Tunde had glimpsed the true beast and heard its ominous voice as it bartered with the grand Ethralite. A grim expression etched itself onto his face as he discerned the identity of his relentless pursuer. Swiftly, he melded back into the tunnel's darkness, retreating from the now-ruined sanctuary of the earth guardian. He shut off his Ethra sight, cloaking himself in shadows and wrapping his aura tightly around his form to evade detection.
The true beast, tall and lithe with wings of flame and wind, crashed onto the circular platform with a terrifying grace. Its pallid complexion, fiery red hair, and a bone axe reminiscent of Tunde's first encounter with the barbarians of the wastelands left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Tunde remained as immobile as a stone, silently beseeching the hegemons for the true beast to choose another tunnel—not the one he was hiding in. He wasn't ready to face Heito, not while still recovering from his brutal clash with the fallen earth guardian. He prayed fervently that Heito, as the beast called itself, didn't possess an advantage against the Highlord guardian he would inevitably confront in another cave.
Perhaps the guardians could aid him in dealing with the looming threat of the true beast. Yet, Tunde wasn’t about to place his life in their hands. He watched in silence as Heito moved towards the farthest tunnel entrance. Assured that the beast had gone far enough, Tunde confirmed with his Ethra sight before stepping out of the tunnel and onto the platform, his gaze lifting upwards.
The pressure within the chamber had diminished significantly since his last visit, a testament to his efforts. The grand Ethralite, however, burned with renewed or perhaps recovered power, its aura permeating everything around. If the creature had been formidable before, now it seemed nearly invincible. Tunde could see this clearly. His only hope was that it would leave him in peace once he had finished breaking the seals and would move far, far away from him.
"Oh? You survived, I see," the creature’s voice echoed from above as an aura projection condensed before Tunde, assuming the creature's shape. Tunde noted bitterly that even its aura held the power of a Highlord. Dropping to one knee in a display of forced subservience, he spoke, his tone edged with accusation. "It was a Highlord guardian."
"And yet, you destroyed it with ease. Perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye," it replied, a hint of curiosity in its voice.
Tunde remained silent; his eyes fixed on the ground. The creature’s form shimmered before transforming into that of a human draped in a green robe, with green hair and glowing green eyes. "I suppose you’re aware of the true beast hunting you within those tunnels?" it asked. Tunde nodded cautiously, uncertain of the creature's intentions. It had merely told Heito that they would inevitably meet within those tunnels—a truth Tunde had come to accept.
Unless it intended to hand him over to the true beast, Tunde saw no reason for it to interfere. "With your initial action, I am inclined to perhaps spare your life," it said, "just a bit longer, so the two of you can show me what the cultivators of this age can do."
Tunde schooled his features, suppressing the rage and disappointment boiling within him. Was this his reward? Continued service, only to be spared from death temporarily? He said nothing, enduring the creature’s taunts silently, eager to move on to his next challenge. It was there only to gloat, a demeaning act given its rank, but Tunde kept his thoughts to himself. "Then again, should you continue to prove useful, perhaps I could consider taking care of the little problem for you," it added with a smirk.
Tunde inclined his head and bowed. "Your benevolence is great," he replied, masking his contempt as the creature laughed and vanished again. Rising to his feet, Tunde remained silent, his resolve hardening as he entered another tunnel, leaving the platform and its haunting memories behind.
The tunnel exuded an icy chill, growing colder with each step. Shivering slightly, Tunde wrapped himself in his aura, the walls, and ground transitioning from cold to freezing, coated in sheets of ice. He emerged into a vast cavern; its walls lined with glowing blue runes that led to the ice guardian standing in the distance.
The guardian was an imposing figure, seemingly carved from ice crystals, its form reflective and majestic. It stood before a shimmering blue crystal, visible through its translucent body. Clutching a spear made of ice, its tip emitted wisps of ice Ethra. Tunde manifested his relic, willing it into the shape of a hammer.
"Deviant of order," a feminine voice echoed across the chamber, "acolyte of the jade tyrant, you may have killed my sibling, but your path ends here!" Frost in the air began to coalesce, forming ice crystals that shaped themselves into vaguely human forms, each armed with crystal spears, floating in the air and radiating a chilling aura.
Tunde stared down the guardian and its assembled forces, undaunted. "I apologize," he began, his voice steady, "but I have no other choice." The guardian waved its hand, and the ice creatures shot towards him. Tunde surged forward, his body imbued with Ethra, his hammer flashing as he met the first guardian head-on. The guardian’s spear thrust towards his chest, but Tunde’s hammer crashed down with overwhelming force.
