Novel Full Chapter 247 The Eight Gates,
Chapter 247 The Eight Gates,
In the other gates, each S-ranker was facing their own brutal ordeal, fighting with everything they possessed.
Grant faced a colossal Stone Golem, his shield absorbing devastating hammer blows that would have crushed other awakeners into meat paste. Each impact sent shockwaves through his powerful body, but his Vanguard class kept him alive.
Caleb battled a Berserker Ape, his own rage matching the beast’s fury. The strikes the Ape landed were like a truck, each strike taking his own breath away. His body was bloodied, but so was the smile on his face. The more he was hit, the more powerful he became, slowly stacking his strength against the Ape in an attempt to match it. The healing rune he placed continued to slowly heal him, whilst also draining his mana. But that wouldn’t last long, his berserker stacks were almost completed. The forest shook with their collision, both combatants trading powerful strikes, each trying to outlast the other through sheer violent determination.
“Come on, Monkey! Want me to throw you a banana? Haha!” Caleb grinned through blood-soaked teeth—or what remained of them—as his opponent landed another blow, his Berserker class converting the damage into raw power for his next strike.
The twins, Cain and Abel were separated. But their swords were flashing in mirrored patterns against their own opponents. The battle was rough, but they persevered.
Everyone was fighting for their lives with absolute focus, ensuring no mistakes occurred that could lead to the end of their journey.
Everyone except one person.
Moon found himself in a cavern filled with luminescent fungi that cast everything in eerie blue-green light.
And facing him was the beast assigned to his gate.
A flying insect—Bellywig—hovered in the air before him, its sapphire blue carapace gleaming with a metallic sheen. The creature’s body resembled that of a praying mantis, but scaled up to the size of a large horse. Four wings beat the air rapidly, creating a humming sound that filled the chamber.
Its bladed forearms were razor-sharp, but the real threat was the curved stinger protruding from its abdomen, dripping with poison that lit up in the fungal light.
[Bellywig]
[Level: 25]
[Rank: S]
[Details: Its sting causes severe giddiness and progressive paralysis. Its venom is considered one of the strongest amongst all poisonous creatures, capable of incapacitating other creatures within its realm of strength within seconds of exposure.]
The Bellywig’s myriad eyes tracked Moon’s movements, its wings adjusting constantly to maintain its position.
Most S-Rankers would have immediately engaged with their strongest skills, trying to end the fight quickly before the poison became a factor.
Moon did something completely different.
He calmly removed his S-rank robe, tossed it in his storage ring.
The Bellywig lunged forward, its bladed forearm slashing toward Moon’s exposed torso.
Moon didn’t dodge completely. Instead, he angled his body so the strike would graze rather than pierce, the razor edge cutting a long line across his ribs that immediately began bleeding.
The pain was overwhelming but that didn’t stop Moon from pursuing his goal.
“Hit harder!” Moon shouted at the Bellywig, as he watched his skills proficiency rise at an explosive rate.
The Bellywig, confused by prey that was actively inviting injury, hesitated for a split second before launching another attack.
Moon continued taking deliberate hits that wounded but didn’t cripple, allowing strikes to land that he could have easily avoided with his vast array of skills.
Each injury fed to his two new skills, forcing the skill to adapt and strengthen his resistance.
Each wound he acquired, he immediately began healing with his copied [Minor Mend], the skill’s proficiency climbing with every cast as restorative energy knitted flesh back together.
And when the Bellywig finally managed to graze him with its venomous stinger, introducing poison into his bloodstream, Moon immediately cast [Purify], cleansing the toxin while simultaneously training both healing skills.
He was treating an S-rank life-or-death battle as a training exercise. Because unlike his desperate teammates fighting for survival in their respective gates, Moon had advantages they didn’t.
The Bellywig hissed with frustration, its instincts telling it that this prey was behaving completely different.
Moon smiled through the pain, mana pouring into both healing skills continuously.
His proficiency numbers were climbing beautifully.
♢♢♢♢
In the Second Sanctuary, within a large Spirit Pavilion—one of the very few fortified strongholds that had managed to remain standing against the relentless test of time and constant attacks of neighboring Pavilions—a powerful figure stood over his humiliated, defeated opponent.
“Do you surrender?!” Alaric’s voice was cold, sharp as ice. “Or shall I claim your life here and now?”
His blade pressed against the throat of the A-rank spirit sprawled on the floor beneath him, the sharp edge drawing a thin line of blood that trickled down the spirit’s neck.
