Chapter 89
Katarine was about to leave from her work when she heard the comotion from her office staff. Monica rushed to see her and wanted to inform her about the spreading chaos at the entertainment district. She was afraid that this might extend toward them. The building they were in was restored and allocated many new security features. Katarine made sure that his uncle never left the building without proper security measures in place. She immediately contacted the security team to ensure that they were prepared for any potential threats that may arise from the chaos in the entertainment district.
She took out her phone and accessed the news concerning the battle raging in the area. She knew that Ethan would srely be there, as he was already a registered knight, and it was in his nature to confront these things head-on. Ethan had a very high sense of justice and honor but secretly and unconciously enjoyed the trill of figthing.
Katarine knows that deep in his Ethan heart he was a natural born predator; the instinct that runs in blood was evident from his action and mind set. That is why the creatures he unconciously summoned were wolves; the personalities of these twelve were his own. Katarine wants that naive and blind not to see what attracted her to him; it was his raw, unyielding hunger to dominate and conquer, which both scared and excited her. She knew that she needed to tread carefully with Ethan, as his primal instincts could easily consume him if left unchecked.
But seeing how his father and mother molded him was evident of Ethan's wrong mind. He could kill without any hesitation or guilt; it was his normal for him. Katarine's dark side never manifested again when Ethan came into the picture. The volitile emotions and personality Katarine created out of loneliness just faded away in Ethan's presence, replaced by a sense of calm and security she had never experienced before. It was a strange and unexpected transformation, but one that she found herself inexplicably drawn to.
As she sat down and watched the live news coverage on the battle, she saw her beloved risk everything to be the greatest predator. The will be feared by the enemy. The four locks connecting the casino hotel and other infrastructure were now surrounded by military and numerous knight guilds as the Orc were no longer waging a strategic fight as their warrior ceremony was ruined and many of their kin were killed by the man in the Carmine synergy cloak.
Man onlookers were screaming and chanting his name; many were able to understand why he was called the Vermilion Sovereign, or in others they call him the Red Monarch. The battle waged on, but the orcs that were coming under the construction site were pouring out. The numbers were increasing. Ethan was able to engage in the fight even after falling 50 feet down.
Low rank knights or ability users are more durable and resilient than most, and Ethan was no exception. He was smart enough to use the bodies of the three orcs, but seeing that the enemy finally came out to kill everything in the area, the blackade was not enough to stop these 6 to 8 foot tall muscular humanoid monsters.
The place was now a war zone tank, and numerous military had no choice but to freely open fire toward the enemy. The sounds of panic were now getting louder as many spectators came out to watch, not even thinking of the dangers this follishness would bring. The Knights of the Aether Guild finally regain their composure as they find out that their member just died, and they seek retrubution from this tragedy. Knight Elara was never seen the same again as he was brutally raped and left for dead near the abandoned construction site.
Experts that came from the knights association were still confused because the size of the Orc horde was too large; seeing their numbers increasing, it seems they were coming out from the other realm.
Questions about were now cerculating among the knigt on the battleground; they were instructed to locate a possible rift opening that is still being maintained to remain open by an outside force or a supernatural artifact. The knights knew they had to act quickly to prevent further attacks from the Orc horde. They gathered their strongest warriors and set out on a mission to find and close the rift before the entire city lost control over their own territory.
The Horde were getting pinned down by the unfamiliar surroundings as the city government used concrete barricades to restrict the enemies movements. The city construction team was trained to quickly deploy these double-sized and newly designedd reinforced concrete barricades to be more resistant to impact and to be easily movable in case of a retreat. The Orc horde, frustrated by the unexpected obstacles, began to strategize on how to overcome the barricades and continue their attack on the city. With time running out, the city defenders knew they had to stay vigilant and adapt their tactics to outsmart the relentless enemy.
Many ability users were hired to wield their powers in this kind of situation; many of them have non combatant powers, so their newly found abilities were used effectively in other areas. Like in construction, industrial development, and manufacturing.
