Lian frowned when he heard those words.
Predator’s Instincts sensed not the presence of a new enemy, but the sudden change in the level of danger.
The Mana pressure around Caelus suddenly changed, and Seris noticed it too, raising her sword slightly.
A strange bad feeling appeared in both of their hearts.
"I didn’t think I would have to use this."
A golden line rose from under his clothes, then another black line, and the two colors appeared on his neck.
Lian’s eyes narrowed slightly, and suddenly the System panel appeared in front of him.
[Warning.]
[External Authority Detected.]
[Authority of the First Son]
[Target Combat Capacity Has Increased Drastically.]
"Authority of the First Son?" He frowned when he saw the panel, these words and the names of Father and Son were confusing him, and he could not understand their exact reference.
The only guess he had was that the First Son probably referred to one of the Five Calamities, the Black Silence Calamity.
But he had no idea who this Father was or exactly what they were facing, but if he had to guess, it seemed that the power behind the Calamities was this Father.
Could this Father be the reason behind the opening of the Rifts, the appearance of the Ruined Realms, and even the monsters?
On the other hand, there was no time to think about such things now, so he focused his attention on their enemy again.
Caelus’s Level had not changed.
[Level: 35]
But what was being released from his body no longer belonged to a normal Level 35, Mana came out of his body like a wave.
The roots of the Dead Zone suddenly bent toward him, not like his previous Skill but like creatures bowing before their master.
Black and golden veins spread from his neck to his face, his skin became paler and his eyes became bright golden.
But the center of his pupils became black, even Father’s Blood changed and the blood on his body was no longer only red.
Golden lines moved inside it, the wound on his chest closed in one second and his broken ribs were restored.
Caelus slowly raised his head and this time his smile returned.
"Now...try again and experience Father’s wrath."
Lian did not wait for a second invitation.
[Thunder Step.]
The Thunder Calamity punch went directly toward Caelus’s face but this time a hand appeared in front of it!
BOOM!
The Cindari leader caught the punch and a shockwave came out from the point of impact, the ground under both of them sank and cracks spread in a circle several meters wide.
For the first time, Lian had to use real force, Caelus’s fingers closed around his fist and his smile became wider.
"Now you understand? Even you are nothing before Father’s power." And his other fist went directly into Lian’s stomach.
[Diamond Skin.]
The young Vorhelm’s body became hard at that moment but even with the Skill, the hit sent him several meters back.
His boots made a deep line in the ground and when he stopped, he put a hand on his stomach for a moment.
The pain was real, of course it was not too much but it was real and he was actually hurt.
"This is better, at least it’s not boring anymore." He raised his head and gave a short smile.
Caelus was not very pleased by what he heard and felt that this human was still trying to provoke him, and he moved.
[Rootless Step.]
At the same time Lian activated Thunder Step and the two bodies disappeared for a moment, the sound of repeated explosions spread through different parts of the Dead Zone.
The first clash was in the air.
Fist against fist.
The second was on the ground.
Caelus’s elbow hit Lian’s shoulder and Lian’s knee hit Caelus’s stomach.
The third Exchange was beside a huge root of the Forgotten Tree.
Caelus activated Crown of Thorns.
Lian used Glacial Reaper Claw.
The ice claw moved across the Root Barrier and ice spread across its surface and exploded the Barrier, and he passed through the pieces.
[Iron Fortress Charge.]
This time the Cindari leader did not move back and huge roots came out from behind his body and Anchored him to the ground.
Lian’s impact shook the entire area and Caelus only moved two meters back.
The Anchor roots cracked one after another, but he remained standing.
He lowered his hand and activated First Root Dominion on a larger scale, and roots as thick as pillars came out from under the ground.
The young Vorhelm moved between them.
Thunder Step.
One root closed behind him, another in front of him and he used Cataclysm Pulse to blow up the path.
Caelus entered through that open space and his fist hit the human’s face.
Lian turned his head and caught the second hit with his forearm, then grabbed Caelus’s throat with his free hand.
[Glacial Reaper Claw.]
The ice started moving upward.
Caelus exploded Father’s Blood, the heat of Mana cracked the ice and at that moment something came from the right.
[Moonless Severance.]
Seris had moved her sword, no clear Projectile could be seen.
The Cindari leader saw the initial movement but the real Slash appeared beside him with a delay, a thin line passed across his right shoulder.
And blood came out.
Caelus turned his head and that was his mistake.
Lian hit his next punch directly into his face and sent him backward.
The young Pendragon moved forward with his injured leg, his movement was already slower than before, but his Timing was still the same.
[Sovereign’s Judgment.]
Spiritual pressure fell on Caelus, but unfortunately First Son’s Authority had increased his resistance and the Skill did not even stop him for half a second.
But that was all Lian needed.
[Glacial Reaper Claw.]
His right hand was grabbed and ice moved up to his shoulder.
Seris entered from the other side.
[King’s Breaker.]
The first hit landed on the Root Armor covering his arm.
Crack.
The second hit weakened the Mana structure and the third hit broke the Armor.
[Thunder Calamity.]
A direct hit landed on the same arm and lightning exploded, flesh, Root Armor and ice were destroyed at the same time.
The Cindari leader’s arm was almost destroyed from the shoulder and blood splashed onto the ground.
"Looks like your father’s power isn’t that special." Seris took a heavy breath.
But instead of retreating, Caelus laughed.
[Father’s Blood.]
The blood on the ground rose, the broken tissues started coming together and the bone regenerated, muscle formed over it, the process took several seconds, but it was clear, if they gave him enough time, even such an injury would not be permanent.
"What is this strange healing power?" Lian frowned, such healing power was something only Healers should have.
But this Cindari in front of them was a fighter, yet he had healing power that was equal to professional Healers.
In fact, even though he did not want to admit it, Lian was a little jealous of such a Skill, if he also had such healing power, he would practically be unstoppable.
"If this continues, it will become a war of attrition." And then after thinking for a moment, he added.
"I don’t have the patience for that one." Seris said while breathing heavily.
And at that exact moment—
THUMP.
The sound of the Cocoon shook the entire battlefield, both of them immediately looked back.
The black veins on the surface of the Cocoon had increased and a panel appeared.
[Calamity Gestation Progress: 92.8%]
Their eyes became colder and their frowns became deeper, and before they could react...
[93.6%]
[94.2%]
This time it was not like the previous jump, it came slower but without stopping.
Caelus noticed it too and his eyes moved toward the Cocoon, the smile on his face became wider.
"Ha..." Blood was running from his mouth but he started laughing.
"Hahaha..."
Seris looked at him with hatred.
The Cindari leader almost looked excited.
"Finally...He is getting free." He opened his hands for a moment.
"His Majesty is finally returning to this world!"
Lian frowned, they were running out of time.
But Caelus was still the only living source that seemed to know the answers, so instead of ending the battle immediately, he asked a question.
And punched at the same time.
Caelus brought Crown of Thorns in front of himself, and the punch pushed the Barrier back.
"Why Selina?"
"The choice was not ours..."
Seris attacked from the side with a Slash and the Barrier cracked.
"The Vessel had to be chosen by a higher hand..." the Cindari leader continued.
Lian hit the second punch and finally the Barrier shattered.
"Who chose her?"