A powerful attack surpassing the bound of a low rank 2 struck without warning.
Rakz’s senses screamed, his divine power of Order activating instinctively. But with the same instinct, he also knew that it wouldn’t be enough to save his life.
This attack looked simple but it was highly loaded with the power of chaos, death and soul.
Chaos to dissolve his order shield while soul would weaken him greatly as death finished him off.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
For a brief moment, Rakz thought he died. But seeing the illuminating barriers around him, he realized he’d been saved by the precious treasures.
"You bastard!" Rakz noticed Varian’s clone running away and chased after it.
He wouldn’t have such confidence after seeing that incredible attack. But after realizing that he’s overflowing with so many offensive and defensive treasures, he genuinely believed he could kill Varian.
Ophion frowned but remained within the protective formation. He even wondered if it’s actually Varian or was it Hades in disguise.
’I have to be more careful.’ Instead of coming out, he pulled out a few more defensive treasures and enforced the barrier.
Hades aura grew agitated for a moment but didn’t chase after the clone that rushed out of the Silver city.
Varian didn’t waste a moment and rushed to the information crystal. With a bang, the barrier shattered and the slip was at his finger tips.
"Got you!"
The entire palace stilled for a moment before powerful defensive formations activated and a powerful space array lit up.
The information crystal vanished an inch away from his fingers and an overwhelming pressure befell Varian, crushing him to the floor.
Ophion paled and he pulled out a formation key. The formations within the treasury activated and he vanished, just like that.
Hades was still in the throne hall, but his aura was quickly stabilizing.
"Impressive stealth, but once you made a move in my palace, you can’t escape my watch."
Hades’ voice was like chalks scratching against board.
More and more defensive formations were being activated, putting great pressure on him.
Varian wanted to teleport right away but space was blocked.
(The throne gave him full authority over the palace!)
[Varian, hurry up!]
The slivers cooperated and Varian was trying his best to break out. But it’s not working.
(A weakness! The space blockade is enforced by thousands of space beast cores locked inside a painting outside the treasury! Destroy it and the space will loosen!)
Varian called his clone back but Hades also activated a blockade around the Palace.
Most of these formations were destroyed by Hades themselves. Yet, they could still delay even a mid rank 2s from getting in.
The clone was barely a mid rank 2. It can’t come in quickly.
’Damn it!’
Varian condensed the power of chaos and prepared to send it out. Despite all the blockades, it could reach the painting in two seconds.
(He’ll be here in one second!)
"Varian." Hades’ aura stabilized. "Meet your death!"
Boom!
A powerful life force struck the painting, ripping it to shreds. The space inside was revealed. Thousands of space beast cores were forced into a formation, their power extracted to run this space blockade.
The life force destroyed them in an instant and the space blockade loosened all of a sudden.
Varian was surprised by the turn of events. So was Hades.
"Asherah!" He erupted into fury and the whole palace trembled.
Pale faced, Asherah prepared herself for death as she yelled at the shocked Varian. "Hurry! Take care of Genesis!"
To think she’d risk her life for him...
Varian didn’t delay opened a space crack.
"No, you’re not leaving." Hades activated the formations all over the city.
Varian couldn’t break them quickly. But using his chaos powers to find a find a way out was possible.
Thankfully, most of them were already damaged, else even a high rank 2 would’ve been locked up like a caged animal.
Crack!
Varian vanished and a powerful space force also enveloped Asherah. He sent her in the opposite direction.
’Huh?’
He was supposed to cross a quarter of the galaxy but only reached the outskirts of the city.
Hades appeared almost the next moment and Varian was already halfway into the space crack.
"Do you not want this?"
A crystal appeared in the hands of the Undead King.
Varian stiffened but didn’t even pause for a moment.
Right after he vanished, a powerful death curse drowned the area he was standing at, enough to kill a hundred mid rank 2s.
"I locked you! You can’t escape!" Hades’ eyes burned with green flames as he used the power of the palace.
The palace vanished and took its master with it.
Varian appeared at the entrance of Nexus, panting heavily as the scent of death lingered on his body.
He only brushed against the power, yet he was already feeling weak.
[You let him mark you.] Logos said. [This is dangerous. I’ll remove the mark.]
’No. Let him follow. I need the crystal.’ Varian teleported again. He knew he had no chance against a high rank 2 in his state.
A direct fight was just suicidal.
He needed the crystal. And Hades needed to kill him. Both had their needs.
If Hades actually knew he needed it to save Aurora and that he’d do anything to save her, things would’ve been very, very dangerous.
All Hades had to do was sit in the palace and wait for Varian to take the crystal.
And Varian would risk it all.
Thankfully, Hades didn’t know. This information asymmetry gave him a huge advantage.
It allowed him to choose his own venue of fighting.
’A place which boosts me and suppresses Hades.’
There were only three options to choose from.
Hortus was the most natural. But it’s too weak to suppress a high rank 2.
The Spiral would boost him, the owner, but wouldn’t suppress Hades much.
That left...
’Nirvana’.
Varian appeared in the forbidden region of life and death. As its master, he quickly boosted himself to the highest while turning on suppression for Undead.
The God Emperor’s Palace appeared just seconds later. Varian quickly used the power of the region and imposed his will on the palace.
The region couldn’t attack or destroy, but it could disable the formations.
Hades hesitated for a moment, realizing this was Varian’s turf. There was as a second thought in his mind.
’Maybe I should search for some treasures in the treasury which can remove this suppression?’
Varian quietly took out the slivers of life and death.
"Y-You! They gave you the slivers?!"
All rationality in Hades vanished and like a mad beast, he rushed in.
"They are mine!"