Chapter 732 - Descent, Sky Shattering Steps
"What a massive amount of magic energy. But, when did that guy call for reinforcements? Did I fall into his trap? Damn, I should have just taken the risk and killed him back in Amaharpe." Haazan internalized.
In the end, Izroth was still a Captain of Amaharpe's General Support Unit; therefore, Haazan could not openly attack him so deep into Amaharpe territory.
Luckily, Izroth crossed the Amaharpe border into O'Tohelm. In addition, the two kingdoms did not have an alliance with each other and the people of O'Tohelm were known for being extremely protective of their sacred grounds. Therefore, even if he killed Izroth, it would not draw much suspicion.
Judging from Neksiazon's reaction, Haazan knew that it could not be his ally. After all, the creatures of the netherworld were not exactly known for their acting ability. And, he had been keeping a close eye on Izroth the whole time.
Izroth also mentioned having detected his presence since he was back at the capital city of Amaharpe.
Haazan figured that sometime between then and now, Izroth must have secretly been contacting his allies and setting up a trap. If so, then the situation had unraveled beyond his control.
Haazan eyes filled with killing intent as he tried to contain his anger. He felt humiliated at having been led around by the nose! If the young master found out about this, would he dare show his face in front of them again? If he wanted to salvage his mission and save his reputation, Haazan understood that there was only one way.
"I'll just have to kill you first and then escape!" Haazan roared as a powerful surge of crimson energy discharged from the crimson tentacles as they shot towards Izroth!
The silver streak was closing in fast, but it was still hundreds of meters away. And, while the pressure generated by the abrupt appearance of massive magic energy caused Haazan to halt his initial attack, he managed to quickly regain himself.
Haazan knew that if the person heading to their location was truly allied with Izroth, then killing him would become ten times more difficult. If the fight escalated, it was only a matter of time until they attracted the attention of the Almighty Eye. No, with the amount of magic energy displayed out in the open, there was no doubt the Almighty Eye was already turning its gaze to them!
The O'Tohelm kingdom possessed numerous sacred grounds that not only acted as a place of worship but also contained numerous treasures. So to ensure the protection of their sacred grounds, a sacred artifact known as the Almighty Eye was created.
No one knew what the Almighty Eye was fully capable of since it was one of the O'Tohelm kingdom's secret treasures. However, Haazan came from an influential place and heard many rumors. For one, it was said that when the Almighty Eye detected a large source of foreign magic energy in the O'Tohelm kingdom, it passed a type of judgment. If it deemed the magic energy to pose a potential threat, its source would be immediately smitten by an attack strong enough to wipe out an entire city!
Of course, due to this power, it was likely that there was an individual or even possibly a group of people controlling the Almighty Eye. If that was the case, Haazan did not believe they would be a target. But, he figured there was no point taking a risk in staying around to find out whether he was right or wrong. He could kill Izroth, escape, and report his success back to the young master!
"Die!" Haazan howled as the crimson tentacles expanded several meters, leaving Izroth with nowhere to escape!
However, Izroth remained unmoved with his Sword of the Storm in its sheath and a carefree expression on his face.
Out of nowhere, the sky above near the silver streak's location shattered like glass. The next moment, the silver streak vanished as multiple areas of the sky were shattered in a descending pattern.
Almost simultaneously following the bizarre occurrence, the crimson tentacles under Haazan's control crashed into Izroth from every angle as a seemingly endless chain of explosions set off upon impact.
BOOM!
"Deceitful human! You dare steal my prey?!" Neksiazon scowled.
"So what? He's dead now. You can stay here and scream about it all you want, but I don't plan on sticking around." Haazan sneered.
From the beginning, Haazan never had any intention of playing fair with some detestable creature of the netherworld. Besides, the relationship between the Mortal Realm and Nether Realm was irreconcilable. Regardless of what happened, they were destined to be enemies!
After his attack went through, Haazan tried to recall the crimson tentacles and make a hasty retreat. However, something was wrong.
"Huh? What's going on? Why isn't it moving?!" Haazan pulled with all his might, tightening his grip on the hilt the crimson tentacles extended from. But, it would not budge!
