Chapter 1.25: Life Power

Riot's friends rushed forward to stop him from rashly diving into certain death, but they were a step too late. The enormous barrier was full of colorful lights from afar. Up close, they were clearly terrifying, crisscrossing gusts of wind. It was as if a hurricane was at war with a cyclone. When Riot appeared in front of the cyan and yellowish winds' shredding forces. Arms outstretched, even Riot felt that he was taking a pretty great risk. It was only that rather than anxiety, he felt excitement.

"This had better work," Riot thought to himself. He closed his eyes, and a mysterious chant reappeared in his mind.

[Protect this child, bring the light from strife. To activate great hope, I surrender life!]

This was the chant derived from the hieroglyphs on the walls of the building in front of them. Actually, Riot noticed he couldn't even see the markings from up close. The shield of wind was too thick. However, Riot was able to feel the emotional energy within these words. There was pain, regret, self-sacrifice, and hope on full display at this proximity of the wall. The last word, life, even seemed to contain a different and more magnificent power. That power felt draining and desperate.

After considering how dangerous the wording of this chant sounded, Riot decided to use an abridged version. If it didn't work, then he would risk it all and say the entire chant. His heart suddenly pumped powerfully, sending a wave of peculiar power through his body by way of his blood. This power seemed to resonate with the chant in his mind in a mysterious way. Riot had a feeling that by using the intent within this chant, he could access this spell.

"To activate great hope, I barter life!" Riot spoke in an ancient language unconsciously, startling the friends who rushed to his side. Before they could react, a formless pressure was released from Riot's body. He excitedly exclaimed, "Woah, I can feel something happening. It worked. It's working!"

Vrrrmmm!

Suddenly, the raging winds in front of them released a bright cyan glow and made a revving type of sound. A passageway the size of an adult woman appeared in the winds, surrounded by cyan light.

"No way..." Mikah was completely blown away by this development.

Axel's mouth just hung open in shock. However, Riot impatiently called out to them, "What are you doing? Hurry up and go in!"

When the two youths looked at their friend, they noticed his veins were protruding dangerously, and sweat was forming on his brow and outstretched arms. He was clearly under great strain for some reason.

"GO NOW!" Riot bellowed, snapping the boys out of their shock.

"Okay, we're going," Axel pushed the stupefied Mikah ahead aggressively before dashing madly into the wind tunnel.

"Ah, going, going now!" Mikah stumbled a bit but quickly rushed after Axel.

"Man, this is hard," Riot grumbled through grit teeth. His heart was beating furiously as it tried to provide enough power to support the energy Riot was pouring into this barrier. As soon as he saw his friends cross the other side and turn back to look at him, he was about to dive into the tunnel. However, he suddenly had a premonition. This was the most primal of instincts, one he had only felt a few times before. His face paled as he exclaimed, "Danger!"

Riot cut the connection to that chant in his heart, and the dive rolled to the left.

BOOM!

"Lucky!" Axel and Mikah screamed in unison.

The earth exploded where he was previously standing, leaving a human-sized crater. The force of the impact sent Riot tumbling away ten meters on the ground before he could stop himself and flip to his feet.

Standing in this crater was a sensuous silhouette in the dust cloud resulting from the landing. As the dust cleared, Riot saw a voluptuous and pretty woman with a sinister air around her. She was scantily clad in light armor that accented her entrancing features perfectly. Her smooth jewel-like arms were decorated with many colorful jade rings. Her face held a cold scowl, and a menacing-looking pink awl float next to her. Although her expression was indifferent, the slight trembling of the two hands held behind her back betrayed her impatience. If one paid close attention, she almost seemed nervous about something.

"What kind of weapon is that?" Riot felt a bit of terror in his heart as he looked at the floating awl.

What sort of weapon could float on its own? Did it attack him autonomously? Riot didn't know the answer. He only knew it was the awl that made that crater, with the woman only landing afterward. She had obviously tried to gravely injure or perhaps even kill him with that attack. Riot felt like he would die if he reacted even half a second later.

