CHAPTER 88: | THE DESTRUCTION OF ATLANTIS | 9
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? Empire of Atlantis — Elra Casino — Sacred Earth Dome ?
The stale, coppery scent of blood filled the air, a familiar perfume in the enclosed Sacred Earth Dome that I made in the Elra Casino.
This was the place where the two heirs of the Seashore clan were killed, and where Liam, the disillusioned heir of a clan I couldn't be bothered to remember, also met his end.
I lounged on the blood-soaked, king-sized bed, as a pink cuff resting beside me.
I picked it up, fiddled with it, and a low chuckle rumbled in my chest.
"Who should I cuff? Me or me?"
I was curious what would happen if I cuffed myself.
Would I feel the thrill of those who enjoy the BDSM kink, or perhaps nothing at all?
For now, let's check my status window.
I wanted to see if there was anything of interest to devour, since I had successfully received the notifications of my authority devouring them.
After all, what can I say but 'successfully devour?'
Since all of them were a sovereign, even Liam, a self-centered, delusional bastard.
He was still a sovereign, after all.
"But... for now, let's look at the skills."
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[Aubrey Profile]
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[Demonic Core]
? Crimson Envy Core
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[Passive Skills]
? Alluring Presence
? Noble Charisma
? Crimson Mana Veins
? Predator’s Instinct
? Aura of Temptation
? Seraphine Bloodline Supremacy
? Emotional Manipulation
? Mana Efficiency
? Will of the Noble Heir
? Hunter’s Intuition
? Crimson Fleetfoot
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[Active Skills]
? Crimson Chains of Subjugation
? Kiss of Envy
? Mana Drain Embrace
? Noble Glamour
? Scarlet Seduction Gaze
? Phantom Caress
? Envy’s Whisper
? Shackles of Desire
? Crimson Pursuit
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[Ascension Skills]
? Crimson Envy Domain
? Scarlet Throne of Lust
? Flesh Marionette
? Corrupted Seraphine Form
? Aura of Absolute Subjugation
? Envy Incarnate
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[Liam: Profile]
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[Demonic Core]
? Tempest Tyrant Core
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[Passive Skills]
? Storm-Forged Body
? Wind Affinity
? Mana Reserves Expansion
? Battle Trance
? Storm Sense
? Regenerative Winds
? Aerial Supremacy
? Tempest Immunity
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[Active Skills]
? Storm Barricade
? Cyclone Spear Manifestation
? Gale Dash
? Cutting Tempest Blades
? Thunderstorm Volley
? Vacuum Collapse
? Roaring Sky Cannon
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[Ascension Skills]
? Eternal Tempest Domain
? Storm Devourer
? Tyrant’s Eye of the Storm
? Sovereign’s Stormbreaker
? Skyquake Howl
? Tempest Colossus Manifestation
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[Keshlock: Profile]
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[Demonic Core]
? Flowing Martial Core
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This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
[Passive Skills]
? Higher Water Mastery
? Greater Wind Mastery
? Martial Artist’s Physique
? Flow State
? Mana Conduction Breath
? Elemental Bond
? Fluid Motion Control
? Adaptive Counterstance
? Battle Instinct Harmony
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[Active Skills]
? Aqua Blade Strike
? Sylphid Gale Palm
? Whirlpool Grip
? Torrent Fist
? Tempest Step
? Martial Guard Flow
? Crushing Tide Sweep
? Spiral Lance Kick
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[Ascension Skills]
? River Dragon Kata
? Eternal Flow Martial Form
? Sylphid’s Coalescence
? Sylphid Summoning
? Ocean’s Embrace Barrier
? Roaring Cascade Breaker
? Flowing Heaven Palm
? Gale-Tide Body Unison
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"Impressive. To think that these primitive fools could create such concepts."
I couldn't help but praise the heaven-sent minds that had created, shaped, and formed these concepts, which were now becoming mine.
I looked over Aubrey’s profile, pondering which skills I should acquire.
Should I go for [Flesh Marionette] or [Envy Incarnate]?
Just hearing their names alone gave me an idea of what kind of skills they were.
[Flesh Marionette] was an auxiliary skill that could be used to manipulate the minds of those weaker than me, gaining slaves without the hassle of sharing my power through conversion.
It was a perfect method for gathering intelligence and infiltrating an enemy's home.
[Envy Incarnate], on the other hand, was a transformative skill that allowed me to gain power through the strength of my envy.
But there was a glaring problem, I didn't envy anything in the slightest.
So, it was a no-go.
