify its output while being capable of locking onto a selected target. [Chained Link Support]:: Any Ability Gem that releases an Elemental Ranged Attack can be supported by this Support Ability Gem. The supported Ability will chain onto five additional targets. [Ssh Damage Support]:: Any Ability Gem that releases an Elemental Attack can be supported by this Support Ability Gem. The supported Ability will deal 60% area of effect damage to all targets within the surrounding 5 meters. Three support abilities. Alexander took them out of the isted storage space as they circled on his chest briefly before they sank into their respective Sockets. Theypleted the recipe of the Corrupted Lightning King as with them, Alexander theorized doing some truly incredible things. The brief sh of crimson light shook ire of whatever reverie she was in as she looked toward Alexander. This whole time, she didn¡¯t ask him to exin anything about how he was able to do what he did, and-...! Alexander¡¯s thoughts came to a stop. His senses were expanded this whole time as finally, they locked onto an anomaly! He sensed a Two-Link Gem Master gaze around him many times over before he entered a tent. His attention instantly focused on this area as all details unfolded before his eyes. As soon as the Two-Link Gem Master entered the tent, he reached under his bedding and pulled out a device with a Primal Life Gem embedded in it- one very simr to the device that Gem Master Azazel had given Alexander formunication as it could reach vast distances! It was a [Gem Messenger Device]. The Two-Link Gem Master grasped onto this device with a stern expression as a momentter, his voice was picked up by Alexander¡¯s senses. "Something must have gone wrong. Azazel is en route back to the City of Carthage with the target injured, and the son of Branch Leader Julius following close behind. Awaiting further instructions." ¡­! The voice caused Alexander¡¯s face to turn unfathomably sour. There really was someone betraying them and passing along information. To where? To whom? How many more of them were there? These questions arose one after another as Alexander couldn¡¯t leave it alone! He turned towards ire as he spoke out while repressing his burning anger. "I¡¯ve located the leak. Wait for me at the same area we met Azazel away from the Barracks¡­I¡¯ll ensure they arrive there." His anger was making way to extreme coldness. He wanted to know. Why? Why would someone do such a thing against them? ire¡¯s eyes showed a sense of sadness at the confirmation of someone truly betraying them, her head nodding with resoluteness thereafter as they opened the tent they were in¡­and moved in different directions! Alexander went towards the tent that a Two-Link Gem Master was pacing back and forth in while the hooded ire began to leave the tents and go towards the shield of trees in the distance. Within a minute. Alexander stood outside of a tent as his eyes shone with a sharp light, stepping into it calmly as the figure within turned around cautiously right away! "Who-...?!" His pupils constricted as if he had seen a ghost. "You¡­!" Before he could speak any further, Alexander¡¯s hand shed towards him with a cial light as wondrously, his body from top to bottom slowly became covered in ice- this ice only stopping after half of his face, including his mouth, was encased in ice entirely! Only his shocked eyes and widening nose were left untouched as Alexander¡¯s hand grabbed onto his hair- his eyes looking at this Gem Master with controlled anger as he now needed a private ce. A private ce for a conversation without worrying about any other Gem Masters intruding. So his body began to crackle with crimson lightning. He felt as if this lighting and he were one and the same after thetest add-ons of the Support Ability Gems, and his body fantastically turned to be a streak of crimson lighting that shot out of the entrance of the tent! Tendrils of red brilliance grabbed a mostly frozen Gem Master and a Gem Messenger Device as they shed across the skies of the Barracks. It was a sh of crimson light that caused a few sensitive eyes nearby to turn and gaze to the skies, but those of their caliber didn¡¯t capture the speed of such an attack as it only caused the Gem Masters to carry out another sweep across the Barracks to make sure they didn¡¯t miss anything. Across the skies, a sh of crimson shed again as it entered the depths of the Jungle Grounds. After a few jumps, the confused and frozen figure of a Two-Link Gem Master was ced in front of a tree, ireing out from behind while crimson lighting formed the figure of a stone faced Alexander! Three people. Three humans. The unfrozen eyes of the Two-Link Gem Master shook as he saw ire, his pupils moving between her and Alexander in shock and confusion as his face seemed deathly pale! After all, the vast majority of his body was frozen as the cold was extremely prating- his skin feeling like it was constantly being pricked by needles. Alexander looked at this Gem Master as he waved his fingers downwards, the ice around the head and neck of this being breaking apart as he wheezed out while coughing once his mouth was free! "Lady¡­ire! Some sort of..mistak-" "You were reporting on this Messenger that something had gone wrong. Who was that message to?" ¡­! With his head trembling, he had begun talking to ire as Alexander¡¯s voice had cut in coldly. It froze any ounce of misunderstanding as he let this Gem Master know that he knew everything! Chapter 28: Quantification and Conspiracies! III And this trembling Gem Master gritted his teeth as he stopped any pleading words, looking between the two of them and the expanse of trees around them as he said nothing. He was freezing, and yet he said nothing! "You must have been the one who let them know when ire exactly entered the Jungle Grounds. So I ask you again, who are you sending your messages to? And why? Why would you betray your own humanity and work with Beasts of Corruption?!" His voice increased an octave as he asked this. And the trembling figure of the Gem Master in front of him had his teeth begin to clutter as he actually began tough. "Why?! You¡­ask me why?!" ¡­! Amidst hisughter, his expression paled even more as the life force inside of him tried to fight the frost to no avail. His eyes shed immense anger amidst hisughter as he turned to look at ire on the side. "Do you know? I had a S-Sister. I had a Broth-er." His words stuttered out as his lips shook, but he continued. "B-both were genius Three-Link Gem Masters! Do you know what happened to them? Undermands of your Father, they were forced into the Den of Corruption where they lost t-their lives!" His eyes radiated visible hatred as he spoke, this hatred seemingly energizing him as he looked at Alexander next! "And you¡­your father is the same! They continuemanding others to keep clearing the infested Den of Corruption and ensure the safety of Carthage, but do you know how many Gem Masters die there daily? How many families are broken every day?!" "..." Alexander¡¯s eyes became even colder. This wasn¡¯t something he had ever done before. Never did he think he would be freezing another Gem Master and trying to get information out of them! But the more this Gem Master spoke, the more revolting this whole thing seemed as he replied coldly. "Because of that, the logical thing is for you to link your hands with Beasts of Corruption?!" The calm face of the Gem Master trembled with coldness. As if he knew what his actions represented. Alexander looked at his face while shaking his head and asking again. "No matter. Who do you pass your information to? What do they want with ire? Just tell me this, and I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t turn into food for Beasts of Corruption here." He wanted to know who was behind all of this. And yet the frozen Gem Master sneered while trembling as he replied. "You stupid little shit, I¡¯ve already lost any feeling in my limbs. Thest dredges of my life force are b-barely hanging on. You¡¯ve already killed me. Ah¡­" His face became even paler, but Alexander didn¡¯t relent. The encased ice remained the same as momentster, the Gem Master shook his head while stuttering out. "Ah, w-why the hell does it matter anyways. One day, someone from the Gnis Bloodline reached out. Asking me if I wanna get back at the ones responsible for my family¡¯s deaths. Haha¡­the rest is history." ¡­! Gnis Bloodline! One of the Four Human Lineages- and a particrly powerful one since as far as Alexander knew from the wisps of information he would get from his father, just the Mortal Branch of the Gnis Bloodline had a few Five-Link Gem Masters in their midst. Across many mountains and dry rivers, the City Fortresses under their banner defended against multiple Breaches. The Gnis Bloodline? Their people were involved in this?! "Haha¡­" Alexander and ire looked at each other as in their shock, the frozen Gem Masterughed with anger and madness. "You little shits¡­I have no idea how you survived this time, but you have no idea what¡¯sing for you. They want that Five-Link Gem Blueprint of that girl no matter what, and they will get it. The same pain of loss I felt¡­they promised it. They will deliver it. And you¡­y-you¡­!" His voice became raspy as his barely focused eyes came to lock onto Alexander. "T-today, you¡¯ve joined your father in bing a murderer. Haha, I will wait for you in the depths of the Abyss. I will wait for you and your father there! I will-" SAA! Alexander clenched his fists as instantly, the ice that had ended below the neck of this being traveled up- his whole head quickly bing encased in ice and frost as he was entirely frozen over! "..." Alexander did this as his eyes were opened wide, his right hand slightly trembling. He stared at the eyes filled with anger and madness that were frozen over, the Life Force within them rapidly fading away as soon enough, there wasn¡¯t even a single ounce of brilliance in these eyes. Everything was entirely frozen over. Alexander was forced to use his left hand to grab the right one- making sure the slight tremble didn¡¯t increase as he supported himself. A Gem Master¡­was dead by his hands. A day after awakening. Beasts of Corruption fell from his attacks, and before this day ended, a Gem Master did so as well. A traitor, yes. His passage of information would have gotten them killed, yes. But it was still a Gem Master! And today, he did not wake up with even an inkling that he would have to kill one. Behind him, he felt the figure of iree and give him a hug as his hands became steadier. They weren¡¯t just trembling from what he had done, but also for what he was about to do. What he may have to do. This Gem Master who had betrayed them and endangered their lives was not the only one. There were others. When he faced them as well¡­he would likely have to do the same thing! "..." "It¡¯s okay." The soft voice of ire echoed out beside him. Her body was trembling a little bit more, and Alexander straightened his back when he felt such tremors as he knew he couldn¡¯t wallow in his thoughts. On his chest, his Enneagram Life Socket spun with low hums already as it gave him a sense of tremendousfort. He breathed out and reset himself, turning away from the frozen Gem Master as he spoke softly. "The Gnis Bloodline. Your Five-Link Gem Blueprint." The most important pieces of information they had obtained. There was still much unknown, but they had achieved their purpose of rooting out the leak here. Now, they have to get this information to the Branch Leaders and see where to go from here! Chapter 29: A Blessing and a Curse! I If the words of the Two-Link Gem Master were to be entirely believed. If ¡¯they¡¯ would truly do anything to get their hands on ire, just what possible things could they do? Those from the Mortal Branch of the Gnis Bloodline, or the Beasts of Corruption they were involved with? And how extensive was themunication between the Gnis Bloodline and Beasts of Corruption? Was it a few select individuals or a group within this powerful part of the Human Lineages, or was it something even more catastrophic? "..." He didn¡¯t have the answers yet. But he couldn¡¯t sit still here as after the information they had gained, they had to make their way back towards Carthage and prepare! The location and status of ire herself were the only leading points they had as of right now, and this was their biggest advantage right now as it had to remain a secret. "We¡¯ll make our way towards Carthage as we wait to hear back from my father and yours. If they deem it safe enough to enter Carthage and n there, great. If not¡­" They could only take it a step at a time. Alexander turned around and looked at the girl who had stopped shaking, giving her a light smile as he asked. "Hey, how do you feel about camping?" Her body was filled with a heavy weight as she knew all of this was happening because of her, but Alexander¡¯s smile and words lifted her up somewhat as she nodded. "Mmm, take us as high as you can, and let¡¯s cross the Breach. We¡¯ll make our exit silently." Carthage was hours away. With their capabilities, getting back near Carthage would not be an issue. Their next steps would unfold as time passed. With a sh of brilliant blue hue, a barely discernible sh of lighting climbed above the trees, flying high as it began to make its way towards the highest point of the rupture stretching to the skies. In the skies, Alexander was carried by ire as her wings of lighting buzzed, his hand sping a Gem Messenger Device- the one Azazel had given him as he sent his words into it calmly. "There was a traitor in the Jungle Grounds passing information. The Mortal Branch of the Gnis Bloodline is involved, and their target is ire¡­or what they refer to as the Five-Link Gem Blueprint!" Critical news was passed forth to Azazel as this would soon reach his father! Until then, they would continue to move by themselves. Far, far below them. On the green earth surrounded by trees. The rectangr casing of ice and frost that contained a Gem Master shattered, kes of coldness dispersing into countless shards that were carried by the wind¡­ ¡ª Hours passed. Within the City of Carthage. Rows of Gem Masters were lined up behind the powerful auras of the Branch Leaders of the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline. Branch Leaders Axel and Julius both stood at the forefront of the rows of Gem Masters as they gazed towards a descending Airship, their eyes showing serious gazes as news had already been passed regarding what happened in the Jungle Grounds to Carthage! A few Airships had left Carthage not too long ago filled with Two-Link Gem Masters led by Three-Link Gem Masters to ensure no issues even though thetest Intel stated that the Breach within a Breach had closed. And that it was a close call, but the lives of the newly Awakened Jewel of the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline were safe! Against a surprise attack from a Four-Link Beast of Corruption, she had actually survived as she was currently in the Airship touching down before them. This whole area was surrounded by Gem Masters as it was the Hangar of Carthage, where many Airships were being designed and built, and also where thoseing and going would be stationed. CLANG! The Airship touched down, the metal doors opening as the rows of Gem Masters watched intently. "..." The eyes of Branch Leader Axel became sharp as blue lightning shed within them, their rising intensity only cooled when a figure actually peeked out of the metal doors of the Airship! It was none other than Azazel who looked calmly at the figures of the Branch Leaders and rows of Gem Masters behind them. They looked like escorts to guard a single being here, a being he didn¡¯t walk out of the Airship with as while gazing at his superiors, Gem Master Azazel actually bowed towards them while speaking out. "If the Branch Leaders would be so kind as to momentarily board the Airship- Lady ire and Young Master Alex wish for a word before anything else." ¡­! A daring request. One that made Branch Leader Axel explode with a heavy aura that pressed down over everything nearby as he took heavy steps towards the Airship. "If even a single hair on my daughter is off while you stand here safe and sound¡­" His words were those of immense power and oppression as Azazel kept his head bowed down, his eyes urging Branch Leader Julius to be the first as Alexander¡¯s father took a single step to appear beside Azazel and entered the Airship! Once both Branch Leaders passed through, the metal doors of the Airship closed- all other Gem Masters only witnessing the cold eyes of Gem Master Azazel as these doors closed shut. Within the Airship. The Branch Leaders were led up the stairs, Azazel leading the way in two as his voice retained its respectful tone while speaking. "I plead for Branch Leaders to control your eruption of power regardless of what you¡¯re about to see next. The safety of Lady ire and Young Master Alex are paramount. If nothing else, just think of their safety." Foreboding words echoed out from Azazel as they only caused the pressure that Branch Leader Axel emanated to get heavier, every step that Azazel took being really heavy until he flung the doors to the second level of the Airship! A dozen or so somber Gem Masters that controlled and maintained the Airship were standing there, and Azazel spoke out to them at this moment. "All of you can clear out." A simplemand. But seeing the cold gazes of the Branch Leaders behind Azazel, nobody dared to tarry as they all listened. "..." The doors of the Airship opened and closed again as immense silence reigned. It was only momentster did Azazel¡¯s voice echo out. "Come out, Lady ire, Young Master Alex." Words that acted akin to a signal as from the right, another set of metal doors opened. There. From the Doors leading to a control room where the Captain of the Airship would normally be in. Two hooded figures stepped out. And the moment they did so, the pressure that Branch Leader Axel radiated out became all that much more intense as he uttered out very slowly. "Are you fucking with me, Azazel?" ¡­! The surroundings vibrated as if a heavy pressure came down! Chapter 30: A Blessing and a Curse! II A tremendous pressure came down! But it was contained only in this room as Axel stopped staring at the figures of Rachel and Charlie right away, turning towards Azazel as he seemed ready to rip him apart. "Where is my daughter?" Words filled with interminable brilliance vibrated out as while Branch Leader Axel reacted this way, Branch Leader Julius looked at theplicated and scared gazes of the young man and woman before them as his eyes shone deeply! In reply to the words that seemed more like a threat, Azazel bowed his head while beginning to speak calmly. "There are traitors within our midst, so Lady ire and Young Master Alex designed this ruse." Shocking words came out as before any replies could be made, Azazel continued. "In the Barracks of the Jungle Grounds after I left, they were able to confirm this by capturing a Gem Master that sent a message through a Communication Device. A Gem Master who revealed that he wasmunicating with the Gnis Bloodline and subsequently- Beasts of Corruption!" ¡­! The words caused the gazes of both Branch Leaders to change greatly. From Branch Leader Julius, a heavy pressure also began to swirl as it felt even more suffocating! But it was Branch Leader Axel who continued to ask. "You left my daughter unounted for in a Breach? You thought that to be safer than within the walls of Carthage where I am along with armies of Gem Masters? You dumb motherf-" "She is safest outside of Carthage." The voice of Branch Leader Julius interjected at this time in an extremely somber tone that made Branch Leader Axel gaze towards him while continuing his fury. Branch Leader Julius continued. "If there is one rat, there are many. As of right now, those plotting against your daughter know that she is back in Carthage, while truthfully, she is far, far away. As for why Carthage would be even more dangerous for her¡­something I only had as a passing fear maye out to be true." ¡­! "The Awakening of a Five-Link Gem Master is a blessing¡­in the right ce. In a ce where they are capable of being protected and fostered. In a ce like this, she can be a target. For vile Four-Link Gem Master or any Four-Link Beasts of Corruption, she is a Panacea that if they can swallow¡­they can be Entities with Five-Link Gem Sockets themselves!" Words that caused the pupils of Gem Master Azazel to tremble echoed out. A Panacea? Azazel¡¯s unfocused eyes gazed towards Branch Leader Julius as he asked hesitantly. "You don¡¯t mean¡­?" "In the Ascendant Branches of any of the Four Human Lineages, It is possible to find Five-Link Gem Masters who live within grand Empire Strongholds. They are able to awaken stronger Gem Masters and raise them without worry because there are already existing Five-Link Gem Masters or even Six-Link Gem Masters there who can defend them. But if, in a corner of this World of Ephesus, a Five-Link Gem Master arises in a little ce that only has Four-Link Gem Masters¡­how can they possibly protect something like that? So the gazes of those seeking opportunity turn over. Those who always dream of Five-Link Gem Sockets or higher finally have such a possibility before them¡­they just need to get their hands on a girl who has only just Awakened and has umted very little life force." ¡­! The words of Branch Leader Julius caused Branch Leader Axel to shake and seethe with waves of anger. His daughter. They actually wanted the blood and livelihood of his daughter! His mind turned fast as countless thoughts shed within a second. And a momentter¡­ "I can send her to the nearest stronghold of the Ascendant Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline. I will escort her myself!" Yes. If she was there. Her life would be protected. She could be fostered as a powerful force as they would dly take her! Even Branch Leader Julius gave a light nod to these words as he came before Rachel and Charlie, his hands rubbing their heads as if thanking them for their courage as he replied. "That is the only possible path to take. I just hope it is not toote. We will have to be vignt in the days toe. Azazel, let Alexander know to meet us at a point outside Carthage, there-" WU! WU! WU! Before his words could end, a massive sound of an rm that rarely rang over the months and years echoed out! An rm that caused the gazes of the Branch Leaders to sh with shock and somberness as Branch Leader Axel instantly turned into a streak of lightning that disappeared! At the same time, a difficult look appeared on Branch Leader Julius as he shook his head while leaving behind shocking words towards Azazel. "Things may already be toote. Tell Alexander to stay as far away from Carthage as possible for now. Just until we understand what ordeal ising." WU! WU! WU! The rm continued to ring out as Azazel¡¯s face was ashen! He knew this rm well. It sounded across the whole City of Carthage as it told those weak to shelter in ce. And it was a signal to those who could fight to man the Walls of Carthage and prepare. It only sounded when dangerous Beasts of Corruption were spotteding close to the Walls of Carthage. It only sounded when at the very Minimum, a horde of Three-Link Beasts of Corruption were seen, or a Four-Link Beast of Corruption was spotted! A tremendously rare event. Why would it be happening now?! "Remain in here for now." Leaving behind these words, Branch Leader Julius turned into a pir of mes that disappeared. Momentster, a pir of mes shed and appeared above the Airship, levitating above and seeing the scene across the Hangar and beyond. At the panicking Gem Masters that were running towards the Wall. At¡­the skies above that had suddenly turned very, very dark. Clouds covered everything. And it didn¡¯t take long before Branch Leader Julius raised his hand before him, and he felt drops of rain begin to fall! Chapter 31: Rain! I Rain. An impossible rarity. Whenever it came, Life would bloom as it was always a happy asion! Yet at this moment, it felt very dreary and foreboding. Branch Leader Julius found himself questioning why there would be rain at this time. When the horns of Beasts of Corruption sounded and rain fell simultaneously, he actually felt a sense of despondency as with mes swirling around his feet, his figure shot towards the Walls of Carthage to see! The tendrils of mes came from nothing else but the [me Maniption] Ability Gem socketed in the center of his chest. A Gem he had with him for as long as he could remember, and its burst of power brought him to the top of the walls at this moment. Amidst scrambling Gem Masters. He saw. He was that horrifically, the Tier 3 Breach that was the Den of Corruption¡­had ripped the skies and earth even more. It had erged and be even more prominent. This alone would be reason for shock, but there was then the fact that from the entrance of this Breach, Branch Leader Julius could see with his enhanced eyesight...throngs of dark masses moving together. It was a tide of Beasts of Corruption. The Inner and Outer Barracks of the Den of Corruption seemed decimated at this moment, overrun by Beasts of Corruption as Julius already knew that the hundreds of Three-Link Gem Masters and below who were stationed here and didn¡¯t retreat in time...were dead! Dead! How many lives were those? How many of them left their families behind? Branch Leader Julius closed his eyes momentarily as it felt like time had stalled, but within moments¡­ "Branch Leader!" A shot came beside him as a Three-Link Gem Master with a Messenger Device came beside him. "Three Four-Link Beasts of Corruption spotted so far! They attacked together as the Barracks fell within minutes, and now¡­a tide of Beasts of Corruption is flowing through under their lead!" Three Four-Link Beasts of Corruption. Branch Leader Julius heard such a thing as he shook his head while looking into the skies. There, the visage of Branch Leader Axel could be seen surrounded by blue lightning and thunder, heavy waves of anger surrounding him! Julius sighed as he voiced out calmly. "If only it were just three Four-Link Beasts of Corruption." ¡­! If only. His attuned senses that had long since be ustomed to the aura of Four-Link Beasts of Corruption told him that from the Den of Corruption far ahead of them, a minimum of Six Four-Link Beasts of Corruption could be felt. And this wasn¡¯t all. WU! The horn red. The Beasts of Corruption neared! The paved roads leading to the Den of Corruption were destroyed as, at this moment, a flying type Beast of Corruption led swathes of other Beasts that blotted the skies, stopping a mile away as its piercing eyes gazed coldly. It was a Four-Link me Crow. ck mes burned around its body as behind it, a few hundred me Crows floated with ferociousness. Below them, a massive Four-Link Water Bison roared, tendrils of water surrounding its body as those like it followed behind by the hundreds! To its left, a Four-Link Lightning Praying Mantis twisted its head unnaturally as blue lighting coursed across its body and the bodies of those like it followed closely! One powerful Beast of Corruption after another was seen leading a tide of their brethren, and all of them came to a stop a mile away from the Walls of Carthage as they didn¡¯t even chase the Gem Masters fearfully running towards their Wall. When Branch Leader Julius saw this, his hand went towards a small bag to his right side as he pulled out an incandescent Gem. It glowed with a radiant white light as this was something very few Gem Masters around would ever know the purpose of. And yet Julius grasped it in his hands as after seeing the tide of Beasts of Corruption ahead of them¡­he crushed it. CRACK! The white Gem cracked and released a burst of white light up as if it were sending a signal! In the distance, the me Crow and other Four-Link Beasts of Corruption raised their gaze to follow this signal. A sneer escaped the me Crow as from its beak dripping with ck mes¡­ "It is no use, human." ¡­! A cruel humanoid voice echoed out from it. "Today, nothing will be of use." Utterly terrifying words echoed out, and as if toplement these words¡­ ROAR! A booming roar echoed out from behind as the tides of Beasts of Corruption parted. In between the Lightning Praying Mantis and the Water Bison, the Beasts parted ways as a Golden me Lion strutted through, its mane bright with mes! What was shocking was the fact that atop this Golden me Lion¡­was actually a human. A human! Hair shining with golden splendor. Eyes as blue as the sea. A middle aged man emanating power and vile grace was actually seated on a Four-Link Golden me Lion, his own chest brimming with the light of a Four-Link Gem Master as he was adorned in a pure white robe, and behind him¡­other Humans adorned in white robes also followed. Humans. Among the tides of Beasts. And it seemed like they came from the expanded Den of Corruption as well! The gaze of Branch Leader Julius became immeasurably sour as looking at the golden hair and blue eyes of the humans ahead of him, a single word arose. Gnis. Humans from the Gnis Bloodline were actually mixed in with throngs of Beasts of Corruption! What the hell was this? Why was this? Why?! OOOH! On the walls, a booming horn of order was bellowed out by a Three-Link Gem Master in amanding post, thousands of Ranged Gem Masters getting their bows ready. On certain sections of the tall walls, there were arrow tower battlements that had massive crossbows powered by unique materials pulsing with waves of energy. All of them were at the ready as behind Branch Leader Julius, rows of Gem Masters were already lined up behind him! And behind Branch Leader Axel, dozens of Gem Masters crackling with lightning flew up behind him as they were at the ready! Drops of rain heavily began to fall. No joy was on the faces of anyone as instead, immense trepidation and tension filled everything. Just what had gone wrong? Why was this happening right now?! Chapter 32: Rain! II The scene was a dreary one as a mile away from the Walls of Carthage, a tide of Beasts of Corruption led by multiple Four-Link Beasts and even a Four-Link Gem Master could be seen! It was menacing because all of these unruly Beasts of Corruption let out guttural roars silently, but they were restrained and controlled. Simply waiting for the permission to be let loose as they unleashed carnage thereafter. Looking at such a scene, the figure of Branch Leader Axel crackling with blue lightning shook with anger, his mouth opening to release a bellow directed towards nobody but the golden haired Four-Link Gem Master seated on the Golden me Lion. "A Gem Master strutting in on top of a Beast of Corruption! I never thought I would see the fucking day. What is your Gnis Bloodline thinking?!" His roar was filled with primal anger. The Beasts of Corruption thatid waste to their World before they were able to protect small continents over time. Those who took the lives of billions of Humans across the globe! Why would a human ever be seen sitting atop a Beast of Corruption within a Beast Tide facing other Humans? It was an idea so foreign and unfathomable that at this moment, the golden haired middle aged man on top of the Golden me Lion smiled while shaking his head. Golden hair and blue eyes. A trait of the Gnis Bloodline that distinguished them powerfully among the Four Human Lineages, with their overall strength and amount of remainingnd they protected making them ranked third in terms of power. The Asmodeus Bloodline was, of course, ranked fourth purely in terms of thend they protected, with their Gem Masters within the Ascendant Branches being of simr power! And yet, A Gem Master of the Gnis Bloodline stood in the midst of a Beast Tide, other Gem Masters following behind him as he shook his head while replying with mysticism. "There are things moreplex than you can ever imagine, Little Branch Leader Axel. I won¡¯t even waste words with you as I have a simple proposal." Words that caused the anger within Branch Leader Axel to rise and the grimness on Branch Leader Julius to increase came out. And their expressions only worsened from the words that followed. "Give us the girl, and the hundreds of thousands inside Carthage will be spared." ¡­! Give us the girl. A simple enough sentence that shouldn¡¯t have too much power. And yet it confirmed everything Branch Leader Julius feared as he closed his eyes, the tendrils of mes burning around his body bing even more radiant as he began to rise over the wall. In the skies where dark clouds gathered more and more, with drops of rain bing ever so prevalent, Branch Leader Axel had already reached the limits of his anger as only pristine apathy showed on his face when he heard the words that could only rte to his daughter. His voice was carried by the lightning around him as it thundered out. "Over my dead body, you traitorous worm. Did you ever think of what your actions mean? Do you think the Asmodeus Bloodline is so weak? Do you think the forces of the Ascendant Branch will sit still?! Do you think we don¡¯t know of you, Neiman?!" His words were booming. Branch Leader Neiman of the Mortal Branch of the Gnis Bloodline. He smiled once more at the words of Branch Leader Axel as he actually turned his gaze away from him and towards Branch Leader Julius. "I know you make most of the critical decisions here, so I¡¯ll let you know that the signal you sent out towards the Ascendant Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline will never reach them. When they do find out about one of their City Fortresses, it will be when it has all turned to rubble. So before that happens¡­let us make this easy. The cost of one girl, or the hundreds of thousands of lives behind those frail walls. The choice is clear, isn¡¯t it? Any true leader knows what the correct choice would be. The girl is known as¡­ire Asmodeus I believe, anyone on those walls can give her up and you will be granted amnesty and guaranteed safety for you and your family." The words were filled with snakelike venom, the gazes all Gem Masters changing on the walls. Hearing his daughter¡¯s name actually mentioned, the cold eyes of Branch Leader Axel closed as the tendrils of lightning around him became much more concentrated. He thought of the frail figure of Alexander that had actually thought ahead far enough to keep his daughter away from here. He prayed for her safety. And to ensure this safety¡­ BOOM! Crackling thunder and lightning crashed all around him as he opened his eyes and uttered out. "The mes of humanity burn bright." ¡­! His voice was booming. It covered everything ahead and behind as it thundered in the hearts of all who heard it. And once the Gem Masters on top of the Walls of Carthage heard it, their hearts became firmer as they opened their mouths and repeated in synchrony. "The mes of humanity burn bright!" Their voices were booming. A sense of fear and valor was mixed in, but it was firm. It was their dedication to protect the City behind them. Their dedication to not allowing Beasts of Corruption to gain another edge! An air of glorious power surged around the Walls of Carthage as the Beasts of Corruption roared in threatening tones in the distance. The body of Branch Leader Julius came to float besides Branch Leader Axel as his gaze was filled with heavy determination. He whispered to his old friend beside him. "Let loose. Do not worry about your daughter, my son will keep her safe." ¡­! A whisper from one leader to another. Axel heard it as he nodded firmly, and Branch Leader Julius looked ahead at the enemies ahead of them. Multiple Four-Link Beasts of Corruption. Gem Masters under the lead of a Four-Link Branch Leader. It was an assault that may have caused despair for others, but for him and all the lives depending on him in Carthage¡­they were nothing! He wouldn¡¯t let history repeat itself. So he raised his fist up as he also bellowed out. "Unbreakable Honor!" HUUM! Unbreakable honor. The motto of the Asmodeus Bloodline. Branch Leader Julius shouted it out as it was followed by a bellow from all those behind him. "UNBREAKABLE HONOR!" ¡­! What followed thereafter was an incandescent glow of tens of thousands of Gem Sockets shining brightly- along with the roars of brutal Beasts! Along the heavy downpour of rain! Chapter 33: The Siege of Carthage! I When there were strong leaders, the people prospered. The City of Carthage¡­.did not have weak leaders. Behind the Walls of Carthage that had begun to glow with thousands of Ability Gems being cast at once, as well the battlement towers on the wall that had released the massive arrows capable of shooting down massive creatures. In the Corrupted Airship, Gem Master Azazel, Rachel, and Charlie heard the booming voice of the Gnis Bloodline Branch Leader asking for ire, as well as the shouts of their own Branch Leaders that effectively were calls to defend their home and attack their enemies! Even from afar, they could sense the oppressive aura that the Beast Tide was imposing on Carthage, and Azazel shut his eyes as he whispered silently. "Stay safely as far away as you can, Young Master¡­head to the Ascendant Branch of our Asmodeus Bloodline without looking back. Please. Please!" He whispered these words out, but they were the same words he had sent on the Gem Messenger Device to let him know the wishes of his Father. Stay as far away from Carthage as possible! Wherever he was, he shouldn¡¯t even worry about what was happening here as his path and ire¡¯s path had to be towards another direction entirely! Beside Azazel, the figures of Rachel and Charlie, who took the spots for Alexander and ire, trembled as their eyes betrayed their fear. They were justing of age. Sensing the aura of horrors descending onto Carthage, how could they not be fearful of what was toe? As they worked through their fears. Near the same Hangar where the Corrupted Airship was docked on. A group of Gem Masters adorned in robes silently neared the Airship that had ¡¯returned¡¯ with the newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master. Leading them was a Three-Link Gem Master who actually wasn¡¯t even worried about aiding in the defense of the Walls of Carthage! ¡ª A few miles away from Carthage. Just belowyers of dark clouds releasing a heavy downpour of rain. A young woman held onto a young man, her blue wings of Lightning barely discerned amidst the dark cover of clouds. They had flown slowly from the Jungle Grounds and towards Carthage in thest few hours, staying in the far distance and observing any changes while waiting for word from Azazel that had already arrived. It was none other than ire and Alexander as they took a high vantage point, and from the distant skies, they could see the outline of Carthage a few miles away, as well as the erged Breach that had undoubtedly be a Tier 4 Breach! They saw the dots that were pouring out from the Breach. They felt the zing auras of powerful Four-Link Beasts of Corruption even where they were. And worst of all, they could see two shining points of light above the walls of Carthage. One shining blue, one shining with a crimson fiery light amidst the heavy rain. Their fathers. At this moment, in the middle of this heavy rain, ire¡¯s expression showed great distress and guilt as her eyes were red- the rain hiding just how many tears went down her cheeks! "It¡¯s all my fault¡­" Her voice was barely a whisper as she felt the Five-Link Gem Sockets on her chest. Ever since they appeared, her life had only changed as now, hordes of Beasts of Corruption knocked on the doors of her home because of these Gem Sockets! Hundreds of thousands of lives were now in peril. The life of her own father was in peril. And in the face of multiple Four-Link Beasts of Corruption¡­what could they do? Her whispers were picked up by Alexander who she held onto as he replied sternly. "You aren¡¯t to me. This is more than just about your Five-Link Gem Blueprint. A Beast Tide like this is not just intended for the capture of a single Gem Master. A Beast Tide like this¡­" The rest of his words were left unsaid. But they were clear. A Tide of Beasts such as this meant nothing but decimation. And if they were working with the Gnis