Novel Full Chapter 239: And Thus, It Began (2)
Chapter 239: And Thus, It Began (2)
[A/N: Like I mentioned before, we won’t drag the event out. With the basics already explained, we’ll skip ahead a year. During that time, nothing much happens except for various pills, elixirs, and similar items being showcased.]
—
The Third Event had been underway for a full year.
There was nothing much to show for as all the participants only gained more clarity no matter how minute it may be—the ballroom’s atmospheres shifting with each fusion, laws humming in soft resonance, auras intertwining in visible threads of light that painted the void with collaborative splendor.
However, during this time Ash, he constantly used his eyes of first dawn—the dual-fire rings in his gaze flickering subtly as he parsed infinite timelines in silent vigilance, rose-pink essence threading through his perception like unseen webs.
Why?
Well, he’d known since the very first day, something was brewing—the Convergence’s harmonious facade masking undercurrents of discord, whispers of schemes threading through auras like hidden venom.
And now… everything had finally reached its peak—the air thickening with unspoken tension, essences humming with restrained malice beneath the surface calm.
The Essence Harmony gathered millions in a colossal ballroom, each seated on floating zafus.
The space seemed endless, with mirrored void-crystal walls, polished star-marble floors that gave a soft echo with every step, and chandeliers of captured nebulae drifting overhead, scattering prismatic light across tables laden with otherworldly treats.
Participants moved on zafus with effortless grace, their auras blending in quiet harmony, laughter chiming like crystal bells as they sipped liquid starlight from glowing chalices that promised clarity and shared connection.
In the thick of it all, Zion the seer sat on his zafu next to Kal’Zul—tall and unassuming, pale-skinned, his golden blindfold catching the light with a glint of deliberate mischief.
As his master plan began to unfold and his secret as the Second Heir of the Tyrannus Clan—known only to Ash—was soon to be shone in the light, he watched with calm satisfaction as the chaos he’d planted finally bloomed.
Fisher, heir to the Arch Eternal Clan of Necro, moved through the crowd with ease, conjuring drinks in shimmering chalices—liquid starlight laced with his secret gift, a chaotic memory curse fueled by his aspect.
It was a necromantic veil, masking the malediction from even the keenest progenitor senses.
As the cups appeared before them, Ash’s voice echoed in the minds of Shia, Aurelia, Elara, and Madison.
’Don’t drink… not even a sip.’ His tone was so casual they couldn’t tell if he was joking, yet by now they’d been around him enough to trust his words—no matter how faint or offhand they seemed.
Especially for Madison… she didn’t know Ash at all. Yet, ever since the vision he’d shown her, her deepest and most primal instincts were pulling her closer to him.
And how could they not?
Her inner beast craved to be dominated, to have a male partner who was strong… and from the few glimpses she’d caught, this guy was more than strong.
When they heard his advice, no matter how casually it was given, they couldn’t ignore it. Seeing him abstain from drinking, they followed without question, though their eyes brimmed with quiet curiosity.
As they watched millions of participants lift their cups and drink, something none of them could have imagined began to unfold.
With each sip, the curse wove itself into the drinkers—memories fracturing into rage, harmony twisting into discord, and clarity turning to blind fury, ready to erupt the moment the essence touched their lips.
Zion’s lips curved as the chaos slowly but surely began to erupt.
Chalices rose across the hall, toasts echoing in harmonious cheers.
Laughter and chatter swirled as prodigies savored each sip, exclaiming over the richness and depth of flavor.
“Absolutely divine,” one murmured, eyes closed in bliss.
Another declared it the finest they’d ever tasted, each note lingering like a sweet memory.
Compliments flowed as freely as the drink, every voice adding to the warm, jubilant chorus.
Ash observed it all with a lazy sort of amusement. Lifting his head, his gaze cut through every concealment formation until he spotted the leaders. From what he could tell, things were only just starting.
He sent another message.
’My Flame~’ he said in the same easy tone.
Seraphiel’s eyes flickered as she listened to Aeloris, then she glanced down, meeting Ash’s gaze.
Before she could respond, Ash laid it out bluntly.
’Look, there’s not much time…’ He explained the situation, ending with one last remark.
’And don’t worry about that little dragon… we go way back.’
The words hit Seraphiel like detonations. Maybe Ash didn’t care, or maybe he hadn’t thought it through, but his words, they all but confirmed what she and Aeloris had suspected.
“A… absolu—” she began, but her voice was abruptly cut off as, below…
All hell broke loose.
CRACK!
SHATTER!
ROAR!
Glasses shattered in their hands—shimmering starlight shifting into a blood-red blaze as the curse took hold.
The prodigies’ eyes clouded with fractured madness, memories warping into grudges, and peace splintering into raw, primal fury.
THUD!
CRASH!
