Crimson Ichor

"That's a loyal pet you have there. Quite resilient too," said Gunther.

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Coatl was gone from my neck. And he was laying right in front of me.

"Did I stop it, Lord Ashborne??" He hissed out.

"Yeah, yeah you did... But why?? I killed you, and then enslaved you.....so why, even though you know you're weaker than me.... I don't understand....why would you do that??"

"I don't know if my loyalty towards you is forced by your skill, nor do I care, my Lord. By reviving me, you have given me a new life, and my purpose is to serve you." Coatl said.

"Yes Yes, this is all very emotional, can we resume please." Gunther spoke out. He then leaped towards me again, but was immediately intercepted by Rigurdo, Ricardo, Centi, Dracula and Arachne. They rushed him and tried all types of attacks.

Alas, none of them were effective.

"You IDIOTS! Don't engage, he's far beyond you. Run away, return to the Soul Realm.... I'll deal with this."

"We can't do that, my Lord. We'll buy you some time, please escape." Rigurdo responded mid fighting.

"No way in hell I'm doing that!! I'll just make you return forcefully. [Soul Shift] !!" I activated [Soul Shift] on all my Legion members.

...

"What?! Why isn't it working??"

<Report. There appears to be a spatial lockdown on the area, prohibiting the use of any spatial skills or magic.>

"DAMN IT!" I yelled.

"You won't be able to run away, Ashborne. And if you don't fight me soon, I'll just kill all of your pets and servants." Gunther taunted.

What do I do now?? What is someone supposed to do in this situation. He's too strong. Not even been 4 months, and I'm already going to die. HehehahAhAHAHAhHAAhaaa...

'Why the hell is this happening?? All my preparations, all my knowledge, useless. Nothing can stand infront of absolute power after all.'

I came to the conclusion.

'Yeah, I was just being an idiot. Rimuru had plot - armour ...This is real life. I was taking this too casually. I'm really going to die again huh?? For god's sake, 3 times..... what kinda loser dies 3 times??'

'I'm so pathetic, couldn't achieve anything, even after being given a chance. Why did I even reincarnate....It's all meaningless.... I should just accept it.... Can't even do anything to change my own fate, I'm weak after all.... and this is a world where only the strong can control their own lives, and the lives of others....'

"Lord Ashborne, please get up!! Run away!! PLEASE!!" a loud sound boomed in my ear.

"Why do you guys even want me to live, you'll be free after my death right?? I'm just your enslaver... I couldn't even protect you... Why would you want to serve someone so weak??"

"Don't say that Lord Ashborne, we'll protect you this time. Just run away!!"

"You're not our enslaver, you're our dear Lord!! Please get away fast... We'll buy as much time as we can. We beg of you, Lord Ashborne!!"

I was surprised, "You al-all?"

"HeheheeHAHAHA HahehahehaHEHAHAHAAA!! You all really are mad!! The hell?? Making me feel so bad.... Look at me, a grown-ass man, crying and whining like a baby..." I laughed in self contempt.

I was really pushed over the breaking point. It seemed that the stress of the double-reincarnation, constant planning and anxiety had done it's work.

"Very well, DAMN IT ALL. You want a fight, old man? Here I come, you piece of shit!!"

"[Scale Striker] !!" Sharp scales sprouted all over my hand, acting like weapons.

'[Shadow Motion]' I disappeared from my position and appeared behind Gunther, from the shadow of a tree.

*BOOM*

I punched with all my strength.

"Huhhhh?!!" It felt as if I was hitting a wall.

"Your physical strength is formidable, for a new-born majin that is." Gunther spoke, sounding impressed.

'This isn't working.... I need more firepower. If I want to achieve anything, I need more power! More more more MORE MORE!!'

<Received. Extra Skills [Blood Mist] and [Decaying Mist] can be combined and chained to make Extra Skill [Explosive Blood].>

'YES! Do it, this is my chance.... I have to put everything into this attack.'

"Everyone!! Get back.. I'll finish this myself."

'[Great Sage] Take care of the calculations.'

I started preparing a powerful attack. I infused the effects of the skill [Explosive Blood] into a huge amount of magicules, nearly all of my capacity.