With his shield damaged by the first guardian, Tunde had to dodge the attack, his hammer crashing into the creature. It shattered into countless shards of ice spears that tore into him. Grunting in pain, Tunde landed and rolled away, evading the ice spears that stabbed into the ground where he had just been.
He sprang to his feet, his body rapidly healing even as he felt the ice Ethra trying to slow him down. His cultivation technique broke down the invading ice Ethra, converting it into fuel. The ice creatures regrouped, melting into liquid before reforming into massive ice arms that glowed with ice Ethra at their tips.
Activating his Ethra sight, Tunde dashed at the guardian, his speed cracking the icy ground beneath him. He swung his weapon, dodging the guardian's attempts to halt him with ice hands that shot out of the ground. His hammer smashed into one hand, cracking it, and he rolled under another, launching himself into the air to avoid a spear aimed to skewer him.
Above, a circular rune powered to life, unleashing a blast of ice Ethra. Tunde activated the void realm, cancelling his relic, unable to sustain both simultaneously. The hammer vanished in a puff of dark grey Ethra as his hands blazed with Joran’s wrath. A swirling orb of dark grey power sheathed him, absorbing most of the attack before dispersing it.
Aware that he was on borrowed time, Tunde pushed closer to the guardian, the two giant hands crashing down on him. He cancelled the void realm, leaping upward and meeting the hands with Joran’s wrath. An explosion rocked the chamber as their powers clashed, and Tunde angled himself to be propelled straight at the guardian. Its spear moved with deadly precision.
Ethra sight saved him from being skewered as he smashed the spear aside with a powerful blow, his arm reverberating with the force and the chilling shock of the ice Ethra seeping into him. He battled the freezing shock internally, his arm steadily becoming numb even as his Ethra fought the ice from within.
The ice Ethra attempted to freeze him from the inside as Tunde engaged the ice guardian. Its spear was a blur of movements, and his aura-sheathed arms barely held it at bay. He could feel his internal Ethra struggling to maintain his power and keep the ice at bay, requiring his full attention to break down the invading ice power.
Gathering his essence flames, he sent them onto his right side, feeling them clash with the ice as both forces fought for dominance over his body. His breath laboured; the creature relentlessly bombarded him with ice lances. Tunde dodged what he could, minimizing the damage to his body while enduring the onslaught.
It was a losing battle, and still, the creature kept him at arm’s length. "Your weapon will not serve you here as it did against my sibling!" it cried out, its spear glowing with a flash of intense brilliance.
"Phantom Ice Spear," it declared, thrusting the spear toward him.
The air around the weapon froze, morphing into dozens of spears that attacked simultaneously. Ethra sight revealed them the moment they began to manifest. Summoning the void realm once more, Tunde felt the strain on his core weigh heavily, slowing his movements. He moved forward instead of retreating, catching the guardian off-guard as he trusted his dominion technique to handle the brunt of the assault.
Yet, the spears carried Highlord Ethra, and Tunde bit back screams of pain as some pierced his already imbued body. He pushed through the agony, drawing close to the creature before summoning his relic again. The weapon drained his core as it transformed into a spear, piercing the guardian through the chest.
A shrill scream erupted as the weapon siphoned the creature's Ethra and everything else within its body. The guardian's arm seized the weapon as it spoke, "Ice coffin."
Tunde acted instinctively, gathering every bit of aura left within his body and sending out a void orb that shot toward the crystal. His body locked up as the guardian’s technique began freezing him from the inside out. Just as the ice reached his neck, the orb smashed into the blue crystal, shattering it in an explosive wave that flung him across the room. He crashed against the ice wall, tumbling to the ground and shivering uncontrollably.
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Teeth chattering, core empty, Tunde watched as the creature shattered into blocks of ice. His weapon clattered to the ground before reappearing on his arm, flooding his body with a rush of dark grey Ethra. Gasping in pain, his core filled to the brim before seeping into his body, healing him as he gathered himself into a lotus position, still shivering. He felt his body slowly break down the remnants of the ice Ethra within, along with something else he couldn’t quite explain that came from the ice guardian.
Turning his gaze to the shattered body of the guardian, Tunde watched as the runes vanished from the room. A burst of jade Ethra shot toward the grand Ethralite, who laughed with glee from up above the chasm, one step closer to freedom. Tunde's eyes fell on the glowing blue orb before him. He picked it up, feeling its cold touch as frost began to gather on his hand.
He tossed the orb into his void ring dismissively, along with several ice-cold crystal shards, before returning to where he had sat. He resumed circulating his Ethra, allowing his body to heal. It was a slow process this time, his body taking its time to soothe his Ethra lines and mend his worn form.
