CHAPTER 168: TOO LATE

Everyone felt their bodies and souls freeze. It wasn’t fear... it was the sheer power coming from that voice. They were less than dust in comparison. But Darian...

He was immediately caught off guard. That was a female voice... sharp like a blade and extremely cold.

He remembered being called a parasite before... by a voice that sounded almost exactly like this one. It was back when he’d been captured and taken from the abyssal nest. The voice had connected with him through the canine fang. (Chapter 60)

Darian spoke seriously, "You’re that same Risen Lord from before?"

"Oh? So it’s you again. Dropped that pathetic form you had last time... that was kind of funny though..." the voice rang out dryly.

Suddenly, the whole place started shaking.

At the far end of that underground cave, on the wall, a hole began to open. There hadn’t been any door there before— the earth was being moved directly by some terrifying power.

Inside the hole, a tunnel dozens of meters long was created. The voice didn’t need to say anything, Darian sighed and had Niara move through the passage. The others were tense, but followed right behind. Escaping from a being like this was impossible. Now... all they could do was hope for a miracle.

They all slowly crossed through the tunnel.

Until another, very dark cave appeared.

At the far end...

A pair of red eyes was staring right at them.

The whole place was drenched in suffocating miasma.

Darian gave a signal and his rings lit up. With a sweep, he pushed all the miasma away.

In front of them stood a slender, humanoid female figure. Long black hair fell from her head, where dark pointed ears framed a face with sharp features.

She wore black, tattered cloth, covering just the bare minimum. Most of her dark purple skin was exposed, marked with intricate black and red glowing lines. A thick black tail rose behind her, covered in dense, heavy fur.

Everyone was confused at first. Had she been a Mannaz when alive?

But Darian... his eyes went wide. He stared closely at that Risen Lord. Even though she had all the traits of a Risen, she still looked so much like she did when alive... not quite her true form.

"You... you were an Abyssal Corrupted Wolf?" Darian asked, remembering the memories from the old leaders of that race he’d seen in their ancestral tomb.

Her gaze hadn’t changed since the start... still completely locked on Darian. A faint smile curled at her lips.

"Indeed. You saw all the legacies of my race... even the ones I left behind. You used my canine fang too, didn’t you?"

That confirmed it. She hadn’t been a Mannaz, but a demon beast. She was the Risen Lord who contacted him back then, and also... the former leader of that race.

Darian was shocked, but now everything made sense. It came from her—that’s why she could connect to the fang and speak with him. She had definitely left a piece of herself inside it. Darian, back then too ignorant of his powers and too weak, hadn’t noticed.

She was the former leader of the race... the ancestor the current leader kept talking about. A mutant beast, with massive potential and intelligence. Her commands and final words were what kept her race united and on the right path to this day.

She’d been ’alive’ just a few thousand years ago. Darian had seen her recorded memories—she definitely fought and did everything she could to help save this universe.

But... the academy used her race mercilessly, and the traitors had probably already infiltrated way too deep. In the end, she was sacrificed after disobeying one of the academy’s orders.

"You became a Risen... and stayed alive until you reached the top." Darian muttered, sighing.

She’d been a proud and honorable person when alive. She did everything she could to uphold the teachings of the Heaven’s Will... which had once been the deity worshiped by her race. Before ’dying’, she made sure her race kept generating good karma in the world.

They never retaliated or did anything deliberately evil. All of it in the hope that one day the Heaven’s Will would help her people and the universe. They waited for a missionary... someone capable... to turn things around. Now, he had appeared.

Darian looked straight into those red eyes. The black karma surrounding her... was as dense as you’d expect from a Risen Lord. To reach where she was, she had to completely corrupt both body and soul.

She scoffed, feeling his gaze. "You got the full legacy of my race. Helped me a lot in killing that bastard. And now... even being this weak... you came here and managed to fool my inscriptions and my power."

Darian nodded seriously. The karma he’d sensed when they arrived... it was definitely her. From her words, she must’ve seen everything he did. But... why couldn’t he sense her? Not even Niara had picked up on any danger.

Suddenly, her red eyes trembled. Everyone behind Darian swallowed hard. They felt an overwhelming emotion coming from those eyes. It was a mix of euphoria, joy, and rage... something they’d never expect to see from such a terrifying figure.

"You... you really... really are a missionary... sent by my Lord?" Her words came out shaky.

Facing that look, Darian just sighed and nodded.

When she saw that, it was like a lightning bolt shot through her body, making her tremble and clench her fists.

"I... I waited... waited for so long... finally..."

Her eyes closed, like she was feeling immense pain.

"Why... why only now..."

Darian tensed up. What did she really want? Could a Risen Lord actually not be an enemy?

She focused on him again, opening her eyes. A red light, full of anger, flared inside them.

"It’s too late. The Celestial Shadow is almost fully recovered. And you... you’re too weak, you won’t have time to grow stronger before the worst happens. And I..." She stopped, swallowing hard. "I’ve lived every day waiting for you to come. And now... I’ll have to kill you..."

Everyone’s eyes widened. She wasn’t giving off any killing intent, and none of them felt any immediate danger. The pressure around them was just because she was a Risen Lord, naturally exuding something oppressive toward any living being.

"Your name is Howlyn, right?" Darian took a deep breath and tried to talk. "What are you talking about? Why do you have to kill me?"

She locked onto him, clearly fighting off some intense emotions. "No Risen can betray the Celestial Shadow. Now that you came to me... if I try to let you leave alive... I’ll lose control of my body and I’ll kill you..."

Suddenly, she stopped and coughed violently. A lot of black blood spilled from her mouth. Just like the rumors said... all the Risen Lords were heavily wounded; she was no different.

"You had to find me... and pull off something this flashy... *cough, cough*... only after you were truly strong. Why’d you come now?!"

Darian could clearly see the pain and unwillingness coming from her. He scoffed. "Didn’t have a choice. If I hadn’t done what I did and run all the way here this early... the only galaxy left in the universe would’ve already fallen."

Hearing that, her gaze sank. "So... this universe’s karma won’t allow salvation," she focused seriously on Darian.

"But... you came anyway. If my Lord sent you, it means you’ve got some kind of chance. But first... you have to kill me..."

She finished, then gave a signal. Instantly... the whole dark space around them shifted.