Chapter 1190: First Rule of the Chrono Hollow
<Pack Quest - Avenge the Luna has been completed!>
<Obtained 200 billion exp, 5 million gold, Basic Book of the Lunirich, and 1x Silverstar Howl>
Upon seeing the rewards, Rex couldn't help but smile.
He told Kyran to punish the Dark Elves, more than what Flunra did to them—but fortune was on his side—as there was also a Pack Quest that was telling him to do exactly that. Rex saw the Pack Quest not too long ago, and it was now completed.
It was completed longer than he anticipated, but he was not going to rush Kyran.
Rex knew that there must be a reason why Kyran was waiting this long.
Moreover—despite his curiosity, about the Basic Book of the Lunirich—knowing full well from the System itself that anything regarding the Lunirich Gods is expensive and valuable, he still focuses on the present moment.
Standing on his side was Gistella, attuned to danger unseen.
After the brief moment they had earlier, she felt a lot better and returned to her usual self.
Now, Rex only needs to make up with Evelyn.
She was the hardest because he couldn't bear to look at her in the eyes—especially recalling the face she was wearing during that night. Rex deliberately saved her for the last in case he needed help from the others to make up with her.
Upon stepping into the Chrono Hollow, Rex and Delta instantly became tense.
Out of the assault team, both of them were the ones who knew the danger of the place.
At the very least, there are two pseudo-tenth-rank realm mutated birds roaming this fog.
Meeting any of the two mutated birds, would be very problematic—but Rex could still handle the two of them if need be. However—as the Chrono Hollow is still vast, there might even be something stronger here.
If there's any tenth-rank realm, the assault team including Rex would retreat.
As of this moment, he couldn't handle a tenth-rank realm entity.
Back against the Werepanther—Rex was only able to win, with the help of the Blood Moon Order skill and also the fact that the Werepanther was weakened from attempting to break through to the tenth-rank realm.
Had the Werepanther was a full-fledged tenth-rank realm, it wouldn't end up that way.
Rex was confident he would win still, but it would be a lot harder than that.
"Follow closely behind, don't wander off too far to the right or left," Rex said, as he found the detrimental boulders. He led the assault team towards the safe area, but in the middle of the way, the back part of the group stopped.
It was caused by one of them, an Awakened falling to his knees with heavy breaths.
"Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Another Awakened asked.
None of them were sick before entering, so he was worried that this must've been caused by the unknown rules of the dominion. However, the Awakened, who were panting heavily didn't answer, he only looked at his own hands before shifting to his body.
Concerned, the other Awakened, a lean man with bob-cut hair called for Rex.
"Your Majesty! He's acting weirdly!" He shouted loudly.
Upon hearing this, Rex looked back and saw the Awakened on his knees.
But before he could come, and inspect that Awakened—a woman beside the bob-cut man pointed at the Awakened whilst covering her mouth, "Look! Something is happening to his skin, it's nasty!"
Naturally, all gazes turned to the Awakened on the ground.
Just like the woman said, the Awakened's skin could be seen to be loosening weirdly.
"Tell us what you are feeling so that we can help you!" the bob-cut man shouted, he held the Awakened's shoulder, intending to rock him back and forth to snap him out of his daze. But it was then that the bob-cut man felt the Awakened's body was extremely frail.
It felt like he was touching nothing but bones.
Soon, Rex and Flunra came to check on the Awakened's condition.
However, before Rex could touch the Awakened and scan him with the System, the man was becoming more frantic, panicking. Eventually, he raised his gaze to look at Rex in the eyes, it was clear that he was confused.
"Y- Your Majesty, what's happening to me?" He asked, his voice already scratchy.
Upon seeing the Awakened's face, Rex and Flunra couldn't help but frown.
For some weird reason—the skin lines of the Awakened's face were etching deeper, with the passing second. Rex and Flunra could see the transformation spread, the Awakened's once-youthful features withering before their very eyes.
Almost as if an unseen force was draining him of his vitality or life force.
"Hahh..."
"Harghh..."
"Haargghkk!!"
After a series of heavy pants, the Awakened screamed as his entire body turned fragile.
It could be seen clearly that his body decayed—muscles wasting away at break-neck speed, bones growing brittle, and frail. A transformation—as if the Awakened, was rapidly aging. His final, anguished shout echoed through the air, reverberating with a haunting resonance.
Then, as if claimed by an unseen force, his form disintegrated into the fog.
A living being disintegrated before their very eyes, leaving nothing but echoes of his scream.
None of the ones present were expecting to be confronted by such a scene.
Splat!
Just like that, the Awakened disappeared, leaving behind white liquid in his stead.
Flunra looked at this with a frown, he then swiftly went over to the wet spot and inspected it.
A white puddle was made after the man disappeared, and the substance was familiar.
Seeing and feeling the substance that dried up in an instant, his eyes quickly flared open.
"Everyone, activate your force energy!" He shouted.
It was the same dried-up chalk substance that he had from earlier that he recognized as the remains of force energy. He realized now, that the dried-up chalk substance—was the sheer remains from the clash of the dominion's energy and force energy.
