Chapter 311 - Supplier's Bid.
Gavin looked sideways and locked eyes with Hal before dipping his head in acknowledgment and returning to spectate the auction with his expression now back to normal.
Lucile looked over at Hal,
"Why aren't you bidding?" She asked.
Hal shrugged,
"I don't want to" he said now resting his cheek on his right fist.
Lucile raised one brow,
"Really, After all your inquiries?"
Hal sighed,
"Well, it's one of two things. I either no longer feel interested in the technique after seeing it in action which even as I say it, I can see is highly unlikely.
Or just as you have long suspected, I was never really interested in the technique in the first place and was here for other reasons.
Which one do you think it is?" Hal asked her with a light smile.
Lucile chuckled,
"Are you seriously asking me to choose when you just practically confessed to all I've suspected all along? If you are, then my choice should be obvious."
Hal shook his head as though disappointed,
"As much as it shows how rigid your thinking is, I have to admit that I know what you choose" he said and Lucile rolled her eyes and looked away.
Hal was about to return his focus to the auction when he felt a feminine calf rubbing against his leg.
It was easy to tell who was responsible and he looked sideways at Elsa who did not look as though she had any intentions of pretending it was unintentional.
As usual, there was a sultry smile on her face when Hal faced her with his brow raised,
"Is there something you'd like to say?" He asked with a light smile.
Elsa's smile widened as though him speaking to her gratified her to no end,
"Actually yes. I am very shy you so I could not afford to be too direct." She said.
"I find that hard to believe" Hal told her and she seemed to backpedal which Hal was sure was a part of the act.
"Alright fine, I was just trying to give you a push to be chivalrous." She told him.
"Me, Chivalrous?" Hal asked with disbelief coloring his tone.
Elsa nodded,
"Exactly. I mean it's common courtesy that the guy chats up the girl. I was waiting for that but you were not forthcoming. I had to go against my shy nature and make the first move."
'Sticking to the shy story I see. Only a real dumbass will believe you' Hal thought.
"Is it common courtesy for the guy to speak first? I honestly did not know. I only spoke to you to know why you were rubbing your legs against mine" he said in a tone that suggested a complete innocence of motive.
"Am I rubbing my leg against yours?" Elsa asked and rubbed even more hence making it more obvious.
Hal nodded with a light smile,
"Yes you are" he told her, playing along.
"Elsa sighed,
"I honestly did not notice" she told him and rubbed even harder.
To be fair, Hal was not averse to the feeling.
Even then he asked,
"Okay then, why don't you move it now that you do notice?"
Elsa looked thoughtful for a few seconds before shaking her head,
"No, I don't think I will. Did anyone ever tell you it feels good to touch you? Or that you smell really, really nice? Nice enough to eat."
Hal nodded with a mockingly serious expression,
"It's not the first I've heard of it." He admitted.
Then looked away from Elsa in hopes of ignoring her for the rest of the duration of time he was here.
A voice called out of the crowd...
"605,000 Blue gems!"
... And Hal's eyes widened as he had not known how much the technique's value had scaled since he had not been paying attention.
His eyes were not widening because the price was high but because it was low.
With two impressive demonstrations, Hal expected the price to be higher than this by now.
Clearly, those in the crowd were still holding out and Beldar noticed this as well.
Because after another bid in the 600,000 range, he placed a bid of his own,
"750,000 Blue gems!" He called and the eyes those present widened while the Sheik voiced out,
"Beldar, what do you think you're doing?" He asked.
Beldar looked to at him,
"I'm tired of this nonsense. I would rather win my technique and be done with it all" he said with an angry expression.
"He can't be allowed to do that right?" Asked a merchant in the crowd.
Beldar nailed him and raised his brow,
"In which book is it written that I can not bid on my product?" He asked and all protesters were struck dumb.
After all, in essence, there really was nowhere it was written that no one could bid on their own product.
The only reason it never happened was that it was practically financial suicide and quite frankly the height of stupidity.
Beldar was however doing it to prove a point and show that while he had placed the starting value of his technique at 400,000 Blue gems, he believed its value far surpassed that.
"What about my profit?" The Sheik asked.
Beldar sighed,
"If no one bids higher than me, then I will give you your share of what the technique sold for. I will be the only one losing money." He assured the Sheik who relaxed in his chair with a light smile,
"Very well, carry on" he said.
Silence was what first met the Sheik's words before a confident voice spoke out,
"780,000 Blue gems" he said.
"790,000 Blue gems" someone else bid and the bidding war was back in full swing.
It was while It was going on that a guard walked into the auction hall and headed towards the honor row to report to the Sheik that they had been unsuccessful in capturing the one who had attacked Beldar.
The look on the guard's face made it clear that he was expecting to be the one the Sheik took his anger out on.
However, upon receiving the news, the Sheik merely ordered that they continued searching and not just inside his residence but the whole territory of Black lagoon.
"He can't have gone far with his injuries. Find him" he said.
The guard turned away and thanked his lucky stars he found the Sheik in a good mood.
Meanwhile, the bid finally went past 800,000 Blue gems, and once again, Beldar bid on the technique and moved it up to 900,000 Blue gems.
The bidding crowd gritted their teeth at this Dystopian native's shamelessness.
Many even wished to stop bidding.
But at that time, a man that had been mostly invisible throughout the whole auction process placed a humongous bid of,
"One Million Blue gems" he said and Beldar's face split into a wide smile.
"One million going once, twice, sold" he announced as all eyes turned to the surprise winner who had proved Beldar's point of how there would still be someone willing to bid at such a high appreciation rate.
Once the man won the technique, there was a light smile playing on his lips and Hal thought he saw his eyes flicker towards the honor row but felt he might have imagined it on account of how fleeting the look was.
The auction had come to an end with the main item selling off at one million Blue gems which in gold approximate was Ten billion.
More money than Hal had ever seen in his life.
The technique was wheeled away and Hal moved to go and retrieve his own purchases when he received a message in the communication Talisman Ehrlich had offered him at the start of this mission.
He quickly retreated and, difficult as it was, found an uninhabited location to receive the message.
Ehrlich's voice spoke out of the Talisman,
"Get over here now!"
Chapter 312 - Tagging.
"I don't quite care for your tone. Say please" Hal said into the talisman with a sigh.
Then he heard a distinct growl,
"I won't ask again" Ehrlich said out of the talisman.
"Fine, I"m on my way," Hal said and returned the communication talisman into his inventory before walking out of the hall and the residence entirely.
He returned to the hotel and went directly into his room where he knew with certainty was where Ehrlich was camping out.
He pushed open the door to see the muscular man laying on his bed with his eyes closed as he absorbed cosmic energy from the surroundings.
Hal could tell through the use of Astral perception that allowed him to ascertain that Ehrlich's injuries were mending.
"Oh damn it. You're going to ruin my sheets" Hal said with a groan that caused Ehrlich's eyes to open wide and glare at Hal.
"What the hell were you up to at the auction?" He asked.
Hal looked confused,
"You weren't really expecting me to get involved in a fight where you were getting your ass kicked, did you?"
"Not that. I meant you outbidding me for the gem flower!" Ehrlich said with his face twisted with rage.
Hal nodded with understanding,
"Oh that. Well, I thought you wanted me to sell our competition to the crowd and bid like I really wanted to win. Had you bid higher after that, I would have given up." Hal lied through his teeth.
"What are you talking about? I told you to back off and you did the exact opposite" Ehrlich said.
Hal secretly sneered as he saw this as Ehrlich's pathetic attempt to pull some stupid prank.
After all, where was it explicitly stated that Ehrlich could need the gem flower and Hal couldn't?
When it came to this mission, Hal could at least pretend to defer to him but when it relates to other matters, it was every man for himself.
His expression suddenly shifted to one of mild anger,
"If anyone should be upset, it should be me. Because of your cowardice, I lost 45,000 Blue gems. That's a lot. Speaking of which, I should really be getting to the residence and retrieve my purchases." he said.