It's settled then.
I'll take [Flesh Marionette], though I don't know if it's an Ascension I or X.
My authority is too weak to glean that kind of information.
"...!"
A smirk formed on my lips.
I found something of value from Liam's Ascension skills.
And it was nome other than the [Tyrant’s Eye of the Storm].
It was highly likely an 'Ascension I' since most would ignore an eye-related skill and focus on those that bring immediate firepower, just like Liam, the fool.
Then I'll use it as an ingredient to fuse with my [Gaze of the Fallen].
I guess that's settled.
Then that leaves only Keshlock.
I stroked my chin as I pondered whether I should take a [Water Mastery], a [Wind Mastery], or maybe some Ascension skills like [Sylphid Summoning] to summon an elemental.
"Hmm... all three options are quite good, if I do say so myself... but summoning an elemental is a tempting offer at this stage."
So what should I pick?
The mastery or the summoning?
I pondered the difficult options before me.
Encountering an elemental mastery was rare, and elemental summoning even more so. What should I pick?
I sighed, then pressed yes.
My choice was [Sylphid Summoning], as it would be a waste to just ignore it.
---
[You have successfully devoured a Skill.]
[You have gained.]
? Flesh Marionette [Ascension III]
? Sylphid Summoning [III]
? Tyrant's Eye of the Storm [I]
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[Grotesque Physique would like to devour the skill]
? Flesh Marionette [Ascension III]
? Sylphid Summoning [Ascension III]
? Tyrant's Eye of the Storm [Ascension I]
[Yes] / [No]
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Flesh Marionette [Ascension III]
A forbidden mastery of blood and soul manipulation that allows the user to thread mana into a fallen body, puppeteering it like a grotesque doll. Unlike necromancy, the target retains fragments of instinct, making its movements unnervingly lifelike. At higher levels, multiple marionettes can be controlled simultaneously, forming an army of unwilling vessels.
Sylphid Summoning [Ascension III]
A soul-bonded invocation that calls forth Sylphid, the elemental spirit of wind, into the material plane. When summoned, Sylphid fights alongside the user, amplifying their wind affinity and lending ethereal strikes that flow with seamless harmony. The bond is symbiotic—Sylphid’s strength is drawn from the summoner’s core, while her presence sharpens the summoner’s martial techniques beyond mortal limits.
Tyrant’s Eye of the Storm [Ascension II]
The embodiment of absolute control over chaos, this skill manifests the calm eye of a superstorm around the caster. Within this tranquil zone, the user becomes untouchable—barriers solidify, projectiles are diverted, and all hostile energies are forced outward into the raging tempest beyond. It is both a declaration of sovereignty and a prison of storms, embodying the arrogance of one who stands untouched while the world breaks around them.
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'Well, it was just as I... ummm... expected... yeah just as I had expected, the 'Tyrant's Eye of the Storm' was an 'Ascension II.''
But I was surprised that a retard would have an eye-related skill when it was just a skill that summoned the eye of the storm to wreak havoc on the surroundings.
What a fool I was for trusting the skill name, thinking I would have obtained an eye that could summon a storm.
'Fuck this bastard... haaa.'
Forget it.
I could still use it as an ingredient to elevate my 'Torrent of Extinction' to the next level.
Still, it was a pity, as I needed to wait until I could gain the two ingredients to elevate my 'Gaze of the Fallen.'
A pity, indeed...
"!!!"
My senses felt danger just hanging above me.
I closed my eyes to see what it was, as I used my field of perception to see what the threat was, only to find a huge ass trident made of water descending from tens of meters above.
A smirk formed on my lips.
But before I could prepare for any countermeasures it vanished and reappeared inches away from my dome.
I couldn't help but sigh.
"Here we go again."
The sound of it slicing through the currents was the last warning I got before it slammed into my defenses.
I braced for the impact, meeting my fate head-on.
The moment it crashed, an intense pain then shot through my entire body.
I felt it on a molecular level as my body broke from the impact the trident had sent to my dome.
CRASH!
I sighed at the intense pain racking my body.
I knew that if I took another hit, death would be my only salvation.
'But fuck that.'
I stood, feeling my core was still fine, as I walked staggering from the loss of my senses.
My field of perception was fine, and I still had enough mana to marionette my body until it recovered, so I was safe.
I gazed at the sacred dome's ceiling.
I saw massive cracks and stones falling to the ground, not through my countless eyes, since pretty much all of them had exploded from the impact, soaking me in my own blood from head to toe.
I chuckled.