Each city also used this to ensure these people would be treated fairly and give them a certain amount of respect and recognition for their contributions. By working together and utilizing all available resources at their disposal.
The Orc Horde advanced, their massive forms silhouetted against the dusk. They were an unexpected scourge, brutal yet cunning, emerging from rifts in reality that twisted through time and space. Their war cries echoed through the streets like thunder rolling across a stormy sky, striking fear into even the most stalwart hearts. Yet within these walls stood defenders, each one aware that survival hinged not only on their might but also on unity.
The construction team had mobilized swiftly; they were skilled artisans who wielded abilities beyond mere laborers; they could shape concrete as if it were clay. With precision born from desperation, they deployed double-sized reinforced barricades to create an intricate maze designed to channel and slow down the relentless horde. Among them was Lirael, a gifted architect whose powers allowed her to manipulate materials at will.
She felt every vibration of panic coursing through her fellow workers as they fortified their defenses against overwhelming odds.
"We need more barricades here!" she shouted over the din, her voice sharp with urgency.
"On it!"
replied Jarek, a burly man who could summon strength far beyond his physical size a talent he wielded like an artist's brush to sculpt formidable barriers. Together with others harnessing various non-combatant abilities, from elemental manipulation for weather control to spatial awareness for tactical positioning, they formed an unbreakable chain linking creation and defense.
Like a shroud woven from despair, frustration boiled within Grathok, the third horde leader of the Orcs. His hulking frame loomed over his troops as they struggled against this alien architecture, an unyielding fortress of cold concrete and steel that clawed at their resolve. He had expected chaos and ruin when they charged into this realm; instead, they found themselves ensnared by monstrosities that seemed almost sentient in their design—sentinels of death waiting to devour them whole.
As he surveyed the battlefield, Grathok's heart sank further. His kin were being butchered like cattle on the other side of a towering man-made structure—a grim edifice that pierced the sky with its dark spire. It was here that he first glimpsed the figure orchestrating this brutal retaliation: a warrior cloaked in deep red fabric that billowed like smoke around him, a specter weaving through his foes with calculated precision and unparalleled violence.
"They are calling him Vermilion Sovereign." one of Grathok's warriors muttered in horror.
The name echoed ominously among them, imbued with fear. Each syllable dripped with reverence for a being who embodied death itself. As Grathok watched his older brother's horde clash against this malevolent force, it became clear how formidable their enemy was. Every move Ethan—the Vermilion Sovereign—made countered the orcs' brute strength with tactical finesse; each swing of his weapon was accompanied by an aura so thick with bloodlust it felt palpable in the air.
Grathok had never known fear before today; pride and arrogance had shielded him from such weakness as they faced countless enemies on myriad battlefields. Yet now every orc stood paralyzed under Ethan's immense killing intent. a pressure suffocating enough to make even seasoned warriors reconsider fleeing from battle altogether.
"Red Death has claimed this world! We made a mistake coming here!" Grathok bellowed in frustration as he slammed his fist into one such barricade, feeling it barely budge beneath his weight.
"They think we can be contained! We are warriors!"
His second-in-command, Rulgar a tactical mind cloaked beneath a brutish exterior—narrowed his eyes at the city's defenses, bristling before them like jagged teeth ready to snap shut around prey. "We must adapt," Rulgar suggested cautiously but firmly.
"Use our numbers wisely."
"Surviving is our main priority now."
Grathok grunted in acknowledgment yet remained skeptical as plans began swirling among their ranks like leaves caught in a tempest—a series of feints meant to draw out defenders while others sought weaknesses hidden within these strange structures looming above them like giants watching over helpless mortals.
Meanwhile, inside the temporary Knight of the Aether Guild. command center, their sanctuary amidst encroaching darkness holographic maps glowed under dim lights where urgency etched across every face present and spoke volumes about what lay ahead.
Knights adorned with gifts bestowed by fate itself gathered around glowing screens displaying real-time battlefield analytics gleaned from drones buzzing above like mechanical hawks surveying prey below.