Ehrlich looked a little taken aback but decided to table that matter for now since there were more pressing issues,
"Well, that will have to wait. Your mission is not over" he said.
Hal frowned,
"Whoa, I found you the supplier. I mean sure we kind of just ran into him but I still see that as both completion of my mission as well as my win"
Ehrlich sneered,
"Sorry to burst your bubble but your mission is not over until I say it's over. First I need you to tell me all you know about the supplier, that is supposing you found out anything new after... after..."
Seeing as it was looking difficult for Ehrlich to be articulate, Hal decided to assist him,
"After you got your ass kicked and got punched right out of the auction hall. It was an impactful smash I must say. You left a large gaping hole in the auction hall ceiling."
Ehrlich growled, clearly not interested in reliving that embarrassing moment,
"Did you find out anything or not?" He asked with annoyance.
"Of course. He gave a complete introduction once things settled down a bit" Hal said and told Ehrlich all that Beldar had said to the bidding crowd.
Ehrlich clenched his fists in anger,
"Dystopian scum! I mean I and the princess suspected it but we were more inclined towards it being a sell-out human." He said.
Hal had no comment and simply contented himself with remaining quiet and mostly uninterested.
"Well, that settles it. We are going after him!" Ehrlich announced and finally garnered Hal's attention.
Hal turned to face him,
"Excuse me what?" He asked.
"You heard me. We are going after him. He's from Dystopia so we can't very well let him run amok"
Hal's expression did not change,
"First off, as it has been observed, I am only at the mid-stage of the Cosmic phenomenon realm, and in case you've forgotten, that's the reason you said I was only to do reconnaissance and report back to you.
Second, how are you even going to find him? Not to mention that he'll probably disappear now that the auction is over, there are guards searching for you right now."
Ehrlich took a deep breath,
"Your job was only reconnaissance at a time when I was confident of going it alone. Now, however, I need someone watching my back. Unassuming and weak as you are, you are also my closest option.
As for the guards, I am sure we can avoid them." He said.
Hal's eyes narrowed,
"You've forgotten the part where Beldar disappears" he said.
Ehrlich retrieved what looked like a mini-holographic screen and on it was a map of the whole of Black lagoon's territory or more accurately, Hal assumed it was a map of Black lagoon as it had been zoomed in on and only a part of it was really visible.
There was a blinking dot.
"Ever heard of tagging?" Ehrlich asked but soon answered the question himself,
"Of course you haven't. It's one of the Princess's inventions and it is incredibly useful for keeping track of people. You see, I deduced quite accurately that the supplier was a layman in Runes just like I am.
When I bound him, he was so focussed on those runes that he neglected to be wary of other passive runes."
'So, he was bugged. Nice.' Hal thought.
'This Tanya seems like a real genius' Grimoire said and Hal agreed.
"With this, we can find the supplier and according to this, he is already on the move. We better hurry" Ehrlich said and stood from the bed with a groan.
Hal eyed him,
"Are you sure you are up to this?" He asked.
"Don't be ridiculous, of course, I am"
And with that, he straightened up and made a real effort to look up to the task before retrieving a black cloak with a hood out his spatial ring which he wrapped around himself and used the hood to cover his face.
Hal rolled his eyes,
"That's your answer to the guards searching for you?" He asked.
"Do you have a better idea?" Ehrlich growled and Hal sighed and shrugged.
H3 had to admit that although the cloak was like announcing that he was suspicious, going out without it would have the same effect.
Then again, the guards might not recognize him at all since a majority of them had never seen him and may very well be running around the territory for mere due diligence.
...
Soon the two were out on the streets of the city and following the blinking dot which seemed to be leading to the very outskirts of Black lagoon territory.
"Does the streets seem desolate to you?" Hal asked. He was sure there were more people walking about before and this was cause for suspicion.
"Nah, it's not that desolate. Let's focus on Beldar shall we" Ehrlich shrugged off Hal's concern and soon they were out of the city and heading into the forest where Hal remembered walking up at the start of all this.
Following the dot led them to a hill in the forest. A hill covered in green and with the opening of a cave.
According to the tag, that was where Beldar was.
The two paused and Hal stretched his Astral perception to inspect the cave but found that there was a layer of runes blocking his probing into the deepest parts of the cave.
"This..." Hal began but Ehrlich was already moving into the cave as fast as he could despite his injury.
Inside the cave, they found Beldar just as Ehrlich had expected thanks to the tag...
... And he was sitting on a stool-sized rock as though awaiting their arrival all along just as Hal had suspected after his probe.
Beldar looked up with a smirk,
"Welcome boys."
Chapter 313 - Vindictive Bastard.
Ehrlich's face went red with rage immediately and Hal actually thought for a moment that it was because they seemed to have played right into Beldar's hands.
Alas,
"I am not a Boy!" He yelled.
Hal shook his head,
"Seriously? That's what upsets you in this situation?"
Ehrlich ignored him and continued by pointing at Hal and directing his words at Beldar,
"He's a boy. Not me!".
Beldar shrugged,
"I really don't care either way." He said and stood from the rock he had been sitting.
He walked towards the duo of Hal and Ehrlich slowly and although Ehrlich was quick to take on a defensive stance, Hal felt there was no need to be so hasty.
After all, Beldar still seemed mostly interested in making small talk.
And sure enough,
"Don't you want to know how I knew you would come after me?" He asked.
Ehrlich sneered,
"To quote your own words 'I really don't care either way'" he said.
"Oh, but you should care. You see I am so attuned with my body that it is impossible for you to place something on me, no matter how stealthy you try to be, without me knowing of it.
I had no definite knowledge of what the rune was for but since it had not been used in our battle, I was sure it was not going to explode or bind me or anything like that.
And then just as I was about to walk off the stage, I saw him..." He pointed at Hal "get up and walk out of the hall.
"It was then that I remembered the first time I saw him and how he had been asking about things that while normal to an observer, for someone as alert as I am, it raised a flag.
So I decided to take a chance on my suspicions on what the rune was for and came here. My hideout for the past few months"
Before Ehrlich could say anything, Hal was already commenting,
"Glossing over the fact that you praised yourself so many times in that egotistical classic 'Bad guy' speech, did you say you've been living here for months? You've really had it rough" Hal said with a sympathetic shake of his head which fooled Ehrlich,
"Stop moping around with him! As for you Beldar, I believe you owe me a rematch" he said.
Beldar smiled and there was something about the way he subtly glanced behind him that put Hal ill at ease,
"I defeated you once today already, what makes you so confident I won't be doing it again?" Beldar asked with a sneer as he retrieved a scroll from his inventory.
One that was obviously different and most probably better than the one he had already sold.
Ehrlich grinned,
"My confidence stems from the fact that I won't make the same mistake twice" he said and exuded the pressure of his cultivation base to harness his cosmic energy and direct it all towards a skill...
"Fourth-grade skill: Striking comets!"
... as he summoned a three-ring circle out of which flew brightly burning comets that smacked right into Beldar's chest before he could even attempt to evade.
*Boomm!!!*
*Bang!!!*
It sent him flying away and smacking into the cave wall, separated from his mutating scroll that remained suspended in mid-air.
"Watch my back" Ehrlich said and glanced at Hal barely able to beep his joy contained.
However, as Beldar slid slowly down the wall and onto the ground, Hal thought... No, he was sure he saw him smile.
He sighed and warned Ehrlich in a lazy voice,
"Be careful"
"What...?" Ehrlich began but by then, Beldar was no longer on the ground but standing upright... right in front of him.
*Bam!*
Before he had the time to anticipate Beldar's attack, he was already getting punched in the stomach.
He doubled over and Beldar hit him into the ground with a solid punch to the side of his face.
It was while he was down and groaning in pain that Ehrlich saw that Hal was not the least panicked. In fact, he looked like he was enjoying the show of his partner getting beaten up.
"What are you smiling at?" Beldar asked Hal who chuckled.
"I'm sorry, it's just that three days ago, this guy was so badass as he attacked me and someone close to me all so he could kidnap me.