"Brat, tell me how you opened this barrier, and I won't skin you alive," the terrifying woman said coldly. It was only now that Riot realized this woman looked about 60% similar to Luciano Graves.

Mistress of the Black Tyrant Legion, Sebi Graves.

"Would you believe me if I said you have to hug it?" Riot asked calmly. In his heart, he was completely panicked.

The woman's eyes narrowed at his words, and a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.

"You dare to quip with me, maggot?" her voice turned shrill and grave. She was clearly incensed. The pink awl at her side started to release a savage black gleam. Sebi Graves spat in disdain, "Do you believe I will flay your asshole right now?"

Riot couldn't help but pale a bit at her cold words. He truly didn't want to try his luck against this woman. There was a floating and glowing awl next to her, for heaven's sake. How terrifying was that? Unfortunately, what else could he do in this situation? He could only fight to the death.

"Axel, what do we do?" within the barrier, Mikah looked at the scene on the other side in horror.

Axel's face was grave as he looked at his friend risk his life on the other side of the barrier. Gritting his teeth so hard that they made noise, he said to Mikah, "We go save Haan. We have to trust in Lucky and go do what he fought for us to do!"

Mikah looked reluctant as he watched Riot talking to the terrifying woman who just appeared on the other side. He couldn't hear their words. All he heard was a flurry of wind. He suddenly remembered the last thing Riot said to him and gritted his teeth. Turning around with tears in his eyes, Mikah's resolve to become a hero could be said to have become rock solid.

"Let's go!" Mikah ran forward, seemingly carried by the wind.

Axel smiled when he saw Mikah shoot past him and run into the building. However, he frowned half a second later. He turned back to look at Riot one last time before sighing in defeat. He turned and ran after Mikah while saying in his heart, "Don't die Luck. You have to make it no matter what! And so do we!"

When Riot confirmed that his friends decided to finish the mission, he secretly sighed in relief. Now, perhaps, they could at least secure Haan. Relieved by his friends' departure, Riot's heart started beating vigorously. He was growing excited because of this woman's power. Riot had never been face to face with such an entity before.

Noticing the battle intent growing in the brat's eyes, the woman was immediately enraged. Her voice became icy as she said, "You dare to challenge the great Sebiset? Child of valor, are you a fool? You cannot fathom me splendor."

"I don't want to shiver your timbers, or whatever," Riot shrugged, barely understanding this woman's accent. "But if you want to fight, lady, let's fight!"

"You!" Sebi Graves was about to murder this brat in rage, but her expression suddenly stiffened. She hurriedly retreated several meters away.

"Well said, young master," a voice that was full of bravery and power suddenly called out behind Riot.

Turning his head in shock, he saw a tall and handsome man with broad shoulders. He wore white robes and gold armor and held a broadsword in his hand. The sword's hilt looked like a dragon, and Riot felt some form of an innate sense of closeness with the sword.

"Hey, I know you..." Riot was stunned to discover he knew this man. He immediately became excited, "You're uncle Singapore!"

Swordsman of the Freedom Fighting Sect, Singapore.

"It is an honor that you remember this old swordsman," Singapore nodded at Riot with a smile. "Tell me, can you enter this barrier?"

Riot simply nodded once.

Singapore was stunned by the lad's frankness, but he smiled soon after. He turned to face Sebi Graves as he stepped ahead of the boy, "Fall back for now. Once I engage, go help your friends."

"Yes!" Riot acknowledged with a serious face. He got ready to spring to action at a moment's notice.

Sebi Graves frowned when she heard this dangerous swordsman call this brat young master. However, she nearly blanched when she heard the brat's words. Not only was this brat not her tool, but he was also even the junior of this dastardly bastard she couldn't defeat. The swordsman even dared to treat her like air, openly stating his plan for her to hear.

"Why don't you both just stay here forever!" Sebi Graves screamed like a maniac, seemingly at the limit of her tolerance. She waved her hands while forming various seals and black light formed around her palm under it became a huge claw of darkness. "Netherbear's Terrorclaw!"