Commander Elandra tapped her fingers rhythmically on a console displaying critical information while glancing towards Lirael's blueprints laid out nearby—a visual representation forged through human ingenuity meant for survival rather than conflict alone.
"Our primary focus should be maintaining communication," she instructed sharply while her gaze swept across those assembled before her.
Their expressions reflecting determination mingled with dread born from knowing what awaited beyond those walls.
"We need distractions."
"Have you seen what the Vermilion Sovereign is still doing?"
"That so called newly registered Marshal Knight is now taking the limelight; I am really sick and tired of hearing his name."
"Yes, his constant presence in the media is overshadowing our efforts," one of the team members responded with frustration. "We need to find a way to shift the focus back onto our mission and away from his theatrics."
"While we are still here inside this tent talking about strategies!
"We need to move; this is really annoying; can't you hear the sounds of battle outside?"
"The fight is still ongoing, and we haven't even stepped foot into battle, while the Vermilion Sovereign is hunting the Orcs like they are a bunch of stray deer."
As Knight Kellan declared suddenly.
Flames danced along his fingertips as thoughts sparked between him and those gathered around him. A fierce energy radiated throughout their ranks:
"Many knights have already lost their lives in this battle while we sit here planning,
"They've never faced our kind before," mused Talia, their strategist gifted with foresight whose voice resonated wisdom earned through experience amidst chaos unfolding just beyond reach.
"Let us use that uncertainty against them."
"These Orcs are still like the creatures in adventure books and computers. When our guild decided to join this fight, we all agreed that our goal was to come out on top."
"The death of knight Alistair, Elara, and Cedric was humiliating; as the commander of this mission, I vow to gain our honor and lead us to victory," declared by Knight Elandra her eyes burning with drive as she prepared his troops for the upcoming clash.
"Our honor and legacy are at stake here; we must fight with all our might and show these Orcs the true strength of our guild."
The knights nodded solemnly as plans began taking shape not merely offensive maneuvers but collaborative efforts leveraging everyone's strengths, including those deemed lesser, despite having invaluable contributions during crises such as these forging bonds stronger than steel amidst adversity threatening existence itself!
Back on the battlefield, where shadows writhed under flickering fires, illuminating carnage surrounding both sides' struggles waged fiercely against one another, itit became apparent that neither would yield easily nor relent without sacrifice carved deeply into flesh stained crimson upon asphalt streets slickened by life lost too soon.
Ethan or Vermilion Sovereign was changing mentally and emotionally, grappling with the weight of his decisions and the toll of the burden of this new power weighing heavily on his shoulders, testing his resolve and reshaping his understanding of what it truly meant to be his own.
The murder of crows was created to be his eyes, but he never dreamed that the murder and the pack would gain sentient consciousness and begin to adapt , and he started to protect him. The energy these crows were creating was making him hunger for more death and destruction, a dark craving that he struggled to control. As the crows grew stronger and more independent, he realized that he had unleashed a force far beyond his own understanding, one that threatened to consume him completely.
leading to a power struggle within his own mind as he struggled to maintain control over his newfound abilities. The once loyal murder of crows now posed a threat to his reign, forcing Ethan to confront the consequences of his actions and the true nature of power.
As piles of dead Orcs were lying on his feet with torn bodies and blood made the stree into a pool of blood, Ethan stood silently as he gained momentary relief from the horde. As the hored hesitated and saw the mountain of corpses in front of them.
Ethan wanted to understand why this change happened; he never commanded the murder of crows nor the pack to do this; he wanted to gain control and needed a reasonable answer as his mind entered a state of trace and he stood in an oven space where the floor he was standing on was filled with blood.
"Ah! Its here again. I never expected I would be back at this place. I was surprised that I already closed this place a long time ago."
"This place was never this big before; did it change?"
"My mind is at a loss trying to piece together what happened here."
"I need to find out who's responsible for this and put an end to it once and for all."
