A sudden surge of cold air filled the enclosure, accompanied by an eerie howl that sent shivers down the spine. Dark smoke slithered and spread, weaving an ominous presence around the area where the lifeless body of the ant king lay...
Raith stood with his hands nonchalantly tucked into his pockets, his anticipation palpable as he awaited the unfolding of events.
Skkkkkrrrrttttt
Abruptly, a sharp and eerie aura crackled into existence, piercing the air with chilling intensity. Raith's eyes widened in response, his palm becoming moist with sweat even as it remained hidden within his pocket.
Jarvis, Crimson, and Kortopi instinctively leaped back, momentarily forgetting their soon-to-be-formed bond with their coming comrade as they prepared to launch themselves at the monstrous entity.
The dark smoke billowed, coiling and twirling, until from its depths materialized the ant king. However, the creature had shed its humanoid guise and reverted to its primitive form— its pre-evolution state.
Like the other two humanoid ants Raith had encountered, it possessed two elongated arms that hovered just above the ground. Its entire body exuded solid darkness, oozing black smoke from every crevice, its surface adorned with menacing red cracks.
Where its compound eyes once shimmered, now only empty sockets radiated with a white glow, exuding an aura of superiority and dominance.
The ant king dropped to its knees, bowing in reverence to its master.
"My king,"
It intoned with a voice thick and intimidating, catching Raith off guard.
The ant king was strong, stronger than any monster he had ever faced save Noir and the Egard-Hearl. But if he had faced the ant king before facing any of those two he wasn't sure of his win, eventually, he would have but he couldn't guess how much death it would have taken. More to say, this victory was owed to the improved Bal.
A surge of excitement coursed through Raith's sharpened senses, as every fiber of his being, resonated with the raw power that radiated from the ant king.
[GIVE THE DEATH SOLDIER A NAME]
Raith swallowed his spit to moisturize his dry throat while he thought of something genuine.
"Since you are an ant, should we just go with Antares?"
[DO YOU WANT TO NAME DEATH SOLDIER ANTARES?]
"Yes"
[NOTE THAT ANTARES IS THE NAME OF A CERTAIN DEMON AND THIS MAY INCUR TROUBLE IN THE FUTURE]
"I don't mind" A corner of his lips curled as he thought of the trouble he will be causing for himself.
[YOU HAVE NAMED DEATH SOLDIER ANTARES]
[Soldier status]
Name: Antares
Level: 01/30
Rank: Major
"Oh oh, same rank with Noir. Should I designate him as the second in command?"
"No, Master!"
Crimson's voice resounded, punctuated by the sound of his knee forcefully meeting the ground.
Raith looked at him, and so did Antares, whose eyes glimmered an unsettling malice, causing a shudder to course through Crimson's shoulder. Bowing his head, Crimson swallowed his words and clenched his teeth.
Jarvis, sensing Crimson's inner turmoil, offered a compassionate look and a pat on the back. Meanwhile, Kortopi's gaze remained fixated on the new member, brimming with an inexplicable excitement, the reasons for which remained undisclosed, at least for now.
"Very well... I have a series of questions for you, Antares,"
Raith's voice resonated with authority.
"Speak, my king. Your humble servant listens attentively,"
Antares responded, his words coated in unwavering loyalty.
"You were in the world of Therut before now, yea?"
"Correct my king."
"Then how come you suddenly moved to Earth"
"I was approached by a formidable individual. He bestowed upon me a name and offered my colony a new domain, a land even more abundant than Therut. I have no regrets for through his deed, I now have the privilege of encountering the Supreme one, a destined encounter indeed, my king!" Antares lifted his gaze, his eyes shimmering with adoration towards Raith.
'Ah, this one is going to be a handful'
Raith sighed.
"So do you know this individual and why he did what he did?"
"If my memory serves me right, he referred to himself as the true Hallan Lamar, proclaiming his desire to bring about the destruction of Therut. He claims that this act of annihilation will grant me salvation, asserting that he is the first to show benevolence towards a creature such as myself. Yet, my king, you surpass them all, whatever they may be,"
Raith's eyes widened as he delved deep into his thoughts while Antares was still talking.