The huge 50-meter-tall claw shadow seemed to be wreathed in dark flames that could incinerate anything. Riot was terrified, finally realizing he was completely in over his head. If uncle Singapore hadn't shown up, he would've definitely died here today. The mere thought of this made Riot feel profound fear.

"Have to be more careful in the future, " Riot mused with a wry smile. "She likely wouldn't even need to use such a fancy attack against me. I'd be dead just from her hurling the awl at me."

"Awl?" Singapore's brow raised upon hearing the boy's words. He sneered and stabbed his broadsword into the ground next to Riot. After that, he shot up into the sky like an eagle before slashing out with his index and middle finger as if it were a sword.

Boom!

A ray of sword light shot out of Singapore's fingers and blasted the huge claw apart. The sword light continued unimpeded and slashed across the torso of Sebi.

"AUGH! You filthy maggots!" Sebi Graves raged while coughing out blood. She had a gruesome wound across the chest, and her previously pretty face was twisted in anguish. She retreated rapidly from the swiftly approaching swordsman, desperately making a series of hand seals. "Take this one. Wrath of Princess Iset, Sebiset's Sorrow!"

Mana surged out from Sebi's body before forming a ten-meter-tall tidal wave of water particles that surged toward Singapore like a mourning goddess. Singapore brought his hands together, and a shockingly sharp shockwave of force collided with the tidal wave. The collision caused an even bigger shockwave as water and wind spread out in all directions. Singapore was knocked back several steps. However, Sebi was thrown back dozens of meters by the impact until her back collided with the barrier. Sebi's ghastly screaming only drowned out the dreadful sound of flesh being minced. In what seem to be her final moments, she pulled a strange device out of her sleeve. It emitted an eery black light.

At the same time, a pink light exploded from Sebi's eyes right as the barrier's terrifying winds ripped through her limbs and energy center before seemingly ripping her body to shreds in an explosion of light.

BOOM!

The shockwave of the collision shattered several structures in the surroundings. However, an invisible barrier seemed to be shielding Riot from the shockwave.

"Is it the sword?" Riot wondered in his heart.

Seeing the vicious and blood gash across the howling Sebi's torso, Riot believed the danger to have passed. However, right at that moment, he felt his heart lurch. He seemed to see a strange ethereal shadow pierce through his heart. For some reason, Riot felt aware that this wasn't a present occurrence but a sort of premonition. The youngster was 100 percent certain that something would pierce his heart in the next moment if he didn't move immediately!

Danger!

A pink light shot towards Riot from the left, moving faster than a speeding cross bolt. However, an anticipating light flashed through Singapore's eyes.

Omm!

Singapore's broadsword let out an ethereal humming noise before rising from the ground and slashing out an arc of blue energy.

Clank.

The pink light collided with the sword beam and was knocked off course. With a loud smash, it made another crater in the ground ten meters away from Riot.

"Did the sword just...move on its own?!" Riot was completely flabbergasted. Weapons can behave like this? He frowned a moment later, anger swimming in his eyes. His heart turned cold as he said, "This is the second time that woman tried to kill me! When you're weak, no one cares about your life or death. She didn't even want to know how to enter the barrier like I first thought. She wasn't even willing to let me go when she was near death. She just wanted me to die no matter what."

Riot never felt weaker than he did at this moment. His fate was completely in the hands of these two powerhouses battling in front of him. Even though one of them had just perished most terribly, Riot would have died here twice over had he been alone.

"Remember, young master, mana is the most indispensable tool in this universe. Once you reach the Profound State, you must focus on understanding mana," Singapore landed next to Riot and said. "I no longer sense the presence of that woman after colliding with the Wind Source Barrier. You may believe that she has perished.

"Could it be that she managed to survive, uncle Singapore?" Riot asked in bewilderment.

"Indeed. I can trace her mana about five kilometers to the southeast. She used some unique magic to escape," Singapore crossed his arms and frowned. He looked down at the boy as he grabbed the hilt of his broadsword, "Can you truly enter the barrier, young master Drakel?"