Chapter 678: Emissary Of The Void
The Void force was more than enough to shield him against the maelstrom of lightning that was surging towards him.
However, the air and earth wouldn't. The shockwave from such tumultuous amount of lightning colliding with the wall of a distancing reality-forcibly hidden behind this one- was bound to create a wave of disturbance that would throw off his balance.
To prevent that, Northern leaped in the moment. As expected, the ground shuddered and shattered, the air itself froze as if it had caught a cold.
Even leaping at that moment was not entirely enough to save him.
'Tsk, I should have just used Shadow Step.'
Groaning internally, Northern pointed a finger forward. Chaos Eyes allowed him to manipulate concept and his surroundings to a certain degree. He seized the opportunity, hardening the air beneath him to create a makeshift platform.
With a sharp push, he propelled himself higher into the sky, rolling through the group of Bone Jaws overhead. His movements were swift and calculated, each step keeping him airborne until he finally descended, landing with deliberate precision behind the monstrous horde.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Northern swung his sledgehammer back with a single hand.
His muscles coiled with raw strength as he hurled the weapon forward. It tore from his grip with terrifying velocity, spinning through the air like a force of nature.
The hammer roared as it spiraled forward, the sound of displaced air screaming in its wake. Exactly as planned, it became a ricochet of destruction, crashing through everything in its path with devastating force.
Northern had used only one hand deliberately, shaping the throw into a calculated arc.
He did not merely throw the sledgehammer as a projectile; with his eyes, Northern had perfectly estimated the trajectory it needed to take to finish the monsters rushing towards him and come back to him, and used the exact amount of force needed to generate such speed and efficiency of movement, turning the sledgehammer into a boomerang of devastation.
It cleaved through the battlefield, ripping apart anything in its way before curving back toward him, spinning with lethal precision.
Northern dissolved into the shadows, appeared in a blur as the head of the hammer aimed to sunder him too. He gripped the handle tightly, drawing back with a raw force that seemed as if his limbs were going to tear.
Northern changed the trajectory of the terrifying hammer of destruction, swinging it over his head and slamming down the Bone Jaw-so quick on its feet that it was already before him.
The monster was pounded into the ground and bounced off with shattering earth, its head pressed together as if a colossal hand had slapped it mercilessly into an unrecognizable pulp.
Northern, with an insane focus, began to swing the hammer left and right as monsters jumped at him with terrifying metal fangs and claws.
But none of them matched his ferocity.
As long as he was not hitting their body, they were not able to deflect his attacks, which made him with each passing second become even more frighteningly precise with his strikes, hurling the sledgehammer with two hands.
The sound of the system persistently rang in his ears, but he paid no heed to it, his eyes stayed locked in, focus so sharp that it could cut the monsters cleaner than a sword would.
Piles of lifeless monsters with broken heads filled his left and right flank as he smashed them to either side with mad strength.
The place became a morbid sight as the Bone Jaws rushed towards him like an uncontrolled mob wanting to meet their die-hard celebrity.
Northern was their die-hard celebrity; they did not seem to mind dying at his hands. In fact, this seemed to be the very reason they were rushing forward with so much ferocity, although unlike mobs, they still managed to keep a clean and almost sentient formation of their lines. It didn't make it any less morbid though; in fact, the sight was even more absurd. Northern clenched his teeth and kept swinging and swinging, his arm muscles beginning to hurt. The problem with the sledgehammer was that it required a lot of insane strength. Northern hoped the person who had commissioned it had the required strength to handle it. Sledgehammer was a devastating and terrifying weapon of destruction. Northern enjoyed using it.
But over and over again, Northern would choose a sword or bare hands.
'I think I have tested it enough...'
He leaped away from the monsters, giving a very wide distance before landing-next to another tunnel.
Northern glanced at the jagged wings at his back; it was something he had created in the nick of the moment. He didn't think it would come out so beautifully.
However, now that he was looking at it, he could not help but imagine how nice void wings would look and if they would really help him be able to fly.
Northern summoned three clones instantly, passing a command to them mentally.
He handed the hammer to one, while the others immediately headed towards the nearest monster corpse and began to tear apart its body, bringing out the core.
The odachi blade-Stainless-manifested into Northern's hands as he shot forward towards the oncoming crimson carnage.
The Bone Jaws howled in unison, a grating cacophony that shook the crumbling tunnel walls.
