The Invincible Full-Moon System C.1065 Lair of the Passues

Rex descends from the heavens like a radiant comet. His arrival marked by a thunderous roar of him calling the Executor reverberated across the entire battlefield. Morphed by the strength of the Gladiator Form, he became even closer to his black lightning elements. In mere seconds, he pierces through the cursed barrier and heads to the Executor.

Even then, a couple of figures reacted to his descent. During the First Breath, thanks to the suppression—even the strongest in the entire era was only able to generate power equivalent to the pseudo-eighth-rank realm. Rex, Carmilla, and even the Executor himself couldn't go past this mark.

A ninth-rank realm entity could only be matched by those in the same realm or higher.

Because of this suppression, the gap between those who were at the very top of the whole world and those below it becomes manageable. Some of the Awakened—who were initially at the eighth-rank realm, now suppressed to the door of the seventh-rank realm—were able to react to Rex's fall from above.

Equipped with their Gladiator Forms, they fired their varying spells directly at Rex.

Some of them couldn't be underestimated either.

One particular attack that sealed Rex's attention was a black cleaving energy, fueled by the dark elements. Rex needed to swing the Amuerus Katana to block the attack, but aside from that, there were no spells that could threaten him.

Swoosh!

Gritting his teeth, Rex made a vertical swing with every ounce of his elemental prowess.

His eyes fixed on the Executor, remaining still with his arms crossed.

Just the moment when the Amuerus Katana was about to hit the Executor, Rex quickly made use of his extremely potent Red Force, giving his attack a powerful jolt forward. However, the Executor looked at his devastating attack, able to severely wound even the strongest with an eerie smile.

Clang!

Rex's eyes flickered when he saw the Amuerus Katana halted in its tracks.

He saw that a black shadow came to be and blocked his attack.

"Are you holding back against me, Royal Black Prince?" the Executor tilted his head, sneering at Rex's attempt. "Good, don't use all of your powers yet, the battle is still young. For now, I'll entertain you with my beloved pet that might actually match you in strength. I hope you don't lose against him because that would be quite disappointing"

Roarr!!

Swoosh!

Following that, the Amuerus Katana was parried and Rex was sent hurtling away.

In a graceful manner, he stopped the pushing momentum and did a somersault—landing on the ground, dozens of meters away from the Human Army. Before he could raise his serious gaze, the ground beneath him shook.

Crash!

Only then that he raise his gaze, seeing an enormous creature towering before him.

Its body was even bigger than even Ugrok or even any opponents Rex had ever fought.

Dread of the Shadowtorn Legion, Lisnguanx.

Knowing how arrogant he was, I initiated an attack directly at him not to fight him, but to see what he had to offer. Surely, he wouldn't engage in combat now, with the Passue Matriarch—looming in his mind. I was right, and this is what he'll use to fight me.

Looking at the Executor's lens, he still didn't consider Rex as his equal.

Rex knows this very well, and he's not mad.

In terms of individual prowess, the Executor was paramount as he had limitless energy while also possessing a versatile element that could help him do anything he wanted. Naturally, he had every right to be arrogant with that kind of power.

But in this fight, Rex will show that his so-called absolute power is not untouchable.

He will show the Executor that his power could also be crumbled.

Just imagining his face when I finally show him that truth... I'm looking forward to it!

Smacking his lips in anticipation, both eyes burning with bloodlust, he looked at the creature before him that was going to be his first step to shatter the Executor's facade of strength. It would be the start of the real battle.

Meanwhile, as the battle was about to start, a figure darted to the flank with extreme speed.

Edward didn't participate in the fight and headed to the creek.

In his hand was the Soulreaver Lance, the weapon given by the Executor for this fight.

Upon making a dash into the Dead Man's Creek which seemed to be dissolving any light that reached its grasp, he was thrust into an eerie atmosphere. He decided to take a brief stop to observe his surroundings meticulously.

Anything that he sees is shrouded, limited by the darkness despite his great vision.

Boom!

Suddenly, the ground beneath him shook violently.

Checking the ground briefly, Edward then darted his gaze to the side with a deepening frown on his face, "Seems like the battle has started. I don't know what Rex is planning, but I could tell that the Executor also has a very sinister plan up his sleeves. He shouldn't underestimate the Executor, or he'll regret it,"

Recalling the time Rex got tricked, Edward shook his head lightly.

From that alone, the Executor showed everyone that he could be cunning if he wanted to.

Only a few were able to trick Rex into a trap like that.

Many tried to lure him using various methods, but each one of them failed miserably.

So the Executor managing to trick Rex is a massive feat.

Just as he thought of that, his expression turned into a troubled one as he squinted his eyes, gazing in the direction of the battlefield, "Many people are going to die. I know that each one of them volunteered to be in the army, but it's not right, their decisions are blurred..."

Knowing that a lot of innocent people are going to die, Edward felt his heart becoming heavy.

It was an unnecessary loss in his eyes when Humanity was weakened.

"Rex's rampage that devastated the capital city, the start of the First Breath, and the recent awakening of the older generations of Supernaturals... All were desperate for salvation, and the Executor came at the right time" He mused, shaking his head dejectedly.

