The Invincible Full-Moon System Chapter 1817: Rain of Blood

Rex touched down with a resounding thud in the central plaza of the devastated Sky City.

He flung the maimed Rezar aside like worthless refuse and gazed forward.

In the middle of the plaza, Varya stood there. She traced patterns on the pale marble ground using her hand.

Her blood served as the ink.

It appeared to form an array, one so vast it extended past the plaza's boundaries.

Surrounding it, bodies of Sky City inhabitants lay spaced a meter apart. Countless thousands lined the streets, oriented toward the Blood Moon. A few remained alive and gasping, though rendered helpless. The recently deceased still oozed blood.

The blood that seeped out no longer flowed beyond the array's edges, instead gathering at its perimeter.

Black serpents swarmed like obedient workers, hauling additional bodies from distant spots and arranging them in orderly fashion. When space ran out, the bodies piled up at the center, forming a heap of flesh.

Rex had struck a bargain with Dorn for leniency.

He honored it, but solely for the territory Dorn guarded, sparing not the other survivors.

Harsh. Yet no one would raise an objection if he sought to reclaim Devo by force.

With power now in his grasp, he saw no need to hold back.

Rex examined the array and found himself startled by its superior quality.

...

<Original Rite of Kaiser>

Description: This represents the initial iteration of the Rite of Kaiser, prior to its dilution to lessen the intense backlash from the Blood Moon. Such an array generates twenty percent additional energy over the standard version.

...

The Shade Crawlers positioned themselves beyond the array's confines.

An eager crowd witnessing the grand display.

Some among them struggled to suppress their savage eagerness, eyeing the assembled victims destined for sacrifice. A couple even unleashed guttural cries to express their exhilaration, though this soon escalated into a dispute.

The Blood Moon continued its glow. A mere unintended shove sparked a savage fight.

Yet a single icy glare from Rex pierced the disorder. The brawl ceased at once.

It gave way to a vigilant, subdued quiet.

No moment for such distractions.

This was his chance to seize the opportunity.

Rex inspected the array once more as Varya completed her work, then indicated the boundary.

"You overlooked a rune right there," he stated tonelessly. "Correct it."

Varya felt astonishment that Rex could scrutinize the array she crafted, yet this deepened her loyalty to his rule. "Yes, Your Highness," she swiftly mended the oversight. "It's been ages since I drew this array. My apologies."

<Scanning....>

<Notice: the Original Rite of Kaiser array stands at 100% completion!>

<With the Blood Moon's influence, the rite's effectiveness will double!>

Rex entered the array and took his assigned position.

The array buzzed to life without delay. A deep red hue enveloped the stacked bodies, the arranged corpses, and Rex himself. He observed as the forms dissolved into a bloody vapor. Much like before, Rex remained unable to detect the energy it generated.

His sharp perceptions failed to capture it.

Still, he suspected this force represented a superior energy linked to his Divinity.

When his divinity advanced sufficiently, he would perceive this energy.

He anticipated that moment's arrival.

Screams erupted as bodies compressed and transformed into bloody vapor.

The vapor twisted through the array, rising like a winding serpent, while Rex extended his arms outward. Kaiser had provoked his fury by stooping to aid a Half-Angel in slaying him. Now came the retaliation.

Splash—!

As the bloody vapor gathered overhead into a churning vortex, it burst with a drenching noise.

A soft chuckle slipped from Rex. Unlike his initial, rough execution of the rite, the current magnitude surpassed his hopes. The explosive surge of force reshaped the descending Black Rain, converting the dark liquid drops into red droplets.

At the storm's core, suspended within the crimson gale, floated numerous red crystals.

Each pulsed with vast, restrained might.

Precisely ninety in number.

Three bigger, shadowy crystals dominated among them, their potency overshadowing the others.

Rex's eyes gleamed with delight. "Don't mind if I do."

Blood Moon Crystals.

A rare crystal ideal for forging divine strands.

Flunra had cautioned him initially that the rite compelled Kaiser to grant him strength in exchange for the offerings. Employed only in dire straits. No one could withstand a Lunirich God’s fury head-on.

Hence, few risked repeating this ceremony. Not until the milder variant emerged.

Only the Origin could invoke this primal ritual multiple times, though even he refrained from overusing it.

Its enhancement tempted greatly, yet the consequences proved dire.

But Rex possessed the System. In his enhanced state, any backlash meant little.

Besides, he harbored no concern over angering Kaiser.

Ill will already festered between them. A godly feud ignited when Rex became Nivellen’s champion. It turned intimate when the Lunirich Gods deemed his survival subject to their approval.

Thus, why fear further offending a deity already slighted? He wouldn't.

Varya glanced skyward. She fixed on the Blood Moon, bracing for its assault on Rex. The reprisal would prove devastating. Most bodies belonged to Eternal Spirits, some surpassing that level, given Sky City's nature.

The typical power here defied norms.

On instinct, Varya retreated farther to widen the gap between her and Rex.

