Chapter 185: Multiple Layers of Complexity

Annibell and Reslan stood in front of twenty Horned students while thousands of Archelon Zombies marched towards them.

However, rather than feeling afraid, they were rather surprised. It seemed that a powerful expert had intervened and destroyed some of the Archelon Zombies. Whereas before, they had almost no confidence in beating the massive army, they were somewhat calmer now.

Annibell turned to face Kreal, the Aresoul Magician standing next to her, and sighed before pointing to a small cart in the distance. A man laying in a white bed was underneath a set of linens with an extremely disturbed look on his face.

Annibell and Reslan had found Nellon's body in rather bad shape after Founder Arista left, and did their best to nurture him back to full health. However, he still hadn't returned to himself. Whatever Founder Arista had tried, had helped him only so much. Even with all her powerful knowledge of healing techniques, Nellon was basically a shell of his former self. Yet seeing this, Kreal seemed to almost instantly burst with happiness.

"Ha, you're going to regret giving me my best student back," Kreal snickered before he waved his hand at the Aresoul Brigade's members behind him, indicating for them to get ready for battle. "However, we have word of what happened further up ahead. Apparently, Gravanal intervened. Do you remember the stories about that old treacherous man?"

"You mean the one that betrayed the Varlen?" Anibell said, nodding her head in understanding. "I remember… He made his wife fall in love with the King of the Varlen in order to attempt to assassinate him. That was back when the three Varlen Nations were united right? Before the other two ventured into the Jarkalon Abyss?"

"Right," Kreal nodded his head, "However, his wife ended up falling in love with the King of the Varlen, and afterwards betrayed Gravanal and set up an array that limited him to 100 kilomters of where they had married. It was right on that rock over there, that she stayed with him for the night, and in the morning used his own blood to form a seal array."

"You know.. Part of that story doesn't make sense to me," Reslan said while the thousands of Archelon Zombies started to grow larger in his eyes. "He has the ability Dream Eyes, right? If he could see his wife's dreams, how could she have trapped him?"

"Maybe there is more to what happened with Gravanal than we can figure out," Kreal sighed, and held up his hand, before his army began to open their Ki Doors. "However, I'm guessing something the Night Lords must have done pissed him off. We're lucky too, because he seems to have kept the Night Lords back. We've spotted three of them, and only one are coming towards our position."

"Three Night Lords working together?" Annibell looked over at Monica and waved her over, "Monica, I thought… I thought you only spotted one?"

"They planned this a long time ago," Kreal pointed behind them, a few of his scouts dripping with sweat and blood. "They hid two sets of troops on various sides of this mountain. Once again, a reminder, that you can never underestimate a Night Lord!"

###

Oclen took a deep breath and wandered through Jarlon Valley looking for a specific type of Authoritarian that he'd sensed quite a few days ago.

The Arthraku had the ability to distinguish what types of Authoritarians were around them because of their ability to distinguish Ki. This was called Ki Searching in their schools, and basically allowed them to pull information out of Ki in order to distinguish its abilities.

One Authoritarian he happened to sense seemed to have the ability to create a small alternate space it could hide in. Obviously, with his three brothers coming to kill him, he figured this would be an extremely useful ability. In fact, if the elders in Arthraku Nation knew about this, they'd probably try and catch every single one of these Authoritarians and hunt them to near extinction!

'Such a strange feeling. Is that Howard Ki? I'm guessing he's well surpassed Annibell and Reslan now,' Oclen felt a powerful explosion of Ki, and trembled while wandering into the jungle like terrain.

A few large silver spotted Authoritarians seemed wary of him and let him pass. He wandered passed the foliage of a few large sprouting trees and finally saw a strangely tall Authoritarian standing in the center of a clearing. Thousands of green trees branched out around it while it's golden eyes just seemed to be staring straight at Oclen.

He was shocked.

It seemed to be waiting for him to approach it! Suddenly, its ki seemed to soar!

'I-I thought it was a maximum in the A rank, but it's definitely in the S rank! It's been goating me on this entire time! What the hell is that thing?' 

'I thought-I thought I studied all Authoritarian types, which include things like Horned Authoritarians, and Strength Authoritarians, but this one I can't recognie a single feature! What teh hell is it!'

