The anchor in itself didn't appear to be anything special, no it was safe to say it looked rather mundane.
The anchor looked to be a metal Column with a plethora of runes carved into the metal, each rune seemed to glow an iridescent blue hue. The column seemed to be molded into the very earth itself as if it was a natural formation of the canyon.
Two demonic wizards knelt at the ground before the column, "Damnation, these wards are far to advanced for us to break in this amount of time." one of them uttered his voice was hoarse almost as if his vocal cords weren't used to his voice
"Look what my lord gave me." The other muttered pulling a sphere from his pocket it glowed with a dark red light, "Find the start and we can destroy it seamlessly."
The other bobbed his head frantically as they began their search. Behind them their companions fought against the golems protecting the Anchor.
"This would be much easier if we could use our native tongue." one of the 'men' fighting the golem spat as he dodged another fist
"Don't even start Maltheo." Another snarled as he threw fire at their tanky attacker, "You know the rules!"
It was then that Morpheus appeared on the scene and tossed another pill into his mouth.
Without a word, Morpheus raised his wand. A twist of his wrist, and the jagged stone beneath the demons exploded upward. Shards of rock launched into the air like a sudden storm, aiming to tear through their ranks.
The demonic wizards sprang apart, hissing in frustration. The one clutching the sphere slammed his hands into the ground, sending a pulse of dark energy that shattered the flying stone. The other swirled his wand in a spiral motion, causing the earth to shift and swallow the remaining debris.
"Fool," the hoarse-voiced one growled. "You're too late."
"Am I?" Morpheus's voice was smooth, mocking. He spun his wand, the air crackling with raw magic. "You're still standing. That's never a good sign."
With a flick of his hand, the rocks shifted beneath them. Stone twisted unnaturally, stretching and coiling like serpents. The transfigured stone limbs lashed out, but the demons were swift. One wizard leapt into the air with unnatural agility, dark energy rippling behind him. The other twisted his body unnaturally, his limbs bending in impossible ways to avoid the crushing stone.
"You waste your time, mortal," the demon with the sphere spat. "This world will crumble. Your precious anchor will fall."
Morpheus ignored the taunt. Instead, he turned his attention to the golems still battling the other demons. Massive and unrelenting, the stone sentinels crushed their attackers without hesitation. But even as they fought, the demons struck back, their twisted spells chipping away at the guardians.
The canyon floor trembled. Morpheus's eyes gleamed.
"Enough."
With a single, commanding motion, he raised his wand and unleashed a wave of magic. A deep tremor echoed through the battlefield. The stone fragments from the shattered golems quivered — then, as though obeying a silent call, they surged toward one another. Arms, legs, and torsos fused, jagged edges melting and reforming. The ground groaned beneath the weight of what emerged.
A monstrous figure, towering over the battlefield, with a body of seamless stone. Its eyes burned with the blue glow of the anchor's protective wards. The massive golem's steps thundered, each movement sending cracks racing through the earth.
"Kill," Morpheus commanded, his voice ringing with authority.
The golem lunged. The demons scattered, their twisted forms writhing in defiance.
But even as the massive construct swung its colossal fists, the two lead demons — the ones who had faced Morpheus — stopped their retreat. The air around them thickened with malevolence. They no longer wore the pretense of human flesh.
"We've been found." one uttered a grin spreading across his face
"Yes we have." said another
"Which means."
""we can finally shed these pesky mortal bodies"" they all said darkly
With a sickening sound, the skin on their bodies began to tear. Cracks split across their forms, blackened veins pulsing beneath. Their mouths twisted into grotesque smiles as they shed their frail disguises. Jagged horns erupted from their skulls, and crimson eyes burned with raw hatred. Clawed hands flexed, dripping with blood from the mortal bodies they once possessed.
The two left at the back inspecting the wards turned briefly before cursing, "Work faster." the one with the sphere barked
"I am!" the other yelled back his voice high pitched unnaturally so, "Ive almost found the start let me concentrate!"
The massive golem's steps shook the canyon, its glowing blue eyes locked on the demons below. Every swing of its stone fists sent cracks splintering through the earth, crushing anything in its path. But the demons fought with savage desperation.
Their monstrous forms twisted and lunged, claws raking against the golem's stone limbs. Though their attacks barely chipped the hulking guardian, they clung to it, anchoring it in place. Some hurled bursts of dark flame, leaving molten scars across the golem's surface. Others climbed its massive frame, their limbs contorting unnaturally as they clawed for its eyes.