“I-I surrender,” the spirit finally gasped, its voice echoing in the Pavilion as it succumbed to the overwhelming pressure imposed upon it by the terrifying human before it. Its body was littered with injuries and wounds that the sword had inflicted upon its body.
After a battle that lasted three days and three nights, the Pavilion and those within it had finally fallen into the hands of the human before it, and so did the spirit’s spirit stone.
The spirit stone in Alaric’s free hand began glowing with a bright light, signaling the formal surrender of the defeated spirit and binding it to his authority and domain.
The spirit’s life was now under Alaric’s command, he had the power to command it.
“Congratulations! You’ve taken down an aristocratic Spirit Pavilion,” a cheerful voice called from behind him. “Indeed, you truly are the monster of the Second Sanctuary, hehe~”
Emma, Alaric’s team member and closest friend, giggled while placing her delicate, soft hand over her mouth, her hazel eyes sparkling despite the teasing tone. Alaric’s expression remained composed and serious, completely unmoved by his Emma’s playful antics. “Quit the teasing. This is only one of many Spirit Pavilions controlling this territory. This was the weakest of them all, too. We still have a load of work ahead of us, so get back to it.”
Emma giggled again before raising both hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, oh serious one. I’ll behave.”
Tap! Tap! Tap!
“Captain! I have urgent news for you!”
A figure came running from the main gate at full sprint, weaving through the other Evolvers who had begun the process of cleaning up the pavilion, storing beast corpses and valuable materials.
Alaric turned toward one of his subordinates—a trusted messenger who followed him by direct orders from his father—frowning at the obvious urgency.
“What is it?” Alaric demanded, his tone suggesting this interruption had better be important.
The Evolver took several deep breaths, recovering from his sprint, before beginning to relay the information he’d received.
“Captain! The higher-ups in the Awakeners Association have been in direct communication with the old master. The S-rank gate that appeared in the First Sanctuary has become a serious concern, a thorn in the throat of everyone at the highest levels of command.”
He paused, clearly choosing his words carefully.
“They’re preparing contingency plans for worst-case scenarios. Specifically, if S-rank gates begin manifesting at the Second Order level as well…” The Evolver was visibly hesitant to continue, knowing how Alaric would react to what came next.
“Meaning?” Alaric’s expression turned noticeably colder at the mere mention of his father being involved in this discussion.
The Evolver swallowed hard. “The old master wants you to delay your ascension to the Third Sanctuary by at least one year. You are recognized as one of the strongest Evolvers in existence across all factions. When a Second Order S-rank gate inevitably appears, you will be designated to lead the clearance team into it.”
Alaric’s cold expression turned ugly. Then, he scoffed with open contempt at the audacity.
“Hmph! Do these old foxes actually think I care about their strategic concerns? Or that I will obediently listen and abide by their commands like some pet? Absolutely not. When I become an Ascender, I would like to see who dares to open his mouth and punish me for not following their commands.” His voice was ice cold, his aura leaking, causing the weaker Evolvers around him to shiver, including the Evolver narrating the news himself.
“Tell my father that Alaric will ascend when the time is right for him, not when the old foxes decide it’s convenient for their plans.”
“But…millions of people could die, captain.” The Evolver tried to convince Alaric.
Alaric scoffed, “I’m not their Saviour. If I lack the strength to protect the ones I love, what right do strangers have to be my concern?” Emma looked at Alaric in concern, feeling the hidden pain deep in his words.
The Evolver’s expression grew even more troubled, his discomfort visible. “Captain… your father has already accepted a large compensation from the Awakener’s Association in exchange for guaranteeing your cooperation. The agreement has been formally recorded.”
“Then let him return their “compensation”. Do I look like I care about his transactions?” Alaric turned around, no longer in the mood to continue the conversation. “I’ve heard enough, you may return my message to the old man.”
The Evolver hesitated before revealing the final card up his sleeves, “He said… that he will fulfill that one wish of yours if you agree to delay your ascension.”
Alaric’s face snapped back towards the Evolver, his eyes sharpened, his entire demeanor changing. He closed the distance between himself and the messenger in one single stride that appeared almost phantom like.
Staring into the eyes of the Evolver, Alaric said, “You mean…?”
The Evolver nodded slowly, recognizing the significance of what he was confirming. “Yes, Captain. That’s exactly what he means. He’s agreed to grant it in exchange for this request.”
Alaric’s eyes became distant, his thoughts clearly traveling far from the conquered Spirit Pavilion and the plots of powerful old men.
A single name emerged in his mind.