The Empyreal Gem Master

On the Wall, the Gem Masters of Carthage saw this scene and despaired.

A single Four-Link Beast of Corruption was a calamity for them. For there to be multiple? For the Branch Leaders to be facing all of them alone?

The feeling that came from such a reality was nothing but despair and desolation!

The Beasts of Corruption that were kept at bay with long-ranged attacks used this as an opportunity to make a breakthrough in the defenses- lines being broken as Beasts of Corruption reached the wall and began to climb it.

It was only a prelude to what was to come.

Before the Walls of Carthage, on the earth that was scalding hot to the point that the sand began to distort…Branch Leader Julius looked at the many Four-Link Beasts of Corruption before him as he sighed.

It was a sigh of anger and tiredness.

A sigh of regret.

He had many hopes on what he wanted to do in the future. The revenge he wanted to take.

The son he wanted to raise.

Hearing his sigh, Branch Leader Neiman who was seated on top of the Golden Flame Lion shook his head.

"It’s a shame, really. For someone like you to die while not understanding anything nor knowing what is to come."

…!

His Four-Link Beasts of Corruption under the control of his Minion Manipulation Ability Gem encircled the ring of blazing flames around Julius as he continued calmly.

"The Asmodeus Bloodline always screams about Unbreakable Honor. How about this? I want to put that to the test right now. Stop fighting. I can offer you a position close to mine in the new era to come. You keep your life, the life of your son, and whoever else you choose.

All you have to do.is let go of that honor. Break it."

His golden hair whipped around as vortices of winds surged.

He looked into the eyes of Julius and smiled cruelly as he saw they didn’t even change a bit.

"You can’t do it, can you? This...is what separates you and I. I am a survivor. In your position, I would do anything to keep my life. Hell, you could hate me but take revenge later, or plot and never succeed- but at the very least, you could keep your life. But your stupid Honor prevents you from doing even that. Nobody ever became strong by being honorable!"

BOOM!

His Beasts moved with their own attacks.

It was a sequence meant to decimate and break Branch Leader Julius as with his head on a platter, the remaining defense on the Walls of Carthage would break down!

Neiman’s eyes lit up at the oncoming glory as he could almost taste it.

He could see it.

It was…

BOOOM!

Interrupted by a massive crash of crimson lightning!

His glory that was right at the tip of his fingers was interrupted by the unfathomable crimson radiance of a massive lightning bolt that smashed into his Arctic Wolf who was nearest to Julius, the fur on this beast becoming scorched as this red lightning wasn’t done!

For the surrounding meters, any nearby Beasts and even the other Four-Link Beasts and Neiman felt booming tendrils of lightning smash on their bodies as they were pushed back slightly.

And the blast of lightning then traveled from the Arctic Wolf and onto the Flame Hound, another burst of multiple tendrils of red lightning being released in the surroundings when this occurred!

Horrifically, it did not stop.

From the Flame Hound, it then jumped onto the Thunder Sparrow who tried to absorb the lightning- the same scene repeating itself as heavy damage was spread onto the surroundings as lastly, this red bolt of thunder and lighting smashed towards Branch Leader Neiman himself.

All of this…happened within the span of a second.

The red lightning was that fast!

Neiman roared out in shock as the Golden Flame Lion below him erected a wall of flames to face this unexpected and yet heavy attack.

An attack built from multiple linked support abilities!

Unity Support that turned Alexander into lightning itself. Chained Link Support that allowed a single cast of the ability to chain to multiple enemies. The Splash Damage Support that gave area of effect damage on every hit.

The Spatial Pocket Support that allowed the ability to be cast anywhere within one hundred meters. The Chance to Corrupt Support that had a 50% chance to Corrupt targeted enemies and make half of their Gem Sockets inactive for 30 seconds!

This wasn’t to even mention the Life Force on Hit Support that had not even begun to show its ridiculous uses.

All of this was unfolded all at once as the terror of a Gem Master with many Gem Sockets slowly presented itself!

BOOM!

The golden flames were only able to stop half of the heavy waves of crimson lightning, but this deadly attack came to a stop as the lightning came to briefly dangle a few meters from the earth below as it turned into…the figure of a shrouded Gem Master.

…!

Only his eyes could be seen as they simmered with tremendous anger.

Of those affected by the crimson lightning, the Lightning Sparrow and Flame Hound had their Main Ability Gems and a single Support Ability Gem turn dull, a crimson skull floating above their heads as they were corrupted.

"WHO DA-...!"

The golden hair on the Tier 4 Ascendant Gem Master Neiman was vibrating rapidly as he roared out, but he didn’t finish his roar as he saw the blooming frost of a glacier coming to encompass everything around him, and he could see another expanding glacier near the Flame Hound and Lightning Sparrow that were corrupted and couldn’t even utilize their Main Ability Gems.

He saw them all stem…from the foreign Gem Master who he could swear just shot out the crimson lighting.

So why the hell….did such terrifying waves of ice and frost erupt from him too?!