novelraw Chapter 329 - 328 - Tribulation of Death
Chapter 329 - 328 - Tribulation of Death
"Impossible, how could it all be destroyed so easily?" Nathaniel had labored for centuries to escape the war and obstructions to his safety. He did not want any more distractions and finally achieved it!
He had beaten it all, but some fool from Earth broke his great project in a few moments!
He had gone native too!
Nathaniel did not notice his hair graying slowly as time passed. Nor did he notice it was getting harder to breathe not only from exertion but from the damage to his cultivation. His dantian was cracking and his meridians fraying from the powerful Qi inside him ripping it all apart.
He had cracked true suspension but it did not negate the fact he had lived far beyond a normal human lifespan.
The couple centuries he lived already were becoming apparent as he became crippled. He saw the towers begin to bloom like orange flowers as they exploded. The density of Qi skyrocketed beyond the tolerance of any material inside the dome.
It took more, but the inanimate metals began to burst from too much Qi having nowhere to go. There was an insulation layer on the superconductor dome, otherwise it would not serve its purpose!
Nathaniel kept trying to run to his last resort. He had made a final backup to save himself if anyone interfered but it seemed so far away now! Why was it getting harder to move?
"My son, it is over." Nathaniel froze. He had not heard that voice in at least 50 years before he completed the project. He had broken off all contact with his family as he immersed himself in his project.
A faint, flickering, man was standing behind Nathaniel. He wore the same gold and azure robes from before. The white back length hair was so clear to him right then as his father's cold black eyes looked at him.
"Hallucination, clearly a hallucination due to being awakened incorrectly. I have to go!" He tried to flee but his body stumbled and he finally saw his wrinkling hands and his eyesight was getting blurry. What was going on?!
"Your sins are many, my son, but crippling is not enough. Your death will not be so kind." The damned hallucination kept talking but some instinct kept trying to tell Nathaniel it was really his father. He had been one of the last 6 elementals to be installed after all.
His sister had been installed too on the same day.
"Nooooo! It makes no sense. It is all backwards and useless without technology. I want to leave this world!" His deepest desire was born when Earth disappointed him. The false masks all those politicians and rich people wore. They did not understand how they killed the world.
It was the truth Nathaniel knew. Earth was dead, it was just in the process of decaying before any could realize. Humanity had reached its end. He had refused to die with it and got funding with his weapons projects to leave Earth forever.
He only now recalled working in his lab when the soldier came for him. It was a child. He could only have been 18 or 19. Apparently his whole family had been killed by Nathaniel's weapon that had been deployed.
How was that his fault? He just wanted to leave!
The feeling of being shot in the head was strange as he saw the room tilt before darkness closed in forever, at least until he awoke in his new body.
"I should have realized you needed more discipline, but it is too late. It is here for you." The spirit looked up and Nathaniel's vision seemed to clear at the last moment as the supports collapsed but all missed him.
He saw the dome fall open before a heavy pressure fell on everything. The sensation of an almighty eye peering down in satisfaction long denied filled him with dread.
"L-leave me alone! I am not the one you want, he is back there, he is the monster!" Nathaniel still could not accept reality. He could not accept he was responsible for his fate.
"Good-bye my son. I am sorry I could not save your soul." A different dread suddenly filled Nathaniel. What did those words mean? He wanted to ask but then many spirits appeared and he recognized them all.
They were all the 6 elementals he had extracted resonance cores from. They all looked on coldly as 6 bolts of lightning slammed into him.
His body was on fire and the previous pin pricks were a sweet dream compared to the power raging in his body. He wanted to beg, to plead his case, but the bolts kept coming.
Yet, he was not allowed to die.
He was ready for ascension, afterall.
This was his tribulation but Nathaniel knew he would not survive. He wanted to cry at the unfairness of the world. He did not deserve to suffer if he could avoid it. Science was his shield to the insanity of reality.
Why did no one understand that?
A gurgled cry emerged as the bloodied body flinched with each bolt but only when it was reduced to a puddle did a spirit emerge.
Nathaniel suddenly understood. He understood there was more to life than he ever accepted. It was amazing and wonderful. He began to giggle until the oppressive aura kept him in place.
He could not join the others. No words were spoken, but he also understood what was coming.
"NO!" He screamed but could not stop the final strike that dispersed his soul into oblivion. The remarkable scientist of 2 lives was wiped from existence due to his sins. He had enabled the killing of many in his first life without care and had directly killed a nation to skip the price for his advancement.
Heaven and Earth were not benevolent nor cruel, but they were fair. A chance exists to progress, but it must be earned. It cannot be avoided nor can it be denied no matter what anyone wished.
The creator was dead, now it was time to destroy the creation.
⬧⬧⬧⬧
Lind was dripping in sweat as a now transformed Kora and Tal helped him leave the Relic. The loss of the stasis field meant they could transform once again.
He felt a great disturbance far to the north but there was no need to check. Nathaniel had met his fate. It still would have happened but how many would suffer until that inevitable day?
