Timeless Prominence

Devil Hahrn was devoured by the Blissful-Endflower-- no devils sought to assist him. Devils, even within their own sects, acted erratic towards one another. That erraticness depended on exactly how their minds have been warped by their advancer arts.

The Blissful-Endflower was determined by Nunan to actually be a rank six plant demon. Its aurae powers were thus equivalent to an outer human advancer, but its vast body gave it many additional advantages. Plant bodies often had endless life-force, filled with growth and recovery.

As for Hahrn, his blood arts gave him a strong life-force that could be used to recover from most injuries, even if only a drop of his blood remained.  He could form blood weapons, and influence the very blood of his opponents.

Problem is, when pitted against a plant demon, he could not influence the non-existent blood of a plant demon! That was why he fought the demon eagle like a madman while fleeing away from the Blissful-Endflower like a dog with a tail between its legs, unwilling to engage the plant demon in combat.

Regardless, Blood God Hahrn had been caught and was being digested by the rank six plant demon as of now.

Malak looked up through the hole into the sky. Already, storm clouds had begun to gather. These weren’t weather storm clouds-- they are the clouds of tribulation, which appear when demons are on the brink of fully metamorphosing into human form.

Humans face such an attack of natural phenomenon at certain points of the advancer journey as well, starting at the peak of the telekinetic realm.

It is said that these tribulation clouds are formed from the remnant echoes of the fallen gods.  The fallen gods were filled with hatred in their demise, and used their last strength to twist the world, preventing the mortals amongst other beings from gaining such godhood.

The fallen gods modified the very rules of the universe to create such a phenomenon. This is why the following rumor exists-- if one becomes a god beyond gods, they could rewrite the world and even remove these tribulations borne of the remnant echoes of the fallen gods!

“Fuck. Damned fallen gods.” Malak himself dashed into one of the archways into the underground ancient ruins to avoid the impending storm.

Similarly a number of devils and independent advancers streamed towards those openings into the ruins. Rein had not noticed these independent advancers before. He is aware that these advancers lacked support, and searched for opportunities in the Western Wilderness. It was just that, more often than not, desperate independent advancer would become devils, carelessly walking upon a path considered warped by the orthodox advancer world.

Rein, with the twin ladies, gazed up at the forming tribulation clouds in the sky. Rein’s thoughts focused on two points.

One, Dujahrn, who should know the devilish beauty that had kidnapped his brother Jein. And second, the tribulation clouds forming up above!

As per the booklet on draconic arts, one of the methods to strengthen the draconic lightning inborne of all dragons was to absorb the power of tribulation lightning. The draconic lightning is supposedly a power granted to the dragons during the Age of Gods. This was to enable the dragons serving directly under the gods to deliver punishment as the Gods willed.

As the tribulation clouds are formed from the remnant will and powers of the fallen gods, Rein knew that this was a rare and unexpected opportunity to strengthen the draconic lightning. For him, a human, he would only have such an opportunity if he himself reached such a stage, or was allowed to stand beside one at such a critical point on their advancement-- an incredibly rare event not often seen.

The question, obviously, was how he could steal some tribulation lightning safely. He only needed enough to transform his draconic lightning source. Perhaps if the plant demon blocked most of it and he could catch some remnant sparks…

Well, those clouds had yet to fully form. Rein turned his attention to Dujahrn.

Lyne had already received some extra heat-based pills from her elders to help her regain strength. However, she and her three Xuere protectors are still surrounded by four outer-ranked devils.

Ailehr was naturally fuming with regards to Hahrn’s idiocy. If he had controlled himself, they might have Lyne in hand already.

“This plant demon is about to fully transform, and the power of the tribulation clouds will be immense. Are you certain you wish to continue this tomfoolery?” one of the Xuere elders questioned anxiously.

“Oh please,” Ailehr batted her eyelashes. “We have four outer advancers. And the tribulation clouds are only beginning to gather.”

“Go!” She suddenly barked. “One each! Capture Mistress Xuere and we will escape!”

The four primary devils leaped into action, to the Xuere elders’ dismay. One Xuere elder blocked the Harvest Devil Ailehr. Another stood against the Insect Devil Lazr. The third stood against the Poison Germination Devil, Dujahrn. Lyne was left to fend for herself against the Hairy Corpse Devil Voxeire.