"Ohh? That's a nasty attack you're preparing. Very well, I'll take it head on. This might me fun." Gunther said in a condescending tone.

"You're very arrogant for an old man, you know that?" I provoked him.

<Report. Attack is prepared.>

"Let's go.... [CRIMSON ICHOR] !!!" I brought both my hands forward and fired a giant red beam of explosive blood mist, filled with dense magicules.

"You even possess the abilities of a vampire!! HAHAHAHAHAA! You're very interesting indeed!! Bring it on!, it's been a while since these old bones have been so worked up!"

The massive beam moved at hypersonic speeds and tore through the air towards the Vampire.

*BOOOOOM*

The attack slammed into Gunther, who only lifted his hand and held it in front of him, bracing himself for the incoming beam.

A large explosion formed with Gunther at it's epicenter.

'There is no way that this attack would defeat him.... But I hope he at least takes a good amount of damage. I honestly don't have any more cards left.... My best bet is to run away and hope he'll follow me, leaving my Legion alone. But for that, I'll have to be insanely fast.....'

<Report. There is a very low probability that the individual 'Gunther' has sustained major damage. Information from the Unique Skill [Archiver] suggests that the individual 'Gunther' has an EP of over a million and is a 'True Ancestor', one of the oldest beings to populate the Cardinal World, alongside Luminous Valentine.>

'Why you gotta do me like that, [Great Sage].' I sighed hopelessly.

'I'm stuck, with no way out.... He's stronger, faster and I'm out of magicules. I can't escape since the area is under Spatial Lockdown. I don't have any powerful offensive skills to use anymore. But I HAVE to do something. I REFUSE to die like this. I HAVE to reach the top. I CAN'T go out like this..... Think Ashborne Think..... Think Think Think Think Think....What to do, What to do??...!!! I can talk to him, maybe I can get him to stop attacking..... Who am I kidding, that won't work, this is reality...' I thought as I was slowly losing all hope.

"Hahahahah... Splendid, that attack was beautiful... You managed to replicate the 'Blood Ray' Art of Vampires despite not being one yourself.... You indeed are as spectacular as Luminous-sama said you would be."

"Why are you here? Why did Luminous send you to me? How does she know who I am??" I bombarded him with questions. As I was distracting him, I informed my Legion to scatter in all directions and run away as fast as possible once I gave the signal, through [Telepathy]. I then told Coatl, who by now had at least recovered from the verge of death, to become as small as possible and hide, as he was not in the condition to move at high speeds.

I prepared myself to escape at full speed, "Are you going to tell me or not, Gunther?". As soon as I finished the sentence--

*CRACK* *ZOOM*

I blasted off in the opposite direction. As soon as I started running, all of my Legionaries also scattered and zoomed off in different directions.

I was moving extremely fast, feeling an enormous amount of wind resistance, but it wasn't enough, I needed to be faster. I started to feel extreme pain in my legs as I pushed them beyond their limits.

'COME ON!! Faster Faster FASTER!!' There was only one thing on my mind, run faster.

*BOOM*

I heard another explosion from behind me, indicating that Gunther had begun to chase me.

'How the hell is he moving so fast, SHIT.' He was quickly covering up the large distance I had managed to put between us.

'This isn't working, I need more speed, MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE. I HAVE to escape!!'

<Acknowledged. Individual 'Ashborne Pendragon' will now undergo evolution.

Unique race detected.

Finding alternative evolutionary path..... Successful.

Evolution into 'Enlightened Demonoid'...Successful>

<Confirmed. Extra Skill [Ultra Acceleration] acquired.>

'!!! That's the <VOTW>.... I evolved?? I don't have time to think, just go faster. Activate [Ultra Acceleration]'

As soon as I realized what was happening, I felt a huge surge of energy and power within me. It felt as though my body had been remade stronger.

Immediately I started speeding up beyond what I thought was even possible. I was zooming through the forest, dodging the trees and rocks, with no particular destination, just a general direction.

'Hey [Great Sage] How farther do I have to go before being able to [Soul Shift] ?'

