Chapter 1623 - 117: Darkness of Annihilation

Within the long corridors of the Royal City, Bologue and his companions sprinted desperately. They rarely found themselves in such a dire state, but each time they did, it signified the presence of an unimaginably powerful enemy pursuing them relentlessly.

"I imagined confronting the Night King directly, but I never thought it would be under these circumstances."

Running at the back of the group, Bologue protected his team while the Ether extended like thousands of arms, embedding deeply into the surrounding walls, manipulating and altering their forms.

Whenever Bologue advanced a certain distance, heavy walls would rise from the ground, sealing the path layer by layer in a fragile attempt to resist the Heartless’ pursuit.

"Honestly, I didn’t expect it either," even while running, Serey’s voice remained steady, "he’s actually become a Calamity and has to some extent broken free of the chains’ restraints."

Serey glanced back, amidst the deafening sounds of collapsing walls, the barriers commanded by Bologue were crumbling one after another, and the Heartless kept pace like a pack.

These ancient monsters recklessly wielded Ether, the terrifying energies converging as if a blazing sun were roaming, searing pain into everyone’s backs.

Previously, though challenging, Bologue and others might have attempted to annihilate the Heartless. But now, with the Night King joining the battle, Bologue realized clearly that they had no chance of victory.

Disregarding other conditions, just the Night King’s suppression of Serey and Olivia’s bloodline was enough to significantly weaken them. Serey could resist somewhat, but Olivia might directly fall under the Night King’s control.

What troubled Bologue the most was that the Night King hadn’t yet manifested fully; merely by releasing his power from within the Origin Tower, he had already exerted an overwhelming pressure that left them struggling to breathe.

Bologue shouted loudly, "He’s your father, don’t you have any solutions, Serey?"

Serey screamed back, "Solutions? If I had a solution, I would’ve killed him years ago!"

Bologue hesitated for a moment, "I always thought you were too cowardly to act."

"That’s part of it," Serey’s breath faltered for the first time, "he is the Night King, the origin of the Blood of the Night Race, any member of the Night Race is inferior before him."

"I did try to muster up courage, but facing him, even if I were brave, I’d become cowardly. Let alone... I’ve always been timid?"

Serey defended his actions from a hundred years ago, "It’s a curse inherent in our bloodline, that imperceptible force lingering between us. Let alone swinging a sword at him, just standing before him, a mere thought from him and the power of the bloodline would be enough to backfire against me."

"Sometimes, it’s not that I don’t want to do things, it’s that I can’t!"

"Then why could she do it!"

Olivia rebuked Serey at this point, "Her bloodline is of a lower purity than yours, yet she succeeded. Do you mean to say that the dominance within the bloodline disappears in such moments!"

Serey’s expression stiffened, for indeed his words were mere excuses. Even with the bloodline’s dominance, true bravery would overcome countless hardships and wield a sword against tyranny, rather than using that dominance as an excuse like he did.

Bologue interrupted their argument, "Alright! Stop fighting now!"

He swung his sword to open yet another grand door; unfortunately, waiting behind this door wasn’t a safe haven, but a group of Bloodthirsty and Night Race members ready for battle.

Clearly, the commotion caused by Bologue and the others in the Pilgrim’s Courtyard had alerted the Rebellious Royal Court. A trap targeting Bologue and his party was forming, putting them in a dire situation.

Fortunately, compared to the pursuers, these obstacles were negligible. Even before Bologue could act, a terrifying gust of wind swept through, scattering the Bloodthirsty in droves. The invisible Wind Blade sliced their bodies into pieces.

In their dying moments, the embedded explosive devices within the Bloodthirsty activated, and a series of explosions erupted around them, shaking the entire building with repeated impacts, dust falling like torrential rain, teetering on the brink of collapse.

In the face of Bologue’s terrifying offensive, the Night Race members prudently stepped aside. Their average Tier wasn’t high, without even Negative Power Users present, they couldn’t obstruct Bologue and the others, yet the minor hindrance they caused allowed the relentless pursuers to finally catch the hems of their clothes.

"Watch out!"

Bologue exclaimed, unleashing an outburst of Ethereal Power, forcibly commanding the surrounding materials, causing dozens of walls to rise instantly. They stacked layer upon layer, resembling a heavy barrier that completely blocked the rear.

It seemed an insurmountable obstacle for mere mortals, but with a dull screech, terrifying cracks crawled along the walls and extended throughout the entire structure.

After a brief pause, the thick wall collapsed with a roar, reduced to fine dust under the Seeker of Glory’s mighty force, without any large chunks remaining.

Meanwhile, numerous Ether reactions surged, Bologue witnessed Oken brandishing a giant sword fused with flesh and bone, leaping out from the dust. He also saw several Heartless unleash their Transforming Corporeal Discipline power, transforming their bodies into grotesquely twisted monsters, growing eight arms and six tails.