“No!!” Gina and Britta exclaimed from a distance. If their savior was killed so easily, they would be recaptured and sacrificed. However, the girls’ frustration was unfounded. Kat reappeared like a levitating afterimage, and her body touched the ground again. She hissed at the Green Monk viciously.“Ah, I almost forgot!” Goliath observed. “Feline goddesses have nine lives, don’t they? I must end all of them to actually end your divinity!”Kat sprang into motion, circling the ancient well from a distance. A rapidly moving target was obviously more difficult to hit than a stationary one. She intended to find an opening and swoop in to rescue Natalie. That would complete the goddess’ mission, and she would no longer have to face Goliath in a head-on battle.“You landed a cheap shot!” Kat taunted him. “I won’t fall for the same trick again! Good luck killing me eight more times before I demolish your ritual place!”Goliath inhaled, making a deep guttural noise. His black pupils expanded,
Tyler Grant stood before Kat, defending her like a Greek hero of ages come to life. He held a golden trident in his hand, large enough to be a shield and long enough to be a weapon."Tyler!" Britta and Gina exclaimed from a distance. The girls had recently gone through a rollercoaster of emotions—from being saved by Kat to terrified of their rescuer's impending defeat.Seeing a familiar face, especially Tyler Grant, the girls felt such crushing relief that they were driven to tears. Who told him they were abducted, and how did he enter El Abyssium's barrier? Was it real, or were they dreaming?Natalie was too overwhelmed even to have teary eyes. Moments earlier, she had lost all hope, offering her body to Goliath in exchange for the happiness of her loved ones. Tyler's appearance was a healing sight for her sore eyes.A sudden realization came to the young woman. She had forgotten how powerful the Green Monk was, and that he predicted her boyfriend's death in his hands.Natalie turned
A flutter of confused murmurs spread throughout the crowd like wildfire. Tyler's revelation shocked the blind believers of the Green Monk's cult."Is this Lord Goliath's true identity?""Is he really a horseman of the apocalypse?""Does it mean he is here to destroy the world?""Have we been fooled all these years?""Are we being tricked into bringing the apocalypse to Earth?"A third of the Green Monk's followers gathered for the Hetacomb ritual appeared to have woken up from a trance. They broke into rebellion verbally.The apocalypse was a recurrent theme in most civilizations. Its coming was supposed to be the end of humanity. Who wouldn't get scandalized by its mention?Goliath gathered his goons over centuries, promising them eternal lives, magnificent riches, and high social and political positions. Many other rewards awaited his loyal followers in the reconstituted world. The ancient man was supposed to be a savior who'd reset the power hierarchy in human society.Tyler's reve
Gina frowned at the mystically repulsive object. "Why? What is that slimy ball? A bomb?"Britta shook her head. "Goliath wouldn't use any explosive or destructive attacks in the ritual location. If the well is damaged irreparably, it would throw a wrench into his plans."The young woman grabbed Gina by the arm and tried to drag her away. "That thing is troublesome! We need to get out of here right away!"Tyler was too far away to hear the conversation. Besides, he had trained his senses solely on his opponent. "Is he going to attack?" he mumbled to himself, readying Indra's Vajra for the worst kind of offense."Wait, let me see what he's doing—" Kat began, but the young man was in a hurry and cut her off.Tyler took a confident step forward. "I will not sit idly by while he launches another attack. Stay here while I deal with him."Suddenly, he felt a firm, clawed grip on his arm. Kat had grabbed him roughly, almost puncturing his skin. "Wait!" she warned in an urgent tone. "Don't rus
"Heed my words, my dearest moon. Give me your celestial testimony."A voice echoed in Tyler's head. It belonged to Kat, who was comfortably perched on his shoulders. Crack! Suddenly, the timefrost shattered like glass, releasing both of them free from its grasp.Tyler did not waste another second. He immediately launched Indra's Vajra in Goliath's direction. The latter was moments away from defiling Natalie.Splurge! The scorpion tail between his legs was chopped off like a vegetable.Aarghh! Goliath had already jumped back a few paces, sensing the danger. However, his member was still cut off by the powerful divine weapon."Impossible! How did you escape the Cyclops curse?" the villain demanded, groaning in agony. "It is the ruiner of destiny, and millions of blessed heroes have fallen to its power over millennia!"Tyler refused to entertain his opponent, mainly because he had no answer to offer. "How did you do it?" he asked his goddess wife. "You keep surprising me every time."Kat
Boom! Boom! Only a few minutes had passed since Tyler was thrown out of El Abyssium, and he was going nuts. Goliath had pulled out an unexpected trick. He had absolute dominion over his lands; no soul could stay inside without permission.The ancient man had found it convenient to ban the Seraphim King to the borders instead of fighting him head-on. After all, completing the Hetacomb ritual and triggering the apocalypse was a priority.Moreover, the young man had proved quite a challenge with Indra's Vajra alone. What other legendary weapons could he summon? It would have been unwise to proceed with a battle where all odds were unknown.Boom! Boom! Tyler's punches and kicks landed on trees, boulders, and forest floor, turning them into splinters, gravel, and pits. But no matter how much he tried, the young man could not find the entrance into El Abyssium."I'll get in somehow!" he growled in a fury. "I'll find a way!"On the inside, Tyler's sinking feeling grew darker and more painful
"Is this how the Seraphim King conducts himself? Behaving like a madman, and destroying nature? Was I wrong to entrust my crown with you?"Tyler sighed heavily and fell to his knees. "Master… You don't understand… I lost everything…""What have you lost?" Butch asked gruffly. He was still in his orange clothes—the visage of an escaped prisoner."Everyone I loved and cared about… They are no more… I screwed up by being overconfident… Goliath won… All my powers were useless… Even Britta is gone…"The mention of Britta's name gave the Salvatore Patriarch a moment's pause. But he recovered immediately, crossed his arms, and watched his pupil with temerity."Tyler. What was the first lesson I taught you on the very first day?"The young man raised his face and spoke without expression on his face. "The first step to becoming a cultivator?""Correct. And the answer is?"“To… To gain control… Over one’s energies…”Butch nodded. "And how do you gain control over your energies?"“By… By… Tamin
"Is such a thing really possible?" Tyler asked curiously. He had already browsed through all the contracts with gods and goddesses. He never found a power or ability that could manipulate or traverse through time. Butch smirked like an aged lion. "Son, you have a natural talent for cultivation and martial arts. Someone like you is born only once in an entire generation. That's why I picked you to be my heir. But you have yet to learn many things about the spiritual world." "You have no idea how powerful the Seraphim King can be," he added pensively. "You have yet to realize what your true destiny really is…" Tyler shrugged. "I agree I am clueless, master, but is that my fault? It bothers me that you didn't share much about the celestial side of existence. Even Britta was tight-lipped and elusive, always talking in riddles. I've only understood a few assorted things through experience and accidents." "An enemy killed me and sent me to the Inbetween once!" he added with exaspera