Fists flew as auras collided in volatile bursts, concepts twisting into weapons of pure discord—lightning scorching comrades, voids devouring friends, and flames engulfing all in wild, ecstatic destruction.
The ballroom exploded into a chaotic free-for-all—countless figures colliding in weightless disarray, bodies twisting through the void as impacts echoed, waves of raw energy tearing through and splintering the crystal floors, while screams and roars blended into a dizzying soundtrack of unraveling minds.
At the same moment, Absence materialized in the grandest courtroom this universe held. This was the domain of the Celestial’s patriarch… Someone he’d also marked with a blank.
Then, without a word or a thought, nothing but Absence… thousands of Celestials dropped in an instant, their silver bodies dissolving into silence.
This was Absence’s craft—stealth and assassination. Whether it was one target or millions, he, The Shaded, would always see the mission through.
And as each Celestial fell, those who managed to keep their sanity stood shocked.
Not everyone was foolish enough to succumb to the curse, and even among those who did, some had emergency measures to break it just as quickly. They all went on high alert at once, especially the ones Ash had warned in advance.
Absence had beheaded the Patriarch’s corpse before reappearing in the ballroom.
To those not fighting, frozen in place and lost in thought, he was nothing more than a dark, featureless silhouette. In his grasp was the severed head of the Celestial Patriarch.
“FATHERRRR!” Cleo roared, one of the few who still retained his sanity thanks to an innate aspect that shielded him from outside influence.
The sight of his father’s death sent him into a frenzy, golden veins flaring as he surged toward Absence.
Mid-flight, a spear materialized in his hand, and he began to invoke a skill.
“CLEO, USE YOUR DAMN HEAD!”
Aurelia could only watch as he charged recklessly at the unknown foe, her warning cry lost before it could reach him.
|Rulin—-
Before he could finish speaking, Absence wiped him away with an effortless wave of his hand.
Across the room, Zion watched with amusement. As his blindfold slipped off, he shot a grin at Kah’Zul.
“Alright, let’s cut deep!”
—–
In the Eternal Spires, chaos shimmered below—not from any curse, but from raw betrayal, aimed not at those present, but at the Asuras themselves.
None currently present could truly be called allies to the Narakava, yet as Arch Eternal Clans, how could they not know the truth?
Some had even cut deals with the Tyrannus Clan purely for personal gain.
As the Void Serpent Progenitor, Eternal Frost Giant, Dragon Representative, and dozens more closed in on Layla, Archie, Seraphiel, and Aeloris, the serpent’s hiss sliced through the air.
“How pitiful of the Asuras… who leaves one of their universes in the hands of another?” she taunted, though her smirk faded when she realized none of them looked the slightest bit afraid.
“Haha, didn’t I warn you?” Archie said, shaking his head.
“The second you cross that boy, you’re done for.” He cracked his neck as Layla’s eyes glimmered.
“And now,” she added with a smile, “it’s time to take care of you fools who think you’re the hunters.”
—
As everything unfolded, Ash, Aurelia, Madison, and Shia stayed perfectly still.
The girls were still a bit shaken after seeing Cleo die so easily—especially Madison and Aurelia—but they forced themselves to stay focused, right up until Kah’Zul appeared, flanked by Shun Bolt and Zion Tyrana.
Kah’Zul stepped forward, his scaled skin rippling through a shifting spectrum of colors.
“Aurelia, it’s time you came with me.”
“And you,” Zion said to Shia, his voice edged with menace.
Beneath his blindfold were no eyes—only empty, hollow sockets. Yet looking into them sent an unending chill straight down the spine.
“A lone Asura… great~”
Shia cracked her neck, a smile tugging at her lips.
She didn’t care that the situation seemed improbable—in fact, it only made her blood boil hotter. But before she could act or say a word, Ash’s voice came through with a chuckle.
“Heh, didn’t I say so?” he murmured, eyes drifting toward the sky.
It was as if his words were meant for no one in particular, yet somehow for everyone at the same time. His layered voice carried all the way to the leaders, moments from ripping the Spire to pieces.
“She’s mine… they’re mine…” he said, his eyes locking onto Kah’Zul.
But they were no longer the usual dual-symbol eyes with ringed fire. No, they had turned abyssal black, each bearing a single red slit.
The eyes of the Absolute Dragons of Endings.
“And if you even think about touching them… not even your damn daddy will be able to save you.”
Those listening felt chills run down their spines, and in the next moment, it was as if the ultimate end had arrived.
HUMMMMM!!!!!!!
Across the universe—specifically, high above the ballroom and just beyond the Eternal Spire—hundreds of portals burst open, spilling forth billions upon billions of Cosmic Overlords. Each stood at their peak, wielding no less than a stage 6 precept.
But they didn’t strike. Instead, they stepped aside, clearing a path for sixteen figures—taller, more otherworldly, and far more formidable than all who had arrived before.
These were the Originat, and they stood in calm, patient silence.