"Pop."
"What the hel- AHHHH the fuck is that?!" A discombobulated Lanshire appeared as Fenrich used his Companion Summon to summon the pixie queen.
"At least have the decency to inform me next time Fenrich! I was just about to settle into some women's time. And now you ruined it. Ugh you're turning out to be such a pain in my royal highnass."
"I figured that you needed levels, and this was at the very least a guaranteed easy twenty levels for you, Title and a major achievement to boost your Class options at twenty-five."
"Awww, you're so sweet and considerate, I take it back.…. Why is the fucking thing level seventy-five? WHY are we fighting something that has confirmed its path as an Emperor? WHY?"
"For shits and giggles?" Fenrich said, unsure of himself now. His companion was an Emperor herself, and she was not at all impressed.
"Fine, I'll heal, buff and add minor bits of damage. Just don't get killed 'kay?"
[Hey, the fucking thing as your Companion calls it is now fucking flying above us.]
Fenrich formed platforms of condensed Mana like a stairway up to heaven, then as precaution made dozens of other platforms for safety measures.
"Alright, it's time to get a good workout."
Fenrich snaked his body while he was mid-air dodging in-between the claw swipes from the oversized lion. On the very last one, Fenrich used its oversized paw like a pull up bar and flipped himself upwards, rotating his bodies momentum he smashed backwards with his right elbow into the snout of the lioness.
-320
"GRAAWL"
The lioness roared as its most sensitive spot took a freight train snout first.
The lioness' wings fluttered creating a small storm of purple colored flaming spears that were the size of fireflies.
Fenrich quickly exerted his Mana making it act like a vacuum. In which his Will struggled but succeeded in breaking off the connection to the lioness' fire spears. With strings of his Mana as the conductor, Fenrich applied his Dao of Sharpness onto the fire spears. Guiding it to aim for the soft fleshy area where the Amethyst Flame Winged Tigress' wings were connected.
-4,240
-7,120!
-5,340
-4,800
At the very last second, Fenrich combined the last six groups of fire spears together, forming one combined ten meter long silver-blue spear that shaved off a good -46,210! Causing a blood red critical hit to float above the boss's head.
Seeing as its health bar ticked down by a single notch. Doing some quick math Fenrich had taken off just shy of 1.19% of its total health.
"Good, as long as the health bar declines then anything and everything will eventually die!"
-1,740!
A critical hit floated above Fenrich, before he could even realize what had happened, a barrier around the boss activated, and while it did so +850s were floating above its head continuously.
"Goddamn reflection barriers aaaaand its damn health is full."
[Come on, partner. This is just phase 1 out of 4 with Emperor. It hasn't even gone berserk, amplified its power, transformed, or hit the 5% health mark where its stats have tripled. You will need to put in a lot more work and fast, time is ticking.]
Fenrich took a few seconds to stretch his body whilst dodging fire spear projectiles, claw swipes and wing slashes.
"Black White Fist it is then." Fenrich used the palm of his right hand and cracked his neck on both sides, and as he did his figure vanished from the Amethyst Flame Winged Tigress' perception entirely. It had spun around as it felt the threat of multiple things locking onto her all at once.
Hundreds of Mana swords and Abyssal Swords had been created, alarm bells rang in its head but it was already too late. A nearly skull crushing impact landed on the lioness' head, a -4,000 floated above and just as it did so, a physical reflection barrier flashed alive. Fenrich held his hands out and two Mana swords appeared in his hand, rapid successive slashes took out chunks of health between -450 and -510 a piece. The reflection barrier flashed azure blue this time reflecting Mana based attacks and Skills back onto the attacker. The lioness' dive bombed Fenrich as he was running along the platforms below, only to pass through empty air quickly realizing it was just a distraction -7,320! A critical blow hit as Fenrich one-inch punched the ribcage of the lioness breaking it in the process. With his Mana invading her body, broken bones pierced the lungs of the lioness, causing a constant internal bleed effect to register -250s every second.