Not to mention that as I was knocked unconscious, the fact that they could have hurt Karmen has been upsetting ever since."
Ehrlich's eyes widened,
"That was just for show and you know it." He growled at Hal.
Hal rolled his eyes,
"Well, I know that now. But three days ago while I was getting attacked I did not. Also, my precious Karmen was attacked for real and most likely knocked unconscious as well. And she might not have been lucky enough to get a rune knock out.
After all, anything to get the job done right?"
"Aren't you two partners?" Beldar looked confused.
Hal shook his head,
"No, we're not. I am more of a Pseudo-backup but I am so weak that if you defeat Ehrlich then I will either be running or begging for my life."
Ehrlich groaned and struggled to return upright and glare at Hal,
"Vindictive bastard. I'll take care of you later" he said and turned towards Beldar who was already harnessing the mutating technique and turning his hand into the monstrosity that had defeated Ehrlich a few hours earlier.
Ehrlich did not back down as he summoned a sword cosmic Armament that was thinly veiled not with a phenomenon but with a cosmic aurora.
He dashed towards Beldar who was waiting to receive him with his monstrous fist raised to intercept the sword strike.
*Clang!*
The contacting of both distinctly different weapons caused a metal-like clang that was quite unnerving.
However, neither of the two was interested in exploring that area and only focused on battling each other.
Hal could not help but feel that Beldar was only toying with Ehrlich and not taking things seriously.
This thought was reiterated by the assurance that there was something behind the point his perception could not pierce.
And whatever it was would be a sure game-changer that would guarantee the dystopian's victory.
*Boomm!!!*
A blast of cosmic attack from Ehrlich and the two separated and stared at each other while breathing deeply but Ehrlich was doing so with a frown while Beldar was doing so with a smile.
"You are out of trump cards aren't you? I will really like to know who it was that is after me 'cause you don't look smart enough to be the mastermind of this operation. Oh well, before they kill you, I'll find out." He said and snapped his fingers.
"They...?" Ehrlich narrowed his eyes in confusion just as the cave began to rumble with the sound of approaching multiple individuals.
However, before they actually came before him, a large slab of rock fell off the cave ceiling, it was coated with a kind of dark and malevolent energy and somehow, Ehrlich found that he could not avoid it as it landed squarely on his head...
*Bam!!!*
... and knocked him unconscious.
Beldar looked confused at this turn of events since he was sure it could not be an accident as that was the only piece of the cave ceiling that came crashing down.
It was only after Ehrlich slumped down to the ground was the culprit revealed to Beldar who saw Hal's eyes were no longer sapphire blue which despite the only source of light being from the exit was a fact he was sure of, and they were now a malevolent black color that almost caused him to feel fear.
Hal sighed as he looked down on the body on the ground,
"It turns out I really wasn't over him knocking me unconscious. Who would have thought I could hold a grudge that much?"
Grimoire did a mental representation of a girl hopping on her seat with her hand raised while she chanted,
'I knew, I knew'
Hal ignored the artifact with a mental roll of his eyes.
Then returned his attention to Beldar,
"As for you, you called me a boy, so how about I show you how vindictive I can be as I prove to you by beating you senseless that age aside, I am no boy. I am a man and a Devil, in every which way."
Chapter 314 - I'll Just Run.
"A devil? Hahahaha" Beldar laughed loudly and so hard that he held his stomach.
"Oh, you don't believe me?" Hal asked with a smirk.
"Of course I don't! What, because your eyes changed color, I'm supposed to believe you're a Devil?" Beldar said and laughed once again.
Hal chuckled,
"An unbeliever, huh? This is interesting" Hal said and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
It seemed it had been a little shallow of him to believe that all those from dystopia will have a reverence for the Devil just because of Arya.
Oh well, it would not have made a difference.
"Let's say you really are a Devil, I 'm curious how you will fight off me and my forces" Beldar said, and finally the rumbling in the dark at the back of the cave made sense as at least twenty individuals all encrusted in the grey shell that was synonymous with the mutating technique showed up.
Seeing as he had not seen Beldar change them now, Hal was willing to bet whoever this was, they had been that way for a while.
Beldar looked them over with pride of an artist surveying his handy work,
"I came to the Haron continent with my fellow Dystopian brothers and we were bright-eyed younglings with big plans and ideas.
We would take down the Haron continent from the inside.
You see, we felt the reason Dystopia has never won was that they never attempted sabotage and when we proposed our ideas to the elders of our tribe, they shunned us and told us we were too young to understand the intricacies of what we were suggesting.
However, we were sure of our plan's viability and so we proceeded to infiltrate the Haron continent regardless and the journey was perilous. We almost did not make it.
But we did and it was only then we finally understood how stupid our plans were especially since we had no support and most importantly, very little money.
And then I had an idea that could make us money which was a personal project of mine that I had tweaked even further with the power of a Semi-saint.
I would make an inferior copy of this technique and sell it. I knew we would make a lot from it as this continent lacks body strengthening techniques such as this."
At first, Hal really considered telling Beldar to get on with the attacking or at least skip over to the end of his story but he decided he might as well hear the full details so he would have something to tell Ehrlich when he was awake.
Beldar sighed,
"This was when the disagreement with my brothers began. They claimed that we were here to destroy the Haron continent from the inside and not to give them an avenue to be stronger, even if it was an inferior copy.
They would not budge on this even though I told them I would sabotage the technique so that continuous use will eventually turn the user mad and lose all sense of reasoning to eventually be put down like a savage beast.
The good thing was, I had planned for such a possibility and marked them as subtly as I could in preparation for me to use the technique on them."
Hal looked confused,
"Mark?"
Beldar smiled,
"Oh yes. The technique can't just turn anybody at the behest of its master. The victims have to be marked prior. Of course, if they are subordinates, they receive the mark like a badge of honor.
Well, if my brothers will not be useful to the cause by supporting me, at least now they will be useful to me by being my fighting force for the rest of their lives.
So, will you give up now or will you try to pathetically fight against such large odds?"
Hal smiled lightly before turning towards the exit and dashing out,
"I'll just run"
Beldar closed his eyes and tilted his head back as he sighed with disappointment. He had expected Hal to at least put up a fight and not just run out like a coward.
"Get him!" He ordered the twenty monsters with him and they ran out ahead of him while he followed at a steady pace.
They found Hal standing right in front of the cave entrance and surrounded him in seconds.
When Beldar came out of the cave, he was a little surprised Hal had not gone that far.
Was he that slow?
"Did you think I was running?" Hal asked and chuckled before stretching his arms wide as a portal opened and out of it slithered a large green serpent.
"I wasn't running. You are so silly to even think I was. No, I was taking the fight out of that cramped-up cave so that I can let loose. So you have twenty monsters, well, meet my army..."
Following the arrival of Sassy the familiar serpent was forty other beasts at the forefront of which was Borus.
These were the most powerful of the beasts he had in the habitat and they all exuded Devil-like energies thanks to Hal's Blood evolution.
Beldar's eyes widened and his mouth gaped in confusion at how the tables seemed to have been turned on him so quickly. He took a step back just as the beasts wasted no time leaping into action and taking the monsters in a two-on-one battle that guaranteed quick dismantling of their hard-crusted exteriors.
Hal bent low to stroke Sassy's head and the serpent let out a low hiss of content before swiveling her head towards Beldar,
"He's ugly" She said.
Hal's forehead was filled with black lines,
"Well, he's no me, but I think he's doing okay for himself in the looks department" he told her with a mild chuckle.
"No, he's ugly" Sassy said again and Hal knew she was doing it deliberately to get on Beldar's nerves which from the look on Beldar's face, was working.
Then she slithered off towards the battle of monsters and beasts while already condensing a toxic arrow which she released and tore a hole through a monster, thereby showcasing her dominance.
Hal nodded at the display with a smile. The monsters should be taken care of soon and he could focus all of his attention on their leader and Ex-brother.
"So, you have demon beasts trapped by your side? Fucking entitled Haron Bastard!" Beldar spat but Hal just rolled his eyes.
