Lord Shadow

Chapter 1604 Looking Forward

Azief now understood why when he wears the ring, he felt this kind of uneasy feeling. And why there is a certain coldness in his heart when he uses the ring

When he was weak and his realm was low, he did not feel that. 

But as he grows stronger, and as he uses the ring, he felt the power of the ring but also felt a certain coldness to it

But at that time, he did not think much of it. 

However now listening to Borgan explanation, he finally knows why he felt such way

So, he nodded. 

And he understood. 

But if Loki was here, he would surely nod with a certain kind of understanding. 

Azief in the future timeline is a very cold person. 

Of course, it also has something to do with his personal experience, but even without the experience he had, in the end, Azief personality in this timeline might develop the same way if he keeps using the rings. 

There are many such artefacts in the Universe which with prolonged use could affect the user. 

And this ring is one of that many artefacts that could also affect the users that uses it and wore it. 

Azief understood now after Borgan explains it to him. 

When he heard the song on his ears before, he could hear life in it. 

He could hear joy. 

That Etherna must be the Etherna from which comes the Ring of Creation Songs

Actually, there is Songs that he had learned from the ring of creation songs that is not dark magic.

But most of the songs that he had learned all have dark kind of magic. Song of Poisonous Mist for example just by hearing the title of the song once could tell that it is a song that is not good

There is also the hymn of disaster. As he looks at these Ethernas, he could feel there is a change in him

 Song echoes in his ears

Words chanted and even though he did not know the words, he could tell these are forbidden words

”With one Word, Reality changes” he mutters. Right now, Azief did not realize it himself but his eyes are cloudy just like when Oracle Erika divines the future. 

He is seeing things, hearing this, sensing things, and some of them might just be an illusion but it could also be true

The Words that he had learned before now seem got reveal a different kind of power. Each time he thought of the Ten Ethernas, even though he could only remember the feeling and not the appearance, he could feel his control over the rings strengthened

He heard songs, he heard words and he learns ritual. 

And this his vision changes and he see another different thing

He first saw nothing, feeling himself and seeing nothing

He is shrouded in darkness. 

But then he sees light, a dim light, a floating orb of fire that illuminates.

It however illuminates only a portion of the darkness and then more of such floating orb a appears and as far as the eyes could see, he sees an all-pervading darkness.

And then he saw a cube. The cube looks small 

And so, he flies toward the cube, touches it and he enters the cube 

The moment he touches the cube, he understood what the cube is. 

It is a dimension sealed inside a cube. The dimension could be called a Void dimension. 

And there is a prison inside this void dimension

Inside it, all kinds of terrors and horrors could be seen. 

There is terrifying beast with horrifying appearances. Some are solid and some are intangible, like a pervading fear that enters one heart silently

Like a whisper, like the blowing of the winds of spring, unseen

But for the creatures that is more tangible, these beast and musters all of them is marked. 

And Azief saw the mark and the moment he saw it; he knew what the mark means. But when he tries to remember the mark again, he could not remember it. 

But he knows what is the function of the mark.

It is a mark to summon them

Azief understood that this is the place from where the Ring of Great Summoning called upon the Demonic God from the Dark Abyss

This dimension that he is seeing now, is the Dark Abyss. 

”With one drop of Blood, Summoning the Demonic God from the Dark Abyss”

”Whose blood?” Azief mutters and a voice answer in his mind

”My blood” the voice sounded like a whisper, like song. 

If he did not listen carefully, he would not hear it. In his glimpse of the Dark Abyss, he sees a semi skeletal winged horse

Behind this semi skeletal winged horse, there is a legion of shadows behind it, dark mist swirling under his hooves, bringing darkness wherever it treads.

He saw a black dragon with red scales and red eyes. 

He knows it is a black dragon because the moment he sees the monster, the information about the monster transited into his mind, making it appear like he has always known these monster

The voice he heard before; probable is the voice of the Etherna that turns into the Ring of Great Summoning

Then he heard the sound of a stomp and he feel his heart shakes and around Azief body right now, the element swirls around him. 

Right now, Azief could not see that the ten Etherna in the chamber with Phaitos is hurling themselves into the large forge of fire 

There are no screams as none of them wanted to show such indignity. 

