Dimensional Descent

Leonel's expression changed. It wasn't because of the pressure, but rather because he felt as though his control over the Light Element had practically just vanished. To make matters worse, that extended to his Scarlet Star Force as well, leaving him baffled.

The majestic panda swung a paw. It was a simple action, with hardly any effort put behind it, and yet it almost instantly felt as though the entire world was falling onto him from above.

'Shit.'

Leonel dove out of the way, his wings flapping once when he was already out of the way.

BOOM!

The entire cavern quaked, the location where Leonel had just been standing suddenly gaining a paw print that was easily a meter deep.

Leonel's expression flickered. That level of strength was ridiculous. Slicing the earth apart or destroying it was one matter, but compressing so much when it was already so sturdy? That was absolutely ridiculous. Had that attack landed on him, unless he used his Destruction to flood his Runes again, he didn't think a single bone would survive being shattered.

'Old man, don't you think you've been quiet enough? I know you know something. Is this shadow just unkillable? Should I run?'

Leonel had never seen an Ability allow someone to survive having their head explode. He had no way of telling how many more times the shadow panda could repeat that sort of action. The situation was already precarious and he was pushing it by remaining here instead of finding a way to run. If things fell any further out of their favor, Leonel wouldn't care about what benefits they could get here any longer. He would take Aina and run.

'It's an Aurora Black Panda.'

Leonel's figure flickered. He tried to approach the panda but it felt as though the laws of nature itself were stopping him. Every step closer he took to the shadow panda, it was like his weight would double, his feet becoming filled with lead and his blood running cold. To make matters worse, his control over Force would also be slowly ripped away.

'What does that mean?'

'The Aurora Black Panda is the third in the Shadow Line of evolution. It's the equivalent in strength of the Starry Tailed Fox in our Lineage.'

'So it's a Lineage Factor at the pinnacle of the Seventh Dimension…'

'Yes.'

Leonel diverted his attention back to Aina to make sure she was fairing alright, and he was pleasantly surprised to see that she was actually winning. The longer she battled, the more of an advantage she seemed to gain.

Seeing this, Leonel turned his attention away from her entirely. He couldn't afford to keep diverting his brain power, he really did just need to trust her.

'But it shouldn't be so strong, why is it so strong?'

Leonel's Metal Synergy Lineage Factor was also considered to be at that level, if not beyond when the fifth door was taken into account, but he couldn't bring out nearly this much power. Of course, that was because most of its strength should be gatekept behind the doors he had yet to open. But, still, this Aurora Black Panda Lineage Factor should be similar. The Metal Synergy Lineage Factor had doorways and the Aurora Black Panda Lineage Factor should have Awakenings. This was the tradeoff.

'It's not powerful, you're just weak.'

If it wasn't for the situation, Leonel would have truly rolled his eyes. Couldn't this old man go a single day without spewing this nonsense?

The shadows seemed to still be waiting for something. The trump card of the Rapax had yet to be sprung. And, Leonel didn't believe for a second that Amery didn't have the ability to at least 'kill' a shadow just as quickly as he had, and yet despite paying keen attention all this time, he had yet to see anything of the sort.

Leonel realized that he was running out of time to decide whether or not he should run, yet this old man was insistent on playing games.

'I'm not saying this just to say this, it's the truth. I have limited knowledge about the Shadow Lineage Factors as I didn't spend much time studying them for various reasons. But, I know enough to be considered to have surface information.

'The Aurora Black Panda's Awakening levels are the Healing Branch, the Strength Branch and the Wisdom Branch. Its Healing Branch works differently from the Light Lineage Factors as it functions similar to life steal. Its strength speaks for itself, you've already seen it. As for the Wisdom Branch, it also manifests differently. Well, at least differently from your Snowy Star Owl Lineage Factor.

'The Wisdom Branch of this third level manifests a Domain and unfortunately for you, the Yin-Yang Domain is like steroids to a Shadow Sovereign, and that's especially so to you considering the Light Element is one of your strongest assets.'

'Just explain, I'm running out of time.'

'The Yin-Yang Domain grants control over the balance of two elements and is especially strong when these two elements are on entirely opposing sides. The rise of one leads to the fall of the other. In addition, as the latter falls, it becomes fuel for the former.

'This Domain is basically sucking away all of your Light Elemental Force and converting it to Dark Elemental Force. This not only makes you weaker, it makes all aspects of the Shadow Sovereign's abilities stronger.'

Leonel's jaw set. Maybe he really should run, then. He doubted that the Shadow Sovereign would be set on following him, at least for now. Considering he had exposed himself to be a Void Palace disciple and a Morales family Heir, they knew they could find him again, so they didn't need to take him away now for the sake of the Tablet.

'Dammit. That's a pretty useful Domain and it's Seventh Dimensional too so I don't have anything that can easily counter it…'

Leonel looked at his spear. It had a Domain he was looking forward to using, but it was only at the Pinnacle of the Sixth Dimension. It could be possible to counter this Shadow Sovereign with it since he doubted the Shadow Sovereign had perfected the Aurora Black Panda Lineage Factor it wielded yet. But…

The situation was becoming too volatile.

BOOM!

The panda swiped again, it's figure vanishing and reappearing to Leonel's back. Its paw descended like a mighty avalanche, the weight of a mountain crashing down toward Leonel's head.

'Fuck, if only I had a Domain like this.'

'You will. What do you expect? The Shadow Tail Lineage Factor, the equivalent of your Snowy Star Lineage Factor to them, doesn't have a Domain either. Who asked you to spend so much time at the lowest levels because you didn't like the next level?'

Leonel froze, his steps coming to a grinding halt. '… What did you just say?'

'What are you doing, brat?! RUN!'

The paw descended from above, ready to squash Leonel into minced meat.

'… Did you just say Shadow Tail?'

Shadow Tail. The Umbra family's Lineage Factor. The very family that had run away from the Three Finger Cult.

The Shadow Tail Lineage Factor was the first in line of the Shadow Lineage Factors?

The paw continued to swing down, the wind pressure alone making Leonel's knees creak. And yet, he remained unmoving, as straight as a javelin.

His father's rage and sadness flickered through his memories. He had never seen his dad make such an expression, one of such hurt and fury…

This was the Cult that had killed his grandfather.

Leonel saw red.

"I'll kill you all."

BOOM!