Fenrich had a wide smile on his face all the while he tempted death by walking the fine line, fully relying on his honed instincts and battle lust to tread the narrow path of life between. Emperor that were mutant beasts, zombies or any other life form were no joke and to top it all off they had awakened their full intelligence. It was inevitable that Fenrich was still receiving damage, but with the concepts of Yin Yang Blast and White Black Fist combined, he was reflecting the damage back and doubling it against the lioness due to the lioness not being able to identify Yin from Yang, or Black from White.
Three minutes quickly passed this way with the Amethyst Flame Winged Lioness' natural regeneration and overwhelming damage Fenrich dished out, her health had dropped to the 75% mark and began stage 2.
Four wings of intense blue fire covered the Amethyst Flame Winged Lioness, her aura nearly doubled and began pushing Fenrich back inch by inch. All of her fire element Skills and attacks had been increased by a whopping 75% and her attributes had gone up by a third. Now, Fenrich's eyes were unable to register her physical form, all that he could pick up was the layered afterimages of the pissed off lioness.
Fenrich used his index finger with imbued Sharpness to cut just above his brows, the blood trickled down and into his eyes. Ignoring the sting was nothing to Fenrich, the blood acted as a "film" over his eyes and with Mana he set "fire" to the blood, blotting out everything else from his peripheral vision. With this done, he was now just barely able to make out the physical image of the lioness again.
Fenrich activated the Yang of Yin Yang Blast as his right hand caught the paw swipe of the lioness, pulled downwards and with his left hand used the Yin aspect to absorb the Yang, convert it and rapidly unsheathed the Firmament Defiance Greatsword.
"Tenebrous Abyssal Genesis!"
Fenrich's left arm blurred at blinding speeds as he reversed the momentum from pulling the lioness down through his Mana, causing an insane burst of speed in the sky all that could be seen was a single straight crimson line. The Amethyst Flame Winged Lioness' wings were cleaved off of her body, causing a humongous -105,000! to float above her head. The lioness had a level 7 paralysis and level 6 bleed respectively ticking off at -850 per second.
With Metamorphosis, Abyssal Weapon Enhancement, Abyssal Symbiote Physique Enhancement, continuous buffs from Lanshire and the 1,750% burst damage of Tenebrous Abyssal Genesis hitting a weak point all added up to an insane damage number.
The paralysis debuff was working its magic as it greatly inhibited the lioness from moving, and some of her own Skills had been forcefully canceled by her muscles or Mana pathways being zapped from the inside. Fenrich capitalized on this using his mass swarm of Mana and Abyssal Swords to deal massive damage numbers in mass, shaving off another 45,000 health in under eight seconds.
Fenrich's chest was rising and falling after using Tenebrous Abyssal Genesis, the Epic Soul Weapon Skill was a complete and utter fucking lie. He felt more drained than the time he had taken out the first Elite zombie while pushing the absolute limits of his body before disintegrating it at that point in time.
-4,900!
Fenrich was too slow to react as the Amethyst Flame Winged Lioness teleported and shot off a 12 diameter blue and purple ball of fire point blank on Fenrich's body. His body skidded through the thick cloud of smoke, all of the hair on his body had been singed and his clothes were sticking to his flesh that was now bubbling in certain spots.
+1,400
+650
+650
+650
Timely heals came in from Lanshire as Fenrich's health dropped dangerously low
[We only have 3 minutes left of Metamorphosis and this bitch isn't even at the 50% mark yet.]
The Abyssal Symbiote warned in Fenrich's head. In return all Fenrich could muster was a grunt of confirmation, his body was completely devoid of energy. It was like a black hole had formed and sucked him dry of all of his Mana and Dao.
Unlike the Abyssal Symbiote, there was still one more voice in Fenrich's head that had always been present but rarely showed itself.
[Open the Gate of Purgatory. Activate me, you can't win without your darker half!]
