Beyond the Codex of Gods

The room started vibrating, as the mist coming from the walls gushed into the room with a renewed intensity.

Wade was oblivious to this all, as his mind had once again shut itself down, as he collapsed on the floor.

However, this time he no longer had a crazed expression, but the one of serene peace.

The colorless mist enveloped him whole, as the whole room was filled with it.

Wade's wounds visibly started to heal, as even the scars gradually disappeared. His complexion became better and his body was soon fully restored.

However, it didn't end there, as the mist was actually pulled into his body through his nose. He was breathing in Espher!

Copious amounts of Espher entered his body, but the absorption didn't seem to stop. The mist kept being released from the walls to support the rapid consumption. However, the rate of absorption was accelerating faster with every breath than it could keep up.

—--

Outside the room.

Marcus had his eyes bulged out, as he had never seen someone Awaken in this way.

'Wasn't it supposed to be a lengthy and painful process that would require the assistance of a Ranker?' he couldn't wrap his head around what he was seeing.

Even with his centuries of life experience, he never encountered such a situation.

Without hesitation, another screen appeared, as Marcus called someone, as his face showed his worry and excitement.

Once the call connected, a gorgeous middle-aged brunette with green eyes appeared on the screen. The air around her was regal, as Marcus bowed toward the screen.

"I am terribly sorry to disturb you, Headmaster Alexandra, but there is something urgent that you have to see!" Marcus hastily spoke, as he connected the screen showing Wade's awakening.

Alexandra was confused for a moment, but her mind soon connected the dots, as a shocked expression appeared on her face.

"Did you assist him?" her eyes then snapped toward Marcus, making him shiver.

"Absolutely not! This concentration room was supposed to prepare him a bit until I took him to the Academy to awaken, but he suffered from mental roadblocks for nearly a month, possibly seeing the sight of massacre again and again, which he tried to vent using martial arts. However, he struggled with it up to now and his awakening just started!" Marcus hurriedly explained.

"You mean he managed to overcome his biggest trauma within a month?!" Alexandra asked.

"Yes!" Marcus answered.

The two then watched, as Espher continuously entered Marcus's body. However, after waiting for a few minutes, a frown appeared on Alexandra's face.

Similarly, Marcus was also confused, as in their experience it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to fill the one percent of the body with Epsher, as this would conclude one's awakening.

"Is he climbing multiple percentages?" Marcus asked with a tinge of doubt.

Alexandra remained quiet, as they watched the process for another ten minutes.

At that point, both of them came to a conclusion.

"His body's requirements are huge! Quickly supply the room with Espher Crystals!" Alexandra ordered, as Marcus quickly dashed through the hallway and reached the basement in a moment.

He immediately took out a black ring that he then placed on the small ring-shaped hole in the wall of the room.

The moment the ring was put, unreal amounts of Espher like never before gushed in, and Wade's absorption of it increased even further.

There was so much Espher being constantly released that Wade's body had to resort to absorbing it through his skin's pores.

Alexandra and Marcus watched with bated breaths, unsure what would happen. Moreover, Alexandra was looking at Wade as if he were a treasure, as an ambitious light shone in her eyes.

Hours passed like that, as Espher gradually stopped being released from the walls, as Wade's body looked to be glowing with a special light that would be impossible for an ordinary man to see.

"Looks like it is done." Marcus said, as he was about to open the doors.

However, black gooey liquid soon started to leak out from his body, as if it was tar, as an unpleasant smell filled the room, waking up Wade.

However, this scene caused another turmoil in the duo's hearts.

"Impossible!" they shouted, as Alexandra jumped from her seat, knocking over stacks of books that lay on her desk.

"How can he undergo body cleansing if he hadn't become a Ranker yet? This doesn't make sense!" Marcus shouted, but the next moment a terrifying aura slapped him across the face as a red palmprint appeared on his cheek.

"Idiot! Keep your voice down!" Alexandra shouted, feeling somewhat anxious.

She then looked at Marcus, whose head hung low.

"Don't leave anyone alive." she coldly ordered, as Marcus bowed lower.

"The whole building?" Marcus asked just to clarify, as he looked up to meet Alexandra's chilling gaze.

"The whole city." she said, hanging up the call.

Marcus bowed once again, even though her image had disappeared.

He then looked at the doors that were about to open, but with a casual swipe of his hand, the doors were sealed, as if the metal was fused together, isolating it from the world.

"Wade, stay here while I do something." Marcus calmly spoke, not wanting to disturb Wade, who had just come to his senses, as his figure vanished the next moment.