Bloodline¡­something even more terrifying was in store. Alexander closed his eyes momentarily before he opened them decisively. He spoke to ire. "ire, I need you to do something for me." "No¡­" As if she could already predict what he was going to say, she shook her head as her tears freely fell. But Alexander was adamant. "I do not know how many Four-Link Beasts of Corruption there are. All I see is a continued outpouring of Beasts even now as there could be 5 or 10, or even more as far as we know. I¡­am not confident that I would be able to protect you." ¡­! "I¡¯m not telling you to hide. I¡¯m not telling you not toe. I just need you to stay back as we understand just how many enemies there are. On whether my Father or your Father even stand a chance. If your addition can tip the scales to even give us a chance of victory, I will let you know toe. But if our enemies are too many, if I do not give you the signal toe¡­please promise me to head towards the Ascendant Branch of our Asmodeus Bloodline without looking back." "..." A heavy ask. One that broke ire¡¯s heart as all she could think of at this moment was the one she was holding onto being submerged in a tide of Beasts. Her father also submerged in a tide of Beasts! It was so painful, but she knew they had to move fast as while gritting her teeth, she nodded heavily. Alexander¡¯s senses caught this as he could see her eyes that told him she was lying right away. She would undoubtedly fly in the moment she saw him in danger, whether he gave her the signal or not! But there was nothing he could do. Time was not on their side when an influx of Beastsid siege on Carthage! So his own body began to crackle with crimson lightning as he looked ahead. His Father. Logic said to get away from here and bid their time in the Ascendant Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline. But¡­he couldn¡¯t leave his father behind. He couldn¡¯t lose the only other family member he had left! Chapter 34: The Siege of Carthage! II So momentarily, logic was put aside. He felt his Enneagram that had begun to spin again with fervor the moment that the Lightning King Gem Recipe was filled. He felt the strength coursing through him, as well as the rectangr crimson and blue bars that represented his Vigor and Energeia. [Vigor]:: 951/951 [Energeia]:: 851/855 The values of both Vigor and Energeia had risen steadily due to the influence of his many socketed Gems, but he still didn¡¯t know whether it would be enough. But at this time, it had to be enough! He had something nobody else had. He socketed Gems with links that these Four-Link Beasts of Corruption were seeking so badly. With this power, it may just be enough to produce a miracle. So he breathed out as he spoke to ire. "I¡¯ll see you soon." ¡­! Not a goodbye. It was a set of words that left behind hope as a momentter, Alexander turned into a streak of red lightning that shot out towards the depths of a Beast Tide! After shooting forward for half a mile, he shifted from a radiant crimson lightning to a barely discernible humanoid form, his hands grabbing onto and ripping the green robe on him as he brought the fabric and covered his mouth and nose. He went even further to wrap his head- only his dark pupils being visible! The less that people knew about him, the better. They wanted to be filled with mysteries? He would unleash every ounce of power he had while making them wonder how it was all possible! BOOM! With a p of lightning and thunder, he made his way towards the front of the Walls of Carthage that had turned into a devastating battlefield. On the walls, countless blinking lights of Elemental Attacks raged down towards the Beasts of Corruption, with this being the Main form of attack to hold the tides of Beasts at bay! If they neared and tried to breach the wall, closebat Gem Masters would be there to use their very lives as bastions to ensure none went through the walls. This was the case for Three-Link Gem Masters and Beasts of Corruption, along with those holding Two-Link Gem Sockets and below. But then, there were the Four-Link Beasts of Corruption. There was the Four-Link Gem Master from the Gnis Bloodline! The two Branch Leaders had to stop them from nearing the wall at all cost, and so¡­the devastating scene of Branch Leader Julius and Branch Leader Axel withstanding the assault of multiple enemies at the same stage of power as them unfolded. Well, not exactly at the same stage of power! BOOM! A p of thunder and blue lightning echoed above the skies as a ring of circr thunder raged- Branch Leader Axel at its very center as he pushed away a river of ck mes from the Four-Link me Crow in front of him. And yet behind him, the Four-Link Lightning Praying Mantis circled and shot out speedily seeking to cleave his head off his neck whenever any gap presented itself! But Branch Leader Axel remained valiantly alert as his circle of lightning was never breached, with his hands grasping above him as lightning bolts gathered within them that he threw out to both the Lightning Praying Mantis and the me Crow. On his chest, vibrant life force was surging as if one looked closely, they would be able to see that his four Gem Sockets were surrounded by a white ring of light and a blue ring of light that held a sense of regality. A sign of nothing else but Ascendancy. When the Life force of a Gem Master reaches a high enough level that their Gem Sockets undergo a change! Around Branch Leader Axel, a silent but indomitable aura to represent this arose and shone brightly. But¡­it was nowhere near as indomitable as down below- where Branch Leader Julius alone was facing the Four-Link Gem Master from the Gnis Bloodline, Neiman, along with dozens of Gem Masters behind him and the Golden me Lion under him, and the Four-Link Water Bison who was surrounded by heavy rivers of water! And yet¡­ SIZZLE! The ground burned from the sheer heat stemming from the mes that Branch Leader Julius released. His battle robe was now tainted with a red hue as his surroundings were encircled by mes, his hands releasing swirling sts of mes towards the Four-Link Beasts of Corruption and Neiman! The white robes of the golden haired Gnis Bloodline Branch Leader fluttered amidst the heat as he scoffed, looking at the blue hue shining brightly on top of the white of the Four Gem Sockets on Branch Leader Julius¡¯ chest as he spoke out. "So what if you have taken your Sockets through Ascendancy and be a genuine Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master? The rest of us haven¡¯t been cking!" WU! His golden hair fluttered. His chest showed the same white and blue hues around his Sockets as below him, the Golden me Lion roared out whilences of golden mes formed all around! Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master. It was a title granted to those who had built up enough life force to allow for the evolution of their Gem Sockets that caused the effects and capabilities of their socketed Gems to increase by an unknown factor. Such Entities normally moved and protected thends of Ascendant Branches of Human Lineages against powerful Ascendant Beasts of Corruption, and it was a level of power that could be seen among Branch Leaders of Mortal Branches of Human Lineages. They were Gem Masters with great power! "But that¡¯s not all¡­" Branch Leader Neiman smiled with a devilish glint as he raised his hand up. CAA! The cry of a bird pped out as in a second, a Four-Link Thunder Sparrow came to perch on his hand. AWOO! This wasn¡¯t all as from behind, the rows of Gnis Gem Masters parted to allow an Arctic Wolf pulsing with arcs of frost toe and stand beside Branch Leader Neiman, followed by a me Hound that shone with red mesing on the other side! A Golden me Lion, A Thunder Sparrow, an Arctic Wolf, and a me Hound. All Four-Link Beasts of Corruption. And all were circling Branch Leader Neiman with unbreakable loyalty as they were Beasts bound to him through his Main Ability Gem- [Minion Maniption]! Chapter 35: Brutality! I Somehow, this Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master had bound 4 Four-Link Beasts of Corruption under his banner, and all of them gazed towards Branch Leader Julius with brutality. "Ah¡­" On the Wall, the Gem Masters of Carthage saw this scene and despaired. A single Four-Link Beast of Corruption was a cmity for them. For there to be multiple? For the Branch Leaders to be facing all of them alone? The feeling that came from such a reality was nothing but despair and destion! The Beasts of Corruption that were kept at bay with long-ranged attacks used this as an opportunity to make a breakthrough in the defenses- lines being broken as Beasts of Corruption reached the wall and began to climb it. It was only a prelude to what was toe. Before the Walls of Carthage, on the earth that was scalding hot to the point that the sand began to distort¡­Branch Leader Julius looked at the many Four-Link Beasts of Corruption before him as he sighed. It was a sigh of anger and tiredness. A sigh of regret. He had many hopes on what he wanted to do in the future. The revenge he wanted to take. The son he wanted to raise. Hearing his sigh, Branch Leader Neiman who was seated on top of the Golden me Lion shook his head. "It¡¯s a shame, really. For someone like you to die while not understanding anything nor knowing what is toe." ¡­! His Four-Link Beasts of Corruption under the control of his Minion Maniption Ability Gem encircled the ring of zing mes around Julius as he continued calmly. "The Asmodeus Bloodline always screams about Unbreakable Honor. How about this? I want to put that to the test right now. Stop fighting. I can offer you a position close to mine in the new era toe. You keep your life, the life of your son, and whoever else you choose. All you have to do.is let go of that honor. Break it." His golden hair whipped around as vortices of winds surged. He looked into the eyes of Julius and smiled cruelly as he saw they didn¡¯t even change a bit. "You can¡¯t do it, can you? This...is what separates you and I. I am a survivor. In your position, I would do anything to keep my life. Hell, you could hate me but take revengeter, or plot and never seed- but at the very least, you could keep your life. But your stupid Honor prevents you from doing even that. Nobody ever became strong by being honorable!" BOOM! His Beasts moved with their own attacks. It was a sequence meant to decimate and break Branch Leader Julius as with his head on a tter, the remaining defense on the Walls of Carthage would break down! Neiman¡¯s eyes lit up at the oing glory as he could almost taste it. He could see it. It was¡­ BOOOM! Interrupted by a massive crash of crimson lightning! His glory that was right at the tip of his fingers was interrupted by the unfathomable crimson radiance of a massive lightning bolt that smashed into his Arctic Wolf who was nearest to Julius, the fur on this beast bing scorched as this red lightning wasn¡¯t done! For the surrounding meters, any nearby Beasts and even the other Four-Link Beasts and Neiman felt booming tendrils of lightning smash on their bodies as they were pushed back slightly. And the st of lightning then traveled from the Arctic Wolf and onto the me Hound, another burst of multiple tendrils of red lightning being released in the surroundings when this urred! Horrifically, it did not stop. From the me Hound, it then jumped onto the Thunder Sparrow who tried to absorb the lightning- the same scene repeating itself as heavy damage was spread onto the surroundings asstly, this red bolt of thunder and lighting smashed towards Branch Leader Neiman himself. All of this¡­happened within the span of a second. The red lightning was that fast! Neiman roared out in shock as the Golden me Lion below him erected a wall of mes to face this unexpected and yet heavy attack. An attack built from multiple linked support abilities! Unity Support that turned Alexander into lightning itself. Chained Link Support that allowed a single cast of the ability to chain to multiple enemies. The Ssh Damage Support that gave area of effect damage on every hit. The Spatial Pocket Support that allowed the ability to be cast anywhere within one hundred meters. The Chance to Corrupt Support that had a 50% chance to Corrupt targeted enemies and make half of their Gem Sockets inactive for 30 seconds! This wasn¡¯t to even mention the Life Force on Hit Support that had not even begun to show its ridiculous uses. All of this was unfolded all at once as the terror of a Gem Master with many Gem Sockets slowly presented itself! BOOM! The golden mes were only able to stop half of the heavy waves of crimson lightning, but this deadly attack came to a stop as the lightning came to briefly dangle a few meters from the earth below as it turned into¡­the figure of a shrouded Gem Master. ¡­! Only his eyes could be seen as they simmered with tremendous anger. Of those affected by the crimson lightning, the Lightning Sparrow and me Hound had their Main Ability Gems and a single Support Ability Gem turn dull, a crimson skull floating above their heads as they were corrupted. "WHO DA-...!" The golden hair on the Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master Neiman was vibrating rapidly as he roared out, but he didn¡¯t finish his roar as he saw the blooming frost of a ciering to epass everything around him, and he could see another expanding cier near the me Hound and Lightning Sparrow that were corrupted and couldn¡¯t even utilize their Main Ability Gems. He saw them all stem¡­from the foreign Gem Master who he could swear just shot out the crimson lighting. So why the hell¡­.did such terrifying waves of ice and frost erupt from him too?! Chapter 36: Brutality! II In the midst of despair, a startling chance bloomed! Crimson lightning crashed down with heavy consequences, and no sooner had this urred, immeasurable cold spread out as waves of cial ice erupted out to cover everything. They were centered around the me Hound on one side whose Ability Gems were dim and the Lightning Sparrow that was under the same effect, a dazzling crimson skull shing menacingly above their heads. The eruption of ice centered around them and even extended backwards for tens of meters to cover the Beasts of Corruption there- its temperature being utterly disastrous as it rapidly ate up any trace of life force! No sooner had these cial masses enveloped major portions of the expanding battlefield¡­ BOOOM They exploded out as they saw frozen pieces of limbs of dozens of Beasts everywhere. The body of the Four-Link me Hound had huge gashes leaking frozen crimson blood as it whimpered fearfully, while the wings of the Lightning Sparrow were broken unnaturally as it dropped from the skies! Their life force had dropped to extremely low levels as their Ability Gems were not even responding to them. And just when they thought it was over¡­ WUU! Their bodies became encased in ice again. A repeated effect of a Support Gem from the Ice King Gem Recipe. They were frozen for a second time as when these smaller cial masses exploded once again¡­ Shattered ice cracked and fell as alongside it, the skull of the me Hound was split open with its eyes being entirely dim. The Lightning Sparrow had its body dismembered into multiple blocks of frozen ice as the only thing radiant on its body¡­were the four Gems on its dimly broken Sockets and a radiant Ascendant Life Gem that was contained in an ice block that had a part of its chest! ¡­! It was a horrifying scene. All of it urred in the span of a single second as nobody could even react. In the second that followed, tendrils of crimson lightning shed on the radiant Gems on the dismembered body parts of the me Hound and Lightning Sparrow, along with their bright Ascendant Life Gems that made up the brunt of their achievements before they perished. Momentster, their eight Gems and two Ascendant Life Gems turned into streaks of red lighting that sank into the chest of the man responsible. No. Not a man. The monster responsible for all this! Branch Leader Neiman looked towards him with fury and a trace of fear as he could only see his dark eyes that held billowing waves of anger. Who was this? A Tier 5 Ascendant Gem Master? Something even more dreadful? Feeling the budding fear in his heart, Neiman roared out. "Send everyone out! Everyone and more!" HUUM! In the midst of his fear, he called out heavily. And far behind them, the already expanded Breach of the Den of Corruption let out an incandescent light before zing auras of Tier 4 Beasts of Corruption began to surge out one after another. Your journey continues on freewebnovel The gaze of Branch Leader Neiman was twisted as he felt the deaths of his two Tier 4 Beasts, but his figure controlled the Golden me Lion to instantly jump backwards as he had to make as much distance from this monster who covered his head entirely! Yet¡­ His connected senses with the Golden me Lion red with danger as a Golden shield of mes rose above, instantly forming into a wall that blocked a massive crimson spear of mes held by none other than Branch Leader Julius. While others were shocked, he had made a move right away as hisbat senses were unbeatable- nearly skewering Branch Leader Neiman. This¡­was the power of a Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master! In the distance, an Arctic Wolf howled as it came to defend its master. It was an absolutely startling turn of events that nobody expected! ¡ª Alexander felt everything with his senses as the Enneagram on his chest spun like an engine. Inside of him, the monotone voice rose up as hemunicated with it simultaneously. [One Ascendant Life Gem is being used to elevate the level of your Vigor and Energeia.] [One Ascendant Life Gem is being used to increase the rate of extraction of the Corrupted Lightning King Gem Recipe.] ¡­! His body, even though it had just utilized a great deal of Energeia, felt profoundly filled with power as waves of life force surged within him! He sensed the multiple iing auras of Tier 4 Beasts from the Den of Corruption. He sensed the breath and power of his father above an enemy Gem Master from the Gnis Bloodline. He sensed the eight Gems he had ced in the isted storage space and their details as his eyes became locked onto the enemy Gem Master with rage and fervor- even more so on the dazzling Gem on his chest! ¡¯Minions, huh?¡¯ With rage and ideas budding in his mind, he turned into a streak of lightning that once more went to bombard Branch Leader Neiman, a wave of ice and frost already blooming on the Golden me Lion he sat on as Alexander no longer even saw this being as one who was still alive. It was only someone he had to kill- someone who would die in the next second with surety! BOOM! As ice froze below him and fiery brilliance sought to break through from above, Branch Leader Neiman lost all color as crimson lightning smashed into him while he didn¡¯t have an ounce of defenses. He¡­was a Gem Master who relied on his Minions. His own defenses and power were negligible as his Gems purely supported his Minions! So when he took another piercing crimson lightning head on¡­the result was utterly disastrous for him. And horrifically, after the lightning struck him once, it pulled back before chaining on him again, and again, and again! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! It was heavy. It was brutal. By the time it was done, even the gaze of Branch Leader Julius floating on tendrils of red mes above changed to be stern as where Neiman used to be¡­were only four dazzling Gems. His muscture and bones were scorched, burned, and utterly broken away, the only sign of him ever being alive being a ck scorch mark above the roaring Golden me Lion trying to break out of a prison of ice! But the current reality was one that caused all nearby sentient beings to be gobsmacked as¡­ A Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master was dead! Where he used to be, crimson lightning transformed into the veiled figure of a young man who grasped the central Ability Gem that Branch Leader Neiman had into his hands. His chest, which was spinning rapidly, came to a stop on the Sockets where bright gems used to be¡­only emptiness could be seen as if they were ground to nothingness. [The Gem Recipe designated as Corrupted Lightning King and all the Gems within its makeup have been recorded in the Ability Gem Database.] ¡­! A fantastical message. The Enneagram on his chest shone ever brighter in his eyes as in the face of schemes anding monsters, he needed more power. And what grander power was there than increasing the number of Gems he socketed? While reading over its details, he grasped the [Minion Maniption Ability Gem] in his hand and threw it towards his glorious chest! Chapter 37: A Terror! I [Minion Maniption Ability Gem]:: A rare ability gem that once socketed, it passively allows the formation of an Isted Minion Shrine in its depths. With it, any dominated Life Form with a low degree of resistance can have its life bound to the Minion Shrine as it follows your bidding with near absolute loyalty. It passively enhances Energeia by an unknown amount once equipped. Any Support Ability Gems that are linked to this Ability Gem will gain another Isted Minion Shrine where another Life Form can be bound, stored, and released from for your own uses¡­ ¡­! It was a terrifying Ability Gem. A rare one at that too as if Branch Leader Neiman had not met Alexander, he would have continued to be a force to be reckoned on the battlefield! But the bombardment of lightning and ciers had taken him off guard at the heavy cost of his life as now, it fell on Alexander¡¯s hands. Basically, this Gem could allow one to bind any Life Form- whether that be a Human Being or a Beast of Corruption, and any Support Ability Gems added to this Gem to make a Recipe¡­would also allow one to bind more Life Forms. So depending on how many Gem Sockets one had¡­this would be the limit on the number of bound Minions. Branch Leader Neiman was only a Four-Link Gem Master as he had four Beasts of Corruption bound. But as his Enneagram began to pulse with brilliance, Alexander wondered¡­how many support Gems would light up for this Ability Gem? How many minions would it allow him to bind?! After the Main Ability Gem was Socketed, his Enneagram released a low hum as from the pointed ends, 6 faint circles shone. Six possible Support Ability Sockets. The same number of possible slots as the Corrupted Lightning Maniption Ability Gem! And to fill these slots, there were already the three Support Ability Gems he had looted from the dead Branch Leader Neiman. As he stood on top of a frozen Golden me Lion, with his father floating in the skies and grimly staring at the powerful auras of Tier 4 Beastsing out of the Den of Corruption, his mind worked rapidly to look at all the information. [Enhanced Minion Lifeforce Support]::...The supported ability gains a 50% increase in the life force of all Minions or Summoned Life Forms. [Frenzy Support]:: ...The supported Ability gains the chance to trigger an Onught of Frenzy whenever you or nearby allies kill an enemy. In the state of Frenzy, Life Force and offensive capabilities are increased by a factor of 2. [Energy Conservation Support]::...The supported Ability utilizes less than half of the required cost¡­ Your next read awaits at m v|l-e¡¯m,p| y- r "..." Alexander thought of the information these Support Ability Gems showed as he was a little disappointed. These Support Ability Gems¡­not all of them seemed to have high utility. The only one he directly socketed onto a Support slot was the [Enhanced Minion Life Support] as the other two didn¡¯t make it! Alexander looked at the small mountain of Support Ability Gems in his Isted Space that he had obtained from all the ck Furred Goris he had killed in the Jungle Grounds, as well as the Support Ability Gems that he looted from the recently killed me Hound, Lightning Sparrow, and dozens of other Beasts of Corruption. Among them¡­he remembered some that might have even more terrifying effects if he linked them together into an utterly ridiculous Recipe! But there was little time. He would have to do it simultaneously while he battled as with the Minion Maniption Ability Gem already on his chest with a single Support Gem, he turned his attention to the Golden me Lion below him that was half frozen. A crimson skull had now risen above it after sharing the ssh damage that its Master had taken. Alexander stood above its half-frozen head, looking into its buzzing golden eyes and its dim chest as he raised his foot. His foot which turned into crackling crimson lightning a momentter as he spoke out in heavy tone. "Will you ept death or submission?" ¡­! Death or submission. It was a heavy option, but every living thing wanted to live! Before the Golden me Lion could even reply though¡­ BOOM! Alexander¡¯s leg smashed down on its head, thunderous crimson lightning sting onto it and shattering some of the ice still climbing over its body as it became dazed. And his voice echoed out again coldly. "Death, or submission?" It felt cold. It felt chilling. The Golden me Lion instinctively knew that this question would note again as it couldn¡¯t help but whimper. Its eyes turned down in submission! A moment after, Alexander¡¯s chest shone with a dim golden radiance that flowed into the brain and chest of the Beast of Corruption below him, not an ounce of resistance present as soon enough, he felt a faint connection forming between him and something else. A connection of absolute loyalty to another life form. [The Tier 4 Golden me Lion has been sessfully bound into the Minion Maniption Ability Gem.] The monotone voice of the Enneagram echoed out in his mind as this time, it didn¡¯t stop there. [Would you like for me to automatically Socket Support Gems with highpatibility with the Minion Maniption Ability Gem from those within the Isted Storage Space?] ¡­! His Enneagram could even do this? This was one less thing he would have to focus on and try to do in the middle of battle as it would likely be even more efficient than him, so he gave themand. ¡¯Do it.¡¯ HUUM! At the same time, the cial Frost around the Golden me Lion broke as Alexander stood on its golden mane freely. He stared coldly at the Arctic Wolf that had lost its Master and the other Beasts nearby, as well as the astonished gazes of Branch Leader Julius and Axel above, along with all other Gem Masters! The Human Gnis Bloodline Gem Masters looked towards Alexander in fright. But his momentum was just building up as he didn¡¯t wait for the unknown Tier 4 Beasts rushing from the Den of Corruption to even arrive, the Golden me Lion below him roaring out and releasing a Golden me Spear towards the Arctic Wolf that was its ally not too long ago, while Alexander turned into crimson lightning that surged right above it even quicker. BOOM! Vibrant shields of ice formed around the Arctic Wolf, but they were all shattered as Alexander linked multiple strikes of Corrupted Lightning on it- his voice ringing out coldly moments after as the fur of this Arctic Wolf began to stain red with blood. "Death, or Submission?!" ...! Chapter 38: A Terror! II His voice held a hint of undeniable power in it. Remembering the fate of its Master and even what the Golden me Lion had done, the Arctic Wolf also whimpered and bowed its head as¡­ A golden hue flowed from Alexander and into the Arctic Wolf as another connection was formed! [The Tier 4 Arctic Wolf has been sessfully bound into the Enhanced Minion Lifeforce Support Gem.] ¡­! The voice of the Enneagram rang out in his mind as his entrance entirely changed the state of the battlefield. GRRR¡­ He rose up, his feet domineeringly stepping over the white-blue fur of the Arctic Wolf as the Golden me Lion also came to stand beside it. It was an utterly unfathomable scene that Branch Leader Julius and all other Gem Masters, and even the Beasts of Corruption looked at in a stupor! This unknown Gem Master...just came and killed one of the most powerful Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Masters on the battlefield, killing two of his Minions before he seemingly proceeded to put the other 2 in his control. Did this actually make sense? What could possibly make such a thing possible?! Nobody knew. Nobody could even guess. But in his head, Alexander heard the monotone voice continue. [The Support Ability Gem- Size Enhancement Support, has been added to the Minion King Gem Recipe.] ¡­! The name of a new Gem Recipe came out. And a second Support Ability Gem was added as four more remained! The moment this support Gem was ced within Alexander¡¯s Enneagram¡­ AWOO! The Arctic Wolf he stood on howled as it began to get bigger. It used to be over 10 Metersrge, but its size continued to expand as the Golden me Lion was the same! Their bones and muscture creaked and became reinforced with a brilliant light as they grew to be twice their original sizes, each one seemingrger than a mid-sized house with multiple floors at this moment. [Size Enhancement Support] had a simple definition. It stated that [...the resultant product(s) of the linked Ability Gem will have the area of effect or size enhanced by a factor of two.] A simple enough definition. But the results were powerful ones as when applied to Minions, they were considered the products of the Minion Maniption Ability Gem as their sheer size doubled! And size equated to power. But this wasn¡¯t all. The Enneagram was not done as it hand-picked fantastical Support Ability Gems that had shockingpatibility and efficacy among those that Alexander currently had on hand. [The Support Ability Gem- Lightning Grounds Support, has been added to the Minion King Gem Recipe.] Another simple-sounding Support Ability Gem was added. And yet the moment it came to be, around the erged bodies of the Arctic Wolf and Golden me Lion¡­tendrils of blue lightning began to crash around them as even they looked around with eyes that showed they didn¡¯tpletely understand! But the tendrils of lightning crashing around them felt connected to them, as if they were an extension of their own limbs. It was powerful, but also temporary. The definition of this Support Ability Gem was also a simple one. [...The effect of Lightning Grounds is temporarily applied to the output of the supported Ability,sting for 10 seconds and dealing 200% of the maximum possible damage. It requires 30 minutes before it can be activated again.] A support ability whose effects onlysted 10 seconds as it even had a limitation of a cool down. It didn¡¯t seem like a good choice at first nce, but Alexander was slowly beginning to develop trust with his Enneagram as he knew this monotone wonder in his chest was far more calctive than him. And just as this thought came, the next dazzling addition of a Support Gem confirmed it. [The Support Ability Gem- Unlimited Duration Support, has been added to the Minion King Gem Recipe.] ¡­! [Unlimited Duration Support]:: ¡­Any linked Gem that produces Auras, Buffs, Debuffs, Curses, or Temporary Elemental Effects will have its duration extended infinitely at the cost of reducing its effects by 75%. The momentary tendrils of lightning shing around the bodies of his Minions became a permanent effect. They were slightly weaker, but they still deal half of their maximum damage output around them at all times from here on out! And this¡­would be applicable not just to these two Minions, but any other Minions that Alexander added. It was a genuine usage of support ability Gems that he wasn¡¯t even thinking about, and his Enneagram wasn¡¯t even done! There were still three more Sockets to fill up as he was curious just how deadly this Minion King Gem Recipe was about to be. But in his musings, the enemies from afar arrived. Your next chapter awaits on freewebnovel The Beasts that had been pushing forward now felt an aura of fear from the unknown appearance of a Gem Master that eradicated theirmander and took control of his minions soon after, only for these same Minions to berger and begin to unleash a storm of lighting around them soon after. So the enemies slightly pulled back from the Walls of Carthage as Alexander¡¯s mere appearance was that much of a menace! But they still circled Carthage. Because behind them, the powerful auras of multiple Tier 4 Beasts arrived at this moment- and they seemed of the same creed as the other Beasts of Corruption that had made their appearance here! Another Four-Link Water Bison. Two Four-Link me Crows in addition to the one attacking Branch Leader Axel in the skies. Behind them, clouds of Three-Link and Two-Link me Crows followed. Another two Four-Link me Hounds who were followed by a dense tide of weaker Tiers of me Hounds! Andstly¡­Another golden haired Gnis Bloodline Branch Leader who stood on a unique Aerial Beast that had white and green feathers. His gaze was currently livid as he looked towards Alexander with eyes of bloody murder. Five Tier 4 Beasts came with him, and he stood on a unique unknown Aerial Beast himself! This being looked towards Alexander as he voiced out with pain while looking around him. "You killed my Brother. You actually...killed my Brother. Do you understand what you have done?!" ¡­! His life force was vigorous. He was not reliant on Minions like Branch Leader Neiman. His presence as a Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master showed itself through his anger freely as his capabilities were robust! "All this Incursion was bound to be was the retrieval of a weak Five-Link Gem Blueprint in a backwater ce that had no equivalent Tier 5 Gem Masters to be a contender! That was all. Your people would have been spared. Your families would have been left alone. But now¡­you actually spilled the blood of a Tier 4 Ascendant Gnis Bloodline Gem Master- my own family! For this¡­you have doomed yourself and this entire City Fortress to death!" HUUM! His words boomed out like bells of the end. And Alexander did not interrupt him whatsoever as he wanted the time- his Enneagram finishing the optimization and adding of thest three Support Ability Gems in his new Gem Recipe. He only listened coldly as this being continued. "Do you think this Beast Tide led by Tier 4 Beasts is anything? Do you think this is terrifying? You have stepped on the path of something you do not even understand. Your city was only the first among many others. You would have been witness to the glory of the Gnis Bloodline as this whole world changed. But now¡­just die." He was angry. He was mourning. He was filled with rage as he waved his hands forward, and the thousands of hesitant Beasts surged forth like an endless tide! Chapter 39: A Terror! III In such a heavy situation, Alexander found himself bing increasingly calm. Much of the reason was the spinning Enneagram on his chest that felt like an extension of himself. Experience new stories with freewebnovel Every time that a new support ability gem was ced in. Every time he felt a thread of his Vigor and Energeia increase from all the Socketed Gems he had. At this moment, he came to a realization. He had more Gems Socketed inside of his body than any single Gem Master in the history of the Human Lineages. Within the Ascendant Branches of Human Lineages, he had heard rumors and Legends of Gem Masters who had Seven-Link Sockets or even Eight-Link Sockets. The Legends that had stood against the onught of Beasts of Corruption and carved out areas in their World of Ephesus that stood tall to this very day. He may just be starting out, but he had more Gems socketed than even these Legends! This realization. This moment when a tide of Beasts came towards him, his Father, and many other Gem Masters of the City of Carthage¡­this moment caused a sensation to be amplified in the depths of his mind. The sensation of confidence. This whole time, things were murky and filled with uncertainty. His own power. The power of other people and Beasts. There was a lot of careful consideration and hesitation in his actions as there was still a lot he didn¡¯t know! But after all of these considerations, after multiple exposures of what his own power was capable of¡­Alexander arrived at a ce where he could confidently take more risk while being sure that his own power could handle it. So he closed his eyes while sitting atop an Arctic Wolf Beast of Corruption who had tendrils of blue lightning constantly crashing around it. The lightning didn¡¯t harm a hair on his body as due to its sheer power, there was nobody around him. Feeling the fur of the Beast of Corruption on his feet, he still felt a sense of revulsion and hate even towards this Beast below him, but he gradually changed his mindset as he began to look at this Beast that was now considered his minion along the lines of¡­.a tool. A weapon. Humans used the Ascendant Life Gem and bodies of Beasts of Corruption were turned into weapons or technology of innovation to make themselves stronger. The Minions he could use with his newest Gem Recipe- he would look at them as weapons that he was using himself. His senses moved from the vibrant fur vibrating with frost and lightning and expanded all around him. His father was in the skies held up with coiling mes as a dozen mingnces had already appeared around him, his gaze solemn. Branch Leader Axel was even higher up as he faced two Aerial Beasts of Corruption. Alexander closed his eyes as he sensed all of this, along with the tide of Beastsing towards them as he called out towards the skies. "Come." ¡­! A single word. But someone that had been waiting for any sign- any indication whatsoever to not sit still heard it. And as if she was an arrow that was just knocked from a bow, an incandescent cerulean sh of lightning instantly appeared above Alexander- forming into the shape of a young girl in a green battle robe as her dark hair danced with lightning at this moment! Her hands were stretched out before her as she roared out with every ounce of Energeia she had, her Gem Sockets on her chest buzzing as in front of her- hundreds of lightning bolts formed and surged out towards the oing tide- condensed towards the very center of these Beasts where the Tier 4 Beasts wereing from. Her other hand was stretched above her as a passing lightning bolt formed- its speed zing as it spun like a drill and surged towards the Lightning Mantis facing Branch Leader Axel! The Five-Link Gem Master, ire Asmodeus, finally entered the fray. BOOM! With the growing confidence of his own power, as well as his own worries towards this girl, he found it was now a viable time to allow her to run free. She already med herself as the cause for all of this, so she had to grow her ownbat power and mentality to ovee whatever else wasing as he couldn¡¯t always shield her behind him! She had the talent others didn¡¯t. He wouldn¡¯t hide her under the guise of protection and cause her brightness to dim. And at this moment, she shone brilliantly in the skies even though above, her father looked towards her figure with despair as he seemed to be asking her why she woulde here. But Alexander looked at these worries as unfounded, purely because¡­he was here. And the pain of loss he and his father were put through. The pain of losing a loved one without ever seeing them again. He would make sure nobody close to him ever felt this pain again! HUUM! His eyes opened wide. Tendrils of the blue lightning around the Arctic Wolf coiled around ire harmlessly and pulled her near him as his voice was slow. "Stay close to me." His dark pupils seemed to shine with strength as beside him, the Golden me Lion pushed off the scorched earth and flung its erged body towards the newly appearing Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master and the Beasts of Corruption surrounding it in the skies. The massive Arctic Wolf did the same, and as the bodies of these two minions surged forward, more changes were already unfolding around them as the rest of the support Gems were ced on his Enneagram for the Minion King Gem Recipe. [The Support Ability Gem- Life Vessel Support, has been added to the Minion King Gem Recipe.] [Life Vessel Support]:: Any Ability Gem rting to Summons or Minions can be supported by this Support Ability Gem. The Vigor and Energeia of any Summons or Minions on the field are linked to you. Your own Vigor and Energeia can draw from your Summons or