Voxeire curled her lips, and patted a pouch at her hips. The pouch opened and ten corpses of hairy tendrils flew forth and surrounded the still-recovering Lyne! These corpses are all dead men who had looked at Voxeire the wrong way.

Lyne’s group sought to assist her. Nunan launched stakes that were easily flicked away by the hairy tendrils. Bohr charged at one of the corpses, and he only became entangled in a hairy mess. The weapons Karsutz threw from the shadows bounced off these corpses’ hardened skin, toothless. Zehz did not even bother-- these corpses would not be fooled by his light shell hypnotism. And Voxeire, an outer advancer, was equally resistant!

Rein could see Chirh fleeing into the ancient ruins. He did not blame the man, in all honesty. However, he cannot not flee!

He charged towards Dujahrn, and the twin ladies followed. Xeeseir was already perched on a man-made ledge of unreadable symbols, his bow at the ready. His eyes were similarly on Dujahrn, their agreed bounty target.

As for Dahk and Wilo? Rein could not see any signs of the two, and assumed that they had either perished or escaped into the ancient ruins.

The third Xuere elder had already begun exchanging blows against Dujahrn cautiously. Many vibrant and freakish flowers floated about the air, releasing all sorts of unidentifiable spores. These flowers are seen as freakish by Rein, because they were made from parts of different flowers. Dujahrn had clearly grafted different species together to create combination poisons.

Rein and the twin ladies naturally felt fear towards this cloudy miasma. Luckily, they had a Halls alchemist on their side. Rein withdrew various antidotes and took a sip of each before handing them to Suey, which was then passed to Jory.

Even with this, they did not feel fully safe, and as such, Rein ignited wood with lightning, and spit fire into the poison cloud. Some spores burned black, and a flame even set one of the flowers temporarily in flames.

Dujahrn flicked his sleeves, and a sudden whistling of wind aurae sent the flame flying off his poison flower.

Rein bent his knees as he readied the ‘Frog Leg Release’.

“No!” Suey was alarmed. “My celest! Don’t--”

Rein exploded forwards, his form a hawk diving towards Dujahrn. He knew he was being reckless, with Dujahrn being an outer devil and all. However, he needed answers regarding his younger brother, and the original plan had already gone awry. There weren’t meant to be this many outer devils here surrounding Lyne, after all! They had thought that only one or two outer devils would appear, and certainly not with the impending tribulation of a plant demon!

Dujahrn raised an eyebrow, and waved his arm. Rein could feel invisible aurae tendrils, a common trait of all outer advancers, clawing at his body to slow his flight towards Dujahrn.

Dujahrn was surprised upon having to exert excessive aurae to slow Rein’s flight. Both his eyebrows were raised-- Rein’s explosive force was much higher than he expected. He narrowed his eyes in concentration, and Rein’s speed through the air slowed to a standstill, until he was trapped midair by Dujahrn’s unseen aurae tendrils!

Dujahrn felt quite curious-- the man before him must have consumed something that resisted his poison as well, not to mention, the ability to produce that odd flame.

Not only that-- this man, an inner advancer, carried a deep-seated fury within his eyes that one could say, matched his beastly-tempered body!

Dujahrn racked his brain-- he was certain he had never done anything to receive this man’s hatred.

Rein struggled midair, and with his physical strength, he began snapping the unseen aurae tendrils that Dujahrn had immobilized him with!

Before Dujahrn could reform these aurae tendrils, a timely explosive arrow from Xeeseir fully freed Rein.

“Where is the devil Saenise?” Rein demanded heatedly as he dropped back onto the ground.

When Dujahrn heard this, he could not help but begin laughing maniacally.

“So it was Saenise who drove you mad?” Dujahrn chortled as he clutched at his belly. “You’re too late, fool! That girl failed to protect the noble son, and has been sacrificed to the Devil God Hehrn’s hell realm!”

Dujahrn had no need to obscure information from Rein. If anything, he was filled with dark mirth, reveling at Rein’s pathetic search for the devil beauty Saenise! He wished to see despair within Rein’s eyes, the very same emotion that he had felt when he awakened the devil in his heart! If there was one thing the devils enjoyed more than their vices, it was to create other devils like themselves!

“So many mortals sacrificed for the power of Devil God Hehrn! Saenise failed! Thus, she, too, was given to the Devil God! And you all will soon be his in body and soul!”

Rein had no interest in Dujahrn’s half-crazed ramblings.

