Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Zephys
Neo decided to experiment that later. For now, he decided to enter the trial world with different identity to look after his army from the shadows and also take his training to next stage.
He had enough of slaying small fries. He need something powerful enough to bring out his full potential.
With that goal in mind, Neo typed his new name: Zephys, and entered the trial world of Heavenly Gourd.
It was also that moment the regional barriers collapsed.
Rumble! Rumble!
Chaos, Mayhem erupted at once.
First, the artificial sky of the Heavenly Gourd shattered like a fragile mirror. Second, the massive invisible walls of energy that had previously separated the distinct trial zones suddenly dissolved into nothingness.
Buzz. Buzzzz.
Next, the ground violently quaked as millions of combatants flooded across the newly opened borders.
"KILLL! KILLLL! KILLLL!"
As the top thirty factions brutally collided, rivers of blood quickly formed.
The Crimson King’s blood cultivators swarmed over the mechanized infantry of the Iron Lord, tearing through titanium shields with highly corrosive blood magic.
"KIIIIIAAAAAAAA!"
On the opposite horizon, the gigantic aquatic beasts of Kraken’s Deep Sea Vanguard were mercilessly bombarded by continuous orbital strikes and magical artillery.
The deafening symphony of absolute slaughter filled the atmosphere.
The true trial of the Heavenly Gourd had officially begun.
Amidst this cataclysmic mayhem, a single pillar of pure silver light crashed directly into the center of the Golden Plains.
"Bang!"
Neo stepped out of the shallow crater, casually rolling his shoulders to loosen his stiff joints.
He was no longer dressed as a supreme ruler on his throne. He wore a simple, dark combat tunic.
The system interface above his head proudly displayed his chosen alias: Zephys.
"Intruder!" a booming voice suddenly echoed.
Neo slowly turned his head, observing his surroundings.
It seemed he had landed directly in the central staging grounds of the Heavenly Vanguard.
Thousands of towering Holy Paladins completely surrounded him. They wore heavy golden armor and brandished massive halberds crackling with divine lightning.
"Identify your faction immediately, or be purged in the name of the Solar Saint!" the commanding Paladin roared, pointing his blazing weapon at Neo.
Neo looked at the endless sea of golden knights. He did not feel an ounce of fear. He only felt an overwhelming, predatory hunger.
Neo smiled cruelly,
"Purge me, Senior? But I am just here to stretch my legs."
[ Skill Activated: Spirit Eyes (D) ]
Neo’s pupils instantly dilated, glowing with a piercing, ethereal blue light. The world around him completely slowed down. The divine auras of the thousands of Paladins became entirely transparent to his vision. He could perfectly see the absolute flow of their mana, the tiny structural gaps in their heavy golden armor, and the precise rhythm of their beating hearts.
They were strong, but they were fatally slow.
"Kill the heretic!" the commander ordered.
’Raaaaagh!"
Hundreds of Paladins charged simultaneously, their armour creating a terrifying symphony.
"Ha hah..." Neo let out a dark, booming laugh and finally unleashed his inner beast.
[ Skill Activated: Vellsing Transformation (D) ]
His human disguise melted away violently, and dark, iridescent scales rapidly erupted across his skin. His nails extended into vicious, razor-sharp claws capable of rending pure steel. His jaw unhinged slightly, revealing rows of terrifying, serrated fangs.
His entire muscle mass exploded, radiating an overwhelming, monstrous pressure that caused the charging Paladins to instinctively falter in their steps.
"Heavens! What is that monster?" a Paladin gasped in sheer horror.
"Let us change the battlefield, shall we?" Neo whispered in a distorted, guttural voice.
[ Skill Activated: Hydro Manipulation (D) ]
Neo slammed his clawed foot heavily into the ground.
BANG!
He forcibly extracted every single drop of moisture from the earth and the surrounding atmosphere, creating a colossal sphere of highly pressurized water.
It instantly swallowed Neo and thousands of the heavily armored Paladins within a massive, inescapable aquatic dome.
Inside the watery prison, the golden Knights panicked.
The heavy golden armor of the Paladins quickly became their ultimate death sentence. Their massive weight pulled them directly toward the bottom of the swirling sphere.
In that process, they were thrashed wildly while their divine lightning fizzled out completely in the crushing currents.
They opened their mouths to scream, only to swallow lungfuls of violently churning water.
However, Neo hovered perfectly in the center of the aquatic dome. The violent water felt like a comforting extension of his own body. He breathed the liquid as easily as he breathed standard air.
Looking at flailing knights all around him, he smiled.
Then with a flick of his scaled legs, Neo darted through the water with supersonic speed.
He became an apex predator in his own artificial ocean.
Slash!
His sharp claws tore perfectly through the tiny gaps in their golden armor, finding the exact fatal weak points his Spirit Eyes had effortlessly highlighted.
He ripped through throats, crushed windpipes, and shredded heavy iron plates as easily as wet paper.
"Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh! Blurghhh—!"
The crystal clear water of the massive dome quickly transformed into a deep, sickening shade of crimson.
Thousands of Holy Paladins choked and bled to death.
They couldn’t even touch the monstrous shadow ruthlessly tearing them apart.
Neo reveled in the brutal slaughter. "HAHAHA..."
Meanwhile, after getting slaughtered, the golden paladins were forcibly ejected out of the trial world, materializing right around the Solar Saint’s grand armada.
The Solar Saint, who was normally a man of divine grace and honor, with a tall stature, a handsome face, and a gentle temperament, was practically seething in rage. He clenched his jaw so hard that his lip bled.
One of his top advisors was sweating profusely in pure panic.
"This is... There must be something wrong, Your Excellency. I will take a look at why the Paladins are getting defeated."
The virtual camera feed changed on the main screen.
It now showed the exact reason. A demonic-looking human was slaughtering them like wet paper.
The name floating above the culprit read: "Zephys."
The advisor’s lips trembled, entirely unable to say a word.
Crack!
The heavy armrest of the Solar Saint’s throne finally shattered into pieces. It perfectly showed just how violently angry the Solar Saint appeared right now.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. This is just a small problem!"
"A small problem?" the Solar Saint practically growled. "He has already slaughtered five thousand of my elite Paladins, and you are saying this is a small matter?"
The advisor lowered his head in absolute shame.
"Useless! Go, send the word. I want this demon dead at all costs. Eradicate him from Heaven and Earth."