Minions as these two values will never drop below 1 until the values of your Summons or Minions are entirely depleted. ¡­! The Fourth Support Ability Gem was a particrly wonderful one as it made it so that Alexander could note even close to death unless the Minions he was connected to were also dead. It gave him even greater survivability while the remaining two Support Gems sealed the deal on this terrifying Gem Recipe put together by his Enneagram! Chapter 40: A Terror! IV Inside of Alexander¡¯s mind. A voice echoed out while he stood on a massive Arctic Wolf whose surroundings crackled with lightning, its body leaping towards an army of Beasts of Corruption fearlessly while a Golden me Lion of massive size just like it followed close by. [The Support Ability Gem- Parameter Reinforcement Support, has been added to the Minion King Gem Recipe.] [The Support Ability Gem- Unruly Elemental Damage Support, has been added to the Minion King Gem Recipe.] [Parameter Reinforcement Support]:: Any Ability Gem can be supported by this Universal Support Ability Gem. The parameters of all outputs of the linked ability gem are increased by a factor of three. [Unruly Elemental Damage Support] Any Ability Gem with an output of Elemental Damage can be supported by this Support Ability Gem. The linked Gem allows you to be ever closer to the workings and flow of Energeia, allowing you and any connected Elemental abilities you release to gain the Unstable Elemental Damage quality that causes it to tear across enemies with three times as much effectiveness. Thest two Support Ability Gems thatpleted the Minion King Gem Recipe. They seemed simple enough, but their effects were utterly terrifying as the moment the Parameter Reinforcement Support was slotted, the parameters of all connected Gems truly were increased by a factor of three. The size of the Minions. Their Speed. The Vigor. The Energeia. All Parameters! It meant that in the next moment, the already massive Arctic Wolf and Golden me Lion shone with a heavy brilliance as they erged, their size doubling once more before they increased even further. "...!" Those watching from both sides were shocked as, in front of the Walls of Carthage, it seemed like two massive titans had risen. The two Beasts rose to berger than 100 Meters as standing on top of the Arctic Wolf, Alexander and the figure of ire he pulled alongside him looked like small dots of light! It truly felt like Titans had appeared on the battlefield. They were three or four timesrger than any of the other Beasts as they gave off their heavy pressures, and things rose another octave when the tendrils of lighting crackling around them like an endless storm¡­began to be tainted with an unstable crimson hue as its bolts became three times as thicker. Effectively, the storm of lightning around them became even bigger and posed an even greater threat, and with their size expanding¡­its area of effect reached the initial ring of the Tide of Beasts they were creeping towards. What urred next was imprinted in the minds of all who lived to tell the tale. The periphery of the lightning crashed down as the Three and Two-Link Beasts of Corruption caught in it¡­had their bodies instantly pulverized. Their fur, meat, and bones¡­anything that made them was struck with unstable and powerful lightning that actually destroyed everything about them- the only thing left behind being the dazzling Gems they had socketed! And since the two beasts were lunging forward with great speed that didn¡¯t match their humongous bodies, the range of their storm rapidly covered any nearby Beasts in the tide as they even reached the Tier 4 Beasts that were leading the packs. And terribly, anything below Tier 4¡­was eradicated instantly. The damage was too high. The difference in terms of power that was achieved after so many support Gems were stacked on¡­was something that none of those present on the battlefield fully understood! It was akin to taking an attack that dealt the numerical damage of 10 and multiplying it once, then multiplying it again, and again, and then adding unstable elemental damage on top of it all that was three times as effective. It was something too obscene as even without any active attacks from his Minions, just the effect of Lightning Grounds surrounding their bodies alone eradicated all enemies they came across. Shock gripped the Gem Masters behind him. Fear gripped the hearts of the beast tide that was surging in as those in the middle of it or those further back paused- their bodies innately feeling a sense of terror as they moved backwards! Terror! This was what the Beasts of Corruption actually felt. Those who felt the intensity and power portrayed by the Titans ahead of them. As for the Beasts who actually faced it? BOOOM! The Tier 4 Beasts bellowed out in shock and horror as their heavy defenses were obliterated, grievous injuries instantly echoing out across their bodies as they scrambled every ounce of their life force to retreat out of the storm of lightning. The golden haired Gem Master- the brother of Branch Leader Neiman who appeared above a unique floating Aerial Beast showed a look of anger and shock as even he flew back. But would it be so easy? Filled with continued understanding of just what power he held. Just what status he hadpared to others Gem Masters¡­Alexander moved forward relentlessly as his eyes shed. And from behind any retreating Tier 4 Beasts and even the Gnis Bloodline Gem Master, a cial wall of ice erupted that either sought to freeze their figures or push them towards him and his titanic minions! Explore stories on mvl "OOOH!" The Tier 4 Ascendant Gnis Gem Master screamed out as purple mes rose around him, breaking apart ice surging from behind and lightning booming ahead. It was a worthy effort, but Alexander wasn¡¯t even looking at him. He looked at the Tier 4 Beasts struggling to survive under the onught of just the Lightning Grounds as he shed towards them, leaving ire on top of the Arctic Wolf as she shot out sts of lightning in the distance. The me Hounds. The me Crows. The Water Bison. To him, they were all fantastical appetizers he needed to fill the rest of his Socketed Gems! He only had two minions bound in his Minion King Gem Recipe, and in this recipe¡­there were seven Gems in totality. There were 5 spots to bind Minions as the moment he did so, they would be transformed into terrifying titans that would cause even the most seasoned Gem Master to pause! Chapter 41: Why I On a battlefield in front of the Walls of Carthage, the scene of a Beast Tide pulling back and trying to retreat from the advance of a single Gem Master could be seen. A Gem Master who led Two titanic Beasts surrounded by unstable storms of lightning that wreaked havoc on anything near them! ¡¯It shouldn¡¯t be this way¡­¡¯ On top of a unique Aerial Beast of Corruption that was crying out while releasing sts of green light to heal and reinforce him, Branch Leader Enaman burned with rage and regret. Their Gnis Bloodline had just reached a crucial precipice of power, where they had juste to forge a shocking alliance. They learned more secrets about the Breaches that terrorized their World. They learned more about their nature and those that came from them. They learned just how weak they were¡­and how they could advance their power to a level where they could rule the World of Ephesus without fear! So they bid their time. They delved into and understood Breaches more as they stopped thinking in such a narrow fashion. In this period of time, their reach extended far as they came to hear about something. The appearance of a newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master in a City Fortress that didn¡¯t have anyone else of this caliber. It wasn¡¯t big news per se, but it was news that when his brother heard about it, he proposed going into this defenseless City Fortress and obtaining the Blueprint of the Five-Link Gem Sockets to transnt into himself! They wouldn¡¯t even have to move themselves as if they nned things well, even sending one of the Tier 4 Beasts they now had under their banner would be enough. Enaman thought about it and how they were still under orders toy low, but he had already heard of the movements of their people towards other City Fortresses as after careful consideration¡­he agreed to it! They collected information, and they sent forth the terrifying Bobo! Yet somehow, this had failed. Enaman wanted to pause and understand why- if there was anything that they missed regarding the power of the City of Carthage, but a furious Neiman took the lead and said he would do it himself. He would lead part of their forces forward, and since he knew that Enaman always erred on the side of caution, he could even follow behind and lend aid if it was needed. After all, their enemies were only two Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Masters and a chickling holding power she didn¡¯t even understand with 5 Gem Sockets. With the power they had under their banner, they could crush them and take the lead as the Branch Leaders who already conquered a City Fortress under their banner! After all, they had to do something to make themselves stand out. The forces they had aligned with were far too powerful. They had Tier 5 and Tier 6 Beast Commanders inrge numbers. They had forces that the Human Lineages could not even begin toprehend! If they remained at the stage they were at without having at least one of them with 5 Gem Sockets, would they really be able to get far? After all was said and done, Enaman was convinced. And the result of all of this¡­came to this point in time. ¡¯Why?¡¯ ¡¯Why?!¡¯ "Stupid human, how could you miss this? That enemy is at the very least a Tier 6 if not a Tier 7 powerhouse! You¡¯ve brought us all to die!" ¡­! cial ice forming behind them. Apocalyptic lightinging ahead of them. In the midst of all of this, the Aerial Beast he was on- the Envoy thatmunicated with them and acted as an anchor between them and that terrifying force¡­her voice boomed out with wrath and fear. Even the Envoy felt the same fear as him, and she was a Tier 4 Ascendant Cdrius! A unique species of Beasts that specialized in healing among other wonders. Yet at this moment, it could barely support him and herself as the tendrils of thunder reached them. At such a moment, from the terrifying Gem Master standing on top of the erged Arctic Wolf, a booming voice filled with coldness came. "I won¡¯t ask a second time¡­Death, or Submission?" ¡­! He voiced out. As he did so, his figure was already flung forward like a buzz of crimson lightning as he arrived above a me Hound that was doing its best to withstand the storm of lightning from the Arctic Wolf and Golden me Lion that advanced forward. This being only stared at the me Hound coldly for a second. A second. The me Hound whimpered at his appearance as it tried to gather crimson mes around it, and the moment this scene was observed¡­ BOOM! cial ice froze its mes, the lightning storm around it piercing through its defenses as a momentter, this cial ice exploded to reveal a shattered me Hound whose eyes dimmed of any life! They instantly understood his words. He would not ask a second time as when he appeared before them, they had to decide. Either death, or submission! BOOM! Without batting an eye, the terrifying human wrapped in battle garments appeared on top of a me Crow trying to escape the storm of lightning all around it- its fur scorched as drops of blood already leaked out. The moment he appeared from a sh of crimson lightning, this me Crow shuddered as its beak quickly bowed down, its screeching voice echoing out. "Submission! Submission!" Ah¡­ As if it were asking to be spared. Its body radiated fear from this unknown Gem Master as the moment its beak was bent down in the air, a golden light flew from the terrifying Gem Master and onto its body as there was no resistance, and a secondter¡­ CAAW! The call of the me Crow erupted out as its body began to erge. Its bones painfully broke and erged along with its muscture, and soon enough, a storm of lightning began to form around it! All those observing this felt a chill in the depths of their hearts as on top of the Cdrius Beast of Corruption, Branch Leader Enaman felt even more regret and fear as the voice of the Envoy below him echoed out, this time filled with helplessness. "You fucking idiot. This enemy likely has an extremely rare Ascendant Ability Gem, and you actually came to fight him¡­haha¡­haha!" Desperation and madness could be felt in herughter, but both of them knew it wouldn¡¯t help them on this day! Chapter 42: Why II Pure desperation. This was what any Tier 4 Beasts of Corruption felt at the unfolding scene around them. On the walls of Carthage, Gem Masters were frozen in ce as they stared out in shock. In the skies, the Praying Mantis and Lightning Sparrow besieging Branch Leader Axel had their senses telling them a single thing as they carried it out right away. Without paying attention to anything else, their life force surged as they shot back toward the Breach in the distance. Branch Leader Axel reacted a stepter with his own shock as he bellowed out. "No you don¡¯t!" He turned into a streak of lightning that gave chase. Down below, amidst the heavy storms of lightning, a me Crow erged to be thergest Aerial Beast here, the natural ck mes around its body burning brightly as a lightning storm whipped around It! CAW! It cried out in disbelief as before it could understand what had happened, it received amand from the entity that had just bound it. And without a dy, its eyes zed with mes as it pped Its wings and appeared directly in front of the Cdrius. In front of the Envoy and Branch Leader who were already having a hard time holding on! The moment it appeared, the storm it brought without broke down the defenses around them, and spears of mes began to form and encircle the Envoy and Branch Leader Enaman. They lingered in the air like deadly spikes that could thunder down at any time. CAA! The Cdrius cried out in fury as white and green mes surrounded it, while Enaman burst with purple mes that were all torn apart! And in the next moment, above the ming head of the now titanic me Crow, the figure of the garbed Alexander appeared. He sat freely on the ming feathers of the me Crow that did no damage to him, his figure releasing an air of power. His left hand pulsed with swirling frost while his left hand sped a pulsing crimson lightning bolt threateningly. And he looked towards the Envoy and the Branch Leader Enaman coldly without saying a word. But his stance was clear! He didn¡¯t say a word, but he didn¡¯t have to. He changed his path and came directly in front of this unique Aerial Beast as her shrill voice had shown that she held a great deal of information. And what Alexander needed most right now was information! "Haha¡­you got us this time. But for me, it is akin to choosing death right now orter." The feminine voice of the Envoy echoed out. If she submitted right now, she would break her loyalty to the power behind her as when they ultimately understood what happened here, they would send a force to eradicate everyone- especially the one who betrayed them! This human was powerful, yes. But he was only one. Unless he got the help of other Ascendant Gem Masters from the more powerful Human Lineages¡­ BOOM! What met her despairingugh was a strike of the crimson thunder sting apart the green and white light surrounding her as her white feathersced with a gorgeous verdant light became charred. Before it utterly eviscerated her¡­ "I yield! I yield!" Her shout, filled with frustration and madness, echoed out. Another crimson bolt stopped above her as Alexander gazed forward coldly, keeping to his word of not repeating himself as a Golden light radiated from his chest and flowed to the Cdrius Aerial Beast before him. Seeing this scene, Branch Leader Enaman let out a despairingugh as he threw himself off of her back before the deadly transformation he had just seen on the me Crow unfolded, but he didn¡¯t get far before crimson lightning crackled around him and bound him like live snakes! CAA! Another cry of a bird species echoed out as the Cdrius Envoy was forcefully bound to Alexander, her body beginning to transform as her pupils dted with shock. And the figure of Enaman wrapped in crimson chains of lightning struggled with despair as Alexander flung him backwards towards a man floating in the skies surrounded by mes. Branch Leader Julius, his father, was surrounded by tendrils of mes as his calloused hands caught the leader of the enemy camp- his gaze difficult at this moment as he looked at the one man who was able to do all of this. He wanted to wonder how all of this was possible, but too many ridiculous things had happened in thest hour as he didn¡¯t know where to even begin. In the distant skies ahead, Alexander controlled the me Crow as its beak moved right in front of the white beak of the Cdrius Envoy, his figure moving gracefully from one Beast to another as he stepped on the head of this unique Aerial Beast and spoke out lightly. "Are there any others waiting in that Breach?" ¡­! Information. The most truthful one would onlye from the Beast bound to him at this moment! The Cdrius shuddered at his words as after undergoing all the changes just now, the shock she felt towards this being had risen another octave. With every new change or effect she felt as soon as she became bound to him, she confirmed the link between these changes and the effects of Support Gems. And if she counted right¡­was that five? Six Support Ability Gem augmentations? She didn¡¯t know for sure as at the very least, this Entity truly was a Tier 7 Ascendant Gem Master! Someone simr to the powerhouses she had only seen from a distance in her world. So towards his question¡­ "N-no, Ascendant Master. These are all the forces from the City Fortress of Nethus. Only a few Tier 4 Beasts were left behind to guard it." She answered truthfully. She had to. And the terrifying Gem Master walked across her beak and onto her white green feathers as he nodded. "Good. I have many questions, but let¡¯s ensure that everything that happened here stays that way." ¡­! As he spoke, he gazed towards the direction where the Praying Mantis and Lightning Sparrow were escaping to while Branch Leader Axel chased. Down below, the Golden me Lion and Arctic Wolf suppressed all other Tier 4 Beasts. A momentter, the me Crow already streaked across the skies to stop the retreat of the Mantis and Sparrow in the distance, its speed nearly three times as theirs even with its massive body! Nothing would escape today. After capturing the enemymander and binding the most powerful Beast from the enemy side, all that was left for Alexander was clean up as they had to do this cleanly while understanding just who their enemies were, and what they could expect from here! Chapter 43: A Scared Ritual! I In the crimson tinged skies. Branch Leader Julius reached out to bind the caught enemy Branch Master with tendrils of mes as everything still remained so surreal. He stared at the back of the figure shrouded with green battle robes all over his face. The figure that stood above a unique Aerial Beast whose pressure and size had increased multiple times over. His voice. The fact that he called out and from his call, ire Asmodeus had descended from the skies to appear beside him. Her figure could still be seen on top of a massive Arctic Wolf as she valiantly threw out bolts of thunder towards the Tier 4 Beasts rampantly scrambling to run away. With all of this knowledge, the shrouded young figure in the distance should be nobody else but his son, but he couldn¡¯t believe it or process it. Just what had happened in the past day? There were many questions, but no answers at this moment! CAA! The cries of titanic Beasts echoed out as in the distance, close to the entrance of the Breach, a me Crow returned while grasping a Lightning Sparrow and Praying Mantis that were barely clinging to life. Those who sought to run away were caught as the figure of Branch Leader Axel followed behind with aplicated expression. The me Crow brought the two Tier 4 Beasts towards its new Master with a fawning expression, almost as if it wanted to be praised. Yet as if it wasn¡¯t entirely used to its power¡­ SQUELCH! A horrid sound came from one of its ming ws as the Praying Mantis that was already holding onto dear life became squeezed into a pulp of meat and bones. "Ah¡­" Four dazzling Gems and an Ascendant Life Gem fell from it that crimson lightning shed near and they disappeared towards Alexander¡¯s chest. The me Crow bent its beak apologetically while carefully presenting the Lightning Sparrow in its other ws. Alexander looked at it with cold eyes, his chest shing with golden brilliance that wrapped around this Lightning Sparrow as well. It didn¡¯t even take a second for its wound to begin closing, its bones starting to crack and expand as it rapidly erged! An Arctic Fox, A Golden me Lion, A me Crow, a Cdrius, and now a Lightning Sparrow. Five titanic minions were obtained as Alexander only had two more slots remaining in his Minion King Gem Recipe to bind another two minions! Seeing his actions and the actions of the me Crows, all others subtly understood. Below him, the voice of the Envoy he had made his minion echoed out with intellect. "Please allow me, Ascendant Master." She called out with words that wanted to please, her body shining with brilliant white light as hundreds of vines stretched out towards the battlefield below. The vines were thick and pulsing with lightning as they speedily appeared around the remaining struggling Tier 4 Beasts who were doing their best to evade the strikes of the Lightning Grounds Support Ability. A me Hound. Two Water Bisons trying to heal their heavy wounds with sparkling waves of water. And another me Crow. Their bodies were enved by thick Vines they couldn¡¯t break, the power of the Cdrius supported by Alexander¡¯s support Gems far exceeding theirs at this moment as every single one was brought in front of him as if to be judged! He looked at the four Beasts for only a second before a golden light left his chest to go towards the Water Bison, and another golden light went towards the other heavily injured me Crows. Feeling the unbeatable power surrounding them, these two Beasts only epted their fate as they became bound minions soon after, the vines wrapping around them breaking apart as their bodies underwent transformations right after. All around, only the crackling of lightning could be heard as the battlefield was filled with low, fearful roars of lesser Beasts and the silence of the Gem Masters as they watched this unfolding reality. Alexander looked at the remaining Water Bison and me Hound still ensnared in the skies as he felt their downcast gazes. But for them, there would be no salvation. His slots for Minions were full. So he raised his hand as a massive crimson bolt of lightning formed and reflected in the trembling eyes of the two Tier 4 Beasts. Before it could crush down though¡­ "Ascendant Master, I know how they could be of greater use to you" The voice of the Cdrius trying its best to be on good terms with the one who currently bound it echoed out. "Oh?" Alexander looked below him with a sharp gaze full of questions, and the green white bird of titanic size replied. "Yes, Ascendant Master. You can use them to transnt their Four-Link Gem Socket Blueprint onto anyone you wish. I know the ritual and can aid you in it." ¡­! Seeking to be helpful, the Cdrius voiced out shocking words of a certain ritual. A ritual that would have been performed on ire were he not here! The bodies of the two Tier 4 Beasts trembled in shock and wrath towards the Cdrius at hearing this, the me Hound barely managing to roar out. "You traito-" Barely. Many vines covered its rabid jaws and the rest of its body as it couldn¡¯t even move a muscle. Alexander looked at this scene and nodded before gazing around the battlefield before the walls of Carthage with contemtion. All enemy Commanders were subdued. The remaining Two and Three-Link Beasts of Corruption were fearful and seeking to run away. And he¡­was tired. He let out a silent sigh as hemanded the 7 bound Minions under his banner. "Clean everything up and secure the entrance of the Breach." And then towards the Cdrius below him specifically¡­ "You wille with me." ¡­! The unique green white feathered Beast bowed its beak in affirmation as its voice echoed out again. "Shall all the lower tier Beasts be killed, Ascendant Master? There are still uses in keeping them alive. To mine the Lodes inside the Breach. To-" He raised his hand as she quieted down. He looked towards the other Tier 4 Beasts that were ready to move as he made his verdict. "Secure them all inside the Breach and wait for further instructions." Hismand was given. CAA! ROAR! And cries of titanic Beasts echoed out thereafter as they moved toplete hismands! At the same time, he turned around and stared at the Walls of Carthage. The figure of ire streaked across the skies as she came tond on the feathers of the Cdrius he was on, her gaze one of worry as she looked at the state of everything around them. It was the dawn of a new era. The Siege of Carthage was sessfully defended against, and yet they still felt like they were in for so much more chaos. They could all feel it! Chapter 44: A Sacred Ritual! II It was a unique sensation. A sensation of utmost control, no matter how momentary it may be. Alexander watched as under his control, Beasts of Corruption were herded like sheep towards the Breach they came from, his massive Beasts roaring out threateningly to keep them all in line. Meanwhile, any surviving golden haired Gnis Bloodline Gem Master who followed their Branch Leaders here had bent their knees in surrender, with Gem Masters from Carthage descending from the Walls. The two Branch Leaders- his own father and Branch Leader Axel, were both gazing towards his direction as he and ire stood above the feathers of the Cdrius Aerial Beast. He knew he had to face them soon as they had to n how to move from here, but he sought to entirely grasp his own level of power so far as he looked at the levels of his Vigor and Energeia. [Vigor]:: 1,595/1,595 [Energeia]:: 1,126/1,778 His power steadily and rapidly jumped after he absorbed an Ascendant Life Gem, and he even had two more in his isted storage space to useter. If he were to look at his own power and the power of the Beasts he made into his Minions though¡­ He had such a thought. And no sooner did it echo in his mind did he begin to hear the voice of the Enneagram ringing out. [Through the bond shared and their status as Minions, the values of the 7 Minions under your banner can be observed and ssified. As the Enneagram bes moreplex and filled with more Gems, the ability to analyze and obtain the values of other Gem Masters and Beasts will be possible with great uracy] ¡­! What it could do now and what could be possible in the future wasid out. Alexander nodded as he looked at white green feathered beast he stood on first, a row of words being materialized above them from his own mind. [Tier 4 Cdrius] [Vigor]:: 4,005/4,135 [Energeia]:: 3,325/4,405 This powerful Minion had values nearly three times his own after all the boons it received from his Support Ability Gems. He looked at the rest topare as he raised his gaze towards the distant Beasts under his control. [Tier 4 Golden me Lion] [Vigor]:: 5,322/5,333 [Energeia]:: 2,100/3,300 [Tier 4 me Crow] [Vigor]:: 3,855/3,900 [Energeia]:: 3,555/4,456 "..." Their values ranged between higher Vigor or Energeia or a mixture of both, but Alexander looked at it all while once more affirming the utility and wonder of his Enneagram. He gained a sense of where his power could be at as he let out a sigh while sending his thoughts to the Beast below him, its massive body turning back and heading towards Carthage! Its sheer size and power frightened the Gem Masters below as the storm of lightning around it was nullified by tendrils of lightning closely surrounding its feathers- harmless to Alexander and ire above it. Sensing the atmosphere in the surroundings, Branch Leader Julius radiated ancientmand while he and Axel went back over the wall as well. "Secure the perimeter and remain on high alert!" There were too many things that raised questions. But they couldn¡¯t answer any at this moment. They had a great deal of questions themselves as they went past the Walls of Carthage, bringing along the enved Enaman as they followed the trail of the Cdrius Aerial Beast. The scene behind the wall should have been a calm one, but near the Hangar, burning mes slowly dimmed as one could see an enraged Azazel standing outside a burnt Airship, Charlie and Rachel behind him alongside a few other Gem Masters as they were looking at scorched bodies before them. Traitors who had sought to carry out the actions of the Gnis Bloodline! But whatever anyone was doing inside the walls of Carthage had toe to a stop as they shivered in fear at the sign of the massive beast floating above them. To their eyes, it was the appearance of a terrible tragedy. Alexander saw this scene below him as he voiced out towards the Cdrius below him. "Can you reduce your size?" The reply from the beast below was a quick one. "Others may not be able to, but it is simplicity for me, Ascendant Master." Its body shed with a green light. And a momentter, its massive stature began to reduce as it looked like waves of vines wrapped around it, where from towering over 100 meters, it went to be just over 3 meters in size- and yet from it, two massive vines that wrapped around two Tier 4 Beasts of Corruption remained tout and strong. In the skies, it was like a blinking green white light that came down under the control of Alexander towards the Hangar where Gem Master Azazel could be seen with others. The turbidity gaze of Azazel cleared when he clearly saw the figure of ire in addition to the shrouded figure of Alexander, the mes around him simmering down even further when he saw the Branch Leaders that were flying over from the distance. The miniaturized Cdriusnded silently, the bound Beasts behind ced near the simrly sized Airships as it retained silence while looking around for now. This was the new camp it had chosen, it had to understand the man who had overpowered her and what she could do to survive in the trials toe. This new Ascendant Master of hers who walked towards the bloodied visage of a Three-Link Gem Master who stood before charred bodies as he asked with a chilling light. "Traitors?" ¡­! His voice was akin to a signal that lifted the spirits of Azazel as he recognized it was the Young Master. "Yes¡­they came in seeking Lady ire inside the Airship. Of course¡­" Behind him, Rachel, who yed the part of ire, had a gash on her left hand, while Charlie seemed to be drained of all Energeia as he looked nkly towards the powerful aura of the Cdrius and two bound Beasts behind Alexander. Before any headway could be made¡­ "Is it really you?" The voice of Branch Leader Julius echoed out from behind as he looked tenderly towards his son, while Branch Leader Axel appeared like a sh of lightning in front of his daughter, his gaze stern as he gazed at her up and down! Chapter 45: A Sacred Ritual! III Was it really him? It was a question that Branch Leader Julius felt like he had to ask as too many unbelievable things had urred. Logic and every other sense he had stated that this young man before him was his son! And yet until he saw it for himself¡­ Alexander turned towards his father as the green garbs covering his head unfurled, his gaze tinged with many emotions as he called out in a low tone. "Father." He called out to father just like he always did. Their distant rtionship. The same pain they shared but didn¡¯t talk about. The father looked at the son with a heavy heart and a mixture of emotions as he went forward and grabbed his shoulders, looking at him up and down as he spoke out earnestly. "Your Mother¡­she would have been very proud. Prouder than you can even imagine." He said these words while looking deeply at Alexander, thetter trembling slightly as he nodded! Beside them, Branch Leader Axel looked at Alexander up and down as he held the worried ire, his voice echoing out what everyone wanted to ask. "How is this possible? It should have been a Variant Life Socket that you Awakened. Is it something we¡¯ve nevere across before? Are you a¡­Six-Link Gem Master? Or¡­even higher?" His questions were rapid. But before they could be registered fully, Branch Leader Julius waved his hands dismissively as he looked around them. "That cer whenever he chooses to talk about it. For now¡­just what is the status of things?" As he spoke, he turned the spotlight to his son as he asked directly. "What is the status of the Den of Corruption? The Gnis Bloodline? The Beasts of Corruption that besieged us¡­can we expect anything deadlier than what just came?" The questions were many, but they were important ones. Alexander looked towards the miniaturized Cdrius Aerial Beast and spoke lightly. "Speak. The most important details." His words were like an inviblew to his Minions as the beak of this green white bird pped open right away! "For the safety of Ascendant Master and his home, I will say that within the Den of Corruption, a Low Tier Spatial Gem Relic of the Royal Albatross Beast n was utilized to connect this Tier 3 Breach to a Tier 4 Breach hundreds of miles away from here near the Mortal Branch of the Gnis Bloodline." ¡­! Her words caused the gazes of many nearby to change, Branch Leader Julius looking around and waving his hands to clear the Hangar as Gem Master Azazel and other Three-Link Gem Masters quickly moved to make space. And the Cdrius continued. "Most of the Tier 4 Beasts stemmed from there¡­as we had been ced under themand of aiding the two Branch Leaders of that Mortal Branch of the Gnis Bloodline. We only followed theirmands for everything that has happened so far." The information only became more terrifying. Branch Leader Julius raised his hand for the Cdrius to stop as he asked the most critical question. "What is the rtionship between Beasts of Corruption and the Gnis Bloodline?" "..." A critical question! After a brief silence, the Cdrius gazed at Alexander and continued. "Many months ago, A few Royal Beast ns came to an agreement with the Human Lineage of Gnis. For ess into morends of Ephesus, we would share our knowledge and power. No humans within their Lineage would be hurt. Since then¡­there have been many changes urring silently. Freely opened Breaches inside City Fortress and Strongholds. Communication between Human Lineage and the Royal Beast ns-" "Why?" Alexander stopped the words of the Cdrius that dropped a shocking bombshell as he asked. "Why do all this? Why do these Royal Beast ns want thends of Ephesus? Where do you all evene from?" Questions that made many Gem Masters lose sleep over the years. On this day, a Tier 4 Beast blinked as she spoke about it all simply. "Oh, Ie from the World of Ornis- a world where 5 Royal Beast ns ruled. A World drained of its resources and on the brink of copse as for survival, we formed gateways into thergest, most stable, and bountiful World that could ensure the survival of our many species." ¡­! What! "The Breaches act as an intermediary between worlds, and they allowed us to reach thesends that we now seek to im for ourselves before the process of Energeia Star Ascension starts." Their World of Ephesus. It was actually deemed as thergest, most stable, and bountiful world. Ephesus? Truly? Alexander looked at his father and ire with eyes of disbelief as he spoke to his Minion right after. "Energeia Star Ascension? What is this?" The eyes of the white green bird were bright as she replied. "It is the reason why we have begun to be more active recently as we believe it is fast approaching. When a world sheds its former shell and attains its true state as an Ascended Star. Whoever controls the mostnd before and after this process¡­will be able to umte tremendous power and resources." ¡­! The words caused Branch Leader Julius to stumble backwards with an ashen expression, while Branch Leader Axel was frozen in ce! Inside his chest, Alexander felt his Enneagram spinning rapidly as he absorbed all of this information. Their barren World of Ephesus was actually some kind of treasure trove. Akin to a caterpir that had yet to be a butterfly. And the transformation to do so was called the Energeia Star Ascension as it would be happening in the near future, and the reason for the Breaches across the World was different monstrosities seeking thends of this world for themselves! It was shocking to hear as Alexander had a heavy expression while probing even more. "In your¡­World of Ornis, who is considered the most powerful? How high does their power reach?" A question that he knew may fill them with dread, but he had to ask regardless just to understand. And the Cdrius blinked as it replied. "There are powerful Tier 7 Beast Lords and even Tier 8 Beast Kings. Since the Breaches cannot handle the transfer of their power yet, they haven¡¯t begun to cross over until just recently¡­with the cooperation of the Gnis Bloodline, they had some sess." WAA! Words that caused a sense of defeat in the hearts of any humans echoed out. And yet the Cdrius wasn¡¯t done. "The most dreadful of all for Ascendant Master to be careful of are the leaders of the Royal Beast ns over multiple nearby Worlds. The Dragon Lords and the Dragon Kings. They are the ones seen as leaders of Gem Masters with their naturally high life force that far exceeds any others. As far as I know, they have yet to begin crossing over¡­" ¡­! Chapter 46: A Sacred Ritual! IV Waves of information smashed down one after another as they were enough to cause any Gem Master to despair. Dreadful Beast ns were out there. They were powerful already, and now there was the exposure of the fact that one of the Human Lineages had joined hands with such Beasts for their own benefits. For power and whatever else was promised, they actually abandoned defending their own World and joined hands with the invaders who had killed millions upon millions of humans. How extensive was this cooperation? Because of the Gnis Bloodline, how many more terrifying Beasts of Corruption had made entry into their world? Because as of right now, it seemed like Breaches were likely to be opened freely while Beasts walked through as if they were invited. There was the even more horrific Dragon n with Dragon Lords and Dragon Kings that had Seven-Link and Eight-Link Gem Sockets! All of them and more were targeting Ephesus. The World of Ephesus, gued by Breaches where Beasts came out in throngs, was actually a desired world that they wanted to take over as much of its space as possible! And they had achieved this. Over the years, Human Lineages were pushed into small localized strongholds while the rest of the vast continents of Ephesus became overrun by Beasts and Breaches. Never did they think this was all purposeful for them to hold as muchnd as possible! As all of this information buzzed in his head, Alexander shook his head in defiance as he bellowed out towards his Minion. "Why?!" A single word. Normally, one would have to ask for rity on exactly what this why was referring to, but the Cdrius knew. Why would these Beast ns be so bent oning here. On Ephesus. "Just like my home world of Ornis, other Worlds also face a depletion of resources after thousands of years as these have to be replenished somehow. If they are not and the very lifeline of a world continues to be utilized, the world will eventually perish alongside everything there." The voice of the Cdrius was calm and filled with a chill as she continued. "None of us havee across a world as stable as this Ephesus. Normally, once gateways begin to be forcefully formed between worlds, it sets off a reaction where its makeup slowly deteriorates. But this Ephesus¡­has not lost any stability nor faced any deterioration. It remains as stable as ever. This factor¡­and others that I am not privy to due to my low standing make it so that right now, many Beast ns have diverted their forces from other worlds and focused their forces here." ¡­! "We all await to see