Fenrich shut his eyes for a single second, and used his internal vision to look inside to where the blank space of his Dantian resided. In a small crack that hid the Holy River Demonic Art, a midnight black eye stared back into Fenrich's spiritual state.
[We cannot avenge our losses if you don't trust me, and by that same connection yourself, can you? You've already been betrayed by the "blood" you wished so hard to correct the wrongs. I will not take any payment this time. Take my hand!]
Fenrich watched the black and red hand steeped in the darkest coagulated sin he'd seen so far.
"Deal."
[You are me.]
"And I am you."
Fenrich reached out his hand and clasped it with the darker version of himself that hadn't shown itself during his ascension or the twenty years leading up to it.
An intense burst of holy white containing purity and demonic energy burst out from Fenrich's body
[Open. Gate Of Purgatory.]
"Open. Gate Of Purgatory."
[Remove Limiter Level 5.]
"Remove Limiter Level 5."
Fenrich and his dark copy spoke in synchronization, in the internal space of his Dantian. Fenrich and his copy had unified into one single body once more. In the outside world, the Amethyst Flame Winged Lioness came to a sudden halt. Her animalistic instincts warned of a savagery beyond anything she had ever comprehended before which had just awakened within the exhausted human before it.
What her eyes could not physically perceive, her instincts could see a sea of flaming sin, dead souls and hateful spirits swirl around the human's body. Then it all disappeared as if it never was there to begin with.
-65,000!
The lioness' eyes widened in absolute terror, before it could even perceive what had happened, one of its eyes had lost its vision as a stinging pain assaulted it causing her to roar out in a pained terror.
The Amethyst Beast Flame cultivated within its Dantian burst out with its full uncontrolled power, with its bestial instincts in full throttle the sleeping potential within it was awakened. Purple flames danced and morphed into thousands of miniature purple butterflies that were extremely condensed Beast Flame Essence, surrounding the lioness and Fenrich altogether.
A mature savage voice entered Fenrich's mind at the moment that the purple butterflies created a cocoon around Fenrich. "Human. I will bring you to treasure. I have awakened my intelligence, Bloodline, Talent and Divine Body. I can give you my children in exchange for peace."
Fenrich smiled as his voice now had multiple layers to it, one human and the other distorted like if using a spirit box as a medium to contact spirits. "You will have to prove your worth if you wish to be an asset. However, I am afraid it is not a choice if you will become an asset to me or not. I will kill you and your young if you do not submit to me."
Fenrich's aura multiplied drastically as a regal yellow aura outlined in ruby red fire spread out from Fenrich. "Submit to me. Give me all that you are worth, give me your children, and they will flourish without failure."
Fenrich approached the Amethyst Flame Winged Lioness, stretching his open hand out and placing it on top of her head, then down as he ran his hand through the lioness' mane. All the while the lioness was growling and threatening Fenrich, but the man was unbothered as his piercing eyes stared through her. His billowing aura formed a midnight black cape, with golden dragons and phoenixes embroidered onto it, and the trim was a blood red colour that radiated an enriched sin that tainted the clean air.
"Will you die a pointless death? Or will you live a meaningful life as you watch your children mature and develop their own personalities, their own thoughts, wishes and desires. Make your choice. Now."
Fenrich's aura blanketed the lioness pushing her entire body down onto the ground, making her unable to resist or even so much as to raise her head to look him in the eyes.
All the while the lioness could feel the proverbial scythe of the grim reaper cutting into her neck, the "frost" of death was approaching her, but due to the Human that stood before her, his aura alone stopped the "frost" from invading and corroding her life away.
The lioness' peripheral vision narrowed, to the two sides of her she viewed herself in a corridor, death was closing in upon her. In front of her stood a man that demanded all that she has and will ever have to offer, but beyond him was a future that she desperately wanted for her young, the warm and vibrant life full of colour, joy, peace and power.
