Apocalypse Online: I Awaken the Ultimate Bloodline

Chapter 79: Array Mastery Trial I

"Just a sec," Lothe said softly, stepping past Seana toward the fallen titan.

Taking long, effortless strides, he arrived beside the colossal corpse of the Gore-Scaled Abyssal Behemoth. Swirling purple Void Qi wrapped around his right hand as he extended his arm toward the creature’s shattered skull.

SQUELCH!

A powerful gravitational tug erupted from his palm. A fist-sized, glowing green beast core tore free from the Behemoth’s forehead, flying straight into Lothe’s grip.

With a casual wave of his hand, the colossal corpse, along with two glowing blue orbs that had materialized beside it, vanished into his Soul Manor’s storage space.

Turning back, Lothe noticed Seana wiping her hands on her crimson silk robes, a satisfied grin touching her lips. Judging by her expression, she had collected something equally valuable from the slain Gargoyle.

"If it weren’t so late, I would’ve liked to investigate where that Gargoyle came from," Lothe said, gazing deeper into the pitch-black forest ahead. "For now, let’s find a secure place to rest for the night."

"Yeah," Seana agreed, taking a moment to analyze the subtle changes within her body. "Though, strange as it is, I don’t feel tired or sleepy at all."

The refined Crimson Blood Cycle was actively nourishing her cells with purified Qi, keeping her energy at its absolute peak.

"You still need to rest, love," Lothe murmured softly.

Before she could react, Lothe stepped into her space, wrapping his arm securely around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest. Ever since he had confessed his feelings in the tomb—and received her quiet acceptance—his actions had grown noticeably bolder.

Even Lothe himself was occasionally surprised by how naturally his protective, affectionate side surfaced around her.

"Unless, of course..." Lothe leaned down, his lips hovering inches from her ear, a wicked, handsome smirk gracing his face, "...you have something else in mind? Not that I’m complaining."

Seana’s breath hitched. A bright flush crept up her cheeks as she instinctively looked away. "Cut it out..." she muttered in a small, embarrassed voice.

Through the silk of his robes, she could feel the firm heat of his broad chest. Standing this close, she realized just how tall Lothe had become—her head only reached his chest now.

Trying to shift the topic, she looked around at the ominous, shadowed trees. "Where are we even supposed to rest in a forest like this?"

"Don’t worry, love. I already found a spot."

Without warning, Lothe shifted his grip and scooped her up into a princess carry.

CLICK.

Before Seana could gasp, Lothe executed a silent [Void Step]. They vanished from the forest floor, reappearing dozens of feet above the ground upon the canopy of a gargantuan tree.

Lothe had spotted this massive tree during his battle with the Behemoth. Its trunk was as thick as a fortress tower, and its ancient branches spanned outward like massive wooden platforms.

Walking along a particularly thick bough, Lothe approached a natural curve in the wood. The branch split and smoothed out in such a way that it closely resembled a wide, comfortable rocking chair, cradled safely beneath a curtain of thick indigo leaves.

He gently lowered Seana onto the wooden cradle.

"You should get some rest, Seana," Lothe said softly, looking down at her. "It’s been a long day, and a lot has happened."

Lothe was still entirely unaware that while they were inside the ancient tomb’s trial chambers, an entire month had already passed on the surface.

"Hmm..." Seana nodded.

As soon as her back rested against the wood, a sudden wave of physical and mental fatigue washed over her. Surrounded by Lothe’s familiar, comforting scent and the absolute security his presence provided, she allowed her defenses to drop. Within seconds, her eyelids grew heavy, and her breathing slowed into a peaceful rhythm.

Lothe stood silently beside her, listening to her steady breaths. Her face in sleep appeared soft and gentle—so starkly different from the sharp, calculating, and fierce warrior she was in battle.

So beautiful...

Lothe reached out, his long fingers gently tracing the contour of her cheek before tucking a stray strand of black hair behind her delicate ear.

To ensure complete safety, Lothe flicked his wrist, placing multiple [Locking-Binding Talismans] around the surrounding branches, forming an invisible perimeter array that would instantly alert him to any incoming threat.

Satisfied, he walked over to a thick junction a few feet away and sat down cross-legged. Though they were high above the forest floor, he remained vigilant. In this newly evolved world, a single second of carelessness could cost them their lives.

Lothe leaned back against the bark, looking up at the sky.

The moon hanging above was a deep, radiant crimson—vastly different from the gentle white moon of the old world.

His mind drifted back to the university siege, wondering how the surviving students and faculty were faring. They should have been rescued by the military after the beast king was killed...

