Death Heir's Devouring System
Chapter 35: Fractured Fortress

Chapter 35: Fractured Fortress

The jaws of the dead man opened wide. Instantly, a long, twisted tentacle shot forward, striking Azrael square in the chest and hurling him dozens of feet through the air.

"Of all the things that could’ve gone wrong..." Azrael muttered coldly, resisting the urge to panic. His eyes narrowed with icy resolve as he activated [Inspect].

Name: [Unnamed]

Race: [Dreadmaw]

Danger Level: [Reaver]

Corruption Rank: [Twisted]

"Troublesome." The curse left his lips the instant his body slammed into the wall.

He was now trapped in a small room—with a Reaver monster.

Thrown aside like a ragdoll, the next to act was Champion Frederick. The strongest among them. If he fell, they were as good as dead.

A thin sword had already materialized in his hand. His sight was dead set on putting down the creature for good.

With a grunt, Azrael rose to his feet, eyes landing on the sealing device that had been put on the doors to ensure nothing came in.

The problem was, nothing could leave either.

’Should I break it?’ he wondered.

After a second of consideration, he shook his head. There was no need to do something like that yet. Even if it was a strong monster, Champion Frederick was going to get rid of it.

Or so Azrael thought.

To his misfortune, his eyes caught a glimpse of something through the chaos. Chosen were stampeding in panic, too disoriented to react to what came next.

Frederick’s figure was bloodied—his own blood, not the abomination’s.

Terrifying roars erupted from the several maws that had appeared on the abomination. Every passing second birthed more tentacles from its ever-mutating body. Worse still, they were hardening into jagged, armor-like growths.

While it was using the majority of its limbs to keep the mighty Champion at bay, the rest were aimed at the helpless Chosen surrounding them.

The tentacles dug deep into the unlucky humans and began to consume their blood, increasing the monster’s size and power further.

’Our best chances are to help Frederick,’ Azrael concluded. He wasn’t one for public speaking, but if they didn’t rally now, they’d all die.

Convincing the Marked to fight a being two levels above them was near-suicidal. But it was their only shot. _{fr.eew eb novel..com}

He scanned the chaos, mind racing. Then his eyes widened, someone had deactivated the seal on the doors.

’These goddamned mindless idiots!’

Upon his thought, the doors screeched open, the Chosen stumbling over one another in an attempt to get outside.

However, what met them were the Mindless beings the Mindweaver had left behind.

Explosions in all colors resonated in the halls, sounds so ear-piercing Azrael was left disoriented.

In the face of such madness, all of the Chosen used every single thing at their disposal. They forgot about keeping their best skills secret or saving their most powerful single-use items in a case of emergencies.

Dust fell from the roof as the building seemed to tilt to the side.

’It’s going to collapse,’ Azrael thought, eyeing the horde of Chosen that were fighting against the Mindless monstrosities.

Some managed to do the unthinkable and kill beings one whole level above them, but faced with such a vast wave of monsters, it all seemed meaningless.

Without hesitation, Azrael left them behind and sped towards Frederick’s side. He was the most experienced in the bunch, and he had already saved them once by disobeying orders. With him, Azrael had the best chance of survival.

Dodging several tentacles and parrying even more, he managed to reach the old man’s side.

But the man was in terrible shape, his abdomen gashed open, multiple wounds torn through him, and worst of all, one slash across his left eye had blinded him.

For a brief second the two made eye contact.

Azrael’s cold and calculated.

Frederick’s blazing with fury, not at Azrael, but at the situation that had pushed him this far.

’Did I make a mistake?’

For a second the doubt entered his mind, it seemed like they were about to lose.

"No."

The word came from Frederick. His voice ragged and breathless, yet it carried undeniable authority.

"I refuse to die before my trainees, much less to rely on them to put down a monster!"

He roared, veins bulging with raw power.

In the blink of an eye, he was gone. His figure clashed with the monster’s grotesque form, both of them rammed against the now barely standing structure.

That was the last straw, it tilted and began breaking apart. Massive chunks of debris rained from the ceiling, threatening to crush Azrael.

"I think he got it," Azrael muttered, watching the chaos unfold.

The man was going to win, and Azrael would be safe, that however, was going to happen only if no one bothered the old man.

The horde of Mindless wasn’t going to allow that.

These beings were of the Savage Danger Level with a Corruption Rank of Twisted. Technically speaking, he could afford to kill nine creatures, putting his Corruption Progression to 90 without going insane.

But killing a being of a superior Level was vastly harder than killing a being of superior Rank.

And each Mindless abomination was superior to him in both aspects.

Azrael gritted his teeth.

’My best chance is with the old man,’ he reminded himself, pouncing on the monster that was about to ambush Frederick.

Taking into account what the Mindless beings were—mutated corpses of dead Chosen—he had a pretty good grasp on how to get rid of one.

Before his foe was able to sense him, he appeared behind its insectoid legs and slashed.

This was the first time his Blessed weapon struggled to go past a monster’s defenses.

But he didn’t falter, tightening his grip on the scythe as much as he could. He dug deeper using every ounce of strength he could muster.

The blade managed to pass through.

Having taken out several of its legs, the Mindless abomination crumpled to the ground. Its only eye, which had grown on the abdomen of the dead Chosen, locked onto him with blazing hatred.

"Come!"

Azrael shouted both to rally himself and, more importantly, to lessen the effect of the mind haze the Mindless being was trying to put over him with its Corruption.

Dozens of legs shot forward like missiles, too fast for him to react; the only thing he could do was keep his most vital organs intact.

He gasped, his arms, left leg and shoulder. And the most dangerous of all, his abdomen had been pierced by the being’s legs.

’Ignore it!’

Unwilling to stop, he slashed in a horizontal arc; the blade of his scythe managed to tear deep into the monster’s body.

It roared, retreating its legs from him in an attempt to get a better position.

That was its fatal mistake.

Azrael extended his hand, taking a firm grip of the leg that had just withdrawn from his abdomen. Then with the other hand, he swung again, managing to injure the being’s eye.

He didn’t stop, biting his lower lip so hard it began to bleed, he showered the Corrupted monster with relentless attacks.

Time blurred.

And finally, after what felt like an eternity, the body of the being shuddered and toppled to the ground lifeless.

[Corrupt soul has been devoured. The taint in your soul grows darker.]

Corruption Progression: [10/100]

’I did it,’

Realization hit Azrael as he collapsed on one knee.

He had slain a being with Danger Level above his Ascension Level.

’Doesn’t that mean I am ready to enter a Rift?’ Due to his grand achievement he allowed himself a second of rest before his eyes landed on Champion Frederick, or what was left of the mighty man.

"Shit, don’t you dare die, old man, I need you to ensure my safety!" Azrael, uncaring about formality, shouted out loud. Taking exhausted steps towards the man.

The dust in the air made it hard to see, but slowly the scene cleared.

A dozen Mindless abominations had slaughtered most of the Chosen. It was only a matter of time until they noticed Azrael and teamed up on him.

Their situation wasn’t the only dire one; due to the fallen walls, Azrael was able to see most of the Moon Breakers.

The state of the military school was abysmal; lifeless bodies of Chosen lay on the ground, more than he could count. Abominations of every shape and size roamed freely.

"Where is the principal? Where are the instructors? They should have put an end to this long—"

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes landing on something uncanny.

A large pile of bodies had been arranged, stacked one atop the other with eerie precision, almost deliberately, as if it had all been planned from the beginning.

And above it loomed a Rift... one that Azrael hadn’t seen before.

An uncontained Rift had appeared in the middle of the Moon Breakers.