As he sat, he recalled the Ark screen courtesy of the sentience still within him, a legacy of his heritage. His thoughts drifted to Miria's words and the inevitability of leaving this region behind. Tunde could see it coming, a horizon filled with unanswered questions and unfinished tasks. Black Rock was becoming less significant to him.
Such was the destiny of cultivators—to keep advancing, they had to move toward where danger was thickest. Yet, within the wastelands, a master and several Highlords were engaged in battle. Deep down, Tunde knew it wasn't his fight, not in the broader sense. He was only involved because of Black Rock and its inhabitants, who looked to him and his friends for protection.
After resting for a while, a tremor signaled that Heito had somehow managed to finish off whatever guardian he faced. Tunde wondered how. Unless the true beast possessed some relic, which he doubted, there was no way Heito should have been able to take down a guardian. Rising to his feet, Tunde prepared himself for the impending encounter and made his way out of the tunnel.
He stepped onto the platform just as Heito appeared. The true beast’s eyes widened in recognition before he lunged forward, his bone axe flaring to life with crimson fire Ethra. Tunde noted that the axe seemed more alive than the last time he had seen it, perhaps a consequence of the guardian Heito had slain.
Tunde remained still, watching as the axe descended toward his head. Suddenly, a blast of green aura struck the true beast, pinning him to the ground. The grand Ethralite materialized, laughing loudly. Tunde bowed at the waist to the jade tyrant, as it was called.
"Beautiful, beautiful!" it cried out in excitement. "Three guardians down and two to go. I can’t have either of you killing each other just yet, now can I?" it said as Heito snarled, struggling futilely under the Ethralite’s power.
Its form now appeared more tangible, where it had once been a mere gathering of aura. Its hair and skin shimmered, its robes glowed, and its presence pressed down on them despite its true form still being somewhat chained above.
"You promised!" Heito snarled. The Ethralite tsked in response, "No, I told you that you would meet him down here, and you did. However, you both exist at my discretion and until I’m done with you, you cannot lay a hand on each other," it ordered. Tunde bowed again as the creature snapped its fingers, a wall of jade crystals materializing between them.
The Ethralite floated above the barrier before speaking, "There, that should keep you both out of each other’s way for the final part of your tasks for me," it said with gleeful satisfaction, releasing Heito from its grip. The true beast rose, a cold look masking the rage beneath.
"I can smell her on you, Jana," Heito said calmly.
"I had no choice. She wanted me dead," Tunde replied.
Heito cocked his head, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Then you should have presented your neck to her. Humans are worthless, and you have no idea what you have taken from me," the true beast retorted.
Tunde walked closer to the wall, staring at the true beast through the green-tinted reflection. "No, I cannot, just as you cannot fathom the pain and anguish your senseless attacks on the people of the wastelands have caused," he replied, his voice steady and cold. "This will be your only chance. Back off, leave me alone, or you will face the same fate as your sister."
He watched Heito brimming with barely contained rage, his desire to smash down the walls palpable even if it was futile. Heito turned away, heading toward the next tunnel before pausing, glancing back slightly. "Better you die in that tunnel than face what I will do to you," he said, his voice dripping with malice, before disappearing into the tunnel.
Tunde said nothing, merely glancing upwards at the grand Ethralite, who no doubt relished the tension. Without further delay, he entered the tunnel leading to his next challenge. As soon as he stepped inside, a tingling feeling of dread spread from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, making the hair on his skin rise.
Wary, he imbued his body with Ethra, his Ethra sight flaring to life. Pushing toward the end of the tunnel, he noted the sharp smell of rain in the air, suspecting the affinity of the guardian he would face next. One foot into the cavern, he rolled away just as a bolt of lightning struck where he had stood. He sprang to his feet, searching for cover.
On the run, he forged a void spear, firing it instinctively at the source of the lightning before diving behind a clump of crystal that crackled with electricity, glowing blue.
"You came after all," a thunderous voice boomed across the room as lightning flashed. Tunde peeked from behind the crystal where he hid, staring in awe and terror at the coiled serpentine figure wrapped around the largest piece of Ethra crystal he had ever seen.
Pure dread coursed through his body as his mind struggled to comprehend the creature before him. Resembling a snake with shimmering scales crackling with lightning, it possessed long, sharp claws that could easily split him in two if it managed to get hold of him.
Hiding back, his chest pounding hard, Tunde found himself at a loss for what to do.
