[The Outer Sector: Kingdom of Corzox]
Within the [Tomb of Hashfalhan]...
[The Purge] ominously prowled out of the frozen canvas. Its ferocious eyes locking onto [Hermes]. [Hermes] was momentarily dazed, justifiably so.
Its ginormous body was fuming with visceral hunger, as it kept erratically churning pure ethereal energy of creation with a vast array of spectral strands of insurgence.
"RRRRAAAARRNNGGH!!!", [The Purge] let out a voracious, guttural roar that reverberated across the realm between frames.
Brimming with fury and wrath, The raging draconian cloud viciously lunged at [Hermes] with the intention of consuming him. [Hermes] quickly switched out of the realm between frames, but the mad beast was relentless.
The [Tomb of Hashfalhan] began rippling and warping, as [The Purge] tore open the very fabric of reality in pursuit of [Hermes]. The monstrous draconian cloud gradually descended upon the realm of [Corzox]. The sheer influence from its presence could be felt across [The Outer Sector].
The entire domain of [The Outer Sector] flared up with absurd amount of Spectral aura, all concentrated at and originating from [The Purge].
Almost all the invaders across [The Outer Sector] buckled from the mere pressure exerted by that ominous calamity. Deities and demons could withstand it to some extent, but even they were immensely suppressed by the pervading spectral aura.
"Fuck... this is bad.", [Hermes] grimaced, glaring at [The Purge] with a resolute gaze. "Thanatos quick, grab Phobos and evacuate."
[Thanatos] simply nodded, acknowledging [Hermes'] command and quickly rushed towards [Phobos]. Using [Presence], [Thanatos] quickly appeared behind him.
[Phobos] was mentally strained, with his sole focus on suppressing [Gaki] and his bodies. The demon was still trapped in limbo and couldn't escape from [Phobos'] grasp.
"Thanatos quickly secure Phobos and wait for evac.", [Hades] whispered telepathically. "I will open a path."
[Thanatos] simply heaved with exhaustion, as he grabbed [Phobos] and teleported away from the battlefield. Consequently, [Gaki] regained his conscious but before he could do anything, he was immediately engaged by Varcielle's swarm into combat.
Varcielle was keen on keeping anymore variables from entering the [Tomb of Hashfalhan]. It was just him, [Hermes] and the arcane storm.
[Phobos] snapped to consciousness, as the [Mist of Fear] was dispelled. He blankly stared at [Thanatos]-
"Welcome back, Sir Phobos.", [Thanatos] said. "Lord Hades has made arrangements for our safe return. We shall be returning to [MYRIAD] soon."
"Why?..", [Phobos] questioned.
"[The Purge] has descended into [The Outer Sector].", [Thanatos] ominously answered. Right then, a white beacon warped and extracted the deities back to [MYRIAD].
Meanwhile, the [Tomb of Hashfalhan] was shuddering. The very ground beneath shattered as a vast army faceless soldiers crawled from the ground, from their grave.
This army of faceless soldiers further enraged [The Purge], who began consuming them without sparing a thought.
Yet, something peculiar happened, the army didn't deplete. The number of faceless soldiers remained the same. These soldiers ignored [The Purge] as they flew past it and assembled around Akelus.
These soldiers unanimously knelt before Akelus, as he stood there with his ichor dripping on the altar. The presence of a burning deity manifested before him. This presence had a charred body, shrouded with bright orange flames. The dying will of a forgotten deity, the forgotten [Sovereign of The Covenant].
"O Fragment of Insurgence, you shall be blessed.", boomed the flaming deity. "My inheritance is yours, just quench my vengeance."
The flaming deity extended his hand and grabbed Akelus' arm, searing a sole mark into Akelus' existence.
"Go and fulfill my prophecy, O Golden Boy of Fortune.", the flaming deity continued with a smirk, pointing at the soldiers kneeling before Akelus.
"The Bastions of Insurgence [Herlakken], shall guide you to the final piece, the [Source]."
Then the presence fizzled away with a spiral of bright sparks. The vast army of faceless soldiers around him, [The Herlakken], continued kneeling before him.
Akelus quickly grabbed Xylus and placed him within his gold storage ring. Hrimulfr was mysteriously warped beside Akelus by an unknown sigil that resembled infinity. Hrimulfr was still sleeping, still stuck in limbo.
Akelus sighed and picked up Hrimulfr as well, stashing the giant within the storage ring as well. He observed [Hermes] confronting [The Purge] at a distance.
Dragon King Varcielle took a moments rest, pruning his swarm. He was slowly recovering his sanity and calming his psyche.
Following the final directive from the [Sovereign of The Covenant], the [Herlakken] rose up and encircled the altar. They started destroying altar by burning the [Ragnarok] mural and digging into platform around the altar.
This garnered the attention of [The Purge], which craned its neck directly facing Akelus. The mad beast, brimming with rage and wrath, slowly prowled towards the altar, towards Akelus. No one dared to move, not even [Hermes]. Everyone anxiously observed the mad and volatile calamity in silence.
"RRRRAAAAHNNNRRGG!!!"
Realizing what the [Herlakken] were trying to do {The Purge] roared with a sense of emergency, viciously lunging towards Akelus.
The [Herlakken] quickly rushed to his defense, fighting back [The Purge]. But, they could only stall the wild calamity. It simply phased through these faceless soldiers, swallowing Akelus whole.
The [Herlakken] split into two brigades. One focused on tearing down the altar and forcibly opening a direct channel into the [Ancestral Planes], while the other tried to rescue Akelus by confronting [The Purge].
[Hermes] keenly observed the [Herlakken] and [The Purge] fight from a safe distance. He was unsure on whether to evacuate or stay, he was unsure if the [Tomb of Hashfalhan] even housed the [Source].
Right then, the altar cracked and broke apart, dissolving into the realm. It ruptured a path leading to the [Ancestral Planes].
Seeing that the masked deity, Akelus, was swallowed by [The Purge]. [Hermes] rushed towards the entrance into the [Ancestral Planes] only to be blockaded by the [Herlakken].
The faceless soldiers quickly grabbed hold of [Hermes], strangling and locking him in place trying to pull him back from the entrance. This didn't stop [Hermes] but it bought enough time for
[The Purge] to respond.
"RRRAAANNRRGGH!!!"
It quickly locked onto [Hermes], charging at him with immense speed. The mad beast tried to swallow [Hermes] as well.
While [Hermes] was fighting off [The Purge], Akelus was desperately trying to claw his way out from the draconian cloud. But his efforts were to no avail, the spectral strands would bind around him pulling him back while the churning ethereal energy made navigation difficult.
[Hermes] had to disengage from the entrance in order to escape from [The Purge], while being pestered by the [Herlakken]. The first brigade of the [Herlakken] started luring [The Purge] outside the [Tomb of Hashfalhan].
Inside [The Purge], Akelus simply drifted, he lay still. He was exhausted and clueless. A presence manifested before him. The same white robed man, he was ominously glaring at Akelus.
"You are a [Fragment of Insurgence]...", the White robed man mused. "Kal'Seba invited you,.. neither an angel, nor demon, nor a god... A reflection?.."
Akelus remained silent, as an ominous entity appeared behind him waving at the White Robed Man.
(Xyrak: He he he...)
A devilishly dashing pitch black shadow wearing white shades.
"Its mine...", the White robed man frowned at the shadow. Then, the man simply waved his hand, releasing Akelus from [The Purge].
He was dropped from the sky, as a few [Herlakkens] quickly grabbed and brought Akelus to the entrance of the [Ancestral Planes]. Then, they gently dropped him into the entrance. After that, they stood guard and barricaded the entrance.
[Hermes] had managed to shake off [The Purge], which was now solely focused on the first [Herlakken] brigade. These faceless soldiers had successfully managed to lure [The Purge] warping him outside the [Tomb of Hashfalhan].
Meanwhile outside the tomb, [Gaki] continued fighting off Varcielle's swarm, that were ferociously stopping him from entering the tomb.
The fog of [Atrophy] would voraciously consume and disintegrate any semblance of matter and energy entering it. As Varcielle's clones were being swept into the gray fog, the ominous spectral aura embracing the swarm grew more intense.
