In the dense woods of a sprawling forest, a colossal crimson bear growled with a ferocious aura. It was met by the gaze of a cerulean wolf, a single horn protruding from its forehead, crackling with bolts of azure lightning.
The wolf, though smaller, held the bear's attention. It was evident they were equals. Neither creature dared move, yet the air grew thick with a palpable bloodlust.
The moment the bear lunged, a brilliant golden light erupted from the sky. Both beasts retreated with astonishing speed, but it wasn't enough. The light engulfed them in an explosion, reducing them to dust. Even the trees and stones met the same fate, leaving behind an unsettling scene - a jarring contrast between the verdant forest and the encroaching desert sand.
A shadowy figure, vaguely humanoid, emerged from the swirling sand. "Why this attack, esteemed master?" the shadow pleaded. "We have no quarrel. Have I unknowingly wronged you?"
High above, a wizened old man with flowing white hair, a neatly trimmed mustache, and a face etched with deep wrinkles hovered effortlessly. His attire resembled a butler's uniform, yet his physique betrayed a youthful vigor that defied his appearance. An unsettling emerald fire danced around him, mirrored by his piercing green eyes that sent shivers down the shadow spine.
The old man's voice boomed, his initial gentle smile morphing into a mask of fury as the emerald flames intensified. "You dare trespass!" he roared, his voice laced with controlled rage. "Do you think the Lacraft family has fallen so low that scum like you can attempt to assassinate the young master?"
With a burst of sand, the shadow vanished.
The old man closed his eyes, then snapped them open, unleashing a surge of emerald energy that pulsed outwards, encompassing an area several kilometers wide. His gaze fixated on an empty spot in the distance. Raising his right hand, he materialized a gnarled staff topped with a skull. With a crack of displaced air, a monstrous bat materialized beside him, its wings spanning an expanse greater than its own body. The old man, with surprising agility, mounted the beast, and they shot off at breakneck speed towards the empty area.
A kilometer away, a man with disheveled yellow hair and eyes, his face contorted in a permanent grimace, hurtled through the air, his form enveloped in sand radiating a golden light.
"Damn it all," he cursed under his breath. "I knew the last Lacraft had ties to the Transcendents. The report claiming he himself was one was a shock, but Leach as a guardian? Not even in my worst nightmares. If I'd refused that damned mission from the organization, I wouldn't be in this mess. A century's work, down the drain."
Lost in his self-pitying tirade, he failed to notice the colossal bat appear behind him, the old man perched atop it, a deceptively kind smile playing on his lips.
"Mister Leach," the man rasped, his voice laced with desperation, "let's call a truce. I'll compensate young Master Victor for my transgression."
The old man, his voice devoid of emotion, replied, "Your corpses will suffice."
Panic contorted the man's face. "Dammit! I'm a mid-level Second Heaven Transcendent! he' is a whole Heaven above me! There's no way I can win!"
In a desperate gamble, he retrieved a peculiar scroll and poured a significant amount of his blood into its intricate symbols. Ignoring the emerald hand crackling with power descending towards him, he poured his remaining mana into the scroll, sending it flying high into the sky, away from the impending battle.
The sand swirled around the man, solidifying into a massive golden shield just as the giant flaming hand descended. The whole scene unfolded in a blink.
The hand slammed into the sand shield, instantly transforming it into a field of shimmering glass crystals. Undeterred, the man ripped a colossal rock from the ground, raising it to meet the fiery hand. The rock held firm for a few agonizing minutes before succumbing to the heat, melting entirely into molten lava.
As the flaming hand loomed closer, the man activated the enchanted armor on his body, bracing for impact. Again, he managed to hold on for a few precious moments, but the sheer power of the attack proved too much. A deafening explosion erupted, shattering the man's defenses and sending shockwaves through the surrounding area.
Leach emerged from the chaos, his gaze falling on the fallen figure. The man's armor had indeed transformed into glass crystals, now shattered and piercing through his bloodied flesh.
"I activated the Embodiment Scroll," the man rasped with a twisted laugh, "you can't kill me!" He looked up at Leach defiantly. "Just wait until I break through to the Third Heaven. You'll be the first one I destroy! And your precious young master? I'll make him beg for mercy!"
"Finished with your monologue?" Leach interrupted, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Let me ask you something: do you find the celestial hierarchy a source of amusement? Because I have a joke for you." He raised a hand, revealing the Embodiment Scroll – a shimmering testament to the man's wasted power.
"Why didn't I kill you immediately?" Leach continued, a horrifying grin spreading across his face. A grin so evil that it could even shame demons. "It's simple. I wanted you to drown in despair. To bury hope so deep in your soul that it would forever remain out of reach."
Terror contorted the man's features. He screamed, a raw, primal sound, and took to flight. Blinded by panic, he lost control, plummeting towards the ground.
As the man turned in his desperate fall, his eyes met Leach's. Leach stood beside a colossal, winged demon. "Consume him," he commanded.
"No! Please!" the man cried out as the demon swooped down, its razor-sharp claws tearing through him. The sound of crunching bone and the man's fading screams filled the air.
With a flick of his wrist, Leach incinerated the used Embodiment Scroll. The demon finished its grisly meal, its monstrous form silhouetted against the setting sun.
Taking his monstrous companion by the reins of its harness, Leach took to the air, his emerald eyes blazing with an unnatural light. "I am Lich," he declared, his voice echoing in the vast emptiness, "Butler to the Lacraft family. Let any who dare harm my young master be warned – you will face a fate far worse than death."
Seconds ticked by, the silence broken only by the flapping of the demon's wings. Around him, figures materialized creatures, a mix of men and women , Leach ignored them, his gaze fixed on the horizon, And with a surge of dark power, he sped off in the opposite direction.