Rearing Demons
Chapter 133: Sudden Attack

Chapter 133: Sudden Attack

Yur reappeared in front of the obelisk. Glancing down, he discovered a new black tattoo emblazoned on his shoulders and chest; a pattern of countless small runes arranged in an extremely mysterious design that defied his understanding.

"So, this is the Star-Eclipsed Brand?" he murmured.

As he stared at the mark, an odd aura suddenly emanated from above. Looking upward, he saw something entirely new, a unique, celestial entity.

When did that black star appear? Hidden in the heavens, almost imperceptible, a flaming black star sat alone in the sky—dull and secretive. Despite its distance, Yur could see it with startling clarity, as if it were right beside him.

[Warning! Warning!]

[Host has been linked to Vael’Sythuun; The Star that Devours Light!]

"Vael’Sythuun?" Yur asked, his tone mixed with curiosity and apprehension as he studied the solitary black star. It hung in isolation like a black hole, its gravitational pull bending and slowly devouring the surrounding light.

The sight was mysterious, and to Yur it was fascinating above all else.

He felt an inexplicable connection to it—as if he could reach out and touch it—and he was convinced it would not harm him.

[As a True Seeker, an Eclipsed Star is branded to the Host, linking to the Host through blood and essence!]

|————————————————————|

Vael’Sythuun; The Star that Devours Light

A forbidden star of Glythoria! Said to be the very first star ever to fall, yet it has never truly landed!

It consumes other stars slowly, burning their light and assimilating it as its own!

|————————————————————|

Reading its description, a small smirk crept onto Yur’s face. "To think I would receive something so powerful yet so despised," he mused.

Although it appeared immensely potent, Yur was certain that possessing such a star would inevitably attract numerous enemies.

Obstacles plagued him at every turn, his ascent to freedom seemed destined to become a thorn in the world’s side. He glared around at his surroundings.

[Host should be careful! A True Seeker has many enemies, including other True Seekers! Beware!]

Inwardly, he nodded, his determination to rank up growing ever more important. As he scanned the area, he noticed that the once-treacherous ground beneath his feet had become smooth, the scorching sensation having vanished.

Taking a cautious step forward, he began moving back toward familiar territory. It appeared that little time had passed, judging by the languid pace exuded by Sularin.

Approaching the creature—a loyal companion—Yur gave its head a rough pat. "Sularin, continue to take me toward areas filled with Glythari," he instructed.

He had already gathered a few new ones, marking some progress. Though he knew the journey would be long, the faster they moved, the better.

Rising from the ground, Sularin sniffed the air before pushing off with its hind legs and launching itself back into the forest, heading in the direction of the distant volcano. Yur then produced the Ashen Grasp and wrapped it around himself and Sularin, securing his stance.

————————————————————————

As the duo journeyed through the forest for hours, Yur noted that the volcano still seemed impossibly distant. Even with their incredible speed, they had not closed the gap significantly.

A frown creased Yur’s face, but as he steadied himself, he sensed the air begin to sizzle lightly. Sularin, however, remained oblivious to this subtle change.

Looking around, Yur spotted a faint golden star in the sky, something new, something different. Yet, as he regarded the star, a trace of anger welled up within him, mingling with a vague sense of recognition that he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

He could only stare at the star, his gaze filled with annoyance and fury.

[Warning!]

[Incoming Enemy!]

The moment he heard the warning, Yur swiftly extended one end of the Ashen Grasp, wrapping it around a large tree. With a sudden, forceful yank, both Sularin and he were yanked away from their position.

BOOM!!

No sooner had they left their original spot than a flaming explosion erupted where they had been standing.

The flames blazed in brilliant golden hues, intermingled with wisps of red and orange.

Quickly, Yur unwrapped the Ashen Grasp from around Sularin and the tree, then snapped it around his own arm. "So, we have a True Seeker?" a commanding voice echoed from behind the swirling dust, a voice that carried undeniable power.

[Rank 5 Being Detected!]

Yur frowned. Although he was formidable in his own right, even among rank-five beings, if his opponent were as strong as someone like Celis, his chances of victory were slim.

As he continued to focus on the shadowy figure of a man emerging from the haze, he began to hear the sound of crackling energy.

"You smell... new," the voice sneered. "Such a young True Seeker. So weak; merely at the third rank? That is no concern."

Before long, a humanoid figure emerged from the dust. Its hair, resembling delicate crystals, cascaded from its head; above, a golden halo shimmered, and large white, feathered wings spread majestically from its back. The being’s eyes glowed a rich golden hue, its skin a soft peach color.

Golden tattoos adorned its chest; although they bore a resemblance to the intricate, rune-like markings on Yur’s own body, they were far more legible, a clarity that Yur, with all his knowledge, found strikingly different from the mysterious and cryptic runes etched into his skin.

Yur fixed his gaze on the man, his mind not yet ready to inquire further. Instead, without warning, the man attacked, striking out without any apparent reason.

He was a threat, someone to be eliminated, though Yur intended to gather information once he had the man subdued beneath his feet!

The two adversaries locked eyes before Yur sprang into action.

His feet pushed off the ground, and the Ashen Grasp around him expanded rapidly, lashing out at the intruder in the blink of an eye.

The winged man swiftly punched aside the emerging chains, his face breaking into a wild smile.

"You don’t waste any time! I like that!" he exclaimed, his wings unfurling as he propelled himself toward Yur.

Ritual of Withering Chains!

Yur intoned, and with an internal chant, hundreds of chains erupted from him, lashing out toward the winged assailant.

Yet Yur did not hesitate—

While the chains hurtled toward his foe, the Ashen Grasp soared through the air, launching a surprise attack from behind.

