Gllelus immediately stepped in front of Gruzal, shielding him from the Dark Lord's murderous gaze. The air was thick with tension as the Elders stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, the darkness enveloped the room, plunging everything into pitch blackness. The only source of light was the faint glow of the deep blue sea filtering in through the window. But Mutrad's Wraith eyes allowed him to see clearly in the dark, and he watched in horror as the scene unfolded.

As the others braced themselves for a fight, the sound of flesh being pierced echoed throughout the room. Gllelus's head flew from his shoulders, blood spurting from his neck. Michael's strength had reached the Half Celestial stage, making everyone in the room seem like weak ants in comparison. The Dark Lord didn't waste any time with words or unnecessary actions. Instead, he wielded his dark swords with deadly precision, firing dark beams from his eyes and lightning bolts from his swords to swiftly dispatch the members of the House of Gladwrath.

Mutrad could barely believe what he was seeing. The Dark Lord had become a force of destruction, cutting down anyone who stood in his way with ruthless efficiency. The sound of swords clashing and bodies falling echoed through the hall as Michael continued his rampage, his eyes burning with a fierce intensity that sent shivers down Mutrad's spine.

The elders of the Mermon tribe knew they had to act fast to defend themselves and their people. They quickly began chanting in unison, each casting their own spells. One elder cast a spell of water, trying to douse the flames that still surrounded the Dark Lord. Another cast a spell of wind, trying to blow him back. A third cast a spell of light, hoping to blind him. But Michael was too powerful for their spells. While he was battling, the responsive Shield appeared around him, absorbing the attacks. 

Meanwhile, Mutrad watched the battle unfold with a mixture of horror. But even as he watched the destruction and chaos, he could not help but be terrified by Michael's rage and wrath.

As the battle raged on, Michael moved with incredible speed and agility, dodging spells and slicing through the members of House Gladwrath with his dark swords. He fired dark beams from his eyes and lightning bolts from his swords, each strike hitting its target with deadly accuracy. His opponents fell one by one, unable to withstand his power. And all the while, Mutrad could only watch in terror as the Dark Lord easily decimated his enemies.

The members of House Halrid and House Bigmag stood rooted to the spot, watching in horror as the Dark Lord decimated their enemies. Valen's face was pale and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. 

"What is happening?" he panicked, his voice barely audible over the sound of clashing swords and dying screams. 

Gormak's loyal advisor was equally frightened. "We have to get the hell out of here," he muttered, his hands shaking.

As the Dark Lord continued his killing spree, the panic in the room intensified. Members of both houses were shivering and some were even crying. The air was thick with the smell of blood and death, and the sound of metal against metal was deafening. Mutrad, who had been watching from a safe distance, could feel the terror emanating from the other members. He could see the fear in their eyes and hear their trembling voices as they whispered to each other.

Despite the chaos around him, the Dark Lord moved with deadly precision, effortlessly avoiding the spells cast by the elders of House Gladwrath. His responsive shield absorbed their attacks, while his retractable black shield protected him from any physical blows. He moved like a dark shadow, cutting down his enemies with ease. His eyes were cold and empty, and his face was twisted into a snarl of rage.

As he fought, the Dark Lord seemed almost invincible, and the members of House Halrid and House Bigmag knew that they were powerless against him. Valen and Gormak exchanged a fearful glance, and Valen whispered,

  "We need to get out of here before he turns his attention to us." 

They quickly tried to reach the door, leaving behind carnage and chaos, but the spells flying around him prevented them from quickly reaching the door.

As the darkness dissipated, the Elders and members of House Gladwrath lay motionless in their own pools of blood. The others who had witnessed the Dark Lord's gruesome display of power shivered at the sight of him. His face and body were covered in the blood of his foes, giving him a fearsome and intimidating appearance.

With each step, Michael's dark aura seemed to grow stronger, causing the very air around him to tremble. As he approached Gruzal, the House Lord of House Gladwrath, Michael unsheathed his dark swords, their tips dripping with blood.

The atmosphere in the hall was tense and heavy, with everyone watching in stunned silence as Michael stood before Gruzal, his grip tight around the House Lord's collar. Despite the situation, Gruzal appeared unnaturally calm, almost as if he was expecting this.

Michael's eyes fell on the shark medallion around Gruzal's neck, and a sense of realization dawned on him. He knew then that Gruzal was the one responsible for Lord Aric's assassination and had been buying time to complete the blood ritual to locate the three artifacts.

Without a moment of hesitation, Michael lifted Gruzal higher by his collar and drew one of his dark swords. With a cold and menacing voice, he asked, "Do you have any last words?"

Gruzal chuckled, his eyes glittering with defiance. "Hail Andohr," he said, and before anyone could react, he moved his face towards the sword and sliced his own throat. Blood spurted out of his neck, splattering on Michael's face as Gruzal's head rolled on the ground, leaving the others horrified and shocked.

Everyone felt a shiver run down his spine as they watched the scene unfold before them. They knew they were witnessing a true display of the Dark Lord's power and cruelty, and it sent chills through his body.

Michael's eyes burned with dark flames as he dropped Gruzal's lifeless body to the ground. He wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand. His face was calm. "Let this be an example for whoever tries to harm the ones I care about," he growled, his voice laced with venom. 

