Chapter 88
The immediate aftermath was a scene of stunned disbelief. Amidst the splintered planks and sodden goods, the survivors, many having lost everything but the clothes on their backs, began the grim task of assessment. Whispers of despair mingled with murmurs of grim determination. For the awakened players, material loss was painful, but their unique abilities often provided a quicker path to recovery; for the non-awakened locals, however, the storm had obliterated not just their livelihoods but their very sense of security, leaving them to face the daunting question of whether the promise of the Gate was truly worth such recurring devastation.
Those that were able to escape with the help of their skill or the assistance of awakened players found themselves grappling with feelings of guilt and gratitude; nevertheless, everyone was truly fortunate and still in utter stunned silence. With that untamed, uncontrollable force of mass destruction, nobody died; the sky was still dark, and the wind was still howling, and the war fortress was no longer standing, because among the chaos, a sole being was at its center, and the resident and even the players felt its power. The transmission insects were now able to transmit visual graphics because the storm that produced lightning and a firestorm had stopped. Those that were awakened by the thundering sound saw a very frightening view.
The Netherborn was standing in the heart of the ruined war forge. Suddenly a symbol manifested, and it seems he was mentally casting a spell. Everybody saw this; mages were speechless, as the Netherborn can cast magical spells without using any conduit like an artifact..
The spell was to amplify his voice so everybody could hear him.
He was still enraged, but he never intended to do this; he never felt like this; the emotion felt alien to him; he knew he was upset and mad. But in the past he never reacted like this; any emotion he felt in the past was treated like a problem that needed to be solved in a rational manner.
But Dane burst out with emotions that he couldn't comprehend and understand. His chest was filled with raw anger and sympathy toward the young elven girl he liked because of her charm and wit.
He wanted payment for her pain; he could feel that his mind was ordering him to kill, and his body was in agreement with these emotions, but his mind was still able to rationalize his reaction. Each lightning bolt and firestorm that hit the ground and exploded with raw fury was controlled, and he mentally calculated the trajectory.
He might have lost control because of anger, but deep down doing this will tarnish what his father told him when he was young; losing control is confirming he was weak and unable to handle his thoughts effectively. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and remind himself of the importance of self-control in the face of any adversity.
He saw the guild that hired the mercenary and spoke openly. Netherborn spoke in a deep and heavy voice; he made sure that those who were listening would feel his anger and dismay.
"I am the Netherborn, and I will not be taken lightly. Your actions have consequences, and you will soon learn the price of crossing me." His words echoed through the guild hall, sending a chill down the spines of all who heard them.
"A person under my care has been harmed by the Brilliance Guild and all of its attendees."
"I declare that your entire guild and those who are supporting your disgraceful act of violence, malice, and vile acts shall be dissolved to nothingness."
Vhon and his cousin Lirael Schafer were 70 meters away; the rest of the remaining team were scattered. Under the fallen debris from the houses that was pushed down by the chaos storm. Netherborn was seen as a new calamity type, being many nobles and aristocrats who owned a visual mirror and heard his word, as Dane made sure all those who could understand him would hear his message. Lirael Schafer stood up limping, as her leg was broken from the strong force. She saw the bag that was filled with the lotus potion, and as she tried to walk toward what she thought was hers, Netherborn suddenly appeared in front of her, and his serpent familiar took it.
"You dare steal from me? These potions are mine, and the young elf, your teammate, violated them; these were her creations."
"Soon all of the guild will follow your dead teammate into the void."
"Prepare your house, and make sure to arm yourselves, because I will knock on your doorsteps, and I will claim all of your lives."
Netherborn grabbed Lirael Schafer by her hair and also, at the same time, gave Vhon Schafer a back kick to the stomach as he lunged at him from his back in beast form. Netherborn tossed Lirael Schafer right after paralyzing her. The other guild members were scared to react, but Vhon, like his cousin, was arrogant, relying too much on his skill and level..
Netherborn ran toward the beast player and pummeled him to the ground. Dane was still mad but in control, as each punch and kick was heavy and painful but not fatal. Vhon fought back and poured all his skill and knowledge into combat. But it was easily countered; Vhon was trained in mixed martial arts and was even a licensed octagon fighter, but he got bored facing weak opponents. The punch he received now hurt him, nearly making him lose consciousness even in his beast form.