At the different location, at the very heart of the chaos, five hours had already passed, and the Orcs were now using the surroundings to gain cover from the sea of blood that could be seen on the streets. The city construction crew was able to surround and block all escape routes. And because this particular area was on the verge of rehabilitation from the government and private investors, the three largest infrastructures were just the 50-floor hotel casino on the south, the 30 floor e commerce building facing the north, and the abandoned construction site of what was supposed to be a residential twin tower. These infrastructures are all within a two block radius.
And the open park was the only place that is now a silent witness to the drastic change of the place, as parades on heavy payloaders and trucks carrying enforced barricades came rushing in. As soon as the report came , this was the official tactical defense plan that the knight association created to control any monster attack. This plan came into framework when the Siegert building was attacked and invaded by flesh eating spiders a few months ago.
Suddenly a familiar figure came out and reached out to Ethan; it was a subconscious reflection of his parents. Ethan created this place in his mind to suppress all his dark tendency; the large pool of blood on the ground was his subconscious manifestation of his inner turmoil and guilt. As he embraced his subconscious reflection of his parents, Ethan knew he had to confront his demons and find peace within himself before it consumed him entirely.
The blood was always there. As young as he could remember, he loved the thrill of the hunt; even his father saw this in him. He was born like this; he was calm and a cheerful boy, but the day the small wolf cub that he saved and took back home to nurture and raise was found dead in the woods, he knew he had to make a choice: continue down a path of darkness or seek redemption for those who killed his pet.
The fulfillment came when Ethan was able to nearly kill the teenagers that killed his pet; he was just seven years old. Ethan was able to overwhelm a group of teens twice his size with violence and sheer savagery.
At that moment, his father knew it was real nature., and it needed to be tamed and controlled, so at a very young age, Ethan hunted in the back mountains, being guided and trained by his father ,
But he was a primodial creature born from the womb of death. and his true instincts could never be fully suppressed. Despite his mother's efforts to instill decency in him, Ethan's primal nature always lurked beneath the surface, ready to emerge at any moment. His father's guidance in hunting and training only served to reinforce this duality within him.
An unexpected turn of events, driven solely by desperation, unleashed rage that unexpectedly ran through veins, twisted forevermore, and forever bound between fates that blurred the lines separating friend and foe, ultimately leading to reckoning that was drawing closer and closer, demanding resolution. Tensions were rapidly rising, threatening stability, and if harmony wasn't restored quickly enough, infernos were raging uncontrollably, spiraling endlessly downward, and encroaching dangerously close to the point where there was no turning back.
When the image of Ethan's mother embraces him, and soon his father and another figure manifest in the pools of blood, it was Katarine.
"Tell me, who are you and what are you doing?"
"answer me!"
As the three images soon faded Ethan regained control of his mind and realized he was trapped in a nightmare; the pool of blood that was just a few inches deep was now rising. Voices were now being heard from all directions, whispering incoherent words that would have sent shivers down anybody's spine.
But Ethan smiled and uttered a simple word: "This is my realm; I am the master here, not you!" The voices grew louder and more menacing, but Ethan remained defiant.
"Be quiet!" His voice rang clear, cutting straight through murky red liquid, drowning clarity beneath waves crashing hard upon each other. The wild erratic different tones of voices became silent .
"We are the endless suffering that you cannot control," a deep, guttural voice boomed. Ethan's smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.
"I am the master of my own fate," he declared boldly, standing tall in the face of the unknown forces surrounding him.
"I am stronger than you think." The numerous voices of pain seemed to waver, their power momentarily challenged by Ethan's unwavering confidence. With a final defiant glare, Ethan stood his ground, each syllable rolled off tongue laced fire, igniting embers long extinguished, leaving nothing untouched!
Whispers morphed slowly dissolving shapes, twisting frantically trying escape newfound authority, radiating outward, shaking realms once dominated solely feared illusions fading fast surrendering unto reckoning inevitable…
He shouted, his voice echoing through the darkness. With a newfound sense of power, Ethan began to manipulate the nightmare around him, turning the once terrifying images into mere illusions. The voices slowly faded away as Ethan took control, proving that even in his darkest moments, he was still the master of his own mind.