The members of House Halrid and House Bigmag, who were still alive, were paralyzed with fear and shock at the gruesome display of power. They huddled together, trembling with fear as Michael stood in front of them, his dark swords held in his hands, his gaze piercing through them. The room was silent, except for the sound of blood dripping from Michael's swords as he turned to leave the hall.

Just as Michael was about to turn around, he felt a sudden jolt of electricity surge through his body, causing his hair to stand on end. He tried to react, but it was too late. A bolt of lightning had already shot out of Gruzal's body and struck him with an incredible force that he couldn't even see it coming. 

The impact was devastating, and Michael's vision began to blur. It was like his brain was on fire, and the system within his head started to go haywire, sending warning signals that he could barely comprehend. 

[OMEGA'S PRESENSE DETECTED!]

[OMEGA LEVEL WARNING!]

The warnings blared inside his head, causing Michael to clutch his head in agony. 

[ACTIVATING COUNTERMEASURES!]

[SYSTEM SAFE MODE ACTIVATED!]

The system continued to scream at him as he felt like his head was about to explode.

[THE SEAL HAS BEEN WEAKENED!]

[THE HOST….KILLED….SEAL…BEARER…]

But amidst the chaos and pain, Michael could not register the last two warnings. He staggered backward, trying to regain his balance, but his body felt like it was being torn apart. The shockwave had affected him on a fundamental level, and Michael knew that something drastic related to the system was about to happen.

[System…needs…badass….points…]  contemporary romance

[Does…host..give…permission…]

The pain was unbearable, and Michael felt like his head was about to explode. The static in his head made understanding the system's words difficult, but he knew he needed its help. He trusted the system enough to give it permission to do whatever it intended to do. The members of House Halrid and House Bigmag who witnessed the scene felt their hearts pounding with fear and shock, unsure of what was happening to the Dark Lord.

[THE HOST MUST REACH HALF CELESTIAL STAGE AND UPGRADE THE SYSTEM TO LEVEL 9]

[THE HOST MUST ANOTHER SEED OF DARKNESS BEFORE UPGRADING THE SYSTEM]

Michael felt like he was being torn apart as the system drained all of his five million badass points and every last one of his gold coins from his storage. The pain was unbearable, and he struggled to remain conscious as the system worked its magic.

Suddenly, a blinding light enveloped him, and he felt himself being lifted off his feet. The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of a shimmering portal, its otherworldly energy pulsing through the air. Michael's heart was pounding in his chest as he realized what was happening.

Without warning, the system pushed him forward, and Michael stumbled into the portal. As he fell through the swirling vortex of energy, he felt like he was being torn apart again. But this time, it was different. This time, he felt like he was being reborn.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Michael emerged from the other side of the portal. He looked around, taking in his new surroundings. Everything was different here - the sky was a deep shade of purple, and the trees were made of a strange, shimmering crystal.

As Michael took his first steps in this new world, he couldn't help but wonder what happened to the system suddenly and why it sent him here. 

[Must…start…heavenly…tribulation…]

As Michael's vision slowly began to clear, he could hear the system's voice stuttering and fading away. He was surprised by what he was hearing - he thought he would need to upgrade the system first before he could trigger his heavenly tribulation and reach the Half Celestial stage. But for some reason, the system was making an exception for him and allowing him to start his tribulation earlier.

Michael could feel the power building up inside him like a raging storm waiting to be unleashed. He could hear the sound of thunder in the distance, and the air around him crackled with electricity. The system was pushing him forward, forcing him to confront his own limitations and push beyond them.

Finally, Michael's leg gave out as he collapsed on the ground. Despite the pain and the overwhelming force of the tribulation, Michael gritted his teeth and endured. He could feel his body transforming, becoming something greater than it had ever been before. The power surged through him, and he knew that he was on the verge of ascending to a new level of power.

[WAKE ME UP SOON HOST]

[SYSTEM OFFLINE…]

As Michael stood there in the silence of his own mind, his thoughts raced a million miles an hour. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened, and he had so many questions about the system. Who was this Andohr, and what did Gruzal mean by "Hail Andohr?" But as he was about to ponder more on these questions, he felt a sudden surge of energy within his body. The energy was like nothing he had ever felt before, and he knew that it was the start of his heavenly tribulation.

The air around him began to swirl, and the temperature increased to an almost unbearable level. Michael's body began to tremble, and he could feel his muscles tensing up. His eyes turned pitch black as dark energy emanated from his body, and he knew that the tribulation was going to be intense.

When Michael closed his eyes, a sudden surge of power coursed through his body, causing the temperature to drop and the air to become heavy with static electricity. The clouds above him quickly turned dark and ominous, and soon enough, the storm began.

The rain poured down in heavy sheets, drenching everything in sight, including Michael himself. The thunder roared so loudly that it felt like the ground was shaking while the lightning bolts lit up the sky with blinding flashes of light. The wind howled like a thousand demons, and tornadoes formed in the distance, tearing apart anything in their path.

Despite the chaos and destruction happening around him, Michael remained still, his body glowing with an otherworldly light. He gritted his teeth and braced himself as the power within him continued to grow, making the storm even more violent and deadly.

(Everything that happened to this point with Michael is five days before Nightmare's death. The next chapter will resume from the current events)

done.co

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