Dozens of people stood in the meeting room.
They were clearly divided.
At one corner of the table. Stood the council of the town.
Some are from the previous ones, while others are new ones, still getting used to their new positions and the responsibilities that come with them.
In another, stood the Awakened of the trial—a few of them at least.
The four individuals who had attacked Apex in his unconscious state clearly masked their rage, although they weren't doing too good a job at it.
In the final corner, stood the dragon princess herself.
Right beside her, Apex lay on several chairs. Still unconscious.
Behind the princess stood the Awakened of Morgan's squad. Dex, Chloe, and Rel.
All three of them showed differing levels of nervousness.
None dared to speak in the presence of the angered dragon in front of them.
Her breaths are coming out quickly, ash leaving her nostrils with each exhale.
None were more terrified than the assailants of Apex.
The princess's presence was directly fixed upon them.
Her needle-like pupils stared at them unblinkingly.
Albeit, there was something else they were terrified of. Perhaps more than even the dragon in front of them.
The trial hadn't ended.
And they had no way of learning why that is.
***
Apex lay on the invisible ground of his soul sea.
His mind fixated on his altered runes.
He willed the runes to go all the way to the bottom.
To an entirely new section.
Legacy name: [Path to Corruption.]
Legacy description: [For those who bear the lineage of the Forgotten one. They walk the path of not Ascension, but Corruption.
They receive the power to stand above all. To defeat all. And to surpass all. But such power doesn't come without cost.
In exchange for power. They lose their mind and their soul. Succumbing to Corruption as all do. ]
It was self-explanatory. He was truly slowly corrupting. And now it was most obvious his mind and soul weren't immune to it.
The short version? He had no way out.
He let out a defeated sigh, his already limp body sagging even more if such a thing is even possible.
He directed his attention even lower.
Corrupted Cores achieved: [4/7.]
[Beast Core.] [claimed].
[Monster Core.] [claimed].
[Demon Core.] [claimed].
[Devil Core.] [Not all conditions met].
It was terrifying how much a few relics could offer.
The first one. The Beast core. Focused on his innate ability. Not changing it, empowering it.
And his own runes reflected that.
Innate ability: [Apex creature amongst creatures].
Ability description: [As not only the Heir of Nightmare, but now a creature. Every creature sees you as one of them. They don't dare to look in your direction without permission. They actively avoid your presence.
They do not fight you until you engage them first].
Terrifying useful.
The second relic was much the same. However, being far more powerful combat-wise. Not to mention the versatility it offered.
The previously Dormant ability named [Warp] had vanished, replaced by something far more complete.
Dormant ability: [Space].
Aspect ability description: [Alter the very space occupying all things. Shift it. Change it. Remove or add to it.
Whatever you choose, it will listen to your will].
Amazing and absurdly powerful.
Exactly what he would need in Antarctica.
Combined with his innate ability, transferring civilians wouldn't even be a challenge.
Then his attention landed upon his Awakened ability. The one that he was already terrified of using at full power after the first and only time he had.
[Fear] had changed. And much like the previously named [Warp] turned [Space] it was empowered.
Although, the description didn't reveal much.
Awakened ability: [Nightmares].
Ability description: [Be it fear. Be it dread. Be it anything that would cross your enemies' minds for even a moment in their entire lives.
You bring it to reality. Watch as they squirm and scream in fear. Watch as they fuel their biggest fear by fearing it more].
Dreadful to say the least.
Although it didn't go too much into detail. Apex was already sure of what it would do.
And he didn't like it one bit.
In that moment. Alone in his soul sea surrounded by nothingness. He vowed to himself.
"I will never use it unless I have no choice."
He lay there for a few moments, silent and unmoving.
Before his attention returned to his runes.
The final relic. The devil core. He had it. Yet there was another needed requirement.
He guessed that he needed to ascend. To acquire the ability to empower it before he even used it.
'What would it even be? '
He brushed away the useless question, turning his attention to something interesting. In an entirely different section of his runes.