"You turned your brothers into monsters and you really want to point the accusatory finger? Well, point away, I really don't care either way.
Ehrlich might have considered capturing you but now that you've seen so much of my secrets, I can't very well have you telling anyone, can I?"
Beldar understood what Hal was getting at and quickly activated his scroll not to transform his hand but his whole form.
He went from being 6 feet tall to 12 feet and became twice as wide as he used to be. He was rippling with monstrous strength and was clearly being complacent.
Hal grinned and his skin turned crimson, marred with black lines as he sprouted black horns on his forehead while large bat-like wings spread from his back.
The complete transformation into the lesser Devil form was not where it ended as Hal stretched his hand and summoned Executioner which was giving off violent fiendish energy.
"By the gods! You are a monster too!" Beldar exclaimed.
Hal sighed as he flexed the arm that was holding the Broadsword that was Executioner and in the process, flaunting the weapon itself,
"Not a monster, a Devil. But hey, at least you are getting closer. By the time I'm snuffing out your life, I'm sure you'll get it right" he said.
And with that, he flapped his wings once and got enough lift to strike directly at Beldar's chest...
Chapter 315 - Flaming Pit.
Beldar crossed his arms and they received the brunt of the attack while their sudden separation also threw Hal off but not to the ground since his wings kept him in the air.
The Beldar formed the hard-crusted shell around both of his hands into weapons. The right became an ax while the left was a hammer.
Hal's eyes narrowed,
"I'm guessing the copy you sold is not capable of this" he said.
Beldar grinned and it was quite gruesome thanks to his hard-crusted face,
"No, it's not" he said in a much deeper voice than before and then swung his ax at Hal who dove to evade it only to meet with a hit from his hummer...
*Bam!*
... which smacked him out of the air and into a tree in the forest. A tree which fell as a result of the impact.
Hal groaned as he slowly and cautiously took flight again. Clearly, despite his size, Beldar's swiftness was not to be underestimated.
He had only thought of this when Beldar came pelting at him with his hammer swinging at his head. This time Hal did not attempt to evade and instead released Devil energy and made use of his better mastery of it to form it into a shield with which he hoped to hold back the hammer strike...
*Bang!!*
"Hngh" Hal groaned from the impact because the attack seemed to be what finally sunk it in on how powerful that technique was.
Even with the Devil energy shield as well as his Mid-world Devil form, he still felt the impact rippling into his skin and he knew why it was so.
It was because of the semi-saint energy that was harnessed in the technique.
It was mostly faint but made all the difference. If Hal had thought beforehand that it was only to cancel the effects of runes and also battle semi-saint pressure, then he found that he was wrong.
"You'll kill me? Haha, I'll KILL you!!" Beldar said with the air of someone enjoying the proceedings before he swung his ax at Hal with the hope that his hammer on the Dark shield would keep Hal preoccupied and in prime position to be hacked to death.
The ax was close to making contact when a trident composed malevolent devil energy discharged from Hal's side and intercepted the ax at least long enough for Hal to sidestep the hammer and fly directly at Beldar's headd to cut it down.
With his arms outstretched after Hal's quick sidestep, there was no way Beldar could defend himself, he was basically a sitting duck.
At least that was what Hal thought.
And he was wrong because when he was close to slashing at his neck, several long and evil-looking spikes sprung out of it and it was only because Hal made a suicidal leap backward only to be saved by his wings that he was able to evade them.
"You can make weapons from all parts of your body??" Hal asked incredulously now that his feet were on solid ground.
Beldar looked to swell with pride,
"It's my own surprise element, do you like it?" He asked Hal.
"Like it? I love it! That is awesome. You've thought of everything. I should just give up on killing you now. It seems pointless and will only lead to disappointment." Hal said with a melancholic shake of his head.
Beldar laughed,
"Of course it's pointless. I admit that you scare me and might be able to get through my defense but evading my all-around attack is impossible."
Hal nodded in agreement...
"I totally agree. In fact, I'm sure we just got off on the wrong foot and this is the start of a blossoming friendship. Don't you agree?" He asked.
'You change face so quickly. Just a while ago, you were talking about snuffing out his life, and before that, you said you will beat him senseless' Grimoire said in an exasperated tone.
'Well, my friend, Haven't you heard the saying, that all greatest male friendships start with conflict?' He asked the artifact.
'I don't think that's a real saying' Grimoire said.
'Well, it's a thing nonetheless. I mean we threaten to kill each other and deal a few blows only to eventually hug it out.
That said, I don't see myself hugging it out with this dude, I just need him to stop attacking and give me time to think.'
Beldar narrowed his beady eyes,
"Friendship? Don't get ahead of yourself. Despite your monster or Devil-like appearance, you can't cover up that you are Haron scum and for that reason alone, I will kill you!" With that proclamation came the addition of spikes to the already terrifying-looking hammer.
Hal shook his head,
"That breaks my heart, you know?" He said before summoning his cosmic armament thinly veiled with a cosmic phenomenon before dashing backward before taking flight to the top of a tree where he sent a cosmic attack infused with a cosmic phenomenon at Beldar.
There was an incredible flourish in the way Hal delivered that blast.
*Boom!!!*
Before it even hit, Hal was already on another tree and sending another cosmic attack at Beldar end before that hit, he was already moving to another tree to do the same.
He was moving from tree to tree with such speed that Beldar could hardly keep up.
Essentially, he was attacking Beldar from all angles and the only effect was that it was making the monster angry.
Since Hal's cosmic attacks were still those of the mid-stage of the cosmic phenomenon realm, they hardly had an effect on someone whose prowess had been heightened with his base prowess being at the peak stage of the Cosmic phenomenon realm.
However, while Beldar was roaring in anger, he failed to notice that all Hal had been doing so far was a distraction and only to overwhelm his senses so that he missed the four-ring circle Hal had summoned below his feet...
"Fourth grade Skill: Flaming pit" Hal called out with a smile.
Before Beldar could even think of moving out of the way, the four-ring circle erupted quite similar to a volcanic eruption which it was meant to imitate albeit in a smaller and more controlled manner.
'Flaming pit' was an upgraded part of the natural disaster series which had merely been at the third grade albeit, high tier, and Hal no longer felt that was good enough.
(You will remember the Natural Disaster series Skill as the one Hal used against Borus, the Tretch King's minions)
He could not help but admit to himself how satisfying it was to finally use it and seeing it roasting a monster was only a welcome plus.
However, he had no intention of keeping his connection tethered to that very draining skill even if he could now afford to as he was now in the cosmic phenomenon realm as opposed to back when he first used the natural disaster series at which point he was at the Cosmic pearl realm.
Although to be fair, the skill had been a High tier third-grade skill back then and well above his level.
The Flaming pit was just another step in the plan which was to weaken the defense which it had effectively done after which Hal swooped in with a Cosmic attack infused with Devil energy, Fiend energy, and Lust flames.
The lust flames managed to seep into Beldar's body through the exposed area and burned him from the inside out while the rest dismantled anything else he had protecting him.
*Boommm!!!*
After a particularly spectacular explosion, the twelve feet monster was gone and replaced with the naked form of a six feet tall man.
His skin was charred and from the way he was squirming on the grassy forest floor with areas around him looking charred as well, he was still suffering from the lust flames.
Hal found it a little convenient and intriguing that the location where the four-ring circle actually appeared was unaffected by the skill and only the spillover to surrounding areas actually saw damage.
Hal bent low with his skin now back to normal but his eyes remained Devil black,
"I don't usually say this but... You've got excellent bone structure. Don't let what Sassy said get you down.
Speaking of Sassy, it looks like she and the others have destroyed your monster ex-brothers. Any last words?" He asked with a benevolent smile even as all of Beldar's essence were getting passed to him and getting stored away for refinement.
Beldar looked away from him and to his monster ex-brothers as tears rolled out the corner of his eyes. Whether due to regret for what he did to them or simply the loss of good subordinates followed by his own death was unclear.
Then he looked at Hal,
"You really are... a Devil" and died a second later.