[Ifa, what is that thing?] he asked the sentience. Bolts of lightning slammed into the crystal, causing it to crack. Tunde knew time was running out. Ifa responded; its answer was as frustratingly vague as ever.
[Insufficient advancement level.]
Without hesitation, Tunde shot out of the safety of the eroding crystal, summoning void realm as a bolt of crackling lightning slammed into his dominion technique. This time, however, it pierced through like an arrow, the technique barely absorbing the attack before the majority of it struck Tunde with the force of a peak lord’s punch.
He was thrown across the room, crashing into the ground, the smell of singed hair filling the air. Struggling to his feet, he stared at the serpentine creature again, its eyes filled with sentience, and its jaw lined with rows of sharp canines.
"Three of the seals broken, you will not escape judgment this time!" the creature roared, its voice shaking the very walls. It opened its mouth, a ball of lightning forming, crackling with barely contained power. For a brief moment, Tunde was rooted to the spot, staring down inevitable death. He bit his tongue hard, the taste of blood jolting him from the paralyzing fear.
The creature unleashed the attack. Tunde gathered his void realm in a tight circle around himself, enveloping his entire body in aura and willing his relic to take the shape of a shield. Dropping to one knee, he braced himself, then launched forward to meet the attack halfway across the room.
It slammed into him with a force that sent raw agony tearing through his form. Tunde held on, the energy searing through his Ethra lines and flesh, scouring him from the inside out. A scream tore from his throat, endless and primal, as a large clawed hand slammed him into the ground.
He spat out blood, his ribs cracking, staring into the serpentine eyes of the lightning guardian. The creature needed no minions to overpower him. Its blue hair floated as if underwater, and it gazed into his burnt, slowly healing face. One claw pressed into his skin, breaking through his imbuement, eliciting another raw scream.
"Die," it growled. Tunde stared back with unwavering rage, activating his relic once more. The relic, having shrunk back to its tattooed manacle form, sprang out as a spear. The fang of Alana punched through the skull of the creature with ease, piercing its insides and emerging from the top of its head.
The guardian choked on its roar, lightning gathering in its mouth as it thrashed in the air, bleeding lightning Ethra that struck all around the room. Tunde curled up in a ball, agony surging through him. He had no idea how long it lasted, but eventually, the entire room was plunged into darkness as the runes flickered out.
The usual burst of jade Ethra shot out from the spot where the creature had fallen, more powerful than ever, rising to the very ceiling of the cavern before passing through. When it was gone, Tunde, breathing heavily and his skin stinging, managed to open his void ring and take out a healing elixir. He downed it, the taste of his own blood mingling with the burning liquid as it seared down his throat, immediately setting to work, rapidly healing his battered body.
He lay there for a few minutes, feeling the elixir’s effects. His robes were burnt out, his lower half miraculously intact, perhaps because he had crouched. He smelled like burnt meat and struggled to breathe, hating the situation he was in. Powerless to stop the grand Ethralite from treating him like a slave, his life was in its hands. He had only managed to kill the third guardian because of a powerful relic, not his own strength. Was this the fabled lord realm he had longed for?
Struggling to sit up, he reclined against the cool wall in the darkness. The glowing orb from the shattered crystal corpse of the creature called out to him. He wondered what it had been. The earth guardian had been a golem, the ice guardian a crystallized human. Who knew what else Heito had faced in his own tunnels?
The lightning guardian was unlike anything he had encountered before—a large serpent with claws half his size. As the tier 4 elixir healed the remains of his insides, Tunde struggled to his feet and moved toward the glowing, crackling orb. He gathered it in his hand, sending it straight to his void ring before collecting the shattered remnants of its crystals as well.
Tunde's eyes locked onto the tunnel's exit, a shiver of anticipation running down his spine. He knew who awaited him there—a confrontation destined to shake the very fabric of his being. The cavern walls trembled violently, each quake a testament to Heito's ruthless prowess at accomplishing the task given to him. Somehow, Heito had killed the final guardian of the cave, a sinister hint that the true beast possessed a weapon capable of delivering a devastating blow.
Sinking to the crystal-strewn floor of the pitch-black chamber, Tunde crossed his legs and let his eyes slide shut. His breaths grew steady, each inhale and exhale a mantra of focus. He drew in the sparse Ethra that lingered in the air, cultivating it with meticulous precision along the path of the boundless asura. Heito was no more than an impediment—a body to be overcome, an obstacle on his relentless journey to ascendancy.
If he was to scale the heights of power, he had to perceive Heito as nothing more than a stepping stone. Obstacles were meant to be crushed, and Tunde was a master at shattering anything that dared to block his path.
