Conqueror of the Time Apocalypse

Chapter 9. The Predator's Pace: The Legendary Underground Relic

"Maxwell, are you sure that relic truly exists beyond this gate? Its spiritual aura isn't detected by Jael's network, and even passive mana sensors aren't responding," Viana Enderson asked, her gaze sweeping across the ancient gate buried deep within a primordial underground tunnel. The air was damp, cold, and smelled of thousands-year-old moss. Beside them, Johan clutched his axe tightly, his hairs standing on end.

"Of course it's undetectable, Viana. If this thing were easy to track, those doomsday Creators would have already stolen it or triggered a catastrophe as soon as the gate opened," Maxwell Sullivan replied, his voice calm. "Two high-level Awakened from the 'Emerald Hand' faction are already on the verge of death inside. The 'Heartstone of the Mountain' shard they successfully destroyed is emitting a faint distortion signal."

"So someone managed to break through here? The Old Commander didn't make it this far, did he?" Viana frowned, processing the information.

"Not the Old Commander, Viana. It's the remnants of a cult called 'The Ancient Protectors.' A ridiculous sect that thought they were maintaining peace on Earth before everything collapsed," Maxwell smirked slightly. "They managed to get some of their mid-level Awakened to recklessly touch the relic's core. I can even hear the last hiss of Mana from the 'Heartstone of the Mountain' shards they just destroyed."

"But, Mr. Maxwell, there's a three-headed guardian monster in front! Just the light from its eyes makes me tremble," Johan whispered, peeking through a small gap in the steel gate.

"That's a Cerberus Stone, Johan. Absolute Knowledge identifies it as Level Thirty. An illusionary guardian, immune to physical attacks until their primary target gets close," Maxwell explained, allowing Absolute Knowledge to reveal vital details that only he and Viana could grasp telepathically. "This gate, Viana, is locked with an ancient sound key. A death symphony, and two distortion frequencies. In the past, eight research teams failed and were then slaughtered by the Cerberus."

"Automatic doors are useless. And Jael can't even override it from the data center," Viana confirmed, her eyes fixed on the symbols on the gate.

"This door wasn't meant to be opened digitally, but by ancient sacred power that no longer exists," Maxwell continued. "Unless we use 'primitive' methods to breach it. Three critical crack points, sixteen sequential precision strikes with Mana at a level of 27Hz."

Viana sighed. "Am I doing that, Maxwell?"

"No, Viana. You need time to control Mana at that level for a precision strike. That's my job," Maxwell answered flatly. He placed his hand on one of the gate's cracks. His eyes glowed dimly. "Johan, prepare yourself. When this door collapses, the first thing you'll see is true death."

Maxwell's hand flashed quickly. Almost invisible to the naked eye, he struck the gate's weak points with frightening speed and precision. There was no loud boom, but rather small, gradual cracking sounds, like bones breaking slowly. The Mana emanating from his hand, synchronized with the Ring of Sovereignty, penetrated the gate's cracks.

Crack! Rip!

In three seconds, the thirty-centimeter thick steel gate split into three parts. The ground shook. The air inside the cave was sucked out at high speed, indicating a vacuum that shouldn't exist.

Suddenly, a roaring sound echoed. A deep, primitive growl, heavy with ancient power.

"Auummgh!"

A gigantic Cerberus appeared. Its body was made of black stone, with three glowing heads. Each eye was blood red. The monster attacked blindly, creating shadows and mental destruction illusions that forced Johan to his knees, screaming in terror.

"I can't... my head feels like it's going to burst!" Johan screamed.

"Viana! Don't let the illusion control you!" Maxwell commanded, his gaze fixed on the Cerberus. "That creature is a Class B Guardian: Stone Fiend. Immune to physical attacks, but its core opens for three seconds after launching 'illusion terror'."

Viana trembled, but her eyes were filled with determination. She blinked, as if to clear away the fog trying to envelop her. Viana's mind, filled with information, allowed her to ignore the illusory effect. "I see it! It hides its vital point with false shadows, but... there's an opening."

"Viana, aim for the central chest area. Your focus isn't on the three heads, but its visible heart," Maxwell commanded. "Shoot it."

"No! That's foolish, Maxwell! You said it's immune to physical attacks! If I attack, it'll know I'm immune to the illusions and focus on attacking me!" Viana protested, her voice laced with emotion.

Maxwell just stared at her sharply. "That's your greatest weakness, Viana. The hesitation to sacrifice yourself for a greater outcome. Shoot now! Your Mana pistol doesn't use bullets. The hot plasma energy from the pistol will break off a piece of its body."

Viana swallowed. She trusted Maxwell. Steeling herself, she raised her Mana pistol and shot straight into the Cerberus's chest.

Bang!

Hot blue plasma penetrated the stone chest of the Cerberus. It didn't cause severe damage, just a crack. But it was enough to divert the guardian's attention.

