Rise of the White Devil

Chapter 67 Calamity of Dread [1]

"Allow me to keep your ears safe~"

Seraphina playfully said as she removed the sound barrier around them and created a new one solely around Lucas, shielding him from what was about to happen next.

The barrier formed around Lucas as Seraphina stepped forward, standing at the edge of the abandoned skyscraper and looking out over the ruined city. Lucas watched as she inhaled deeply, and in the next second... a loud screech erupted from her throat.

The screech perfectly mimicked the agonized cry of the Moth Lucas had defeated, reverberating throughout the entire city and causing nearby buildings to tremble.

Seraphina had managed to replicate the sound of the Moth with her sound affinity. The plan was simple: attract the remaining calamities by mimicking the screech of their dead sibling, making them curious as to why they heard the sound of someone who should be dead.

As both beasts approached, Lucas and Seraphina would take on one of the calamities, while Sylviette and the other champions would deal with the other.

When Seraphina stopped screaming and the barrier around Lucas was removed, he walked to her side as they both stood on the edge of the skyscraper.

"What do you think the remaining calamities will look like?" Seraphina asked faintly.

"Hmm, well, one is a spider, if I'm right... as for the other, perhaps a giant bunny?" Lucas replied.

Hearing his words, she visibly grimaced.

"Ugh, I hate spiders... but please don't make me hate bunnies now as well."

Finding it amusing to see her reaction, he was about to tease her when the ground suddenly started to rumble.

Both looked ahead and saw something approaching them fast—faster than when Lucas had fought the Moth. Buildings trembled all around them as something massive moved closer, shrouded in dust.

"Please don't be a bunny... please don't be a bunny... please no bunnies,"

Lucas heard Seraphina praying next to him in a low voice.

'Are the two of us really enough?'

Lucas began to have doubts as he saw the cloud of dust getting closer.

Not just that, he was also nervous. Fighting the calamity with only himself and Seraphina was one thing, but...

The moment he would fight the calamity, there would be no going back as he would be willingly inviting the ancient terrors known as The Voidwalkers to his doorstep.

Placing his left hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist, he got ready to fight.

Seraphina held her two beautiful obsidian black daggers in her hands.

"How much are you going to hold back?" Lucas heard her whisper so only he could hear.

He didn't respond for a few seconds, silently watching the cloud of dust getting closer every second.

"Not much."

'As long as I don't reveal being a half-dragon... I won't use chaos element either, not yet at least.'

Hearing his reply, she smiled slightly.

"Good. Then I can't let you steal all the spotlight."

Seeing her mischievous eyes, he was getting a little curious about what she was planning but didn't dwell on it for too long.

The other champions were some distance away from them, preparing to fight the calamity that was approaching, while Lucas and Seraphina waited for the second one to show up to attack it immediately.

There were at least a hundred gathered to fight one of the calamities. If they couldn't win with those numbers, even Lucas would be dumbfounded.

Over the days Lucas was with Seraphina away from the champions, more and more people started joining them.

As they watched the cloud of dust get closer, it suddenly stopped. When the cloud of smoke started to dissipate, everyone saw something that made them grimace.

Emerging from the dust was a colossal spider, its monstrous body covered in matted, oily fur that glistened sickeningly under the light.

The creature's legs ended in razor-sharp claws that clicked against the ground.

Its bloated abdomen pulsated, a web of throbbing veins and embedded, putrid eggs that seemed ready to burst. Its six eyes glowed with madness.

The air filled with a nauseating stench, a foul mixture of decay and venom.

Surrounding the giant spider were countless smaller spiders, each one grotesque in its own right. They scuttled around their queen, their bodies twitching and jerking.

These spiders, with their tiny, red, soulless eyes and fangs dripping with venom, swarmed over the ground.

The others recoiled in terror, gagging and almost retching. Some fell to their knees, clutching their stomachs, while others stumbled backward.

The colossal queen let out a hissing screech, a sound that seemed to vibrate through the air, making most skin crawl and hearts race.

The calamity of agony.

"Called it," Lucas spoke, a little happy that he was right.

'At least Sylviette will get her wish of fighting C-rank king predators,' Lucas thought as he saw a few C-rank king predator spiders protecting the queen.

Most of the tiny spiders were E-ranked or king predators of the said rank, so Lucas was sure they could handle most... he hoped.

Suddenly, the countless eyes of the queen of spiders shot toward Lucas and Seraphina, making them alert as their bodies stiffened.

'Don't tell me it wants us and will ignore the others...' Lucas's thought proved false as he and Seraphina noticed that the eyes weren't looking at them but behind them.

Both felt an immense gaze suddenly behind them, a pressure descending on them that made the floor crack beneath them.

Turning quickly around, Lucas and Seraphina gripped their weapons tightly, gritting their teeth as they saw something that made even them shudder.

An eye.

Mere inches from their faces was a colossal red eye with a black slit, pulsing with an ancient, malevolent intelligence. It stared at them unblinkingly, the size and proximity of it freezing them in place, caught in a moment of sheer, disbelieving surprise.

"What..." Lucas whispered, barely able to form the word.

As they stood on the rooftop of the skyscraper, they slowly began to comprehend the calamity they were facing as the eye pulled itself back...

The eye belonged to a colossal black serpent, its scales as dark as the abyss, shimmering with an oily sheen. The serpent had silently coiled itself around the entire building.

The serpent's head, crowned with ridges and horns, loomed above them, its red eyes the only splash of color against the void-like blackness of its scales. It moved with an unsettling silence, as if it had been born from the shadows themselves.

The air was heavy.

The serpent seemed to regard them with a detached curiosity, as if weighing their worthiness. Its tongue flicked out, tasting the air around them. A deep hiss resonated through the air, and for a moment, time itself seemed to stand still.

The wind howled around the rooftop, but neither of them moved. The serpent's immense form slowly coiled tighter around the building, the skyscraper groaning under its weight. The serpent showed no intention of harm... yet.

Lucas only had one word as he looked at the colossal serpent right in front of them, realizing it had arrived without them ever noticing.

"...Fuck."

It had managed to fool Lucas's half-dragon senses effortlessly.

Lucas and Seraphina exchanged a quick glance.

They knew they had to face this colossal serpent on their own...

Gripping the obsidian black daggers gleaming in her hands tighter, her eyes, usually filled with mischief, now glinted with determination and focus.

Lucas was gripping the hilt of his sword with his left hand as well, tight... until his hands were white.

He was feeling nervous...

The serpent hissed again, a sound that seemed to vibrate through their bones.

He could already hear the angry screeches of the queen of spiders echoing through the ruined city.

The others must have already tried to engage in battle, oblivious to the fact that the second calamity had already arrived.

He couldn't figure out just how it managed to sneak behind them.

If it could, does it mean it passed them countless times without anyone noticing?

How many times has it already seen them?

Was it watching them when the calamity of despair fell?

Perhaps it had always been watching.

Watching them, the final calamity.

The Calamity of Dread.