just what will unveil itself when this World undergoes Energeia Star Ascension and bes an Ascended World. There is a theory that if it keeps this same stability after its Ascension¡­that Ephesus may be a world where resources will not deplete that fast, and even the fantasy of a world only mentioned in legends that has endlessly regenerating resources." "..." Her words only caused them to be more and more grim as they made one thing clear. These Beast ns¡­would never give up on their World. If their words were to be believed, it was too enticing and critical for them! The feathers of the Cdrius shone with their white green hue as her eyes looked towards the grim expression on Alexander and those around him. She felt that she had spoken too much about the brutal truth as she hesitatingly continued. "I¡­was frankly scared to submit to Ascendant Master because I knew that I would either die back then under your hands, or after I became bound by you, I would be killed by my n once they knew of my betrayal. I...also want a chance of survival, Ascendant Master. So I will do my best to ensure this. To strengthen you. To strengthen your own n here. I can pass on as much knowledge I know about the practices of the World of Ornis, starting with the Sacred Ritual of Gem Socket Blueprint Transference." ¡­! Her words caused the two bound Beasts behind her to tremble. Alexander¡¯s face became stern as he thought about everything, while the two Branch Leaders seemed to be in extreme thought as they looked towards the future. There were insurmountable forcesing for them. The enemies felt so massive that at this moment, it was akin to feeling like a small animal tethered to the earth below them as they just waited for literally massive beasts like dragons to burn them and everything they loved down below! But even with all this being known¡­. Alexander clenched his fists with determination. He was slowly recognizing more and more of his own power. It had been days since he Awakened his Enneagram, and he was already where he was right now. He didn¡¯t need to wallow in despondency at how terrifying the enemies might be. Within his Enneagram, he was beginning to feel like he could aplish a great deal of things. So he looked towards his Minion and spoke out with surety. "Let us see this Sacred Ritual." As he spoke, he turned towards the slightly injured Gem Master Azazel and spoke out. "Uncle Azazel¡­do you want to gain a Four-Link Gem Socket?" ¡­! He spoke such words so calmly even though their meanings were heavy. His Father and Axel raised their heads at this as on the side, ire was looking between them while noting something. Her Father was always authoritative and assertive, but why was he so quiet now as Alexander seemed to take the reins? Even Alexander¡¯s own father was silent as Alexander alone chose to do something that may have been done to her if he had not managed to stop it. What was this? ire wondered about such a thing while Azazel looked at the two Branch Leaders before stepping forward and nodding decisively. Seeing this, the Cdrius brought forward the bound me Hound while extending its vines towards Gem Master Azazel as well! Chapter 47: A Sacred Ritual! V A Sacred Ritual! For ire, this was something that hit particrly close to home as this was exactly what the Beasts of Corruption wanted to do to her. To strip her of her Five-Link Gem Sockets and ce them in another. As she looked at the fearful me Hound that was pleading with its eyes towards the Cdrius, she became stern and continued watching. "Any being truly proficient in the usage of life force can do this, with those like me gaining this capability because I Innately possess healing abilities. There are some risks to harming your own Blueprint if you aren¡¯t proficient, but for me¡­" A sense of confidence burned in the small bird that had been taking center stage with its words this whole time. After the clearance from Alexander, it brought the tightly bound me Hound with its thick vines and exposed its chest. The chest of the me Hound burned with dim mes as its fur looked tattered, low whimpers being released from it as nobody paid it any heed. Vines then stretched out towards Azazel as they twirled around his body and elevated it a few inches higher! The Cdrius in the middle, the me Hound to its left, and Gem Master Azazel to its right. Under the watchful eyes of everyone here, thick verdant vines that looked like spears formed, one piercing its sharp tip into the center of the Gem Sockets of the me Hound while the other was akin to a fine needle that slowly sank an inch or two into Azazel¡¯s chest! Alexander watched on calmly as a momentter, the me Hound released a booming muffle of pain while its jaws remained tightly bound, mes sputtering around it as one could visibly see the brilliance of its crimson light flowing from its body and into vines. This crimson light then passed through the Cdrius and went towards the vine piercing into Azazel smoothly. ¡­! It wasn¡¯t just an exchange of a Gem Socket Blueprint. It seemed that in exchange for such a process, the very lifeforce of the me Hound was also being pulled alongside it! BZZZT! Its Gem Sockets began to lose their brilliance- such a thing visibly flowing towards Azazel as this process was horrifically fast. In moments, the Gem Sockets of the me Hound deformed and cracked as the Gems within them fell out, the lines connecting them fading as every single ounce of brilliance was taken towards Azazel. Within seconds, the massive body of the me Hound began to shrivel into skin and bones, its life force rapidly fading away. In its ce, Gem Master Azazel showed an expression of pain as on his chest, one could see an additional socket forming rapidly! The whole process seemed fantastical and gruesome at the same time. The Cdrius became extremely focused during it as after less than a minute¡­ CRACK! The me Hound fell down as dried skin and bones. Not an ounce of life could be felt from it, but the body of Gem Master Azazel seemed to be brimming with brilliance as a fourth Gem Socket fully condensed! "..." The process left everyone feeling grim at how fast and horrific it was, with the expression on ire being extremely sour as the Cdrius retracted its vines while voicing out. "It is done, Ascendant Master. Another Tier 4 Gem Master joins your side." Amidst the somber atmosphere, it spoke so simply as if nothing had just urred. As if the simplest of processes had taken ce! It acted as a reminder of the callousness of Beasts and how decisive they could be, even against their own kind. Alexander looked towards Azazel. "How does it feel?" The most important question. Azazel touched his chest that had an additional glow as he shook his head with incredulity while replying. "As if I¡¯d always had it¡­.it is a genuine Gem Socket." The results were confirmed. Alexander looked towards his father who seemed to be lost in thought, both of them knowing some heavy choices had to be made very soon. Where would they go from here? Subconsciously feeling his son¡¯s gaze among others, Branch Leader Julius came to focus and gazed around before he spoke with a stern expression. "We will send word to the Ascendant Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline regarding what we have learned, and the actions of the Gnis Bloodline. That is paramount to ensure that their actions do not silently continue." "As for ourselves¡­" When he got to this point, he came to look at his son. The one who was able to dominate Tier 4 Beasts as if they were nothing! "...what do you think we should do?" ¡­! He sought advice from his son. Someone who never made administrative decisions regarding anything to do with Carthage before! Yet he was asked now as he was the one holding the power to defend Carthage more than anyone else. They had seen it. Alexander saw the trust in his father¡¯s eyes as he felt a weight fall on his shoulders that wasn¡¯t there before, but he was strong enough to shoulder it as he breathed out while gazing towards the bundle of information that was the Cdrius Minion! He could feel waves of its thoughts through their connection, and his gaze right now prompted it to speak up. "Ascendant Master, if we are to truly stand a chance against all that is out there, we need to increase how muchnd we control. We need to strengthen our forces and ourselves." "Ascendant Master is young, and your levels of energy may still be low. If you are proactive, we can set off to ensure the security of the Den of Corruption, enter the Gateway that I and the others utilized to take control of the Fortress that this fool used to lord over. There are still a few Tier 4 Beasts there that you could easily take down with even just me alone, and then you can further strengthen yourself with their Ascendant Life Gems. With the power at your disposal, Ascendant Master, I dare say we could even branch out further to hunt Tier 5 and Tier 6 Beasts in order to further elevate our forces!" ¡­! Expand thend under them. Strengthen their forces by actively hunting down powerful Beasts. It was straightforward, but it was the most optimum route as they prepared for terrifying enemies in the future! Chapter 48: Into the Breach! I It was a new dawn on Carthage! At this moment, drops of rain still continued to fall over the City Fortress as people within still felt like they could hear the distinct roars of Beasts. Families held each other close, whether it was those closest to the walls and heard the roars of beasts the most, or those in the depths of the city that were more well off. All faced an equally terrifying fear ever so briefly on this day. A few hours had passed since the heavy and shocking battle outside the Walls of Carthage, with stories beginning to spread about a mysterious Gem Master from the Ascendant Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodlineing down to push back the Beasts that were invading their city. Very few knew that one of the Mortal Branch Leaders of the Gnis Bloodline was killed, and one was captured. Even fewer understood the titanic Beasts that had taken the Tides of Beasts back into the Den of Corruption, nor what would happen next! Within the City of Carthage. Near the Walls, there was a Command Center surrounded by Barracks where ready to deploy Gem Masters would be stationed. Inside the Command Center, which looked like a dome-shaped ck building made of reinforced bricks, Alexander stared out of the ss windows as rain continued to fall on them ceaselessly. Beside him, the Cdrius Minion was doing its best to suck up to its new master, perched on a table to his right as it also looked out. "Have you decided?" Behind him, his Father¡¯s voice took him out of his reverie as Alexander turned around and nodded with affirmation. His voice was low as he looked at his father and spoke. "We can¡¯t sit back and do nothing. If we will all be killed by powerful Beasts so long as our power doesn¡¯t match up¡­then I will do what I can to increase our power. And there are still the Elven Beasts of Corruption for me to pay back what they have done!" ¡­! His revenge. His survival. Alexander stated his affirmations loud and clear as his father nodded behind a desk filled with documents. He smiled towards his son. "You have grown immensely in a short period of time. In power and in mentality. If I can give you any more lessons, my son, it is that in our world, power decides everything." He rose from behind the desk and came towards the same windows Alexander was staring out of as he continued. "Power decides survival. How people look at you, treat you, and what position you hold." ¡­! "You were an Unawakened Human days ago, and yet now, you have gained a power that drastically changes your position. Do not be hesitant to lean into this power and position. My status as a Branch Leader¡­what is itpared to the power of Beasts I couldn¡¯t withstand if you weren¡¯t there? So do not feel any reservations when making decisions for the City you protected." His father came to stare at the rain beside him as he said such words. Alexander only listened while nodding towards his father, and a voice echoed out behind them as the iron doors opened into this room. "It¡¯s just been hours, and you¡¯re already handing off your position to your son?" The gruff voice of Branch Leader Axel rang out with a sense of frustration as behind him, ire Asmodeus walked in with her hands twirling with her green battle robe. Julius raised his eyes towards Axel and asked calmly. "What¡¯s gotten you riled up?" "What? Oh not much. Just my own daughter defying me to run off with a man. Because why not?" His voice carried a trace of anger and frustration as beside him, ire remained quiet while looking towards Alexander, eventually walking towards him while her father shook his head with incredulity at the scene. ire had made it clear that she didn¡¯t just wish to sit inside Carthage doing nothing, and that if Alexander was leading an incursion out there to make themselves stronger, she would follow! No matter what her father stated, she stood by this decision. This was what caused the frustration within Branch Leader Axel. Alexander looked towards Branch Leader Axel. He didn¡¯t exchange many words with ire¡¯s Father aside from the asional respectful greetings whenever their two families got together, or whenever he happened to follow his father into any meeting. He only saw him as the powerful and distant father of the childhood friend who was always around him. But now, their roles seemed very different. He looked towards the figure of ireing to stand in front of him as he reached out to pat her head while speaking. "She¡¯ll be safer next to me than anyone else. I have seven massive Beasts that can eradicate even Tier 4 Beasts within seconds, and that¡¯s not even counting myself." "...!" His words made it so that not s single possible argument could be given, Branch Leader Axel adopting a weathered look of defeat as he slumped down on the chair behind the desk that Alexander¡¯s father was just on. "Just¡­keep her safe. Please. I cannot lose her too." A father earnestly pleaded for his daughter¡¯s safety. Alexander nodded as he looked out into the ongoing rain, gazing into the distant skies as there¡­ CAA! The cry of a me Crow whose mes were not extinguished by ongoing rain appeared near the Walls of Carthage, turning its ferocious face and staring out protectively towards the direction of the Den of Corruption. "I¡¯ll leave one of the Titan Beasts here just in case anythinges. But for now, we will set off towards the Den of Corruption¡­and then into the gateway leading towards thends of the Mortal Branch of the Gnis Bloodline." The n had already been refined and gone over a few times as they broke down the knowledge that the Cdrius let out. Alexander¡¯s father nodded as he spoke out. Read new chapters at §Þ?? "Take Azazel and a few others. As of right now, you are their Commanding Gem Master as they will follow your orders." ¡­! ns were made. Now, they would be carried out! Chapter 49: Into the Breach! II On the Walls of Carthage. The figures of Branch Leaders Julius and Axel could be seen staring out towards the massive tear in space that was the Den of Corruption in the distance. In the skies, the towering figure of a white-green feathered Aerial Beast that was over 100 meters carried over a dozen humans atop it- its destination being a single ce. "I do not understand your son. I cannotprehend how he obtained the power he obtained." Beside him, Axel voiced out to Julius, but he received no reply. The silence was deafening, almost acting as its own reply. It took some time, but Branch Leader Julius did make out a reply calmly. "In the past, when Beasts of Corruption first appeared and Breaches tore apart our world, Legends of the Human Lineages that we idolize to this day rose up to ensure our survival. He may simply be one of the Legends that will rise in order for us to stand against theing changes." ¡­! His reply was a grand one as Axel shook his head with a wry smile. "You¡¯re already cing him on a pedestal of a Legend. Ah, we¡¯ll see how things unfold. All I care about is¡­" His words never finished. He stared out towards the Aerial Beast disappearing into the Breach as he closed his eyes and turned around. His gaze was firm. "Come on, we need to get a clear line ofmunication with the Ascendant Branch. How much about your son are they to be told?" "Absolute nothing¡­" Two Branch Leaders moved, their minds filled with machinations and possibilities as behind them, a party delved into the Den of Corruption! This whole time, for better or for worse, the rain never stopped. ¡ª On top of the Cdrius Minion. Alexander breathed the air of the Den of Corruption for the first time as he saw the tattered Inner Barracks and Outer Barracks of this Breach, with his gaze quickly locating the five Minions that toweringly stood over thousands of Three-Link and Two-Link Beasts. Dense, tall trees with ck leaves stretched out into tall mountains in the distance, with no end in sight as tens of miles in, they could see another small crack extending from the peak of a tall mountain and towards the skies. The Breach within a Breach. Alexander looked at it as he asked the Minion below him. "Since these Breaches are gateways from your World to this one, how would you all return to your homes?" A simple enough question, yet it was one that Alexander knew may have a heavy answer. And as he expected¡­ "We do not return, Ascendant Master. At least, not in the current state of the Gateways. Think of them like a closed-loop system- a one-way gateway here. Once established, it mimics the environment of a part of our World, even eating up its brilliance further to enact what you all know as the Breach. To open it the other way would require a special Relic that even I haven¡¯t seen with my own eyes." ¡­! Alexander nodded at such an answer as beside him, ire cautiously asked. "Would you ever enter those¡­foreign worlds if you got the chance?" She tested where he was interested in this as well as Alexander smiled while shaking his head. "There is so much of Ephesus I haven¡¯t seen; there¡¯s no rush to go into dying worlds." He was cautiously looking forward to the process of elevation of an entire world that Cdrius had mentioned. Energeia Star Ascension. The morends of Ephesus one controlled before this urred, the more resources they could attain in the future toe! Continue reading on §Þ?? "I would not rmend ever stepping foot outside of your World, Ascendant Master. It is far more stable than any other that I¡¯ve read or know of, and you won¡¯te across old monsters that have lived for hundreds or thousands of years so early. If you foster your strength and bid your time here¡­" The Cdrius advised as Alexander patted it while looking down below. "Alright. What¡¯s the usage of collecting all of these Beasts here?" "There are Mining Lodes deep within the mountains of this Breach that resemble those from the World of Ornis. There, they can be put to work to mine for minerals that can be used to reinforce walls, buildings, weapons, and other uses, Ascendant Master. Leaving one of us here is more than enough to oversee this work while we conquer the Lands of Gnis." ¡­! "Conquer?" Alexander smiled at this word as he gazed down below, already sendingmands to his Minions. "Yes, Ascendant Master. This isn¡¯t just me sucking up to you, but with the little I¡¯vee to understand about your power, you stand the chance to be a Conqueror Gem Master. Someone ruling over vastnds with an iron fist as you enjoy all the riches, food, and women yournds have to offer!" The voice of the Cdrius wasn¡¯t too loud, but it caused the faces of Azazel and others on the back of this Aerial Beast to change as they looked at each other, while ire who sat beside Alexander had lightning sh beneath her feet as she asked coldly. "All the women? You would offer him all the women?" Her voice dripped with coldness as the Cdrius felt like it had made a mistake and stuttered out. "Err¡­no, Lady of the Ascendant Master. It is all as the Ascendant Master sees fit. I will merely be an extension of his limbs to move and do as told." The Cdrius shifted words and me easily as within moments, they had crossed deeply across the skies of the Den of Corruption to near the Breach within a Breach. Behind them, four of his Minions were also arriving as one was guarding Carthage, another would stay within the Den of Corruption to set up a system of resource collection, and the rest¡­would go with Alexander into a venture within enemynds! Chapter 50: Into the Breach! III A few hundred miles away from Carthage. Inside of a bustling City Fortress that was filled with roars of Beasts and the timid gazes of Humans that stayed within their homes for the most part. "What? The Branch Leaders took a majority of the forces stationed here to take over a City Fortress of a Mortal Branch? How stupid are these humans?" A voice booming with authority echoed out within the center of this city- inside a Command Center of the Mortal Branch of the Gnis Bloodline! The voice stemmed from a humanoid entity, and yet they held the wild aura of a Beast of Corruption. Your next chapter is on §Þ?? They were adorned in white garments, and one could see long pointed ears on their heads along with two horns sprouting on their forehead. They held a sense of beauty and devilish charm that could not be easily ignored, their eyes crimson in color as their hair shone with the vibrant verdant hue of life. On their chest, a vibrant alignment of Five Gem Sockets could be seen! They looked feminine even though their body was muscr, and to their left and right were two others simr in form, but their chests shone with Four Gem Sockets. They were shockingly Elven Beasts of Corruption. High tier ones at that! "Elder Dadarius, this was a waste of our time. We do not need extra hands toplete our mission." The Tier 4 Elven Beasts of Corruption beside Elder Dadarius spoke with pride and arrogance dripping in her words. Her beauty and devilishness were just as enticing, with her chest blessed and her waist being stroked by the free hand of Elder Dadarius freely. The other one nodded in eptance as they all looked towards the Elder for affirmation! In front of them, a green white Cdrius Aerial Beast that looked very simr to the one under the banner of Alexander had its beak bowed while waiting for orders. The Elven Beast of Corruption, known as Elder Dadarius, stroked his chin as his white garment shone with a light of brilliance. "Mmm¡­we were told to gather as many Tier 4 Gem Masters as we can for the assault of a major human stronghold, and so we simply follow orders, nothing more. They went towards¡­Carthage, you say? Just a single Mortal Branch City of the Asmodeus Bloodline. They set their sights low¡­why?" "..." The Cdrius had eyes of hesitation after being asked this, but it replied as it couldn¡¯t handle the heavy aura of power from the Tier 5 Beast before it. "They¡­received the knowledge of a newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master within Carthage. They went to retrieve her." ¡­! The eyes of Elder Dadarius shone as he scoffed out. The two Tier 4 Elven Beasts of Corruption looked towards each other with a light of greed when they heard this. "Haha, they were actually hiding such a thing? Good? We may need to go ourselves." The eyes of Elder Dadarius shone with power as the Cdrius before them sighed internally. But at this moment¡­ CAA! The cry of a bird echoed out as the Cdrius recognized it right away. "Ah, that should be my Sister, Elder Dadarius. She should be returning with the forces of the Gnis Bloodline now, along with the prize of the newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master." The cry came from the Breach a few miles away within this very City. They had recently opened another gateway within that breach to connect to another Breach close to the City of Carthage- and their forces should now be returning! "Very well, I will ept the Blueprint of that Five-Link Gem Master as a gift with open arms." The eyes of Elder Dadarius twinkled with brutality and power as they stepped out. They were not entirely wrong that right now, the newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master wasing to this City. But she was not a prisoner, nor would she be a gift to anyone! ¡ª After crossing through the gateway that was known as the Den of Corruption, they stepped through another gateway that was an Unnamed Tier 3 Breach opened within the City Fortress of Anan belonging to a Mortal Branch of the Gnis Bloodline. Alexander was on top of the Cdrius as they crossed a snowyndscape filled with coldness. It was like they were in another world entirely, with Beasts and Humans of the Gnis Bloodline scattered within this Tier 3 Breach they were in as they neared its exit which would lead into the City of Anan. Alexander stared ahead at the distant opening and the outline of tall buildings made of bricks and metal as he prepared himself. The words of his father and the Cdrius rang out in his mind. Him¡­a Conqueror? He didn¡¯t think of himself as such, but it was true that he needed to obtain more power. For his revenge, and for surviving the dangers toe. For this, he would do what it takes. "The world is filled with monsters¡­we have to also be monsters in order to survive." He spoke these words almost as a whisper to himself, but ire heard them clearly beside him as she fell into deep thought. Alexander felt the heavy winds batting his face as he turned his attention below. "Which Beasts remain in the City of Anan?" "Within the City of Anan should be my brother and two additional Tier 4 Beasts- another Lightning Sparrow and a me Crow. Ah, and to make things easier, the Ascendant Master can call me Nueire. Since my brother and I are of the same Lineage and look exactly the same, I ask the Master to spare him or bind him if possible. He is dumb, but he is still the only one that came with me into this world." Alexander¡¯s Minion, Nueire, spoke such words as they crossed the white snowy ins of the Breach and crossed into the City of Anan! Behind them, four titanic Tier 4 Minions augmented by Alexander¡¯s Gem Recipe followed behind, slightly remaining out of sight! Chapter 51: The Elven Beasts of Corruption! I The City of Anan. One of the Fortresses where a Mortal Branch of the Gnis Bloodline could be found- this one being under the protection of Branch Leaders Neiman and Enaman! As of this moment, nobody within the city knew that Neiman was dead while Enaman was captured. In its skies, a Cdrius Aerial Beast appeared as it crossed from a breach tearing open the skies and earth. Above it, Alexander gazed down at the city below him coldly as he could sense Beasts present along the streets of this city. Humans cowering in their houses and barely running about. It was a heavy scene to observe, as even if their leadership made the decision to ally themselves with Beasts, it didn¡¯t mean all others were on board. But what could they do? Within their Two-Link or Three-Link Gem Sockets, what sort of defiance could they have? So many preserved their lives and their families and simply stayed out of sight. CAA! The Cdrius, Nueire, let out a screech once more as in the distance, another one just like it echoed out. "We are heading towards where my brother is, Ascendant Master. All others will gather there after our return." Her body wasrge, but it didn¡¯t take its full possible size- nor did it have the effect of [Lightning Grounds Support] actively raging around it at this time. But the aura of power it radiated could not be denied. With a few waves of its wings, it hovered over a Command Center as its eyes instantly caught something that caused it to be shocked, and it wasn¡¯t the only one! Above Nueire, Alexander felt the zing auras of someone exceeding a Tier 4 Beast, and once his senses waved down to see their form¡­his body trembled. Trembled. For he saw something that was only drawn on reports. Something he had both dreams and nightmares about. He sensed the outline of Elven Beasts of Corruption! "Ascendant Master, this¡­" Nueire stuttered out as she didn¡¯t expect this, but Alexander patted her fur with his feet as he spoke coldly. "Land." ¡­! In a wide open space near the Command Center where the earth was lined up with t sheets of metal. Corrupted Airships were stationed in the distance as the massive body of Nueirended; the figures who had just stepped out of the Command Center and those on top of this Aerial Beast were getting to see each other at this moment! Leading the other side, an exotic and devilish Tier 5 Elven Beast of Corruption looked at Nueire with questioning eyes, his gaze then going to the humans above it as it lingered on the over a dozen Gem Masters behind Azazel before it locked onto the two young Gem Masters at the very front. A handsome young man and woman. "Which ones are the Branch Leaders? And¡­" As he finished his question, his eyes quickly lit up as his gaze that lingered on Alexander and ire noticed the brightness on the chest of ire that pulsed with five Gem Sockets! "Bahaha, that chickling must be the newly Awakened Five-Link Gem Master prize. Good. Good!" Elder Dadarius stroked his chin as beside him, the Tier 4 Elven Beasts of Corruption looked at each other with expectation as it would likely be one of them who would get the transnt of this. Their gazes were those of greed and hunger as they locked their eyes on ire, but they saw this young woman staring back at them with a cold gaze of defiance and hatred as blue lightning crackled within her eyes! Elder Dadarius saw this whileughing jubntly. "She still has a fight in her eyes it seems. Not to worry. We will extinguish that light as thest thing you will see reflected back is fear. Endless fear!" The voice of Elder Dadarius was full of power, its might innately causing others to want to seek favor and eptance by bowing towards it. Yet around them, only an immense silence hung. The Tier 4 Cdrius Aerial Beast they were with, Nueire¡¯s brother, seemed to be gobsmacked as he stared at the sheer size of his sister and those standing on top of her. He knew none of them to be the Branch Leaders of the Gnis Bloodline, nor did he recognize any of the Gem Masters! What did this mean? "Are you all¡­from the Tier 5 Breach of Yendell?" ¡­! A voice filled with conviction and power rang out as it was none other than Alexander¡¯s. Elder Dadarius briefly lifted his head from inspecting ire as he looked over toward Alexander¡¯s visage. "Hmm? You know of our Gateway? That is so, human. But we don¡¯t have time for this. Offer the girl beside you there, and the resources your force will receive increase multiple times over. You¡¯ve made a great merit!" His voice was robust. Yet¡­ "I see." The reply from Alexander was calm as it contained his anger deeply, his eyes shining with conviction as he leaned down on Nueire and touched its feathers while he turned to lock his gaze on the three Elven Beasts of Corruption! "I will kill you all slowly. There is a great deal of information to obtain before you are granted death." ¡­! Words that caused the pupils of the Elven Beasts of Corruption to constrict echoed out. And an instantter¡­ "Scorch them." Amand came. And¡­ BOOOM! A storm of lightning instantly descended and covered all nearby surroundings. ROAR! From the distance, the 4 Minions by the gateway of the city finally roared out as they also made their entrance! The gazes of the Elven Beasts of Corruption rapidly changed as their chests began to glow, Elder Dadarius looking ahead and bellowing out. "You dare?! Do you know-...!" BOOM! A dense cluster of unstable lightning covered everything. The bolts were like deadly tongues of scorching blue mes that smashed down, but the bodies of the Elven Beasts of Corruption swerved around valiantly as their bodies lit up! They didn¡¯t panic. Their expressions were stern as from the Tier 5 Elder Dadarius¡­ "[Shrine of Life]" ¡­! He voiced out coldly. His chest shone with glory as around him, illusory green walls rose up to cover his figure and hispatriots, these walls gradually materializing and bing more solid as they pulsed with an immense aura of life! BOOM! When the lightning crashed on them, the walls only trembled and held strong as inside of these walls, a bow appeared within Elder Dadarius¡¯ hands that zed with crimson radiance! It was the eruption of a fight against an advanced Beast of Corruption- one who knew how to utilize their power very well! Chapter 52: The Elven Beasts of Corruption! II The Shrine of Life. Advanced Gem Masters who had many Sockets to work with always sought the most optimum Gem Recipe, and the one that Elder Dadarius had chosen was naturally what benefitted him the most. It could defend, and it could attack. The Gem Recipe was known as the Temr of the Shrine, and the Main Ability Gem was the Shrine of Life! A rare ability gem that when cast, a glorious Shrine would be enacted that could withstand damage equivalent to quintuple one¡¯s Energeia. And allow one¡¯s Vigor to regenerate thrice as fast. And from this temple, The Vines of the Temr could be released to bind and attack an enemy as those bound could have their lifeforce drained to keep powering up this Shrine of Life! If one paired such an Ability Gem with support abilities that further multiplied the effects, duration, and potency¡­the terrifying product that Elder Dadarius had just cast would unfold. "Daring, but not knowing how vast the skies are!" BOOM! Elder Dadarius bellowed out as lightning crackled around him. His bow was raised as a crimson arrow billowing with mes was already formed, and it shot straight toward the young man who actually thought he had some standing! CAA! The young man who stared forth coldly as the Cdrius Aerial Beast under it cried out, hundreds of vines instantly erupting from this bird as they covered the iing arrow and even billowed towards the Shrine of Life like verdant waves. "Hmph!" Elder Dadarius harrumphed as more of his Energeia was drawn out, dense vines also forming from the Shrine of Life as he called out to the Tier 4 Elven Beasts beside him. "Pure output of damage on this stupid bird first, I will take care of-" CRACK! ¡­! Elder Dadarius raised his head up as he heard and felt something that shouldn¡¯t be possible. It was¡­ ¡¯A crack?!¡¯ On the Shrine of Life. A crack had begun to form as it was indicative of a single thing. The damage threshold of the Shrine of Life had been reached, and it was soon going to shatter! ¡¯How is that possible? This¡­This lightning?!