Their souls, their essence, their life was all mixed in that forge of fire, melded and mixed

Each one of them sacrifices their life and each time they sacrifice their life, Azief seems to have create some kind of connection with these ten Ethernas. 

And connecting with them means connecting with the rings

The coldness in the ring, the corruption from the ring and the perversion from the rings seems to have lessened. 

The stronger the connection, the closer Azief is to the form of the Ten Etherna that is good and kind, that is spring and light

Right now, the element that is swirling around him is lightning, fire, water, wind, metal, void, earth, dark and light

”With one stomp, quake the world, invoking all the elements” before Azief did not understand these words. But now, in his vision he sees something

And he understood deeper what the words tries to tell him. 

The world does not mean the world today. These words were spoken in those primordial times. At that time, the parallel universe did not exist yet

There is only one world. So, in the context of the era that Azief is living in, the world simply means the Omniverse itself

”The limit that this power has…was limited by myself” Azief always thought out of the ten rings, this ring in particular is the weakest in utilization.

Yes, the elements when used properly is powerful but even if he did not wield the ring, he still could control the element.

But now as he understood what the ”World” means, it was like he is playing a game and he found out that the thing he thought have reached its limit could actually be upgraded. 

And as for the image that he saw, he saw an Etherna. 

The face is blurred but Azief did not forget the feeling he felt. And even though Azief could not see the face of this Etherna, he did see something else and he imprinted it in his mind. 

He saw this person manipulate lightings of various colours and powers. Each lightning seems to have its properties. Each of these lightning is destructive in their own unique way

Some of these lightings are lightning that he very much recognizes. Some of the lightning he saw are lightning that are made by speedster when they are running

And then there is also lightning and thunders that eerily similar to tribulation lightning. 

And then he could see all kinds of fire. Even mythical fire, a fire that burns everything, a fire that protect, a fire that purify. 

All kinds of fire, from fire of punishment to a fire that breeds life, to a fire that opens up darkness. 

It is the same for the Wind, for Metals and minerals, Void, Dark and Light

All of these elements have its own layers and its own mysteries that it would take millions of years just to unravel it all and master it all

Before, he did not see the potential of this ring and its power. He thought…. wrong

And then as another Etherna hurl himself into the fire of the forge, all kinds of formation suddenly appear in front of his eyes.

No, to be more accurate it was like it exploded in front of his eyes and he could see a vision of tens of thousands of formations which could then be a variable of another formation, creating millions of formations and these millions of formations could also be used to create other formation creating trillions more formation

On and on it goes, infinite and limitless. 

Out of the many rings he has, this is the ring which Azief uses the most. 

Most of the defensive formation that is embedded in Pandemonium came from this ring. 

Then there is another vision. This time the vision shows him sealing methods of all kinds

From sealing beast, to sealing the world, to sealing intangible concepts and restrain it, all kinds of seal methods enter his mind

It was so much so that some of the memory seems distorted. 

”Argh” Azief clutch his head.

He feels pain as more and more of this vision swarm his mind. Borgan who is standing beside him sighed and then put her hand on his shoulders and almost immediately, Azief face shows relief. 

But Azief himself did not notice that right now Borgan is toughing his shoulders. Borgan look at Azief . Azief right now is now in a state of fugue.

In his eyes right now, he could not see Borgan. Instead, what he is seeing right now, is the vision of an Etherna sealing all kinds of things with his abilities

And Borgna looking at Azief, her eyes shines in a different colour. If Azief could see brogan eyes right now, he would be shocked.

Because in Borgan eyes right now, there is the same scene that Azief is seeing. With her eyes, she could probably really see everything

Borgan in her eyes sees old friends and old acquatinaces in Azief mind. In front of her is the tragic scene of her friends and Etherna she admire throwing thmelseves into the forge of fire. 

And in Azief vision, she sees the shining moment of her friends. 

She sigh, a smile on her face, a gentle smile. 

”Take it easy on him” she mutters and then she removes her hand from Azief shoulder. Azief is looking at the vision and she...she is looking forward. Looking once again at the sacrifice of these heroes she admires. 

”I respectfully send you all off. And I will finish what you all sacrificed your life for” 

>>