Chapter 626 The Assault
A thunderous howl echoed through the nether, its volume so overwhelming that even the chaotic movements of the nether creatures came to a sudden halt. Lenny, along with Athena, found themselves frozen by the sheer force of the sound.
Athena's immediate and explicit reaction summed up the gravity of the situation, "Fuck! It's the agents of the nether!"
The implications of those words hung heavily in the air. The arrival of the nether agents signified a shift in the dynamics of the nether realm, a force that even the denizens of this otherworldly place respected and feared.
In the midst of their ongoing conflict, a common threat had emerged, compelling both Lenny and Athena to momentarily set aside their personal vendettas and face the impending danger together.
"Who the fuck are the Agents of the..." Lenny's words hung in the air as he sensed an arrow whistling loudly toward him. Instinctively, he waved a hand and grabbed the projectile aimed at his face. However, the head of the arrow unexpectedly grew a mouth with teeth, trying to chew at Lenny. Disgusted, Lenny threw the arrow at one of the nether beasts. The moment the arrow made contact, it exhibited a ravenous appetite, consuming the nether creature with unsettling efficiency.
The process was a macabre spectacle, as if the arrow itself was a living entity devouring its prey
"What the fuck?" Lenny cursed loudly. Observing the creature's swift consumption by the arrow, he recognized it as at least a 4th-rank deep demon. The arrow's efficiency in devouring such a powerful entity left Lenny both amazed and disturbed.
The arrow had devoured it in one go.
All of a sudden, Lenny felt more arrows coming his way. There were at least a thousand of them. This made him frown.
He waved his hands, conjuring more floating swords in the air, but Athena suddenly stopped him. "Don't!" she said, "It would only make it worse, and trust me, even a great demon has a better chance at running than facing those things."
Lenny was very smart. Of course, he was still willing to display his sword skill. However, Gladiators had an innate connection with those they had battled with. If Athena was saying what she was saying, even though she had seen the first sword attack, then it meant that she knew something that he didn't. Lenny immediately dropped his hands, and the swords disappeared.
"And turn off that glowing thing!?" She pointed to the orb floating behind him.
By now, the primordial beast's orb was only about the size of a pearl. lenny waved his hand as he sent it into his storage unit.
All of a sudden, the dark world suddenly returned.
"Its not enough!" Athena advised, "hid your fucking aura!"
Lenny did not complain, hiding his aura. However, the moment his energy settled down. He felt as if he had been plunged into a tundra. the temperature of his body instantly dropped to negative degrees, threating to drown him in so much cold that he felt his very soul suddenly become threatened by the cold.
An overwhelming cold assaulted his senses, gripping him like an icy vice. The temperature plummeted instantly, and his skin turned a light shade of blue, as if threatened to freeze over.
The intense cold was akin to being stranded on a frigid mountain, facing the relentless bite of a freezing wind that pierces through every layer of clothing. His breath formed mist in the air, and each inhale felt like inhaling needles of ice.
The merciless chill clawed at his extremities, numbing them and making movement increasingly difficult. It was as if the very essence of warmth was drained from his surroundings, leaving him vulnerable to the unyielding grip of the nether's bone-chilling power.
The arrows landed, both Lenny and Athena very skilled fighters rolled over to the side, avoiding enough of the arrows. Many of them landed on the nether creatures around them and they screeched in pain as they were devoured.
Athena saw that Lenny's movements had slowed down as a result of the cold. Immediately, she took his hand in hers, and brought out her knife.
Lenny frowned as Athena swiftly cut his hand, but before he could protest, she produced a small, enigmatic egg from her coat. "What are you doing?" he questioned, his movements slightly hindered by the numbing cold.
"Make the bond!" Athena instructed, placing his hand on the mysterious egg.
Despite his confusion, Lenny complied, and as his hand made contact with the egg.
"channel your aura in your blood and say after me; 'Vinculum per sanguinem cum inferiore'." she instructed.
Lenny raised a brow, "is that latin?"
"hurry up! just say it."
*Vinculum per sanguinem cum inferiore*
lenny repeated after her.
A surge of magical energy enveloped them. The cold seemed to retreat slightly, as if the egg emitted a subtle warmth. The atmosphere crackled with an otherworldly power, and Lenny felt a strange connection forming between him and the egg as it glowed with ethereal light, pulsating with energy.
Athena met his gaze with a determined look. "This is a Nether bond. It'll help you endure the nether's cold. But remember, this is a pact, and it comes with consequences."
As Athena spoke, the enigmatic egg transformed into a peculiar coat that enveloped Lenny. The coat clung to him providing an immediate shield against the biting cold of the nether. It was just like Athena's. novE/Lb/In
Athena, suddenly pulled Lenny along, waving her hand to release distinctive red wisps that attracted the attention of the nether creatures.
The creatures, drawn to the warmth of the red energy, swirled around them. The coat seemed to repel the numbing chill, allowing Lenny to move more freely despite the hostile environment. Athena's eyes locked onto his, a silent understanding passing between them as she led the way.
However, after only a few steps, she turned around. "Don't get it wrong; I'm only helping you so that I can kill you myself!"
She made jumps on certain creatures and then landed on another one that looked like a flying insect. Lenny got on top of it, and immediately it shot into the sky.
It was darker than night, but Lenny and Athena were half borns. Seeing in the darkness was nothing to them.
Lenny turned to see what was happening behind him...