¡¯ The lightning roaring around them was that disastrous? "You two, release your strongest attacks!" Elder Dadarius roared out towards the two Tier 4 Elven Beasts around him. ¡¯With them, I can channel at least half of my Energeia to bind and incapacitate the human and beast, after that-¡¯ ROAR! Booming roars that split the gathering dark clouds above ever so briefly boomed out as one after another, the auras of four terrifying Beasts of the same caliber as the one opposing them appeared. A Golden me Lion towering over 100 meters, its storm of lightning ovepping the one currently taking ce as its eyes burned with golden mes. An Arctic Fox. A Lightning Sparrow. A me Crow! Find your next adventure on NovelBin.C?m One me Crow was left to guard Carthage while a me Hound oversaw the Beasts within the Den of Corruption, leaving Alexander with only Five Minions to utilize. Only. But these Minions alone caused the color to drain from the faces of the Elven Beasts of Corruption as the moment all of them arrived and the passive storm of lightning was unleashed, the Shrine of Life that was holding on gloriously began to gain more and more cracks. The Tier 5 Elven Beast was stunned at such a reality. BOOM! The Shrine of Life fractured and released an explosion of verdant light that temporarily pushed everything away, the Lifeforce of Elder Dadarius gathering once more as he roared out while raising his bow- gazing at the massive Beasts around him. "All Beast ns came to an agreement of not warring against each other in this world! Breaking this agreement will have you all hunted down once the Alliance finds out!" ¡­! His roar was followed by the brilliance of another Shrine of Life forming, this one releasing tendrils of vines to further fortify itself and leaving open gaps for the powerful attacks they were preparing to be released. But¡­they would be dismayed to realize that the lightning storms wrapping around the bodies of the Beasts was only a passive ability. It cost them absolutely nothing to keep on. So when they released an active Ability¡­disaster would unfold. From the Golden me Lion, its jaws opened wide as scorching golden mes erupted out like waves of a golden sea, burning any green vines and smashing into the newly formed Shrine of Life that broke down as if it were paper. "Ah¡­!" The Elven Beasts of Corruption watched in disbelief and horror as the golden mes swept over them, their defenses instantly bing broken as their fair skins burned! Thick green vines controlled by Nueire then rained down from above and wrapped around the three figures that were wreathed in golden mes- binding them tightly as they were carried across the skies. They screamed painfully from the heavy burns, Elder Dadarius being the only one still capable of stopping his screams as he gazed out defiantly toward the direction they were being brought to. There, a Young man sat on a white green feathered bird as he didn¡¯t even make a move, his eyes filled with veiled anger as he looked towards the bound and heavily injured Elven Beasts of Corruption. His voice was tinged with controlled rage as it rang out. "Why would I care about the agreement between Beasts?" ¡­! Elder Dadarius¡¯ eyes trembled. Yes. This whole time, he was under the misconception that these Beasts were powerfulbatants stemming from the Beast ns. But at this moment, as he was surrounded by them and as only this young man spoke authoritatively, a terrifying conclusion was reached. He controlled all of them. The massive Cdrius. The regal Golden me Lion. All the terrifying Beasts here seemed bent to his will. Beasts with enough power to bring him down under a minute! Elder Dadarius looked at this young man again as he grit his teeth with pain and rage. "Who are you?!" ¡­! Chapter 53: Dignity! I A drastic eptance of a shocking reality! The young human before them truly was the one controlling such powerful Beasts as even then, Elder Dadarius growled his words while looking towards him. Bound and humiliated, when had a Tier 5 Beast like him forced to be in such a situation? Around them, Lightning continued to crackle as they left this region free momentarily, but the Beasts surrounding them could unleash it all back at any moment they wished. Even then, Elder Dadarius looked defiantly towards Alexander who asked once more. "The Tier 5 Breach of Yendell where the Elven Beasts stemmed from¡­are you all still clustered there or spread out?" Stay updated with NovelBin.C?m His question was filled with malice and killing intent. He made it clear of his hatred towards them as receiving such a question, and Elder Dadarius actuallyughed in anger. "You stupid, ignorant thing. Are we still there? You think this is a question that matters? What, so you can try to hunt us down? No, human, we aren¡¯t all still there! A gateway is just that, a ce to pass through. Our Legions have joined the armies of the Beast ns Alliance as we raze down and take over your Human Fortresses. Whatever ignorant dream of revenge you have¡­will remain just that. A dream!" His words were poisonous even while bound, ire¡¯s gaze changing beside Alexander as Azazel and others on the far back of the Cdrius listened with heavy expressions. Yet Alexander only listened and nodded as he replied. "And where are the armies of this Alliance where you all are clustered within?" ¡­! "You¡¯re serious?" Elder Dadarius sneered in anger as the bindings around him became even more constrictive. "You dumb shit, you¡¯re actually serious? What exactly do you think a single Human like you will be able to do? What do you even know? You have no grasp of the power and depth of our forces. You humans¡­never stood a chance." Lightning crackled all around. Yet the Elven Beast remained defiant, his gaze passing from Alexander and towards ire and all others here. "You dirty humans are too different from us. You know nothing even about your world. You have no ambition. You have no power. No backbone for the future! Your Mortal Fortresses are already falling, and your Ascendant Fortresses will follow. This, I promise you." ¡­! Insult after insult echoed out as the words of the Elven Beast of Corruption caused Azazel and other Gem Masters to turn grim. At the same time, a light shone within Alexander¡¯s eyes as he was thoughtful. Ambition. He heard simr words from the Cdrius about seeking power and conquering. Did he have an ambition? Apart from seeking revenge for what they did to his mother, and now to gain more strength to survive the powerful Beasts making their way into Ephesus¡­did he really have any ambition? He looked at the Elven Beast of Corruption as he nodded. "You¡¯re right." ¡­! "I did not have any strong ambition. I just had a few things that I wanted. These things that I want¡­I will make them the base of my ambition. " WAA! His eyes began to sh with crimson lightning. "I want to live in a world where my mother was not mowed down by Beasts." His eyes became brighter and brighter as he rose from the feathers of the Cdrius Nueire and walked towards the Beast of Corruption. "I want to live in a world where I and those around me aren¡¯t treated like animals to ughter." ¡­! "I want to live in a world where there isn¡¯t a constant threat of death from beasts I have never met." The dark clouds that had been gathering above this city became even more potent. In no time, drizzles of rain also began to fall here. Rain. Alexander raised his head up as the raindrops fell, his words small and yet heavy at the same time. "I¡­want to be free." Freedom. Freedom to not fear for his life or his loved ones! He clenched his fists as he turned towards the defiant figure of the Tier 5 Elven Beast of Corruption. "I will make this the base of my ambition as it seems like in order to achieve this freedom¡­I need to be someone else." ¡­! "My little bird here said I need to be a Conqueror. What do you think?" He was inches away from the bound Elven Beast of Corruption. He could see the green of his pupils. The defeated breath from his lips formed into a sneer. "You? A Conqueror? You are not made for it, human. But you want to know where the armies of the Elven Beasts are moving within? I¡¯ll make it easy for you. I was sent here to gather more Tier 4 Beasts into such an army. Its target was an Ascendant Fortress under you humans, as I think¡­they can make a little detour." ¡­! CRACK! On the bound body of Elder Dadarius. A crystal shattered on his chest as it seemed to have received a small infusion of Energeia. He smiled devilishly. "A little crystal to you. But breaking it means I have found something worthy of the attention of the Battalion I belong to, and that my power isn¡¯t enough for it. Do not worry, Human seeking to be a Conqueror. I will bring an army to raze everything down right here! Haha¡­haha!" "..." Alexander felt the coldness and apathy of the Beast up close as he nodded. Ambition. Power. He looked deeply into the eyes of the Beast as he voiced out. "For what I want¡­I will be just a little more like your Beasts. Starting off with you." ¡­! Elder Dadarius¡¯ face became vile. "Oh yeah? And what will you d-" BOOM! Crimson lightning cracked. Blood spattered. Bound and unable to put up any resistance, where the head of the Tier 5 Elven Beast of Corruption used to be¡­was smoking blood and brain matter. Off to the side, the two Tier 4 Elven Beasts of Corruption trembled. Behind him, ire¡¯s face showed a sad expression! Alexander felt the crimson blood on his cheeks as he wiped it down calmly, his eyes firm as he came to a decision. "I will be a Conqueror." ¡­! For his freedom. For what he wanted to achieve! For being happyter on, he would be more Beast like now! Chapter 54: Dignity! II His hand pulsed with crimson lightning as it plunged into the chest of the Tier 5 Elven Beast of Corruption, very soon pulling out as it held a massive Ascendant Life Gem. It was a gory scene that caused the two Tier 4 Elven Beasts to tremble even more. At this time. "Nueire." Alexander called out calmly as his Minion understood right away. Thick vines shot out and pierced into the headless body of Elder Dadarius, wrapping around his Five-Link Gem Sockets as Alexander turned behind him while wiping away the blood on his chest! "Uncle Azazel." He called out to the man who used to be a Tier 3 Gem Master not too long ago as Azazel stepped forward unconsciously, the familiar scene of a vine piercing into his chest urring again before his mind could fully ept what was even happening. Conquer. Get stronger. ¡¯Only then¡­¡¯ Alexander¡¯s eyes were bright. Days ago, he couldn¡¯t have imagined standing against a Tier 5 Beast of Corruption, nor evene close to his revenge against the Elven Beasts of Corruption this quickly. But they were out of their Tier 5 Breach. They were mixed in across Ephesus in nearbynds as some were even within an army of Beasts of Corruption that was being gathered to assault a major Ascendant Fortress! Nearby, there were a few Strongholds that the Gnis and Asmodeus Ascendant Bloodlines protected within a few thousand miles. If the Gnis Bloodline was already working with Beasts, it was easy to put together which Strongholds they may be targeting. But such an army¡­the Tier 5 Elven Beast of corruption stated that he initiated a signal to first call it over here! How powerful would such an army meant to tackle an Ascendant Stronghold be? Before, he might have been fearful and filled with caution. Now, he would only be cautious but look forward to what he could obtain from such an army if he took it down! Ascendant Life Gems. New Gem Recipes. Information. Revenge. Power. All of it didn¡¯te free, and he had to take it all for himself! Starting with¡­the very City he stepped on. As a ritual took ce, he spoke out in a tone even he was surprised by as he chose a new direction for his life. "Clear the City of Anan of any Beasts or ce them within the Breach to mine resources. This City Fortress...is no longer under the banner of the Gnis Bloodline!" ¡­! His words carried a tone of authority and¡­dignity. Since he decided to be a Conqueror and attained power as much as he could, he would fully lean into this. "You heard the Ascendant Master, move!" Below him, Nueire roared out as her brother in the distance trembled with fright. ire walked ever closer to Alexander as she felt his imperceptible changes, but her eyes were firm as she would support him in what he wanted to do. His Minions began to move while crackling with waves of lightning. The vines constricting the remaining two Tier 4 Elven Beasts became ever tighter as Alexander turned his eyes toward them while speaking out. "And prepare to face an army of Beasts¡­one that you two will describe to me in great detail!" Within a threatening air and his hands crackling with crimson lightning that had just sted the head of a Tier 5 Beast, a Young man seeking to be a Conqueror took his first steps. Whether he would seed or fail in his path¡­was not entirely known. ¡ª Discover more stories at NovelBin.C?m A few hundred miles away from the City of Anan. Inside of a wide tent lined up with golden brilliance. An entity with long ears and three horns rising on his head sat on a makeshift throne as he reached down to grab the head of a Human Gem Master that he had been doing unsightly things to. Her eyes held no light within them, and the Elven Beast grabbed her and threw her body like a ragdoll to the other side of the tent where a few other human female and male Gem Mastersy. "You worthless humans lose your pride so damn quickly, but you are still the most fun!" Every single one was either a Three-Link or Four-Link Gem Master, and the Elven Beast seated on the makeshift throne had six dazzling Gem Sockets on his chest! He seemed to be pondering when all of a sudden¡­ "Elder Commander! Elder Commander!" A shout echoed out from outside the tent with a sense of hurriedness. "Stop squabbling ande in!" The Elder Commander roared out as his horns shone, the tent opening to reveal a Tier 4 Elven Beast of Corruption that held a shing verdant Gem in his hands. He knelt while hurriedly speaking out. "Elder Commander Lidar, Elder Dadarius has crushed his Distress Gem as he has likely faced a perilous situation and is calling for aid!" ¡­! The words caused the brows of the Elder Commander Lidar to rise in surprise. Dadarius? One of his Tier 5 Elders was actually ced in such a predicament? He thought of something calmly before his maic and powerful voice echoed out. "Was he not tasked with getting more Tier 4 Soldiers who were ced within a lowly-ranking human city? How could he face danger there? Did these vile humans break their word?! But even then, those who are there shouldn¡¯t even be capable of hurting Dadarius!" The Elder Commander roared out as he thought out loud. Before him, the Tier 4 Elven Beast remained kneeling without saying a thing as the Elder Commander¡¯s face became all that much more furious. "These humans¡­they have killed too many of our people as we only seek to findnds to survive from our dying world. We just seek a home¡­and they go to all lengths to prevent us from doing this! Theirplete eradication is the only solution¡­" ¡­! Terrifying words echoed out from him as he rose from his throne. "So what if they were here first? No world is designated as belonging to any race before it undergoes Ascension. We have a right to Ephesus just as much as they do, and if they think they can stand in our way¡­HMPH!" He walked towards one of the humans lifelessly thrown on the tent as his leg crushed down above them, crimson blood and gore flying out and painting the fabric of the tent. "Let us go see what tricks they have used this time to put Dadarius in a predicament. Our Target was the Ascendant City of Persepolis, yes? I will talk to the other Elder Commanders to make a slight detour¡­" ¡­! Chapter 55: Insurmountable! I The tent of the Elder Commander Lidar opened wide as this Elven Beast left it grandly. He was adorned in a golden robe that fluttered with radiance, his Six-Link Gem Sockets shining brilliantly as he walked on the green earth. Around his tent, there were hundreds of others smaller than it where thousands of Elven Beasts could be seen moving about, and in the far distance, there were other tents that had burly humanoid beats different from the Elven Beasts. Their skin was ck and shining with a heavy radiance, their bodies twice as big as they held pig-like faces and even tails behind them. The Orc Beast Lineage! A further distance away from them, with fewer tents as Beasts could be seen perched on trees¡­an array of avian Beasts could be seen. Most of them shone with multicolored radiance reminiscent of Peacocks, their feathers lustrous and filled with deadly radiance. Elder Commander Lidar went towards the very center of this whole encampment that held a few hundred thousand Beasts. His steps were light, and yet he moved rapidly to arrive outside a central temporary tent that seemed to be constructed from vines and emanated an air of regality. The three horns on Elder Lidar shone as he moved past the entrance of the Command Center of this army and delved into the eyes of multiple powerful entities turning towards his direction at this moment. Three Elven Elder Commanders just like him, their chests shining brilliantly with Six-Link Gem Sockets as well. They were standing around a device at the very center that shot out an illusory image of a wide Stronghold- an Ascendant City Fortress of the Asmodeus Bloodline! Apart from the three Elven Elder Commanders, the figures of three massive humanoid Orcs could be seen, their chests also brimming with Six-Link Gem Sockets as their pig-like faces brimmed with ferociousness. But the most distinguished of all were the multicolored Peacocks. Their feathers brimmed with regality, with two of them being of massive stature, standing to the left and right of¡­a human. Well, she looked human, but one could see gorgeous green locks of hair and green shapes around her eyes reminiscent of the feathers of a Peacock. She was a beauty that even actual humans would lose against, with her chest shining brilliantly with Seven Gem Sockets. A Tier 7 Beast Lord. Someone powerful enough to change from her Beast Form and into a human form seamlessly if she wished. That was how potent her life force was. How terrifying her levels of Energeia were! Under her gaze, even though a deadly fire rose in the loins of Elder Commander Lidar, he killed this fire so damn quickly as he knew the moment he showed it, he would die faster than anything else. He nodded towards his peers and the Orcs before he bowed even deeper towards the Tier 7 Beast Lord, who looked towards him with eyes that were naturally maic. "Beast Lord Vishp, a portion of our forces- authority Tier 5 Elven Elder along with his subordinates, have been ambushed by the unruly humans in a nearby City. I know ns are cemented and we set off soon towards our target, but would it be possible for us to make a small detour? The ce is only 100 miles or so from our original route. I can even temporarily leave the army to tten that human city as we then continue our way." ¡­! His words caused the brows of the Orcs and Peacocks to rise, while from the Elven side, a beautiful and devilish female Elven Elder Commander shed with a serious look as she asked with anger. "Do not tell me it is Dadarius¡­he is the only one who left to obtain more Tier 4 Beasts!" "..." Lidar turned to gaze towards this Tier 6 Beast with heavy eyes as he nodded. "It is precisely Dadarius." BOOM! Tendrils of wild Energeia erupted around the female Elder Commander. The lover she enjoyed her time with the most¡­was killed. Her eyes shed with a deadly light of bloody murder as she turned towards the Beast Lord within this space. "Beast Lord Vishp¡­please allow this slight detour." The eyes of the Elven Beasts were firm. Gazing at them, the Beast Lord radiated a colorful smile. She was adorned in somewhat see-through green robes as her fair skin could be seen underneath, the outline of her blessed chest and waist clear even though nobody dared to stare too closely. "Since the rest of our Commanders will not be put at ease unless this is taken care of, let''s go. It should be a Tier 5 Ascendant Human or even Tier 6 if they can easily take out an Elven Elder. No harm in taking care of them before we proceed on our way. We are done here for the most part¡­let us start." ¡­! Hermands were invible. Hearing them, everyone rose to attention as these terrifying Gem Masters nodded to each other and began to move. Among all the Beasts here, all of them had a white and blue ring around their Sockets as under Human assumptions, they could be considered Ascendant. But the Beast Lord held three faint rings of light around her Sockets on her chest. White. Blue. Red. It was tantalizing and filled with power, her figure shing with radiance at this moment as she disappeared from the eyes of all others here. It was a sh of teleportation too quick for any of them to see closely. Such a being would make a slight detour to lead her army towards the City of Anan. Under her banner, there were bound to be countless deaths even before she made a move. And when she did¡­oh! "Let us move!" With a booming roar, the Elven Beasts began to move along with the Orcs and Peacocks, tents being uprooted and stored away as very quickly, the massive army began to move like a single organism. The earth shook where they moved, with some even rising to the skies to scout ahead. It was the advent of a terrifying force. The advent of a battle that would change far, far too many things! Chapter 56: Insurmountable! II For the sake of power, just how far would one go? Alexander found himself asking this question while absorbing an incandescent Ascendant Life Gem in his hands. The flow of Vigor and Energeia was slow, but he liked the constant pulse his body released to show the increase in his power, as well as the ever-increasing numbers that only he could see continuing to rise. But he asked this question because after hearing the words of the Tier 4 Elven Beasts that nowy dead- he found out that Dadarius stemmed from an army that had tens of others just like him, and even so called Elder Commanders¡­who answered to a Beast Lord. A Beast Lord! This was an entity with Seven Gem Sockets. Of course, Alexander himself could be considered someone with the distinction of a [Lord] as he also held 7 linked Gems for a single Recipe in his Enneagram- he even had two, in fact! The Corrupted Lightning King Gem Recipe and the Minion King Gem Recipe. But even though he had the Gem Sockets, it did not mean his strength was anywhere close to an actual Beast Lord. How many years had they been active? How great were their levels of Vigor and Energeia from 7 Gems over the years? Meanwhile, he had only been active as a Gem Master for a few days. His Vigor and Energeia were rising¡­but it truly had only been a few days. He was so far outssing Tier 4 Beasts and this Tier 5 Dadarius purely because of the ridiculous augmentations his three Gem Recipes granted, but how effective were they going to be against Tier 6 Commanders and a Tier 7 Beast Lord who may have ten, twenty, or even a hundred times as much Vigor and Energeia than him? "..." The glow of the Ascendant Life Gem was the only thing lighting up his face as while this one was augmenting his life force, another Ascendant Life Gem- the one he took out from the chest of Dadarius, was taken in by his Enneagram that was currently spinning like an engine. "Alex¡­you haven''t said anything since then. What are you thinking?" Beside him, ire''s voice rang out. They were inside the Command Center of the City of Anan, his Minions stationed outside or keeping a lookout across the city, with Azazel and the other Gem Masters he brought along also stationed outside of this space. He gazed towards her with a reassuring smile as he replied. "I''m thinking that I made a promise to your father to keep you safe¡­and how I can ensure that." ¡­! Right. Even though he decided to be this distant idea of a Conqueror, he wasn''t alone. But those he was with were fully with him. "As long as we do it together." ire''s words were without a shadow of a doubt as Alexander nodded. Before he fully made his decision, he was waiting for something. And that something should be finishing up right about now. On his chest. Unseen by others, his spinning Enneagram slowed down its rapid spins as the Minion King Gems entirely disappeared as if they never existed. [The Gem Recipe designated as Minion King and all the Gems within its makeup have been recorded in the Ability Gem Database.] This. He was waiting for this, as it meant he could add a whole other Gem Recipe to himself, and this would give him much greater confidence in facing terrifying Beasts that had lived far longer than him and had tremendous levels of Energeia and Vigor! And as he thought of which Main Ability Gem to go with next for a Recipe that would ensure his survivability¡­he was in for a surprise as the voice of the Enneagram in his mind actually didn''t stop. [Three Gem Recipes have been sessfully recorded in the Ability Gem Database, and the Enneagram itself has undergone a significant elevation.] [The Feature of Gem Constetion has been unlocked.] ¡­! What was this? He was more so asking himself as he hid the surprise in his eyes while he felt his chest heat up! [By sacrificing a Gem Recipe and making it unusable, a Gem Constetion can be born from it as it holds elevatedpounded effects of unknown values. The Effects of a specific Gem Constetion can then be applied to all current active Gem Recipes.] ¡­! A terrifying development. What was it that made many Gem Sockets so terrifying? It was the add-ons of support abilities that made a single main Ability more and more terrifying. And now, he had the possibility to make a gem recipe with Six Support Gems even more disastrous by applying the effect of a Gem Constetion on it?! His eyes began burning with a me of excitement as he felt the three recorded Gem Recipes in his Enneagram, and he then made a heavy decision. ''Sacrifice the Ice King Gem Recipe to make a Gem Constetion.'' WUU! His Enneagram buzzed. A glow of a brilliant blue light actually burst from his chest and shot upwards, ire and others here turning towards him in shock as they only saw a sh of blue brilliance pass through the building they were in and go towards the skies! And in Alexander''s mind, his monotone voice continued. [The Ice King Gem Recipe is now unusable and archived.] [The passive effects of any abilities augmenting you are retained.] [The Support Ability Gems within the sacrificed Ice King Gem Recipe are archived and selectable as Support Ability Gems for any future Recipes.] [The Gem Constetion, Endless cial Dream, has been born.] ¡­! His Enneagram spun crazily. Towards its very center, a faint twinkling star appeared. And at the same time, when Alexander focused on this star, he felt his gaze drawn towards the distant skies above where a blue light had shot out to- as if he could feel a connection with a distant star far past the skies! It was...a Constetion! The Gem Constetion, Endless cial Dream. [Under the light of the Endless cial Dream, all active Gem Recipes are granted certain effects.] Alexander''s eyes trembled as the shocking effects of the first Gem Constetion were revealed! Chapter 57: Insurmountable! III The effects of the first Gem Constetion, Endless cial Dream, unveiled themselves! [The cial Armor of the Deep is applied to the holder of the Gem Recipes and any applicable life forms connected to him through the Gem Recipes. The cial Armor of the Deep grants a passive armament that can withstand damage equivalent to five times your current Vigor Value. The current Defensive Value of the cial Armor of the Deep is estimated to be 17,500.] [50% Elemental Damage Reduction is applied to all Elemental Attacks while the cial Armor of the Deep is active.] [20% Physical Damage Reduction is applied to all Physical Attacks while the cial Armor of the Deep is active.] [If the defenses of the cial Armor of the Deep are destroyed and breached, the Rage of the Ice King will be triggered and release a wave of cial frost that freezes all chosen enemies around, the damage equivalent to three times your total Energeia Value. Once destroyed, it takes a full minute before the cial Armor of the Deep can be active again.] ¡­! Alexander''s body subtly trembled. He couldn''t help but first gaze at the levels of his Vigor and Energeia- especially how they had advanced since he stepped into the Den of Corruption and arrived at the City of Anan! [Vigor]:: 1,595/1,595> 3,500/3,500(17,500/17,500 cial Armor of the Deep) [Energeia]:: 1,776/1,778> 4,322/4,500 ''Ah¡­'' His Values had risen rapidly as he absorbed more and more Ascendant Life Gems from his enemies. They had just barely reached the level that his Tier 4 Minions were at! But the advent of the Gem Constetion gave him a protection of five times his Vigor Value, along with Physical and Elemental damage reduction. This wasn''t to even mention what would happen if the defenses of the cial Armor of the Deep were breached. It was terrifying. But even this wasn''t the only boon of the First Gem Constetion. There was onest surprise as Alexander felt like he could see a white star blessing him in the distant skies. [All Parameters of all current Gem Recipes are further increased by a factor of 2.] "..." The Parameters. All Parameters. The Damage that his Corrupted Lightning King could deal. The power of the Minions under the Minion King Gem Recipe- including their Energeia and Vigor! ¡­! But this wasn''t all. It was All Parameters. Alexander closed his eyes and touched his chest as at this moment, he felt like a wall was broken. A wall that prevented the adding of any more Minions after a single one was assigned to the seven Gems under the Minion King Gem Recipe. This Parameter¡­was also doubled. "Crazy¡­" He couldn''t help but utter out. ire looked towards him with brows raised as around his body, a transparent icy suit of armor began to form. It took on the outline of his green battle robe, covering every part of his body as even his head held a faint film of brilliant transparent light- with a fantastical scene of a blue star rising a few inches above his head and spinning with a calm glow! An icy blue star that radiated a gorgeous glow above him, the temperature in the surroundings dropping a few degrees as a chill surrounded him. ire was shocked at such a change as outside of the Command Center¡­. CAA! The cry of Nueire rang out as the aura of this Cdrius became twice as terrifying. Her size also began to increase as she subconsciously resized herself to not be too massive, the change not just being limited to herself. On the Golden me Lion. The me Crows! All other Minions experienced the tremendous elevation in power as apart from this¡­their bodies began to be encased in a crystalline blue armor that seemed to cover the outlines of their bodies like unbreakable clear scales. Above them, an icy blue star began to spin as even these Entities¡­were blessed by the Gem Constetion, Endless cial Dream! "Ah¡­Ascendant Master! What is this? This¡­Oh?" The words of Nueire outside stopped. Alexander also rose from within the Command Center as the Lightning Sparrow perched on the Walls of the City of Anan saw something. "Master, we can feel the auras of Beasts nearing!" ¡­! Their expanded power could stretch out much further. Their perception. At this moment, they discovered the tremors of the earth. The earth of Ephesus was trembling at the sheer force that wasing for the City of Anan! Alexander confirmed the direction where this army wasing from as he looked above and saw the presentation of the Gem Constetion glimmering above him. The glow it released gave him confidence. The Enneagram in his chest that was ready for another Gem Recipe gave him a bastion of reliability! It all told him¡­he could actually try. He may just be able to do it! ''Conqueror, yes, let''s go all out for it.'' His thoughts were vibrant as his mindset gradually changed. He truly couldn''t see himself as thezy young man from days ago. He couldn''t afford to. He had the foundation and capability to be someone else entirely. He didn''t have to drown in anger and hatred, even though he wouldpletely achieve his revenge. "Hoo¡­" He breathed out. The smile and carefree sense he had gradually lost ever since he Awakened gradually. Seeing it, ire''s eyes lit up with happiness as she felt like the Alexander she knew was returning! She didn''t know that he was transforming himself into an even better version of himself. With a refreshed smile on his face and a body that was glowing with a transparent blue armor, he went outside and made a huge jump tond on his massive Cdrius. His mind was buzzing with many ideas. Slots of more Minions had been opened up, and they needed to be filled. The Beastsing were prime candidates as Alexander wondered. How terrifying of a Minion would a Beast Lord be? And the next Gem Recipe¡­just what would it be geared to?! Chapter 58: Insurmountable! IV On top of a Tier 5 Peacock that had wide spanning wings and shimmering with multi colored radiance. Elder Commander Lidar stared ahead toward the maic Beast Lord, as well as the other Elder Beast Commanders standing behind her on this massive beast crossing the skies. "Beast Lord Vishp¡­for you toe with us is more than we could ever ask." Lidar ingratiated himself as he spoke towards this powerful Beast Lord who chose to bring their main forces towards the City of Anan instead of just allowing the Elven Beast Commanders to take the detour and eradicate the one who took down Elder Dadarius. At his words, Beast Lord Vishp smiled and waved her hand dismissively, waves of charm radiating from her. "Since we are all nearby, let''s do things thoroughly. Sometimes, even if it is an ant, there is no harm in bringing millions of elephants to crush it." ¡­! Her words were resonant atop the Aerial Beast as soon, the outline of the City of Anan became clear to them. And¡­ "Oh?" The gorgeous brows of the Beast Lord rose as she squinted her eyes at the outline of a massive Lightning Sparrow above the walls of this city- its aura bright as its power was not something to ignore! "Interesting, what may that be?" Her body had tendrils of multicolored light rise from her feet as the Aerial Beast below her became ever faster, her chest shining brilliantly with the Seven Gem Sockers that held rings of white, blue, and red each! As they came forward, the earth behind them trembled as tides of Beasts followed their lead. ¡ª Alexander flew atop the Cdrius, Nueire, as this Minion spoke out jubntly. "Ascendant Master¡­just what is that dazzling star above you and all of us? With it, I feel like I have gained multiple more lives, with my power¡­oh!" The excitement on the Cdrius was palpable. It was worried when it heard of the army containing Elven Beasts, Orc Beasts, and the regal Peacock Beasts that may make their way here, but now¡­it truly felt like it could do anything. Its sensation of joy was passed through its connection to Alexander as he felt it, too. At this moment, as he actually went towards powerful Beasts that were intent on assaulting an Ascendant Branch. A Stronghold filled with Ascendant Gem Masters! He should feel a sense of fear. He should even possibly feel dread. But this¡­ What exactly was this sensation he felt right now? Was it¡­excitement? No. It was too contained. Too logical. This was¡­ [The Eye of the Enneagram has begun to open after a critical level of lifeforce has been absorbed.] From his chest. A hazy white glow spread out and went to bathe his whole body, but the vast majority of it clustered itself in his head. In his mind! [The Innate Feature of the Eye of the Enneagram- Analysis, has been unlocked.] [The Innate Feature of the Eye of the Enneagram- Meta Comprehension, has been unlocked.] Analysis. Meta Comprehension. One seemed fairly easy to understand, while the other¡­Alexander could tell that this was the cause of the unique sensation he currently felt. [Under Analysis, The Enneagram can now urately gauge the numerical values of Vigor and Energeia of other Entities visible to your naked eye apart from your Minions.] [Under Meta Comprehension, your mind is ced in a constant state of increased rity, calmness, and hypercognition as you can instantaneously take inplex waves of information and process them rapidly- with your mental state constantly analyzing information to provide you with the best possible oues. This feature is the preliminary feature required to begin operating before theter Feature of the Enneagram, Ability Gem Design, can be unlocked.] ¡­! Apart from the boons of the Gem Constetion, the Enneagram had reached a point where its [Eye] had begun to open. At the center of his chest, Alexander could see the faint outline of a pupil only just beginning to shine- its light so bright that it looked like it could epass everything! A mere glimmer of this light had begun to leak out as with it, the wonders of Analysis and Meta Comprehension came. This wasn''t to mention the idea of a feature known as [Ability Gem Design] that would be avableter on down the line! "I see¡­" Alexander spoke out with a sense of calm serenity as his eyes seemed to be absorbing all sources of light. Everything he saw. Everything he knew. Everything he heard. All of it seemed to settle in his mind and be understood instantly with the boons of Meta Comprehension, and after that¡­all of it began to bepartmentalized as what could bring him the best possible oues was put at the forefront. This was the cooling sensation he felt as he knew his state of mind and even who he considered himself to be had taken arge shift in disposition! As he stood on the Cdrius, he felt the rest of the Beasts under him converging where the Lightning Sparrow was. He felt ire, who shed with lightning and appeared beside him, and the figures of Azazel and other Gem Masters, who were wrapped with the vines of Nueire and brought onto her back as well. He felt like he analyzed every single possible thing as the first action he wanted to take from here¡­ "Uncle Azazel, do you want to get even stronger?" ¡­! The eyes of the Gem Master in his 40snded unstable atop Nueire as he looked towards Alexander with an astonished gaze. On his chest, he already had five dazzling Gem Sockets after they were transnted from Elder Dadarius. But he could get even stronger? How would such a thing even be possible? Alexander''s eyes shone with a calctive light as he pointed to the Beast below him and the others that were running on the City below to face theing army. "These Beasts below me¡­I can extend the same power to you as well. The only¡­awkward part of it is that a strong connection will be formed between you and me. Of course, I would never force you to do anything you don''t want to." ¡­! Something he didn''t wish to entertain in his mind in thest day. His Minion King Gem Recipe could dominate¡­any Life Form that submitted to make them a Minion. It never stated that it only had to be Beasts. But even the idea alone of making another Human being, much less a Gem Master he considered an Uncle as he saw him growing up...it was too difficult in Alexander''s mind before! But now? His mind was looking at things from an entirely different perspective. For better or for worse. Uncle Azazel''s eyes shook as he seemed to think ever so briefly. And then, he gazed towards the shaking earth in the distance, as well as the terrifying auras they could already feel in the distance. He breathed out a sigh as he knew his own limitations. If there truly were Tier 6 Beasts, and even a Beast King- a Tier 7 Beast¡­even the Ascendant Gem Masters of the Strongholds of the Asmodeus Bloodline would have to siege such beings with hundreds of their Tier 5 Gem Masters and their topmost Tier 6 and 7 Legends! How could he be confident before them? So¡­ "I trust you, Young Master." The old Gem Master breathed out and released his sense of control. At the forefront of the Cdrius, there were absolutely no mental reservations within Alexander as a Golden light shot from his chest and moments after. HUUM! A dominating light shot towards a human being as towards it, Azazel simply closed his eyes and allowed it to freely enter the depths of his being. The scene was shocking for others to see as, beside Alexander, ire felt her heartbeat getting ever faster as she looked towards Alexander. Then, with great courage and hesitation¡­ "Alex¡­me too. I will¡­!" She seemed to be gathering her will. She also didn''t want to be left behind nor feel helpless to help! Even in his new state of mind, Alexander turned towards her and stared into her blue eyes. His calm and analytical eyes smiled just a little as he asked. "Are you sure?" ¡­! Even though his mind looked at everything differently under [Meta Comprehension], this was still his childhood friend. Someone he had grown up ying with, the attachment being much greater! Her blue eyes locked with his as the lightning within them became even more decisive. Her fair face, which held traces of beauty, seemed to be more mature at this moment as she nodded with conviction. And Alexander...moved his hand to pat her head as he had done many times since they were young. On his chest, another st of golden light flourished before it sank into ire''s chest, their eyes locked onto each other as a shocking transformation began! A distance away, terrifying Beasts were about toe knocking! Chapter 59: A Terrifying State of Mind! I The changes were heavy, profound, and in the span of an instant. Behind, the body of the Cdrius nearly sank down as shockingly, a human Gem Master tremendously rose in size! His green battle robes expanded with him, this change urring in the most fantastical and eerie way possible as his state simply expanded in size until he came to tower over 30 meters. Nueire herself was over a hundred meters, and Azazel came to stand on her back while being a third her size. WUU! When his eyes opened, mes and lightning crackled. Arcs of lightning naturally fell over his body as his hands became wreathed in tendrils of bloody crimson mes. He held the [Barbarian Blood] Ability Gem as after gaining an additional two sockets, he had only further made his gem recipe more perfect. As he felt the size of his body. The explosion in his power. The fact that his vigor had increased by four or five timespared to what it was before! And even the fact that momentster, a blue star began to spin above him as his body became encased in a cial armament. He felt all of this as he couldn''t help but roar out. "OOOH!" A bellow of indignation and power! It shook the City of Anan and spread out towards theing army of beasts, Azazel seeming like a titanic ancient human to appear in the skies above as the pressure he radiated was utterly terrifying. ire, on the other hand, was much more controlled. Her body remained the same. As if she purposely didn''t want herself to erge in stature and be too different from Alexander, she remained slightly less than 2 meters tall, but her body feltpact with terrifying waves of lifeforce. The lightning around her from the [Lightning Grounds] Support Gem was much thicker and denser than others, and it coursed over her skin as it trembled to be released and expanded outwards! Her eyes opened with happiness as at this moment, she felt a faint connection extending from the depths of her mind towards Alexander. She focused on this connection and sent out a collection of thoughts. ''Can you¡­hear me?'' Her heart beat faster. And Alexander smiled as he nodded. ''Only when you want me to hear you.'' ¡­! Her eyes crackled with terrifying waves of lightning, but her smile became even sweeter at the fact that she and Alexander could now speak with their thoughts alone. She stood beside him, her power reigned in as nobody knew how terrifying it could be when she exploded out. Nueire arrived at the Walls of the City of Anan, this time beside the Lightning Sparrow, the Golden me Lion, and other Minions also appearing beside them like towering titans that looked ahead. In the distance, the outline of a massive Peacock neared! Alexander''s senses expanded out, his Enneagram letting out a dull glow as he continued his preparations. The set up of three possible Gem Recipes were ready to be socketed in his Enneagram depending on the enemies he was facing, and whether he even had to rush in selecting his next Gem Recipe in this battle. With a wider array of selection of Gems depending on how this battle went, he could have an evenrger database to choose from- or even a rarer Gem that can hold even more support gems. But of course, he had to survive to even enjoy any of these benefits. So¡­ The massive body of Gem Master Azazel sauntered forward and came to be at the center of Nueire, Alexander and ireing to stand beside his massive feet as Alexander¡­sent some of his thoughts towards Azazel. And momentster¡­like the bellow of a giant, his booming voice echoed out. "YOU DARE COME TO MY CITY?!" WU! His voice was deep and filled with power. A few miles away, the massive Peacock neared as a cloud of beasts followed behind it, its figure slowing down in the skies above as barely, the terrifying Beasts atop it could barely be seen with the eyes of powerful Gem Masters! But the most overpowering aura of all that forced people''s eyes to converge on it¡­was the ecstatic beast at the very center who looked with immense curiosity and interest towards Azazel. Around her, space seemed to flicker with instability. Around her, a formless aura spread out that cascaded for miles outwards, this aura arriving on the walls of Anan and radiating a suffocating pressure that actually caused the weak Gem Masters who were following Azazel to sink to their knees! Alexander and ire remained standing without an issue. One was the holder of the Enneagram with shocking features having been unlocked, and the other was connected to him with her power scaled up ridiculously! They stared at the terrifying