First of all.
Nether has evolved into a devil. Undoubtedly from the hundreds of creatures he had slaughtered.
Second. There was another echo.
Echoe's name: [Flame-covered egg].
Echoe's description: [The egg of the mighty Ashborn Phoenix.
It is not an offspring. But the rebirth of its Terror].
Echo's rank: [Dormant].
Echoe's class: [Terror].
Echoe's Attributes:[Of ash], [Pheonix], [Incubating].
Unnecessarily, Apex let out a snort at the description.
"Mighty? I slammed it down while being only an awakened."
He commented into the air, not a soul to hear him.
With a thought, he dismissed his runes.
He had already summoned the egg of the phoenix previously.
And sure enough, the question of turning it into a nightmare had come.
However, Apex wasn't so eager to lose so many fragments again.
Especially since he couldn't know the cost for transforming an already high-ranked echo.
Who knew what would happen if he lacked the needed count of fragments? He could even die.
So he held off for the moment. Deciding to descend further by acquiring more cores.
After all, the powers they gave we're absolute. With only the risk of losing oneself involved.
He let out another muted sigh, standing up and letting the [Assassin's wear] envelop him.
Which had evolved a few days before. Always hidden below the menacing dark armor.
Other than the obvious rise and rank and the defense it provided. It hadn't received another Enchantment.
Just empowering [Kinetic] and [Bluntness] increases the already high defense even more.
Sadly, he hadn't been able to use the dagger.
It is stuck at the [640/1000] mark.
Still not bad. He had been able to get a few kills here and there. While he was sure no one was watching him.
Which was rare to say the least.
The clothing finally complete, he willed the [Kingdom's eclipse] to manifest a mask for him.
One oh so similar to his dear friend's. The mask he felt an indescribable connection to.
***
Apex rose robotically from the undoubtedly uncomfortable chairs he lay upon.
The dagger in his palm was glowing a vibrant red.
Just from looking at the people gathered, he guessed the situation.
Although he was surprised the members of Morgan's own squad were standing decently close.
Although far away compared to the princess.
Everyone noticed the rise of Apex. Others growing uneasy while others released sighs of relief.
With two such powerhouses in a single room, there would be no incident.
Apex looked around, confused.
The trial truly hasn't ended.
Curious, he asked the room a simple question.
"How long was I unconscious?"
There was a pause.
But the mistress herself answered him.
"Four hours, Joe.. "
Apex noticed the uneasy way she said his false name at once.
'They had revealed stuff after all' He mused inwardly.
He couldn't blame them, he would answer questions if a dragon stared him down.
At least, before the horde he would have.
Suddenly, before he could even stand up.
Nether manifested, his mouth already open and gathering soul essence at the four awakened at one side of the table.
Their eyes widened, and they quickly moved out of the way before the blast that could incinerate even Devils could hit them.
Alas, there was no reason to.
Apex raised his palm, the dagger still gripped in it.
And the echo closed its mouth without protest.
However, the dagger didn't go unnoticed.
Even if the trio already knew who this individual truly was, they couldn't help but twitch their hands nervously towards their own weapons.
The sight of the dagger was especially nerve-racking for Chloe.
Understandably so.
Nether snarled at those gathered, eyes gleaming with what seemed to be hatred.
With Apex now awake, the tension grew higher than ever.
And with a very angry echo, the room fell quiet.
Until the mistress herself glomped the boy in a tight embrace.
"You were so so cool!"
She squealed.
"You were like"
She broke the embrace, stepping a step back.
Then raised her hand towards the ceiling.
Imitating the action done by Apex while being on top of the Terror.
"Answer my call! And then the arrow appeared!"
She closed her hands into a fist.
Then slammed it down with such speed that the wind sent a few hats flying, including Apex's.
"And then you vanished! And the Terror fell like a meteor!"
She glomped him again, gushing.
Yet the room tensed at her words.
"A-a Terror..?"
A person asked.
She, the dragon raised a slender eyebrow, turning her head from Apex's own.
"Yeah? What? You think this dude would struggle against a Tyrant? Don't make me laugh!"
She giggled softly.
Turning back to Apex and softly punching his shoulder.
"Can you believe that?"
The boy in question stared at her through the slits of the mask, disbelief written all across his face.
Alas. He didn't need to answer as she broke into full-blown laughter, waving it off.
"Of course you wouldn't!"
She paused, a glint entering her eyes.
"Now. We shall fight!"
She grinned viciously.
She grabbed him by his coat, vanishing in a burst of speed that only a few people could hope to even see.
A minute later, the mistress and the creature stood in front of one another on the wrecked battlefield.
The dragoness stretched, her skin fracturing in some places. Revealing a menacing crimson glow beneath the skin.
Her stretches done. She narrowed her eyes at Apex.
Something changing in them.
"Now. You think I wouldn't notice what you are?"
Apex cocked his head to the side curiously.
"Which part?"
The smile on the girl vanished, replaced by a frown.
"I admit, you managed to hide it for a while. But you've obviously grown stronger after defeating the Terror."
She paused, her eyes scanning the boy.
"Skin walker."
The boy paused.
"A what?"
He didn't get an answer as the woman in front of him vanished in a burst of speed, appearing right behind him.
A fist raised, she struck in the middle of his back.
Only to hit thin air as the boy vanished.
"What are you talking about?"
He asked again, now standing further back.
"You're a skin walker aren't you? A parasitic creature that takes control of bodies. "
She paused.
"I haven't met one before, but the description matches what I've heard. Especially that foul stench of rot and corruption you give off.
Although I do admit, you're more intelligent than people give you credit for.
They say you become a mindless zombie, repeating sentences again and again.
Clearly, the information is faulty. Or you.. "
She paused. Staring at the form of Apex.
"Evolved.."
The figure of the beautiful woman in front vanished.
Rapidly expanding and changing into her Transcended form.
In mere moments, the mistress was gone, replaced by a giant dragon, easily as tall as eight stories.
The next moment, a torrent of flames exploded outwards. Burning and melting the very ground they stood upon.
Apex stared in awe at the now transformed saint.
But the awe didn't make him stupid.
He knew the threat this posed to him.
Even while having the newly evolved [Assassin's attire] the flames would burn his very organs through his mere Awakened body.
Alas. He had something that not many others do.
He fused an augmentation into his own body, then gave another to his armor.
Now bearing a body comparable to saints, he vanished before he could receive the full power of the attack.
He appeared upon the dragon, the right hand slamming downwards with tremendous strength.
Only to receive a roar in return, as the body of the dragon itself started to burn.
He vanished again, just far enough to see the terrifying display of power. A large circular dome of flames expanded from the dragon in all directions.
"What the fuck?!"
He couldn't help but curse, watching as all the flames gathered into a single giant orb.
Then it shrank, the flames growing whiter.
He watched on, as the dragon opened her maw, what looked to be a wall of wind surrounding the flaming ball.
The dragon grinned, her giant eyes locking straight onto him.
"Bye bye!"
She laughed out, taking to the skies through her magnificent giant burning wings.
He continued to watch on, as the ball fell from the sky to the ground like a meteor, the wind being forced into the ball of flames.
He watched on, as the flames grew pitch white while falling.
And in that moment, he decided to run.
He vanished into thin air, again and again.
Repeating until he reached the top of the hill, where quite a few people were gathered and watching the display of power.
Their eyes snapped to him, his singed hair the only giveaway that he was on the battlefield just moments ago.
Before anyone could speak Apex did.
"She's fucking insane!"
He exclaimed, head turning to the battlefield.
Just in time to witness the ball collide with the ground.
A blinding light erupted, as bright as the sun itself.
Then they all felt it.
Heat.
It came in mere seconds, like a wall of condensed boiling steam.