"Haha, I knew you'd admit it by the time I was killing you." Hal said in jubilation.
'I don't think he meant it as a compliment though' Grimoire said.
'Who cares? He acknowledged it and that is all that matters. That's one for the history books my friend. We got an unbeliever to believe! That has got to mean something.'
Chapter 316 - I Always Know.
Sassy slid away from the other beasts who did not simply tear the monsters apart but also proceeded to eat their flesh. Hard-crusted exterior and all.
Through his connection with the beasts, Hal could tell it was quite beneficial to their development and also staved a Devilish appetite they had been developing.
Even Borus was part of the feast which showed that even though he was second in command after Sassy, he was still a Demon, Nay, Devil Beast.
While Hal snuggled up with his green serpent with whom he always found an increasing attachment, he could not help but ask as he observed the feasting,
"Don't you want to join?"
While he was not exactly enamored with the act, he also was a staunch follower of the belief that as long as it made his forces stronger as well as took away any evidence that there was more than one opponent he had had to fight off, then it was fine.
Sassy hissed and coiled half her body around him only to place her head beside his and hiss into his ear,
"It doesn't look quite appetizing to me. How about you give me your blood instead, Master?" She said.
Hal chuckled,
"You are getting more articulate." Hal said with a proud nod before he offered her a drop of his blood and watched her twist in the enjoyment of its energy.
He also observed a further evolution but it was practically the start of another long process.
Once the beasts had devoured all the monstrous bodies, Sassy led them into the portal to the habitat which Hal opened for them and once they were in, they began to digest it and their transformation into Devils to the next level.
Meanwhile, Hal stood over Beldar's body and looked almost as though he was at a loss.
'Should I leave his body here and just bring Ehrlich out here or should I take him in there so that Ehrlich will see him when he's awake?' He asked. Mostly to himself as he projected runes that cleansed the floor of any residue the monsters had left behind.
'Does it matter?' Grimoire asked with a deep sigh.
Hal looked shocked,
'Does it matter? Of course, it matters. It matters a lot. Presentation is key, Grimmy' Hal said with a mental shake of his head.
Then he left Beldar to walk into the cave only to walk out later with one hand grabbing one of Ehrlich's ankles as he dumped him right beside the dead Dystopian.
'Now we just wait till he wakes up. Or I just wake him up because I will be really peeved if I cannot even attend a part of the party the Sheik is sure to be throwing right now' He said as he pulled off Beldar's spatial ring which was surprisingly still intact.
Having being made to accommodate increase in sizes.
Since the owner was already dead, the soul imprint was gone and he could peruse it and see that Beldar had taken the time to receive payment before coming to wait for them in the cave.
The ring was filled with Blue gems and from Hal's count with the use of accurate perception, it was about six hundred thousand blue gems.
'That's a lot. I am tempted to steal it' Hal sighed before picking up the monster creation scroll that had actually floated outside with Beldar.
Then he moved over to Ehrlich and began projecting Runes on him that were of the electrical nature and would quite literally shock him back to consciousness...
...
*BZZZZRRRR....*
"Ahhh" Ehrlich yelled and sat upright on the forest floor to see Hal waving a hand in front of his face.
"Hey there, sleeping ugly. I was really starting to wonder how long you were planning to let me handle everything." He said with a smirk.
Ehrlich patted his chest and it still felt slightly sore,
"What did you do to me?" He asked with a bit of breathlessness in his voice.
"Oh relax. It was only rank four runes that can't really do any permanent damage to a Cosmic aurora-like yourself. At least not when they are used in singles." Hal said and stood from the ground to perform stretches.
Something about what Hal just said caught his attention,
"Wait singles? How many rank four runes did you use on me exactly?" He asked.
"Oh, about a hundred, give or take twenty." Hal said with a nonchalant wave of his hand.
"What?!" Ehrlich yelled and made to stand but the quick movement only aggravated the ache he was already feeling.
Hal shook his head,
"You really should relax. And I would not have had to do it if you hadn't fallen unconscious from a single boulder. That's a shame on you for being so weak.
If this is what I have to look forward to, I'd rather remain a phenomenon realm cultivator for the rest of my life."
Ehrlich's eyes widened,
"So it's my fault that you almost killed me? Are you insane?"
Hal shrugged,
"Yes and maybe to both questions respectively. And before you relieve your pain with cosmic energy and come bounding at me like an angry beast, you might want to take a look at your surroundings."
Ehrlich did so and noticed the clear sign of combat but the last thing he actually noticed was the dead body right beside him,
"Beldar? You killed him?" He looked shocked.
Hal took a bow with a mockingly serious expression,
"Yes, my good sir, I did. And don't worry, I promise to tell anyone I can that I did your job for you." Hal said.
Ehrlich swelled and stood to his feet having relieved his pain with Cosmic energy,
"Why would you kill him? There was information we could have gotten from him and we can not get that from a dead body!" He practically yelled.
Hal stuck his left pinky in his ear and wound around as though Ehrlich was being too loud,
"Will you stop yelling? Besides you also tried to kill him!"
Ehrlich narrowed his eyes,
"No, I did not! And even if I did I would have at least gotten information useful to the princess before doing so" he said with an angry look at Hal.
Hal sighed,
"You mean information he told me before I killed him?" He asked.
"What?"
"You heard me. In that spatial ring are all the blue gems he earned from the sale of his technique or at least the inferior and tainted copy he sold, excluding the Sheik's share of course. The scroll beside him is the original and I am almost completely certain he is the only one who can activate it.
He did not come to Haron on his own, he came with twenty brothers of his tribe and they came to destroy the continent from the inside but soon realized they had been stupid and had sorely underestimated the empire." Hal said.
"So where are the brothers?" Ehrlich asked.
"He killed them after a disagreement. At least that's what he told me." Hal said.
Ehrlich shook his head,
"Have you considered that he might have been lying to you?" He asked with a skeptical expression.
Hal nodded,
"That is possible. But if I could fall for his lies, why can't you?" Hal asked with a light smile.
"I always know when people are lying to me" he said.
Hal raised a brow,
"Oh really? Have I been honest so far?" He asked with a serious expression.
Ehrlich sighed,
"Yes. Much as I wish you would lie to me and I can finally discredit you in front of the princess, you have only told me the truth."
Hal bowed,
"Nothing else could ever gladden my heart." he said with a hint of theatrics knowing with his devil senses that Ehrlich really believed he was being truthful.
Ehrlich then turned on him with a finger in his face,
"That still doesn't make it okay to kill him."
Hal shook his head,
"I don't think I like your way of showing gratitude." He said.
"That's because I'm not showing gratitude"
Chapter 317 - He Dies!
Hal shook his head at Ehrlich's ungrateful words,
"You know, I feel like someday we are going to laugh about all this banter. I see Friendship in our future." Hal said in such a sincere voice, Ehrlich actually seemed to pause,
"You do?"
Hal burst out laughing,
"Of course not. I can't believe you are actually even considering it" he said with his voice thick with mirth.
Ehrlich's eyes narrowed,
"I wasn't considering it"
"No, you definitely were. I'm growing on you. But please keep the love completely on your end and away from me. Now, you should leave with Beldar's body and possessions." Hal said.
"Why his body?" Ehrlich asked, forgetting at that moment to question why Hal was now calling the shots.
"Well, it would make for extra proof that the supplier had been taken out and I would rather prefer you tell her it was me and don't try to steal my thunder."
Ehrlich groaned but said nothing as he saw the sense in Hal's words as he used his spatial ring to retrieve all the things on the ground that related to Beldar including his naked body which looked to have been dried a tad bit.
A detail that had Ehrlich wondering from the start how exactly Hal had killed Balder. Other than his charred chest of course.
"Make it quick" Hal said and began to take steps back.
Ehrlich suddenly looked up,
"Where are you going?" He asked.
Hal spread his arms,
"My mission is obviously over now that the supplier is dead but I still have things to do in Black lagoon and would rather prefer if you went on ahead to the Silva Duchy capital without me." Hal said and turned away.