cluster of Beasts of Corruption ahead- especially the one with the most terrific aura as on her chest¡­the brilliance of Seven Gem Sockets could be seen. Seven! A Beast Lord! This terrifying Beast Lord gazed towards Azazel as her red lips opened with amazement. "Big guy, where did youe from? Are you the one who killed Elder Dadarius?" Her voice was sweet and sultry as it echoed out. But the danger it posed¡­was unfathomable. Azazel continued to relieve the thoughts of Alexander as he sneered and smashed his chest with his massive hand. "A mere Elven worm thought they could match against me. What else did he deserve but death?" ¡­! The words were meant to provoke. And boy, did they provoke. HUUM! Beside the Beast Lord, the Elder Elven Commanders erupted with heavy waves of Energies, one particrly powerful Tier 6 Elven Beasts rising up as her hair flickered dangerously! "Elven worm? Elven worm?! You brute!" ¡­! The cloudy skies began to change color. The radiance of green shed across it ever so briefly as an enraged Tier 6 Elven Beast brought forward dominating momentum and power. And this whole time, a certain Beast Lord had not even made a move! Chapter 60: A Terrifying State of Mind! II The skies were tinged green as fantastically, trees began to emerge in the very cloudy skies and sink their roots in as if they were on the ground. A dense number of trees suddenly sprouted, gradually growing taller as the vines of these trees whipped around like massive tentacles! On the main trunk, eyes and a mouth filled with ferociousness formed as within moments, dozens of sentient trees filled the skies and seemed ready to attack. But around the Tier 6 Elder Commander who had a great attachment to thete Elder Dadarius, the terrifyingly gorgeous figure of the Beast Lord raised her hand. Commanding for this terrifying entity to stop as she looked at everything. And her voice continued to echo out with interest as she looked at Azazel. "You only hold a Five-Link Gem Blueprint. How is it that your power is within the bounds of Tier 6 Beasts? I''m curious to know now as I find it''s easier for you to speak while you are alive. Obtaining any information afterwards is a challenge." ¡­! Her words turned terrifying at the very end. She was an extremely perceptive entity. She gagged the power of Azazel fairly well as she also had her eyes on the Cdrius and other Minions! What she didn''t know¡­was that the true master of all of these entities was actually the young man calmly standing on the Cdrius beside the girl who seemed to be ready to give her life for him. At this moment, this young man was looking at the terrifying enemies that hade and putting the new features of the Enneagram to use. Analysis. The Enneagram on his chest shed as uniquely, blue sets of words began to rise above the heads of the enemies before them. [Tier 6 Elven Beast]:: 6 Gem Sockets with a Main Ability rting to the rare Element of Life. [Vigor]:: 15,855/15,855(+5,000/5,000 from the Blessing of the Forest) [Energeia]:: 18,101/18,644 [Tier 6 Peacock Beast]:: 6 Gem Sockets with a Main Ability rting to the element of Air. [Vigor]:: 16,211/16,211 [Energeia]:: 19,222/19,399 [Tier 6 Orc Beast]:: 6 Gem Sockets with a Main Ability rting to the element of Earth. [Vigor]:: 23,555/23,555 [Energeia]:: 11,333/11,390 ¡­! The quantification of terrifying entities unveiled themselves as the Elven Beasts held around the same values, while the Orc Beast Commanders had terrifying levels of Vigor but much less Energeia! Their thick roiling obsidian muscles seemed like immovable bastions of steel, but they weren''t the most terrifying. Naturally, this fell to the Beast Lord. [Tier 7 Peacock Beast Lord]:: 7 Gem Sockets with a Main Ability rting to the rare element of Space. [Vigor]:: 38,581/38,581 [Energeia]:: 38,333/38,339 "..." Horrific values showed themselves. Values that were enough to make one feel despair! It felt like an imprable wall had appeared right before them, and they may not be able to scale how vast it was! But Alexander''s eyes shone with a terrifying state of mind as under [Meta Comprehension], all sources of information came in and were broken down as within moments, he already had a course of action to take. CAA! The cry of a bird echoed out as a p of lightning shed. In the midst of the Beast Lord seeking to talk and instill fear, the Lightning Sparrow moved under themands of Alexander as it instantly tore across the skies to appear in front of the Peacock carrying terrifying Beast Commanders! "Vile!" The massive trees floating in the skies struck out with their roots and branches that carried heavy weight, but the Lightning Sparrow was already near as around it, a deadly storm of lightning spread. It epassed the Peacock floating in the skies and those on it, but this may not necessarily be a good thing as those on this Peacock were too powerful. Alexander observed unique details under Analysis as the massive trees assaulted the Lightning Sparrow while it released a deluge of lightning from its beaks. [-300] [-400] [-200] The spinning Constetion above it spun brilliantly as the cial Armor of the Deep protected it from any damage, with Alexander observing how much of it was being chipped away every second! But then, a dark spear appeared in the hands of the ferocious Tier 6 Orc. And it shot forth with terrifying speed and force. BOOM! [-6,000] A heavy impact smashed onto the chest of the Lightning Sparrow, the thin blue armor of ice fully protecting it. But from another direction, a bow was drawn by a Tier 6 Elven Commander from it, a ming arrow shot out and unfurled into the faint outline of a holy aerial beast! BOOM! [-7,000] And yet¡­the Lightning Sparrow remained unfettered, its tendrils of lightning smashing all around as the Peacock''s feathers became scorched. At this time, the Beast Lord harrumphed as her eyes became sharp. Her hand tapped out. An unseen impact smashed onto the Lightning Sparrow with such shocking force that instantly, the unbreakable cial Armor of the Deep shattered. [-16,500] An extremely heavy and terrifying attack that would have decimated the Alexander of a few hours ago. When it came, it showed how terrifying the power of a Beast Lord was! But at this scene, a sly smile rose on Alexander. Why did he send out a single Lightning Sparrow? First, the amount of Damage the enemy could deal had to be gauged. And then¡­ BOOM! The spinning star above the Lightning Sparrow trembled and cracked as in the surroundings, the temperature instantly dropped below freezing. When the cial Armor of the Deep was destroyed, the Rage of the Ice King would be released. In the distance, the gaze of the Beast Lord flickered as she waved her hands, thousands of multicolored feathers wrapping around her. And an instantter¡­ WUU! As if a star had fallen and cried out. The Rage of the Ice King ensued as for nearby miles, everything began to change as the skies and earth became painted white- as if an Ice Age had arrived! This¡­was only the first move of Alexander while he attained a terrifying state of mind. There were many more to follow! Chapter 61: Disastrous! I As if a star had fallen! And truly, the Gem Constetion, Endless cial Dream, had its fantastical cial Armor of the Deep destroyed around the Lightning Sparrow. This action released the Rage of the Ice King, which was the equivalent of three times the Energeia Values of this Sparrow! Its Energeia Values had already exceeded 6,000 after the most recent boosts for the Minion King Gem Recipe. Its damage¡­was actually equivalent to the strike that the Beast Lord had released which had shattered the cial Armor of the Deep itself. But the Rage of the Ice King was wide. It was vast. BOOOM! As earthen earth and skies had entered a new age. An ice age! Deep waves of ice spread out and froze everything, heavy winds picking up where ice wasn''t present as even cial swirls of sharp cutting winds whipped around dangerously. |OOOH!| The roars of powerful Beasts could be heard as the Elder Commander Orcs shone with a dark light, the Elder Commander Elves shone with verdant lights, and the Elder Commander Peacock radiated a terrifying multicolored light that shattered! The terrifying Beast Lord¡­was nowhere to be found. But the most shocking thing was that amidst the cial storms pulsing in the background, on the bodies of the Tier 6 Beasts¡­jagged injuries from the sts of cial ice could be seen. Their expressions were immeasurably sour as none of them came out unscathed! Behind them, the towering army led by Tier 5 and Tier 4 Beast Commanders came to a halt as they felt the chilling air and the massive cier that extended its chill towards them, their eyes full of shock as they called out to their Commanders! At the same time, the Lightning Sparrow that had done all of this was called backwards, its protection now having been shattered as after a minute, the light of the Gem Constetion would shine on it again. At this time, Alexander sent his gaze up to the furthest point in the skies. There, a gorgeous entity looked down coldly as the dress she adorned had a rip, with a portion of her fair leg frozen as the ice on it was broken. She floated in the skies without any wings, a transparent Spatial light buzzing around her with extreme danger as she gazed towards Azazel with an extremely cold gaze at this moment. They still believed him to be the Leader, and how could they ever think differently when Alexander gave no aura or indication of having tremendous waves of power? Yet at this time, his thoughts flowed toward ire and Azazel. ''Gang up on the Beast Lord and expose more of her power; if your cial Armor of the Deep breaks, she will be further weakened as you can pull back.'' ¡­! SAA! ire''s small body lit up with cerulean lightning the moment this was uttered as she crossed the skies speedily towards the Beast Lord. "OOW!" Azazel let out a roar of earth shaking power as tendrils of blood formed into rivers of blood beneath his feet, his figure being raised upwards as in his hands, spears of blood appeared. The blood of the Barbarian burned brightly as he flung the spears of blood as if they were shot out of a massive bow, the figure of the Beast Lord teleporting away from her position multiple times to evade them as her gaze became colder, but this was when ire arrived! She brought with her a region of lightning. And her own hands crackled with even deeper waves of lightning. YAA! Fearlessly, she did something she couldn''t have imagined herself doing even hours ago. She tantly went against a Tier 7 Beast Lord! Azazel and ire cornered a terrifying Beast Lord in the skies, and the Cdrius Alexander was on cried out while the Golden Lion, me Hound and other Minions shot out Elemental attacks from a distance towards the injured Beast Commander. Seeing the shocking scene unfolding, these Beast Commanders gritted their teeth and broke the ice around them to pull back. "Use the forces of our armies! Pull back and let them wear down the enemy!" They had an army of a few hundred thousand behind them. Why take the brunt of the attacks themselves if they could wear down the Vigor and Energeia of their enemies?! So instead, they would send their forces first in waves. They would let them die in their stead while their enemies became more worn down! ''But¡­I do not wish to let you do that.'' Alexander''s eyes observed the whole battlefield as well as the retreating Commanders. This whole time, his mind was theorizing how he could act to end the battle with no casualties on his side, all the while obtaining new terrifying Minions and even getting his hands on rare Gems. To achieve this, he had a few possible Gem Recipes ready, but when he actually analyzed everything¡­ ''My greatest strength is currently the Minions.'' Yes. He came to understand that his power, at its best, was being expressed through these Minions. He was still too young, with his Vigor and Energeia not having grown to the point where his enemies were at! Even at this moment, the levels of Vigor of the Lightning Sparrow or Nueire were a few thousand higher than his due to the Minion King Gem Recipe. So, he came to a terrifying conclusion. ''Further increased the power of Minions.'' Make them even more terrifying. As he looked at the Tier 6 Beasts pulling back while healing themselves with skills or pulling out Gems filled with Life force, Alexander gave themand towards his Enneagram. ''Sacrifice the Corrupted Lightning King Gem Recipe for another Gem Constetion.'' ¡­! [The Corrupted Lightning King Gem Recipe is now unusable and archived.] [The passive effects of any abilities augmenting you are retained.] [The Support Ability Gems within the sacrificed Corrupted Lightning King Gem Recipe are archived and selectable as Support Ability Gems for any future Recipes.] [The Gem Constetion, Light of the Void, has been born.] ¡­! His Enneagram spun with brilliance. Yes. He had seen how terrifying a Gem Constetion was in supporting currently existing recipes. If one already made things this fantastical, why not two? HUUM! On the Enneagram, a second faint twinkling star appeared near its center, its color a deep shade of red. The Gem Constetion, Light of the Void. Chapter Explore: It shone on Alexander''s chest. He then raised his head as only he could sense that in the distant skies, far past them, a second genuine star appeared and connected to him. The moment this happened, everything went utterly nuts! Chapter 62: Disastrous! II Ridiculous. That was the only word that could describe what happened next! In the distant skies, where a blue star was already radiating its grace downwards, a crimson star also bloomed. The second Gem Constetion. The Light of the Void! [Under the light of the Void, all active Gem Recipes are granted certain effects.] [The Wings of Crimson Light are applied to the holder of the Gem Recipes and any applicable life forms connected to him through the Gem Recipes. The Wings of Crimson Light grants the inherent ability of Nature Defiance- allowing for the absolute rejection of gravity and other forces that dictate movement across different states of matter. All usage of the Wings of Crimson Light is entirely passive and requires no input from Energeia. No matter the mass or amount of Energeia of the one the Wings of Crimson Light are attached to, their speed can achieve the equivalent of a Millionth the Speed of Light.] ¡­! This. This! The moment these words echoed out in Alexander''s mind, this was where everything began going utterly nuts. On his back and on the backs of all of those connected to him through the Minion King Gem Recipe, crimson light shed. Gorgeous wings that seemed to be born from pure crimson lightning- their brilliance painting their surroundings with a hint of red and they brimmed with silent power. Chapter Read: The moment they appeared around Alexander, he felt as if countless chains and limitations that were always weighing him down disappeared. What the Wings of Crimson Light granted was not just the ability to fly. No. Goodness no! They horrifically held something termed Nature Defiance where there was an absolute rejection of gravity among any other forces! No gravity. No wind resistance. Nothing. So when Alexander merely had a thought¡­ SAA! His figure flickered as he rose up from the feathers of Nueire who also had this pair of crimson wings now sprouting on her back. He rose up¡­and stayed up as if he were floating! But he wasn''t truly floating. His body turned sideways in the cold skies until his eyes were gazing at the blue skies above directly. He could be considered a horizontal line between the earth below and the skies above, but he felt nothing weighing down on him. As if his back was lying on something- he could never fall! He could even fall asleep in this current position in the skies, and he would remain so until his thoughts decided differently. "...crazy." He couldn''t help but shake his head. This was an effect of a Gem Constetion? This was simply nuts! But it wasn''t done. [Everything supported with the Wings of Crimson Light shall have the support of extremely charged red lightning, giving their attacks the speed equivalent to a Millionth the Speed of Light.] "..." That was it. The first Gem Constetion, the Endless cial Dream, had the cial Armor of the Deep, Rage of the Ice King, and Physical and Elemental Damage reductions among its boons. The Second Gem Constetion gave the Wings of Crimson Light and a single other boon as this alone¡­seemed extremely overwhelming! Capable of movement at a rate of one millionth the speed of light. How was this? And in addition to movements, one''s attacks would also be charged with red lightning to achieve the same speed! This was exactly what began an utterly disastrous battle. Alexander remained ''floating'' horizontally as he saw the scene above with rity. Azazel had the same Wings of Crimson Light flourishing behind him along with ire. Alexander''s thoughts already traveled towards Azazel and all others to let them know of the terrifying capabilities of the Wings, but they themselves could sense it as if they had obtained another limb! Their eyes expressed their shock and horror. Azazel expressed his incredulity as his massive body was being held up in the skies effortlessly. The bloody mes below his feet disappeared as he didn''t need them any longer. He stared towards the angered figure of the Beast Lord whose hands were raised, the skies above her turning a translucent color as the air began to take on the hue of ss. Undoubtedly, a terrifying attack wasing. But¡­ "So what?" Azazel''s deep voice was gruff as rapidly, another bloody spear appeared in his hands. But this spear crackled with tendrils of crimson lightning as with a flick. A single flick! SAA! The bloody spear disappeared. The gaze of the Beast Lord Vishp above changed greatly as her senses danced dangerously. But before she could even teleport away¡­ BOOM! A thick bloody spear smashed directly on her chest! CRACK! On her chest, a thin invisible film of light was smashed into with such speed that it nearly shattered, and her figure was flung up high in the skies! ¡­! The scene caused the retreating Tier 6 Beasts delving into their armies to stare with their mouths agape while the roaring army of a few hundred thousand beasts no longer made a great deal of noise. It was the start of a disaster. Elven Beast Commander Lidar, who came to avenge Elder Dadarius, gazed out with horror as even though he was tracking the smashed figure of the Beast Lord whose protection was nearly broken, he saw the skies be covered in the next instant. The massive body of a Golden me Lion appeared as it was suspended in the skies effortlessly. As if its body weighed absolutely nothing. Radiant Crimson wings cackling with lightning zed on its back as in the next moment, it opened its jaws. And Golden mes filled with tendrils of red lightning streaked out, Lidar''s expression changing as before his facial muscles could even fully develop the frowns and anger- before he could even blink¡­the mes had somehow already appeared around him as they raged down on him and the section of the army he just reached! ¡­! Shocking scenes like these began to bloom. Alexander remained suspended in the skies and smiled as his calctions paid off. "It seems that Gem Constetions were the way to go¡­" A bright smile. A smile because by his calctions, his current power that was already going towards shocking levels would likely rise even more. What he wanted to achieve¡­was more than possible! Chapter 63: Disparity I In the skies above the City of Anan. The Tier 7 Beast Lord, Vishp, floated in the skies while clutching her chest with shock and incredulity. Who was she? She was a paramount Beast Lord who led a whole army- someone who was getting ready to face Ascendant Gem Masters of the Human Lineage andy im to theirnds! She took a detour. A small detour to satisfy the Elven Beasts as she kept in mind the Elven Beast King that even her Master respected. But this detour¡­ Why did it seem like they had arrived in an ancient humannd that held Gem Masters more terrifying than even the Ascendant Gem Masters she was going to face? Things began simply enough, but they had now arrived at the point where dazzling crimson wings erupted behind the gigantic Five-Link Gem Master and the Beasts working under him! When these wings appeared, it felt like their true power was unveiled as she faced an attack she couldn''t escape from. A spear faster than what she could evade! The [Barrier of Space] around her nearly shattered as she was flung to the skies. She grit her teeth and disrupted the surrounding space while stabilizing herself, but even before she could retaliate¡­ SAA! Blue lightning crackled as it was oveid with crimson light, the figure of a young girl with Five-Link Gem Sockets instantly appeared above her while her body spun, her handsshing out a pir of blue lightning that was simply too fast! Facing this, the Beast Lord instantly twisted something inside of her as¡­ BOOM! Her humanoid form disappeared. Multicolored feathers flourished as the form of a dazzling Peacock unfolded in the skies, a storm being whipped around by its advent as even while it made its appearance¡­ "Fellow Gem Masters, can we have a discussion first?" The sweet voice of the Peacock echoed out towards Azazel who had prepared another spear, and ire whose hands were forming more Pirs of lightning! In the midpoint of the skies, a figure with radiant wings of Lightning stared calmly as the massive form of the Peacock that was actually forced to full power by Azazel and ire alone. This was a Beast Lord. A Beast Lord! Down below, the figure of Elder Commander Lidar had the massive w of the Golden me Lion pressing down on its injured body, the surroundings being hellish ones as the earth was transformed into ava-like area by the terrifying mes of the Golden me Lion. This whole area looked like a crater as thousands of Tier 4 Beasts and below had perished, the only thing left behind being their Gems and Ascendant Life Gems of the Tier 4 Beasts! At this moment, an extremely fast sh of crimson lightning buzzed around this whole crater, all Ability Gems and the Ascendant Life Gems disappearing from the scorched earth as momentster, this crimson light formed into the figure of Alexander as he appeared above Lidar. Lidar who burned as much of his Energeia as he could to ensure that he wasn''t crushed under the weight of the massive Golden me Lion. All the Gems within this crater had entered Alexander''s Isted storage space, which was among the passive capabilities retained even after the Corrupted Lightning King Gem Recipe became the Gem Constetion, Light of the Void. So he stored all the boons so far as he then looked into the eyes of the maddened Elven Beast Commander. The Elven Beast Commander who saw his calmly appearing figure and grit his teeth as he spoke out. "Mercy, O Human Gem Master. The Elven Beast Lord upying the Skypeak Ascendant Stronghold of Gnis will pay any price you put forth in exchange for my life." ¡­! Yes. He used one of the methods of his Beast World when he faced this terrifying enemy as whenever one of their forces was captured, their people would negotiate with the enemy for their release in exchange for resources! Of course, the enemy had to have sufficient power. But when it came to this massive Golden me Lion and how fast it could move, and how heavy its attacks were, that showed a great disparity of power between him and it¡­these enemies had the power to negotiate as Lidar put forth this method right away. And the Human Gem Master, whose Sockets couldn''t really be made out on his chest, looked at him calmly. As if he were looking at an ant below him. Lidar waited for his answer while gritting his teeth, promising internally to pay back this disrespect after he was back by the side of the Elven Beast Lord! But¡­from the human Gem Master, and extremely calm voice came out. "No Elven Beasts will survive this battle today." WAA! As if stating a fact. As if noting the color of the skies! Words were uttered out so simply that by the time Lidar''s gaze changed, he only saw the mane of the Golden me Lion shining brilliantly as its head locked onto him, its eyes releasing beams of cylindrical light that pulsed with crimson lightning! It reached his body in no time as his consciousness began to fade away along with its brilliance. Before it entirely faded, his unresigned will wondered. Just who the hell had theye across? BOOM! The earth became further scorched as at this time, the first Tier 6 Beast fell outside the City of Anan. Where his body used to be, six dazzling Ability Gems and a massive Ascendant Life Gem could be seen alongside a melting skeleton, Alexander going forward to obtain these as well as a sliver of the anger within his heart was satisfied. Every Elven Beast that died was a testament to his revenge. None of them would ever have the chance to be bound to him as Minions- with their only path being fuel for his growth as he obtained their Ability Gems and their Ascendant Life Gems. In this current battlefield, maybe the Orcs could be Minions. Maybe the Peacocks could be Minions. Chapter Find: But the Elven Beasts¡­there was only the path of death for them! Chapter 64: Disparity II A deathly cry of a Tier 6 Beast rang out across the battlefield as many heads turned ashen due to it! A Tier 6 Beast Commander. What did such a distinction mean? For one to fall, groups of Tier 5 Ascendant Humans led by at least one Tier 6 Ascendant Human were required! Yet, there were no Tier 6 Ascendant Humans here. Only Beasts, and three humans with crimson wings of Lightning. Faced with such a reality, the other Tier 6 Beast Commanders couldn''t help but feel a sense of dread for their own mortality, their bodies instantly erupting with all their power! "AWUU!" A Tier 6 Orc Commander bellowed out as his body erged. From towering over 10 meters, his crystalline ck skin and body erged to tower over five times in size as its eyes were red while looking at the me Hound. It swung an equally erged club in its hands towards the beast as¡­ SAA! BOOM! The massive me Hound evaded as if it were a crimson phantom. Therge club smashed the frozen earth and caused a crater, with this Orc only being able to move its eyes in shock as it saw the figure of the me Hound already shing behind him- its w swiping down at a speed it couldn''t avoid as a booming sound more terrifying than what it produced echoed out! His obsidian body was caved into the earth while his life force cried out in dismay. In another area. A Tier 6 Peacock and an Elven Beast Commander stood side by side, an entire forest blooming around them defensively asrge trees rose from the cial surroundings! [The Forest of Life]! [Regal Fervor]| Two abilities thatplemented each other and ovepped rose up as the Beast Commanders sought to give themselves time and defend. But¡­ BOOM! The blooming forest cracked apart as the huge trees were overturned. Dense and massive vines crackling with lightning erupted out as in the distance, Nueire red at them coldly. The Gem Masters from the city of Carthage on her back looked at everything happening with sheer incredulity as they didn''t even know how all of this was possible. But many scenes like this urring across the front of the battlefield showed a single thing. A disparity in power. And surprisingly, it wasn''t favoring those that one would expect! "GAH!" The Tier 6 Orc Commander that was smashed onto the earth wheezed out a breath as its eyes shook questioningly. It wasn''t dead? Its eyes shook as the figure of a me Hound stood above him coldly, while in the distance, tens of thousands of Orcs from the army roared out with madness while ignoring everything- seeking toe and save him! Yet the moment they neared the storm of lightning surrounding all the Titanic Beasts¡­they were forced toe to a stop and pull back, or they were killed right away. It was maddening. The Tier 6 Orc Commander felt all of this closely as its mangled body couldn''t even rise up. The w of the me Hound pressed on it painfully as its very torn skin was being cooked from the sheer temperature of the mes surrounding the me Hound. Painful. It was too painful! If it was going to be killed, why not make it quick?! The moment this question rose, the bloodied eyes of the Orc Commander saw a sh of crimson light. And momentster, a Young human whose eyes caused him to feel even colder appeared above. His body was floating horizontally in the skies in an eerie manner as he floated down while voicing out calmly. "Will you live or die?" ¡­! He asked such a question as if he was mocking the Tier 6 Orc Commander. Shame and fear filled the mangled Orc down below as his blood burned bright, his eyes bing firm as he wanted to roar out! But¡­ "Will you submit and live, or will you die with pride?" His question expanded. Chapter Continue: The pupils of the Tier 6 Orc Commander constricted greatly as it gave a brief nce to the deadly me Hound that seemed to just be waiting for orders, as well as the other massive Beasts and that powerful titanic Human facing the Beast Lord. ''Ah¡­'' Things finally clicked. They were wrong from the very beginning. They hadn''t even managed to pinpoint the true enemymander standing opposite them! The Orc Commander looked at the eerie terrifying young human above it as it began tough with bloody tears and broken pride. "Gaha-ha¡­live. I want to live." ¡­! Nobody wanted to die. Certainly not extremely powerful entities that had gained a taste of true power! From above, a golden beam of light erupted from the chest of Alexander and went towards the heavily injured Tier 6 Orc Commander. Closer to the Walls of Anan, but far in the skies, the massive figure of the Peacock was actually towering over 30 meters as it faced both Azazel and ire, with Azazel and the Beast Lord looking like massive buildings smashing each other in the skies while ire radiated rivers of scorching lightning! CAA! The Beast Lord cried out with a sense of anger. "Are you all not listening?! Do not force me!" As her voice boomed out, her beautiful head shone as a massive green crown appeared above her. The crown was iid with thousands of Gems and radiating ecstatic power as it instantly released a st that pushed away Azazel and ire. The eyes of the Beast Lord were ferocious. "Do. Not. Force. Me!" She seemed utterly enraged as she boomed out at this moment! Behind her, a vibrant feathery tail vibrated with wonder as the green crown that had just appeared caused a shocking aura to spread across the battlefield. What was this? What type of weapon could be this heart-shaking?! "I say again, Fellow Gem Masters, can we have a discussion?" Her words brimmed with confidence and power that seemed deeply ingrained in her! Chapter 65: Between Life and Death! I Among the many wonders of Gem Masters, there were those with Abilities specifically geared towards forging. Within the Peacock Lineage, their regal bloodline held multiple Gem Master Forgers who could design and produce terrifying Gem Armaments! Beast Lord Vishp never thought she would be pushed to utilize the crown currently floating above her head by a force she didn''t even know existed. This force wasn''t mentioned by the intelligence reports they obtained from the Gnis Bloodline, even though they appeared in a City that was under their banner. And the power they disyed was utterly maddening as it was even sufficient to threaten her. She red with a terrifying gaze towards the young girl wreathed in lightning and the man who had pulsing mes of blood around him. They had 5 Gem Sockets on their chests, but their power was levels above this as she could not treat them like Tier 5 Ascendant Gem Masters at all! With the dazzling crown spinning above her, she brought a momentary pause as she gazed at the battles urring below. And what she saw only caused her gaze to deteriorate further as she harrumphed while speaking out. "We obviously made a mistake in targeting this domain of yours. We will pull back our forces right away, and neither of our sides will devolve into a life and death battle. You don''t want any casualties on your side, right? If I really stake my life and everything I have, I am confident in wiping out at least half of your forces¡­and I do not wish to go that far since there are no irreversible enmities between us. What say you?" The sweet voice of the Beast Lord rang out towards Azazel and ire as they stared at her wordlessly. It was only a momentter, after Azazel silently received words in his mind, that he replied. "We have no enmity with you, but hold great enmity with the Elven Beasts. You leave them behind, and you along with your army¡­could pull back." ¡­! Words that caused the face of Beast Lord Vishp to change while the Elven Beast Commanders in the distance seeking to avoid Alexander''s Minions became ashen. Lidar had already perished as the remaining ones did not want to meet the same fate! But when they only heard silence from the Beast Lord, their hearts shook even more as this silence said a great deal. She was actually contemting it! Such an idea was not even a possibility just second ago, and yet now it seemed to be a reality as how could they understand. From the perspective of the Beast Lord who faced the roided out Azazel and ire who had the support of two Gem Constetions¡­such a sacrifice may be more than okay to ensure their safety. The feathers of the Peacock in the skies illuminated with radiance as the terrifying crown above its head filled with Gems hid its terrifying edge, her voice echoing out. "Alright." ¡­! What! "Beast Lord!" "Vishp! You¡­!" Cries boomed out from below as the Orcs and Peacocks felt their enemies retreat from them as they went towards the remaining Tier 6 Elven Beast Commanders and the Tier 5, 4, and other weaker Beasts that they led. They breathed heavily as if a foot that was pressing on their chest was removed, and they grit their teeth as they did nothing to help the Elven Beasts. "You can''t do this!" "BEAST LORD!" A rain of hundreds of arrows gushed out from one area where a Tier 6 Elven Beast was clustered, but both the Lightning Sparrow, whose body shone with a cial Armor of the Deep once more, and a Golden me Lion were already above it. Their lightning stopped this rain of arrows as thebination of mes and lightning crashed down to scorch everything there! A scorching figure was all that remained around the melting earth as another Tier 6 Elven Beast fell. "No¡­!" Another one faced the wrath of Nueire who sought to prove herself along with the second me Crow, extremely heavy vines smashing down alongside mes as these attacks were truly overkill. But they achieved their effects! Another Tier 6 Elven Beast couldn''t defend and fell. The Gems they all left behind disappeared soon enough as a sh of crimson light constantly moved across the battlefield, this sight causing terror to rise in the hearts of the observing beasts as the Beast Lord didn''t wish to watch this any longer! "Let''s go!" Her voice echoed out as her massive body began to move back. The army that had just arrived churned and began to tumble back in waves. The Beast Lord was the first in her retreat, her body shing with green light as she ignored the pleas of the Elven Beasts below! She did this just in case. Her senses only breathed a sigh of relief as they observed the figures of Azazel and ire still floating in the skies behind without making a move. She had actually escaped this ordea-...! BOOM Her figure came to a halt in the skies. With a booming sound akin to the sound barrier being broken, an obsidian figure filled with tout muscles appeared in the skies in front of her. An Orc Commander. His titanic humanoid figure looked oppressive as he towered over 150 meters! Behind him, ring crimson wings of Lightning spread out as on his chest, six gems shone radiantly. He looked like a massive building floating in the skies as he had aplex and difficult expression on his face while he gazed at the Beast Lord. "My Ascendant Master¡­has changed his mind. None of you are to leave here." ¡­! The aura emanating from the Orc Commander in the skies was maddening. Depending on the starting point, the elevation of anyone who became bound to Alexander as a Minion varied. The Tier 4 Beasts were raised in power by all three Supporting Gems to be capable of unleashing peak Tier 6 levels of power as Minions. So what would happen when an already powerful Tier 6 Beast became bound as a Minion and obtained the multipliers to their Vigor and Energeia? To their size and power? The answer was pure, unfiltered, devastation! Chapter 66: Between Life and Death! II Just how much different was a Tier 6 Orc Commander after bing Alexander''s Minion? The answer was truly a terrifying one as there were Support Gems multiplying the Vigor and Energeia values of Minions, their size, as well as an all around increase of parameters from the Gem Constetion, Endless cial Dream! The difficult expression on the Tier 6 Orc Minion exined this as in his eyes, immense shock coursed through him while he sensed his own power. This was possible? One could actually do this? With the connection from the Ascendant Master, he even had a gauge of the quantity of the level of power he currently held. When he sensed it. When he felt its heavy oppression. He found himself questioning¡­was this not the overabundance of Life Force that could only be found within the bodies of the Dragon Beast Lineage and the other Rare Royal Beast ns?! [Tier 6 Orc Beast Minion]:: 6 Gem Sockets with a Main Ability rting to the element of Earth. [Vigor]:: 23,555/23,555 > 105,998/105,998 (+529,990/529,990 cial Armor of the Deep) [Energeia]:: 11,333/11,390 > 51,001/51,255 "..." The values of power reached were astonishing andpletely eclipsed anything else on this current battlefield! The effect of the cial Armor of the Deep on low values of Vigor that were in the hundreds or a few thousands was negligible. But when they reached tens or even a hundred thousand? The thin transparentyer of frost around the obsidian Tier 6 Orc made him akin to an imprable moving Fortress that far outssed anything on this battlefield. The Tier 6 Orc sighed and shook his head while he stared at the ashen and wrathful Beast Lord Vishp before him. "You¡­you¡­!" He knew what she wanted to say. That he was rebelling. How dare he rebel and join the enemy. But he also knew Vishp was smart. She could see the bright crimson wings of Lightning behind him and the swirl of a lightning storm reminiscent of all enemy Beasts she had been facing. She knew what this naturally meant. She knew that the Tier 6 Orc Commander was subjugated and turned into an enemy force! But her mind seemed to be utterly defiant at the fact that his power¡­seemed to cause her senses to pulse with such deafening danger at this moment. The crown above her, filled with Gems, began to spin rapidly as she bellowed out with fury. "Dishonorable humans!" ¡­! Dishonorable! The moment the massive Orc appeared before her, her heart shuddered as this was one of the few things repeating in her head. How it was impossible, and how dishonorable they were by saying they would do one thing and then proceed to do the direct opposite. Her bestial eyes turned around and gazed at the battlefield behind her where the retreating Tier 6 Peacocks and remaining Tier 6 Orcs were surrounded by titanic Beasts with crimson wings, and even the figures of Azazel and ire who were facing her. But now, they didn''t even pay attention to her. Her heart lurched as she instantly understood. Her eyes searched the skies. And she didn''t have to seek for a long time as there, past the Walls of Anan, she found the floating figure of a young man who seemed to be sitting in the very skies. As if there was a clear tform nobody could see, he sat in the skies while looking towards her with eyes that didn''t seem entirely human! Eyes that seemed to be calcting and analyzing everything coldly, with emotion shing within them every now and then. Especially when she called them dishonorable. She looked at this young man and his calm gaze that stared directly at her as it subconsciously caused her to shudder. "You¡­are the true master of these forces?" She asked a question she already knew the answer to. The young man floating in the skies