'Hallan Lamar?'
Raith had long been an avid admirer of Hallan Lamar, a man whose teachings were often deemed corruptive by society. Lamar's words delved into realms considered fantastical until Raith himself saw them true when he entered Felfhiem and witnessed their undeniable truth. He had become well-acquainted with Lamar's works through extensive reading, and the final words penned within the last volume before Lamar's demise echoed in his mind:
"I shall unleash destruction upon the world, and within that destruction, you shall all find salvation."
Many branded Hallan Lamar as mad, and the pontifices vehemently rejected his doctrines, ultimately leading to his condemnation and execution.
Even Raith, during his years of studying Lamar's writings within Therut, had considered the man to be deranged. Such was the prevalent belief among the denizens of Therut. However, after experiencing Felfhiem firsthand, Raith couldn't help but ponder over a single question: "How did Hallan Lamar manage to traverse from Therut to another world?"
The impending demise of Therut fascinated Raith, an intriguing prospect. Yet, this moment might be his final opportunity to seek answers for himself, to unravel the mysteries that the abyss won't easily tell him.
If indeed his suffering was orchestrated by certain pontifices who selected him as a death archon, fully aware of the society's rejection that awaited him, then he needed to demand answers before the world succumbed to destruction.
"Hallan Lamar may revel in his pursuits, I have no intention of stopping him. However, I must see the pontifices, at least before they die." Raith resolved, his mind resolute.
[A NEW TRIAL HAS APPEARED]
"Oh don't be shitting me."
***
***
***
"I dispatched zealous followers, what you would refer to as heretics, across the world. And you, you never took notice. The eruption of dungeons, the appearance of monsters surpassing level 10, all of it slipped by your senses.
Have you forgotten the very words I spoke to you? I warned you that this world's feeble method of measuring dungeons through levels is laughable. There exist creatures far more formidable than your feeble imaginations can fathom, for it is all in accordance with the grand design of the cosmos. Oh, Alexander, how disappointed I am to see that you have forgotten all that I have imparted unto you!"
"This scoundrel!"
The Emperor gritted his teeth.
"Brother, if he claims to be your instructor... there is a name that springs to mind. But it's utterly impossible, isn't it?" Prince Andres leaned in close to his brother and whispered.
The Emperor's frown and uptight expression intensified Prince Andres' suspicions.
"You, child. You must be Andres. A mere babe, when I last imparted my wisdom to your brother. I am certain you have heard of the illustrious Hallan Lamar. Yes, child. T h a t i s m e."
Prince Andres' brow furrowed.
"That is impossible. The entire nation was a witness to your execution."
"Yes, yes. Indeed, Antares. I was executed, can you believe it? By the crudest of instruments, the guillotine. Ah, it rends my heart," he said with a feigned pout, placing a hand upon his head in mock sympathy.
"Even your look is unruly, if you are Hallan Lamar as intended, how did you survive... how come you look so..." the Emperor hesitated to look at Hallan's unhuman appearance.
Hallan chuckled eerily, relishing in the Emperor's bewildered stare. After all, he hadn't always possessed this grotesque form.
Observing the Emperor's confusion brought him a perverse sense of pleasure. Yet, he knew he couldn't prolong this masquerade any further. While the heroes of Therut had lived their lives based on a deceitful history, their power derived from the archons should not be underestimated. Though hindered by the fabrications of this world, they possessed an indomitable spirit. Humans had always proven their capacity for triumph.
It didn't mean that they would fall prey to monsters and be destroyed. He of all people knew how strong the resolve of humans can be. They are humans too and they will definitely find a way to prevail.
But before they do that, he must destroy wake the archons.
Once the archons were roused, the world would crumble, for their very beings were the bedrock of existence, enabling the concealment of the plane of Therut beyond the perception of other celestial beings.
They had devised a means to awaken themselves, a mechanism intended solely for use when a primordial entity discovered their secret abode—an arcane knowledge that should only be held by the pontiffs.
Yet this man here somehow now has that secret in his hands.
"Alright. Enough with this nonsense charade. I have a world to destroy!"
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel