The blood-red corridor. The blood-red gate. That overpowering aura of death.
“I need to flee. How can I flee?” Linley was incomparably frantic. The three experts around him were all guarding him, while past that door was the ‘master of the castle’, a person of astonishing power. Most likely, even if he used Sovereign’s Might, it would be hard for him to flee.
“Calm down. Calm down!”
Linley strove to find a chance to escape, but no matter what he thought of, in the end, there was only one possibility.
“I can only entrust my hopes to Lomio. Lomio will be on his guard. He might be able to escape. If he had a violent battle with that ‘master of the castle’ and attract the attention of those three, I’ll be able to seize an opportunity to flee.”
Linley understood that for the master of the castle to be willing to allow Lomio enter meant that he was confident in being able to easily defeat and mentally control Lomio. If it really was that simple, though…then even this final chance Linley had for escape would be gone.
Although he was frantic, Linley still watched carefully for any chance, and was prepared to explode forth and flee at any moment.
“Linley, are you impatient?” Uriah chortled. “Don’t be impatient. Lomio needs a bit of time in the first viewing room to view those scryer recordings. It’ll be your turn soon.”
“It’ll be my turn soon?” Linley felt that Uriah’s laughter was so vile. Uriah clearly knew that this was a lie, a trap, but was still trying to lie to Linley, even now.
“BOOM!” Suddenly, the entire floor trembled violently, and even the great door in front of them shook forcefully. The tremor caused the walls around them to begin to crack, with scattered rocks falling down and smashing onto the corridor. Linley’s group of four swayed, and they were all astonished.
“Good.” Linley was overjoyed. Lomio, indeed, hadn’t let him down. He had indeed caused a disturbance.
“Eh?” Uriah and the other two were shocked. They looked at each other. Given the master of the castle’s power, how could such a huge commotion have been caused? Although they were shocked, they still kept watch on Linley.
Linley put on a puzzled look. “Mr. Uriah, what is going on inside?”
“I’m not sure.” Uriah laughed calmly. “Perhaps Lomio, when watching those scryer recordings of ultimate experts, was suddenly so excited that he wanted to test out a technique. Right. Linley, after you enter the secret room, no matter what, don’t wildly test out techniques.”
“Got it, got it.” Linley had to admit that Uriah’s dissembling abilities were top notch.
Right at that instant…
“Rumble…” It was as though heaven was collapsing or the earth was shattering. A terrifying explosive sound rang out, and the entire corridor and great door blew apart, with countless pieces of rubble flying everywhere, each one containing lightning-type energy.
Chaos!
The faces of Uriah and the other two changed. They hadn’t imagined that Lomio, in front of their teacher, could cause such a huge disturbance.
“Excellent.” Linley was overjoyed. “This is the moment.” Just as Linley was preparing to use the Worldwalker ability to leave…
“Swish!”
Uriah and the other two immediately moved, forming a three-point triangle and surrounding Linley. Uriah laughed calmly. “Linley, don’t be impatient. Perhaps Lomio did something to anger Teacher.”
Linley, seeing that he was surrounded by these three, frowned.
“Haha…kid, it looks like I underestimated you.” The low, rich voice rang out in the air above Castle Hendsey, and Linley couldn’t help but to raise his head to look up.
In the air above the shattered building, Lomio’s blood-splattered black robe fluttered in the wind. He held a black warblade in his hands, and his entire body was surrounded by crawling lightning serpents. His eyes were flashing with electricity, and he looked to be the very picture of a true Thunder God.
Facing Lomio was a man that was nearly 2.5 meters tall. The man had short red hair that looked as though it were made out of metal, and he wore a very ancient, unadorned set of armor. His thick, massive arms were a bronze color, seeming to hold a vast amount of strength, while in his right hand, he actually held a large black sledgehammer!
“He is the master of the city? That ‘Commander’?” Linley said to himself. But then, Linley stopped paying attention to the skies, instead focusing on the three around him. He hoped that one of them might relax their guard, allowing him to flee.
From high up in the sky, Lomio’s voice rang out once more.
“Hmph, I must thank you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made yet another breakthrough. You want to kill me? You are far from being able to!”
“The three of you, keep watch on Linley.” The sledgehammer-wielding red-haired man said calmly.
“Yes, Teacher (Master)!” Uriah and the other two said.
“Indeed.” Linley became all the more certain. “They actually address him as ‘Master’…I didn’t expect that amongst these three, two are under the control of the master of the city.” Although surprised, Linley was still searching for his chance to flee.
Linley’s face changed.
“Uriah, what is going on?” Linley asked angrily.
Uriah laughed, “Teacher wishes you to stay, so as to let you be able to view the first secret room.”
“Why do they address him as ‘Master’?” Linley asked another question.
“We have been followers of Master since we were Demigods.” The silver-haired woman said calmly, while Linley just smirked coldly. Two Demigod subordinates had actually both become Seven Star Fiends?
“Whatever abilities you have, use them all!” Lomio said with incomparable valor.
In mid-air, that sledgehammer-wielding red-haired man let out a loud laugh. “You were able to take a few punches from me. Not bad. Now, let’s see if you can withstand my sledgehammer.” The red-haired man agilely swept out with the massive black sledgehammer in his hand.
It made no sound out all…
The sledgehammer struck out, and as it did, a very bizarre ripple spread out, with the sledgehammer at the center. Everywhere the ripple passed through, the stone structures all transformed into fine powder. Thus did this sledgehammer slam down with no sound.
It seemed slow, but in reality it arrived next to Lomio in an instant.
“BANG!” Lightning appeared out of the blue skies.
As the thunder roared, a saber shadow clashed with the sledgehammer.
“Rumble…” The sledgehammer seemed to tremble slightly, with the surface of the sledgehammer rippling as though the sledgehammer was made of water. Lomio’s warblade actually trembled as well, and then completely shattered.
A silent, soundless sledgehammer blow.
But even Lomio’s weapon had been destroyed.
Linley, stunned, raised his head up to watch, his mind filled with that soundless blow that he had just seen. It seemed so graceful and gentle, and yet in reality the sledgehammer blow had carried trillions of kilograms of force. That amazing, miraculous curving blow caused Linley’s soul to be stirred.
Linley had never been able to understand the description of the ‘Strength’ profound mystery of the Laws of the Earth, but suddenly, Linley had the feeling…
It was as though a seed in his mind had suddenly begun to bloom.
“Strength…boundless…massive…”