[Ding! Nauja has requested to become your Companion. Your current Companion slots are currently full. Attain your first Class Evolution to gain more Companion slots.]
[Ding! You can accept Nauja as a Mount. Do you accept? Yes/No?]
"Nauja, my Companion slots are currently full, however, I have been given the option to accept you as a Mount. What are your thoughts on this?" Fenrich conveyed what he'd gotten from the prompt, waiting for the lioness' reply.
"You said as long as I offered everything I have and will have, you would provide my children with a future. As long as I have submitted myself to serving you, it matters not what name the System gives me. A mother cares not for herself, but the wellbeing of their young. Do not break my trust, Emperor."
Fenrich clicked on the yes prompt and was awarded with access to Nauja, the Amethyst Flame Winged Lioness various status pages.
[Ding! Nauja the Amethyst Flame Winged Lioness has become your Mount.]
Nauja [Emperor] [Mount]
Level: 75
Health: 1,575,000
Mana: 115,000
Strength: 4,750 x0.14 (5,415)
Endurance: 2,600 x0.14 (2,964
Vitality: 2,740 x0.14 (3,123)
Agility: 4,150 x014 (4,731)
Intelligence: 5,600 x 0.14 (6,384)
Physique: 1,900
Soul: 2,700
Mana: 4,000
Skills: (Unaccessible, achieve your first Class Evolution to see more details.)
Dao: Amethyst Flame Fragment (Middle ???) Zephyr Wind Fragment (Early ???)
Bloodline: Seven Flame Nirvana Rebirth
Talent: Divine Flame Extraction SSS (Rapidly evolves regular Flames into Beast Flame, Sacred Flame, Ancestral Flame, Divine Flame, God Emperor Flame. As long as the Amethyst Flame Winged Lioness understands the Dao and concepts, she can imbue different elements into the Flames.)
Divine Body: Empress Of Searing Flame (+35% overall power to all Fire based Skills, Talents, Bloodline, Dao.)
"Thank you for your blessing my Emperor. My stats have doubled, and the Dao has never been more clear to me. Thank you my Emperor, it seems I made the right choice as a mother and an individual to submit."
Fenrich was confused hearing Naujas voice inside of his head, "What do you mean by that? I didn't do anything except for accepting the prompt to accept you as my Mount."
Naujas voice now sounded confused and disheartened, "You gave me the Emperor's Empowerment Blessing. I was only at the Low Emperor tier when we fought, now I'm at the Peak Emperor tier nearly pushing into the next threshold. When I became your Mount my stats doubled and I got a retro fund of over 3,000 bonus attribute points to apply. I'm hoping to make an exchange with the System to give the attribute points to my children."
"Well, I am happy for you Nauja. As you are now a subordinate of mine, you will now gain access to a lot of further benefits down the line. I don't want to be rude but…"
Fenrich trailed on, not wanting to take from his own people. As an Emperor it was natural to take or demand whatever pleased his eye. Now that Nauja was officially his Mount and subordinate, his Emperor's "desire" has mellowed down. But given they reason he started the fight in the first place was to get an unique Flame for Lukas, Fenrich didn't want to sow distrust.
"Of course my Emperor, I have not forgotten I will now bring you to where I store my treasure, and where my children are. Please don't be alarmed by their human form, my mate was the Divine Beast Qilin, and thus our children are… special in many ways."
Fenrich's eyes gleamed, this Integration Period was the gift that kept on giving. A situation like this that came his way was what entire Multiversal powers would wage war for. Hopping on Naujas back, Fenrich stretched his exhausted body out and laid down across her body.
Lanshire had healed the both of them up to peak condition, but using the Soul Weapon Skill was truly taxing on his physical state, and his Soul.
[Call me again when I am needed. Start laying the foundations for your Cultivator Core with the Holy River Demonic Art. This is a self created scripture "WE" created upon death's doors. It is the amalgamation of "OUR" last life's blood, sweat and tears. Don't waste it.]