didn''t even answer her as she instead made an undeniable statement. "In the next few minutes, you will either go through a great deal of pain and possibly die. Or¡­you can skip all of that and be like your Orc friend there. Submit. Otherwise, your long livese to an end here." ¡­! The words were said not just to her, with the eyes of this terrifying young man gazing towards the remaining Tier 6 Beasts as well. Submission, or Death. The choice they were given was a clear one, as when Beast Lord Vishp heard it, she closed her eyes. Eyes that then opened with vibrant defiance! Who was she? She was a fucking Beast Lord! She-...! BOOM! As if her defiance was seen, Alexander, in the distant skies, made a dismissive motion as an instantter, the towering Tier 6 Orc Minion shed above her and swung his obsidian fist down. Its size alone covered the whole surface area of the sizable Peacock form of the Beast Lord. It was utterly terrifying! The obsidian fist, moving at a speed of a millionth the speed of light, smashed into the dazzling bejeweled crown first, its force being so devastating that this crown that pushed down sank into the head of Vishp before a horrific force smashed her from the skies. ¡­.! As if she were a green meteor, she was flung towards the cial ground that met her within a matter of seconds. BOOM! Tens of thousands of weaker Beasts of the army down below were pulverized into blood and gore by the massive body falling from the skies, a crater being formed below as green and gold tendrils of light sought to protect a single beast lord! But¡­ BOOM! The earth quaked and trembled once more as the even more massive figure of the Orc Minion also touched down, his legs that were like ck mountains smashing another few thousand Beasts to actual pulp. After hended, he didn''t even give Beast Lord Vishp the chance to recover, or to even use the terrifying light of the Gem Armament crown to its full potential. The Orc Minion only raised his hands, which were akin to ancient obsidian mountains¡­and brought them smashing down onto the crater. BOOM! Once. BOOM! Twice. ¡­! The earth trembled rhythmically as a Beast Lord was being smashed to oblivion! Chapter 67: Lords, Kings, and Emperors! I Within a small corner of the World of Ephesus, a Beast Lord was being pounded by relentless obsidian fists mercilessly. In another corner of this world, there was the Skypeak Ascendant Stronghold of the Gnis Bloodline. A Stronghold was far bigger than mere City Fortresses stretched out to protect against low-tier Breaches, with it looking like a massive metropolis stretching out for over 200 miles. Tens of millions of Humans lived within such a stronghold as it was a bastion of humanity. Or...it used to be. Currently, massive obsidian skyscrapers built from crystals and materials excavated from Breaches could be seen, with Corrupted Airships floating across the skies serenely¡­but they weren''t the only ones. There were also Beasts patrolling the skies as if it were the norm, ranging from Peacocks to ferocious-looking Eagles, among others! Outside the massive walls of the Stronghold, swathes of Beasts numbering in the millions were camped out calmly in a shocking show of horror and power. Within the Stronghold itself, towards its very center. Inside a skyscraper fifty stories tall, the door was splintered open as it led into a wide ck hall lined up with golden banners. The one who had broken the door to enter was an Elven Beast who had five horns growing from his head and Seven Gem Sockets burning brilliantly on his chest. A Beast Lord! And the hall he barged into¡­has the eyes of multiple terrifying beings turn towards his direction. Tier 6 and Tier 7 golden-haired Human Gem Masters. Tier 6 and Tier 7 Beast Gem Masters! And one entity at the very center who could leave one breathless. An entity so beautiful that it was unfair, with his chest showing¡­Gem Sockets that were shaped like triangles. Triangle-shaped Gem Sockets. Not the circr-shaped gem sockets like all others. There were also just seven of them¡­but they were Variant Gem Sockets! Vibrant Gem Sockets, but uniquely, one could still see triangr-shaped Gems socketed within them. This being had vibrant green hair shimmering with tendrils of gold light as he gazed coldly at the one who had kicked the door down. "Must you do something so boorish, Beast Lord Celefindel?" ¡­! "Boorish? BOORISH? Look at this!" The Elven Beast Lord exploded with rage as he raised his hands to show multiple shattered gem crystals. "Lidar! Faenwe! They and all of my Elven Commanders traveling with your forces are dead. Dead! You put your fucking sister in Command of an army to prove herself, and now my brethren are dead!" ¡­! His Sister. The Esteemed Beast Lord Vishp! The moment her name was mentioned alongside dead Elven Commanders, the Peacock Gem Master with the Variant Gem Sockets had his eyes sh with a sharp light as he waved his hands and caused a small verdant gold chest to appear. This golden chest opened to unleash colorful waves of light as within, nine green Gems radiantly glowed with life! The sharp gaze within this entity eased at this scene as he spoke out calmly. "Vishp is fine. As for why your Elven Beast Commanders may have died¡­" The Variant Beast Lord turned to the Human Beast Masters in this hall. "We moved our forces based on your information regarding the Human Gem Masters of that Stronghold. Did we receive¡­faulty information?" ¡­! The surroundings turned immeasurably cold as the Human Gem Masters became stern. Facing this being, even though a few middle aged men- Tier 6 and even a Tier 7 Ascendant Gem Master, faced his gaze alone¡­they found their bodies pressured greatly! The Tier 7 Ascendant Gem Master was adorned in golden robes, a crown on his head as he was the Lord of the Skypeak Ascendant Stronghold of Gnis. He ruled over this great Stronghold before he joined hands with the Lineages of Beasts, and he now had to delicately walk around them as he replied while shaking his head. "My people just recently came back from that Ascendant Stronghold of the Asmodeus Bloodline as we confirmed all Ascendant Gem Masters there. The details we gave you are 100% urate¡­any possible failures are not due to us, Beast Lord Commander." As he spoke, his gaze coldly went towards the Elven Beast Lord as if he was stating that his Beasts dying had nothing to do with them! The Elven Beast Lord saw this clearly as his face became livid. "You worthless human scu-" "Mayfaire!" BOOM! The booming voice of the Variant Gem Master, the Beast Lord Commander, echoed out. He sat at the center of this hall of a golden throne, all others standing up left and right- humans and Beasts alike! He looked between the Ascendant Human Lord of the Gnis Stronghold here and the Elven Beast Lord who seemed to be at great odds as he spoke out coldly. "Our people have be united in an inseparable manner. Your Ascendant Gnis King¡­" He turned his head towards the Tier 7 Lord of the Skypeak Ascendant Stronghold of Gnis as he continued. "Your Ascendant Gnis King is at this moment working with our forces to wee the Delegation of the Royal Dragon Lineage and the Mythical Phoenix Lineage into this World. This is of paramount importance as it means more King Ranked Gem Masters and even Emperor Ranked Gem Masters may start their entry into this world. We do not bicker amongst each other as for us¡­there is a glorious future waiting." WU! A st of colorful golden-green waves erupted from the Variant Beast Lord Commander as he stated such words! "This world is special. Far more than any of us realize as we keep discovering more and more of its wonders. Humans and Beasts can only join hands to embrace the change and wonders toe as we have to be united! In the matter of the death of Eleven Beast Commanders¡­we will get an answer for you, O Beast Lord Mayfaire. Anastasia¡­" The Variant Beast Lord Commander turned towards a graceful and utterly gorgeous woman to his left. The feathers of a Peacock covered her back gorgeously as she batted her eyes. "You are the fastest among many here. Track down the path of the army that Little Vishp led and find out what happened. If there are any surprises, reinforce her. Send a message as soon as you know anything." His words were thew. Beast Lord Anastasia nodded as her figure turned into a sh of green light that disappeared right away! Chapter 68: Lords, Kings, and Emperors! II After hismand to Beast Lord Anastasia, the Variant Beast Lord Commander gazed calmly towards the Elven Beast Lord Mayfaire. "We will give you any answer for this, Mayfaire. For now, any news on your reach towards the other three Ascendant Human Lineages?" His words calmed everything in the surroundings as while swallowing his anger, the Elven Beast Lord Mayfaire harrumphed and replied. "Hmph, the other three Ascendant Human Lineages do not seem to get that coexistence in this world is better than extermination. All delegations have been denied even being heard, and in the Strongholds of the Ascendant Asmodeus Bloodline, they even massacred our delegations. For this, they need to pay, O Commander Atticus." ¡­! His words were filled with brutality as when the Variant Beast Lord heard them, he tapped his fingers on his throne thoughtfully. "The ces where the strongest of the native Lineages that were born from this world¡­will be the ces where change will be concentrated the most. When the process of Energeia Star Ascension starts, these strongholds that hold the most popted and strongest Human Lineages will undergo the most stupendous changes. This is why cooperation is more beneficial¡­" Terrifying secrets were revealed as the Gnis Lord gazed at the Human Gem Master Commanders beside him with shining eyes. The reasons why they had allied with the Beast Lineages were many, but this was one of the foremost ones! As the native Human Lineages, they stood to inherit the most wonders during the process of Energeia Star Ascension. But only if they were actually alive for it. The Gnis Lord wanted to ask. Why was the mechanism of the Energeia Star Ascension like this? Why did thends where most of the humans were, and those who were the most powerful, experience the most change? When he had asked about this change before, the Variant Beast Lord Atticus had looked at him silently for a few seconds before he said even more terrifying words. ''That is getting into mysteries even we haven''t fully understood yet, but as I know it¡­it is a form of a defense mechanism. Because, just like all of us, even a Star does not wish to die.'' ¡­! The Lord of the Skypeak Ascendant Stronghold of the Gnis Bloodline remembered these words and repeated them in his mind every day. Even today, he wanted to talk to the many other Tier 7 Human Lords of the other three Lineages! But each of them had their own path to follow. He would lead the part of the Gnis Lineage depending on him forward! "Very well." WAA! A burst of golden light erupted from Variant Beast Lord Commander Atticus as he pped his hands. "Human and Beast will move as one to besiege the nearby Ascendant Strongholds. Killing is not the goal¡­the goal is submission and cooperation. If we can begin procreation between Lineages soon and give rise to those born between us, we shall slowly attain the boons as natives of this world until there is a full assimtion¡­" ¡­! The words seemed calm enough, but the gazes of a few human Gem Masters behind the Gnis Lord clenched their fists with ashen faces. Procreation! Mixing with Beasts to give birth to their offspring! Their people would have to go through this in the future? Even though their faces were ashen, they couldn''t do anything else but listen. This was the boat they had jumped on, and now¡­they had to follow it to the end! ¡ª BOOM! The crystalline obsidian fists of the Orc Minion pummeled again and again as green gold feathers of the Beast Lord Vishp were plucked and strewn everywhere. A bloody bird was all thaty below as¡­ "Wait¡­" BOOM! "STOP!" BOOM! Even in the midst of her crying, as her Energeia tried to gather itself to activate the terrifying Gem Armament on her head, the fists still didn''t yield as the fists sounded relentlessly! They seemed to be gauging how much life force remained with every strike as after barely any cries wereing out of the bloodied regal Peacock¡­only then did the bloody fists of the Orc Minione to a halt. On top of its right shoulder, the figure of Alexander looked down on the twitching Beast Lord that wasn''t even allowed to showcase its power. A weak voice came from it. "Yo-you fucking¡­bastard. I s-said, stop¡­" The voice was weak and filled with resignation. Who was she? What status did she have? And yet she wasn''t even given a moment of rest as above the Orc Minion, Alexander voiced out coldly. "Do you yield?" "..." Down below, Beast Lord Vishp wheezed as she felt barely a hundredth of her life force remaining. She¡­ She¡­! ¡­! She saw the obsidian fists of the Orc Minion rise again as terror rose widely within her, knowing that if these fists came down on her again, endless darkness awaited her. So she quickly spoke out with fear. "Yield! I yield!" "..." The fists of the Orc Minion still hung in the air. Almost as if they didn''t believe her. "I fucking yield!" She shouted out this time fearing that the fists may truly juste down and end her, but it was a golden glow from the chest of Alexander that cascaded from his chest and came to bind her. Her being. Her life force. Her very soul. Her expression was maddening as such a thing urred, but she didn''t even twitch as she allowed this golden light to do whatever it wished. Her binding of yielding spread across the battlefield as all Beasts turned chaotic and began to scramble away. If the Beast Lord herself had yielded, what were they to even do?! This battle...could be considered set, and the victor was very clear! "Ah!" Cries of shock and fear echoed out from the remaining Orc and Peacock Beast Commanders that were surrounded and heavily injured, but Alexander''s gaze was only in a single spot. The bloodied Peacock down below. He had gotten himself a Tier 7 Beast Lord. How terrifying would the power he wielded be? And someone as powerful as her was bound to have a great deal of information that would paint an even clearer picture of what the Beast Lineages had in store, and what was toe! Chapter 69: Lords, Kings, and Emperors! III Green gold feathersy scattered all around as they were mixed with blood. Vishpy there defeated as she felt a tight and unbreakable golden line bind her very being, rage and resignation coursing through her as she couldn''t even resist. But in the next moment¡­ BOOM! A flood of inexplicable power coursed through the established connection as her extremely low life force felt like it was ignited into a fiery me! Her life! Her energy! It all exploded upwards rapidly from the inexplicable golden connection binding her as her rage turned into utter shock. Her injuries rapidly healed. And she could swear that her mind saw two twinkling stars sh ever so brightly. And then¡­a thin blue membrane began to cover her feathers that shone more lustrously than ever before. Not to mention her very body feeling the coursing tendrils of crimson lightning that felt like a part of her! This¡­this¡­! BOOM! From the crater she was in, her figure exploded out with magnificence and glory. Green and gold brilliance permeated, but the allure of red also arose as behind her already vibrant feathered wings, crimson wings made of pure light formed from her back. Two pairs. Four wings. It was akin to a Phoenix undergoing rebirth anding out the other side indescribably stronger- but in this case, it was a Peacock. "YAA!" Her cry reverberated out across the battlefield as it caused sharp winds to form. The Beasts who heard this cry felt their souls shudder as they bowed down in fear- not a single Beast rushing out or escaping anymore! What was a Beast Lord? This was a Beast Lord! In the skies, a vibrant Peacock with green, gold, and red feathers floated with pristine majesty, the bejeweled Gem Armament in the form of a crown she had never gotten the chance to use currently spinning above her head. Her eyes cleared up from the euphoria of it all as sheer incredulity descended in her mind. She looked at herself. Her body that she knew she could erge to be multiple timesrger than it was right now. And her life force¡­it was all just so unbelievable! But the reason for all of it was a single thing. That golden line of connection. Oh, that golden line! It tightly bound her as when she followed it, it was bound to a single man who stared at her calmly from the shoulders of a Winged Orc. She looked at him as she felt her heart shudder. She looked towards his chest as she sought to understand. She knew that at this moment, she had effectively be bound to this being as a ve. She had seen Gem Masters who took control over others and enhanced their power with their support Gems. Beast Masters. Summoners. Necromancers. There was a wide variety, and their ves were, at times, much stronger than they were. But¡­this was to an extent. To an extent. What happened to her after she became a ve was just unrealistic! She knew this very well since her life force alone was what¡­four or five times greater than before? This was impossible by itself, and yet as her will permeated across the thin blue armor covering her, she estimated it to be giving her the protection that was 5 times as much as her life force. What the fuck even was that?! She estimated that even if a Tier 8 Beast King came, she should be able to contend with them no problem! Even though she was only a Tier 7 Beast Lord, she felt like right now, even her brother with his terrifying power could be someone she could match. ''Ah¡­!'' She suddenly remembered. Her brother. She shed towards the man who had made her ve as her pride as a Beast Lord still remained, her figure arrived before him as she asked what was on her mind. An exnation of what could make her current change possible. "Are you¡­a Variant Gem Master?" ¡­! The question was a simple one, but it caused the distant figures of Azazel and ire to open their eyes in shock. As for Alexander, he floated towards the radiant Peacock while beckoning with his hands as he replied. "Why do you ask that?" He was beckoning, but Beast Lord Vishp turned her head sideways in confusion as she replied. "That''s the only way your power can be exined. And even then, it still doesn''t make sense. There are some truly terrifying Variant Gem Masters, especially within the Royal Beast ns and Mythical Beast ns, but no Variant Gem Socket that would have an enhancement effect as terrifying as this. And¡­what are you beckoning for?" ¡­! Variant Gem Masters! Azazel and ire Asmodeus looked at each other in shock. Were those the same Gem Masters that they considered to have Defective Life Sockets? That they themselves were defective? Of course, they never asked Alexander himself how exactly his Gem Sockets were, simply trusting him. But from the words of the Beast Lord, Variant Life Sockets were actually unique and powerful, and this seemed to apply greatly to Alexander! Alexander who at this moment pointed to the crown above the Beast Lord as he answered her as to why he was beckoning towards her. "It seems we have lots to talk about, but first- hand that over." ¡­! The eyes of the Beast Lord constricted. Her Gem Armament? This¡­ She wanted to say that this was her prized possession. That she was given under strict instructions to never lose it! She hadn''t even gotten the chance to use it as she was getting pummeled, and now¡­ She spoke to herself with resignation as the crown on her floated away and shrunk in size, going towards her new master. "What use will this be to you when you already have so much power¡­" She whispered this to herself, but she felt like the terrifying man ahead of her heard it as he raised his calm eyes towards her. She hurriedly gave away the crown as she began to worry. She began to worry about her brother¡­and her Peacock Beast Lineage if ever they had to face this terrifying being. How many of them will end up like her today, or even worse? Chapter 70: Lords, Kings, and Emperors! IV With clear resignation, Beast Lord Vishp handed over the dazzling Gem Armament that reduced in size until it fell into Alexander''s hands. A gold crown iid with many different colored gems. It looked like a stupendous work of art as the moment he held it, Alexander felt his Vigor and Energeia burn with activity- his Energeia that was used up slightly began to regenerate at a rapidly faster rate! In addition to this, the upper limit of his Vigor and Energeia seemed to have been tremendously increased! His Energeia was unconsciously pulled towards this crown as after it flooded into it and drained nearly half of his reserves, he felt a faint connection to it as it began to spin and float upwards¡­settling above his head before it sat itself sideways of his dark hair. "That¡­is a relic forged by a Beast King Engineer of the Dwarvebeast Bloodline. Iid with 100 Gems, it can boost the regeneration of life force and energy, grant at least a third of the Life force equivalent to a Beast Lord, and it can unleash a wave of Royal Gem Aura that suppresses others while enhancing the effect of your gem recipe. It is¡­" She wanted to say it was hers! Given to her to hold on to as normally, only truly powerful Beast Lords like her brother would be granted such tools to ensure their survival as they were the future of their Lineage. But¡­she could only sigh in resignation as her massive form radiated scintiting light before she transformed into a humanoid appearance. Her visage was utterly gorgeous to look at as her hair now held verdant and gold strands extending almost to her waist, her eyes watery and filled with shocking brilliance as a green dress covered her body. She looked towards Alexander and the gold crown thaty on his head, which made him look like a young king with his own green battle robe, as she sighed and epted what had happened. In front of her, Alexander touched the crown on his head as he spoke out calmly. "Is there any immediate threat I should be mindful of? Another part of this army, or your higher ups?" He asked such a question as Beast Lord Vishp had many thoughts sh in her mind. Should she¡­reveal everything? Her position was unique in that currently, she was bound to him. He could take her life any time he wished, and if she kept things from him and her brother was notified of this situation and came himself¡­ Even then, she couldn''t confidently say that her brother would be able to ovee this new master of hers! Truthfully, she was scared that he may not be anywhere close even with his Variant Life Sockets. And if that urred as she held back information¡­ "Haa¡­fuck!" She sighed with resignation while scratching her green gold strands of hair as she replied. "You killed the Elven Beast Commanders. Likely, their Beast Lords have been notified of their death with their Life Gems having cracked, and my brother- a Variant Beast Lord, would already be notified." ¡­! She went all in. This being in front of her was too terrifying as she couldn''t y. What made him most terrifying was the power that Vishp felt coursing through her, one that made her question¡­did her new master have Variant Life Sockets of a Beast King...or even a Beast Emperor?! Beast Lords, Beast Kings, and Beast Emperors! Lords stood powerfully with Seven Gem Sockets, while Kings were powerful forces of nature that held Eight Gem Sockets. Such beings could be leaders of their Lineages as they could wield terrifying power over time. Then, there were Emperors. Kings with 8 Gem Sockets could be given the distinction of Emperors if their power outssed all others of this same stage, or if they had Variant Life Socket. True Emperors were those rare and utterly exceptional with 9 Gem Sockets. Also known as Perfect Gem Masters. Legends. They were entities that were the Progenitors of entire Lineages, Protectors who made sure they lived even when their World copsed. Such entities were too rare. Too powerful! There were only rumors about them existing within some Royal Beast Lineages or Mythical Lineages. Vishp...did not exactly where to ce her new master as with the ridiculous gain in just her power that made her feel like she could rival a Tier 8 Beast King¡­she came up with two possibilities. One was already terrifying, and that her new master was an entity with Variant Life Sockets- 8 of them at that as this would make them a King. A Human King! The other possibility was that Humans of this world had actually given birth to a Tier 9 Gem Master. A Human Emperor! This was too terrifying to even think of whether it was the first possibility or thetter one; they caused Vishp to not mess around whatsoever as she continued. "If my brother has been notified, the first thing he will do¡­is likely send someone to see what has happened. Another Beast Lord likely, and a fast one at that. I even have an idea of who it may be. But they will go towards the Ascendant Stronghold we were supposed to be attacking, and after they see we aren''t there, they''ll easily pick up the movements of our army from our original route. Given their speed¡­it could be a range of half an hour to an hour before theye here?" She tilted her head with thought as she spoke such words! Hearing them, Alexander''s eyes shone sharply as he looked around the battlefield. He looked towards the decimated Tier 6 Peacocks and Orcs as from his chest, three more blinding rays of golden light shot out. Two towards two Tier 6 Peacocks, and one towards another Tier 6 Orc! "Then¡­let us wrap things up and prepare to intercept. There''s a lot more I need to hear from you." ¡­! With the crown adorned on him, the sheer presence he released was a suffocating one as he truly looked like royalty, Beast Lord Vishp biting her lips as she thought of the future toe¡­ Chapter 71: A Small Beast Lord Army ! I Past the walls of the City of Anan. The sheer aura of power radiating from Beast, Lord Vishp was pressing down on all of the Beasts of Corruption within her army as every single one bent their head in terror Alongside this show of power, the golden light radiating from Alexander had gone ahead to bind two Peacock Beast Commanders and another Orc Commander. After the terrifying boons of the Gem Constetion, Endless cial Dream- the number of minions under Alexander had been raised to fourteen. The induction of Azazel and ire took two spots, with the first dominated Orc Minion taking the third as Beast Lord Vishp was the fourth! Now, adding two Tier 6 Peacocks and another Tier 6 Orc made it so that all 7 slots were taken! "OOOH!" A roar came from the second Orc Commander to be made a Minion as the same profound changes urred within him and the Peacocks, their power stretching upwards and approaching the level of a Beast Lord with surety. Their Vigor and Energeia Values would evene to exceed Beast Lords as they were much higher than the values that Beast Lord Vishp had before her transformation! But where was she now? As many thoughts and calctions shed in his mind, Alexander nced at Beast Lord Vishp- his Enneagram spinning calmly as her life force was analyzed. [Tier 7 Peacock Beast Lord- Vishp]:: 7 Gem Sockets with a Main Ability rting to the rare element of Space. [Vigor]:: 38,581/38,581 > 179,652 (+898,260 cial Armor of the Deep) [Energeia]:: 38,333/38,339 > 178,991 "..." The values of Vishp alone were utterly unreal. They were over ten times greater than even Alexander''s own values of Vigor and Energeia as of course, his already rapidly rising Values were no match for entities who had been alive for much longer than him and enjoyed the boons of their Gems much more. But observing her values and the values of the Tier 6 Minions he was currently gaining made him look at two things. One was the fact that for his next Gem Recipe, he had to find one that bolstered his own levels of Vigor and Energeia as if he wasn''t under the protection of Vishp or any of the other Minions, a Beast of the same caliber as them could theoretically smash him to pulp with a single p. Emptying out his few thousand Values in Vigor and even the Armor of the Deep that granted a bit less than 20,000 values of defense to him currently could be done with but a single attack from a powerful Tier 7 or Tier 7 Beast! He, as the master of terrifying Minions with life force values exceeding the 100,000 mark could not be so flimsy himself. Of course, the fact that he could move as fast as a millionth of the speed of light due to the second Gem Constetion, the Light of the Void, meant that his reactions should greatly exceed the enemies who came after him. But why not be even more careful to preserve his life? The other point he had arrived at as he looked at the values of Beast Lord Vishp and others¡­was his old Minions. They were Tier 4 Beasts when he bound them. Their values were in the few thousand as even though the multiplier from his Minion King Gem Recipe was terrifying, what they could bring from it was limited. For the strongest Minions, Alexander would have to rece these initial Beasts that actually paved his path forward! An action that could be considered cruel. But under the now analytical mind brought forth due to Meta Comprehension, following this path was only natural to further increase his strength. The me Crows, Lightning Sparrow, Golden me Lion¡­they would likely have to be reced as his Minions in theing future to make way for even stronger Beasts that had a high initial start point of Vigor and Energeia values. Only then would terrifying minions continue to be born. Even now, he had four Beast Minions equivalent to powerful Beast Lords and Vishp, who should be more than powerful enough to rival a Tier 8 Beast King! This wasn''t to mention Azazel and ire who could both fight against a Beast Lord. Gradually, a small army of Beast Lords was forming around Alexander. As their Master, he naturally could not be the weakest one as at this moment, he looked down at the army of Beasts below who were suppressed by the sheer pressure of Vishp alone. They didn''t have too much time as they had to move fast. So¡­ "Take down all Tier 4 and Tier 5 Elven Beasts and bring me their Ascendant Life Gems." ¡­! Beginning Tier 4 and higher, one would have Ascendant Life Gems that umte life force. One could use these to raise their Vigor and Energeia ever higher, and Alexander could even use them toplete the assimtion of Gem Recipes within his Enneagram! Naturally, they had to be obtained en masse as this was another path to elevating his own values. The hearts of his Beast Minions clenched at themand, but the Orc Minions moved the fastest as the crimson wings behind them pped, their hands clenched as the blue and red tendrils of lightning formed into chains that they grasped and flung towards the subdued Elven Armies! The chains were like scorching beams from hell that scorched anything they touched, Elven Beasts beginning to be razed down en masse as roars and agonizing yells boomed out. Azazel and ire moved to do the same as well- Azazel especially as he had been a Gem Master for decades. He had seen friends die to Beasts again and again. He knew how entire City Fortresses were overrun and millions killed over the years. He held absolutely no sympathy for them as he crackled with lightning and used his own body to fly across the battlefield like a bomb that pulverized the Elven Beasts he came across! It was bloody. It was devastating. It was¡­. "War¡­" Alexander said this single word as he didn''t turn his eyes away from it. Hemanded it. He would not turn away from it! Chapter 72: A Small Beast Lord Army! II Beasts of Corruption killed billions of Humans since the advent of Breaches all those years ago. Men. Women. Children. This was a product of their war. Their invasion. They had even killed his own Mother. The morality of thought became clouded in times of war as at this moment, Alexander felt a heavy weight that would only continue to increase as a result of his actions! But he never turned away for a single second as he gave anothermand, this time towards a stern Vishp. "Prepare to intercept whoever is being sent to confirm the state of your army. Approach them as an ally and catch them off guard- heavily injure them to the extent that no word is passed back to your old forces." ¡­! His words were calm and carried a light of coldness within them. They weren''t the words of a boy who had juste of age as gradually, a man was being molded in the terrifying mes of war! Beast Lord Vishp bowed her head down at his words as she prepared. He floated in the skies as he took stock of exactly how much he had gained today. He didn''t spare any of the powerful Tier 6 Elven Beast Commanders as from them, three massive Ascendant Life Gems the size of his head appeared alongside their Gem Recipes that broadened his horizons. There were also over 6 Tier 5 Elven Beasts that fell, and at this moment, a few dozen Tier 4 Elven Beasts were being finished off! All the gains of their Ability Gems and Ascendant Life Gems would go to him as even now, he was already actively absorbing the biggest Ascendant Life Gem he had obtained. His Vigor and Energeia surged upwards as the Enneagram continued to spin calmly. [Viable Gem Recipes for the exponential increase of Vigor and Energeia are being analyzed, with those promising the greatest efficiency being pushed forward.] The monotone voice of the Enneagram rang out amidst the ughter below as while he absorbed the Ascendant Life Gems¡­ "Start talking. Tell me everything regarding your past forces. The Beast ns¡­their movements, everything." "..." Beast Lord Vishp bit her lips at such amand as she nodded hesitantly, her gaze slowly blocking firmer as she replied. "Instead of talking about it, I could¡­show you." ¡­! "Oh?" Alexander raised his brows. Before him, Beast Lord Vishp closed her eyes as she focused on the golden light connecting her to her Alexander. Through this connection, he could silently sendmands to her and others. He couldmand her andpel her, or even use it to dissipate her life force if she disobeyed! But through this same connection, someone more powerful and in control of their life force could do wondrous things. Within the mind of Beast Lord Vishp, a dense number of thoughts, memories, and knowledge that she knew were pulled out and brought together in a bundle of vibrant light! Knowledge of her native world. Her Lineage. Everything she knew. Her face became stern as a few droplets of sweat gathered on her fair skin, over ten thousand units of Energeia being spent just gathering and condensing all these bundles of information before she took it all and allowed it to flow through the golden line towards Alexander! ¡­! [A Collection of Records has been intercepted.] His Enneagram buzzed with life as it captured everything. [The Collection of Records is being organized and analyzed, and is now flowing into your mind in a set sequence.] Any form of disordered and clustered thoughts was smoothed out as within moments, Alexander began to feel an influx of what seemed like old memories that weren''t his flow in. It was unique, but his mind under the state of Meta Comprehension quickly sorted through these bundles of information! And his eyes¡­were truly opened. "This¡­was your world?" He spokenguidly as he saw a brand new world within his memories. The World of Ornis. The same one Nueire stemmed from. It was a massive world full of beauty¡­that was on the brink of destruction! But Vishp didn''t just have knowledge of this world. There were other Worlds near it filled with allied Beast ns- like the Mythical Dragoworld and the Mythical Nirvana World! These were much further away from Destruction, and they held the shockingly powerful Mythical Beast Lineages that were currently interested in Ephesus. Apart from memories of Worlds, even more waves of information came as gradually, Alexander''s expression became colder and colder. Minutes passed as he took everything in. Worlds. Lineages. Gem Masters. Variant Gem Masters! He sorted through a great deal of information, and, by the end of it all, he shook his head while gazing out toward the cloudy skies above him. It seemed like these cloudy skies carrying rain were bent on covering not just the City of Carthage, but Anan and beyond as they made everything just a little darker. All of this was just a small portion of this World- Ephesus! This world currently had terrifying Lineages flocking into it as if there was no tomorrow. "Hoo¡­" Alexander let out a deep breath and turned to look towards Vishp. In her memories, he had also gained expanded knowledge of her army and other armies of Beasts as this woman was in a high position of power! The Sister of a Variant Beast Lord who was seen as a special Beast Lord within their Peacock Lineage. He was respected and powerful as his power as a Variant Beast Lord could rival a Tier 8 Entity! And due to his position of power, he knew a number of things that he at times spoke about to his sister. What the elders of their Lineage- the Beast Kings, were discussing regarding Ephesus. How they had mapped out this world and already carved out which regions would go to which Beast n as they prepared for the process of Energeia Star Ascension to begin! Yes. They had already decided and distributed the differentnds of this world they were invading as they fully considered it theirs! Chapter 73: Subterfuge! I The waves of information felt like foreign and distant memories, but they were now there. Cemented in Alexander''s mind as with them, his vision was opened up greatly. There were many important points to consider, but one of the more important ones rted to Variant Gem Masters. No, of course, they were not Defective Gem Masters. The inability of Humans to understand and make use of such beings did not make them Defective- only that humans themselves weren''t capable of understanding them! Variant Gem Masters held Gem Sockets that differed from the norm, and due to this, they had different outputs of power and uniqueness that only they coulde to learn after specialized Ability Gems were socketed into their Variant Life Sockets. Some changes could be square or rectangr Gem Sockets instead of circr. Some Variant Gem Masters held Eight Gem Sockets¡­but two were of different shapes. A variation in shape, size, or even numbers- anything could happen! But once the variance was understood, a terrifying powerhouse could be born from it. When it came topatible Ability Gems, there were Variant Ability Gems that were extremely rare in nature, but their abilities were just as rare and monstrous. The Beast ns, whose world had already undergone Energeia Star Ascension and held much more advanced power called such Gems¡­Ascendant Ability Gems or Mythical Ability Gems. Mythical Ability Gems! They held abilities that were many times more powerful and uniquepared to others. Apart from being found in concentrated Sacred Lands within a star that had undergone Energeia Star Ascension, there was also another source where they coulde from. Tier 9 Beast Emperors. Entities who had Nine-Linked Gem Sockets and carried unfathomable power¡­were capable of using materials to forge their own Ability Gems. "..." When Alexander got to this memory, he reyed it again and again. Most people only knew that Emperors could design their own Ability Gems. They didn''t know how, and nobody dared to peer into such secrets as it was just attributed to the number of great things such entities could do! And yet¡­Alexander knew that this would be aing feature of his Enneagram. So long as he continued to gather more and more information and attained greater levels of Vigor and Energeia, this function would unlock for him to make his own Ability Gems! As he arrived at this point, he turned to look at Beast Lord Vishp ahead of him. "You must have some things in an isted storage space, yes? Any Variant Ability Gems with you?" ¡­! Her main element was space. And she had a unique position of being the sister of a Variant Gem Master. So theoretically¡­ Her eyes shed sharply at his question as if to confirm the question he asked- her hand opened its palm, and on top of it¡­a dazzling crimson-green jewel in the shape of a heart appeared. "A gift