266 Moving forward (1/2)

”Hmph, those fools are useless. They even got the help of other people talented in torture, to maintain the pressure every second of the day, and yet the only thing they got from that man was laughs.” The rage in Oliver's eyes was immense. He had maintained himself away from the Silent House since he feared he would lose control and kill Zatiel.

Both Angelic Paragons felt impotent. They had sacrificed many Rank 4 warriors to capture Zatiel, which reduced their military might immensely, not to mention that eventually, they will have to face Gonzo's wrath due to Vapula's death.

And for all that sacrifice, the only thing they got was a man who mocked and laughed at them every day. Invading his brain or consciousness was not plausible since Zatiel's rune would explode his head, and his soul was too weak to endure any attempt of soul searching.

For a second, Tomas' eyes twitched, and an idea developed in his mind. Black tendril appeared on his eyes, and if you could see inside the Angelic Paragon's head, you would notice that they also had invaded his brain.

”I doubt more time will be of use. No matter what we do to his body, physical pain appears to be useless against him. We will use the Soul Apple and heal his soul. Then, with the Sage's assistance, we will be able to get everything that we need from that man.” Tomas's expression was calm, but if any other member of the Heavenly race were to hear his words, they would be shocked.

Oliver frowned when he heard that idea. He still felt uncomfortable working with an animal, but his reluctance was less powerful when it came to matters regarding the Sage. In the end, he accepted that Tomas' plan was the best path to follow.

”It will take us time to adjust the Soul Apple's potency. In the meantime, those buffoons will continue working on him. Who knows, they may have luck and their tactics eventually achieve something.” Oliver knew he was only fooling himself into thinking that Finibus and the others could break Zatiel's will. But he refused to allow a moment of peace for the man he hated to the core.

The Soul Apple was a powerful medicine, with the potency to help Law Engraving existences. It could not be administered in its raw form to a Rank 3 life form unless they wanted him to develop countless tumors and transform his soul into an amorphous ball of energy that would dissipate in a matter of seconds.

........

Time passed in the Beta Heavenly World, and the Fornes continent changed greatly. The Magi invader force raged through it without resistance. The Ten Tower Formation's force field covered more than eighty percent of the continent.

The construction of the new towers was conducted by the Rank 4 Magi and Fallen.

All those at Rank 3 and below focused their time harvesting resources. Even though they had to pass a great amount of the wealth they gathered to the Soul Forging existences, what remained for them was still substantial, so they worked without stop.

A couple that also did not have time to rest was Sigrid and Aren. The Eye Holder siblings had passed every single day fighting members of the Heavenly race, and now that the Fornes continent was almost entirely purged from them, they have focused their energy on magic creatures.

They were currently fighting a pack of magic creatures led by two Novice Rank 3 Four-Headed Manticore. They were using all of their power, however, not only were the two Four-Headed Manticore very powerful, but they also commanded dozens of Rank 2 Poison Manticore. The great number of enemies forced the duo into a dangerous situation.

Sigrid and Aren knew that any mistake or weakness would cost them their lives. In the end, they were able to kill the entire pack. Their energy pools were depleted, and their bodies were filled with wounds.

Before they could start to rest, the duo felt as the earth trembled. Soon they saw a pack of magic creatures marching to their location. They must have been attracted by the sounds of the fight and the blood of the killed Four-Headed Manticores.

The leader of the pack was a Master Rank 3 Spiked Armadillo, and following him closely was an Advanced Rank 3 Spiked Armadillo.