Shadow of the Abyss

Chapter 276: Schemes Vs Altair

'Is it because of the Brand of the Incubus?' Syris began asking herself. Her pale, glossy blue eyes fixed across the man, captivating her every thought. It was as if he'd branded his mark into her very soul.

She jumped, pushing herself off a large branch with enough force that it sent her racing through the air in a parabolic arc. She landed on another branch some distance away, lost in thought.

Syris was beside herself. Unable to recognize herself or her actions as of late. She could still feel his seed inside her, warming her belly. Try as she could, Syris could not stop her loins from throbbing, sore from where he touched her, where he'd fucked her raw, until the moans she'd tried to contain carried through the forest bed.

It was maddening... his touch never seemed to fade despite the hours that had passed. He had ingrained himself into her, and Syris did not know if she could resist anymore—not that she ever attempted to. Being caught by Talia truly enlightened her of how far she'd fallen.

'In the forest of all places...'She thought, her heart throbbing out of control as she glanced at Talia.

The shadow seemed to sense her stare through the air, turned, and waved, much like a child who was over-the-top and silly.

Syris had the grace to blush when a sudden disturbance entered her perception. Unlike the others, her spatial awareness exceeded the range of her domain, stretching nearly a thousand meters. While it wasn't as detailed as the information she received from her domain, it told her of traps, formations, or any living creature before they had the awareness to sense her.

"There is someone up ahead!"

Zagreus, who had been leading the way, slowed to a standstill as the others did the same.

"How many?"

"Seven Humanoids," Syris said. "About 800m away.

From maid to bannerman to Syris herself, they all turned to Altair, their eyes awaiting his command.

Altair did not leave them to wait long. "We'll continue at our pace. Hilda and Vaiga will hide themselves. And strike when the occasion presents itself. Let's move."

Vaiga frowned, somehow made to believe she was a lowly assassin and not a warrior who'd seen decades' worth of battles. Still, she obeyed, keeping to the shadows like a ghost; she vanished alongside Hilda.

Pushing off the earth once more, the four—Altair, Zagreus, Talia, and Syris—took to the skies, leaping from branch to branch with exquisite ease. They blurred, accelerating through the forest floor, crossing the seven armed men who were noticeably not alarmed by their arrival.

The seven warriors stood tall and proud, their imposing presence commanding attention. Each of them was adorned in intricately crafted black-plated armor, with every detail carefully considered. The armor seemed to have a life of its own, glowing menacingly in the dim light.

At the center of the breastplate was the sigil of seven crescent moons, each one gleaming with a faint silver light that seemed to pulse with power.

Their heads were encased in black-winged tip helms, the edges of which curved upwards like the wings of a bird of prey. The helms were fashioned from the same black metal as the armor and seemed to blend seamlessly with it. The helms were designed to be intimidating, with no visible openings for the eyes or mouth, only a narrow slit at the front that allowed them to see.

Half-cloaks hung over their shoulders, flowing down their backs like the wings of a bat. The cloaks were half-black and half-white, with the black side facing outwards. The white side of the cloak was adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to shimmer in the light. The warriors moved with grace and ease, the cloaks swaying gently with every step they took.

Altair only frowned, sensing their Peak Sixth Circle Cultivation, shrowding Heaven and Earth like an ominous blanket.

'Why is this happening? I get that I'm a little special, but this seems odd. No, it's rather ridiculous. Why am I being targeted like this?' he wondered, signaling for Talia to hand him Endymion.

[DING]

Name: Rolar

Age: 123

Race: Half-blood [Gaints]

Mana: Seventh Circle [76%]

Str: 1072

[Monster Felled. Exp Gained]

[Monster Felled. Exp Gained]

Zagreus did not even speak as he watched each Shadow Deamon point their finger, invoking Enma onto the land. Explosions flared across the first floor of Babels Tower like falling rain. By the time the spatial vortex closed, a new one had followed hundreds of miles away, imparting a level of calamity no one not even the gods, had foreseen.

Even Athena, who considered Altair, a calm man, felt she hardly knew him.

"Secure the Tower entrance!" Aurora ruthlessly shouted. "Slaughter all who may enter it! Devour the souls of all who are felled by your hand! FOR HIS MAJESTY! FOR THE VALE!!!!"

Shadow Demons roared for their king, imparting ruin upon the land. Leaving not even the smallest stone to exist beneath their fury.

It was a sight neither Zagreus nor Syris had ever seen as they stood petrified by the level of destruction. It was especially terrifying for Syris, who had not seen such levels of destruction since Yarwin. Magma was pooling from this realm's core, spewing hundreds of meters into the air like hellfire.

'He really is a fucking Snow,' Zagreus thought.

"Zagreus lead the way. I want to see when that bastard arbiter or bloody floor master descends to me. I want to look him in the eyes and tell him how he fucked with the wrong Emperor!" Altair ruthlessly declared, undisturbed by the level of destruction and his system.

[Strength has increased by 7]

[Dexterity has increased by 9]

[Constitution has increased by 10]

[Strength has increased by 7]

Powered by the Ninth Form fueled by this carnage, Altair only felt his fury escalating past levels he could never even conceive. He knew this was all a mistake. A foolish tangent that made little sense, yet he did not stop. He was going to burn everyone and everything.

Still, as he channeled his Authority echoing from the Blood of the Nephilim, his words thundered through the Mana of Heaven and Earth to the many Cambions.

"Kill! Pillage the Denizens of th Myriad Heavens. BURN IT ALL DOWN!!!!"

[DING]

[DING]

[Strength has increased by 19

[Dexterity has increased by 15]

[Constitution has increased by 20]

...

[Divine Sin, Archeon roared with laughter!]

[Divine Sin, Daddy grins proudly upon his Throne of Brimstone]

[Heavenly Tribulation will commence]

Altair turned towards the skies, sneering, communicating with all his shadow. Each one roared, slashing towards the skies, slicing through the void with Severing Edge, annihilating whatever Heavenly Tribulation the gods saw to invoke to punish him.

He grinned like a devil, the fury twisting into elation as his System raged with countless notifications. If a God hadn't known of Altair Blackwood before, they shuddered as all of Babels Tower awoke to his name.