"How is the interrogation going?" Tomas had been informed about the futility of Finibus' effort, but he hoped something had changed.
"Hmph, those fools are useless. They even got the help of other people talented in torture, to maintain the pressure every second of the day, and yet the only thing they got from that man was laughs." The rage in Oliver's eyes was immense. He had maintained himself away from the Silent House since he feared he would lose control and kill Zatiel.
Both Angelic Paragons felt impotent. They had sacrificed many Rank 4 warriors to capture Zatiel, which reduced their military might immensely, not to mention that eventually, they will have to face Gonzo's wrath due to Vapula's death.
And for all that sacrifice, the only thing they got was a man who mocked and laughed at them every day. Invading his brain or consciousness was not plausible since Zatiel's rune would explode his head, and his soul was too weak to endure any attempt of soul searching.
For a second, Tomas' eyes twitched, and an idea developed in his mind. Black tendril appeared on his eyes, and if you could see inside the Angelic Paragon's head, you would notice that they also had invaded his brain.
"I doubt more time will be of use. No matter what we do to his body, physical pain appears to be useless against him. We will use the Soul Apple and heal his soul. Then, with the Sage's assistance, we will be able to get everything that we need from that man." Tomas's expression was calm, but if any other member of the Heavenly race were to hear his words, they would be shocked.
Oliver frowned when he heard that idea. He still felt uncomfortable working with an animal, but his reluctance was less powerful when it came to matters regarding the Sage. In the end, he accepted that Tomas' plan was the best path to follow.
"It will take us time to adjust the Soul Apple's potency. In the meantime, those buffoons will continue working on him. Who knows, they may have luck and their tactics eventually achieve something." Oliver knew he was only fooling himself into thinking that Finibus and the others could break Zatiel's will. But he refused to allow a moment of peace for the man he hated to the core.
The Soul Apple was a powerful medicine, with the potency to help Law Engraving existences. It could not be administered in its raw form to a Rank 3 life form unless they wanted him to develop countless tumors and transform his soul into an amorphous ball of energy that would dissipate in a matter of seconds.
Tomas and Oliver continued discussing how to handle the Magi threat, and in the end, they chose that the best path was to give up the Fornes continent. The duo understood how strong Heinz was and that with their current power, they could not face him. But they also knew that it was a matter of time before he would be expelled forever from the Beta Heavenly World. Once the swordsman is gone and they have obtained Zatiel's knowledge, it would be simple to regain complete control over the world.
........
Time passed in the Beta Heavenly World, and the Fornes continent changed greatly. The Magi invader force raged through it without resistance. The Ten Tower Formation's force field covered more than eighty percent of the continent.
The construction of the new towers was conducted by the Rank 4 Magi and Fallen.
All those at Rank 3 and below focused their time harvesting resources. Even though they had to pass a great amount of the wealth they gathered to the Soul Forging existences, what remained for them was still substantial, so they worked without stop.
A couple that also did not have time to rest was Sigrid and Aren. The Eye Holder siblings had passed every single day fighting members of the Heavenly race, and now that the Fornes continent was almost entirely purged from them, they have focused their energy on magic creatures.
They were currently fighting a pack of magic creatures led by two Novice Rank 3 Four-Headed Manticore. They were using all of their power, however, not only were the two Four-Headed Manticore very powerful, but they also commanded dozens of Rank 2 Poison Manticore. The great number of enemies forced the duo into a dangerous situation.
Sigrid and Aren knew that any mistake or weakness would cost them their lives. In the end, they were able to kill the entire pack. Their energy pools were depleted, and their bodies were filled with wounds.
Before they could start to rest, the duo felt as the earth trembled. Soon they saw a pack of magic creatures marching to their location. They must have been attracted by the sounds of the fight and the blood of the killed Four-Headed Manticores.
The leader of the pack was a Master Rank 3 Spiked Armadillo, and following him closely was an Advanced Rank 3 Spiked Armadillo.
Even if they were at their peak, there was no way Sigrid and Aren could face this pack on their own.
The eyes of the Master Rank 3 Spiked Armadillo glowed as he focused on the siblings. Their bodies carried less energy than the Rank 3 Four-Headed Manticores, but the magic creature could feel the special power in their blood.
The Master Rank 3 Spiked Armadillo went ahead of the pack and launched himself at the Eye Holders. Unfortunately for the magic creature, when he was one hundred meters away from his prey, a giant hand made of red lightning fell from the sky and crushed him.
Spiked Armadillos were slow, and their offensive power was mediocre, but they were known for their great defenses. However, the hand obliterated the body of the magic creature. It absorbed the energy of his flesh and blood, and it flashed to the pack, where it created a giant cage to contain them.
The Advanced Rank 3 Spiked Armadillo and the rest of the pack were only able to react once they were incarcerated. They started to roar, and some of the Rank 2 Magic Creatures were dumb enough to try to break the cage. The moment their bodies touched the red lightning, they died immediately.
Ezequiel's forty-five meters body appeared in the next second. The moment he stared at the magic creatures, all of them, even the Advanced Rank 3 Spiked Armadillo, became silent and lowered their heads.
Magic creatures are used to follow their instincts. Right now, their instincts are telling them that they are in front of a being immensely superior, and they can only prostrate themselves.
Sigrid and Aren were not surprised about Ezequiel's appearance. They knew that the Supreme Neo-Demon had been watching them the entire time, but they also knew that he would not help them, even if that meant they would die.
When the training started, the Neo-Demon left very clear what they needed to achieve and what the consequences would be if they failed.
"You have six hours to rest. After that, the cage will disappear, and you would have to face them. Remember, there are only six months left until the deadline." Ezequiel's eyes were emotionless as he looked at the Eye Holders. Once he finished speaking, he rose to the sky and disappeared in the air.
The siblings did not show anything to the coldness of the man. The demise of their clan had taught them how cruel the world can be, and they were not foolish enough to think that people would help them due to the kindness of their hearts.
They took all kinds of drugs and potions from their rings and started to consume them. Their bodies were healed incredibly fast, and the power in them increased. Their energy was recharged, and their consciousness grew stronger.
The duo was able to consume medicines that would make Rank 3 life forms green with envy. They had reached the Peak of Rank 2, and it won't be long before their Rank Spells are finished. However, they have not completed the first level of the Path Technique Zatiel gave them, and they are not sure if they would be able to achieve it before the time is up.
.......
Very deep within the Ravaging Ocean, there were fourteen Rank 4 Magic Creatures whose bodies extended for thousands of meters. There was a shark-like magic creature whose head was four and a half kilometers large.
All of these magic creatures shared the same incision of the top of their head. The injuries were less than two meters deep, and they could be considered unimportant if you take into consideration how big their bodies were. However, were these seemingly insignificant injuries, the ones that destroyed their souls.
In the middle of these magic creatures, Heinz was in a meditative position with his eyes closed. A gravitational force was released from the body of the Cultivator, and threads of blood started to converge in him.