"You need to leave this place quickly." Senior dragon soul sounded serious and they tried to increase their speed but Lind was in desperate need of Qi. He had exhausted himself to break the machines.
It had been more powerful Qi than his but his emerald gold core had advanced to mid Gold Tier. It was a minor benefit but it meant Lind needed time.
Elixirs took time even with the best he made and the feeling of leaving was stronger than anything he had ever felt. They had to leave the sphere entirely, soon!
They got part way back when their hopes dwindled.
The office building they had entered by was completely destroyed. It was not simply blown out, but collapsed into the pit of tubes they had entered before. Lind could not use his talents or senses at that moment.
"Kora and Tal, I need you to listen to me. What is about to happen will be scary but I will protect you. No matter what happens, let me protect you." Kora was about to deny him but Tal stopped her. The pressure was building that they all knew what was coming.
The lightning had treated Lind differently before, maybe it would do so again.
They moved towards a still intact metal arch. They avoided buildings but there were still many standing despite Lind's sabotage.
The bolts of lightning began to tear into things even as they moved. The dome was collapsing but as soon as a tear opened, the lightning blazed in. The pressure actually blew sections of the dome outward rather than collapse!
Lind felt danger but there was nowhere to go. They could not escape and he could only hope Kora and Tal would be spared as true innocence. He did not know how he would be treated as the Heavens could not see what he did but he had used the technology inside.
Its traces were on him. He could be a legitimate target.
"Papa, I love you!" Tal suddenly hugged him and he smiled down at her as Kora wept into his shoulder.
"I love you, Tal. I love you too, Kora. Now, get under there." He prepped the arch as best he could to ground them but the power of the bolts would likely destroy the metal easily.
It was not long before the dome above them was ripped open from a neighboring section. The boiling black clouds were revealed and Lind felt a focus come on him.
"I stopped him but still used it! These 2 are innocent, I implore mercy!" He did not really know if anything was listening but it did not stop the 6 colors building up above them before it struck.
Fire burned in his meridians but it was Qi he desperately needed. He transformed once more as emerald scales covered his body as his command and his draconic features for defense were pushed to the limit.
The bolts raged inside him but they were not the last. Another strike built quickly as explosions and chaos was unleashed everywhere. Lind lost himself in his internal battle as he acted like a shield.
The grounding cage melted in moments once the lightning began but he was happy to see Kora and Tal were safe.
He focused on churning the wild Qi inside him through his fonts and meridians as fast as possible. He quickly refilled his dantian and then began to feed it to his emerald gold core. It was all he could think as bolts kept coming.
Blood boiled in his veins as it dribbled then flowed out of his 7 orifices. Still, his body worked which no human could possibly have pulled off. He lost track of everything aside from trying to survive while the 2 precious people were safe.
Those 2 conditions were all he spared his mental power for.
The world slowly became quiet as the dome area was reduced to a pile of rubble then reduced to the blasted wastes like the rest of Rakathi. Across the breadth and width of Rakathi Wastes, the boiling clouds began to flow towards the north east.
Sunlight slowly returned to the stunned surprise of all the residents and beasts. The higher realm beasts remained as well as the oases created during the unending storms.
The high quality Qi would slowly disperse but absolutely no one complained.
Sky Realms quickly appeared and carefully flew towards the black clouds source. Rakathi had been denied for tens of thousands of years. Some claimed it was well over 100,000 years but no one was ever sure where it started.
Now they raced as the clouds seemed to gather their rage at one point at last.
Despite how fast Sky Realms were, they could not outpace the Heavens. They also did not go near the clouds as many knew the risks.
After nearly a month, it finally vanished to reveal a crater of shining glass. The storm had heated up the ground to the point it glassed it!
There was an island in that glass in the southern part of it. Stunned cultivators saw 2 living beings waving desperately while a third singed being knelt in front of them.
Suddenly, a pristine white robed woman shouted and they swiftly swooped down. Before they could reach the 3, however, a single cloud suddenly appeared and lightning slammed into the burnt figure.
It was a bolt of restoration! A tribulation! The whole storm had been a tribulation! The Sky Realms narrowed their gaze but all they felt was Diamond Tier power. Why was there a restoration bolt for a Diamond Tier?
"Master Lind!" A gray robed elder had brought a member of Moebius Sect who shouted as the burnt flesh fell away to reveal the handsome features and dirty blonde hair of Lind Frey. He was a Diamond Tier and he was stable!
Shock flowed in the crowd but many glanced at the Moebius Sect member as the realization of what that meant for the powerful sect. They would be able to reach the peak of the lower mortal world!
The Heavenly Maidens swiftly gathered Lind and his companions before teleporting away. Many nodded at the wisdom as there were powers that would not be happy about the continued rise of Moebius Sect.
The group dispersed as they began to explore the oases and villages all around the Rakathi Wastes. Some were stunned to find other Sky Realms waiting for them and plans were made to begin settling the newly opened lands but even the more aggressive powers left the glassed area alone.
Heaven had destroyed all but Lind Frey and even they would not dare defy Heaven so openly. The world would be changing again when that interesting man woke up. Of that, all were certain.