The Cerberus shifted its entire attention to Viana. Its three heads roared at her, the mental shadows becoming denser. Illusions of hell began to assault Viana's mind, trying to break her.

"Focus, Viana! You are my iron shield!"

Maxwell disappeared. With lightning speed, he appeared behind the Cerberus. His Void Cutter, shining dark, struck the nerve at the base of all three necks.

Krackk!

"Auuummmmhhh!" The Cerberus screamed in pain, the illusion terror instantly vanishing from Johan's and Viana's minds.

"Attack! Now!" Maxwell shouted.

Viana didn't wait. Without hesitation, she emptied her Mana pistol into the spot Maxwell had indicated—a small hole in the Cerberus's chest. Johan, now recovered from his shock, roared and struck the Cerberus with his axe from the front, targeting its legs.

Their combined power was immense. Maxwell, with his Void Cutter dagger, destroyed the Cerberus's defensive core. Johan shattered its physical stability, and Viana delivered a long-range strike precisely to the Cerberus's energy core, which had been slightly exposed by Maxwell's attack.

Boom!

The Cerberus Stone collapsed into chunks of dead stone. There were no more illusions, only dust and faint light. The Cerberus's mana core floated in the air, glittering.

"Take the core, Viana. Put it in your absorbing bracelet," Maxwell commanded. He himself absorbed all the 'Heartstone of the Mountain' shards from the ground.

"Understood, Maxwell!" Viana nodded, her breath coming quickly. Overcoming the illusory fear and self-doubt had given her a large surge of confidence. She collected the Cerberus Mana core and stored it.

"M-Mr. Maxwell... Ms. Viana... you two are incredible," Johan stared at both of them with admiration.

"That's enough. There are more important things inside. Those Ancient Protectors have already damaged part of the 'Ring of the Sky,' which is our primary target," Maxwell explained, leading them deeper inside. The cave inside was much wider than expected, revealing an ancient altar in the center, glowing dimly.

Two figures lay on the floor near the altar, breathing heavily. Awakened, their armor destroyed, their eyes empty. It was as if they had witnessed hell and lost their sanity. They held a cracked golden box, where the Ring of the Sky was located.

"They messed up," Maxwell muttered. "This relic cannot be destroyed. But it has been damaged, and that's very unfortunate."

"I have to admit, Viana, this relic, the 'Ring of the Sky,' is very important," Maxwell said.It possesses the capacity to bend small dimensions and create private portals, immune to detection by any system or faction. 

This is one of the three dimensional keys. The fastest access to dimensions without strict security. In previous timelines, this relic was never found because the Awakened in this area were destroyed first before they could seize it. But those 'Ancient Protectors' who arrived earlier were truly reckless.

Viana approached the cracked box. The relic was made of purple crystal, shining with a mesmerizing cold light. There was a crack on the relic's surface, as if something had forcefully pried it open.

"Absolute Knowledge, can you repair this damaged relic?" Viana asked in her mind.

Repair estimation: requires 'Primordial Cosmos Energy' Level S (97%), combined with 'Mana Purity Core' level A (64%). Process cost: The core relic of a Level thirty-one Celestial Void Devourer. Without both, the damage is likely fundamental, the system voice replied.

"That's pretty intense. A Level Thirty-One Celestial Void Devourer?" Viana sighed. "I've never heard of it."

"You'll get to know it soon enough. This relic will remain crucial for now," Maxwell explained, touching the damaged part of the relic with a finger wearing the Ancient Sovereignty Ring. The small crack, instead of worsening, began to slowly fade. "I can slow down its decay, and maybe even repair it a bit. With my core Mana, I am the strongest."

The dying Awakened suddenly saw Maxwell. One of them crawled, a sneer on his face. "It must... it must be him... You will suffer the same fate as us... destruction..."

"No, you won't," Maxwell replied flatly. He bent down and casually picked up the Sky Ring. Immediately, the light from his Ancient Sovereignty Ring interacted with the new Sky Ring, making it tremble and generating a very strong frequency pulse. The spatial aura began to bend around Maxwell.

"What's happening, Mr. Maxwell?" Johan panicked, watching the cave walls begin to flicker, as if being pulled into something invisible.

"You guys are lucky. This relic is delighted to have its true master," Maxwell grinned. "Its capacity is no longer limited. It has already jumped beyond its original capabilities. It recognizes me."

"Wait, did this relic suddenly get stronger?" Viana interrupted, looking at the data on her tablet which was continuously growing. "Maxwell, you managed to stabilize this relic directly? Absolute Knowledge said... it required a high-level Mana Purity Core from a Void Devourer?"

"Only a little bit. This is a synergistic effect. The Sovereignty Ring recognized its 'sibling'. Now, this relic's function is thirty percent more efficient and much stronger, with fundamental stabilization at 79%. 