Yet to her shock, the Blood Moon merely wavered.

’The Blood Moon Lunirich God refrained from striking him? How...? ’ Varya gaped at the heavens in astonishment. ’Even the Origin faced its retribution. What transpired in the Mortal Realm? What fate befell our kind?’

"You'd best adjust to this," a shadow rose from the earth—Linthia. "He's constantly brimming with unexpected feats," she regarded Rex as if he were her hero. "Choosing him as your Alpha was wise. He's fiercely guardian of his followers, so watch your standing carefully from here on.

"Or else..." She motioned to the surrounding carnage. "Countless lives will end."

"Fiercely guardian?" Varya arched an eyebrow.

"Indeed. Possessive." Linthia's mouth curved into a grin. "In a realm teeming with threats, who wouldn't crave security? Had you opposed him, you'd lie among the fallen now. Sacrificed. You elders possess sharp instincts."

Varya let out a soft laugh.

She remained unaware of Linthia's identity or her bond with Rex. Linthia bore no trace of the moon's offspring. Yet intent carried its aroma, and Linthia's exuded pure benevolence. Her assurance felt like an oath.

In that instant, all remaining uncertainty vanished.

Aligning with Rex wasn't merely a decision—it marked the sole route to prosperity.

Survivors always discerned the optimal allegiance.

Beyond raw might, instinct held equal value.

"Elders?" Varya creased her brow. "Does the pack include another elder? I sense the others faintly. Only the Luna clearly."

"Flunra belongs to the pack," Linthia shrugged, then halted, aware of her slip. "I meant Arnulf."

Varya started puzzled, but the name startled her. Delight washed over her. "Arnulf the Special?" She echoed, then sighed in ease while shaking her head. "If he's joined the Silverstar Pack, then I'm at peace. That elder enjoys fortune's favor. Certain Betas trailed him through conflicts long ago and emerged unharmed."

It sounded absurd.

Initially, upon hearing the tale, Varya dismissed it as hyperbole.

How could shadowing another ensure safety? Preposterous.

But the account rang true.

She had witnessed it personally. Assaults and arms bypassed Arnulf's vicinity.

"Strikes diverted course. As if the Black Omicron shielded him. He's truly exceptional."

"That much, I believe."

Only as the Sudden Quest's deadline dipped below two minutes did the rite conclude. Throughout, spectators could merely gawk and absorb the scene. For foes, beholding Rex offer thousands to the Blood Moon proved chilling.

Those spared by fortune kept their existences, yet bore profound scars.

Scars that lingered indelibly.

Like Mirza, who instilled caution in the Spirit Realm toward Mortal Realm arrivals, Rex etched his presence with slaughter. Now, the Spirit Realm dreaded the Mortal Realm. Though unintended from the outset, events unfolded thus.

He had sought integration, but the Spirit Realm opted to offer him up.

And this marked the outcome.

Rex vaulted to the nearest elevated spot. A tower marred by fissures ran its height. Its summit dome lay in ruins, providing a level platform. He confronted the Blood Moon and loosed a victorious roar.

A commanding, booming roar.

His tongue flicked. His sinews swelled. His talons extended. And his gaze burned red.

A proclamation of triumph. Directed not just at the Blood Moon, but also the Highseat of Invincibility.

The cry echoed across vast distances.

Beneath Sky City, gripped by chaos's ruin, the royal barrier teetered. Figures dashed about in panic, pursued by void creatures that breached their haven.

Some declared it apocalypse.

That angelic safeguards extended only so far.

Imperial forces lay dispersed. Unsure if they should shield civilians or preserve themselves. No leader guided them. How could any, with nobility suffering the worst blows?

Emperor Dominar hosted the feast to herald triumph over the rebel.

A blade aimed to purge all Rex's backers.

Yet that blade pierced his core instead of the foes.

Surviving elite nobles bore severe injuries; their escorts hauled them to hidden spots to stem bleeding and preserve their remnants. Solely Emperor Dominar lingered in the royal barrier.

He withdrew to his seat of authority.

As a weary eternal, he occupied his throne. Silence enveloped him, pierced solely by his steady breaths' faint reverberations. Grandeur and ostentation persisted as through endless ages.

Gilded fixtures. Luxe rugs. Majestic barriers. Relics. Treasures.

But the fortress stood vacant. No guards or servants filled the passages as usual.

Caused by a single individual—it struck as ruinous. A legacy enduring millennia. An realm safeguarding against myriad beasts. Might enduring global strains. All undone by one soul.

Emperor Dominar grappled with his emotions.

Emptiness gnawed within.

Gradually, he raised his quivering right hand, palm toward his visage.

A groan passed his narrow lips as the Reap and Sow Echo appeared, floating over his hand. For a moment, he reminisced its acquisition and its enduring allure and potency. But instantly, violet taint erased the Echo's form.

Emperor Dominar spat blood while his right hand pulsed with agony.

Many might condemn him for dooming the empire.

Yet he and select few grasped the reality. He lacked alternatives.