Outworld: Awakening - 77 The End III

“Morton, how strong are those things?” Sedo whispered.

However, silence greeted his words.

“Hey, Morton! How…” Sedo’s words trialed off as he stared at Morton’s listless face. Eric, too, also focused on Morton.

‘Why does he look so scared? How strong are they?’ Eric mused. In their forty years of living, he had never seen Morton that scared.

“Morton, snap out of it! How strong are those things?” Sedo howled, slapping Morton at the back of his head. Although he shared a similar thought with Eric, now wasn’t the time for Morton to lose himself to his thoughts.

“Huh? Why did you hit—?”

“Forget about that. Can we win?” Sedo interjected. His eyes continued to shift between Adam and his Familiars. Unlike before, they approached the trio in short but confident strides.

“Morton, hurry. Can we win?” Eric asked. Morton’s silence birthed a sense of unease in his heart.

“We have to get away from those things. Two of them are at least B ranked Awakened. Let’s Retre—huh?” Before Morton could finish his statement, Adam and the Familiars charged towards the trio in a sudden burst of speed.

Instantly, the trio retreated. The sudden change of pace had disrupted their formation. Unlike before, the approaching party had broken into pairs. Nokum and an unranked Demonkin charged towards Sedo, while Salma and another unranked Demonkin charged towards Eric. Meanwhile, Adam and the remaining unranked Demonkin chased after Morton.

Having read the intel on the brothers, he would never let them fight together. With Nokum and Salma, it didn’t really matter if they fought together, anyway. However, Adam preferred the fight to end as quickly as possible. After all, this was the first time he had been this lucky in ages. He was confident that if Vicar knew about the two Disaster ranked Demonkins, he would have assigned him a more difficult mission.

“Who said you could leave?” Adam smirked as he stared into Morton’s eyes. He could barely stop himself from laughing.

“Who are you? What do you have to gain by doing this?” Morton’s expression had turned ashen as he glared at Adam. Never would he have imagined such a turnaround.

“Don’t waste words on him, Morton. This could be another of his tricks!” Sedo howled from the side.

‘I don’t believe there’s a B ranked Awakened among these things. Why would this brat go through so much trouble if he was that powerful? No. This is just another filthy ruse.’ Sedo thought.

He believed that no Awakened would go through the stress of appearing weak just to eliminate weaker foe. Especially one who had rank B underlings.

At that same moment, Sedo slammed his palms on his stomach, producing distinct echoes. With each strike, his eyes slowly turned green while his stomach swelled.

On the tenth strike, a foul smelling pale green liquid dropped from the corners of his mouth. The spot the liquid fell turned black upon contact, visibly weathering. Meanwhile, his stomach had already swelled to three times it normal size, while his eyes shown like emeralds. A total contrast to his now grey and rough skin.

A few meters away, Eric, too, had undergone significant transformation. A thick layer of ice armor covered the entirety of his body. A pair of spiked gauntlets decorated his arms and legs. While curved spikes extended out of his spine. Unlike the other parts of the ice armor, this part was blood red. He, too, believed it was impossible for Adam to have a B ranked underling.

Only Morton remained the same. However, the glow in his eyes had brightened.

‘Sedo is right. This bastard might actually have a way to trick my eyes. It doesn’t matter anyway. Only one side will come out of this alive.’ Morton thought.

Adam, on the other hand, remained motionless. His smile brightened as he watched the brothers transform. It had been a while since he had a good battle, after all.

“How long are you going to stare at me? If you’re going to do something, do it already.” Adam’s taunt echoed in the ears of the brothers.

Unable to quell is anger anymore, Sedo’s body swelled three times its size. A second later, he vomited truckloads of the foul smelling liquid. Spraying it all directions. However, the more he vomited, the more his body size increased. And so did the rate of his vomit. It spewed out from his mouth, nose, ears and eyes.

Large holes formed on the steel floors and surrounding machinery. Everything the liquid touched, it consumed. Leaving only destruction in its wake.

The majority of the liquid, however, fell on Nokum and the unranked Demonkin. It poured like an unending torrent on the duo, to the extent one could tell their fates within the deluge.

