Extra's Path To Demon King-Chapter 448: Oathbound
Axel had run at full speed right after arriving in the Dire forest within the Dusker region, his home quite near, even though there was a chance that the damn Mason Vex might arrive far earlier and could effectively kill him.
It did not take long before he stood right in front of the mansion’s runic gate. He hurriedly ran inside, but his face was littered with blood, and his body was covered in severe wounds. The servants and Guards were not able to recognize him, seeing him as an intruder.
Thankfully, his study instructor, Lex, was there and did not fail to recognize Axel, even in such a gruesome state; he stopped everyone from making any unnecessary ruckus.
Axel kept running until he reached right in front of his father’s office. He pushed the door open without even knocking; his father was already wearing a stern expression, as he sensed Axel’s mana from the moment he set foot inside the mansion.
He could not understand what had happened to cause his ever-so-calm son to behave like this and to run to him so hurriedly. Only when he saw the completely bloody and injured visage of his Son did Daniel feel horrified by the implications.
Axel did not have time to explain as he asked hurriedly, "Dad, I’m sorry, but I think Mason Vex is coming to kill both you and me, and he would not stop, no matter what, until we are both dead."
"Unfortunately, I don’t have time to explain the details, just trust me and put up every defensive mechanism of the entire mansion. If not, we will both die," he added with a solemn tone.
Daniel was very unnerved. Could it be that his son had just brushed shoulders against Death, again, and barely survived, and he, as the father, remained helpless in the midst of all this? His son was always carrying the heaviest burden, and he could not do anything at all.
Listening to his son’s pleas, he did not waste any time, directly activating countless defense mechanisms of every caliber that defy all reason, built by Damien Nomrad with his highest expertise.
Axel sat down on the sofa, exhausted. With all the defense rune formations activated, he could at least relax somewhat. But right then, everything went darker. A terrifying presence hovered right above their heads.
Axel muttered solemnly, "He has arrived..."
***
The majestic figure of Mason Vex was hovering in the skies. He wore a long white cloth, now covered in the blood of his people. The countless golden rune engravings on the white cloth were also covered in the same blood, barely visible. His entire existence was oozing with unquestionable power.
The world and the air itself were responding to his violently raging emotions as he looked down with a chilling hatred on the Nomrad family mansion. He brought out four round artifacts and threw them in all directions over a kilometer-wide area.
A massive barrier was erected all over, but at the same time, Mason Vex saw that a runic barrier also came into existence surrounding the Nomrad mansion. Every part of it was filled with an incomprehensible number of shimmering, complex rune patterns. Letting out a humming vibration.
Mason frowned. As a 5th-phase runecaster, he understood the true strength of that barrier, and that only served to enrage him further. Even with every resource of his family’s long history at his beck and call, he would not be able to craft such a marvelous, near-perfect barrier of such supreme strength.
The entire Nomrad mansion was like an unshakable fortress. A runic marvel of the highest caliber, which served to let him know how lacking he truly was compared to the true runic genius of the Dead Damien Nomrad.
And this masterpiece was crafted by the old monster when he was nothing but a mere peak 4th-phase Seeker, all because he possessed the legendary runic eyes. The eyes that represented the peak of runic talent.
The eyes blessed by the very heavens themselves.
Mason only sneered with contempt, for the possessor of those eyes was no longer here; he was dead, and now his powerless son and grandson would die helplessly, for crossing the line they should not.
"Fine, I’ll see how this thing can truly hold against my power...."
A necklace hung on the collar of the powerhouse; the core of the necklace was like a small coin, but if one inspected closely, they would see innumerable patterns in it: almost all known depictions of the complete rune symbols, each in its own, intertwining and overlapping with one another.
It was the runic matrix of the strongest runecaster in Suncrest and one of the greatest in all of humanity. He spoke, his figure glowing in a pale white light, as the concentration of power all around him reached a breaking point, as he chanted, "Attribute lightning, Collapsing Thunderstorm..."
Dark clouds gathered above the Nomrad mansion, thunder roared madly, and the gentle wind turned violent and sharp.
A coldness permeated the air, like the calm before the storm, and that’s exactly what it was as the concentration of lightning reached a tipping point within the dark, ominous clouds.
