บท 46: Deity of War Tomb (1)
The tug got stronger as Rasoul got closer to the gate. He felt like something big was about to go down, but strangely, he didn't want to miss it. He was curious about the person behind the voice in his head.
When it was finally his turn to go in, just as he was about to step through, a voice came from behind him.
"Stop right there if you know what's good for you," said an old man with a shiny bald head, looking like the big shot from the Charles family.
Rasoul turned around, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He then said, "Hope your hitmen improve next time. And don't fret, I'll take care of your successors for you. No need to lose sleep over it."
Without bothering to wait for the old man's comeback, Rasoul strolled into the gate and poofed out of sight. He glided through the gate, feeling that cosmic vibe washing through the portal - his second encounter with cosmic energy.
After what felt like ages, Rasoul ended up in a forest where trees shot up a kilometer high. The air smelled like death. Rasoul, sensing trouble, quickly started scanning a 5-kilometer radius with radar. He stiffened as the scan uncovered tons of beasts lurking in the shadows. Realizing how serious it was, Rasoul pulled out Lara and Sabrat from the ring.
"This forest is swarming with thousands of beasts. I don't know how tough they are, but we gotta be careful. Let's take it slow and not attract too much attention in case we bump into any of these creatures," Rasoul warned. He took the lead, and Lara and Sabrat trailed behind.
As they made their way through the forest, Rasoul got in touch with his slaves who made it into the tomb. He had five slaves inside, and he planned to use them to gather intel on the plans and moves of the heirs from Sundance and Rainy Kingdom and the other kingdoms. His revenge plan will start from this tomb.
'Jude, Kelvin, where are you guys now?' Rasoul tapped into his telepathic power.
'Master, I'm with Mavis and Ruben at the moment. We got split up in the tomb, trying to find each other,' Jude quickly responded.
'I'm with James,' Kelvin added.
'Good, find the others. Give me a heads up once you do,' Rasoul instructed before cutting off the connection.
Rasoul had already told the assassins to focus on snagging resources. He felt like something big was going down and wanted to make the most of it by gathering more loot with his three deadly assassins.
Lost in his thoughts, a beastly roar shook him back to reality. A colossal 4-meter-tall creature that looked like a golem stood in front of them. Rasoul immediately kicked in the mind's eye.
[Earthshade Golem]
[Realm: Alpha Beast]
[Bloodline: Normal Golemous]
[Description: Earthshade Golems are darkness-type golems that act as scouts among a group of golems. Killing them will prompt the other members of their pack.]
"Whatever goes down, don't off this golem," Rasoul warned, but it was too late; Sabrat had already snuck up behind the Golem and plunged his dagger into its belly.
"Well, stopping that was a lost cause. Brace yourselves; we're about to have some company. The Golem you just axed is the lookout for a gang of golems," Rasoul quickly alerted his crew, sensing the seriousness of their predicament.
"You just had to leap in without thinking," Lara seized the moment to take a dig at Sabrat.
"How was I supposed to know that jerk was a lookout?" Sabrat shot back. He kicked himself for not holding off, driven by the thrill of trying out the legendary daggers Rasoul had handed him.
It was his first spin with those daggers, so he got a bit carried away.
A few ticks later, 14 golems, each with a unique look, encircled Rasoul and his buddies. Rasoul eyed them up with the Mind's eye..
[Veilstorm Goliath Golem]
[Realm: Alpha Beast]
[Bloodline: Normal Golemous]
[Description: Earth-based attackers and defenders]
[Twilight Gargantuan Golem]
[Realm: Alpha Beast]
[Bloodline: Normal Golemous]
[Description: Attack using illusions]
[Shadowforged Titan Golem]
[Realm: Alpha Beast]
[Bloodline: Normal Golemous]
[Description: Brawlers in the group, acting as main attackers]
"Why don't you fellas hang back," Lara said as she stepped forward. Out of the blue, she waved her hand and ordered, "Heavenly Blitz: First Move - Electrostatic Surge... Third move - Static Disruption."
Right after uttering those words, an electric field enveloped all 14 golems, freezing them on the spot. They began losing health at a crazy pace. Lara didn't stop there; she whipped out her swords. Then, she strolled toward the beasts. When she got within 4 meters of them, a dense yet gentle aura burst out from her, making the golems instantly drop to their knees. A faint white and golden light surrounded her as she moved to each golem on the ground. Rasoul and Sabrat stood tall, staring at her in absolute shock.
"Dude, no matter what, don't get on her bad side," Sabrat urgently warned Rasoul.
"You don't have to tell me, pal," Rasoul replied.
She moved gracefully, slicing through each golem as if she were mowing down grass. With the electric field suppressing the beasts, they couldn't make a move on her. She just moved elegantly, executing her massacre with finesse.