Luckily, it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Leaving everyone to witness what had occurred.
And they all witnessed.
Instead of the wrecked but still viable battlefield.
There was just a pit.
A pit of flames that didn't seem to sputter and die.
Then they saw the dragon descend once more, eyes searching the battlefield.
And Apex? He wasn't going back to it.
There was no way he was.
A Terror? That he could handle.
But this? This was absurd.
He couldn't even dent the metal-like scales that adorned her whole body.
With an augmented body!
He turned towards the gathered people, turning to him.
And without a word, he vanished.
They turned back to the dragon, and what remained of the battlefield.
He wasn't there.
He had, just vanished.
***
"I was just playing with him!"
A female voice exclaimed loudly.
The older people only sighed, already used to her behavior.
"You called him a skin walker!"
The girl only pouted.
"I didn't want him to hold back!"
There was a long pause.
"And you telling him he's an abomination, then going full power on him without hesitation helped that?"
"I thought it would!"
"It did not!"
An elderly voice finally shouted, silencing everyone.
"He is a hero! He fought and protected us! He risked his life for us, and you."
His voice grew darker.
"You dare insult him for your own amusement?!"
No one answered.
"What kind of person are you? To insult a person in such a regard? Just so you can get a little fun from it?"
She didn't answer the man.
A cane slammed down onto the floor.
"Answer me!"
Finally, a whisper was heard.
"A bad one..."
Yet the anger of the elderly man did not fade.
"Leave my sight! And don't you dare try to seek him out!"
The girl vanished at once.
All that remained was silence.
A minute later, the same voice spoke. The anger is still heard but masked by a facade of calmness.
"I apologize for my granddaughter's behavior."
None answered him, all of their pupils trembling in fear of the crushing weight that was just placed upon them.
"If I may, I would like to meet this great warrior myself."
At that, a few heads raised.
Seeing as no one spoke, Chloe resolved to speak.
She coughed quietly, clearing her suddenly dry throat.
"He hasn't been seen since the battle. He just vanished..."
A grunt was heard.
"I see."
***
Apex sat upon a fallen tree, staring at his own palm.
He dismissed the mask, raising his hand towards his nose.
He sniffed. Nothing.
No sweat. No dirt. No foul stench...
He ripped off a piece of the log he sat upon, sniffing it.
Nothing.
He couldn't smell anything...
He dropped the piece of wood, staring into the horizon. at the town.
Slowly, without him even noticing. He dozed off.
[Your nightmare is over.]
[Prepare for appraisal...]
Apex opened his eyes, finding himself in the void once again.
He sighed, at least the trial was now over.
[Awakened! Your trial is over.]
[The creature found itself inside a village. It found it's reluctant allies. And joined to fight against it's own kind.
It fought alone, none daring to fight by its side.
Who would? It was slaughtering it's own kind after all.
Slowly but surely, the Demon grew into a Devil, it's already reluctant allies starting to distance themselves even further from it.
Alas, the creature did not care, it only cared for slaughter after all.
And so it slaughtered, until one day.
No slaughter came. ]
[You have killed an Awakened Beast...]
Apex stayed silent. Counting each creature he had killed.
Each human that he exidentaly killed.
[You have killed a Corrupted Terror, Ashborm Pheonix.]
[You have altered Fate.]
[You are succumbing to Corruption.]
[You have achieved the impossible!]
[Your final appraisal is... Glorious! Your insanity truly knows no bounds!]
[The third seal is broken...]
[Awakening Dormant powers.]
Apex sighed. Vanishing into his own soul sea.
He conjured a chair in a split second, sitting on it.
He gripped the arm rest tightly, tensing his body until it felt as if he couldn't even move.
The attire was augmented as well, to provide as much soul protection as possible.
Alas. Such weak attempts couldn't stop pain forced upon him by a god.
He keeled over, a scream ripping out of his throat.
His eyes bulged, tinting red.