—--

Outside the building.

Marcus stood high up in the sky, with his hands behind his back, as his figure looked down upon millions of people.

Suddenly, a black ball the size of a tennis ball appeared below his feet. It looked to be incredibly unassuming, but the moment it appeared, a certain someone in the city was alerted, as they hastily rose into the sky.

The figure quickly rose to stand in front of Marcus just a few kilometers away, as he appeared to be an old man nearing his deathbed.

"Sir Marcus, it is an honor to receive you in my humble Antler City." the old man said, as he put his hand over his heart, greeting Marcus.

However, Marcus remained unresponsive, as his gaze didn't leave the city below.

The old man felt something was wrong, but he couldn't take his eyes away from that black ball, fear flickering in his eyes.

However, his worries seemed to be uncalled for, as Marcus finally looked at him. Moreover, a kind smile was on his face.

"Tell me, Sebastian, why did you betray humanity?" Marcus asked, as if he were talking to a child, even though the onlookers would feel like it should be the opposite.

"Sir Ma-…WHAT?!" Sebastian, who was about to say some pleasantries, felt like his ears were betraying him.

"S-Sir Marcus…can you please repeat your question for old me?" Sebastian asked, his voice a bit shaky, as he felt something was amiss.

"Sebastian, are you denying your crimes?" Marcus asked another question, his tone still calm.

"What crimes?! What are you talking about?!" Sebastian's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets, as he shouted.

"So…" Marcus passed.

"DO YOU ADMIT THAT HOUSE OF ANTLER AND THE CITY OF ANTLER HAVE BEEN CORRUPTED BY DEMONS?!" Marcus suddenly shouted, as his voice boomed all across the city, making everyone stop what they were doing, as they looked up into the sky.

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Sebastian could no longer hold his anxiety, as he shouted, feeling like something tremendous was about to befall him and his family.

Marcus furrowed his brows, as images appeared all across the city, displaying Sebastian's panicked old face.

"WHAT?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he frantically shouted, as it felt like the world was collapsing.

"YOU STILL DARE TO DENY YOUR CORRUPTION?" Marcus shouted, as the city shook once again.

"A FILTHY SCUM THAT COLLUDED WITH DEMONS!"

"YOUR CORRUPTION HAS HARMED THE KINGDOM!"

"YOUR BETRAYAL HAS DISGRACED HUMANITY!"

"YOUR INSOLENCE DISAPPOINTED THE CROWN!"

"FOR THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, FOR DARING TO SPREAD DEMONIC TEACHINGS IN ANTLER CITY. I, SENTENCE HOUSE OF ANTLER AND ANTLER CITY, TO BE CLEANSED!" Marcus shouted, as a mayhem and panic started in the city the moment his words fell.

Countless people felt like the sky was collapsing, as they rushed to the city gates. However, they all found that it was impossible to leave this place, as a translucent barrier sealed off everyone.

Even those prepared enough who tried to escape through the tunnels below the city found that the barrier was spherical and that the entire place was encased.

"Let us leave! We are not demons!"

"Let my baby leave! My baby!"

"No! I can't die here! I have too many things to do!"

Countless voices screamed into the sky, pleading with the man who now became a god, deciding everyone's lives.

Whether they had status, rich or poor, old or young, evil or kind, all of them felt despair. They all felt what it was like to be powerless. In the face of absolute power, with their fates no longer in their control.

Sebastian knew that he was a dead man, as he couldn't do anything.

"I have served the kingdom with faith and love, nurturing an entire city to be of use. Yet, the crown has abandoned me…the world is truly cruel…" Sebastian muttered, but Marcus could hear every word.

However, he didn't speak up about anything, as Sebastian then committed suicide, exploding his heart and brain, as his body crashed into the ground with a bang, creating a large crater in the city lord's estate, killing many as a result.

Marcus was unmoved, as in the next moment, the ball burst like a balloon filled with water. Black liquid flooded down to the city from the sky like a tsunami. It was impossible to wrap one's head around how it was possible to contain so much in a tiny ball, yet there seemed to be a sea's worth as it flooded the city.

The many skyscrapers that stretched into the sky were the first to be hit, as they started melting once the black liquid reached them.

The entire city was not only flooded, but also melted, as millions of souls screamed in agony as their flesh was destroyed.

Yet, none of the living things managed to resist the black liquid, as even the Rankers who were desperately attacking the barrier were melted as easily as ordinary mortals.