Morpheus moved like a shadow through the carnage, his wand a blur of silver light. Stone and bone erupted from the ground with every step, twisting into jagged spears that impaled the demons in his path. His eyes, sharp and unwavering, remained locked on the two figures at the anchor.
The sphere in the demon's hand pulsed with an ominous red light. They were close — too close. Every second they spent scouring the runes brought them nearer to their goal.
Morpheus snarled. He flicked his wand sharply. A wall of stone erupted from the ground, hurling several demons aside. Another curse followed, sending a torrent of flame surging toward the creatures. The fire clung to their flesh, their agonized shrieks echoing through the canyon.
But it wasn't enough.
A massive demon, its form wreathed in black smoke, lunged from the side. Morpheus barely had time to react before its clawed hand slashed through the air. He twisted away, but the edge of the strike grazed his arm, tearing through fabric and flesh alike. Blood splattered the ground.
Morpheus hissed in pain but didn't stop. His wand whipped forward, and the ground beneath the demon cracked open. A spire of jagged stone erupted, spearing through its chest. The creature gurgled, black ichor pouring from its mouth, before it crumpled.
"Get out of my way," Morpheus growled, his voice dripping with fury.
But they didn't.
The demons threw themselves at him without hesitation. Even as the golem tore through their ranks, they surged forward. One after another, they came — clawing, snarling, sacrificing their twisted forms to slow him down.
A monstrous demon with crimson eyes lunged, its gaping maw lined with jagged teeth. Morpheus sidestepped, slashing his wand in a sharp arc. The air shimmered — then the demon's head was gone, severed in a flash of silver light.
Another leapt from the shadows, its skeletal wings spread wide. Morpheus flung his free hand forward. The ground beneath it rippled and twisted. Tendrils of stone wrapped around its limbs, pulling it down as the earth swallowed it whole.
But for every demon he cut down, another took its place. Their twisted forms swarmed like locusts, their guttural roars drowning out the canyon's distant rumble.
And still, the two demons at the anchor worked.
The sphere pulsed violently now, tendrils of crimson energy latching onto the runes. The intricate carvings flickered, fighting against the invading magic. Morpheus could see the strain — the delicate balance unraveling.
"No."
He surged forward, desperation twisting in his chest. Another demon blocked his path. Morpheus growled, twisting his wand sharply. The demon's flesh blackened and cracked as a burst of dark magic coursed through it. It fell, its body reduced to ash.
But then, from above, a massive form descended. One of the winged demons, its leathery wings tattered and stained with blood. It slammed into Morpheus, sending him crashing into the ground. The canyon floor cracked beneath the force.
Pinned beneath the creature, Morpheus struggled. The demon's claws tore into his shoulder, and for a moment, pain flooded his senses.
But pain was nothing new.
"Incidere!"
A jagged blade of air erupted from his wand, slicing clean through the demon's neck. Black blood sprayed, and the creature's lifeless body slumped to the side.
Morpheus staggered to his feet, chest heaving. His vision blurred, but the anchor was still in sight. The two demons were chanting now, the sphere trembling in their hands. The runes flickered dangerously.
Morpheus yelled in fury as he cut down the last demon protecting them, the golem surged forward at the two but one of them turned around, "EXPLODE!" it yelled in his high-pitched voice using the demon's original language
As the word left his mouth the golem exploded into shards which Morpheus hastily dodged.
The demon that spoke suddenly looked like a husk but a grin spread across his face, "You're too late!" he yelled as the magic was drained from his body after breaking a law by speaking his true language
The other demon watched as the wards shattered and rushed toward the Anchor, Morpheus's magic surged as he launched a black spell it struck true as the demon touched the column.
"YOUR TOO LATE MORPHEUS!" he yelled as the life drained from his body
At the same time he began to shed his skin and inflate to an unimaginable size.
Morpheus surged forward trying to use magic to force him off of the anchor but it was for naught, "For the demon race!" he screamed just as Herpo entered
*BOOOOOOOM!*
A/N:
To be extremely clear Morpheus was not nerfed! The people the demons sent to infiltrate were all very high-ranking elite soldiers. A suicide squad if you will they literally threw their lives away ti stop Morpheus. Also I'm sure you've been wondering about the language of the world from the beginning chapters. It is not a plot hole and will be explained thoroughly. I hope you enjoyed it!