Chapter 77: Lord Aden and His Loyal Vassals

The wind died in the fissures above, and the moonlight recoiled as if the cave had suddenly become a tomb. A heavy, suffocating pressure radiated from Aden, forcing the air out of the Vassals’ lungs.

Their previous reverence vanished, replaced by a cold, predatory focus. They didn’t dare hesitate or try to explain to Aden why the idea was suicidal, because even the least intelligent among them knew how integral this battle would be to his and their growth.

Besides, a command from their Master was not a request; it was a law.

The silence shattered, giving way to the low booms of pressure.

Eight shadows blurred into motion simultaneously. The seventh and eighth Vassals were the first to reach him, coming from his flanks like twin shears.

They didn’t hold back; their Void-claws were aimed directly at Aden’s throat and femoral artery.

’Move, you lead-weighted fool!’ the Entity hissed.

Aden didn’t dodge. He couldn’t. His new skeleton felt like it was rooted into the tectonic plates of the world. Instead, he leaned into the attack.

Clang. Clang.

The sound was like iron striking a cathedral bell. The Passive Adaptation flared to life; the skin on his neck and thigh hardened, but the outward appearance remained the same as before.

The Vassals’ claws didn’t draw blood, they just sparked against his flesh before sliding off as if hitting polished diamond.

But 0.8 seconds was a lifetime.

Lorelei capitalized on the delay. The ground caved in beneath her as she launched forward and spun in the air; her arms flashed behind her waist and pulled out two obsidian daggers gleaming with streaks of Violet.

Before her feet made contact with the ground, the daggers left her hands and flashed toward Aden.

All in less than a second.

The breakthrough in realms was truly a sight to behold.

Aden couldn’t move in time. His skin had just boasted its effects half a second ago, and the perceived short cooldown was proven to be longer than expected.

A thin red line appeared across Aden’s cheek, but his face remained unchanged. His mind was fully focused on controlling the Void within his bones to lighten the gargantuan weight they exerted.

’Blood,’ Aden thought, the copper tang hitting his tongue. A savage thrill surged through him. ’At least it’s red.’

“Better,” Aden rasped.

He lunged forward. Every step pulverized the stone floor, leaving deep, cracked craters behind. His hands reached for Lorelei, his hand moving with a deceptive, heavy slowness that suddenly snapped into a terrifying burst of speed as the Obsidian Circuitry kicked in.

Lorelei’s eyes widened. She tried to bank right, but Aden’s Void-Sense had already predicted her flight path. He didn’t grab her, he simply swiped at the air she was about to occupy.

The back of his hand caught her shoulder. The sound of a heavy weight meeting something fragile reached the ears of everyone present.

Lorelei was sent spiraling into the ceiling, her momentum only stopping when she crashed into the stone, raining debris down on the circle.

“Zero!” Aden roared, his eyes two swirling pits of darkness. “You’re the architect. Show me the blueprint of my death!”

Zero didn’t move his feet. He simply raised his hands, and the shadows of the other seven Vassals detached from the floor, rising like black iron chains to bind Aden’s heavy limbs.

“The Master is heavy,” Zero’s voice echoed telepathically. “So we shall make the world even heavier.”

Suddenly, the floor beneath Aden’s feet turned soft. The shadows of the cave began to pool around his ankles like black tar, pulling at his leaden weight.

The shadows blurred forward in haphazard movements, the echo of chains sounding distantly as the shadowy restraints trailed behind them.

Aden watched them close the distance with frightening speed, but he merely closed his eyes in return. The clanking grew louder every passing second, the air growing heavier with the pressure of containment, but none of it had any effect on him.

The six remaining Vassals’ shadows swung the massive chains above their heads with low humphs, letting the inertia pull them forward like fish against a flood.

Lorelei manifested behind Aden, her eyes already glowing with that Violet hue that threatened one’s state of mind. Zero remained in his position with narrowed eyes, his breath rising and falling calmly.

As the chains and blades were mere inches from Aden’s sunken body, only one thought remained on their minds.

Had their Master overestimated himself?

Just as their thoughts were about to be proven right, the air stilled.

Everyone paused. The clanking of the chains ceased; the low battle cry of Lorelei faded out of existence—or more accurately, it slowed to the point where it was indistinguishable from a pause in time.

Then Aden moved. His left foot rose agonizingly slowly, tensing the shadows under him and snapping them apart with sheer force.

Then his second foot followed, the effect more devastating than the last. His torso pulled itself free from the shadowy bondage before he was completely released.

If time had been flowing normally, that process alone would have taken no less than four minutes, but Aden’s control over the Void had leaped to levels where Glitch could passively slow time, for just four seconds.

He had spent three seconds escaping that sinking shadow trap and was left with one to move to safety.

Instead of letting his weight become a complete burden, he leaned into it. His body fell forward with a step; then his muscles, brimming with Resonance, corded and released like a bullet, propelling him forward.

The friction of his body against the wind tore at his face before he skidded to another corner of the cave.

’Glitch.’

As if the mental announcement coincided with reality, the world around him resumed its normal flow.

The chains clattered against an empty crater. Lorelei swung herself wide to avoid colliding with the shadows, although she couldn’t technically collide with them since they were… shadows.

The real bodies behind the rock where Zero stood vibrated slightly as the impact of the missed attack reverberated through them.

Zero didn’t move. Although the last-minute escape briefly surprised him, he knew better than to linger on whatever his Master had pulled.

Lorelei’s eyes met his, then shifted to where Aden stood, his body slightly hunched and small droplets of sweat forming on his forehead, a testament to the exhaustion of the skill.

Or it could all be a ploy to lure them further.

But none of that mattered. Lorelei led the charge, twin blades manifesting in her arms.

The six shadows resumed their haphazard advance while swinging their chains, the ground caving in with each rotation.

The atmosphere grew charged with battle frenzy. Aden’s eyes scanned their movements, predicting their next points of action with mathematical precision.

His movements were still unbelievably heavy, but that would inevitably change soon. With a wild smile, he crouched and awaited their arrival.

“Don’t disappoint me, Vassals.”

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