“The boy she brought back! Where is he?!” Rein was quite aware that he was in no position to make demands. Dujahrn simply hovered about in the air with his outer advancer powers. In their original plan, Lyne and her retainers were meant to deal with outer advancers.

Though Rein repeatedly leaped upwards with his ‘Frog Leg Release’, he would crash into invisible aurae tendrils that wrapped around his body like a net. Only with forceful struggles was Rein able to break these tendrils.

Rein attempted a spit of his draconic flame, only for it to be sent flying elsewhere with a simply flick of Dujahrn’s sleeves

Dujahrn seemed none too bothered. Rein was of no threat to him. Yes, he has a weakness to flames, but it was not something Rein could take advantage of.

The odd flame that came out of Rein’s mouth? Sure, it has unique qualities, but it was sourced from an inner advancer’s aurae, and Rein obviously could not control this flame properly either. If Rein had the powers of an outer advancer, he would be able to control said flame and guide it to continue attacking Dujahrn’s poison flowers! Dujahrn would not be able to wave a hand and send said flames flying elsewhere!

It was only now that Rein fully realized how powerful his half-senior Chenhr was. Chenhr could concentrate an aurae cloud around his body so densely that the aurae hands of outer advancers could do nothing against him!

Suey and Jory are fully occupied as well. They repeatedly flicked their bronze whips in their surroundings, using the strength of their weapons to contend against the aurae tendrils not visible to their eyes. They dare not use their water serpent art-- the tendrils spread around them could easily avoid such a concentrated type of offense.

Dujahrn had no intention to strengthen his aurae tendrils-- if he did, these tendrils would be so concentrated in aurae that their forms would become visible to these inner advancers. He knew that the invisible tendrils, though less forceful, induced the fear of the unknown in these inner advancers’ minds.

Xeeseir frowned upon his perch. He could think of nothing that they could do as of now. They were never meant to engage an outer devil with their Iron Ant team, much less half the  members. Wilo, Chirh and Dahk were nowhere to be seen!

“Boy? Hah!” Dujahrn guffawed. “Of course, he’s been sent to the Devil God Hehrn along with the silly girl! Devil God Hehrn loves his delicacies!”

Those words drilled despondency into Rein’s heart. If Saenise had opted to keep his brother as a boy toy, he might have a chance. But to be sent to the hell realms?

As far as Rein knew, thanks to Gent’s visions, the hell realms are called such because they are fallen god realms! These realms must be chaotic beyond his imagination!

Rein’s struggles against the tide of aurae tendrils weakened as his heart was filled with despair.

“Rein. Do not listen to his words! They are filled with half-truths!” Xeeseir roared, very much noticing Rein’s slump.

“Hah! I spoke no lies,” Dujahrn said as he looked with increasing interest at the young man named Rein. “This world has no fairness. You think I was born a devil? I had no choice, no control! You, too, will never find that peace in your heart!”

It was then that the Blissful-Endflower opened its mouth wide and began spouting out its poisonous spores again. It seemed to have its gaze focused on the gathering tribulation clouds in the sky, intent on preparing its defenses.

The greenish-yellow poison mist slowly thickened, and despite having taken antidotes, Rein could feel his body’s movements slowing, his muscles twitching in a weak paralysis. The provided antidote simply wasn’t strong enough! It was only crafted to resist the supposed rank five Blissful-Endflower, after all!

Beincen and his uncle Naohr had been observing on the side all this time, but they dared not interfere and attract the devils’ attention. Beincen gazed at Rein, hoping for the devil Dujahrn to stop playing and simply kill this thorn.

Beincen honestly felt he had been ‘contending’ against Rein with his hands tied. He had many despicable means, and he used such means to get this way in the Green Trout City in the past. However, against Rein, he could not use these dastardly methods!

He once kidnapped a man's wife, child, friend to blackmail said man into accepting his demands. He once used the weight of his House to threaten a man’s livelihood. He had once threatened the child of a mother. When it came to Rein, he discovered no known living relatives! Suey amongst others, belonged to the Halls. As such, he could not carelessly use her against him!

Beincen had, in fact, come across information on a mortal merchant family named Jeihr. Trouble was, that merchant house supplied resources to a rather significant sect in a northeastern city! The northeastern city and that sect holds an important position against the Zoh Empire to the east. He dared not take action and potentially sabotage the Minhr Nations’ easter border. If he did so, he might be accused of being a traitor against the Dingien Clan!