"Wait! I brought you here, I will take you out." Ehrlich said.
Hal paused and turned around to look at him,
"No thanks. As I doubt you brought me here atop your back, I am sure there is a working teleportation circle in Black lagoon with which I can be out of here when I so please." He said.
"I didn't use the teleportation circle in Black lagoon" Ehrlich interjected.
Hal shrugged,
"Black lagoon still has their teleportation circle and I can leave on my own. Now, you really should get out of this forest and make use of the teleportation circle in the neighboring city because I will be telling the guards I saw you heading into the forest."
"Why?" Ehrlich asked.
Hal shrugged,
"I would love to tell you that it's so I can be on the Sheik's good side or keep my cover of having nothing to do with you but they would be not- well-crafted lies and since you can always tell, there is no point.
The truth is, I really just want to and weak as you now are, it will most likely be easy for multiple guards to take you down if they catch up to you.
It would make for a good manhunt. Especially after I add that I suspect you killed Balder.
You should know the Sheik takes the safety of his suppliers and purchasers very seriously.
Until we meet again, Ehrlich... If we do meet again that is." With that, Hal walked towards the city while Ehrlich decided he did not want to find out first hand if multiple guards would really be able to take him down and ran off as well.
Heading towards a far-off neighboring city whose teleportation circle he had arrived with.
Once out of the forest and in the city, Hal went through with what he had said and gave a tip on our Ehrlich was indeed in the forest and even used his rough-looking clothes as an excuse...
"When I saw him, I confronted him and he told me I should get out of his way and he would not give up until he killed Balder the Dystopian. He even attacked me.
You need to stop him" he said before heading into his hotel room to change his clothes and head to the Sheik's residence for the party he was sure was still ongoing.
Also, he needed to pick up his purchases.
...
Sheik's residence...
The party was to the public known as a going-away party for all those who came to participate in the auction but everyone knew what it really was and that it was for the Sheik to celebrate them all enriching his pockets.
Before even heading inside the hall, Hal had been directed into a different room where he paid for his purchases and also received them. The one who attended to him was a little bad-tempered.
Apparently, he went to tell of Hal's late payment to the Sheik who shut him down and vouched for Hal's sincerity by paying for the purchases pending Hal's arrival.
The annoyance was mostly directed at the Sheik vouching for Hal who was practically a stranger against him who had been handling the auction purchase for years.
Hal did not really care and left the area once he was done to seek out his unfinished businesses in the form of the beautiful big breasted Lucile who he could see was wearing a much more flattering attire than he had seen on her so far.
She raised a wine glass to get lips and took a sip while her eyes darted about as though in search of someone...
"Looking for me?" Hal asked as he arrived behind her but she was not startled. She did smile though.
She turned around to face him,
"I thought you wouldn't show" she said.
"I almost didn't. I was a little delayed by a little community service" he said and then they were quiet while standing side by side and watching everyone mingle and converse.
Hal was sure it would not take long for the Sheik to notice his arrival so he decided he might as well be preemptive this time.
"I'll be back" he told Lucile while also noting she was no longer staying close to the Sheik which must mean that the investment she wanted had fallen through.
He arrived in front of the Sheik where he was already surrounded by those congratulating him on a successful auction which was code for butt-kissing,
"My Lord" Hal called out to him and when many of the butt kissers turned and saw it was the annoying bidder, they sneered and looked away.
"Master Klint" The Sheik called and gestured for Hal to move closer which he did.
Gavin and Fenrir were there as well as the Sheik grabbed Hal's shoulder,
"I knew you would come back but I didn't know you had gone off to catch the idiot who interrupted my auction." He said.
"Oh really?" Said one of those in the butt-kissing crowd.
"Yes really" the Sheik said and then turned to Gavin,
"What do you think of Master Klint's courage, Gavin?" He asked.
"Oh yes, it is quite the interesting tale" he said with a tone of someone preoccupied with his own thoughts.
The Sheik shook his head and whispered to Hal,
"He must still be overwhelmed with our profits." He said but Hal was not so sure.
Then Gavin seemed to notice someone and he smiled and stood to his feet.
Then some guards walked into the room and set up a platform on top of which Gavin climbed while the Sheik looked a little confused.
In fact, he looked as though he had been in the process of moving to the platform and Gavin had somehow done it before him which did not look to have been the plan from the start.
Even then the Sheik rearranged his expressions,
Surely, Gavin was only going there to prepare for him to take the stage.
Gavin cleared his throat and grinned as he began,
"Why don't you all give a resounding applause to the Sheik for such a wonderful last few days?" He said.
Everyone found it reasonable and the Butt kissing gang clapped most hard of all those present.
Eventually, Gavin gave the signal for it to end and then spoke the next words that turned the whole crowd silent,
"That's good. You should consider that as paying your last respects to him, because today, He dies!"
Chapter 318 - Gavin's Declaration.
"Hahahaha"
The room had been silent after Gavin's proclamation and it was the Sheik who made the first sound with a booming laugh that made everyone turn towards him with expressions that showed they really feared for his sanity.
The Sheik seemed completely oblivious to their expressions as he pointed towards Gavin,
"My goodness Gavin, your jokes are always strange sounding. 'He dies', that's really so dramatic." He said and Hal could not help but roll his eyes at him.
He could understand what was wrong with the Sheik which was simply that he was in denial.
"A joke? Of course, you would think that, you idiot. Well, let me clarify in case there was a misunderstanding somewhere. This is me announcing that I will kill you today and thus become Sheik!"
The smile slowly slipped off the Sheik's face and he paused before his expression turned incredulous,
"You're serious? Why?" He asked with an undertone of anger in his voice.
Gavin chuckled,
"Is that not obvious? I want to be Sheik. I'm tired of being second best, Wade, I... want... your... seat."
Hal narrowed his eyes and although the situation was shaping up to be really serious, he could not help but feel like he was not really part of this and was simply watching a movie unfold.
This was shaping up to be filled with drama.
Also, once the Sheik's name was revealed, it was as if his presence was no longer as mystifying as it once was.
Of course, that assessment was mostly in relation to the others in the crowd as Hal had never been mystified by the Sheik, even though he did admit he was a powerful expert.
"You are that greedy? I shared everything with you. I called you a friend." Wade said.
Gavin burst out laughing,
"Greed? Have you forgotten who it was that assisted you in killing the former Sheik and securing his seat? You really want to call me greedy? Maybe we were friends but then again, friends have conflict. They argue, they fight.
Consider this our argument, except that at the end of it, you will be dead and I will be the new Sheik."
Hal shook his head,
'His logic of friendship is really so screwed but what do I know. The one friend I had on earth tried to kill me and steal my lamp.'
'Why not make new friends?' Grimoire asked.
'Males friends I mean' it clarified.
'Nah, it's too much of a hassle and I quite prefer female company' Hal said.
'So what's your plan? You're just going to attempt to kill me in front of all these witnesses?"
Gavin's eyes widened,
"Witnesses? These guys? None of them cares what happens to you. Besides, this is the way of the Lagoon. The old Sheik gets killed when he gets complacent and another takes the seat. It's our circle of life. Circle of power if you will."
Sure enough, even the Butt kissing gang took several steps back and away from the Sheik who was soon to be a dead man.
Then Gavin turned away from Wade whose fists were now clenched out of anger, and he looked out to the crowd and stretched out his hand to the one who had purchased the mutating Technique from Beldar,
"Come over here son" he called and the young man stepped onto the platform to stand beside him, looking at the crowd sourly,
"Knowing that you would not allow me to bid for the technique and also so that I could remain unsuspicious, I gave a million Blue gems to Trey here and was also ready to add more to it in the case where more was needed.
Anything it takes to have it.
When I heard of the descriptions with you from Beldar, I knew this was the miracle I have been waiting for. You see, I've been planning this for years but you were too talented and lucky.
Somehow you avoided getting poisoned and were always ahead of me in cultivation.
But those are really just excuses because if I have been ambitious enough, I would have found a way. My future, after all, depended on it.
