Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill Chapter 452:The Terrifying Presence

Beneath the cliff, the battlefield stained by the deaths of thousands now appeared eerily serene. Fresh snow was already blanketing the craters and blood marks from the conflict. Fractured weapons and splintered armor gradually vanished beneath a delicate white shroud as the breeze swept over the open fields.

Ethan crossed his arms, gazing toward the shadowy horizon.

The war was merely getting underway.

Yet another issue gnawed at him.

The assassin's emergence and the Goddess of Darkness's blessing signaled that the strife had escalated far beyond a mere border clash.

Gods were watching.

That fact alone rendered everything far more perilous.

Beyond that, Ethan creased his brow faintly and shifted his stare to the soaring mountains afar.

That range marked untraveled wilderness. The terrain stayed savage and seldom probed by humankind. Thick woods draped the hillsides, while profound gorges yawned amid razor-edged bluffs.

The zone was notorious for just one feature. It brimmed with demonic beasts.

For years, Frontier troops had failed to purge the region entirely. Myriad perilous monsters dwelled within, and even veteran knights steered clear of plunging too far inside.

Silently, Ethan fixed his eyes on the foreboding peaks.

A fiercer chill in the wind grazed his cheeks.

"I don't know why, but I am feeling a bit uneasy," he whispered under his breath.

From his position, the mountains seemed still, yet an unnatural vibe emanated from them. An eerie, oppressive force hung there, reminiscent of a hushed gale poised to unleash.

The longer he peered, the stronger his gut unease swelled.

In that instant, a notion flashed into his thoughts.

Ethan's eyes narrowed faintly.

"What if the real reason the Emperor gave me this particular piece of land is because of the danger in the mountain while we mistook it as demon invasion?"

The concept weighed down his mind heavily.

Up to now, all had assumed demons formed the chief peril to the borderlands. But suppose the genuine threat was always another entity?

Ethan glanced once more at the remote summits. Gloomy clouds drifted lazily over the iced crests.

He couldn't dispel the suspicion.

....

Deep amid Frostvele's icy mountains, within infinite crests and gorges, an utterly alien realm thrived.

The highland woods lay hushed and barren.

Lofty iced trees thrust upward like ebony lances against the heavens, heavy frost sheathing the soil. Vapor slunk lazily between the crags as biting gusts wailed down cramped defiles.

Still, the cold wasn't the most terrifying element of the place.

It was the aura.

A dense, lethal aura permeated the peaks like venom laced through the breeze. Its sheer existence could drop average beasts in abject terror.

Innumerable demonic beasts lurked within those shadowy heights.

Some towered as colossal hulks bigger than dwellings. Others glided soundlessly through the gloom, luminous gazes tracking every motion.

Their prowess chilled the soul.

Plenty matched elite knights in might. Others bore primordial lineages granting dread capabilities.

Despite such power, none dared near the innermost sanctum of the mountains.

The core region.

Even the mightiest shunned it.

That zone harbored a force vastly more horrifying than aught else in the range.

Tonight, though, an odd occurrence unfolded.

From a shattered glen's darkness, a massive beast lumbered into view.

Thick ebony scales armored its frame, razor horns arching rearward from its cranium. Every stride pulverized the iced earth under its talons, frost splintering noisily beneath its bulk.

Its eyes blazed with ravenous fire. This mighty demonic beast commanded broad swaths of the mountain.

As it pressed toward the inner depths, nearby skulking beasts reacted swiftly.

Glowing eye pairs flickered amid the iced timber. Hulking forms slunk mutely behind snow-heavy boles, guttural rumbles resounding through the murky woods.

They eyed the intruder warily.

Some unleashed cautionary bellows that thundered over the glen like remote storms. The warning rang unmistakable.

Do not go further.

Yet the beast paid them no heed.

Proudly, it reared its head and unleashed a profound, grinding roar echoing across the peaks, flaunting its supremacy and reign over the adjacent domain.

Then it pressed onward.

Ignoring the mute cautions from its peers, the beast delved deeper into the glacial ranges.

At the outset, the surroundings stayed frigid and still. Frost blanketed the ground while snowflakes wafted lazily in the air.

Yet further in it ventured, the more the environment shifted.

The atmosphere gradually warmed.

Ground snow thawed into slender rivulets that trickled silently over the stones.

The beast halted for a moment and raised its head.

Temperatures kept climbing higher. A warm haze floated across the tight valley in front, while the chilling gusts faded away bit by bit.

A mighty force lurked in that spot. Even this formidable beast could feel its presence.

Yet the monster pressed on with great care.

It advanced one more step.

Then took yet another.

Gradually, the icy valley transformed into an eerie area with vapor rising from ground fissures and stones that felt hot against the skin.

Right when it was about to venture further into the heart, a fierce blast of heat surged out suddenly.

BOOM!

A dreadful blast raced through the valley resembling a fiery tempest.

The impact crashed straight into the beast's frame, hurling it wildly back over the frozen terrain.

Stones broke apart from the collision as snow burst upward like powdery white clouds.

The beast slammed into a cliffside, unleashing a roar of agony that reverberated through the peaks.

Its sturdy form shook fiercely as terror flashed in its luminous gaze. Nevertheless, the beast compelled itself to rise once more.

Lifting its head high, it bellowed furiously at the valley, defying the hidden entity within.

The reply arrived without delay.

BOOOOM!

Yet another searing blast erupted from the mountain's depths.

The intensity of the heat this time proved far deadlier. The very atmosphere ignited.

Valley stones glowed crimson and split apart from the intense warmth. Trees burst into flames instantly as the earth appeared to liquify.

The hideous beast couldn't respond in time.

The scorching blast hit its body head-on.

In an instant, its enormous shape got engulfed by fire and scorching winds. Scales split and crumbled while meat vaporized in the infernal blaze.

Just moments later, the mighty demonic beast turned to cinders from the blast alone.

Quietness settled over the valley once more.

Far within the mountain's center, a fearsome entity began to rouse gradually.

An enormous shape rested concealed under sheets of glowing rock and fiery boulders. Liquid magma coated its form, trickling lazily over its armored hide.

Heat waves distorted the air nearby to an intolerable degree.

Gradually, the beast parted its eyelids.

Slit-like, lizardish pupils blazed like glowing coals amid the shadows. As those eyes unveiled themselves, the nearby peaks quivered subtly, echoing its aura.

The beast drew in a deep breath.

Its nose slits widened, expelling a gush of dark fire that billowed across the cave like thick fumes.

Following that short stir, the colossal form shut its eyes once again. The horrifying aura in the glacial mountain returned to profound slumber.