Regardless, on seeing the new release of the poisonous mist, Naohr patted Beincen’s shoulders, and dragged his unwilling nephew into the ancient ruins. Though Beincen was resistant, he understood the necessity.

The outer devils were similarly concerned about this newly-released poison mist of the rank six Blissful-Endflower closing in on full metamorphosis. They had previously dismissed the Blissful-Endflower’s threat, believing that it would focus on preparations against its tribulation instead of starting a conflict against them. Much of that turned out true. Except now, its defensive preparations dulled their senses.

“Stop playing around with those kids!” Ailehr screamed at Dujahrn. “Capture that little mistress!”

Due to Rein having somewhat occupied Dujahrn’s attention, the third Xuere elder had slipped off to defend Lyne against the Hairy Corpse Devil, Voxeire. That elder similarly used ice arts, and repeatedly froze the many hairy devil corpses stationary, frustrating Voxeire greatly.

Voxeire’s corpses had been treated with unique liquid baths that hardened their skin and bones. Their resistance towards most magical arts are quite high, with the exception of those that could immobilize the corpses’ movements.

Dujahrn shrugged and ceased his taunting. A flow of aurae concentrated into a spiraling freakish flower formed from the shapes of many different poison flower species! He waved an arm, and his advancer art the size of a house was sent flying towards Rein and the twins!

However, Xeeseir’s heart was filled with joy instead of consternation. His lips curled into a grin as he leaped down from his perch to block this aurae poison flower projection with his origin ability!

All this time, Dujahrn had thought Xeeseir to simply be some ranged user that would turn and flee at the first sign of trouble. This is a common expectation in most advancers’ minds-- most advancers who preferred to stay at range would run at the first sign of trouble. Well-- it was but a facade of Xeeseir’s design!

He often remained in the back to avoid having his origin ability revealed early in battle, waiting to inject himself at critical moments.

When the outer-ranked poison flower art of Dujahrn came in contact with Xeeseir’s body, the one harmed was not Xeeseir. Instead, it was Dujahrn! The damage of the outer-ranked poison flower art had been reflected back to its source, Dujahrn!

He was incredulous as he felt his internal body sent into a turmoil. He is called the Poison Germination Devil because he grew and developed many different poison flowers using the bodies of chosen targets to elevate the nature of these poison flowers. Another reason for his course of action is also because he dared not grow these poisons with his body.

With the powers within his combination poison flower art returned to his body directly, he was immediately sent into a state of crisis! The cocktail of many poison spores threatened his very own life! Such is the power of origin abilities.

Not only that-- aurae concentrated to the point of manifesting a physical form contains much more force and power. This type of manifestation is commonly called aurae projection.

This force was also returned by Xeeseir. It sent Dujahrn’s body careening over the thick bed of writhing vines in the underground cavern!

Ailehr was close to draining a struggling Xuere elder. Whenever she clashed with her opponent, the Harvest Devil activated a sort of art that sent a wave of ghostly figures through the Xuere elder’s body. The ghostly forms cackled as they tore through the Xuere elder’s body, returning to Ailehr with the Xuere elder’s energies to supplement her rising strength. 

Her tendrils caused the same phenomenon. Though not visible to an inner advancer like Rein, Ailehr and the unnamed Xuere elder was, in fact, clashing against one another with their aurae tendrils as well. The Xuere elder soon discovered that Ailehr’s tendrils had the effect of infecting and draining his very strength! No matter what he tried, he could not identify the weakness within Ailehr’s art.

Anyhow, the Xuere elder backed away, his face dark in beaten defiance when Ailehr was distracted by the events in the distance. She blinked in shock as her peripheral vision tracked the sudden reversal of Dujahrn’s situation. One moment, Dujahrn had full control. The next moment, he was down on the ground!

Dujahrn crashed into a bed of vines while internally fighting against the reflected poisonous powers in a bid to stabilize his body. He should have time to recover, especially with his aurae tendrils holding back those inner advancers. This should allow him to clear his mind and assess exactly what had happened. 

Yet, this was not the end of Dujahrn’s unexpected struggles, for the vines below his feet suddenly parted and hidden snakespear curved out then pierced towards his chest! It was Dahk, who had, all this time, submerged himself under this bed of vines, taking the enormous risk of being devoured by the Blissful-Endflower just for a half-chance at a fatal strike!