"I've been looking for you, Oclen," The large Authoritarian smiled and then pointed at the space in front of him. "I've seen your fate, and would like to offer you to change it. In exchange, I ask you to save my master from Harkel's side. Only you will be able to do it?"

"Master? What are you talking about?" Oclen immediately swung out his arm and transformed into the Eighteen Eyed Juggernaut. His large fleshy body sprouted upwards while his eighteen dark eyes glimered with rage. "I-I'm sorry, but I came here to kill you. Your ability is much too rare, and precious."

"I've been waiting for you to kill me," The large Authoritarian laughed, "However, I'm not the easiest Authoritarian to fight. You attack me without accepting my request, and I guarantee you that not only will you not win against me, but your brothers will slaughter you in 30 minutes."

"How-how would you know that? Enough nonsense!" Oclen's Ki began to surge around his body with Earth Ki and Ice Ki beginning to gather around his skin. It seemed his large muscular frame almost seemed to sprout two wings of the two elements the Juggernaut could control. He seemed so powerful, but his trepidation could be felt in his movements. "I-I'm more than strong enough to kill you without promises!"

"I've been waiting for an Arthraku for hundreds of years." The Authoritarian named Paslee said, and pointed at Oclen's head. "One that can get by Harkel and destroy the array's he has keeping my master in place for four extra years. I-I see Howard growing too strong by then, and posing too much of a threat! However, if you get him out early, hahaha! The entire Furance can be ruled by you with my master at your side! Isn't that what you always wanted?"

'This-this Authoritarian is insane,' Oclen shook his head, "I-I don't want to rule the Furnace, all I want is to stop my father from destroying it."

'But�� your father will succeed if you don't' do what I say," Paslee smiled, "Your father, in the various paths I've seen in my multiple lives endless destruction of the Furnace. I've seen you die thousands of times! However, this one time, I see a way for you to live! If you promise to free my master, I promise that this life you will be a king! All women that you ever thirsted for will beg for you to court them! All you have to do is free my master!"

"I-I will hear what you have to say," Oclen sighed and turned back into his human form. "However, first, tell me what your damn ability is! Why do you seem like you've seen this all before!"

"I possess the ability to enter into alternate space," Paslee smiled and snapped his fingers. "I can't go into the future, if that's what you think, but I can set up an alternate space in alternate dimensions! Ha, I've seen you die thousands of times in different lands! And it's always because of one reason! It's because your father is too much smarter than you, hahaha! However, I know what you're going to do. You're going to turn me down, and then die by your brothers hand. It's a shame that they're so much stronger than you, Oclen. It looks like that little mommy's boy never grew up, hahaha!"

"Pain in the ass," Oclen sighed and sat down with his legs crossed, "I'll give you three minutes to try and change my mind, and then I'm leaving you here. However, I promise you this, there is no way my brothers can kill me!"

###

Meanwhile,

Howard activated Fire King Sprint and rushed into a large swath of Archelon Zombies. They had fused with the Granite Fist Zombies and looked extremely terrifying. With the two of them fused with the other zombies, they were at least in the middle stages of the A rank!

Howard calmed himself and slightly activated his Silver Ki Heart before his speed seemed to massively increase. Two silver flames appeared in the center of his hand while thousands of hands shot towards him.

Holding out his hand, a large silver flame shot into the air and formed a small circle before the thousands of fists attacking him seemed to disappear into dust.

Yet turning behind him, a large Archelon Zombie jumped up and slammed its hands towards him. He could only duck and role away before a large boulder next to him shattered into bits.

'This-this is insane! I can barely kill one hundred! How can I kill 30,000?" Howard sent a scorching right jab full of his ki into a nearby Archelon Zombie before it shattered and shot into the distance. 

Two more appraoched him from the left and right side before he spun and created a fire tornado of Ki that instantly dismbembered the zombies approaching him. However, as soon as that happened, thousands of more attacks appeared through the cloud of rising sand!

Boom!

Howard got sent like a missile into the distance while Gravanal clapped.

'Not bad kid. I was kind of expecting you to die in a minute.��� Gravanal sighed and looked into the West. "It's too bad that you have so much potential. I-I almost feel bad about what I'm going to make you do, hahaha, but not today! Not when I finally see a road to revenge in front of me, hahaha! Keep up the good work, Howard! Your potential is terrifying! I can't wait to sharpen you into the finest blade and then use you to stab that bastard in the back!"