Their frenzied charge didn't falter, even for a second. The air grew thicker with the stench of death and the electric tension of battle.
With Stainless in hand, he moved like a shadow given form, his jagged wings flexing in calculated precision.
The blade whispered through the air, a gleaming arc of lethal intent, severing limbs and heads with unrelenting precision. Each swing was a statement, each thrust a declaration of his supremacy in the midst of chaos.
The first Bone Jaw lunged, its metallic teeth snapping inches from his throat. Northern sidestepped fluidly, his movements a blur, and in the same motion drove Stainless upward, splitting the creature from jaw to skull. Blood and viscera sprayed across the battlefield, but he had already moved on, targeting the next threat.
Following the first, others came for him and Stainless moved with a fluid flow between lines, severing the heads of the monsters in the wake of crude arcs of blood and sparkling yellowish
lightning.
Northern continued to flow between the monsters for a moment, the spark of the sword remaining on each and every single one of them whether it was a fatal hit or not.
When he reached the back of the carnage, he was bathed in blood, but some of the monsters
had still managed to survive.
Northern closed his eyes for a moment.
'I don't think I have ever used this before...'
Well, he had never been in battle long enough with Stainless to know how its order ability
worked.
Northern muttered.
"Shackles of Shock"
The words left Northern's lips like a whispered promise, and the air around him instantly
shifted.
Stainless gleamed with a sudden, almost sentient pulse of light, its blade humming with an electrifying resonance. Sparks danced along its edge, crackling with the promise of
devastation.
The surviving Bone Jaws froze, their primal instincts kicking in as the energy rippling from the blade radiated outward.
The yellowish lightning from earlier was nothing compared to this concentrated surge-a controlled, purposeful power that coiled around Northern like an extension of his will. Northern gripped Stainless tightly and swung it downward, sending a streak of golden energy
slamming into the ground.
The resulting shockwave expanded in a blinding flash, creating glowing chains of electricity that shot out in every direction.
Each chain found its mark, binding the remaining Bone Jaws where they stood. The creatures howled and thrashed, but the Shackles of Shock held firm, sparking and tightening with every
movement they made.
The battlefield was illuminated in the eerie glow of the electric chains, turning the scene into a twisted spectacle of light and shadow.
Northern exhaled slowly, feeling the drain on his stamina as the ability took hold. It was
powerful, but it demanded a toll.
One of the Bone Jaws, larger than the rest, managed to strain against the shackles, its crimson
eyes blazing with fury.
It let out a guttural roar and lunged, dragging the sparking chains with it as if they were mere
inconveniences.
Northern smirked. "Oh, you're persistent."
He dashed forward, Stainless glowing brighter in his hands.
The chained monster swung its massive claws, but Northern sidestepped effortlessly, moving
with the precision of a dancer.
With a single, fluid motion, he brought Stainless down in a sweeping arc, severing the
creature's legs and sending it crashing to the ground.
The Shackles of Shock tightened around the downed monster, electricity surging through its
body until it convulsed violently.
A final roar escaped its maw before it fell silent, its charred remains smoldering on the
shattered ground.
Northern straightened, his Chaos Eyes flickering as he surveyed the aftermath. The chains remained active, ensuring no other Bone Jaws could move. For now, they were trapped- helpless, waiting for their inevitable end.
He glanced at Stainless, the blade's glow dimming as it returned to its dormant state.
"Not bad," he muttered, a hint of satisfaction in his tone.
The clones returned, carrying more cores and piling them at his feet.
The one wielding the sledgehammer stood silently, the massive weapon resting on its
shoulder, as if awaiting any command.
He looked at the clone and said to it.
"Strike their heads."
With an elated expression, the clone handled the hammer, terrifying sounds of crashes
resounding in the air.
Northern wiped the blood from his face, his focus shifting to the deeper parts of the tunnel.
The air ahead felt heavier, tinged with a foreboding presence. He tightened his grip on Stainless and extended his wings, their jagged edges slowly smoothening out.
They became full like wings of flowing darkness, then Northern poured more essence into the
tendrils, causing them to shape out details of black feathers.
Then Night Terror slowly wove itself around his body, its helmet closing and his horns more
renowned now more than ever.
He looked like a befitting emissary of the Void as he stepped into the tunnel, heading deeper
into the dungeon.