"Quite the feisty greeting my guest has."
I could still speak, with some stitching on my vocal cords.
Still the sharp pain that I encountered every time that I used was pretty much bearable, though perhaps it would be unbearable to others.
And my insides weren't any better either, since it was pretty much a mess, since they were reduced to blood from the impact.
My brain, or perhaps my emperor's core, had some small cracks in it as I shook my head.
What a loss, indeed.
But it would disappear after I ripped that bastard's skin one by one and devoured his very body, which hung sexily from above, wanting to be eaten.
But damn, I needed to recover my body first.
I flicked my hand as the dome retracted.
I sighed as I saw another trident inches away from my nose, but there were no worries there since I could vanish at once.
Taking a step, I activated 'Void Step' and 'Tempest Lightning Rush' together, pushing my already broken body to the limit.
My form vanished, then reappeared meters away from my opponent.
He was a draconian with a serene gaze, no, perhaps a wrathful yet serene as the ocean gaze, looking at me coldly.
But I simply ignored him.
I assessed his face and sighed.
"Haaa... so that's the face of the one scheming against me since the day I entered this dungeon?"
He was quite shocked by my comment, since it wasnt the usual small talk after finding out the villain of your life.
Well I should be asking, 'Who are you? Why have you conspired against me?' But I ignored that damn clitchy script.
I rubbed my chin and leaned forward, glancing at his body, then smiled.
"I thought it was someone as handsome as me since he could come up with such plans, but bah! He's just a fucking lizard... but still, I give you a seven for having a sculpted body like mine."
I touched and tapped his body, smirking.
I couldn't help but be amazed by his mana pathways and muscle structure.
As I, too, shifted my body, copying his structure while remaining in my human form.
I perfected it, then smiled at my unexpected gains.
"You're quite good. Tell me, how do you usually train? Hey, I'm asking yo..."
Varuna flinched as this strange human touched his sacred body without permission.
He was even more infuriated by this man's audacity, especially when he asked a forbidden question about his training method.
He slapped the audacious human hand away and shouted.
"Human... no, should I call you outsider? Now, let's skip this nonsense."
Varuna waved his hand as the currents all around him heeded his command to imprison the foolish mortal before his eyes.
He then muttered.
"Water Imprisonment..."
But to his dismay, his opponent wasn't in the prison he had unleashed.
But I was behind him, pinching his scales and tapping his body.
He was flustered, flabbergasted by this weird human.
His form trembled from this humiliation as the water all around him quivered violently from the wrath of Varuna, the god of water.
Then it exploded into a violent wave, sending a powerful ripple through the empire as he shouted with rage.
"ENOUGH!!"
The empire trembled violently.
The residences all around the empire were crushed by the sheer pressure of Varuna's might into rubble, killing the families inside.
The walls surrounding the empire were torn to shreds by the ripple.
The imperial palace, the residence of the one true emperor of this empire, shook violently as boulders as big as fifty meters began to fall from the ceiling of the palace.
'...!!!'
Then the atmosphere in the imperial palace turned extremely cold.
As beams of pillars made from ice magic rose from the ground as they froze the entire palace, turning it into a frozen palace.
Varuna waved a hand as he formed a hexagonal shield, and flinched.
"..."
A deafening silence erupted.
As Varuna clutched his stomach, trying to stop the bleeding as a deep blue icicle pierced through his back and into his abdomen.
It froze his insides and his blood as he turned frozen in the next second.
I shook my head, looking at the scene.
I tracked the icicle's trajectory but couldn't find where it came from or who created it.
I shook my head, then slowly made my way down to steal my apostle's kill, who was fighting a blazing fool.
"I guess the battle's over?"
I sighed, then took deliberate steps, traveling tens of meters with every single step.
But before I could fully descend into the ground, my ears twitched as the sound of something breaking could be heard.
A smirk formed on my lips as I turned my head towards the source of the sound.
CRACK!
"Hmm... impressive. To think that he was still alive after having his entire body frozen. Perhaps this guy isn't that fragile, after all, right?"
Varuna, meanwhile, gazed at his opponent.
He couldn't help but be more infuriated as this bastard turned his back the second he was frozen by Ashin Sae Acoustine.
He clenched his teeth, then moved his hand, pointing it to the human before him.
As a sea dragon formed behind him.
He gazed at me coldly as he muttered, his voice was as cold, as the deepest layer of the abyssal sea, sending shivers to anyone who heard him.
"True Water Dragon Firmament."
Maybe give it a try? ??
