Chapter 820 Arcane Madness [Ko-Fi Donation Bonus Chapter]
The mighty, oppressive aura bore down. It didn't feel like one was facing a single entity any longer, but rather a behemoth that encompassed an entire world.
Part of Sylas even felt that this creature's body was rooted in the very depths of Earth, starting at the core and drawing power from its might.
And yet… Sylas didn't seem very surprised.
This was the Amazonian Wilds. To others, this place might not be very special, but to Sylas, what it represented was something completely and wholly different…
This was the place the Slithering Madness Dungeon had spawned from.
Sometimes, Sylas wondered if it was random or if there was something special about the Amazonian Wilds specifically. But he wasn't sure, mostly because he simply didn't have the time to mind such minor details. He had enough on his plate as it was without trying to figure out the mysteries of every little thing.
But that didn't mean that the thought wasn't lingering in the back of his mind.
What he didn't expect was that Professor Broussard would actually go on to unearth the answer for him. Or, maybe Professor Broussard had just accidentally stumbled into the matter, much like Sylas had stumbled into the Slithering Madness Dungeon.
Unfortunately for the Professor…
"Yield."
Sylas spoke the word calmly. They were the first words he had spoken since this battle began, and they carried a rumbling cadence. His voice sounded as though it had been unearthed from the pits of hell, a deep, reverberating essence pitching it.
The slit of Arcane Madness trembled, and its forward tilting came to a stop. Wind kicked up, blowing Sylas' hair back and whipping against his body. Despite the small movements of the creature, it was so large that its mass forced voluminous movements in the air.
A Beast Totem appeared at Sylas' back, golden slit eyes bearing down on the enormous creature. Sylas' own eyes became slit as well, a mixture of deep greens staring into the maw of the beast without the slightest hint of flinching.
The world stilled, and Professor Broussard, who had already opened up a substantial distance between himself and the situation, found his heart faltering again.
What happened? What was going on?
He was prepared to deal with this creature, of course. Or he wouldn't be stupid enough to use it as a trump card. But this…
Sylas just stood there, gazing at the creature before turning his head toward the Professor.
Then, he spoke again.
"Kill."
Arcane Madness had frozen in silence for a long while, even the gruff roughness of its breath falling to deaf ears. But the moment Sylas spoke again, it exploded forth.
For a creature so large, one would never have guessed it could move so fast. Even Sylas was nearly injured by the wind pressure alone, his Scorpion Warlord Armor buffeting against the winds it kicked up.
Elen's eyes opened wide.
No, he wasn't ready for this sort of change. This was…
BANG!
A breath of seething, ashen fire appeared before the Professor, pulsing with deep reds and shallow greys. It looked like a flame straight from an ancient, primordial time, couched in depths of history that couldn't be explained even if given all the time in the world.
The Professor couldn't even react before he was enveloped by the flame.
At that moment, the enormous body of Arcane Madness appeared high in the skies. It snaked through the clouds, its body at least a kilometer in length, if not more.
…
In the far-off distance, Olivia had a hand placed on her heart, her breathing heavy and erratic.
She wasn't the only one. They were all in the same state. Everything had happened so fast that they couldn't even react properly before it all changed again.
In one moment, they were certain that Sylas would lose his life here. And in the next… he commanded the creature that could level governments on its own with a flip of his palm and a single word.
Their eyes, when looking at Sylas' back now, carried something very different.
They were people of the modern era, so maybe it would be many, many years before they understood just what that emotion was. Even for countries that had monarchies, those institutions had been in the shadows for so long that many had forgotten what it felt like to worship a King or Emperor.
But that was precisely what they were feeling now.
Reverence.
…
Arcane Madness unleashed a roar that shook the skies.
—
[Quicktime Event Triggered]
[Plight of the Amazonian Wilds]
[Level Recommended: 50]
[Description: The sea-level has inexplicably risen while the land has begun to erode. The only way to save this beautiful land is hidden away deep within the earth. Find it and claim supremacy.]
[A Warlord has triggered this Quicktime Event, and thus their veil has been placed on it. Join only at your discretion.]
[Event Type: Summoning Challenge]
[Clear Requirements]
> [Kill Arcane Madness]
OR
> [Escape]
—
The Quicktime Event screen had changed again, and Sylas, who had been calm all the while, couldn't help but lock his eyes on the words "Summoning Challenge." He hardly cared about the changes to the clear requirements. That, right there, was all he could pay attention to.
And that was despite the fact that… he was fairly certain he recognized the flame Arcane Madness had just used.
Wasn't that… the very same flame that activated when the Scorned Wraps destroyed something?
Sylas' head slowly turned to the side, locking onto a location in the far-off distance.
The ceiling of the catacombs had crumbled under the might of Arcane Madness, revealing daylight. There, on a voluminous peak of dense greenery, Professor Broussard was quickly escaping.
Sylas' eyes narrowed.
Ever since he came into this battle, his Luck had been warning him about this Professor again and again. Even now, he still felt those pings echoing through his soul.
But…
He no longer cared.
With a step, he shot high into the skies, landing on the back of Arcane Madness.