Searing hotness spread throughout the dozens of meters around Allan. Orb of redness was slowly pushing itself to his chest. 1/8 of the way in, red crevices spread upwards on Allan’s chest.

Dust and tremors in the region significantly increased as the earthquake took place, with the Allan as the core.

Valleys in the surroundings collapsed from within. Tall cliffs were pushed apart as massive landslides took over the area. Crevices spread around as if they were the claws of a tiger.

Skoll, who was quickly reaching onwards, stop in fright. He was unable to move another inch forward. His body could not move in his command. Death's feelings spread to his body.

“If I move forward, I will die.” He couldn’t tell a thing about what was happening. His instincts shouted mad with terror.

He could see a red sky appear again. Storms of light spread throughout the sky over vast distances. That was not the only thing he could see. Few hundred meters in front of him. Allan was still laying there with a cloth in his hand and a bag a few meters away from him. The area affected by the storm was not around him at all.

Skoll could see a bloody sight as an orb of red slowly penetrated Allan’s body. “This? What can it cause? What is that? Allan?”

“There is no way this feeling could come from him. Something truly extraordinary is happening here. Something not even me or anyone from higher places can understand.”

Skoll was left with no choices. His life was important to him, as well as the request from Clayton. But the request was a request. It could be forsaken as long as another one could be replaced. This was not a life mission or something what he was willing to lose his life over.

“Allan… I am sorry. It is not that I am not willing. I just can’t push myself against this... thing.” Skoll muttered. He watched as the sights changed. Orb of red was already halfway through him. He was clearly unconscious and blood was dancing in his wounds. “He is trembling? Is it painful? What is that orb or red?” He wondered.

High in the sky, a foggy region of light, beneath it was a region of bloody clouds in thick fashion.

Within this region, there stood indistinct figures in the space. Observing the situation down below and around them. Space distortions and cracks littered this light region where no life could be. No aura was leaking inside or outside.

There were 2 people in this space. One was an older gentleman with a scholarly feel about him. White hair with a long white beard. Gentle eyes and weirdly shaped eyebrows. He was wearing a white robe with long sleeves and gold outlines, which made it look rather fancy.

Beside him was a woman. In her 30s at most. With similar clothing style and an aura of dominance through her looks. She had a stunning nose and bright blue eyes with blue wavy hair. She was a beauty to behold, but the surrounding aura was not. Her oppressive gaze was filled with malice. She gazed down with unknown thoughts in her mind.

“You would say that I did not warn you.” An old man said nonchalantly.

“I would not say that. I just did not trust your information.”

“It is in my interest to interrupt this madness. Would you say that this was a bad thing to do? It is mostly inevitable at this point.” This time the old man said in seriousness. Resolve in his eyes.

Lady fell silent with the increasing aura of anger and disappointment coming from her gaze. It was unknown who this was aimed at.

“How many from the Council would even consider this situation, or even be aware of these risks?” She asked in a cold voice.

“I could not care less. It could be a risk only for now. Over time, it could lead to something entirely different. And I do not wish to see it myself.” He answered.

“I am sorry for you. And I am willing to make it up for you.” Lady apologized.

“But this situation is not simple and you are aware of it. So, are you willing to share the burden?” Asked the old man.

“This burden is something that I will share. It is hardly something that we can fight against. Especially considering the primordial rules.” Said the lady with a stern expression.

“Do not worry. I will take the full brunt of the initial hit. You will follow up shortly after or later depending on the results. Let the lights decide.” He said and nodded.

“Let the lights decide.” She sighed to herself.
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The lightning storm started to increase in intensity in all the surroundings. Fight in the sky and tremors below caused massive tremors into the earth. This looked like the end of the world that some ancient religions believed in.

Where the sea would dry up, the skies change and the earth to split apart. A flurry of lives fleeting as far away as possible. Oppressive and depressive at the same time.

Skoll was still standing there. Slowly watching in silence at his own helplessness. He was not the kind who was truly willing to go against his words. Today, it ached with heavy feelings. His heart was itching to move, but his mind told him not to go.

He suddenly looked behind him. A figure of the old man emerged from the distant hill. With annoyance, fear, tiredness, and questioning gaze towards this sudden situation since the destructive force of this wide-scale disaster. Skoll could not hide himself. Perhaps this old man no longer wanted to fight. Considering this shocking development.

Lord Gao slowly walked forth, unbothered by tremors as he glanced at the sight hundreds of meters before him. He saw the same scene as Skoll.

Not one bit more confident as well. His previous calmness took a sharp turn. His fear of this place and situation turned out to be quickly visible on his face.

He looked at Skoll.

“D-do you get what is happening here? What is this?”

“I am unaware of this. That kid is a catalyst of what is going on… maybe.” Skoll said.