Oh well, better late than never."
*Boomm!!*
Wade finally lost it and unleashed a cosmic attack infused with a Cosmic aurora upon the stage and it exploded... upon contact with an array barrier.
Gavin chuckled having planned for such a scenario and never actually expecting Wade to simply remain irresponsive after the taunts and talks of killing him.
The stage had been fitted with an array beforehand, one that Gavin activated but would not hold for long. It was sure to crumble after three more strikes like that.
But Wade did not fire follow-ups. Only stared at Gavin through the array while breathing deeply,
Gavin smiled because although the array could not hold on for much longer, he would have the technique soon enough and it would all be for naught anyway.
"Guards!" Wade yelled and they all dashed into the mansion and were clearly the only fighting force the Sheik had. Although they were still impressive and enough to probably keep things in order.
Except for a case of a large-scale attack. Namely war. In which case Hal was willing to bet they would just surrender as quickly as they possibly could.
"Bring down that Array at all costs and capture Gavin!" He yelled at the guards who remained in place.
"Oh come on Wade, give me some credit. Did you really think I would be so bold to make my declaration if I was not sure you would be without any form the backup?
Also, the city has been boarded up. In a sense.
I was able to use your search, especially the most recently ordered manhunt for that nuisance at the auction, to completely lock down any exit you could attempt in this city.
It's over for you."
Suddenly a hand shot upward from behind Wade and a voice spoke out to garner all attention,
"I have a question. When you say you locked down all exits, does that mean I can't leave this place or is there some sort of leeway?" Hal asked.
"Ah yes, Master Hal Klint. You are a special case you see. Everyone else can leave but you can't because I want you dead too. I am almost completely certain you are involved with that nuisance.
Also, I really don't like you."
Hal shrugged,
"I really don't like you too. Also, could you rephrase your words, 'involved' sounds too flirty for my liking"
"Gavin! None of these guards can possibly contend with me and once I get past them, I'll make sure I get to you before you use the technique."
Gavin nodded,
"Yes, I believe they can't but they should be able to once I mutate them" then he turned to Lucile,
"Lady Lucile, this bastard has denied your request for investment just because you denied his advances. I promise I will invest as much as you want me to. You have nothing to worry about." He told her with a smile.
Lucile looked from Hal to him and then took a deep breath to say something that quite frankly shocked the Sheik.
"If you plan to kill Hal, then I don't see how we can go into business together"
Then she moved closer to where Hal and Wade were while Hal rejoiced,
"Ah-ha, I knew you were warming up to me" he said.
Lucile frowned even though a bit of pinkness was now clear on her cheek,
"Shut up!"
Wade looked mighty confused,
"What is going on?"
Hal turned a fraction in his direction,
"What is going on in is we are going to leave now. Without a proper plan, all he will need to do is activate the technique and mutate the guards to put this to an end."
He neglected to say, there was no way he could make use of his Devil bloodline with all those present. Not to mention that Gavin's base strength surpassed Beldar's by being at the late stage of the Cosmic Aurora realm.
Wade swallowed his petty questions that were slowly building up,
"I know where we can go. It has a Teleportation circle that is hardly ever in use, but it won't be safe for long." He said.
"Okay then, I'll give us cover." Hal said.
Gavin turned to Fenrir,
"What about you? Your employer is almost dead, surely you see what the wise choice is." He said.
Fenrir nodded,
"Of course I do" he said and walked over to the Array to walk right through it.
A sure sign that he had been the one to draw it and also showed on which side he was on.
"Well then, let's end this" Gavin said and stretched his hand towards Trey who hesitated but was about to bring out the technique,
"Hey Gavin" Hal called and all eyes turned towards him while Wade and Lucile closed their eyes.
Hal projected a Rune right in front of him and it expanded in a second before...
*FLASH!*
... It produced a bright light that blinded them all including Gavin behind the Array.
When they were able to see again after the stun, Hal, Lucile, and Wade were gone.
Chapter 319 - To The Sacred Temple.
"Grr, Find them!" Gavin yelled and the Guards immediately dispersed to search the grounds.
Except for a few who were there to protect him.
All the while, he continued to stare at the spot the trio had been up until a second ago and groaned in annoyance while he deactivated the Array since there was no point to it right now.
He stepped off the platform and it was only then that some of those in the crowd decided to ask what was next for them now.
"Surely we can leave now and we will see you at the next Auction" one of them said.
Gavin's eyes narrowed,
"Leave? What makes you even have an idiotic thought like that? No one! No one leaves the city until they are found.
I am not going to ask you to help but I will advise you not to try to disobey me. Otherwise, there will be consequences." He said and turned away when he suddenly had a thought and turned to speak to the few guards still in the room,
"The secret passages below the residence. Knowing Wade, that is where he will lead them. Deliver the news to all those already searching. And I don't need your protection by the way so you should all go!" He ordered and they ran out.
Once they were gone, he left the party hall without a second glance at those in the room who would most likely return to their hotels as well.
*Bam!*
He was in the corridor when he paused and punched the wall while breathing deeply,
"I'll find you Wade and I will kill you. You can count on it"
...
Meanwhile...
As it can be guessed, Hal's stunning rune had been to give them a window to dash out of the encirclement that was beginning to take shape. They were still on the residence grounds and that was mostly due to Wade who said he knew the perfect way out of the residence and it was also the least risky.
Once outside, he understood what Gavin meant by the City being 'boarded up' which was evident by the Dome of swimming Runes that now surrounded the entire city.
According to Wade, it was their way of making up for their low number of men and in case of war, it would be activated to shield them from their attackers. Unfortunately, it had now turned to entrapment.
The array Dome was also connected to the Teleportation circles and would not allow anyone to teleport into the city and by consequence, it would also not allow teleportation out.
The exception was the Teleportation circle that was at the location Wade was leading them to which was only to teleport out and hence was not affected by the Dome as it could not be used in infiltration.
But Hal still felt it was not safe because Gavin was bound to know of it.
"Do you have any other ideas, Hal? We could stay and fight. I'm stronger than Gavin after all." Lucile said and looked at him with her feline amber eyes.
"No, we should go ahead with the underground passage. You shouldn't confront Gavin." Hal said.
Lucile frowned,
"I don't need you to protect me" she said with annoyance.
Hal shook his head,
"Trust me, I am not attempting to protect you. It's just that if there is a chance to leave, we should take it. Yes, you are strong, but once he makes use of the technique you won't have a chance." He said.
"Then why not battle him before he is able to use the technique." Wade asked.
Hal sighed,
"Unless you can guarantee a one-shot hit in which you will be able to kill him instantly then I am afraid you will end up battling him when he has activated the technique."
Then he used Astral perception and could sense the guards getting ever closer to them and told the other two who were very much faster than him on account of their cultivation but he was keeping up well enough.
They were almost at the corridor when Hal sensed the guards were right in front of the passage and waiting to ambush them.
However, neither he nor the other two were worried about them.
When they had been in the hall and Gavin had been present, it was assumed that he would boost their capabilities and make them into monsters to contend with the three in the case that a fight broke out.
However, with Gavin absent, they could go crazy on those sons of bitches.
Especially Hal who felt it was a perfect Blood essence reaping session even though he would not be making use of Executioner.
He had no interest in exposing himself to those present.
"I'll handle the guards" he said.
"Are you sure?" Wade asked as he and Lucile paused but Hal did not reply as summoned his Cosmic armament.
"Stop right there!" Yelled a guard and there were about ten of them.
Hal did not and slashed his sword diagonally, to release a cosmic attack that tossed them into disarray.
Then he moved closer and swung his sword at one guard's neck and lopped it off instantly.
Being at the mid-stage of the Cosmic phenomenon realm, the guard never had a chance.
The others were a tad bit stronger and Hal was not cavalier with taking them on at all.
*Boomm!!*
*Boomm!!*
They tossed Cosmic attacks at him but Hal stretched his hand forward to unleash Cosmic energy of such quantity that it contended fairly well with the opposing attacks.