He was confused before, but not now.
Judging from the amount of white substance the Awakened left behind, it seems that he was not a force user. Considering that he was a Mind Elementalist, it was natural for him to not be adept in his physique as much as the others.
A moderately trained Awakened physique would develop force energy naturally.
Especially Awakened who already reached the seventh-rank realm or above.
Most of them would unintendedly become a white force user, the lowest kind but still a user.
On the other hand, the Awakened who disappeared didn't have any force energy.
Because of that—he was influenced by the rule of the dominion, and also left behind a lot of the white substance compared to Flunra earlier. Unlike the others who were present, he was the one who fell first.
"What's going on, Flunra?" Rex asked, knowing that Flunra realized something.
It seems like another rule of the dominion was exposed.
Upon hearing Flunra's shout earlier, Rex didn't need to activate his red force energy.
Since he had been on high alert, while scouting with Delta earlier—his red force, had been on active and was already coating his form from the start. Similarly—Delta has also already used her own force energy, prepared for any sudden attack from mutated animals.
Flunra then answered, "I don't know exactly what's going on,"
"But the Awakened that disappeared earlier didn't have force energy" He added in concern.
Rex frowned and looked to the others who were already channeling their force energy—even though most of them, only had white force energy. "So are you saying that this dominion only accepts those who have force energy?"
"Like I said, I don't really know," Flunra added, shaking his head.
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Not going to accept another one to fall, Rex exhaled roughly and channeled his inner energy.
His body began to steam, and in a second, a red steaming energy expanded from him.
It was his red force energy, he was trying to protect the others with a barrier.
Despite his robust red force energy from his previous training, he has never done this before.
Force energy, in its nature, was supposed to be used by an entity to encase—and strengthen their physique. Other than that, it could also be used as a projectile and a barrier to one's self—inches away from the surface of the body.
Out of its uses, to protect others using it directly was not one of them.
Not only is this against its nature, but now that I'm focusing on my red force energy I can feel that the dominion is pressing against me. Without me realizing it, my red force energy, was in a fierce fight against the dominion's energy.
Looking at the steaming red force energy, he could see that it was being pressed down.
It became flat against his skin and was even wavering.
Due to the density of his red force, Rex didn't feel this struggle when he entered earlier.
But for those who have weaker force energy, their end would be like the Awakened before.
Just a small tear would cause them to be drained of their life force.
Rex has never used his red force to create a big barrier, much less protect people.
Upon doing that, he could feel the strain was excruciating.
A sensation that was akin to stretching the skin to the maximum stretch—and forcing it, even further. Rex could feel that his physique was about to break—but he persevered with bulging veins and muscles, creating a red force barrier that spanned quite wide.
It could envelop the entire assault team and a few meters beyond.
Only then that he stop expanding his red force, and focus on maintaining it.
Evidently, the entire assault team could feel way better under the umbrella of Rex's red force energy. Like a glowing bubble, the red force energy protected them from the dominion's light but deadly energy.
Now, the energy from the dominion could be seen clearly by all of them.
Outside of the red force bubble, they could see pale energy grazing against the surface.
"I can hold it, we can still continue," Rex mused with conviction.
Despite the situation being now under control—the other people within the assault team could still feel fear from the sight of the Awakened, that disappeared earlier. It happened quickly—it also seemed like the Awakened couldn't do anything to prevent it.
"He died in mere seconds..."
"Maybe those who don't have strong force energy should wait outside"
"Mine is at white, should I stay here, Your Majesty?"
As the others were voicing out their comments, Flunra was piecing the pieces together.
He was the one who was the most familiar with dominions, and he took account of all things that happened from the start. Only then did his eyes flare in realization—he came to realize, the real mechanism of the dominion.
"Time, it's time distortion..." Flunra uttered, glancing at Rex as he managed to crack it.
Upon hearing this, Rex also immediately came to realize the same thing.
Chrono Hollow, I guess this is why this dominion was named that.
Just like Flunra said earlier—only those who have force energy could enter this dominion and not influenced by the dominion's rule. If anyone entered, without force energy, they would be placed in a distorted time.
It varies from person to person, depending on the force energy within them.
For instance—Rex, and Delta came out at different times even though they should have been coming out at the same time because Rex has substantially higher force energy compared to Delta which only has yellow force energy.
Despite mounting Delta, Rex came out sooner than Delta.
But the time difference was not a lot, particularly because of Rex's red force interference.
On the other hand, the Awakened from earlier was a different story.
He has no force energy protecting him from the time distortion, so he is aging rapidly.
The Awakened's screams earlier were not out of pain, but panic instead.
Now that they know the exact rule—they could be at ease as long as Rex maintained his red force barrier around them. If the barrier broke, the others wouldn't be influenced by the time distortion instantly.
Only when their force energy was depleted that they would be in trouble.
"Fascinating..." Rex uttered with a sarcastic tone. "How in the hell can I pacify this place?"