When Vhon awakened his power, his pursuit of fighting was now more intense, fueled by the desire to prove himself against a worthy adversary. So he entered illegal underground fight arenas where he bet his own life to gain a sense of thrill, but not who challenged him made him feel the urgency to survive. He was fighting out of boredom and the excitement of the adrenaline coursing inside his veins.
Since he entered the tower, he didn't take on any quest; he just came out to fight and seek strong opponents, but no monster could ever harm him, as they were all mindless beasts just using pure instinct and primal savagery.
But the kick he got was heavy and precise to the point he felt pain. He hadn't gained a foothold as he flew backwards and rolled on the ground, carving the soil, when his enemy, the Netherborn, was already bashing his body to the ground, instantly stopping him as the ground received his body with full impact, burying Vhon into the ground. He twisted his body and ran upward, escaping the incoming attack.
The debris flew upward, and Vhon rolled and, like four-legged beasts, dashed toward Netherborn, who was a few feet from him. The distance was enough so he could react that fast and just savagely attack his enemy. Netherborn lowered his stance and ran toward Vhon; it was an all-out brawl. The members of the wounded but conscious guild members of the Brilliance Guild grabbed Lirael Schafer's paralyzed body, and they saw how Vhon, the strongest of their team, was getting beaten effortlessly.
The fight was compact but still intense; Vhon was getting outpunched and kicked in close combat. Vhon felt pain, and he was being overwhelmed even before his attack connected. Netherborn would adjust and counter the attack by using his agility and speed to dodge Vhon's strikes, landing precise blows that left him reeling. The Brilliance Guild members watched in horror as their strongest fighter struggled to keep up with Netherborn's relentless assault.
Vhon fought many monsters and even fought players and won. Even though he was wounded, the thrill he was searching for was short-lived and felt dull, repetitive, and monotonous. Vhon wanted something more exciting that would make him feel alive.
Dane is somewhat similarly in the same boat. Like Vhon, he wanted to hunt strong, but in Dane's eyes they are not enemies. But pray that it would provide a challenge and a sense of accomplishment. Dane sought opponents who would push him to his limits and force him to grow as a true hunter. The player he was fighting was just prey that he needed to bring down and dominate with pure force and power.
Vhon's physical appearance in beast form was bigger, as he stood seven feet, and he knew he was stronger and faster based on his stats and player level, which was 26. But the attacks he was able to place on the Netherborn body seem to have no effect; he saw the Netherborn face the dragonoid and thought he could withstand his attack if he fought him in close-quarters battle, as he felt his experience in underground arenas could give him an advantage. However, as the battle raged on, Vhon realized that the Netherborn was more experienced in this kind of battle; even if Vhon Schafer struck the Netherborn once, he would receive three times the attack, and the damage was devastating and fearfully accurate.
His bones were broken all over his body, but each hit was coordinated so he could still fight. Vhon soon realized that the Netherborn planned to prolong the fight; he could feel the pain growing stronger and was not long-lasting. His best healing ability was already at its limit; the shattered bones that were getting healed were indeed getting stronger as his healing ability constantly drained his mana to ensure he could still stand up.
But Netherborn's relentless attacks and near-fatal strikes were too much. He was getting weaker by the minute, his vision starting to blur as he struggled to stay on his feet. Despite his best efforts, Vhon knew that he was nearing the end of his ability to continue fighting. The netherborn's strength and raw power seemed endless, and Vhon realized that he may not be able to overcome this opponent.
A cold dread, sharp and unfamiliar, snaked up his spine. Fear was creeping into the cracks of his broken resolve. His lungs burned, unable to draw enough air to fuel his failing muscles, and the strain on his body became an unbearable, crushing weight. But what truly broke his spirit was the Netherborn's gaze. It no longer looked at him as a warrior but as prey, already defeated and about to be devoured.
The cold, emotionless stare sent a shiver through Vhon's very soul. For a man who usually reveled in the glorious agony of battle, this was a new and profound terror. The pain he was experiencing now held no thrill, no honor, only a cold, debasing torment that promised no end.
The Netherborn's strikes were not random; they were surgically precise, seeking out joints and nerve clusters with an agonizing expertise. Every impact sent waves of excruciating pain through his body, a relentless tide designed not just to defeat him but to break him utterly. Finally, his body gave out. As he stumbled and fell, his blood carving dark rivulets into the dust, the savage power animating his beast form sputtered and died. The transformation unraveled, stripping away the fur and claws, leaving only the broken, vulnerable form of a man awaiting the final attack.
