Chapter 358: Too Young

Atlas’s eyes widened as the man suddenly appeared directly in front of him with nothing more than a blink. ’He bypassed my spatial barriers?’ he questioned inwardly, remembering that he had established spatial barriers by dividing the space around him a hundred thousand times.

Yet, the man had managed to place his palm against Atlas’s chest as though those barriers had never existed, leaving him unable to understand how such a thing was possible.

Atlas didn’t wait for the man to continue speaking. He immediately altered the logic of space and attempted to vanish from his position, but just as he was about to disappear, his entire being became stuck in place.

He frowned as questions flooded his mind, only to hear the man speak calmly, "I observed what you were capable of, and although I would have praised your capabilities..." Harbinger paused for a moment, closed his eyes, and listened to Atlas’s heart beating normally.

"...you are still a child in the grand scheme of things." The moment Atlas heard those words, his heart stopped beating. His eyes widened as he tried to understand what the man had done to stop his heart itself, but before he could reach any conclusion, Harbinger slowly shifted his attention toward Kael, who was standing behind him.

Even Kael couldn’t move an inch, and he soon realized that he was trapped in the same condition as Atlas. No matter what Ability Kael attempted to use, nothing happened, as though every one of his abilities had been sealed.

The moment that realization dawned on him, his eyes widened in disbelief, ’C-Could it be?!’ Harbinger finally smiled as he observed their reactions. "You both seem to have realized it finally." He paused before turning his eyes toward Piscela and giving her a slight nod, as though conveying something to her, before looking back at the two of them.

"I used the same method you two used. How does it feel to be in the same position?" Harbinger asked with amusement before his hand phased directly through Atlas’s chest and grasped his heart.

He paused the moment his fingers touched it, his expression changing slightly as he examined what he had found. "Oh? What is this?" His sudden interest sent chills down Atlas’s spine, as he had already realized that the situation had become something he could only speak as the Worst.

It was the same method through which Orivian’s abilities, strength, and everything else had been sealed for an entire minute. However, Atlas couldn’t be certain that Harbinger’s ability was limited to just one minute as the man was not even using the sword itself to use that sealing ability.

The technique had sealed even his Bloodline abilities, including Null and his Flames of Nothingness, leaving him completely powerless. His entire being was petrified, not simply because Harbinger was holding his heart, but because he was finally beginning to understand how weak he still was.

He now understood why Oriendar had warned him repeatedly and given him so many reasons to remain cautious. Memories of Seraphiel flashed through his mind, followed by the future she had witnessed in which he died during his battle against Orivian.

’Am... I going to die again? Am I really... that pathetic?’ He couldn’t help blaming himself for his arrogance, realizing that he had allowed his recent growth to make him forget how many powerful beings existed beyond his current understanding.

’Even when Sera saved me so I could live, I am throwing away my life at dangerous situations...’ His pupils lowered as he watched Harbinger pull his heart out of his chest, although it somehow remained connected to his body and continued beating normally.

Atlas felt no pain at all, which only made the situation more unsettling, as Harbinger began examining the organ with the mark on his forehead glowing ever so slightly.

After examining it for a moment, Harbinger finally spoke, "I see, you are no mere ’Human’. Although I am unable to trace the origin of your race, you are not a being of this place. At least not this Galaxy." The moment those words reached him, Atlas’s eyes widened in pure shock.

’What?... What does he mean by that?!’ Before he could think any further, Harbinger grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head toward him.

Harbinger returned Atlas’s heart to its original position before looking directly into his widened eyes. His cold, deep voice carried a hint of amusement as he spoke, "You were playing with my Soldier quite a bit. Now, let’s play with you quite a bit as well."

The very next moment, Harbinger tightened his grip on Atlas’s hair and pulled his head forward, forcing him to look directly into his pupil-less eyes. His other hand pressed against Atlas’s chest as an invisible force began crushing his body from within. Atlas could feel his bones gradually bending under the pressure, yet he couldn’t move even a finger to resist it.

"KHUAAAGHHHHHHHH!!!"

Atlas screamed as his mind began to go blank under the overwhelming pressure. At that moment, he was nothing more than an ordinary Human, stripped of everything that had once made him powerful.

He was no longer an Explorer or a Cultivator, and he couldn’t even access the abilities that had allowed him to survive countless dangerous situations. All he could do was endure the force crushing his body while remaining completely conscious.

Harbinger then released his hair and struck Atlas across the face with a punch. The impact sent Atlas flying through space, but before he could travel even a few meters, his body abruptly stopped in midair. Harbinger appeared beside him and drove his fist into Atlas’s abdomen, causing his entire body to fold around the blow.

"GAH!"

Blood escaped from Atlas’s mouth as his pupils momentarily disappeared from his eyes, but Harbinger showed no intention of stopping. He continued striking Atlas at precise intervals, each blow landing before Atlas could even begin to recover from the previous one.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Even Atlas’s evolved cellular structures failed to withstand the repeated impacts. His bones shattered, and his internal organs sustained severe damage, only for Harbinger to restore them to perfect condition before continuing his assault.

Atlas couldn’t even close his eyes to escape the sight of his own helplessness, forced to remain conscious as his body was repeatedly destroyed and repaired.

Every attempt to activate Null or his Flames of Nothingness failed, leaving Atlas entirely dependent on a body that Harbinger could damage and restore at will. Harbinger looked at him with the same calm expression he had maintained from the beginning, showing no signs of exertion as he continued the assault.

"Do you understand, Human? You may be an Anomaly, but you are young, too young."

"Even the greatest Anomalies have fallen before us Eternals."