A few meters away, Eric bombarded Salma and its partner with an incessant barrage of icicles. With Sedo’s vomit drifting towards his direction, some of the icicles were made from the foul smelling liquid. Since Eric’s ability lowered the temperature of the factory, a great change occurred to the liquid.

Instead of freezing, it evaporated. Forming a thick purple mist within the factory. Everything it touched instantly corroded.

“Even if you’re really a B ranked Awakened, you will die here. No one can survive our attacks!” A second after Morton’s declaration, his eyes blinked in a synchronized pattern.

Just then, Adam felt an overwhelming pressure course through his body, disappearing as fast as it appeared. However, neither Adam nor the Familiars could move. The world before his eyes had changed. A white space with crisscrossing white patterns had replaced the buzzing machinery and distinct lights of the factory.

“So what if you know about our abilities! It’s one thing to know what your enemy will do, it’s another thing to stop it.”

Although Adam heard Morton’s words, he still couldn’t see him.

“… You aren’t the first person to have underestimated us because they had a higher rank. Like the rest, you will meet your end here. No one can survive our combined attacks!” Morton’s words echoed once more.

This time, however, Adam chuckled.

“We’ll see if you can still laugh when I’m done with you…” Although Adam couldn’t see Morton, he could sense the venom in his words.

“Two of you find and attack him.” Adam ordered.

Saying nothing, the eyes of the unranked Demonkins shown with a savage light. Mustering all their strength, they shattered the restrictions on their bodies. Just then, they took their first step. However, a massive change followed. The first Familiar teleported over sixty meters away from Adam while the other walked upside down over two hundred feet away.

“Hahaha… You think you’re the only one with tricks? Hahaha… There’s no way you can beat my World of Solitude. I control everything here. No matter what you do, it’s pointless. Just wait patiently for your death!” Morton’s words echoed in all directions.

“You two come back here,” Adam said.

This time, one Familiar laid on the floor while the other floated upside down. They tried their best to fulfill Adam’s orders, however; they couldn’t control how or where they walked to.

Just then, Adam noticed the temperature in the World of Solitude had dropped significantly. And a slight frown distorted his features.

“Hahaha… No matter what you do, it’s useless. No one can leave my Domain! Just wait for the poisonous gas to kill you! I can’t wait to extract that ability of yours!” Once again, Morton’s voice boomed.

Over the years, the trio had used the same pattern to kill tens of Awakened far more powerful than their individual strengths. First, Morton would trap their prey within the World of Solitude, after which, Sedo and Eric would eliminate them with their combined abilities. With most people powerless within the Domain, the poisonous gas would slowly and painfully eliminate their target.

‘Hahaha… he finally revealed it. So, it’s really a Domain… this is wonderful. That sadist has finally done something useful. Hahaha…’ Adam’s body trembled as his thoughts wandered.

In Outworld, only a few Awakened had abilities that could rank as Domains. Although it wasn’t rank specific, it was rarer than Elementals. A Blessed or an E rank Awakened could possess one. However, it’s strength would differ greatly due to their connection to the Blessing.

From the file Elliot gave him, Adam already knew Morton possessed a Domain called the World of Solitude. It’s activation process began the moment he checked someone’s rank. As long as his target was not three ranks over him, he would successfully know their rank, and his eyes would place a mental barrier in the brain of the target.

Once the first condition is fulfilled, he can activate the domain at any given time, as long as he’s within a hundred feet of the target.

The barrier would swallow the consciousness of the target, tricking them into thinking they’ve appeared in another world. Just like an illusion. Unlike an illusion, however, pain doesn’t guarantee release from the World of Solitude. Neither would outside interference. If one was unlucky, they might even suffer a complete mental breakdown.

“Hahaha… you’re already trembling in fear. I can’t wait to see you squirm. I can guarantee your death will be long and painful!” Morton said. He had mentally projected his figure into the Domain.

“Hahahaha…” Adam suddenly burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny. Do you think—”

“The last couple of months have been really shitty, but today’s harvest will make up for it. Who would have thought I would have a domain so soon,” Adam interjected.

‘Huh? What is he talking about? What does he mean he’ll have a domain soon?’ Morton’s projection furrowed its brows as it watched Adam laugh.