But what happened next made him, and everyone watching, shiver with a fear far deeper than that of death. Instead of a killing blow, a sickening, otherworldly energy flowed from the Netherborn, knitting Vhon's flesh and mending his bones. For those observing from afar through the transmital mirror, this was the moment true horror was born.
As they saw the player fully healed, not by an act of mercy, but as a canvas to be painted upon anew with pain and shattered memories, before Vhon could even process the horrifying miracle, the Netherborn resumed its brutal assault, inflicting damage once more. It was a violent and methodical cycle of destruction and restoration, a display of absolute dominance that left Vhon in a state of unparalleled agony and despair. It was nothing he had ever experienced, a cruelty he couldn't have even imagined.
The members of the Brilliance Guild broke down in fear seeing Vhon, their teammate, being tortured in public, and nobody dared to help him. Lirael Schafer still could not move; her teammate cast a healing spell, but the paralyzing effect could not be dispelled. They had no choice but to carry her away; they decided to abandon Vhon to save their own lives.
Vhon saw his teammate leaving him as he got smashed into the ground and his spine got crushed again. He could feel his internal organs burst from the impact and his bones pierce his own lungs. All of his veins and nerves were screaming in agony. The pain reached his brain and gave him a moment of clarity before everything went black.
Netherborn raised him by his neck, and when he saw he was unconscious and half dead and broken, he tossed him toward his teammate that was currently running away. His body stumbled, and now all of them know blood spurted out of his mouth. Lirael Schafer screamed in pain as Vhon landed on her, crushing her arm; the force was similar to getting hit by a fast-moving car.
Everybody that saw this was trembling in fear; making the Netherborn your enemy will result in unimaginable consequences. Sylveth Melriel, the left crimson mage of the kingdom of Solnara Cererindu, suddenly had seizures as fear held her heart in a tight grip; her maidservant clone, who was currently staying with the velvet knight, also felt her pain; she screamed and woke up the velvet knight members that had no idea what was happening. When Bai Xifeng woke up from a bed inside their rundown guild base, a sharp pain made her dizzy as her mana detection sensed a heavy but controlled mana. She knew this mana signature; she nearly vomited on her bed.
Jin Xifeng came running inside her younger sister's room holding a small transmital mirror and told her as soon as he woke up and went to check on the maidservant, he saw the maid convulsing on the floor. One of their teammates saw the small old transmital mirror that was located in their small waiting area was activated and was transmitting live. Jin Xifeng grabbed it and went toward his sister after hearing she was vomiting, as her room was on the ground floor beside the waiting lobby.
As she saw her sister shaking, she saw the transmital mirror and quickly took it and hopefully got some information on what was going on, as they could hear many people who were awake talking among each other. As soon as she saw who was the center of all this uncomfortable feeling, she just remained silent. Jin Xifeng saw the Netherborn destroying a level 26 easily.
The memory that the Netherborn was an honorable warrior still remained, but the fear they felt when they were in the Anchorage Castle basement changed drastically; the siblings gave out a sigh of relief, knowing they didn't do anything to make him this mad. Netherborn stood silently as he slowly looked up; those who were watching the events unfold were shocked to see a gatekeeper floating above him. It was Khamael, the highest. Principalities managing gatekeepers. It came out to bear witness to what was happening outside; many got scared and were hesitating to stay, and they are about to leave like the others when the gatekeeper slowly descended down near Netherborn.,
This was a very dreaded sign; seeing the two might fight, many players saw how powerful an average gatekeeper was. And those that survived the storm that the Netherborn created started to move and just assumed the worst would happen.
Khamael's gaze swept across the demolished settlement, assessing the situation with an unnerving calm. At the center of the devastation, the Netherborn remained utterly motionless, a statue carved from frozen violence.
The chaos energy it exuded, however, was anything but still; it coiled and swirled around its form like a tempest of void-purple light, distorting the very air. The Gatekeeper leader began to walk, his steps casual and unhurried. He consciously navigated a path that kept him just beyond the reach of the corrupting tendrils of energy, his trajectory suggesting a tour of inspection rather than a prelude to battle.
There were many wounded but zero casualties at this location as the gatekeeper stared at the area where the war force once stood; seventeen were confirmed dead. Three of those that died were players. The rest were mercenaries.
The gatekeeper's focus was on the destroyed shops and lodges, establishments meant for merchant and player dealings, now reduced to rubble and ash. The loss of life was tragic, but the destruction of the community's livelihood was equally devastating. as if cataloging the settlement's current condition was his primary concern, not the monstrous font of power standing mere feet away.