"We are resentment dwelling within the blood spilled." They hissed pitifully, still clinging desperately onto remnants lingering behind walls built strong enough to withstand tremors quaking hearts, frozen hearts, and afraid steps forward, venture forth toward healing possible…
"And I?" A smirk curled upon lips, claiming space previously occupied thoughts running rampant seeking solace outside control, no longer bound chains dragging deeper down abyssal depths below…
"I am a hunter amongst prey, hunted relentlessly until resolution arrives at last, bringing peace where none existed."
"Power surged anew, awakening ancient instincts lying dormant."
"stoking flames roaring brightly, lighting way ahead, shimmering paths unseen, traveled, forgotten ages long gone."
Ethan declared boldly, his newfound confidence radiating through the darkness. The abstract nightmare figure began to crumble at his feet, a testament to his authority.
"You are all my servants and nourishment; you were all now bound to obey my will "
"With those words that I have spoken, firmly sealing fates entwined,"
The manifested ocean of blood visions grew clearer as the endless expanse of thick blood finally stilled, revealing a captivating scene. A small, translucent, illuminating orb, no larger than a grain of salt, emerged from the crimson depths, floating effortlessly at the height of Ethan's neck. This orb radiated a soft glow, and as it ascended, it drew the myriad of tiny, flickering lights around it into a singular brilliance. The cacophony of voices that had once filled the air began to fade, blending into a soft hum as the individual fears and hopes coalesced into one profound resonance. In that moment, the ocean of blood swirled around him, reacting to his conscious manipulation, as if the very essence of his being was intertwined with the primordial forces at play.
As Ethan focused, his mind condensed into a compact blood orb, illuminating brightly against the haunting backdrop of the blood-soaked abyss. It pulled free from the shackles forged from suffering, borne of the pain endured through countless lifetimes, searching for answers that perpetually eluded even the most relentless of seekers. The air thickened with meaning, and purpose was birthed anew amidst the endless void. Both orbs, Ethan's and the one that emerged from the ocean, hovered weightlessly above the ground, radiating immense energy that resonated within him. The vibrations around them were intense, a powerful force that surged through him, igniting his instincts and urging him to embrace this newfound strength.
As the orb entered Ethan's body, it nestled itself deep within him, merging their entities into a singular purpose. Outside, the world continued its steady march through time—minutes stretched and warped, blissfully unaware of the transformation occurring within him. Suddenly, Ethan's newfound power erupted forth like a violent storm, manifesting in a breathtaking explosion of red mana. The sheer force of it shattered the solid glass windows of the hotel casino, sending shards cascading into the night, a striking testament to the awakening of raw, unbridled potential. In that single moment, amidst chaos and clarity, Ethan became both the seeker and the answer, standing at the precipice of his own violent metamorphosis.
The dark red cloak Ethan was wearing became more refined; it was now smooth and no longer moving erratically like a wild animal. The wolves that merged with the murder of crows were still roaming underneath the dark side of his cloak. The retractable whipsword armguard that his father created became more compact and changed shape and function, seamlessly integrating into Ethan's arm as if it had always belonged there. The transformation was complete, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Ethan's journey towards self-discovery and power.
The whip blade was thinner but sharper; its length has increased. The whip blade evolved into something more than just a weapon to cut and kill. Ethan's survival instinct made his father's gift into an interchangeable weapon. The whip blade now served as a tool for precision and finesse, allowing Ethan to navigate through challenges with agility and grace.
The cloak was making sure Ethan's face shall and will remain hidden, while Orcs that were surrounding him became more weary of him as the blood aura that was pouring out became more focused and thick. Many orcs felt uneasy, and some were holding and trying their best not to lose consciousness.
As the whole world saw what just happened, with the help of countless news camera pointed at the war zone , at a very safe distance they were now convinced that the Vermilion Sovereign Knight wasn't human but rather the embodiment of war, capable of instilling fear and awe in those around him. The cloak's mysterious powers only added to his mystique, solidifying his reputation as a formidable force to be reckoned with.