Due to the circumstances, it ended up this way.

Averting his attention away from the battlefield, he refocuses on the creek.

"I've never felt something like this," He mused inwardly, still remaining vigilant as he looked around the place. "I could feel this place is extremely dangerous. Every fiber of my being is telling me to run, and everywhere I looked I can tell that there's something looking back"

With a deepening frown, he quickly activated his corrupted power.

His body was immediately encased in black-fitting armor, wiggling like goo as if it were alive.

'Based on the Executor, the creek is guarded by the Passues—a man-eating creature that is designed to specifically kill the ancient humans. No elements could affect them, and the only thing that could kill them is through direct physical harm' Edward pondered, recalling the info he had about the Passues.

Nodding, he began to move to the center, watching his six and remaining extremely alert.

Swish...

Cackle...

Edward could hear weird noises from all directions.

Navigating the terrain would have been way simpler had he approached from the entrance, but with Rex's army stationed there, he was forced to take a detour and go through the side of the creek where the terrain was unfriendly.

Using his elements to pave the way would be faster, but he couldn't afford to use mana.

Aside from being resistant to elemental attacks, the Passues are also sensitive to mana.

Even the smallest trace of mana would invite a swarm of Passues.

"I know that there would be the sound of a woman crying if I'm nearing the Passue Matriarch, but that is if it was already awakened. How am I supposed to find it if it was still slumbering—trapped in hibernation?" Edward contemplated as he pressed onward.

He was sent here by the Executor to locate the Passue Matriarch.

Since the Passues were extremely strong and sensitive to mana, he was sent here alone. 𝖋𝔯𝖊𝖊𝖜𝔢𝖇𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔢𝖑.𝖈𝔬𝖒

Just then, Edward saw something flickering on his periphery, "Hmm?!"

Instinctively, he cast a searching gaze to his side, scanning the surroundings for any signs of the Passues, but he found nothing amiss. Sighing lightly, he came to a halt and leaned on the tree to his left, his demeanor portraying a sense of inner turmoil.

Despite not doing anything laboring to the body, Edward was panting hard.

His chest felt stuffy for some unknown reason.

Not knowing what was happening to him, knowing full well that he wouldn't be fatigued with only this level of labor, he decided to press on deeper into the creek. Eventually, he reached a glade with a small lake at the center.

Everything was shaded with darkness so it's hard to see beyond twenty meters.

Only the sound of light splashing of water alerted him that there was a water body nearby.

'Water... I need water...' Edward thought, feeling his throat as dry as a desert.

Upon reaching the edge of the lake, he sank to his knees and looked into the crystal-clear water before him. A moment of hesitation gripped him as the water might contain a lethal substance that made it dangerous to drink.

But recalling the black armor he was wearing, he decided to proceed to drink the water.

Corrupted by the Executor's power doesn't only change his anatomy, it also birthed the black armor encasing him that was alive. Not only will it protect him from any external attacks, but Edward also wouldn't need to worry about internal attacks.

Anything harmful to him would be filtered by his black armor.

It's an item of wonderous powers.

Satiating himself with the water, Edward felt refreshed as the water turned out to be safe.

However, at that moment, he was now sure that something was certainly off.

Emerging from the shroud of darkness cast by Dead Man's Creek, Edward rose to his feet as a brilliant crimson light pierced the darkness before him. Since it was too far, he didn't know what was emitting this crimson light.

All he knew was that it was coming from the center of the lake.

Moreover, it seems the source was drifting towards him, but there was a mist blocking it.

Limited to not being able to use any spells, Edward decided to morph the black armor into a fan-shaped weapon and fanned the dark mist blocking the view. He did one strong motion and managed to blast away all of the mist before him.

But as soon as he did that, Edward took a step back, his eyes widened in surprise.

Coming towards him was a drifting black tree.

It was odd to see a tree was able to float above the lake's surface and drift towards him, but that was not what surprised Edward. What surprised him was the origin of the crimson light, clusters of creatures amassed atop the branches, weaving a metallic canopy.

As they clung to the gnarled branches, their metallic bodies hummed in unison.

Furthermore, the light came from their eyes, creating this radiant bulb in the darkness.

Not even the sunlight could pierce this creek, yet this crimson light was able to do it easily.

Upon seeing this, Edward swallowed harshly.

He felt a shiver trace its icy path down his spine as each creature emanated an energy that triggered an instinctual warning in his brain, and there were a lot of them, dozens or perhaps reaching the hundred mark.

Due to their beehive-like formation, it was hard to determine the exact number.

But it was undoubtedly a lot.

Even though he had only heard the description from the Executor himself, and never seen it first-hand, he could already tell what these small but deadly creatures were. They were the Passues themselves.

Carefully, Edward made his way back, not wanting to alert these Passues.

However, the tree was drifting closer to him faster than he could get away from the lake.

Crack!

It only then that his heart thumped hard when he stepped on a tree branch, right when the black tree was right before him. Like a buzzing circus, the humming metallic sound coming from the Passues changed instantly at the sight of Edward.

"Fuck..."