Haazan attempted to forcibly cancel the crimson tentacles and return the weapon to its basic serrated form; however, even that failed!
All of a sudden, Haazan felt himself being pulled in by an unknown force as he struggled to stand his ground with little success.
"The young master personally loaned me this treasure..! I can't leave here without it..!" Haazan growled under his breath.
Although he tried his best to maintain his grip, Haazan was unable to keep the weapon in his hands as it slipped through his fingertips.
The second the hilt left Haazan's hands, the weapon reverted to its original form. However, before Haazan could retrieve it, the serrated blade was swallowed by the unknown force and vanished without a trace.
"No!" Haazan's face turned extremely ugly as he was in shock over losing the treasure entrusted to him. Now, even if he returned triumphantly, it would result in him having earned nothing!
But, the worse had yet to come from Haazan as the dust settled from his previous attack only to reveal that Izroth was without a scratch!
"Impossible..!" Haazan eyes widened as he was dumbfounded.
According to the intel Haazan received from the young master, the attack he just used should have been enough to kill someone like Izroth three times over. He could understand Izroth somehow surviving his attack while suffering great injuries. However, to face it head-on and escape unscathed—Haazan had a hard time accepting such a thing!
Something else that surprised Haazan, and even Neksiazon, was the abrupt appearance of a new person on the battlefield, standing in front of Izroth.
A resplendent pair of silver swung open, releasing a strong gust of wind. The wings were attached to the back of a breathtaking man who was responsible for intercepting Haazan's attack. Perched atop his shoulder was a majestic young bird with feathers that resembled the clouds in the sky on a sunny day.
The two who arrived were Izroth's Soul Avatar, Empyrean, and, his contracted spirit, the Yin Yang Caladrius of Rebirth, Selene!
"Coo~" Selene flapped her wings and landed on Izroth's shoulder as she happily rubbed her head against him in a display of affection.
"I'm glad to see both of you are safe and sound. You remembered my words and kept Selene unharmed. You did well, Empyrean." Izroth said as he gave a small nod of approval.
"Selene was quite helpful. I am... grateful for her assistance." Empyrean replied with an indifferent expression.
Even though Empyrean's expression was one of indifference, due to Soul Link, Izroth could tell that his words were genuine.
Since Izroth was on his way to Siren's main headquarters, naturally, he did not plan on barging in without a proper plan. This was even more so in his present weakened state. That's why before he left the Mystical Realm Palace, he reached out to Empyrean.
Originally, Empyrean was supposed to meet Izroth at Devil's Sanctum. However, after realizing that he was being followed, as a precaution, Izroth had Empyrean and Selene meet up with him earlier than planned. After all, he wanted to be prepared for anything Siren or those lurking in the shadows may throw at him.
As Haazan and Neksiazon exercised caution and carefully observed the new arrivals, Izroth briefly reviewed Empyrean and Selene's progress.
'Given his stats, I expected him to level up without much trouble. However, Empyrean is even further along than I anticipated. If he continues at this rate, isn't it only a matter of time until he manages to surpass me in level? Not to mention, even if I were to disregard his other stats, his current magic stat alone is off the charts.'
Name: Empyrean
Experience: 68.11%
Level: 1 -> 37
Class: Paragon Skybreaker
Race: Skybreaker
Health: 10,000 -> 18,500
Mana: 100,250 -> 110,800
Attack: 2,000 -> 2,052
Defense: 2,000 -> 2,228
Agility: 2,000 -> 2,598
Magic: 5,000 -> 6,005
Physical Resistance: 75%
Magical Resistance: 75%
Luck: 3 -> 6
Name: Selene(Mythical Beast)
Summoner: Izroth
Species: Yin Yang Caladrius of Rebirth
Compatibility: 100%
Bonding Type: Soul Link
Growth Potential: Supreme
Rating: ★★★(3/12) -> ★★★★★(5/12)
Skill(s):
-Black Flames of Destruction
-White Flames of Restoration
-Rebirth
*-Sacred Flames of Purification
-[New skill(s) unlock at a higher rating]