Lord of Annihilation

While Lucius waited for the ordeal to finish its creation, the crowd above the Northern City Wall of the Giant Royal City continued to increase in size. 

Seats and floating platforms started to fill up the wide walkways above the wall, while some opportunistic merchants currently on a visit to the Royal City began setting up stalls. Multiple betting booths and discussion panels were also set up to cash in on the opportunity.

"Here, here! Who amongst you brave warriors are brave enough to bet on FATE!!? Come over to my stall and try your FORTUNE!!"

"Black Blade! A Diamond in the Rough!? Or is he just another FAKE destined for mediocrity!!? Come over to my stall to know all about this talented youngster!"

"Selling artifacts and trinkets! The latest products from the up-and-coming company UEM are also available here! Don't miss out!!"

"Fortune-telling! Who wants to have their fortune told!?"

Most of the stalls and shops were not set up by Giants but were rather set up by the non-Giant Races visiting the Royal City. These included but were not limited to Terrans, Beast Humans, Bertarians, Magi, and even a few Mechanical Races who were spread here and there. 

Of course, not a single person here was under the Stage 3 realm with most being in the Mid and Peak Level. Some of the larger stalls were even manned by Stage 4 beings with a keen eye for commerce. 

As for Stage 5 beings, there was only one.

Giant King Klytius.

Being the first to arrive with his guests and having set up the screen, the Giant King sat at the very forefront of the wall, atop a floating sofa with his eyes fixated on the screen before him. Olivia and Ka'lor'ah also stood on the same platform with only the latter reclining on a comfy seat while the former continued to stand with a worried gaze.

Olivia's eyes continued to alternate between the growing tribulation clouds in the sky and Lucius' face on the screen. Her mind continuously and furiously whirred at incalculable to analyze everything about the ongoing ordeal.

Her face was bloodless and her violet-colored eyes seemed to be on the verge of exploding. Lines of blood could be seen trailing down her eyes and over her delicate white cheeks.

Just as she was about to throw up a mouthful of blood, Ka'lor'ah voice was heard from her back.

"Oh, just take a break, will you? He'll be fine. It's HIM!" she chided. 'Plus, it's not like this is his first time doing this either.' She continued within her mind.

"I agree. I have an inexplicable feeling that your friend will be able to succeed," Klytius echoed, his eyes glinting with confidence.

Hearing their words of comfort, Olivia swallowed back the mouthful of blood and let out a heavy sigh. Stepping back from the edge of the platform, she sat on a small cushion floating next to Ka'lor'ah's seat.

Ka'lor'ah was right. There was no point in unnecessarily worrying about Lucius right now. All that she could do was sit back and wait for Lucius to overcome the ordeals. 

Although Olivia understood this in her mind, she was unable to accept this in her heart.

'I just—Even after increasing my power, I'm still unable to help him,' Olivia despondently thought.

"I'll never be able to catch up to him, will I?" she asked with an indistinct tone. 

"Nope. Not in this life at least," Ka'lor'ah honestly answered while looking directly at the image on the screen with an indifferent face.

Hearing Ka'lor'ah's answer, Olivia's head just slumped deeper into her shoulders as she stared depressedly towards the floor. Numerous thoughts flashed across her mind all of which eventually resulted in a long sigh.

"Haaa…" 

"Feeling better now?" Ka'lor'ah asked, still staring at the screen.

"Not really," replied Olivia, raising her head. "But I think I'll take a break now."

Turning to face her, Ka'lor'ah flashed a smile and said, "You do that. It's very important for a newly ascended being to stabilize his/her base. You should take this opportunity to do that."

Nodding her head, Olivia closed her eyes, regulated her breathing, and sunk into meditation. The recent stream of events had nearly, fully depleted her soul power and mental power pushing her dangerously close to overdraft. 

Ka'lor'ah's words served as a reminder for Olivia to prioritize herself first, before starting to worry about others. 

'Strength. I need more strength!' 

With a new, inflamed spirit Olivia gradually sunk into a state of absolute focus within her mindspace, ignoring everything that was going on outside.