This placid demeanor was no accident; it was a carefully orchestrated performance. Every measured step, every seemingly detached glance at the settlement's wounds, was a message broadcast to the terrified residents huddled in doorways and the watching players whose fates were tied to this moment.
Khamael was demonstrating a profound truth: the raw, untamed power of the Netherborn was not a threat to be feared but a condition to be managed. His absolute lack of urgency was a declaration of dominance, a silent assurance that the Gatekeepers were so far beyond this chaotic entity that its presence was a mere nuisance, not a legitimate challenge. He was calming the herd by showing them the shepherd did not fear the wolf.
This otherworldly confidence was reflected in his very being. While lesser beings might call Gatekeepers "angels," the term was a crude simplification. They were not beings of soft feathers and gentle human faces. Instead, Khamael was designed in alignment with the visions of the earth prophet Enoch: a being of terrifying, divine geometry. His form hinted at interlocking rings of celestial brass and wings composed not of plumage, but of its unblinking sapphire eyes. And marble-like skin.
His presence was less a comfort and more a profound, overwhelming awe. This was the appearance of celestial machinery, a creature built for cosmic judgment, and it was this fundamental nature that allowed him to walk so casually in the face of pure chaos—for what is a storm to the very concept of order itself?
But when Netherborn finally moves, Khamael just continues to act with authority over what is far more important. Dane wasn't even aware that the Gatekeeper came down to check the area. As he entered his subconscious mind to calm himself even more and collect his thoughts on what he did, he was doubting his decision even more and concerned about why he felt that emotion in the first place; it felt natural and true as if it were a part of him. That emotion felt more alive than ever.
Ward and Miko were in the library and told him he was too withdrawn before and hardly felt other emotions besides the feeling of doubt and concern. They encouraged him to open up more and explore his emotions, assuring him that it was okay to feel vulnerable and uncertain at times. Dane realized that he needed to experience a wider range of emotions in order to truly understand himself. Dane wanted to ack them too, but Ward and Miko just responded,
"This is your life, Dane; we decided to step back and let you take the lead. Just know that we're here for you whenever you need us."
Dane appreciated their support and knew that he could count on them whenever he was ready to open up and share more about his feelings.
"Remember, you are still the son of Edward Lazarus and Miyako Azai."
"Master Dane, I suggest you return; there are matters you must attend to."
The leader of the gatekeeper waited for the Netherborn to do something, but because Dane was aware of how strict the main system rules were, he made sure not to kill any tower resident directly. The Gatekeeper's prerogative is based on the tower laws; if they would engage in a fight, it should be based on the order of any of the current administrators, but after waiting a few minutes, no notification came, meaning all Netherborn did wasn't seen as breaking any laws of the tower. Killing a player and those who are connected to them is not considered a serious or criminal offense.
As players hire tower residents to be their hired help, the contract given by the player is a legally binding agreement that must be followed. , as this hired help is no longer bound by the protection of the system, thus branding them as a service provider until the contract has been fulfilled, nullified or they got terminated. these are within the boundary of tower law, and will not be considered as a criminal offence. their are so many loophole in the system law that many players have already exploited, but this time the devastating action Dane made might look random but luckily he was able to gain control over his anger and adjusted his actions correctly.
Netherborn saw the gatekeepers looking at him with peculiar sight. Dane moved a little, but the gatekeeper did not get unfazed. Even if Dane's chaos energy was still active, the gatekeeper leader was standing five feet from Dane, but the moment Dane moved, the angel's marble skin cracked, and the chaos energy slightly tapped its skin that was said to be as hard as Adamantine.
Khamael felt it on its smooth, marble-like skin; it could not react, as many eyes were looking at them. The gatekeeper wanted to save face as he gave out a facial reaction as his skin was cracked by a slight brush of the chaos energy that was coming out of Dane's body. Khamael wanted to berate Netherborn just to assert dominance and show that the gatekeeper was still in control of the situation, despite the unexpected turn of events. However, Khamael knew that maintaining composure and not revealing weakness was crucial in his current status.
But Dane didn't even bother, as it was just to utter a final word.
"Those that carry my mark serve directly under me."
Those that heard him were wondering what thus his insignia actually looked like, but Netherborn just vanished. Khamael's eyes narrowed as he watched Netherborn disappear, a feeling of unease settling in the pit of his stomach. He knew that this encounter was far from over, and that the true extent of Dane's power was still unknown.