He shook his head slightly, a strand of dark hair fluttering in the cool night wind. Well, it’s not my concern anymore.

The forest around them was eerie and quiet, broken only by the distant, muffled roars of mutated beasts roaming miles away. High up in the canopy, the atmosphere was strangely serene.

As Lothe sat in quiet contemplation, his gaze fell down to his robes. During his duel with the Behemoth, a drop of corrosive abyssal venom had scorched part of his purple silk sleeve. As someone who preferred cleanliness and order, the burnt, frayed edge bothered him.

I wonder if Void Qi can restore the weave...

Curious, Lothe channeled a thin thread of Void Qi through his arm, wrapping the dark energy around the damaged sleeve. The purple Qi flowed smoothly over the torn threads.

To his surprise, the spatial energy didn’t destroy the fabric—it aligned the material, reconstructing the damaged threads until the sleeve was completely restored to a pristine state.

"Huh... neat."

As the Qi settled, Lothe suddenly felt a hard, cold object pressed against his leg in his boots.

He reached down and pulled it out.

It was a dark-purple Jade Token. Its surface was completely smooth and plain, devoid of any carved patterns or titles.

Lothe stared at it in confusion. He had no memory of picking up such an item, nor had it come from any loot orbs he had opened.

Yet as he held it, his eyes narrowed into sharp slits.

The token radiated a subtle, terrifyingly concentrated energy that felt hauntingly familiar.

"Soul energy..." Lothe muttered under his breath.

Having awakened the Array/Talisman subclass, Lothe was intimately familiar with Soul Energy—it was the fundamental force used to guide spiritual Qi into intricate runic formations.

Hesitating for a brief moment, Lothe released a tiny thread of his own Soul Energy to inspect the token.

The moment his soul energy made contact—

WHOOSH!

The plain purple Jade Token vibrated violently! It dissolved into a blinding sphere of dark-purple light and shot straight toward Lothe’s forehead!

Before Lothe could even raise his hands or dodge, the beam of light struck his forehead and plunged directly into his consciousness, descending straight into his Soul Manor!

Lothe braced himself, expecting a system prompt or a warning overlay.

Silence.

No system ping. No alert window. Nothing.

VRMMMMMMMM!!

Suddenly, the inner world of his Soul Manor violently trembled!

Beyond the blooming field of purple grass emitting violet mist, the earth ruptured. A colossal, magnificent black palace erupted from the depths of his soul, its massive obsidian walls gleaming with an ancient, dark light!

Before Lothe could process what was happening, an irresistible, terrifying gravitational force seized his consciousness, dragging his mental form straight into the palace!

SWISH!

Lothe’s vision flashed, and he found himself standing inside an enormous, windowless chamber enclosed by four towering stone walls. There was no furniture, no exit, and no light source—only a vast, empty room.

Before he could take a single step—

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!

An incomprehensible, crushing weight descended upon his mind!

"Urgh...!"

Lothe grunted in agony as his consciousness was slammed downward. The pressure felt as though a thousand mountains were being stacked directly onto his soul, forcing his joints to creak and pushing him down toward his knees.

Veins bulged along Lothe’s neck. He gritted his teeth, his unyielding pride and iron willpower flaring as he fought against the suffocating force with everything he had, refusing to let his knees touch the floor!

Suddenly—

VRMMMM!

A brilliant purple circle ignited on the stone floor beneath his boots.

With a soft ripple, a second, larger circle expanded around the first, followed by a third, fourth, and fifth!

Intricate, glowing symbols flared along the circumference of the concentric circles—symbols Lothe instantly recognized as Runes.

Within seconds, the entire floor of the massive chamber transformed into a colossal, multi-layered, glowing Runic Array!

Lothe immediately activated [Qi Sight]. Through his spiritual vision, he could see energy pathways crisscrossing between the runes, connecting the array into a terrifyingly complex matrix.

Yet, what chilled him to the bone was the absolute silence of his status interface.

No [Inspect] overlay appeared. No system evaluation was issued.

This was not a system-generated trial. This was a raw, ancient inheritance mechanism!

"ARGHHHHHHHH!!"

Without warning, a searing, excruciating agony erupted within Lothe’s consciousness!

The pain was far more brutal and sinister than the Soul-Ripping Curse he had suffered from the Butterfly Demon.

The ancient Array beneath his feet was actively channeling raw soul energy into his mind, systematically tearing his spiritual foundation apart piece by piece!

He didn’t need a system notification to understand the rules of this space.

If he couldn’t decipher and break the Runic Array beneath his feet... his soul would be completely obliterated from within!​

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