‘This bastard doesn’t know when to give up. Enough of this. I will make him go mad before the poisonous gas arrives.’ Morton stared at Adam with a savage grin. He had grown tired of the verbal exchange between them.

“Go dream of a Domain in hell!” Morton said. He mentally commanded the barrier in Adam’s head to explode.

However, nothing happened.

‘Huh? What’s going on?’ Morton couldn’t hide his confusion as he stared at the World of Solitude. It should have crumbled along with the barrier.

“… hahahaha…”

Adam’s rancorous laugh shifted Morton’s gaze back to him once more. Just then, he noticed a rapidly growing black spot underneath Adam’s feet.

‘What’s that?’ Morton’s brows creased as he stared at the abnormality.

“Why do you look so serious? I thought you were sending me to hell?” Adam teased. “Well, if you’re not going to do anything. I might as well come over,” Adam added.

“You can’t break free from—”

Mid-thought, Morton’s jaw dropped as he watched Adam causally walk towards his direction.

‘Huh? What the hell is this? How can he move on his own?!’

Once again, Morton’s eyes fell on the black spot below Adam’s feet. It expanded as he moved. From Morton’s point of view, it seem to devour the world of solitude. Although he was only a projection, dread covered his face.

“How is he able to do that?” Morton blurted out.

“I can tell you if you want to know.”

Morton trembled as he heard the voice. It came from behind him. At that moment, he realized he couldn’t find Adam or the Familiars anymore. In fact, in the blink of an eye, darkness had devoured half of the World of Solitude.

“I was really excited to meet you Morton. This ability of yours is truly amazing. I just had to experience it myself. I hope you enjoyed using it one last time, because I don’t know if you’ll have it in the afterlife.”

Before Morton could retort, black tendrils had covered his body binding him in place, slowly dragging him into the abyss below.

“You can’t kill me in my own Domain. Who the hell do you think you—?” Before Morton could finish his statement, he shattered into millions of pieces. Within seconds, the darkness devoured the World of Solitude.

Meanwhile, a purple gas cloud had covered the length of factory. Most of the machinery had turned to rusted heaps of junk.

Within the mist, Morton knelt on both knees while blood streaked from the sides of his mouth. His face had turned pale white while the glow in his trembling eyes had disappeared.

Eric’s listless eyes stared at the unfamiliar young man in front of him. He had pure white hair while his blue eyes glowed within the poisonous mist. Flanked on either side by three aberrations, the young man stood like a harbinger of death. Just ahead of him stood two motionless bodies riddled with gruesome injuries.

To the left, Sedo lay on the floor. Blood and other unidentifiable body fluids poured out from a large hole in his stomach. His gut visible for all to see. Meanwhile, to the right, Eric lay on the floor face first. Several burn marks decorated his scorched body. The crimson spike on his back had long shattered, his spine accompanying it. Both legs were nothing but mangled tangle of flesh and bone. Unlike Sedo, he had long since lost consciousness.

“How did this happen? How is this possible?!” Morton muttered.

No matter who much Morton thought about it, Adam shouldn’t be able to dispel his domain. A second ago, they held the advantage. But how did it change so quick? Even if Adam was a rank B Awakened, he shouldn’t be able to decimate them like mere livestock.

“Are you sure you really want to know?” Adam quipped from the side. “While you were showing off, they received the beating of their life. If you had paid attention earlier, you might have delayed it for a minute or two.” Adam added. Causally strolling towards Morton’s kneeling position.

Morton’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot. He hated the youth in front of him more than anyone in the entire world.

“Hahaha… Only if looks could kill, right?” Adam couldn’t stop himself from taunting Morton. If their roles was reversed, he too would have such a visage.

Just then, Morton spat towards Adam’s face. It was the only way he could express the resentment in his heart. After the destruction of the World of Solitude, he couldn’t move any part of his body.

However, before his sputum could reach Adam’s face, Nokum raised Sedo’s face to meet it. A split second later, Morton felt a heavy blow on his jaw. Nokum shattered it with one strike. Who was he to disrespect his Adam? If not for Adam, he would have killed him in the most brutal way possible. Even the usually playful Salma growled and seethed at Morton’s actions. It wanted nothing but to burn Morton to ashes.

