283 Neo-Demon vs Archangel (1/2)
Zatiel left a fragment of his consciousness monitoring the exodus of the Magi Invader Force and the natives before taking a step forward and disappearing from the sky above the Fornes continent.
The next instant, the Neo-Demon appeared hundreds of thousands of kilometers deep into the Beta Heavenly World. A solemn expression appeared on his face since, despite the great power he controlled now, the next task would force him to display all of his might.
He was currently in the core of the Beta Heavenly World. Rivers of molten metals with a temperature higher than the surface of a Low World's sun were rotating around a giant sphere full of golden liquid covered by a white membrane. The runic lines that covered the sky, ocean, and surface of the world had also reached this place.
The golden liquid was pure Origin Power, and it was the life force and origin of the Beta Heavenly World. The white membrane could be considered a shield, and its defensive might was so great that even a strike carrying the full power of a Rank 7 life form would find it hard to harm it.
The Neo-Demon stared at the golden liquid for a moment before looking away. His soul was too weak to absorb even a wisp of the world's origin, not to mention that consuming it indiscriminately would shorten this world's life and make its advance to a High World almost impossible.
The sphere of golden liquid released radiation powerful enough to melt Rank 4 life forms in a matter of seconds, but most of its energy was stopped by the membrane that surrounded it. What passed through the membrane was also considered Origin Power, but its quality was hundreds of times inferior to the one inside the world's origin. However, it was this energy that nurtured every life form in the world and also the power that Soul Forging, Law Engraving, and Soul Law Domain existences used to nourish their True Souls.
The Neo-Demon's consciousness was concentrated in the area around him. The power and pressure it generated were so strong that it froze time, and the rivers of molten metals halted their movements. Zatiel's eyes narrowed as he focused on the location he had obtained from Martin's mind.
There were only two things that were not frozen in time. One was the world's origin, and the other was a drop of blood that was constantly rotating and swallowing Origin Power.
The drop of blood was the Garden of Creation. The one constructed by an Archangel with the Shooting Star bloodline. There was a powerful cloaking spell around it, and finding it without knowing its exact location would be extremely hard and take a lot of time.
Zatiel walked until he was one hundred meters away from the drop of blood. A cold light filled his eyes as he concentrated on the feathers. Even though all of them only had power equal to the peak of Rank 4, the Neo-Demon knew that the reason for that was the seal the Archangel left in them to stop the World Consciousness from recognizing them as a threat.
And that was not all since in the feathers there was a piece of consciousness belonging to the Being of Laws that built the garden. It was not able to perform complex thoughts, but it would react to any danger that was great enough to put in danger the life of the Archangel inside the Garden of Creation.
Leaving this type of defense inside a Middle World may seem too much, but each Garden of Creation would give birth to an Archangel. This level of protection was normal for someone who could reach Rank 7.
This layer of protection was a secret that not even the seven Angelic Paragons who guarded the Garden of Creation knew about. Truthfully, The Seven were just a smokescreen meant to give the illusion the Archangel was only guarded by a bunch of Rank 4 life forms.
Zatiel closed his eyes and focused his mind on the black hole around him. A pulse of energy was released from the shadow robe and fused into the black hole. This happened over and over again, and although no change could be seen in the black hole, layers of unimaginable power were accumulating inside it.
A few minutes after every single member of the Magi Invader Force and the natives left this world, Zatiel opened his eyes, and in them, a monstrous battle spirit could be seen.
The Neo-Demon took a step forward, and the instant he did that, he felt that the world turned grey. Zatiel could not move his body but was still able to think and perceive his surroundings.
His consciousness showed him how in this grey world where everything was in a stagnant state, the feathers around the drop of blood fused and formed a man. He had black hair, a beautiful face, and a body with just the right amount of muscle. The most shocking thing about him was the eight white wings filled with silver lines that came out from his back.
His eyes were empty, showing the lack of a soul. The only thing this man recognized was the threat to the Garden of Creation that was in front of him.