<Received. The effects of the Spatial Lockdown end after around 800 meters. Your current speed is approximately 60 m/s or 215 km/h.>

'That means I can [Soul Shift] in about 13 seconds. I would have used [Shadow Motion] to get to the edge of the Spatial Lockdown, since I'm free to use Spatial Skills within the confines of the sealed area, I just can't access the outside. But unfortunately, the activation time for the [Shadow Motion] skill is too slow... My best bet is just to keep running until I get out of the sealed area.'

I suddenly sensed that Gunther had halted and had stopped moving entirely.

'This is my chance, I don't know why he stopped, nor do I care. Come onnnn, just a little more!'

A few more seconds passed and I was only a few hundred meters away from the edge of the Spatial Lockdown.

300m

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250m

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200m

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150m

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100m

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50m

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*CRACK* *BOOM*

"ARRRGHHHHHH!!! SHIT!!"

It felt as if a whole building had slammed into my back. I crashed into the ground and my momentum created web-like cracks.

'I'm so close!! Why now!!' I despaired.

"What was that sudden surge in speed?? I can't believe I had to use magic just to catch up to a new-born." Gunther said as he adjusted his gloves and cleaned off dust from his suit.

'What the hell is this?? All this for nothing?? Am I destined to die here??' I thought. I had lost the strength to even get up from the ground.

'I'm too weak huh??....'

'Very well. I have accepted my death, there's nothing more that I can do. I hope Coatl and the others are safe. They'll do well enough on their own, they don't need me anyway.'

I relaxed my body completely and just laid on the ground on my stomach, unmoving. But then I heard his voice again. I had lost hope.

"Do not be afraid, Ashborne. You are strong, just don't use me as a scale."

'Why is this guy suddenly consoling me?' I thought, as I turned on my back to look at him. I had trouble trying to figure out what was going on.

"I will tell what I'm here for, since you passed the test." Gunther commented.

'What is this guy talking about??' I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"A test?? A GODDAMN TEST!! I went through all of that for a test?" I yelled. It was too outrageous for me to accept.

"I SUFFERED THIS MUCH FOR A TEST!!" I yelled.

"Calm down, it was necessary, since the fate of the world depends on it. Luminous-sama ordered me to test you on 3 things.

1) Whether or not you possess an army of the dead

2) whether you would protect them as your family and the 3rd, was a test of strength. You have passed all 3." Gunther said, with a hint of relief in his voice.

"What was this test for, you're being very vague... Just spit it out old man." I replied. I had a gigantic injury on my back and I was out of patience. It was totally reasonable for me to be furious.

"It is not my place to tell you anything. Instead, I shall be giving you this." Gunther said as he summoned a bracelet into his hand. It appeared out of nowhere.

'Probably Spatial Magic.' I theorized. I was slowly calming down, trying to grab a hold of the situation.

He flicked it and it stated floating towards me. It was a fully golden bracelet with an Amethyst gem fitted on it. I grabbed it and slowly put it on.

'I don't care if it'd trapped or not, since Gunther has no reason to try to hurt me in this way. He can easily kill me whenever he wants.' It was a hard thing to accept, but it was true.

As soon as it touched my wrist, it started glowing a bright purple. It morphed to perfectly fit my wrist and cover almost half my forearm.

<Report. An intrusion on your mind is detected. Attempting to stop it... Failed. Attempting to stop it... Failed. Attempting to stop it... Failed. Attempting to stop it... Failed. Attempting to stop it... Failed.>

*WHOOSH*

My vision was suddenly filled with a bright light.

'Wha-what is going on??' The light slowly subsided...

'Where am I!!?' I was in a completely different place, everything was white.

The walls, the ground, the ceiling, everything was totally white. As I was checking out the surroundings to get a hold on the situation--

A figure slightly shorter than me slammed into my body and pulled me into a hug.

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"It's been so long Ashborne-sama. I'm so glad to see you." The voice spoke in a teary voice.

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A/N: The sixth chapter is here!! This was my first time writing a fight scene. How was it?? I hope I didn't mess it up. The plot is finally starting to take shape. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and enjoy the next few ones.

Warning - The next chapter will be kind of an info. dump, but also ESSENTIAL to the plot, be sure to read it.

Drop some Power stones guys, its good motivation.