Well enough to give him the breathing space to move out of the way so that when the attack finally broke free, it missed him.
Then he projected a Rune which formed into a shield while he continued his progress.
*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*
He clashed with their weapons and showed enough prowess to hold them at bay while he kicked at their midsections.
The ones he kicked staggered backward but Hal did not wait around before stepping closer to seal the deal with a stab to the guard's chest.
Then he moved to the next.
In a few minutes, the guards were down to five.
"Monster" they admitted but did not turn back and instead got ready to push on and put an end to Hal's tyranny of death.
Hal could not help but wonder if the guards who he had met at the gate when he first visited the Sheik would have joined up with Gavin but he highly doubted it considering how they have been talking about him.
In fact, now that he thought about it, Gavin must have been glad to have an excuse to have them out of the residence.
Although, if they truly were a nuisance he cared enough to take care of, Hal felt he would have killed them long ago and not even need an excuse for why they were missing since it was him who really handled those miscellaneous matters.
'You know what I just realized, I might have inadvertently saved the lives of those guards by getting them fired.' He said to Grimoire.
If Grimoire had eyes, it would have rolled them,
'Yea, you're a true hero' it said with sarcasm.
'Oh stop. I did what any normal man on the street would. Does that make me a hero?' he replied with a mild chuckle.
He never actually got complacent with his opponents and continued until he had killed them all to the last man.
It was quite exhilarating for him even though, it had not been challenging at all.
The guards did not even attempt to make use of their numbers wisely to overwhelm him. Ultimately, Hal found them a little foolish.
He drained their bodies of Blood essence while taking care to not be too obvious about it as he drove it to push his Bloodline towards another advancement.
"Impressive, Master Hal" Wade said.
"Impressive indeed" Lucile agreed and Hal took a bow. Particularly, pleased with how his clothes were not stained from the quite bloody battle.
They had just stepped into the entrance of the secret passage which quickly led to a staircase when the guards that had been right behind them arrived.
Once about halfway down the stairs, Lucile and Wade used Cosmic energy to collapse the entrance.
Hence sealing them within it while they continued heading to the location Wade guaranteed would grant them a safe exit.
The sacred temple that held the reason Black lagoon got its name.
Chapter 320 - A Tad Bit Attached.
Gavin was just told of the escape of the trio into the passageway and the guards who were making the reports and had not neglected to mention the bloody deaths of the ones who had attempted to intercept the trio were a tad bit surprised to see Gavin taking the news so well.
In fact, be was grinning as though they had just given him good news.
"Oh, Wade, you chose that spot to go? You must really think me a fool." he mumbled to himself and then turned to the guards with him,
"There is no time to lose. You need to get men to the temple for an ambush immediately. I would have loved to bestow you with the mutation but the time it will take me to brand you first will be more than enough for them to secure their safety.
So, I order you to go there and use whatever means at your disposal to at the very least hold them off which means you must destroy the arrays. Including the teleportation Array. Without it, they will be defenseless."
The guards turned around and dashed off but a few of them could not help but feel there was something about what Gavin said that did not exactly sit right.
Yeah, they could possibly get to the temple first and damage the formation hence leaving the trio defenseless... against Gavin and those he eventually would bestow with mutation.
Against them, the guards, they would not be defenseless and would most likely see to it that they suffered what those that attempted to stop their entry into the passage suffered.
This was looking more and more like a suicide mission.
"Leader?" One of them spoke up.
"Yes?" answered the leader of that particular squad.
"I don't want to die" the guard whined.
The leader went silent.
Normally, he would reprimand them or at the very least insult them for their cowardice.
However, today he could not bring himself to do so... Because, well... he did not want to die either!
"Let me just say this upfront" began another guard,
"I decided to work under Gavin, not because of some blind loyalty but because I believed he would make me stronger. But here I am about to face the Shiek who is known to be in the Cosmic Aurora realm and Lady Lucile who I heard is even stronger than that.
I swear it to you all that if there comes a moment when it seems I might just die if I continue, I will run.
I won't try to surrender cause I have a strong feeling they won't be interested in taking me as a Prisoner.
I will flat out leave you all out to dry. I will save myself"
The leader sneered,
"Thanks for your honesty" he sneered.
The guard bowed as well as he could while they ran,
"You're welcome" he said.
He knew that despite the leader's hostility, he was thinking of doing the very same thing.
Meanwhile,
Once the guards were out of his sight, Gavin sighed and smiled lightly just as he was joined by Trey who was still holding the scroll which contained the mutating technique.
"I saw them run out. They are going to die, aren't they?" Trey asked.
Gavin nodded with his smile still present,
"Undoubtedly, but it is a necessary sacrifice. As long as they are able to damage the formation, it will all be worth it." He said and stretched his hand to receive the scroll which Trey placed in his hands.
Gavin caressed the scroll with a look of ecstasy on his face and followed the instructions he and the Sheik had received from Beldar when he had given them a demonstration.
Trey was not confused by what he did next since the instructions had been with the technique when he had gone to pay and receive it.
Once the steps were complete, Gavin activated it and watched as the scroll lifted from his hand to remain suspended in midair before a grey fog seeped out of it and merged with him.
Then his hand transformed to twice its original size and encrusted in a hard grey crust. His fingers were now even tipped with deadly-looking claws.
He raised his right hand to eye length and observed it in all its glory and his smile was incredibly wide.
He then looked at Trey who was also eyeing the arm with awe.
"So, should I gather the guards to be branded and mutated?" Trey asked.
Gavin raised his left and still-normal hand,
"All in due time. First I need to tie up a loose end of sorts" he said.
"What loose end?" Trey asked.
"You"
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Trey, I really overestimated you. I was so cautious because I really expected you to have tampered with the technique so you could use it for yourself." Gavin said.
"Why would I do that?" Trey looked confused.
Gavin shook his head,
"Trey, Trey, Trey, how dumb do you think I am? Of course, it's so you can become Sheik." He said.
Trey shook his head hurriedly, now seeming to realize where this conversation was headed,
"No, that is your seat. Not mine. I am satisfied with just being your right-hand man" he said.
Gavin sighed and then chuckled,
"That's exactly what I said to Wade when I helped him become Sheik and I don't want the circle to continue. This is bigger than us Trey. This is to save the future generations and break the circle of violence." He said.
Trey's eyes widened,
"What the hell are you saying?"
"I am saying that we are mere pawns in the grand scheme of things. This is bigger than us" Gavin said.
"Repeating that does not make what you say have any meaning. It just shows you are really crazy." Trey said and took a step back.
Gavin sighed heavily,
"Maybe I am crazy. But I'm still going to do it. You know what's coming don't you?" He asked.
For an answer, Trey turned and ran off while pushing the speed of his cultivation base to the limit.
He needed to get away from this crazy bastard, but Alas, being at the late stage of the cosmic pearl realm, even without the mutating technique, Gavin could easily crush him as he was at the Late stage of the Cosmic Aurora realm.
With the technique activated, it was not even a contest.
*Bam!*
He caught up to Trey in a flash and one punch with the monstrous hand and the young man's head burst and littered the ground with brain matter.
Gavin surveyed his handy work and nodded with satisfaction before calling for the guards so he could brand them and finally put an end to what he considered as Wade's pointless attempt at escape.
Also, he called for servants to clear the remains.
...
The trio walked the passageway with Wade leading the way and Hal and Lucile side by side. They all needed no light and could see in the dark quite well.
"So do we need to talk about it?" Hal asked with a smile on his beyond handsome face.
"Talk about what?" Lucile asked while making a point to look straight ahead and away from him.
"About how you put your life on the line for me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm flattered, it's just that I always felt that stage in our relationship was still far away in the future." He said.
"You're delusional. We have no relationship. As for putting my life on the line for you, I admit it's because I am feeling a tad bit attached to... your hands.
Besides, I could take Gavin any day."
Before Hal could reply, Wade turned to them and his eyes flashed as he looked at Hal and sneered,
"Before you two go acting like I'm not here, Hal, I just want you to know that I will kick your ass once this is over."