“I thought this was some impossibly rare situation of some treasure or material from incredible distant planetary constellations or systems. Am I wrong or right? I wonder what is this… and why now?” Lord Gao wondered.

He held some power and potions himself. This sight was not something he had ever seen. He heard or read about some seemingly similar scenes, where planets were lost, and beasts, individuals, devils, demons, and creatures in-between unleashed massively destructive forces.

Legends such as this were common, since the world that Lord Gao knew was vastly different from this one.
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The scene changed once more.

Storms above the sky penetrated deep holes in between the crimson clouds. Pillars of lights and streaks were flown over vast distances right from the space outside of the planet. The cloudy fog was fighting against this force. But they were quickly dissipated. No longer the appearance of the red was in the sky.

Bright light penetrated deeply into the planet’s atmosphere. Gargantuan storms slowly retracted to mountain-sized storms. Everything turned serene as light illuminated the ground and everything on it.

Orb of red which was around 6/8th of its way into Allan stopped. A fierce glow around Allan appeared dozens of meters around him. Light of redness and dark shadows were present in this vortex.

It glowed in the crimson light. Perhaps it was a shield as if it wanted to protect something that was precious to it.

Clash!

Thunders sounded in the sky. Within a near-instantaneous time frame, a pillar of lighting and azure streaks of energy struck the glowing vortex.

Invisible pressure struck out in the vicinity. Grounds started to compress in this attack as the vortex stayed strong below this pillar.

Soundless. There were no sounds of the clash heard by Skoll and Lord Gao. They watched this silent scene with no words in between them. This clash shattered the boundaries. As if a vast lighting tower was behind them. And they were the ants.

This went on and on. They lost track of time. Perhaps it was a moment or a few minutes already.

Waves upon waves of this light pillar clashed towards the grounded vortex. It kept going.

Visible distortions could be seen in the vortex. They appeared in twisted colored lines which pushed the half globe to the edges. Pillar of light was winning the tug of war, although one was in defense and the other was in the offense.

There was a crevice that appeared on one side of the vortex. It split apart into further cracks. Lines of energy quickly dissipated as the scene below the vortex came back to view.

Everything in that region was the same as before. Orb of red laid inside of Allan’s chest, not moving. Cracking sounds slowly spread upwards.

A direct clash between two forces went on, as beams and red strikes collided.

Clang. Bang! Cling!

The red forceful attack went on for about a minute. Light continuously flooded to the ground. Pillar of light gently pushed fully to the ground.

Smashing to Allan in full force.

Inside, physical things were not hurt in any shape. Allan was still laying there with a piece of cloth in his hand. The bag on his side was equally undamaged so far.

Orb of red was twisting inside of Allan, lines, and colors twisted and turned as the beam and energy waves spread to the ground.

Strikes slowly fell down. Hitting everything, but hurting nothing as every inch of strength was aimed just at the few dozen centimeters squares of space in the middle of Allan's chest.
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In the distant space, a vast field of light where two figures stood. They carefully maintained their unknown and unfathomable force. The old man’s expression was twisted as his glow within this region slowly dimmed.

Lady was still the same as before.

“Will you do it? Or do you want me to do it?”

“I-I-I shall be a full witness to this. It will be by my own hands.” He muttered.

“I am thankful. This will be of no consequence to us. I trust it fully.”

“It may not be. Every effect has some cause. With enough causes, you can start endless sources of effects which can change the core of our beliefs.” Said the old man meaningfully.

“Trying to act mysterious and meaningfully now?” She asked.

“It is my path and belief. You and many are different. Age and our experiences can significantly differ. I will do it now… ”
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Orb of red light was still visibly struggling, but still unwavering in its position.

Swoosh!

The massive wave came before the region around Allan. It slowly enveloped it and locked it inside.

Thud!

A strike of beam penetrated from it. Hitting the energy defenses, which were provided by a red orb. It continuously defended, but the power of this force kept going. The defense was no longer under control as the distorting red orb's surroundings quickly weakened. Allan was bombarded by the attack as it no longer differentiated to anything apart from the destructive force which intensified around his chest. It fell to his flesh, bloody wounds appeared on his body in the lines which could not be called natural. It resembled no weapons. More like the lightning, after hitting the ground, which traveled in patterns.

Orb or red noticed it as it flared up its energy. Red beams emerged again. Counter attacking the rain of attacks in significantly more power and mass.

It was all useless. The wide beam of pillar stepped down on Allan. With a thud, it crashed to the ground. His body was torn and twisted. His bloodied cloth in his hand, hammer in the corner, cracked a little.

A cry suddenly sounded from within the pillar. Flame of orange and red twisted around the pillar.

The red orb went insane.