Chapter 153: They Arrive

A small portal started to appear in Jarlon Valley with four young teenagers starting to walk out of it.

The Arthraku's four strongest youth slowly started to exit onto the grassfield from the portal and took their first breath on flat land. Because they lived in the Jarlonson Abyss, most of the land was mountainous, and the only flat surfaces had to be made. However, now that they were entering into the Furnace, their stomachs instantly turned with disgust.

"Worletz, Maclan, and Harkel" The leader of the Arthraku, Oclen, started to cough because the Ki Quality in the air was so bad. "What the hell? There really is less Ki here. I thought that was just a rumor."

"It's not. And this is supposed to be the place in the Lower Furnace with the most pure Ki. I almost want to slap myself to wake myself up. This is almost as bad as the surface."

The Arthraku youth, unlike the Horned, actually had a way of going to and from the Surface because of their location in the Furnace and their connection with the Exland Empire. The Exland Empire destested the Arthraku, but they also greatly feared them. For this reason, once every year, the Exland Empire had a meeting with the Arthraku on the surface, and also agreed to take their youngest generation on a tour. It was too keep the peace between the two forces, and also provide them information.

Howard's name had come up in a meeting between the Exland Empire and the Arthraku's Lead Generals, and the youth had decided to try and hunt him. The Exland Empire made it seem like Howard was incredibly tough and could be their downfall. However, Orlen, the leader of the Arthraku youth, was simply dumbfounded by the Ki Signals he sensed in the area.

He immediately sensed Howard and Annibell's energy, and didn't feel the slightest threat. The Arthraku were taught at a young age to sense Ki in order to protect themselves from Authoritarians and invaders. Unlike Howard and the Horned, they also were one of the few nations that could breed easily in the Furnace. They were part of a long generation of the strongest youth that belonged to the Grand Dynasty Fortress Family line. Their families always made the strongest Arthraku, but also had the most unique techniques.

"Oclen, I'm assuming that's Howard we're sensing running in our direction. Do you think he senses us as well?" Worletz, the tallest of the bunch with the darkest hair slowly began to transform his arm into a beasts claw. His eyes beginning to turn terrifying like some type of incarnate beast. "What is he doing? Is he asking for death?"

"I don't know," Oclen brushed back his blonde hair and slowly grew two large wings out of his back while his wrist slowly grew spikes that shimmered with a white light. "However, the sooner we kill the little demon king, the sooner we can go back home to our future wives."

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Howard and Priscilla went separate ways to do some simple morning training exercises.

Howard was asked to go to a part of Jarlon Valley called the Mist Dome. He had one day left before he was supposed to go to 1000 Monster Valley in the most Ki Dense part of the Abyss. 

It was called 1000 Monster Valley because the strongest Authoritarians in the Furnace lived there when the Furnace closed. It was also one of the best areas for Howard to be because of Authoritarians desire to protect him. He had learned the Arthraku absorbed Authoritarians to increase their strength a hours ago when being taught by Annibell about their strange powers. However, today, he just wanted to get his chores done. He had to retrieve some simple ingredients for Annibell that she could use to create a special type of armor for him, and some plants in the Jarlon Valley were extremely tough. He was looking for a plant called the Great Piercing Vine that grew in the Mist Dome. It was said to be 10 times harder than steel, but it was also extremely hard to find.

'Damn it! Come on! Priscilla said if I got back early today she'd take one more nap with me before we part ways!' Howard smiled and used King Fire Sprint to cross a river with just a few steps. He jumped once and crashed into the mist dome.

It was literally a ball of mist that almost made it impossible to see inside. However, out of a new habit, Howard instantly activated his Dream Ki and sent it in every direction.

'You can't be too careful.' Howard had been attacked by two Dream Beasts that were wild in the last few hours that flocked naturally to Jarlon Valley. Instantly, he could see dozens of different directions to head in before he felt his stomach turned.

It seemed four Dream Beasts were rapidly approaching him, or something similar in size. 

He instantly turned and looked out into the mist and the parts of forest that could be seen inside of it. The air was cold and frigid from the mist touching his skin, but that instantly changed when he activated his Dark Ki. The mist instantly evaporated for almost a kilometer around him while the feelings kept getting closer and closer to his location.