After a few heartbeats, the lightning around the golems faded, revealing headless golems strewn across the ground. She sheathed her sword and approached Rasoul, who was lost in thought. He was so completely captivated by her that he didn't even realize Lara was standing before him.
"Did you enjoy the show just now?" Lara asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
"That was amazing," Rasoul replied immediately.
"Is that so? Then how 'bout you reward my hard work with a full-body massage?" Lara teased, seductively licking her lips.
"I'd be happy to..." Rasoul blurted out without thinking, but as soon as he caught himself, he swiftly corrected, "Uh, I mean, why don't we keep moving? We're still stuck in this mysterious forest, surrounded by all sorts of dangerous beasts."
"So dull..." Lara pouted as she sauntered away. Rasoul and Sabrat trailed behind.
"Smooth move, buddy. That was some real romance right there," Sabrat couldn't resist poking fun at the situation.
"What was I supposed to do? We're in the middle of a forest; not the ideal spot for handing out massages," Rasoul deadpanned.
"Oh, come on. Maybe you could've thrown in a compliment or promised a massage once we hit a safer spot," Sabrat said sarcastically. He then quipped, "Ladies love attention, my friend. If you're aiming for that goddess in front of us, you gotta step up from this robot-like demeanor you've got going on."
"Since when did you become a relationship expert? Aren't we all riding solo here? Give me advice once you've got a lady of your own," Rasoul fired back.
"At least my brain's not wired like a machine, unlike yours," Sabrat retorted.
"Listen, Cole, if you want to win over that goddess, you gotta act human. Your calculated brain won't score you points when it comes to matters of the heart."
This time, Rasoul stayed silent, deep in thought about Sabrat's words. Seeing his contemplation, Sabrat decided to take it up a notch.
"Throw in another legendary item, and I might just become your love guru in the realm of women."
"I'll pass on that. If Lara and I are meant to be, it'll happen naturally," Rasoul responded.
"Your call. Just don't come crying to me if you mess it up," Sabrat retorted.
As Rasoul and Sabrat carried on with their guy talk, Lara, leading the way, sported a wide grin. Her heightened senses caught wind of their discussion. She sensed that Rasoul would eventually figure out his feelings, but she couldn't bear to wait too long. During her awakening, she glimpsed into her future—a future filled with joy and adventures alongside her special someone.
*****
"After eons, the gate's finally open. I'm curious if they've got the guts to step into the Abyss Trial," remarked a dude in his 30s, rocking long blonde locks, a face tattoo, and blue eyes. Surrounded by him were 26 other folks, each with their own unique look. The only common thread? That unmistakable face ink.
All 27 of them seemed to be shaking off a thousand-year nap. These were the 27 Generals who rode with Nino through years of war, the 27 Dark Generals. They'd been snoozing away all this time and just woke up now that the tomb's door swung open.
"I doubt any of 'em will make it past the final Guardian Beast. I mean, the strongest one's just a Semi-Saint. How's a semi-saint gonna take down a Sage Beast?" tossed in another guy with blue hair.
"Come on, Felix, don't talk nonsense. They're not even up for a Great beast. What chance do they have against a sage beast?" fired back someone else, addressing the blue-haired fellow named Felix.
"Cut them some slack, Agathus. Some might just surprise you," Felix fired back.
"Well, let's see if they even reach the legacy area," Agathus replied, a muscular dude with horns on his forehead, rocking that signature face tattoo.
"Maybe this trial's just too darn tough for anyone to conquer," Felix said, wearing a look of concern.
"Remember, Felix, the grand prize isn't for the faint-hearted. If one of them pulls through, at least we can rest easy knowing it's in good hands," another figure chimed in, signaling his importance in the group.
"I suppose you've got a point," Felix conceded.
*****
Deep in the forest, Rasoul and his crew pressed on at a leisurely pace. Every now and then, they'd tangle with some Alpha Beasts, but mostly, they'd just sidestep the scuffles to keep things low-key. This routine went on for three days until, around 5 pm on the third day, a massive dark beast, standing five meters tall with two menacing horns, emerged. It exuded a dark aura, perched on four one-meter-long legs, each ablaze with dark flames. Rasoul couldn't help but crack a small smile after deploying his ability to check out the beast.
[Abyssal Roarbeast Darkness Fire Lion]
[Realm: Great Beast]
[Bloodline: Depthsoul Regalia]
[Description: These beasts are known to possess a unique fire that can burn through any defense]
"Hey, folks, we've got ourselves a fresh teammate. How 'bout we give 'em a warm welcome into the family?" Rasoul's grin stretched even wider.
Already scheming, he'd mapped out how to snag the beast's corpse during their initial clash with the golems.
The blueprint was set – gather up the goods, and he had big plans to craft some powerhouse subordinates. This lion, stumbling onto their path, seemed like the first stroke of luck. With the primary ingredient in sight, Rasoul's master plan to whip up some seriously overpowered teammates was starting to pay off.
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