from my brother after his trip into the Dragoworld. It is a Mythical Ability Gem that didn''t fit him, nor may it even fit you. Since it was shaped like a heart, I liked it and asked for it as a gift. You would even take this away from me, my new Master?" Her strands of green and gold hair simmered as she asked in resignation. And the reply of her new Master was a cold one as he waved his hands, crimson light shing as the green red jewel in the shape of a heartnded in his hands. "I can take everything away from you." ¡­! Right. She was bound to him in a connection she couldn''t go against, and his power was likely that of a Tier 8 Variant Gem Master if not a Tier 9! She understood this, but she was stifled nheless as she was a woman of the Peacock Lineage who was treated like a noble by others. Like a queen! But this new Master of hers¡­didn''t even spare her more than a second of a nce as his gaze always contained calmness and ingenuity. She brought her hands to her face and touched her fair skin as she wondered. She could see everything regarding her changes as she knew she had gotten even more beautiful than she already was, with her figure bing even fuller in all the right ces. Did her beauty not work on him? If she could at least get this new Master of hers to treat her differently- if she could cause an attachment to form¡­who knew what possibilities there could be in the future? A smile began to rise on her face as she covered her mouth, her eyes shining with deviousness as her curved figure looked utterly regal. ''Right, there was also that¡­he may not know about it.'' Random thoughts and ns were rising in the mind of a Beast Lord as the man she was looking at was focused on the details of the dazzling jewel he currently held! [Scion of the World Tree]:: An extremely rare Variant Ability Gem that was condensed from a dying World Tree. Once socketed, it grants one the distinction of a Scion of the World tree as passively, the Vigor and Energeia of its host will be increased by +25,000, the rate of regeneration of Vigor and Energeia will be increased by 50%, and a Natural Blessing of the World Tree will passively be triggered whenever the values of Vigor drop below 10%- granting full Vigor Regeneration instantly. The passively triggered Natural Blessing of the World Tree can only be triggered once per day. Actively, one can activate this Gem to take on the form of the Scion of the World Tree- their abilities augmented in an unquantifiable way¡­ ¡­! A Variant Ability Gem. A Mythical Ability Gem! And boy, did it live up to its name! [The most suitable Ability Gem for the next Gem Recipe has been discovered.] Within him, the voice of the Enneagram boomed out as even its t tone seemed to carry a sense of excitement. It didn''t stop to ask whether this Variant Ability Gem could even be socketed. Alexander didn''t ask either as they would see soon enough, his chest lightning up and locking onto the crimson green jewel before an undeniable pull grabbed this jewel and caused it to disappear in his chest! To Beast Lord Vishp, it may have appeared as if he just stored the Gem into his own isted space. After all, one would need to unsocket their already existing Gem Recipe to put a new one. So nobody knew that Alexander had started on his Fourth Gem Recipe at this moment! Chapter 74: Subterfuge! II A gem in the shape of a heart. It was pulled towards the center of the Enneagram as while it neared, the hazy circle at the very center gradually changed shape. The shape, of course, was bing one that could seamlessly fit the iing heart-shaped ability gem. It was astonishing. Variant Life Sockets were set as if they held unique shapes different from circles, specific gems that fit these Sockets alone would be viable. And yet Alexander had the Enneagram that seemed to be malleable when it came to any type of Gem. Even a heart-shaped Gem¡­was fitted in seamlessly as it took the center spot of the Enneagram that shone with a silent white light! And in the next moment, on the extreme ends of the Enneagram, 8 dazzling illusory Sockets became lit up. Eight! In the past Gem Recipes, Alexander had generated 6 usable Support Ability Sockets, and when including the Main Ability Gem- it was the equivalent of 7 Sockets. A Seven-Link Gem Blueprint. But now, the possible Support Ability Sockets that had lit up with the introduction of the Mythical Ability Gem, Scion of the World Tree, were Eight! When putting together the Main Ability Gem itself, that was a total of Nine. A Nine-Link Gem Blueprint! Was this not¡­what Tier 9 Emperors held? Alexander''s eyes held a dazed light even with his exceedingly calm state of mind momentarily. Because still, within the Enneagram¡­there was one dark Support Ability Socket that wasn''t lit up. It meant that some time in the future, if any viable Gem arose¡­there could be a possibility for a Ten-Link Gem Blueprint. What even would such a thing be? What would it even mean?! DUM! The beat of his heart felt heavy and loud at this moment as he calmed himself. Like a cold spring, the coolness of Meta Comprehension washed over him as his emotions settled. Yes. The Enneagram was astonishing with a lot of its wonders still yet to be discovered. And with it¡­he actually saw a chance for himself even with the new memories from Beast Lord Vishp that showed that Human Lineages were about to be in truly sorry states in the future toe! But he could change this for himself, his Father, ire, and all those he grew up knowing. ''Let''s do it.'' With a tipped crown dangling on his head that made him look like a young king, he felt the continued spinning of the Enneagram as its voice echoed out. [The Support Ability Gem- Energy Preservation Support, has been added to the World Tree Scion Gem Recipe.] [The Support Ability Gem- Vigor Boost Support, has been added to the World Tree Scion Gem Recipe.] [The Support Ability Gem- Parameter Elevation Support, has been added to the World Tree Scion Gem Recipe...] ¡­! The Gem Tree Scion recipe began to unveil itself at this moment as its already shocking boons were about to get an overhaul! Support gem after support gem that were specially chosen by the Enneagram were added, Alexander''s body beginning to shine with a faint verdant red radiance as he seemed to be brimming with life. His figure and the figure of Beast Lord Vishp crossed the skies like mere crimson streaks, with the support of two Peacock Minions following behind just in case additional support was needed. They were fast. A millionth the speed of light. All without any usage of Energeia, and the capability of movement across space was enough to make even royal avians jealous as Alexander and his Minions could move in any direction seamlessly! So when they set off to intercept the force that should have been sent out to see what the situation of Vishp was, their speed was utterly ridiculous. Alexander flew alongside Vishp as even though his mind was under the effect of Meta Comprehension, which kept him cool and collected, his heart could still not help but enjoy this sheer achievement of flight. While growing up, one of the few cardinal rules his mother had taught him rted to this. The small things in life. The fun things in life. Alexander remembered the words of his mother as if she was speaking to him just yesterday. When he closed his eyes, he could feel her warm hand on his head as she spoke out. ''Little Alex, the world out there is a bleak and dystopian one. But if that''s the only thing you look at, it will eventually cause you to go crazy. So as you grow up, be sure to enjoy the few things that can bring you happiness. Your family, food, girls, and when you eventually awaken¡­the sensation and usage of lifeforce.'' ¡­! Her hand had been so warm. Her eyes beamed with a bright light and a crescent smile as Alexander remembered when she had gazed at the distant skies. ''Little Alex, do you know? One of my dreams has always been to shoot across the skies. To feel the wind on my skin. How colorful all of it is...and whether I can ever see its end. The skies¡­'' Her words faded away from his memory as he closed his eyes while feeling the wind that didn''t give any resistance at all. This was his mother''s dream. She couldn''t live to enjoy such a dream, but he could live it. In the corner of his eyes, an indiscernible tear quickly disappeared into the wind as he opened his eyes with vibrant fervor. He was ready. He had already released a me Hound from his bindings as one spot was wide open for whatever beast they were about to intercept! ''Oh, Master, I sense someone of my lineage nearing.'' The thoughts of Vishp entered his mind as this woman took on her human form and reduced her speed- the oppressive aura she could release reigned in a short few seconds¡­ HUUM! Heavy winds surged ahead as a glorious green Peacock full of lustrous fur could be seen, its figure hastening towards them as it should have sensed Vishp as well! Confusion was apparent in its eyes, but Vishp flew towards it as her eyes lit up with recognition. "Sister Anastasia! Something happened¡­" Her words were those of someone meeting their friend as they held no malice within them. The Tier 7 Beast Lord called Anastasia held no reservation as she hurried before Vishp! "Sis Vishp, just what happe-" BOOM! Vishp instantly erupted with a terrifying aura when she was a few meters away, her eyes carrying frustration and unwillingness as she turned on her own people at this moment and began to hand out a beat down! Chapter 75: Gem Master Alexander! I Anastasia was more in a stupor than anything else. Having seen the figure of Vishp, her eyes had lit up as she only observed the crimson winged human flying slightly behind her briefly. She had to know what had urred, and even why she was here alone without her Commanders or army. The Ascendant Stronghold she was supposed to attack seemed to be on high alert, but it was left untouched. So she had tracked the movements of her army towards another direction entirely as before she could get there, here was Vishp! And the next thing to happen¡­ BOOM! Was her receiving a heavy impact as the Vishp in front of her disappeared, her figure speedingly appearing above as she released a heavy attack on the back of Anastasia that flung her towards the ground. ¡­! It was such a shock that her brain barely registered when her massive body smashed onto the barren earth! The bones on her back were actually shattered as she felt great pain, and she couldn''t even open her wings as she looked up towards Vishp with pain and hurt in her eyes. Above, Vishp had on a frustrated expression as she waved her hands, translucent ss like chains appearing as they were flung towards the ground to lock down Anastasia. Seeing this, Anastasia felt even more pain as her massive body flickered with radiance, instantly bing smaller as she evaded the massive bindings that wereing down. The visage of a curvaceous bleeding woman appeared where she was, her back caved in unnaturally as she gazed up- only to find Vishp right in front of her, her figure ready to strike! But she came to a halt when she saw the eyes welling up with tears in front of her. Her hurt shuddered with pain and betrayal as Anastasia didn''t even fight back. She only looked towards Vishp while tears of hurt flowed and asked. "Sis Vishp¡­why?" Anastasia looked tender. They had grown up together. Anastasia was a genius fostered by her Lineage as over the years, they had be as close as sisters. For her to do what she did¡­ Vishp contained the pain in her heart as she waved her hands and caused chains of translucent restraints to appear and wrap around Anastasia before she asked icily. "Is this enough?" ¡­! Her words caused Anastasia''s watery eyes to widen as in front of her, the figure of the young human who was in the skies appeared with a sh of crimson light. His body seemed to currently be brimming with waves of increasing life force as he nodded while looking at the seven Gem Sockets on Anastasia with shining eyes. "More than enough." The words filled withmand only caused Anastasia to be more shocked as at this moment, she finally noticed the crown on the head of this human. She recognized it clearly. The Gem Armament that Vishp was given! For him to wear it, for Vishp to attack her and act this way towards him¡­ "You¡­" Anger rose in the heart of Anastasia as she looked towards Alexander as if she were looking at a demon. "What did you do to Sis Vishp?! Do you know her status? What did you do to force her to attack her own kind?" ¡­! Her words caused Vishp''s face to simmer with defiance and pain as she looked towards Alexander as if he had stripped her of everything! Anastasia saw this scene as her green hair nearly burst into mes, her fair skin frowning and bing stern as she looked between Alexander and Vishp who couldn''t even say anything regarding this current situation. "You¡­did you strip her of her dignity? Do you push her down and have your way with her because of her high status? Did you-" SMACK! A hand pped the left cheeks of Anastasia as Vishp looked towards her with shame and incredulity. Seeing this, Anastasia was even more convinced as she looked towards Alexander coldly. "I see, you really mounted one of the Princesses of the Peacock Lineage? Do you know what they''ll do to yo-" SMACK! Another p came from Vishp as both of the fair cheeks of Anastasia became red. "Can you¡­shut up?" Vishp looked coldly towards this Sister of hers whose head was always in the wrong ces, and she somehow always found the worst possible words to say. Vishp turned towards Alexander as she shook her head and sighed. "Can you just¡­do it so we can get it over with?" She wanted this whole exchange to be over as in front of them, Anastasia scoffed while she red at a calm Alexander. "You have her entirely under your thumb after mounting her a few times? Let me tell you, I won''t break down so eas-" BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Vishp''s fists hounded down onto Anastasia''s figure until she couldn''t speak anymore. She red towards Alexander, whose chest shone with a golden light that went on to wrap around Anastasia, with Vishp yelling out towards her. "Do not resist!" She had enough of this girl''s words as shemanded with anger. After this, the light around Anastasia only became more pronounced as soon enough, her bloodied figure began to heal as a terrifying boom of life force erupted from her! Green gold brilliance vibrated around her as the restraints wrapping around her body disappeared, her face bing even more wless with her curves ever so pristine as she looked with great shock towards Alexander! "I see¡­" As if she had understood, she looked between Alexander and Vishp as she nodded. "So this is how you did it¡­you bound her like this, and after she couldn''t deny yourmands, you mounted her over and ove-" BOOM! A strike at the speed of a Millionth the speed of light thundered out without mercy this time onto Anastasia, the frustrated figure of Vishp releasing some of her anger onto her as within moments, she found a unique gem that was attached to the hips of Anastasia that she plucked away. She then came towards Alexander while holding this gem. "I can transmit whatever message you want through this Thoughtweaver Gem. What am I saying to the forces of the Beast Lords wanting to know what happened to my army?" Her words were those of someone who wanted to get it over with as she gave a threatening re towards a healing Anastasia to not say any more stupid words! Yet this woman was relentless. "So you have already conquered her heart¡­but I won''t be so easy-" BOOM! Chapter 76: Gem Master Alexander! II In the middle of dead trees. In this region between the City of Anan and an Ascendant Stronghold a few hundred miles away, a woman adorned in a green robe was bowing towards another woman who looked and dressed very simr to her, but she stood beside a young man in a stern expression! It was Beast Lord Anastasia bowing down apologetically towards Alexander and a furious Vishp. "Please forgive me for my words, Ascendant Master. My mouth has gotten me in trouble before, but I''ve never misunderstood something like this." She was apologizing for all the words she uttered as when her head rose, one could see that she truly looked too simr to Vishp after bing bound to Alexander as she also had strands of green gold hair! Her eyes held a wateryyer of grievances as Vishp nodded towards her with a harrumph. Alexander was studying the quantification of Vigor and Energeia of this being as hepared them to Vishp, and when he didn''t reply to her apology. "Ascendant Master, did you hear me? I was apologizing because I misunderstood you not being impotent, and that you had mounted Sis Vishp already. But now that I know you aren''t even able to, I won''t mention your condition ever again." ¡­! Anastasia spoke as if she was stating the most obvious thing. Because, why would this new Ascendant Master not mount someone like Vishp when he had her bound and fully under his control with the possible gains he could make from doing it? The only answer within Anastasia''s head was that their new Master had to be impotent! At her words, Vishp turned ashen as she gazed toward Alexander with hesitation, scared that he might be enraged enough tomand her to kill Anastasia for her words! Yet¡­ Alexander only looked towards Anastasia with a calm gaze as he didn''t even refute her, only replying with a steady gaze. "You talk a lot." "Yes, Ascendant Master. My mother always praised me for my mouth amongst all other Peacocks." Anastasia clenched her fists with pride as she said this, and Alexander yed with the Thoughtweaver Gem in his hands as he asked her once more. "Share with me all the most recent information since you left your main camp, from there¡­I will decide what message is sent back." He had intercepted the only messenger who was sent to figure out what had happened, and he could control the narrative greatly from here as he understood his enemies! Seeing that he didn''t react to Anastasia''s crude words before, Vishp sighed while sending another mental message to Anastasia who nodded intently to Alexander as she began to speak. "Where do I start? I was born on an auspicious day-" "Speak of the most important things- the most recent things, and just share them mentally!" Vishp roared out towards the fool before her who had begun to ramble on, and Anastasia smacked her head as if she had just realized this as well. She closed her eyes and focused on the golden line of connection between her and her new master. ''Let''s see, can you hear me, Master?'' She sent her thoughts through the golden line as Alexander patiently looked at her and nodded. ''Great! You seem like aid-back person to talk to, Master- you aren''t easily enraged with me saying a few words, which is rare. Let''s see, Sis Vishp should have already shared lots of information with you¡­what could she have kept back¡­ah!'' Within moments, through the connection they shared, Alexander saw tendrils of information gathering as they were intercepted by the Enneagram and browsed by him. [The Methodology of the Gem Resonance Cultivation Technique is being analyzed.] And the memories he saw¡­caused his eyes to flicker and for his gaze to lose his patience as hemunicated with Anastasia. ''What is this? How is this of importance?'' Anastasia blinked in surprise as her thoughts were quickly sent back. ''Master, this is very important. I know you are impotent, but you can still carry out this Gem Resonance Cultivation Technique without needing to be intimate- only proximity is enough even though it will be much less effective. And for those with powerful Gem Socket Blueprints like you, the effects this has to elevate your Sockets and the ones of the person you resonate with will be truly profound! You are a Tier 9 Human Emperor, right? You entirely changing my power to this level can only be exined through that- this technique will be a killer thing for you to have especially!'' "..." Anastasia shared a technique that allowed two entities to undergo a resonance of their Gem Sockets- with this technique increasing their levels of Ascendancy as it was most effective with entities who held more and more Sockets. For the best effectiveness, intimacy was required between a man and a woman as this¡­was not the type of information Alexander was looking for right now. He sighed while massaging his temples as unless he was very direct, it seemed like he wouldn''t be getting much critical information from this woman as he made a simplemand. ''Show me the memory of what happened the moment the deaths of the Beast Commanders were discovered.'' ¡­! ''Ah, yes, Master! Here they are¡­'' Information of a memory began to y. A memory that showed an enraged Elven Beast Lord and various other Beast Lords, as well as¡­A Human Lord! The Lord of the Skypeak Ascendant Stronghold of Gnis! He was standing amidst the Beast Lord as he even spoke about how he gave away information regarding the Ascendant Strongholds that the Beasts would then target. Alexander''s gaze became cold at this as his gaze then locked onto the Variant Beast Lord Commander. A powerful entity with Variant Gem Sockets whomanded dozens of Beast Lords of different Beast Races! What he spoke of was frightening as his words ryed the entrance of Tier 8 Beast Kings and Tier 9 Gem Emperors soon! "..." His eyes became increasingly somber at the information he obtained as gradually, he decided what should be sent back towards this Variant Beast Lord. And after this message...it seemed like he had to make his way to the Ascendant Stronghold that Vishp and her armies were originally going to attack! Chapter 77: Gem Master Alexander! III After some time passed, Alexander had a clear idea of what should be done as he handed Vishp the Thoughtweaver Gem and told her exactly what to say. With stern eyes, her Energeia lit up as she began to speak to it. "You didn''t need to send this loudmouth just to check up on me. Everything is fine, we were just ambushed by a force of Ascendant Gem Masters that had a deep grudge- even going to the length of throwing away their lives to trade them for some of the Beast Commanders under me. The Elven Beast Commanders seemed to be their primary targets. But the issue is dealt with as we will proceed to the target Ascendant Stronghold as nned." A message that was concise and to the point. It flowed into the Thoughtweaver Gem that radiated a purple radiance thereafter, and after a few seconds, the Gem lit up again as a voice echoed out from it. It was deep and filled with power as it echoed out. "Good. Give an update when you reach the Stronghold and the results thereafter. Anastasia will act as your reinforcement to cover up for the Beast Commanders you lost. I need to see results on this one, Vishp." The tone of the voice held distinct worry and sternness at the very end as Vishp gritted her teeth while listening to it as she ultimately nodded. "Understood." She replied with a single word before the Thoughtweaver Gem was put away. He wanted results. He didn''t know that very soon, there would be tremendous results- just not the ones that he wanted! "Haa¡­" She sighed as in front of her¡­ "Let''s go." Alexander took to the skies while speaking outmandingly. Those who were following behind them just in case were sent back to Anan while Alexander and the two Tier 7 Beast Lords would make their way to the Ascendant Stronghold a few hundred miles away! The purpose of this was so that Human Gem Masters were not left in the dark regarding the movements of Beasts, and the fact that the Gnis Bloodline was no longer aligned with humans- in a much deeper way than what his father knew and had shared with those above him. The Human Lineages¡­ Alexander thought of the grandiose history of humans after the Breaches started to ur, and the legends who rose to elevate and protect humanity this whole time. Their names stood at the forefront as within the Lineage he stemmed from, there was the Legend of Asmodeus! Apart from him, there was Gnis. And the remaining two...were Argyros and Drakon! These four Legends protected humanity and enacted the Asmodeus Bloodline, the Gnis Bloodline, the Argyros Bloodline, and the Drakos Bloodline. They divided their power and rulings over City Fortresses and Strongholds, with Gem Masters holding Five-Link Gem Sockets and higher being clustered around the Strongholds as they were granted the distinction of Ascendant Gem Masters. These were the four pirs of humanity. But at this moment, one of these pirs was already aligned with other races! BOOM! Alexander''s figure tore across the skies powerfully as he thought about many things while heading towards an Ascendant Stronghold of the Asmodeus Bloodline for the first time. Behind him, two Peacocks followed as one had a simple expression on her face, while the other had a cloudy one filled with annoyance. Anastasia picked up on none of the cues whatsoever as she matched her speed and whispered to Vishp. "Sis Vishp, you got lucky that our new Master is impotent, otherwise-" "He is not impotent, and just shut up for now!" Vishp was more than annoyed by Anastasia who looked towards her in shock at this moment. As if she was asking, how could this be?! She had an entire conversation with him mentally as she even gave him the Methodology of the Gem Resonance Cultivation Technique! He didn''t deny any of her words, but they seemed to not be true? Then why¡­ She blinked as she touched her face and then looked closely at Vishp. "We¡­we can''t be ugly in his eyes, right?" Her voice carried genuine confusion as the annoyed Vishp sighed while turning towards her. "Seriously, drop this and find something else to fixate on." "What? How can I do that, Sis Vishp? He is very likely a Tier 9 Human Emperor. If my first Gem Resonance is with him, do you know how big a boost I will get? We can''t let such a chance slip by!" Anastasia was defiant as her green gold pupils shone with confidence. She and Vishp continued to hold their own conversation as they followed behind Alexander- their figures moving at such shocking speeds that they were bound to reach the Ascendant Stronghold soon! They were traveling a millionth the speed of light as this was over 11 miles every minute. In 20-30 minutes, they could seamlessly cover a few hundred miles! ¡ª A few hundred miles away from the City of Anan. Surrounded by a radiant white wall and dead trees covered by thinyers of frost, a fantastical Stronghold of the human race grandly stood. Temperatures in this region were much lower than others, withyers of coldness covering everything. The white wall stretched out for over a hundred miles all around- showing the innovation of the human spirit and the bastions they built to defend themselves! Near the wall, two massive Tier 5 Breaches shining with obsidian light could be seen as they looked like reality itself was torn between the earth and skies. The auras of powerful Gem Masters surrounded the entrance and the inner Barracks of these Breaches as nothing could get in or out without their say. Past the white wall, one could see a truly massive White Mountain rising up from the center of this Stronghold- with intricate structures built all around it as at the very peak, burning with crimson radiance, a ming word forever stood! [ASMODEUS]! In bold, mingyers, this word remained active above the white mountain for years. Around this White Mountain, heavy winds of coldness whipped about as over a hundred Airships floated around it. On the walls and within the airships monitoring everything, the eyes of powerful and prideful humans could be seen as their bodies were covered in heavy fur clothes, many of them adorned in blue and green robes. At this moment though, their eyes looked pensive. As if they knew something wasing. They were the powerful Gem Masters of the Ascendant Asmodeus Bloodline, and they reigned over one of the Asmodeus Strongholds that was known as the Sanctified White Mountain Stronghold! At this moment. Atop the walls of the Stronghold, a Tier 5 Ascendant Gem Master sat at a high tower as a Tier 4 and a few Tier 3 Gem Masters were scattered around him talking while asionally gazing past the wall. The Tier 5 Gem Master was only gazing out calmly as at this moment, he blinked in confusion while squinting his eyes, and he eventually rose up in shock and rm as he shouted out! "Iing!" BOOM! No sooner had his words echoed out, a booming sound echoed out in front of the tower he and other Gem Masters were in, their bodies glittering with power and pensiveness as when they looked ahead, the figure of a young man with a crown, green battle robes, and radiant wings of crimson light suddenly came to a stop right before them. Fast. Far too fast! Chapter 78: Gem Master Alexander! IV The Tier 5 Ascendant Gem Master rose in shock and trepidation at the speed of this entity floating in front of their tower. He had only seen a glimpse of light a few miles away with his amplified sight, and yet a secondter, this being crossed that distance to appear right in front of his Defense Tower! DING DING DING! rms were automatically set off as after this being appeared, crimson light shed to his left and right as dazzling figures of two extremely simr women appeared. The vivacious women caused the eyes of all men in the Defense Tower to be momentarily dazzled and go nk before they refocused. One of the women had a lovely and exquisite look that made one inherently want to protect her, while the other held a regal coldness akin to an ice queen that was unapproachable! But apart from their beauty that could make some of them weak in the knees, the Seven-Link Gem Sockets on their bountiful chests caused them tremendous rm as their bodies began to cycle Energeia. The Tier 5 Ascendant Gem Master was a middle-aged man with dark hair, his eyes showing a gaze of great rm and valiance as he crushed multiple gems under his robe while voicing out. "What is your purpose?! Who are you?!" The voice carried innate authority within it as it didn''t freak out entirely even while standing before two humanoid entities that seemed to be Tier 7 Gem Masters. His gaze was flickering between them and the man who floated ahead of them, his green robe causing him confusion as this¡­was this not the same design of the battle robes of their Asmodeus Bloodline? But regardless, he had already sent forth rms and warnings. Along with the ring sounds, a heavy convergence of power could be felt as from all directions of this vibrant and yet cold Stronghold, auras of Gem Masters began toe over as if they were facing a great enemy. Alexander didn''t reply as he watched this scene y out, while behind him, Anastasia merely blinked with a smile as in her eyes, she could pulverize all of these humans with a tap of her finger with the power her Ascendant Master gave her! Vishp simply stared at the walls of the city she was supposed to conquer with mncholy as she sighed. Within seconds, nine Tier 6 Gem Masters appeared from different directions of this Stronghold, while from the peak of the white mountain¡­a zing figure wrapped in purple radiance came forward! A sea of purple light gathered at his feet. Adorned in purple battle robes, his aura was the strongest as his chest shone with seven circr glows that showed he was a Tier 7 Gem Master. He appeared like a storm of lightning above the defense tower as he looked closely at Alexander and the two terrifying auras beside him while uttering out cautiously. "Who are you?" The same question. One that Alexander finally answered as he looked calmly at this Ascendant Gem Master and those around him. They were entities¡­that he used to look up to in awe. Those belonging to the Ascendant Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline! But at this moment, they seemed incredibly average to his eyes. "I am Alexander. Alexander Asmodeus. Are you the Lord of the White Mountain Stronghold?" ¡­! He stated who he was, and the moment he did so, the gazes of the gathering Gem Masters were incredulous. He¡­was of their own Bloodline? The Tier 7 Gem Master especially felt stifled as he seemed like he was looking at a young man- and yet this young man didn''t show any ounce of respect or decorum while he spoke to him! But looking at the two Tier 7 Entities beside him, as well as the experiences he had over the years, he replied calmly as well. "I am. What brings a delegation of a human iming to be of our Bloodline and¡­two Beasts to the doors of our Stronghold?" Even as he spoke, countless messages were already exchanged as behind him, hundreds of Airships carrying weapons pulsing with Energiea were already gathering and pointing their targets towards their direction! The aura of Beasts was unique. Especially one as overpowering as the two beside Alexander. It caused them trepidation as they knew very well that a single Tier 7 Beast of Corruption could be a match for multiple Tier 7 Ascendant Human Gem Masters. And there were two before them! Yet Alexander didn''t bat an eye as he looked around the converging forces and spoke out slowly. "You must have received word from the City of Carthage, yes?" ¡­! The message his father had sent out as the Branch Leader. Hearing this, the eyes of the Lord of this Stronghold shone with an even more powerful light as this involved very sensitive matters! Alexander looked at the change in expression as he nodded while gazing at the Gem Masters around them. "There are many prying eyes, and we do not know where their allegiances lie. Why don''t we talk somewhere more private?" ¡­! The words caused many eyes to shift as a Tier 6 Gem Master came close while voicing out with caution. "Lord Tavu, this is likely a scheme to get you alone! Please-" HUUM! The purple lightning around the Lord of this Asmodeus Stronghold shed brilliantly as he raised his hand. All conversation died down. He gazed into Alexander''s eyes deeply before he looked down at the Defense Tower below them, his body descending towards it as he sent amand to those within. "Clear out." ¡­! He wouldn''t lead them into the Stronghold. Nor would he see them outside of it. So he chose the Defense Tower atop the white wall of the Sanctified White Mountain Stronghold. Above, Alexander''s figure also went down without worry as he- who was unawakened just days ago in the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline, was meeting with a Branch Leader of one of the Ascendant Branches of the Asmodeus Bloodline! Chapter 79: Gem Master Alexander! V Inside a Defense Tower atop the walls of the Sanctified White Mountain Stronghold. Thousands of powerful Gem Masters were ready to unleash their abilities towards it if need be- and over a hundred Airships floated in the skies while carrying massive metal crossbows already armed with unstable pulsing arrows shing with Energeia. Yet with the Defense Tower, the gaze of the Lord of this Stronghold was a dark one. Lord Tavu. He oversaw the protection of this Stronghold as currently, his gaze was ashen while he looked at Alexander! "The entire Gnis Bloodline has aligned with Beasts? Mortal and Ascendant Branches alike?! They gave out information on this Stronghold and other Strongholds that may already have fallen if not under attack? This¡­!" His gaze was unsightly to see! He didn''t wish to believe any of these words. Especially from someone who came with two Tier 7 Beasts. He looked towards this young man with a gaze of disbelief and hesitation as at that moment, one of the Tier 7 Beasts beside him harrumphed. "Hmph, you dumb thing dares to not believe the Ascendant Master when he is going out of his way for your worthless lives? Majority of the forces of the Peacock Lineage are clustered within the Skypeak Ascendant Stronghold of Gnis. Let''s see, the Lord there was called¡­Bibus! His people just recently came here as they told us how many Gem Masters you all had, their level of power, and even intel on what Gem Recipe the Lord of the Sanctified White Mountain Stronghold would be using. That''s you, yes? Let''s see, your Gem Recipe was¡­The Bear Titan?" ¡­! The color drained from the Tier 7 Ascendant Branch Leader of the Asmodeus Lineage before them! Rage began to burn within it as such knowledge¡­was not something Beasts should have. After she finished, Anastasia looked towards Alexander happily as if she had made some great contribution to this conversation. She instead saw a frown on his face as she blinked innocently, with the sharp voice of the Asmodeus Lord before them echoing out as he continued his rage at learning of betrayal. "So you are the Beasts working with Gnis? You say you''re a Gem Master of Carthage? Has the Mortal Branches of Asmodeus also fallen to the grasps of Beasts?" Their appearance here was too shocking. But Alexander only rose up while shaking his head with a sigh. "No. The City of Carthage survived against the first wave of attacks from a joint operation of Gnis and Beasts. And these two here¡­" Alexander looked at Vishp and the troublemaker Anastasia as he continued. "They''re beasts I convinced to change their ways and follow me." ¡­! The Asmodeus Lord of this Stronghold stared at him nkly with an incredulous look. He convinced Tier 7 Beast Lord to change their ways? What did that even¡­ "Haha, yes, Ascendant Master is very convincing. When he first met me, he used Sis Vishp here to pound me to the ground- Mmm!" The mouth of Anastasia was covered by Vishp as she struggled withints, Alexander gazing up at this Ascendant Gem Master in front of him with mixed emotions. It had only been a few days, but he had trulye too far. "I personally do not care whether you believe me or not. I simply came to pass on the most urate information as I don''t wish to see more children lose their mothers and fathers. I don''t wish to hear of entire Strongholds and Fortresses falling with millions killed. You hold a high position as a Tier 7 Ascendant Gem Master. Pass the message on to other Human Lords in charge of Strongholds. Ask for reinforcements if you have to. Do not get caught off guard." His words came out without hesitation. The Asmodeus Lord before him had a difficult expression as he stared at him, but he simply continued. "The World of Ephesus will face more and more Beasts of Corruption. Tier 7 Beast Lords, Tier 8 Beast Kings, and even Tier 9 Beast Emperors. I truly don''t even know how the Human Lineages will cope with all of this. And all of this knowledge is likely why the Gnis Lineage already turned¡­" The more words he uttered, the more ashen the face of the Asmodeus Lord became! Alexander himself shook his head as he had some minutes to think when he was flying towards the Sanctified White Mountain Stronghold. He doubted his ce in this increasingly dangerous world of Ephesus. His head was set on revenge against the Elven Beasts whose hands were involved in his mother''s death, but after killing Elven Beast Commanders and thousands of lower ranked Elven Beasts¡­he didn''t feel any profound sense of aplishment or relief. He was looking for revenge for so long and the power to carry it out, but by the time it came¡­he didn''t feel much! This caused him to doubt himself. The state of Meta Comprehension still remained active. But even in this state, he asked himself. Who was he in this vastndscape? Was the ideology of bing a Conqueror that he formed over thest day enough? What if after he did all of this, he woulde to feel the same as he felt after thousands of Elven Beastsy dead? "..." The Ability of Meta Comprehension stifled his emotions and made him more analytical, but they were still there. He was still there. What did he¡­truly want? Yes, he wanted to have the power to be safe. For his father, ire, and those closest to him to be safe. But apart from all that. What did he want? The recent battle and level of power he was exposed to made him truly reflective as even until now, he didn''t arrive at a clear answer! "Why did you stop speaking? What else is there?" The Asmodeus Lord, with an ashen expression, spoke out after seeing Alexander stare nkly in thest few seconds. Anastasia was the one to reply to him as through their bond, she sensed tumultuous and calm waves within her new Master. "Hush, Human. The Ascendant Master is thinking!" ...! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!