'Just prepare to attack. Their just draem beasts,' Howard sighed and looked down at the floor before he blasted it with his energy. He instantly stopped using his Ki and tried his hardest to mask it. This ability called Ki Deterioration, just let him stop sending out the frequencies he used to detect Ki, so other people couldn't sense him.

It was very practical, and also one of the things he inadvertently learned when learning Sword of the Fire Legionnaire.

'Damn it! He sensed us!' Oclen stomped on the ground and pointed into the mist. 

He could see a few small dream beasts eating on the grass field with their eyes closed, and instantly took a deep breath. "Ugh, he's around here somewhere! Split up in 2s and search!" Oclen patted Worletz on the back and made a gesture for him to run in the opposite direction. "Keep your energy masked! We don't want them to know we arrived!"

"Strange, man. I just upped my caution meter. There was that white Ki that passed us. It felt like it touched me or something," Warletz had never encountered Dream Ki before, and it felt like something strange went through his body and passed out the other side. "I'm guessing that's a scouting ability. Howard probably does that regularly."

"Hmph, we know now. Next time we just have to dodge it," Oclen stepped off his back foot and rushed into the clearing where he'd felt Howard disappear. 

To his surprise, he saw a small area of distrurbed ground with grass laying to the side.

"He's in there! Get him!" Oclen pointed at the hole. "Change into your 3rd strongest form Harkel! He has some strange type of Ki! Don't underestimate him."

Howard peered out from inside the mist and watched two men transform into what appeared to be Authoritarians and instantly realized who they were. At the same time, he saw a golden opportunity. They didn't sense him, and he was in the mist.

It really only took one good surprise attack to change the tide of battle. He instantly activated an extremely small version of Sword of the Fire Legionnaire in the palm of his hand. He'd tested it, and it could even cut through a sharp rock if someone was unprepared.

'Damn it! What are you doing? Did you find him yet?" Oclen turned around and looked back and forth into the mist. The next moment, he saw a small light of flame appear that soon slashed through his vision.

He felt like his head was about to fall off his body, and instantly fell down onto his knees. Without a moment of hesitation, he dropped onto the floor and instantly sprouted out blood.

Howard smiled and came out of the clearing with his Dark Ki spreading up his body while the two parts of Oclen's skull separated on the ground. 

"Hehe, I took out the leader. Looks like you guys are the ones that will be hunted, and not me!"

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Howard instantly activated Fire King Sprint and rushed towards the tall Arthraku to the right of Oclen's trembling body.

He didnt' hold back anything, and activated his Dream Ki to the fullest while the man in front of him instantly transformed into a winged beast. The winged beasts mouth began to glow with a bright Ki before dozens of swords shot out of its mouth and at Howard.

He jumped to the side to dodge and instantly split in ten directions before he appeared righ tin front of the Arthraku. Turning his fist, he activated his strongest burst of Dark Ki and pushed forward.

"Take this! Dark Oblivion! Activate!"

One of the skills Howard learned from Demon King Earl in the 10 minutes he'd been with him was a way of rapidly increasing his Dark Ki. Demon King Earl decided to call this Dark Oblivion becasue all the person that would see attacking it is a large darkness before they got swallowed hole.

However, Howard was also pouring all his energy into his Ki Heart Ring to activate it, and he could almost feel his body screaming in pain. It felt like a large monster surged through his arm while his still not fully healed body unleashed its maximum strength.

At the same time, the Arthraku he was saying scoffed, and sent his large claw slashing into the Dark Ki Flame.

Boom!

Howard instantly got sent flying back and rolled against the ground.

At the same time, the man who had been lying dead on the floor slowly ascended to his feet. Some vines grew out of his skull and slowly started to stitch bach his head together while Howard trembled.

"What the hell? I cut off his head! How is he still alive!"

"Heh, is that your best attack?" Maclan, the man Howard had just attacked wiped off his hand. "Ah, that's hot, but if that's your best, you're dead! Oclen, stop playing around and get up and help me kill him hahaha! He has no idea who he's messing with!"