[Beep! Royal Guard Cazan is dead!]
The moment the AI Chip’s voice echoed in his mind, Vlad froze, and everything else faded. Images of Cazan, the young and wild man he had fought alongside, flashed through his mind. They had met by chance but had forged a bond through countless battles, a bond deeper than mere friendship.
To Vlad, his Royal Guards were more than protectors; they were family. And now, his brother was gone.
As those memories surged through him, a potent emotion rose from the depths of his soul, transforming the calm waters of his Sea of Consciousness into a raging storm. His Depravity of Wrath Heritage activated the power of I am Wrath, generating dark red streams of force that emanated from his figure, converting his grief and fury into raw, unbridled power.
[Beep! The Host’s emotional state has reached a dangerous level!
Wrath in the Host’s soul has reached a critical point!
Depravity Ability: I Am Wrath is evolving!
-The ability draws on the Host’s pain and anger, converting it into raw power that amplifies their combat effectiveness.
-The ability now overrides the body’s natural response to injury, enabling the Host to push beyond their normal limits at the cost of their vitality.
The energy surge depletes the user’s vital essence, causing potential long-term health issues or even premature death if sustained for long periods.]
Vlad’s mind was a maelstrom of hatred and rage, too consumed to register the AI Chip’s warnings. He felt an immense power rising within him, a power that threatened to consume his life force, but he did not resist, more than willing to use his vitality to obtain his revenge. He channeled all his fury and pain into this newfound strength.
The old man in the northern walls of the Strong Hammer Military Base frowned as he saw his target survive once more. Coldness appeared in his eyes as he prepared to send a new Holy Spell, but he stopped when he saw how dangerously low his energy pool was.
The Sacred Dragon and Purifying Javelin were extremely powerful spells that could have taken down even High Champion, but they also consumed a massive amount of energy.
Just as the old man was deciding what his next move would be, he saw the forces of the Azarin Empire that had been massacring the city now were dashing toward his position.
Most of the Warriors marching were not elite soldiers in black armor, but there were thousands of them, and the fanatic light in their eyes made it clear they were fervent soldiers who would not stop at anything to kill.
The old man struck the ground with his scepter, causing the white energy to flood the area, pushing the flames away. "Warriors of the Azarin Empire, kill the filth and cleanse this world!"
The fanatical light in the eyes of the soldiers of the Azarin Empire burst as they heard the old man’s words, and thousands of them crossed the path of white light as they marched toward Vlad and the wounded Royal Guards.
’They will be more than enough to take care of those people, given their wounds,’ A cold smile appeared on the old man as he was sure those clothes would rid the group of peace.
Yet, the next second, the old man’s body froze as he saw the young man he had intended to kill turn toward him with black eyes devoid of mercy and full of brutality.
A feeling of terror assaulted the old man as he saw those eyes, and his instincts screamed, urging him to run. He immediately shook his head, with disdain appearing in his eyes. "Hmph, that monkey can barely stand. How could he pose a threat to me?"
The old man muttered those words aloud, trying to reassure himself, but then he watched in shock as the young man, who should barely be able to move, stood up, and a burst of dark red energy emerged from his body.
[Beep! I Am Wrath has evolved into Heart of Wrath!]
Vlad rose from the ground, his body and energy pool growing more potent than ever before, his entire existence radiating with wrathful energy. His body grew larger, soon reaching two meters, making his armor crack under the pressure.
Vlad’s figure and energy pool rose rapidly, and as he saw the thousands of warriors marching out of the gates, he took a deep breath.
"ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!" Vlad erupted with a monstrous roar made of dark red sound waves, not just an expression of his rage but a powerful spirit attack that extended in all directions!
The warriors who had marched forward like fearless killing machines froze as the dark red sound waves reached them. A sense of utter terror flooded their minds, and those too weak to resist fell to their knees with horror on their faces.
The horror of some did not last long as Vlad flashed forward the next second, his blades moving like a reaper’s scythes, cutting bodies and armor, leaving a trail of blood and dismembered bodies in his path as he destroyed everything between him and his goal.
Shock and terror arose in the old man’s eyes as he saw how a single person was cutting through the warriors of the Azarin Empire as if they were made of paper. The whole time, those wrathful eyes never broke focus on him.
"What are you doing? Attack!" The fear in the old man’s voice shattered his arrogant demeanor, and he shouted toward the warriors, "Do not let him get near. This is an order from the Goddess!"
The warriors knew marching toward the monster was the same as dying, but when the old man mentioned the Goddess, all their fear and hesitation faded, and they charged forward like madmen, ready to die as martyrs.
Vlad’s murderous eyes and wrathful energy kept pushing him forward. No matter how tired he became or if his muscles tore apart, the Heart of Wrath would allow him to keep fighting!