CRKKKTTTT!!!

Crackles highly reminiscent to that of burning sandalwood echoed out from the dark mist. Kuro was the first to bend the knee. His ma.s.sive frame gave up all dominance for the darkness within the fog. The other Nine Coloured n.o.ble Beasts followed suit. Momo tried desperately to keep her grin in, but her happiness was still pouring out. She couldn't help it. Today was the day that the Allfather would announce himself to the world. That absurd power that only the Black Masks knew about was finally going to be known worldwide.

The black vortex gradually slowed down, and a tall and lean figure began to take form. He was about two-metres-tall, and the four limbs that popped out from his cloaks were covered in black bandages. No one could see the man's face, for it was covered in ashen darkness. His black hood made it so that no one could see his head shape. Whether he had any ears, nose… Was the man even human? It was all hidden. However, that didn't stop his wors.h.i.+pers from blindly following him.

No one except Kuro could feel the Allfather's presence. To them, it was as if the shadowy figure was just air. However, that wasn't the case at all. The Allfather was just on another realm of existence. Mere mortals could never comprehend how powerful he was.

'It never gets old...' Kuro chuckled inwardly. His spine was tingling, and gooseb.u.mps popped all over the place. The Allfather's mana was intoxicating, but most importantly of all… Absolutely frightening. He was a Primordial Beast capable of matching the human race's best Spirit Saints. However, no matter how hard he fought, Kuro believed that he would never be a match for the man he called father...

"Allfather… The town is yours..." Kuro's deep voice resonated like a bell.

"..." The Allfather didn't reply. His head pivoted to the west. By now, the Alliance would have been notified of the Black Masks' invasion. Vast ma.s.ses of mana were speeding right towards them, and it would take them around an hour to arrive.

Mythpoint Reach was home to some of the most prominent branches of the Healer's a.s.sociation, Blacksmith's League and Mercenary Guild. So naturally, the leaders of these three organisations were livid, particularly Raphael. He was the Healer's a.s.sociation figurehead as well as the nominated Alliance Chief. The Alliance's Headquarters was just a few hundred kilometres away, in the new Land of Dreams. Yet, the Black Masks had the audacity to attack Mythpoint Reach right under his nose.

Minutes after he received the news, Raphael sent the distress signal, calling for at least one Spirit Saint from each superpower to come forward. Following that, he diverted half of all available warriors in Alliance Headquarters, including over a thousand White Knights, to rush towards Mythpoint Reach. If not for his role as the Alliance Head, Raphael would have loved to lead the army himself.

The Allfather could acutely sense the oncoming threat approaching from the west. The Alliance's army was coming, but what really tripped his senses were the three ma.s.sive blobs of energy that were flying from beyond the Land of Dreams.

'Rank 95, 93 and 91… How many years have pa.s.sed and you're still at this level?' The Allfather spat. 'Whatever, it's not like I had faith in you guys anyway...'

Then, the shadowy figure looked to the east. Just like the three Spirit Saints coming from the Terre Continent, a fourth spiritual signature was charging straight at him. The Allfather inhaled, and a soft whistle escaped from his puckered lips. It may have been unsightly for a supreme leader to show such laid-back move, but it fortunately for the Allfather, his face was already obscured by the dark mist he generated.

'Rank 94… At least you've grown a little...' Just like the three mana signatures from before, the Allfather recognised Longyu Tian's significant spiritual power. 'Alas, you're still too weak...'

It was an odd thing. The Allfather knew every single Spirit Saint in the world, yet none of them had an inkling on who the Allfather could be. The tremendous monster that created the world's worst criminal syndicate. Who was he? What were his motivations? No one really knew. And yet, the Allfather knew everything there was to know about the Spirit Saints of the world.

The hooded shadow levitated gradually towards the east and raised one hand up. One of his fingers wiggled about for a few seconds. No one could see the expression of the man shrouded in darkness. However, they could tell that his mood was a little upbeat. There was a connection between the Allfather and all the Black Masks that shared his mana. At this distance, there was no need for words or gestures. His subordinates all knew that the Allfather was amused.

"Is something the matter?" Kuro, the highest-ranking member around, questioned their esteemed leader.

The Allfather shook his head. "No, I'm just feeling the spiritual energy given out by the Celestial Dragon." The black bandages around his finger loosened slightly, giving out a dense dark mist once more. It was directionless in the beginning, but before long, the fog continued eastwards. "I was too far to feel its mana before… Now that I'm closer… It really deserves its t.i.tle as one of the two Dragons that dominated the world."

Even at his peak, the Allfather highly doubted that he could scratch the Celestial Dragon's toes. He knew how powerful s.h.i.+n could become once he matured. The Lady of Water was regarded as one of the most powerful Spirit Saints of all time after all. However, the Allfather didn't want to do anything to harm the young man. No, the Allfather was ecstatic that s.h.i.+n was growing up this fast. And fortunately for him, the Allfather held the piece that would continue to bring the young prodigy back to his doorstep.

"Ao," the hooded figure called for the World Serpent. "Has Junius accomplished his task?"

The blue-haired man jerked a little before returning a solemn bow. "I apologise… He's still stuck in Illusion Canyon."