Adam, on the other hand, donned a cheerful smile. Even without Nokum’s interference, he would have easily dodged it.

“Mon… Mon… ster… Yo-You… pa-pa-pay… fo-for… tis…”

Adam’s smile brightened as he heard Morton’s incoherent voice. He could already piece together what he said.

“You of all people calling me a monster. Hahaha… What’s wrong with being a monster?” Despite Adam’s cheerful words, his eyes had a sinister light in them. Taking gentle strides, he towered over Morton’s body.

“You believe I’m a monster, right? I will show you a true monster. Take it as payment for your Domain.”

Before Morton could comprehend what Adam meant, black tendrils covered Sedo and Eric’s bodies. A moment later, ear piercing screams followed, burying the muffled sounds of snapping bones.

Morton’s cringed as he heard gruesome screams of his brothers. With each second, the screams lessened, and so did the tendrils covering them. A minute later, it had reduced to the size of an orange.

[Devouring Completed.]

[Would you like to begin assimilation?]

“No. Let Nokum and Salma devour it,” Adam instructed mentally.

“What the hell are you doing, Adam? You want to give my food to them? How dare you? Increase your power first before strengthening the Familiars. Do you want them to betray you?”

[Requesting further confirmation?]

[Are you willing to proceed with the previous command?]

“Don’t do it, Adam! Trust me!”

Adam suddenly turned his head to the side, his eyes lingered on Nokum and Salma who stared at him. Although he didn’t know why, he felt they could tell what was going on. Because they had a faint glint of expectation in their eyes.

“System, do it!” Adam commanded. Totally ignoring the advice of the voice in his head.

[Assimilation started…]

The same moment the system message popped up, the orange-sized tendrils shot into Nokum and Salma’s bodies.

“Idiot! Do you know what you have done?!”

Adam said nothing. He only stared at the transformation on Nokum and Salma’s bodies. Their magma-like skins glowed while they screamed in a sickening voice. The unranked Demonkins beside them prostrated on the ground, even without Adam’s order. A second later, a shroud formed from the expanded tendril, covering the bodies of both Familiars.

[Assimilation Completed!]

Adam watched with bated breath as cracks formed over the surface. A second later, it shattered into a thousand pieces. At that moment, Adam’s eyes quivered as he stared at Nokum and Salma. Unlike before, Nokum looked more human-like. But he still had red glowing skin. Salma, too, had also transformed into a human-like figure. Albeit, one that was feminine.

“You fucking idiot! You will regret this!”

[You have infringed on The Omen Order!]

[The Omen has recorded your existence!]

[Connection to The Omen has strengthened!]

[The Omen has recognized your existence!]

[Connection to The Omen has strengthened!]

[The Omen has identified your Path!]

[Connection to The Omen has strengthened!]

[The Omen has allowed your existence!]

[Connection to The Omen has strengthened!]

[The Omen is wary of your existence!]

[Connection to The Omen has strengthened!]

[Familiars Successfully Strengthened!]

Name: Salma.

Race: Omen Being.

Class: Berserker.

Abilities: Magma Manipulation.

Breath of the northern winds.

Body Transformation.

Creator: Adam Staples.

Omen Rank: Demonkin (Havoc).

Loyalties: Undecided!

Name: Nokum.

Race: Omen Being.

Class: Warrior.

Abilities: Sword Master.

Breath of the underworld.

Body Transformation.

Creator: Adam Staples.

Omen Rank: Demonkin (Havoc).

Loyalties: Undecided!

Before Adam could read through the system’s message, Nokum and Salma walked towards him with undisguised arrogance.

“What are you going to—?”

Before Adam could finish his statement, Nokum and Salma dropped to their knees.

“I greet you, Lord!” Nokum and Salma said in unison.

‘What the fuck? They spoke?’ Adam stared wide eyed at the kneeling Familiars, confused on what to do.

[The Omen is wary of your existence!]

[Connection to The Omen has strengthened!]

[Ranked Demonkins have recognized you as a Lord!]

[You have infringed on The Omen Order!]