A devastating thunder flash illuminated the entire world.
"KRRRRAAATHHHHH!!!"
Followed by a catastrophic explosion, everything that was not within the Nomrad mansion barrier was turned to dust. But that was merely the beginning, because this was a relentless thunderstorm, not a single powerful thunder strike.
So, with every few seconds of interval, the lightning continued to rain down like hellfire. Due to the sheer power released by every lightning strike, the air sizzled and caught on fire. Some of the clouds turned to rain of embers, as fragments of small flaming wisps began to fall.
It was raining fire in the daylight, but there was no sun at the moment, only the darkness of the black clouds cast from above.
But to Mason’s dismay, even after five whole minutes of consecutive thunderstorm, in which every single one of the lightning strikes could cause multi-kilometer-wide pure destruction. It all failed to break through to the rune barrier. It only caused some cracks each time the thunder struck.
Even when consecutive lightning strikes were concentrated at a single point to breach the barrier, the barrier held strong. This most definitely rattled the powerhouse greatly; it seems the rune barrier was capable of absorbing the power of the attacks on it, then converting it into its own power. Even repairing it constantly.
Mason stopped the thunderstrikes and gazed down coldly on the people standing on the topmost floor of the mansion. There were only two people there, gazing calmly straight into the eyes of Mason, not afraid in the slightest.
One was Vargas, the loyal assassin and butler of Nomrad mansion, and the other was, of course, the Nomrad house patriarch, Daniel Nomrad, Axel’s father.
Seeing the unafraid and defiant look of Daniel Nomrad, Mason spoke with a vicious countenance, "How long do you think this barrier will last, wretch? Do you truly believe that you and your family have any chance of surviving today?"
"And don’t worry, the moment this barrier is broken down, I will let you watch with wide open eyes, how I torture your son. I won’t let either of you die. I will make you both into living rune weapons," he stated with a crazed look that could chill the blood of anyone.
"You will regret even being born into this world...and you will regret it even more for bringing another life to this world," promised the strongest runecaster with utmost cruelty.
Swosh!!!!
Only the sounds of the sharp wind blowing resounded after the threatening statements uttered by Mason Vex. For a moment, Daniel seemed stunned by what he heard. Until his lips parted, he broke into a wide and monstrous grin.
He laughed like a madman, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA—HAAAH—HAHAHAHAA!!"
His laughter was like a shrill cry, like a rope that was infinitely close to snapping. The world seemed to tremble when the kindest man had no choice but to turn vicious; a wave of murderous intent leaked from his mind, and his eyes locked onto the 5th phase being above. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
One of the two biggest plotters who was responsible for the death of his wife, responsible for sending his son into a coma, he did not know what Axel did, or why this fucker had finally snapped and came after his family, disregarding all rules and possible consequences.
But he also did not care, as the dark laughter stopped, his eyes gazed at Mason with dark and ruthless intensity, almost as if he wanted to peer deep into the very soul of the enemy, and then he uttered with a dark growl, "Please, oh mighty Mason Vex, I implore you to break this barrier. And you will not leave here alive, and it is not a statement, nor a threat, nor a challenge."
"It is an oath, I make with my very life on the line, in witness of prime nexus... I WILL OBLITERATE YOU,"proclaimed Daniel Nomrad with a tone of finality.
[Self oath has been imposed on Daniel Nomrad...]
Mason was stunned for a moment by such a bold response and the cold, threatening glare. As far as he remembered, this guy had never managed to muster the courage to ever speak with him in such a manner, so Mason always treated this guy like worthless trash.
Who would eventually be taken care of by the ruthless Duchess, but seeing such a confident smile, even he could not help but wonder for a small moment if Damien Nomrad, that old monster, had indeed returned or not. But he shook his head and dispelled that thought.
It might as well have been a desperate bluff to fool him, so he naturally would not be fooled. So, his reaction was quite tame.
Mason brought out a spear-like artifact. Imbued with various complete runes. Making it the sharpest and the one weapon with the most piercing capability in his arsenal. He’d be damned if this didn’t break the barrier with its active abilities.