"This one will go far," remarked Klytius, watching Olivia's actions. "Shame that her species potential seems to have been fully expended. Unless she possesses peerless luck and happens to run across an Inheritance containing a Race Transformation, she can't walk further down the path of power," he continued.

"Right," Ka'lor'ah agreed with his assessment and asked. "You wouldn't happen to know any such Inheritance, would you?"

"BWHAHAHA! If I knew such an Inheritance, would I still be stuck at Mid-Level Stage 5?" Klytius jovially laughed.

"Oh right, I remembered the question I wanted to ask you earlier!" he abruptly stopped laughing and turned to face Ka'lor'ah. Wearing a curious look on his face, he asked with a smile.

"The scythe technique that your friend used inside the trial grounds, it's called the [Dance of the Death God], right? I almost didn't recognize it at first glance because it's been refined to such a perfect degree that it's almost unrecognizable to the original one. However, shouldn't this technique only be known to and useable by the members of the Letum family?"

Hearing his question, the smile on Ka'lor'ah's face froze. It then instantly dissipated and was replaced by a cold look of caution and hostility. 

"I'm afraid that I don't know what your majesty is talking about," she coldly replied.

"Is that so?" Klytius continued to wear a smile on his face as he rubbed his beard with his fingers. "Well then, forget that I ever asked such a question."

"It's just that I found it fascinating that someone unrelated to that family would use their ancient and abstruse technique with such exceptional finesse."

"Even that kid Silver Reaper, who is heralded to be their most talented successor, can't use it the way your friend uses it, you know. I know this because I've fought that arrogant kid before."

"I still don't understand what your majesty is trying to imply," Ka'lor'ah reply was distant and her expression had reached a frightening degree of coldness. 

Inwardly, however, she was cursing to the high heavens.

'DAMNIT!! We need to leave this place right now! If this giant lug of meat informs the Letum family about our identities, all of our plans in the Grand Alcana Empire will be rendered null!! That family full of crazy bastards won't rest until they hunted us to oblivion!'

'I need to contact Lucius right now and pass on this information!' However, just as Ka'lor'ah sought their mutual soul link…

"Oh, look. The Ascension is starting," Klytius nonchalantly spoke with his eyes burning with great fervor as he stared at the person within the screen.

…the Fourth Ascension started, isolating Lucius from his surroundings and blocking their soul link!

----------

Unaware of the hot water that he and his party found themselves to be in Lucius raised his head and rested his gaze on the final golden step that slowly formed. 

This final step, which was also the 108th step from the top, floated a few inches off the ground in front of Lucius. By just lifting his leg lightly, Lucius could easily climb this step.

Delving into his mindspace and body, Lucius noted the condition of his body one last time before starting the ordeals. After confirming that his body and soul power was at peak condition, Lucius inhaled a deep breath of cold air and stepped onto the golden step that had just finished forming.

Instantly, he saw the world around him change in scenery and an intense aura easily strong enough to crush his bones and rend his flesh descend onto him. 

Lucius' eyes widened and his pupils turned bloodshot. The pressure on his back which was comparable to the weight of a mountain was something that he hadn't expected! 

After all, this had never happened during his ascension in his previous life.

'Only on the first step and it's already different from the one I remember. Seems like I can't blindly rely on the memories of my previous experience,' Lucius instantly rationalized.

Feeling his knees sinking lower and lower towards the ground, Lucius closed his eyes for a second before immediately snapping them open. And in that instant…something changed.

The whites surrounding his pupil inside his eyes were suddenly painted in crimson. The indifferent and bored look within his gaze changed to one of bloodlust and madness.

To combat a strong aura one would require an even stronger aura.

And as such, Lucius released murderous intent locked within his soul in its entirety. 

A murderous intent, that was strong enough to induce death into the people by simply gazing that it.

A murderous intent that he had gained by slaughtering every single creature in existence from every corner of the Universe.

A murderous intent that would immediately remind every living creature of Lucius' previous life to run, hide and pray that the walking nightmare wouldn't come for them.

The unsuppressed murderous intent of the Undying Killer, Nightmare of All Living, appeared once more.