[The Omen has recognized your existence!]

[Connection to The Omen has strengthened!]

[The Omen has bestowed you a title!]

Name: Salma.

Race: Omen Being.

Class: Berserker.

Abilities: Magma Manipulation.

Breath of the northern winds.

Body Transformation.

Creator: Adam Staples.

Omen Rank: Demonkin (Havoc).

Loyalties: Lord of ???

Name: Nokum.

Race: Omen Being.

Class: Warrior.

Abilities: Sword Master.

Breath of the underworld.

Body Transformation.

Creator: Adam Staples.

Omen Rank: Demonkin (Havoc).

Loyalties: Lord of ???

[Establishing Connection to The Omen]

[Connection Established]

Name: Adam Staples.

Age: Seventeen.

– Human.

– Demonkin (Plague).

Constitution: 11.

Agility: 17.

Endurance: 23.

Luck: 2.5

Dexterity: 16.

Strength: 19.

Charisma: 10.

– Summoning.

– Illusion Inducement.

– Regeneration (Passive).

– Poison Resistance (Passive).

– Invisibility.

– Manipulator.

– Illusionist.

– Devourer.

– Dominator.

– Slayer (Passive).

– The Hated One (Passive).

– Lord (Candidate).

???

Awakened!

– 28.

– Cataclysm, Runed Blade of Delusions.

– Familiars (0/???)

– Transmission Crystal (1/1)

– Worn Half Mask (1/1)

– C.

– Lord of ???

Adam stared wide eyed as he read through the system’s messages.

“You? A Lord? Are my eyes deceiving me? How can someone be so lucky?”

Once again, Adam ignored the voice in his head. He didn’t even know what a Lord signified. That Nokum and Salma could talk were huge news not to talk of them reaching Havoc rank. He had so many questions, however, Adam knew now wasn’t the time.

Shifting his attention to Nokum and Salma, Adam spoke, “Rise.” Instantly, the two Familiars rose to their feet.

“We have much to discuss, but now is not the time. Get into the inventory for now,” Adam said.

“Yes, Lord.”

Just then, Nokum and Salma and the other familiars disappeared into thin air. Once again, Adam turned his attention towards Morton.

Like any other person, the previous scene scared Morton out of his mind. That Adam focused on him again sent chills to the very depths of his being. Calling Adam a monster earlier was being generous.

Meanwhile, Adam clutched his hands, and Morton flew in the air. A second later, black tendrils extended out of Adam’s hands towards Morton. A moment later, his screams echoed. Less than a minute later, another orange sized ball stood before Adam.

[Devouring Completed.]

[Would you like to begin assimilation?]

“Yes.”

Instantly, the ball rushed into Adam’s mouth, before exploding into a surge of energy he was familiar with. He felt as if every cell in his body was working over ten times its limit. However, the most striking change occurred within his eyes. It shifted between red and blue hue. At that same moment, Adam’s vision turned blurry. A moment later, he went blind. Darkness swallowed everything around him.

[Assimilation Completed!]

[The Omen has recognized your existence!]

[Connection to The Omen has strengthened!]

[You have gained a new title!]

[You have gained a domain!]

[The Omen has recognized your existence!]

[Connection to The Omen has strengthened!]

[The Omen has recognized your existence!]

[Connection to The Omen has strengthened!]

Name: Adam Staples.

Age: Seventeen.

– Human.

– Demonkin (Plague).

Constitution: 11.

Agility: 17.

Endurance: 23.

Luck: 2.5

Dexterity: 16.

Strength: 19.

Charisma: 10.

– Summoning.

– Regeneration (Passive).

– Poison Resistance (Passive).

– Invisibility.

– Slayer (Passive).

– The Hated One (Passive).

– Lord (Candidate).

– Domain Inheritor.

???

– Manipulator.

– Absolute Control.

– Illusionist.

– World of Phantasm.

– Devourer.

– World of ???

– Dominator.

– Conqueror.

Awakened!

– 28.

– Cataclysm, Runed Blade of Delusions.

– Familiars (6/???)

– Transmission Crystal (1/1)

– Worn Half Mask (1/1)

– C.

– Lord of ???