[Gaki] heaved with frustration anger as the accursed spectral aura warded off the fog of [Atrophy].
The swarm gradually merged into a single entity, a concentrating into a grotesque bulging mass of bubbling mutated flesh and bones. The abomination had an extremely swollen stomach and gigantic, loose hanging jaw.
The abomination began drawing in the fog of [Atrophy], vacuuming it. Its stomach expanded as [Gaki] was being isolated inside it. The spectral aura becoming more and more intense and focused around Varcielle, keeping it alive.
[Atrophy] began consuming the insides of the abomination, peeling at it layer by layer. Varcielle's abomination desperately held on, effectively trapping [Gaki] within its body. Its body had devolved into a cesspool of corroding mass and influence.
Voraciously consuming through [Atrophy], [Gaki] had nearly tore through the abomination's stomach, when-
"RRRAAAANNRRGGH!!!"
[The Purge] roared as it arrived from the [Tomb of Hashfalhan] relentlessly chasing after the [Herlakken], unleashing vicious beams of spectral and ethereal energy.
The tremendous beam of spectral and ethereal energy torn through the abomination, disintegrating it along with [Gaki].
____________________
(Xyrak: Phew... That was a close one wasn't it Gaki?)
"...", [Gaki] stood in silence, exhausted and annoyed. He was decommissioned and had resurrected back in [HELL].
____________________
That mad draconian beast moved in an erratic manner, blinded by rage and driven insane with agitation. It continued to fiercely slash through the faceless soldiers, but the [Herlakken] tenaciously persisted. They kept resurrecting, they kept coming back.
The brigade of [Herlakkens] quickly dispersed across the realm of [Corzox], leading and unleashing [The Purge] on the remaining invading factions.
Back inside the [Tomb Of Hashfalhan], it was back to square one. Varcielle's final stand against [Hermes]. Behind him was the entrance to the [Ancestral Planes], which had been momentarily sealed off by the [Herlakken].
Varcielle summoned his swarm around [Hermes], confronting him with blazing determination. His body quivering with rage, anticipation and fear. For the Rift-borne, He was their last hope for survival. He was the only one holding [Hermes] back, the final hurdle.
"For the sake of our future.", he whispered a silent prayer. "Please watch over me, my ancestors. Please... help us live to see another day."
One last prayer, One final cry.
"||MIJAR EL VALTORUK!!!||", Varcielle's swarm roared with immense ferocity as they unanimously lunged at [Hermes], with the suicidal intent of ripping apart an Olympian.
(Xyrak: Heh... This reminds of someone...)
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[The Outer Sector: Kingdom of Corzox]
Within the [Ancestral Planes]...
Akelus gently landed over lush green planes with a faint Thump...
The sky above him shone with a faint violet hue. His magnificent white mane gently ruffling in the wind. The realm seemed endless, endowed with lush green valleys, tall mountains, steep plateaus, so on and so forth. The realm had a serene sense of calm and comfort.
He could see an elegantly divine dragon peering at him from a distance. This dragon was different from the Rift-borne Akelus had encountered so far. He had burning gold scales, a gleaming prismatic mane, blood red claws and a robust pair of spectral eyes.
The dragon exuded with royalty, brimming with regal bearing. A being that carried immense divine might, akin to the Gods from [MYRIAD]. He was nested atop a steep mountain range, gently gazing down at Akelus.
Unfurling his mighty gold wings, The dragon nimbly leapt from the mountain, elegantly landing in front of Akelus. He cautiously circled around Akelus, observing him with scrutiny.
After inspecting Akelus for a while-
"Oh good,.. you are [Fragment of Insurgence].", the mighty dragon sighed with relief, overwhelmed with emotions. "I have been waiting... 8 cycles of [Ragnarok]... to finally meet a fragment."
Brushing off the emotions, the dragon shook himself. He nimbly approached Akelus.
"Greetings, O Golden Boy of Fortune. I am Val'Heji, [The Golden Scion], First Warden of the [Ancestral Planes]... And, The first-born of Val'Hazi, Creator of [The Outer Sector].", the Dragon welcomed Akelus. As, he morphed into a humanoid form, raising his blood red hands in a grand gesture..
