SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows-Chapter 254: Third Trial
Aren felt the bloodlust coming from the Patriarch, but rather than be worried, he looked at the Patriarch with a calm gaze.
"Remember what we agreed on," Aren calmly said.
"Hmmm? Do you really think I’ll not kill you because of a promise?" he asked, taking one step forward, a massive shockwave blasted outward, slamming into Aren.
BOOM
Aren felt as though he was run through by a train, he coughed up blood and collapsed to his knee.
"Urghhhh." He groaned in pain and slowly looked up, he saw the outline of the Patriarch standing there, and his glowing red eyes locked on Aren like a demon from hell.
Cough cough, "I’m sure you’ll honor your word," Aren muttered, pushing himself up, he staggered, struggling to keep himself standing.
The Patriarch looked at Aren for a good number of seconds and then heaved a heavy sigh. "You played this one well, kid, but you have now become my enemy, and after you leave here, killing you becomes fair game." The Patriarch said, almost sounding childish, but Aren knew that he was extremely serious.
"That’s fine," Aren replied, "after here, you can come for me and avenge Casper if you want." Aren said. He decided that he wouldn’t run anymore, and whatever he had to face, he would.
"Good, now leave, but know I’ll be coming for your daughter soon." The Patriarch replied. Instantly, the space that had stretched began compressing back into itself extremely fast until it returned to normal.
But even then, the platform had been completely destroyed. Aren looked at the floor, then back at the Patriarch, "you are really powerful, I have to say, even Geisha didn’t make me shiver this much." Aren said.
"The geisha you met was merely a shadow of himself, he is a being that’s stronger than me, not by a little as well. As much as I do not want to say that." The Patriarch said, he walked up to Aren and then walked past him. "Leave before I change my mind." He said and kept walking, he glanced at Athena and gave a smile before walking off.
June immediately followed behind the Patriarch. Peter looked at her, his eyes filled with longing, he wanted to call her, and maybe have one last talk with her, but he knew that none of that was going to happen, June was true to the family, and it was going to remain that way.
He turned around and walked toward Aren, leaving her behind, he didn’t even look back at her for even one moment, he knew that his heart would break if he did.
"Aren," Athena called out the moment that the Patriarch walked away, she rushed, leaping into Aren’s hands, Aren wrapped his hands around her as she buried her head into his shoulder.
"I was so scared." She muttered.
"I understand, you should have known I would surely come to save you no matter what." Aren said, he looked at the collar on her neck and grabbed it, normally it wouldn’t come off, but now that she had been permitted to leave, Aren only had to tug on it and it immediately came off, he tossed it aside.
After letting go of Athena, Aren looked at Peter, "so what will you do now?" Aren asked.
"I’ll leave, I have a few things I can use to survive outside. I’m sure that you can’t stay with me because of the trials, so I have to find my footing myself." Peter said.
"I see, that’s good, and I’m sure that one day we’ll see each other again."
"I hope for that too." Peter said.
Aren nodded and grabbed onto Athena, they headed out of the town fast, he didn’t want any unexpected things anymore. Peter, on the other hand, decided to head back to his home and grab a few final things before he left.
When Aren made it to the gates, he looked at the guards that had now returned back to their position and then walked through.
The moment he and Athena passed through the gate, their system screens immediately turned on.
[Their trial will begin in sixty seconds] 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Aren was stunned to see this, and seeing the look on Athena’s face, he could tell that she was stunned as well.
"What about the others?" She asked, worried that if the trial started now, they would not meet with the others.
"I don’t know what will happen, but we’ll just have to stick together and ensure that we get through it, I have a feeling that the next trial is about to be the worst."
Slowly the time trickled down and the sixty seconds were gone, and immediately, Aren and Athena felt as if their surroundings were getting twisted. To ensure that they didn’t get split up, Aren grabbed Athena, ensuring that he held her close.
The surroundings lost all light in an instant, and the moment it returned, they were both standing inside a different place.
The air became heavy, and a dark presence looked over them.
Aren looked ahead and saw others appearing inside the space as well. The space went on for as far as his eyes could see, in the distance he could see a dark fog that was suppressing all sight beyond that.
Aren used shadow sense in an attempt to see if the others were close, but he didn’t see them.
"Tch, they might not be here at all." He muttered.
Suddenly a very familiar pressure came, he looked up and saw her, Elton.
She flew above with a cold glare in her eyes, like her hatred for humans had grown even more.
"Welcome all of you, to the third trial, your greatest challenge and the very day that some of you will gain a Patron god. Many of you have already gotten it, and some have not, those that have, already have an edge over the rest.
As for the rest that do not, do your best in the trials and try to gain the favor of the gods, it will be for your own good."
[End of the Arc, see you in the next]
