Ascenders Rift

Chapter 19: Aperehs Death, A Startling Reward?

A cool wind blew across the open area, filled with ruined ancient buildings that seemed to have suffered from the scars of time. The gray looking sky and dead earth giving one a grim feeling as if merely by being here, one should only expect to meet an early fate.

At this time, a giant and a young man stood quietly within these wreckages, roughly across a dozen meters distance. The gale caused their clothing to make flapping noises, along with the rubbles and dirt that brushed across the wind.

They gazed at each other in a classic standoff, one wielding a large executor sword while the other grasped nothing but air. A stifling silence filling the area as if at any moment there could be a change. Yet, regardless of the stillness, in the eyes of these two enemies, nothing else mattered.

It happened in an instant, the eyes of both the giant and the man flashed as their bodies blurred charging towards each other like indistinct figures. Soon, the eyes of the giant became filled with surprise as it had completely lost sight of its foe, a dark feeling came across its being as it adopted a defensive posture and slammed its sword onto the ground.

"Break!" The heavy voice of Aperehs sounded across the vicinity as his muscles bulged when he struck his executioner sword on the pavement.

Bang! Following a loud boom, the ground broke to pieces as a shockwave scattered for roughly a dozen meters. As this happened, chunks of rocks were sent hurling into the distance, smashing into the nearby structures as a cloud of dirt had shrouded the entire 10-meter range.

Aperehs smirked as he saw this, his eyes glaring in bright red lights as he carefully stood in the dust cover while thinking, "Human... you've gotten stronger, but that alone won't be enough to easily defeat me. Hahaha! You've even gone and lost your sword without that you can't hope to bring me to my end. All I need is one move, a single strike of my full power Executioner Slash is enough to claim your life..."

As Aperehs thought this, his eyes shone even more sinisterly as he firmly grasped the sword in his hand; his sights shifted from left to right as he carefully inspected the hazy scene. Yet, even as the dust began to clear, Evan made no signs of appearing. It seemed as if Evan had vanished from this world.

Aperehs was beginning to grow nervous, as the sweat on his forehead rolled down his cheeks, looking no different from a massive raindrop that formed a puddle on the ground.

Now the dust cloud had diverged, the scene shown was one of emptiness, for Evan had vanished. Aperehs eyes grew cold as a bad feeling ran across his heart, but he knew that he couldn't do anything else but try and bait Evan to attack, "Humaaaan! Have you gone and turn a coward? Show yourself! Come out and face me!"

Aperehs said while sweating as unknowingly to himself; even his breath had grown haggard. Yet, it was at this time a voice came from everywhere with no set direction.

"How does it feel...?" Evan said in an icy manner.

Aperehs was stunned, but his eyes shone with excitement, he carefully inspected the area to find the source, yet sadly there were no hints of it.

"Dammit! Where is this blasted human?" Aperehs cursed in his mind as he felt as if he was about to lose his wit.

Evan's voice sounded once again, "How does it feel to be helpless and treated no differently from a fool?"

Aperehs grew angered at those worse, his face contorted as his veins became visible when he shouted with a fierce look in his eyes, "You little bastard! Get out here right now! Or I'll promise you that you'll never have a goo--"

Aperehs was about to curse as he had lost his calm and collected demeanor, but it was at this moment, Evan had instantly acted, his figure appeared from nowhere directly above Aperehs head, bolting downwards like a bolt of lightning.

"Huh?" Aperehs senses where sharp, he sensed Evan the instant he appeared. A cruel smile came on his face when he saw Evan still didn't have a weapon; his mouth curved upwards when he shouted, "Haha! Human, you've made a big mistake, die! Executor Slash!"

With the sound of his voice, his arm swung the executor sword above his head at a god-like speed. The instant this happened, a bright beam of white light bolted towards Evan with dominating power.

Yet, it was as if Evan, who was in the face of such mighty power, was unphased. He sneered as he looked at Aperehs and spoke, "Aperehs... you've outlived your years. It's time I send you on your way to hell, Void Blade!"

As Evan shouted, his arm that extended towards his side had gripped the space. In moments, a bright starry light flashed for an instant, as the semi-transparent silvery-red sword had formed out of nothingness.

Evan then used the momentum from his fall along with his gathered Battle Energy, which formed a wave of power around the sword to chop towards Aperehs in a top-down manner.

Piiiii! A narrow silver-red beam was cut, quickly dissipating Aperehs sword ray as Evan's sword beam continued to descend downward.

Aperehs who saw this was stunned, as he exclaimed, "This... this is the power of space! How can you... a human...?"

Yet, before he could finish his words, the beam had already pierced his figure, creating a gruesome series of noises.

In a moment, both Evan and Aperehs figure was now standing on opposing ends with their backs facing each other. Evan held his Void Blade in a downward manner, as Aperehs was still in the position where he kept his sword upwards, the wind rustled their clothes and hairs as they stood silently.

Suddenly, the silence died, as the somewhat weak voice of Aperehs sounded across space, "Human... you were... magnificent... cough!"

Aperehs said as his mouth started to leak with blood, his arm began to tremble as a vague bloody line was slowly being drawn from the center of his forehead to his lower being.

Even though he knew his fate, he smiled and continued to speak, "I've been cursed here for many eons, banished by those whom I used to call... brethren. As you can see... this world is dead, but there was a time... an age where its life used to blossom like the purest roses."

Evan calmly listened to his enemy's words; he knew that Aperehs was more than likely trying to get something across.

Aperehs smiled as his eyes showed a trace of acceptance as if he was free from something; he then spoke once more, "Human... now that you see it, you should be able to tell, now, can't you? The world you see before you is the fate of losing..."

At this time, Aperehs hands had begun to shake even more as he lost grip of the executioner sword, causing it to fall to the ground, burying itself into the earth.

"Cough..." Aperehs coughed out a large chunk full of blood, forming a small river below his feet. He knew that his time had finally arrived, knowing this, he turned and faced Evan before speaking one last time, "Human... I couldn't change my fate, so my battle is lost. As the victor... I want you to take the last of my will, use it... to... face... yours...."

Upon saying these words, Aperehs body had split into two, his blood and organs falling onto the ground as his life faded from this world.

Evan, who calmly listened to his words, had an in-depth look in his eyes, he said, "So it turns out that he too was a victim of a similar fate. Sigh... the road ahead is long and uncertain; I must strive to accomplish as much as I can..."

Upon saying this, the look within Evan's eyes shone brighter as he gripped his fists tightly. He then prepared to deal with Ralph, but it was at this time there was a notification.

[Aperehs the Executor has been slain; Awakeners Mission has been accomplished!]

[Because you killed a Fallen Being, you have earned the right for exclusive benefits!]

[Level has been increased by 1]

[Title Earned - The Fallen's Executor!]

[Apex Inheritance Artifact acquired!]

[Candidate Evan has completed an Impossible Tier Mission; you are now qualified for awakening. Scanning the host body: complete.]

[Unknown class has been detected, as host has already acquired a class, the transformation will no longer be required.]

[Special Status invoked.]

[The host's body is now compatible for assimilation, please confirm on whether to accept the Apex Tier transformation.]

Evan was stunned at this sight; he didn't think that the class rewarded by this place would actually be the rare Apex Tier Class. Not to mention the fact that he would become like those special talents, capable of the ultimate Dual Classes. His eyes grew wide as he gripped his fists excitedly while shouting, "Confirmed!"

[System authorized, commencing transformation!]

As the voice sounded in Evan's mind, a new change had begun to occur. Instantly, the area began to change as a bright sinister scarlet light eclipsed the world.