"..." The Allfather was a little disappointed. It has been over two months since the young man was exiled. If he could return within the next month, it could only mean one thing… "Keep him alive. We can't lose that important chip we have right now."

"Even if he fails?"

"Even if he fails..." The Allfather's tone was crisp and firm. In the Allfather's mind, s.h.i.+n's value now exceeded that of any Spirit Saint, let alone a mere Vaishya that he could kill at any moment.

Kuro's two ears twitched, and his nostrils began to flare up. He looked towards the west once, unleas.h.i.+ng his enhanced vision that could spy a bee from a thousand kilometres away. Once he gained visual confirmation of the oncoming threat, the black-haired man reported, "Allfather… They're arriving in five minutes."

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"I know," replied the shadow figure coldly. His right hand cupped his left wrist behind his back, and the familiar dark mist flowed out from his body. The Spirit Saints were about to arrive soon. If they came just a few minutes before, it would be a pain in the a.s.s to chase them away. Alas, they were now far too late... "It has already begun..."

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!

The earth below Mythpoint Reach broke into pieces. Ten tall, dark figures, arose from deep within the crust and made its way to the surface. Nine of them created a nonagon shape, some of them flying high, some flying low. They were the famous Payircis that the Black Masks were now renowned for. Connected by chains of darkness that seemed corporeal and intangible at the same time, the nine Payircis created a dense invisible barrier, protecting what's left of Mythpoint Reach.

No, they weren't protecting Mythpoint Reach… What was there to protect? Decapitated bodies and burning buildings? No… What they were protecting was something far more sinister…

The tenth tower… Or was it an ever-stretching tree? Thousands of roots and a million more root hairs rose up from the base of the tower, covering everything in Mythpoint Reach. Bodies of the fallen were given no burial and instead used as fertiliser to grow the tremendous structure. Unlike Midori's wooden abilities, these roots of darkness were completely resistant to Akai's flames. In fact, it was absorbing much of the residue ambers that remained after the Spirit Beast's indiscriminate arson.

The tenth Payirci was at least three times bigger than the rest. It took the shape of Yggdrasil, but it was far from the Tree of Life. Death was its carbon dioxide, and despair was its oxygen. The Allfather watched as his masterpiece rose up higher and higher into the skies until it was taller than everything in the area. And then…

Ping!

A wrinkle in the fabric of s.p.a.ce and time rippled out from the tip of the Payirci. The barrier protecting the Allfather and every single one of his minions instantly thickened. At the same time, hundred-odd black chains burst forth from the top of the Tree of Death, charging all over the world at literal light speed.

Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!

The first wrinkle was just the catalyst. Payirics all over the world, be it known or obscured, now attached themselves to these illusory black chains that couldn't be broken. The spiritual energies from the Paradise Hearts in the Payircis powered the barrier enveloping the Tree of Death, and the Allfather's mana was likewise supplied to them. Umbras, shadow Spirit Beasts created by the Payircis, were now sp.a.w.ning right before the barrier. The Umbras were undying and would never weaken from mortal woes. Some Umbras were at the level of Tier 7 Spirit Beasts, or Rank 60 Spirit Lords. Others relied on their overwhelming numbers. However, one thing was for certain… They were truly the most perfect guards to protect the occupied Mythpoint Reach.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSKKKKKKKKKTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!

A crescent blade generated from pure energy disintegrated the newly sp.a.w.ned Umbras into particles and continued to fly towards the potent barrier. It was both sharp and vicious, holding enough power to wreck a thousand moons with one swing. Yet, the seemingly unstoppable force that melted any enemy it came across, exhausted itself once it came into contact with the Allfather's barrier. There wasn't a scratch on Payirci's defence. That crescent energy blade was like a wave hitting a breakwater.

"Tsk, too late, huh?" An elderly man tightened his grip on his handle and swung it down once.

Saint Geom from the Kori Federation was the first to arrive. His blade had long been unsheathed from its scabbard and was waiting for the best moment to strike. Alas, if he had arrived just a few minutes earlier, Saint Geom would have found it.

The old man had rushed out from the Dalgeom Sect, which was the closest place to Mythpoint Reach. Thus, he had arrived much earlier than the rest. Still, they were by no means slow. Saint Thor from the Blacksmith's League was the next one to make his presence known. Just like Saint Geom, the Spirit Saint used his Lightning Hammer Spirit to smash a thunderbolt onto the dense barrier, only to fail miserably as well. Saint Firebird had a similar experience. Only Saint Longyu Tian, who didn't have a potent enough offensive ability, refrained from testing the limits of the barrier, only to question the three that arrived before her.

"What the h.e.l.l is going on?!" The Saint of Time cried.

"I wish you could tell me..." Saint Firebird folded his arms. "The Black Masks are really pus.h.i.+ng it too far… Do they really think that we're going to stand still as they stomp on our dignity?!"

Taking Mythpoint Reach was a kick in the b.a.l.l.s for the Alliance. Not only was the town a few hundred kilometres away from Alliance Headquarters, but the city was situated right in the middle of the three superpowers. It was as if the Allfather was welcoming the Alliance to besiege him on all fronts.

"Their barrier seems a little troublesome though..." Saint Geom frowned and lowered his blade. He didn't dare to sheathe it just yet, and his fingers were still tightening on the Immortal-Grade weapon's handle.

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

✵✵✵

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