Chapter 1718 — First clash

The suppression was different from any kind Lex had felt before. Usually, any form of suppression he faced came from the outside. It was a sign of a powerful enemy nearby, or some unknown danger.

Now, though, the suppression came from within. It was as if the heart was having just a little more trouble beating, as if the lungs had just a little less space within, and the muscles were just a little stiffer.

The deep red sky seemed especially daunting today, almost as if it was bearing down on them, letting them know about their impending demise.

Lex, of course, immediately noticed that besides simple physical suppression, there was an element of mental suppression too. The fact that, from so far, away, just being sighted by the Gon race put so much pressure on him was crazy.

Of course, the actual suppression he felt was negligible. But that fact that it was so noticeable, and existed in so many forms, despite how strong he already was, was a testament to just how severely disadvantaged humans were against the Gon.

It was as if the universe itself had designed the humans to be hunted by the Gon race. But that was not so. The suppression was not because of anything besides the weight of history. The Gon race was one of the two races that were responsible for the decline of the human race, and had killed the last of the human Dao Lords. As a result, they had gained an advantage. But that is all it was. From the day Lex had begun his cultivation, he’d been facing stronger opponents, regardless of where he went. This was nothing new for him.

"Acclimatise yourselves to the suppression," Lex said, his voice calm and steady. "Keep your mind on your tasks. Expect mental and psychological interference, so take precautions beforehand."

About halfway down the mountain, the Midnight mech stopped, and Luthor revealed the castle within the snow globe, and unveiled it.

The castle appeared without any fanfare, standing tall on the mountain slopes. Even years of use within Abaddon had not marred its walls. Instead, the castle had only grown stronger in that time. Whether it was the initial aid of the insects back in the jungle, or the slow accumulation of the valuable resources within Abaddon, both had helped make it stronger.

It had borne the brunt of countless Earth Immortal invasions without faltering even the slightest, now it would be time to see how it stood against Heaven Immortals.

Lex nodded to Z while the latter took his position on the walls, already on the hunt for the Dark Knight. He would not miss this opportunity to cause trouble. Lex too mentally prepared himself for the possibility of interference through the Go board.

For once, Luthor did not summon the two Hellion armies that the castle could generate, for they would be too weak for their adversaries today. Instead, he sat upon the chair in the great hall, ready to maximise the castle’s defenses at a moment’s notice. He was also ready to rush to the front lines, using his bloodline to its utmost.

Any ability related to Time could not be underestimated at all. Now that he was an Immortal himself, he only understood just how impressive it really was.

With a heavy, tension filled silence the members of the Inn watched as the mercenary army rushed towards the Gon. Any moment now, they would make contact.

"Z, Leonidas, I’m leaving this up to you," said Lex as he watched. "I’ll be paying attention to the castle so if things get tough, I’ll hop on back. But use this opportunity well. I don’t believe that we cannot overcome this suppression."

Z and Leonidas both only grunted. Talking took up too much energy.

Lex cracked his neck and fixed up his tie, making sure to center it properly. If he was going to put on a performance, he had to look his best.

He summoned Naraka, the blade trembling with excitement. The blade craved strong battle, and Lex hardly ever went looking for a fight, so most of the time its desires remained unsated. That was not to say that the sword was alive - it most certainly was not. It was simply a magic sword made by a Hammer Deity using Lex’s bone, and since his body was a part of his soul, the sword was connected to Lex in a way that could not be explained.

So the prospect of the upcoming fight had it excited. The greater the foe, the greater the challenge, the more the sword loved it. Maybe that was an aspect of Lex it had adopted.

Lex took a step forward, and appeared right beside Kaemon, at the very forefront of the army.

This close, the suppression from the Gon race hit him like a truck, but the suppression also challenged his dragonheart. Domination rippled out from his skin as it challenged the very laws of the Cosmic Ascendance Spectrum that attempted to put Lex in his place. But only he himself could decide what that place was.

Kaemon finally activated some ability, and it targeted all the enemies in front of them, locusts and Gon alike. A dome of spikes and chains fell from the sky, trapping all of them within, and forcibly pushing down the realm of the Gon and the locusts.

They tried to resist. Naturally, they tried to resist, and spikes drew blood. It wasn’t that resisting the realm suppression was impossible. It was just that resisting the suppression would cause them injuries, and the harder they resisted, the graver the injuries. It would be a contest to see whether they could survive long enough to completely remove the suppression.

Unfortunately, neither Kaemon nor anyone else had any intention of giving them long enough to determine the result.

Kaemon activated his second ability, and all the mercenaries gained an aura unique to the Reaving Dread mercenaries - an aura which allowed them to fight above their realm.

Even then, the mercenaries did not attack the locusts, no. They attacked the Gon race.

With a cataclysmic explosion, the army rammed into its enemies, yet the ape-like beasts were not easy prey.

Despite the many advantages he had gained, Kaemon was pushed back. Lex, however, stood right in front of one of the savage creatures that glared at him with hungry eyes.

He was neither angry, nor afraid. He simply allowed himself to feel the full force of the racial suppression that had gripped him.