Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

Chapter 374 - Aptitude. Part 1

Silence... 

The two men stared at one another. Red Beard with a deep frown while Hal stared with a mild smile having pulled back his hand.

Neither said a word after Hal's announcement.

The first to break the tense silence was not from red Beard's party or from Hal's party, it was one of the merchants.

"What?" He said with an incredulous tone and who could blame him. This all seemed like a joke that he found a little hard to believe.

Hal turned to the merchant who had spoken with one of his brows raised, 

"Did I speak in a different language? I said I came here to kill him" Hal said with a nod in Red Beard's direction.

He was not an idiot and neither were the ladies with him. They knew Red Beard's party were not so dumbfounded by his words to actually not take action. They were waiting for the full force of the bandit camp to surround the tent.

They could not be blamed for being so cautious as it stood to reason that if Hal and his party were so confident to walk right into the camp and make such a bold declaration, they were at least a little bit sure of their success.

As such, it would do no good to rush into action.

"But that has to be a joke" said another merchant.

Hal sighed and shook his head, 

"I don't see the reason for your skepticism. This guy is probably planning to kill you so I see no reason you should doubt me. Even if it does turn out I was joking."

Then to Red Beard, he said, 

"I'm not joking.".

Red beard took a deep breath, 

"And why do you seek my life? Revenge?'

Hal chuckled and shook his head, 

"Revenge? Absolutely not. However, there is a bounty for your and your whole bandit band's heads. Although considering how they miscalculated your actual numbers I doubt they can actually pay me for it all.

However, I am not doing it for the money"

"For what then? Justice?" Red Beard asked and leaned back in his seat still confident despite not knowing his opponent's cultivation. He could make a guess though.

Hal shook his head, 

"I don't give a rat's ass about justice. However, I do have my reasons but they are for me to know and for you to ignore since you'll all be head soon anyway."

Finally, the full force of the Bandit camp had surrounded the tent and so great were their numbers which numbered close to a thousand. There was only one thing they had on their mind; the intruders must not escape.

Hal ignored their presence and faced the merchants and their bodyguards instead to smile at them but the smile very clearly showed how unimportant he felt they were.

"You guys are useless and will only be a hindrance" he said and waved his hand in their direction.

Immediately, they were all enveloped with a Dome of Royal Blue Astral energy that would be unbreakable from the outside as well as from the inside. 

All those who would witness what he was about to do were to be either part of his party or about to become dead men and women.

He opened the portal to the Harem space, much to the wide-eyed surprise of Red Beard and his party, to welcome the arrival of the rest of his ladies who were quite battle-ready. 

Marla was still focused on advancing her physique and did not come out to battle. Hal knew she would have loved to be part of it all.

Seeing this intruder with even more trucks worried Red Beard slightly and the fact that Hal had now shown with his cultivation pressure that he was at the Mid-stage of the Cosmic Phenomenon Realm did not ease that worry.

However, since the portal had now closed, the reinforcement should be over, and as such his force still outnumbered Hal's.

It was then that Hal enveloped the Bandit camp as well as surrounding regions with another Dome of Astral energy before opening the portal to his Beast habitat which saw to the exit of hundreds of Devil Beasts with Sassy leading the march and Borus close behind.

By virtue of their numbers and struggling for more room, they ripped up the tent in seconds so all that would happen next would be happening out in the open.

However, Sassy did not turn to face the Bandit force but instead, she slithered to Hal's side where he could stroke her head and her attention was completely on Red Beard.

In a flash, the serpent recoiled and charged up a powerful toxic arrow which before anyone could think of why she was doing so, she released it at Red Beard.

So fast was the arrow that none of those who were with Red beard could follow its trajectory or even attempt to save their leader. However, their leader needed no saving as he leaped from his seat and did a flip in the air to land after the toxic arrow had hit the bandit behind him.

The bandit had been one of his seven confidants and had been at the early stage of the Cosmic phenomenon realm. He did not stand a chance against a point-blank toxic arrow attack from Sassy.

His skin turned green within the second and he keeled over dead...

... And that was when all hell broke loose.

The Devil Beasts sprung into the midst of the greater part of the Bandit camp forces. Their mere presence as well as the signs of what could only be described as Devilish transformations so evident in their beastly bodies was terrifying.

Then there was the matter of the terrible presence they exuded on account of what they were slowly becoming. It was terrifying. But not terrifying enough to truly hinder their targets in battle.

That was mostly because the Bandits themselves were not so weak and were in quite a large number.

The first to meet their end after the death of one of the confidants was none other than the guards who were still paralyzed thanks to Hal's Devil energy attack.

The other six dashed into attack. An attack which the ladies were all ready to entertain.

Karmen, Olivia, and Lillian's eyes all turned Blood red as they needed Fiendish pressure as well as fiendish fogs while they summoned their Cosmic Armaments.

However, Karmen went a step further...

"Rise for the Blood Of mu foes, Executioner"

... And summoned the Fiendish Bloodline armament.

From the moment it appeared and she gripped it, it was as though the violence Hal had once seen in her and attributed to as side effects of her fiendish Bloodline (the incessant Blood and battle lust was suddenly unleashed to the limit.

She did not dash to the six confidants. No... she needed more targets and so she instead joined in with the Devil Beasts.

The six confidants instinctively decided to steer clear of Hal and his serpent. That seemed more of a battle for Red beard. 

*Slash*

Rita dashed forward to one of them at the mid stage of the cosmic Phenomenon realm and slashed with her blue long sword cosmic armament while her eyes were a bright purple as she was now making use of the strengthening effect of her succubus Bloodline.

The confidant crossed blades with her and actually fancied his chances at overpowering her.

Rita knowing what thoughts were running in his mind smirked just as her sword combusted with purple lust flames that crept over her opponent's weapon and then slowly towards his own body to sneak right in through his pores...