The winged man’s smile widened at the onslaught.

"Haha! For such a weak person, you are not entirely bad!"

Using his wings, he cocooned himself, and the chains quickly ensnared him.

Even the Ashen Grasp became entangled in the struggle. Utilizing its ability to expand infinitely, Yur wound the chains around the winged man hundreds of times, while the Ritual of Withered Flames joined the relentless encroachment.

But that was not all!

Placing his palms firmly on the ground, searing cracks erupted, snaking their way toward the foe.

BOOOOOM!

A tremendous explosion erupted where the man stood, and a maniacal laughter rang out from within the crackling dust.

Yur then unleashed hundreds of spectral figures toward the winged man.

These spectres, like ghostly fireflies, soared through the dust cloud.

"What can these little ghosts do?!" the winged man mocked, his voice dripping with scorn as he failed to take the spectres seriously.

Yur withdrew the Ashen Grasp slightly, sensing that it had loosened its hold.

The chains began to contract, yet he noticed the winged man gripping the end of the chains, using them as leverage to boost himself toward Yur.

With a powerful punch, the enemy blasted Yur toward the trees, the force causing trees to splinter and break in half.

"Bastard!" enraged, Yur dug his claws into the ground, slowing the forceful push.

The Ashen Grasp—nearly indestructible—remained a weapon he was still unaccustomed to. Though he could wield other weapons, Yur knew that relying on anything but the Ashen Grasp would be his undoing; it was forged within him, an extension of his very being.

As he steadied himself, a golden-white light streaked toward him.

Moving his hands in front of his body, Yur felt the blazing flames suddenly scorch his flesh.

Incineration!

His own black flames erupted, clashing with and ultimately devouring the golden-white flames.

"Oh, those are some interesting flames, little True Seeker," came the scornful voice as the winged man reappeared from behind the shattered trees. He smirked at Yur, his eyes gleaming with predatory delight. "Once I kill you, I will steal your Star-Eclipse Brand, and thus officially become a True Seeker!"

"Hmph!" Yur snorted, his glare burning with fury. "Come then."

Yur beckoned him closer, wrapping the Ashen Grasp in the incineration flames along with his own body.

Locking eyes with the man, he blinked, and then the attack commenced!

Fists met fists in a brutal clash that shattered trees and sent fragments flying.

The very ground seemed to sink with every impact.

Though gravity still held its relentless pull, Yur had grown accustomed to its weight, and the combat soon escalated into the air.

Despite the winged man’s superior aerial speed, Yur’s extraordinary strength and the unyielding nature of the Ashen Grasp held firm.

The chains coiled around the winged man’s waist, throwing him forcefully to the ground.

As Yur also fell from the air, he delivered a devastating drop kick to the man’s stomach.

"AGH!"

The enemy bled profusely as he crumpled.

Raising his flaming claws, Yur aimed a downward strike, but the winged man braced himself with his own arms as the first line of defense.

Yur’s claws pierced through the enemy’s arms with alarming ease, though the assault halted there.

Blood trickled from the winged man’s mouth, yet he managed to maintain a defiant smile.

"Fuck off!" he roared as his shredded arms suddenly erupted with a brilliant golden light.

Seeing the display, Yur retracted his claws and flapped his wings to retreat momentarily. But even then, the golden flames snaked toward him in a desperate attempt to counterattack.

"Weak flames," Yur remarked coolly, watching as his incineration flames completely engulfed the golden ones.

The winged man scowled, and as he rose from the ground, he drew forth a massive weapon; a hammer twice his size that he wielded with apparent ease.

"Die!" he bellowed, leaping from tree to tree as the enormous hammer hurtled toward Yur.

Uncertain from which direction the next assault would come, Yur quickly enveloped himself in the protective cocoon of the Ashen Grasp.

As he shielded his body, a tremendous force suddenly assailed the chains, propelling Yur into the air once more.

Fortunately, the chains absorbed much of the impact, allowing him to regain his footing with relative ease.

Stumbling to his feet, spitting copious amounts of blood onto the ground in a deliberate display, Yur then began to trace a particular ritual with his own blood.

It was a rune designed to summon all nearby Glythari.

"Come!" he growled, and instantly, hundreds—no, thousands—of bright fireflies converged toward him.

The winged man, now uncertain of the unfolding events, realized that he had to put a stop to this newfound threat.

Yur had already demonstrated prowess equal to his own; any additional advantage could be fatal.

"Not so fast!" the enemy shouted, darting like lightning toward Yur.

With all the Glythari swirling around him, Yur clapped his hands together.

The resounding clap unleashed a force that caused the gathered Glythari to explode on the spot, their blood lingering mysteriously in the air.

The winged man reappeared briefly, but Yur swiftly ensnared his leg with the Ashen Grasp, hurling him violently toward a nearby tree.

"Now then!" With blood floating around him, Yur closed his eyes as a vast glyph materialized in the center of the sky.

Others might have missed it, but Yur noticed a black star shimmering with an intense, bright black light.

Simultaneously, the rune in the sky began to pulse and shimmer. The star is amplifying my ritual! he thought, a small smirk forming on his face.

Ritual of Maw’s Embrace!

ARATATATA

With an agonized shriek from within, all the blood of the Glythari converged, coalescing into a massive, ominous entity in the sky.

This ritual required neither demons nor humans, it needed only the sacrifice of bodies.

The blood melded together until, suddenly, a gaping mouth with razor-sharp teeth emerged.

Yur stared in awe at the runes that adorned its body and the black tattoos that eerily resembled the ones on his own flesh.

RAR ARAR RIRIR

An ear-splitting shriek reverberated as the monstrous entity launched itself toward the winged man.

"AH!!"

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