Absolute Knowledge managed to create an automatic stabilizing algorithm at the same time," Maxwell explained succinctly. "Now it's faster at opening small dimensional gates and it doesn't require as much power to maintain a gate, making this far more valuable than previously estimated. At least now we don't need to waste Vital Mana just to prevent it from splitting spontaneously."

"Maxwell... you... are you really an anomaly?" Viana whispered.

"An anomaly that will destroy all other anomalies. That's who I am. Now," Maxwell spoke, his tone changing. "There's more we need to harvest. Not relics, but 'foul blood'."

Viana looked at the monitor. "The 'Desert Shadow' faction is twenty kilometers southwest of here, around the former silver mine ruins. Seventeen Awakened, including a level forty 'Blood Knight'. They wiped out two low-level Awakened settlements yesterday, just for fun. There are some 'Divine Fragments' in that area. Rare items."

"Divine Fragment. That means fragments of a God, right? That means Gods really exist, and are directly involved with this Apocalypse," Johan frowned.

"Gods... just parasites pulling the strings from behind the curtain, Johan. Nothing more," Maxwell looked away. "That Doyok used to use them, to strengthen his power aura and wipe out common people."

"How are we going to deal with that 'Blood Knight', Maxwell? My Absolute Knowledge says he's immune to illusions and has very fast Mana regeneration," Viana asked. "And his attacks are very fast. His physical strength is twice as great as the average level forty Awakened."

Maxwell merely grinned. "Mana regeneration? Pretty strong. He uses blood artifacts. 'Abyss Blood Ring,' and 'Gorgon Armor'."

Viana glared. "Maxwell, those are all Mythical tier relics! How could you know?"

"I know, Viana. I am knowledge itself," Maxwell replied coldly. "Instead of being fixated on the data the system provides about his strength, just look at how he was defeated by one hundred thousand Bloodless Soldiers in the past."

"Bloodless Soldiers?"

"Their purpose is to create pressure in the head. There is pure crystal fluid on the back of that 'Blood Knight'. His greatest weakness lies in the fact that when he fights, he cannot release Mana from that section," Maxwell explained, terrifying the dying Awakened.

"How... how do you know about my secret?" an Awakened on the ground suddenly gasped. He had managed to retain some of his sanity. He turned out to be the 'Blood Knight'. One of those targeted for destruction by Maxwell.

"Now, you are no longer important," Maxwell sneered viciously, his foot pressing down on the Awakened's neck. Maxwell's aura instantly sucked out the remnants of his vital Mana until the man's body became a dry corpse in a matter of seconds. His Mana Core floated towards the Sovereignty Ring.

"M-Mr. Maxwell... he was just about to meet us..." Johan stammered.

"Idiots like him are better off dead. Now, Viana, the new relic is in my hands. Johan is ready with his weapon, so now is the right time. I need Jael's data now regarding the movements of that 'Blood Knight' and all his followers. I'm going to make a surprise arrival at that mining location, because they always underestimate everyone. 

This time, there will be no mercy. I want them to pay dearly with everything they possess. I am the Absolute King." Maxwell gave the final command in a flat voice. "I won't give you instructions on how to fight them, Viana. This time, you and Johan will be doing the hunting."

Viana felt the weight on her shoulders. Her first real fight, involving high-level Awakened and legendary relics, not just the Cerberus Stone. With all the data Maxwell provided her, this was a chess game where she would act as the executioner. She took an empty tablet from her waist pouch, and Maxwell's Sovereignty Ring transmitted information telepathically to her, filling the tablet. This was the best tactic.

"Mr. Maxwell... those are Divine Fragments, why would you want to hand them over?" Viana asked.

"I never hand them over, Viana. You two are just harvesting them. You must fight and demonstrate that this faction possesses real power. The main power is me. I must strengthen the foundation of the empire. The more you fight, the more my strength grows," Maxwell explained, a mysterious smile appearing. "This is one of the reasons I accepted you as my empress."

Viana paused for a moment, her face showing momentary confusion before she gave a cold grin. This was brutal, absolute loyalty, not loyalty born of fear, but loyalty built on calculation and trust.

"Understood, Mr. Maxwell."I will ensure that Blood Knight is crushed by a despair he could never imagine," Viana replied. She asked no further questions, leaping directly through the crack in the gate. Johan nodded, his axe glowing. He trusted Maxwell would always watch over and save them.

Maxwell simply stared ahead. The small smile on his lips vanished, replaced by a calculating, vacant expression. The Sky Ring on his hand pulsed with spatial energy. The two relics he held worked in concert, drawing power from the universe. 

Absolute Knowledge had informed him that more Legendary Underground Relics were scattered, ready to be claimed by the newly awakened Absolute King. This future world belonged only to the possessor of knowledge. The stronger the pawns on his chessboard, the greater the territory to be claimed.