Chapter 1: Prologue: Goodbye Gaia
Lighting broke through the dark clouds, and space itself trembled, a quake, unlike anything the world had experienced in a long time. Flying through the storm filled sky, four figures could be seen as flashes of light, colliding against each other…Not against each other but three against one. The figure in the middle broke through the circle of foes around it, flying so fast that the sound barrier was broken. It was trying to put a little bit of distance between itself and the other three lights. But then one of the figures clad in dark crimson light, unleashed a bolt of white lighting that bended space itself. Seeing the attack approaching, the golden light did its best to unleash his will upon the world. It was able to offset the attack but at the cost of an explosion that sent the golden light flying through numerous mountains. As the golden light crashed through the last mountaintop, its light began to dim, his full appearance finally revealed for all to see. It was a six feet three-inch tall man, with golden hair tied in a ponytail. His face though sweaty and stained with dirt, one couldn't deny the alluring and attractive features of his face. He was inhumanely beautiful, a feature that was a mark of cultivation. He was dressed in gray sleek armor that fitted and showed how muscular he was even underneath the armor. This man was known as Salazar Ashtarmel, one of the most powerful beings in the world of Gaia. Salazar held on to the spear in his hand as he got out of the crater. Using his mental force, he was able to arrange the runes around him in an array system, establishing the spell frame for the spells he would unleash. He picked up on his enemy approaching him from the shadows, trying to sneakily attack him. Salazar was infuriated, angry that his enemy would dare to use the same trick they had once used on him before.
Salazar quickly added a new spell, [Illumination Orb], releasing it just as Nigel Ashgar, the Vampire, emerged from the shadow world he had been hiding in. Vampires were vulnerable to light and heat, and the brilliance of a semi-transcendent being like Salazar was scorching, enough to blind Nigel momentarily. But Nigel was no ordinary Vampire—he was a thousand-year-old Emperor-realm being, even if he sat in the lower tier. His regenerative abilities were formidable, but not quick enough to save him as Salazar thrust his Divine Weapon, Longinus, straight through his heart. Nigel coughed up blood, the Divine Weapon's energy overwhelming his weakened body. He began to desiccate, his ancient form withering into a brittle corpse. Salazar wrenched his spear free, its blade gleaming as he sensed the approach of his remaining enemies.
"Nigel is dead," rumbled Arkus, the Dragon Lord, addressing his companion. A towering figure, Arkus radiated power. His red hair blazed like fire, his scarlet eyes gleamed with menace, and two massive horns curled from his forehead. From his back unfurled a pair of immense, scaly wings.
"Serves him right," the woman replied, her voice cold. She was breathtakingly beautiful, her very presence enough to drive a mortal mad with desire. Her platinum hair shimmered like liquid silver, and her golden armor accentuated her hourglass figure. Platinum eyes, cold and inhuman, completed her ethereal visage. A single set of white feathered wings adorned her back—a mark of her heritage as a Nephilim, a hybrid of the celestial Angel race and humanity. She was Lilin Morningstar, and like Arkus, she was a high-tier Emperor-realm being, a pinnacle of this world's power. Yet, despite their combined efforts, neither had been able to bring Salazar down.
"We warned him not to use that move again," Lilin muttered.
"Did it have to come to this?" Salazar asked, his tone weary but defiant.
Arkus stepped forward, his massive wings casting a shadow over the battlefield. "Give us the Blood of Longinus," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "Surrender it, and we may yet let this end here."
"The blood is mine," Salazar replied firmly. "I found the spear and the blood. I've earned the right to keep them."
"You already wield a Divine-grade enchanted blade," Lilin interjected. "The blood is enough to share. Why cling to it so greedily?"
Salazar let out a bitter laugh, his body trembling from the strain of the prolonged battle. "Greedy? Greedy?" he echoed, his golden eyes narrowing. "If I didn't know better, Lilin, I'd think that somewhere in that cold heart of yours, you were plotting to backstab me and claim my spear."
Lilin said nothing, but the way her fists clenched betrayed her guilt.
With a slow, deliberate motion, Salazar retrieved a small vial of golden blood—the Blood of Longinus. Its radiant power shimmered, its divine essence capable of elevating a high-tier Emperor-realm being like Salazar into the Divine Stage.
"He's going to absorb it," Arkus said, his voice tense.
"We can't let him," Lilin hissed. "If he reaches Transcendence, he'll come for our people."
The two struck as one, their movements precise and synchronized. Salazar, however, was ready. With a horizontal swipe of Longinus, he forced Lilin back, separating her from Arkus. Focusing his Radiance through the spear, he assaulted Lilin's defenses, clashing with her dual-sword fighting style—a technique that emphasized explosive power despite her slender frame. While Salazar kept Lilin occupied, he unleashed the spells within his array, targeting Arkus simultaneously. The battlefield trembled under the force of their clash. Mountains crumbled, the ground splintered, and the air crackled with raw energy. As the battle wore on, Lilin's defenses began to falter under Salazar's relentless onslaught.
"How is this possible?" Lilin gasped, her platinum eyes wide with disbelief. "I am a Nephilim, daughter of Lucifer Morningstar!"
"Not my problem," Salazar replied coldly. Despite her formidable power, Salazar was in a realm beyond her. Halfway to the Divine Stage, his mana reserves dwarfed hers. Just as he prepared to shatter her defenses, Arkus intervened, slamming a colossal fist into Salazar's face. The blow sent teeth flying, blood spraying from his mouth. Dazed by the pain, Salazar faltered for a moment, allowing Lilin to drive her sword into his shoulder. The blade cleaved through bone, sending a fresh wave of blood cascading down his armor. Arkus seized the opening, unleashing a torrent of dragon fire. Salazar erected a barrier, but the sheer intensity of the blast overwhelmed it. Just as he prepared to redirect the attack with Longinus, the shadow beneath him shifted.
Nigel Ashgar.
The Vampire, his desiccated body barely held together by sheer willpower, struck from the shadows, driving a blade through Salazar's back.
"You persistent bastard," Salazar growled through gritted teeth, even as Arkus's dragon fire engulfed them both. Nigel's body was incinerated, reduced to ash by the fiery onslaught.
When the light subsided, only a scorched crater remained. In its center stood Salazar, his body charred and broken. His armor was gone, and his upper garments had been burned away, leaving only his gray pants. Half of his face was a horrifying sight—burned to the skull, with patches of flesh still clinging to the bone. Yet he stood tall, clutching Longinus tightly.
A single vial landed on the ground, its golden stain visible on Salazar's lips.
"What have you done with the Blood of Longinus?" Lilin demanded, her voice trembling with exhaustion.
Arkus's eyes darkened as he noticed the empty vial. "You drank it," he said. "You abandoned your defenses to consume the blood. Why? Why go so far?"
Salazar's lips curled into a defiant smile. "So you bastards wouldn't have it."
Lilin roared in fury, driving her sword into Salazar's heart. But Arkus sensed the coming danger. Without hesitation, the Dragon Lord grabbed Lilin and soared into the sky just as dense energy erupted from Salazar.
So close to godhood… Salazar thought as darkness claimed him.
Weekly Power Status
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-- Power
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