His nails dug into the armrest with horrifying strength, cleaving through the imaginary obsidian and into his palm.
But mere physical pain wasnt what truly hurt him.
No. It was the very soul that screamed for release, from this torment.
Slowly bur surely, he managed to close his mouth, gritting his teeth.
And then it stopped. Out of nowhere, like it always did.
The boy snarled.
"Fuck you."
[Awakening aspect ability...]
[Aspect ability acquired.]
[Ability name: Dreams.]
[Ability description: You don't just create nightmares, you create the opposite as well.
Create dreams for your foes and allies alike. ]
Still sitting upon the obsidian throne, Apex couldn't help but smirk.
"Finally. Something good."
He went to his legacy section, only to see the relic was already claimed.
"Ah, I guess I will never know what it was meant to be."
He shrugged, standing up slowly.
He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck slowly.
Then he did a few squats, the feeling in his legs returning.
And then, he vanished.
***
Eight people manifested from thin air.
All looked around, dazed.
A few embraced each other, happy tears falling.
Some just sat down on the cold snow, sighs of relief leaving their form.
Yet only Rel noticed Apex already walking away.
She quickly cought up to him.
Not attacking, just walking by his side.
She stared at the man intently, her eyes narrowed.
He stopped, turning towards her.
"Leave me be."
Was the only thing he said, before turning and starting to walk away once more.
That was until a crossbow bolt slammed into his back.
He stopped dead, the bolt falling uselessly to the ground, not leaving a scratch on his attire.
The clothing got a slight shine to it, as it absorbed the impact with [Kinetic].
He slowly turned, staring right into the man's soul core.
"Don't try it."
He finally said after a long stare, turning away.
Only to come face to face with Morgan.
He stopped cold, staring at the very familiar soul core.
A sigh left him, raising his single hand.
Morgan approached slowly, her usualy cold eyes showing a sign of disbelief.
"Apex..?"
She recieved only a nod.
Her eyes turned sharp in an instant.
She took in his form, immediately noticing the attire's change.
Then she absolutely blurred.
Her fist extended, aiming right for the dark mask.
The target merely raised a hand, catching her fist easily.
The impact blew away the snow in a small circle around them, temporary blinding everyone outside of it.
Apex sighed audibly, gripping Morgan's hand tighter when she tried to pull back.
An armored hand manifested from his left shoulder, the crimson dagger appearing in it's grip.
With his vision regained, he stared at the woman.
It was refreshing for him, to see a somewhat familiar person after a while.
Even if it hadn't been that long.
Her other hand shot forward, sharpened.
The dagger went inside the manifested arm, the hand itself catching that fist as well, the augmentation protecting it from being cut through.
"You fight cripples now?"
Apex asked, his eyes missing the usual amusement while taunting Morgan.
She struggled to get out of his grip, teeth gritting.
She fell onto her back, kicking into his stomach.
"You are no cripple!"
Apex looked down at the leg stopped mere centimeters from him.
"I am. And you, miscalculated."
He spun around in an instant, Morgan still held in his grasp.
He raised her over his head, slamming her down back first into the cold and hard earth.
It shattered on impact.
He released the woman, jumping back to avoid another bolt.
He watched as the crossbow wielder stood back, the other three charging.
"Foolish."
Was the only thing he said, as he vanished from his spot.
Appearing by the person with a crossbow, he gripping the man's throat, slamming him into the earth much like he had done to Morgan just moments ago.
There was a wheeze, then a cough.
Apex stood back up, gaze locked onto the blood covering his glove.
Then he vanished, appearing by the axe wielder, he delivered a similar fate to the man.
Slamming him into the earth, his legs the only thing visible above ground.
He craned his neck towards the man with a sword, almost as if trying to ward him off with his presence alone.
Alas, the man charged nonetheless.
Only to receive a devastating backhand, sending him tumbling throught the snow.
He turned just in time to receive a kick straight into his mask, sending him skitting away.