Akelus simply stood still, still cautious.
"Anyway...", Val'Heji continued with a casual tone, his chiseled face gleaming with a golden hue. "I am here to guide you to the [Source], or rather lead you to the person keeping my father's legacy safe."
Hearing this Akelus relaxed a bit, sighing in exhaustion and relief. "Haaa..."
"Haha, it seems like you had an extremely rough day.", Val'Heji grinned, casually ruffling his glimmering prismatic hair. "War does get tense and hectic. But, we can't rest now, we are running out of time. Varcielle wouldn't last for long against [Hermes]. Quick, follow me."
Val'Heji paved a path through the [Ancestral Planes], guiding Akelus to the very edge of
[The Outer Sector]. Leading him to the very desolate island where it all began. The same place where [The Pioneer] wove the first strands for [The Outer Sector], the same island where [The Purge] was born.
There was a thin veil before them, subtle distortions. Val'Heji came to a halt-
"Before you tread any further, I must request you to leave Xylus behind.", he spoke with an apologetic smile. "He is far too young to withstand a domain at the edge of [Oblivion], the influence alone would kill him."
"That's alright.", Akelus promptly complied, as he brought Xylus out of his ring.
Looking at Val'Heji, Xylus felt tense and anxious, but he also shared an odd sense of familiarity.
"Ahem... Listen kid, you did well... But, this is where we part ways.", Akelus spoke, as he removed his mask and handed it to Xylus. "Hold onto this for a while, keep it safe. I will return for it."
Xylus firmly grasped the mask, anxiously gazing at Akelus.
"Don't worry kid, I will return.", Akelus re-assured smiling, ruffling his head. "I wouldn't leave my team hanging."
"We do make a good team.", Xylus grinned mesmerized by the mask, nodding his head in agreement.
"Heh... And, what about the giant?", Akelus questioned Val'Heji about Hrimulfr.
"He is allowed to enter.", Val'Heji humbly replied. "The entity within is fairly interested in him."
"You can enter now.", Val'Heji spoke, gesturing Akelus.
Akelus plunged himself into the veil, against the subtle distortions. The environment around began warping and sputtering. The world around him broke into an array of laws and data, meticulously arranged in a sequence of neatly interwoven corridors of spectral and ethereal ciphers.
Akelus himself had morphed into an array of data, his existence lay bare for scrutiny. No memory of his could stay hidden, even the most repressed ones.
"||Decrypt||"... "||Construct||"... "||Decrypt||"... "||Construct||"...
Akelus could hear faint indifferent whispers echoing around him.
He was subsequently dragged through one of the corridors, into a library. There were several spiral stacks of knowledge clustered across the chamber, growing endlessly with data. An infinite archive that constantly analyzed and shaped [Yggdrasil].
"||Decrypt||"... "||Construct||"... "||Decrypt||"... "||Construct||"...
The chamber was also adorned with many robust pillars, these pillar recorded every aspect that governed [Yggdrasil]. The prominent, the forgotten, the rogues, the paradoxes. There was a single a pillar that was incomplete, in fact it was corroding away.
"||Decrypt||"... "||Construct||"... "||Decrypt||"... "||Construct||"...
Akelus was struck with awe at the sheer magnitude of power and authority the realm held over [Yggdrasil].
Suddenly, whispers went silent, the realm cracked like fragile glass. An indifferent murmur echoed across the chamber.
"||Welcome to the Library of Aeon...||"
Multiple figures drooped from the ceiling, slinking onto several levitating glass thrones. These entities were reflections, graphite reflections with hollow eyes. Their heads adorned with a golden plume. All of them wore flowing black coats, with their metallic bodies casually leaning on the glass throne.
An unknown sigil resembling infinity was seared onto his chest.
The mysterious entity gently snapped his fingers...
Twang...
The cracks disappeared and the reflections fused into one. His hollow eyes boring through Akelus' very transparent existence. His metallic face creaking into an ominous smile.
"Akelus, is it?.. I am Gauss.", his voice boomed as the infinity sigil on his chest burnt brighter. "A fragment like you is a pleasant surprise indeed. Kal'Seba... your favor is finally due for a promise made eight cycles ago..."
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