Chapter 393: Chapter 393 – Taming the Chaos – 6
Hagen observed his left arm, where the long extremity of the abyssal Acrocinus Gorilla had fused perfectly with his original body. The purple-black flesh pulsed with its own rhythm, different but complentary to his human heartbeat.
Three beasts ran through his system: the abyssal scorpion that had been his first corrupt addiction, the golden griffin he had possessed before the corruption, and now the gorilla whose limbs had replaced those he had lost in the battles in Yano.
It wasn’t as spectacular as the new sextuples that had erged among the high ranks…
Despite being one of the first test subjects, he hadn’t been a double from the beginning.
Those monsters had been gold-rank double tars before abyssal energy, which allowed them to add three or four additional beasts: two silver ones for each gold they had originally possessed. But Hagen had learned that specialization mattered more than brute quantity.
Or he liked to deceive himself into thinking that was true.
His maps of the abyssal depths were finally complete, every tunnel and cavern docunted down to the level they now called “deep gold”.
The depth just below gold, the zone they ‘incorrectly’ called the abyss because they compared it to ocean depths where creatures seed to have no logic, but which was actually not the bottom of the rift…
But upon returning to complete the map, he wasn’t greeted by the usual sight. What he had found there still disturbed him. The species seed to be homogenizing in certain areas, as if sothing was directing their evolution toward a specific purpose.
“A new generation of abyssals?” he had wondered while observing creatures that combined characteristics of others in more complex and libertine combinations than before.
The evolutionary patterns were unlike anything docunted in previous expeditions.
He had planned to investigate further, but his mission to obtain more scorpions and map new routes had been interrupted by direct orders from the capital. Fortunately, he had managed to fulfill most of that objective before returning, especially with dozens of scorpion cores.
Luckily returning had been easy…
The abyssal bridge he had helped construct in the abyss rift was finally solidified. It was a crystallized structure so black it absorbed light, and so deep that Yano surely wouldn’t find it soon.
Although even with the bridge, crossing the depth of the gold ring without adequate characteristics remained lethal for anyone with weak beasts or without stealth or camouflage abilities.
A harsh sound pulled him from his thoughts. His King had begun speaking again.
♢♢♢♢
The King of Yino, Coleoran Hexenmane, stood in the center of the circular room, his Nian manifesting partially in golden and purple patterns that covered his massive arms. He was a man who had completely embraced abyssal transformation, four corrupt beasts complenting his original Nian and Pixiu.
“The situation has changed drastically,” his voice resonated with the authority of decades of leadership, but there was an urgency that Hagen had rarely heard before.
The three family heads sat in a semicircle before him: Lord Venmont, Lord Bloodwyn, and Lord Ravenspire. Each carried the weight of generations of noble tars combined with the enhancent of abyssal corruption.
Beside the King, his two heirs completed the circle of power. His son, Prince Rhys Hexenmane, at 22 years old, displayed the sa combination of Nian and Pixiu with two abyssal beasts that complented his royal heritage. His presence radiated the confidence of soone born to lead.
But it was his daughter who drew most of Hagen’s attention. Princess Selthia Hexenmane, at 11 years old, possessed sothing unique: a hydra that had been corrupted through a different contract thod. The creature counted and didn’t count as abyssal simultaneously, an achievent that abyssal energy specialists still didn’t completely understand.
The implications were staggering, a hybrid corruption that might represent the next evolutionary step in their developnt, or a dangerous anomaly that could destabilize the child.
“The World Dragon’s Light has appeared,” Coleoran continued, and the silence that followed was absolute.
Lord Venmont leaned forward. “Is it confird?”
“Multiple manifestations have been identified in enemy territory. The energy is unmistakable.”
Lord Bloodwyn frowned. “But that’s impossible. According to all calculations, its appearance should have been much later. Another decade, at least.”
“For so reason it was accelerated,” the King nodded grimly. “And that ans we’ll have to act now despite not being sure of our advantage or as prepared as we’d like.”
The precision of their invasion tiline had been calculated around the World Dragon’s Light remaining dormant. Its early manifestation threw decades of planning into chaos.
Prince Rhys spoke for the first ti, his young voice carrying inherited authority. “What’s the current threat level?”
“Low, fortunately,” Coleoran moved toward a map showing concentric rings of power. “Most importantly, we must eliminate the Light before it reaches the gold ring, if possible.”
“And if it’s not possible?” asked Selthia, her precocious intelligence evident in the directness of her question.
“It has to be…” The King’s voice carried the weight of absolute necessity. “Letting it reach gold would greatly complicate our situation. And if it reaches the platinum ring,” his voice beca ominous, “we’re finished. Abyssal energy is still developing. It cannot lose this evolutionary race.”
The concept was simple but terrifying: two forms of power evolution competing for dominance, with the losing side facing extinction. The World Dragon’s Light represented a force that could theoretically neutralize abyssal corruption permanently.
Lord Venmont rose. “What do we know about enemy forces? Will the Goldcrests really serve as we expected?”
“Despite the possibility that Yano may already have access to its three rings,” Coleoran admitted, “despite the fact that the Goldcrests may not serve as much as expected, the most important thing will be to manage to send sufficient assets to the Light’s birthplace.”
The King turned directly toward Hagen, who had remained silent in his position against the wall.
“Hagen.”
“My King.”
“Your knowledge of the depths and your experience with energy manifestations make you the obvious choice to lead this mission.”
Hagen nodded, already calculating the requirents for such an operation. “What are the paraters?”
“You’ll go to the manifestation zone with a group that has sufficient power to eliminate the entire stain,” Coleoran approached, his multiple abyssal beasts creating an aura of power that made the air feel denser. “No trace can remain. Not a cell, not a spore, not a fragnt of residual energy.”
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