However he didint fall, his head still raised towards the sky.
Then he slowly looked back at Morgan, a few fractures adorning the mask now.
In that fact, Apex's amusement returned.
And the next words clearly conveyed it.
"Really Morgan? Have you grown weaker since we last fought? I barely felt that one."
She stared at him with wide eyes, before she instinctually ducked the kick from Apex that appeared a mere second before.
The kick flew over her head, and she replied with an uppercut that hit it's mark.
Apex was sent into the air, but instead of continuing to fall, or as Morgan expected, to Teleport.
He stopped.
He just stayed mid air, back towards the ground, eyes locked onto the sky above.
He slowly stood up, as if he was on the ground.
Morgan stared at him, and he stared back.
He smacked away another crossbow bolt, eyes turning to the man.
"Stop annoying me."
In that moment, all the people who were in the trial remembered what they were truly dealing with.
A devil.
And the man dropped his crossbow, not in fear. But in realization that nothing he would do would effect the creature in front of him.
Apex turned his head back at Morgan, who had regrouped with her own squad.
He appeared right next to them, a hand over Rel's small shoulders.
"Must we fight?"
Rel froze under his hand, eyes wide, but not filled with terror.
Instead, it was surprise.
He squeezed her shoulder, not exerting any strengh.
He shook her slightly, then chuckled.
"They survived some rough stuff, shouldn't they rest for a while before they try to take me on?"
He heavily emphasized the "they" part.
Morgan raised her fists, only for Chloe to raise her hands in surrender
"I completely and utterly agree!"
Morgan turned towards her, shock written all across her face.
"What?"
"Give us a minute will you?"
Chloe asked Apex, who merely shrugged, vanishing and appearing by one of the knocked out Ascendants.
They watched as he kicked at the body softly, then nodded. Vanishing again.
Chloe turned to Morgan, and Morgan to Chloe.
"What are you doing?!"
Morgan hissed out.
"Saving our asses that's what!"
She paused, then continued.
"Look. He did some absolutely absurd stuff in the trial."
She stared at Morgan's dead serious face.
"I don't know the class of the creature, but he took down a Terror, ALONE!"
Morgan stared at her, dumbfounded.
"What?"
"A Terror!"
"How do you know it was a Terror?"
"A saint told us all!"
Morgan's shoulders sagged.
"Alone?"
Chloe only nodded.
"Anything else worth mentioning?"
Morgan finally asked after a long pause.
"He killed like a thousand creatures"
Dex threw in.
Morgan's mouth opened, then closed.
"Youre joking."
"She ain't."
Their eyes snapped at the individual, a hand over Rel's shoulders once again.
"For your information."
He paused as if counting.
"I killed around nine hundred creatures."
There was a long pause.
"And the Terror?"
"Corrupted."
Morgan almost snorted at the absurdity of the statement.
"And how pre tell, did you manage to injure it?"
She asked, a little snark entering her tone.
Chloe froze, as if remembering a horrifying sight.
Apex shrugged, "threw a dozen or so Transcendent arrows at it."
Morgan choked on her own spit.
"Anyways!"
Apex's hold on Rel tightened, this time in a more threatening manner.
"I do hope you will stop coming after me."
His voice grew darker.
"And I do hope you didin't hurt my dear friend after I left."
"Who?"
Morgan asked, eyeing the grip he had on Rel, who looked way too calm for her own good.
"Fenrir, the wolf."
"None of us hurt it."
At that,he released Rel, stepping away.
"Great to hear!"
Then he just started to walk away.
"Why the mask? Hiding something hideous?"
Morgan couldn't help but throw an insult his way.
He stopped in an instant.
And even the surroundings grew quieter.
The frozen tree branches stopped swaying from the wind, the very wind seemed to have vanished.
"Yeah, something like that."
And then, he was gone.
Thanks for reading!
Send powerstones and review!(seriously! This took so long to write!)
[4.5k Words. The largest chapter of this story]