Chapter 16: Chapter 16 – The Gods Declare War
The air was thick with tension. Aric Valen stood atop the Abyssal Citadel, gazing down at his growing forces. Below him, thousands of Abyssal Knights, Primordial Warbeasts, and newly recruited subordinates kneeled before him. Their eyes glowed with devotion, awaiting his command.
The war was just beginning.
> [ARMY STATUS – ARIC VALEN'S COMMAND]
Abyssal Knights (50,000) – Legendary to Semi-Mythical
Primordial Warbeasts (1,000) – Mythical
Nyxara, The End of All Things – Primordial Servant
Captured Abyssal Lords (10) – Semi-Mythical
Aric's conquest had already begun, but he knew greater threats would come.
The gods would not sit idly by while he broke the natural order.
And right on cue—
The sky shattered.
A massive golden rift tore through the heavens, its light blinding. A presence so overwhelming that even Aric's army instinctively trembled descended upon the battlefield.
A voice, deep and commanding, echoed across the skies.
> "MORTAL. YOU HAVE DEFIED THE NATURAL ORDER."
Aric narrowed his eyes. His hand instinctively gripped his sword.
Above him, an army of celestial beings poured out of the rift.
They weren't just any gods. They were the enforcers of the Tower, the Celestial Judgment Army.
At the forefront of the army stood a titanic being clad in radiant golden armor, wielding a blade of pure divine fire. His presence alone sent shockwaves across the battlefield.
---
[NAME: ASHUR, THE JUDGMENT KING]
[RANK: 10-STAR TIER 50]
[RARITY: SEMI-MYTHICAL]
[CLASS: DIVINE EXECUTIONER]
---
Ashur's golden eyes locked onto Aric.
> "Kneel, or be erased."
The air itself trembled at his command. Lesser beings would have collapsed, their souls torn apart. But Aric…
He grinned.
> "I was waiting for you."
The Abyssal Knights behind him roared, drawing their darkened weapons.
Ashur raised his divine blade high.
> "Then perish, defiler."
A pillar of divine fire erupted from the sky, descending upon Aric like the judgment of the heavens.
---
The First Clash – Divine vs Abyssal
Aric didn't move. He simply raised his hand.
> [INFINITE CREATION – ABSOLUTE NULLIFICATION]
A black void erupted from his palm, devouring the divine fire as if it were nothing.
Ashur's eyes flickered in surprise.
> "Impossible…"
But before he could react—
Aric vanished.
He reappeared right in front of Ashur, sword slashing down.
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded across the battlefield.
Ashur blocked the strike with his golden blade, but the impact sent him skidding back hundreds of meters.
> [You have inflicted 15% damage to Ashur, The Judgment King!]
The war had begun.
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Battlefield Chaos
As the two titans clashed, the battlefield descended into madness.
50,000 Abyssal Knights clashed with hundreds of thousands of divine warriors.
Primordial Warbeasts tore through the divine constructs, crushing them under their massive claws.
Celestial Archers rained golden arrows, piercing through entire battalions.
Abyssal Lords unleashed forbidden magic, corrupting divine soldiers into dark champions.
Aric's forces were strong.
But the Celestial Army was vast.
Even with all his power, this was a war that could not be won by brute force alone.
---
The Strategy of a Conqueror
Aric understood one thing: he didn't need to win—he needed to break their chain of command.
He locked eyes with Ashur, who was recovering from their earlier clash.
Aric smirked.
> "Time to end this."
He vanished again, appearing right above Ashur. This time, he activated a skill he had yet to use.
> [INFINITE CREATION – DOMINION OF THE ABYSS]
The entire battlefield shifted.
The sky turned black.
The earth cracked open, revealing a chasm of endless darkness.
Abyssal energy poured forth, corrupting the very laws of reality.
> [You have activated Dominion of the Abyss!]
[Divine beings suffer -50% to all stats!]
[Abyssal entities gain +100% power boost!]
The Celestial Army faltered.
The Abyssal Knights became unstoppable.
Ashur's eyes widened.
> "You… you're altering the battlefield itself?!"
Aric grinned.
> "This world is mine now."
---
Ashur's Last Stand
Ashur refused to fall.
His golden armor cracked, and divine energy erupted from his body.
> "I am Ashur, the Executioner of the Gods! I will NOT be defeated by a mere mortal!"
He charged at Aric, his golden blade shining with a final, desperate attack.
Aric met his charge head-on.
Their swords clashed one final time.
A massive shockwave erupted, tearing through the battlefield, erasing everything in its wake.
And then—
Silence.
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Victory and the Aftermath
When the dust settled, Ashur was on his knees.
His golden armor was shattered. His divine blade was broken.
> [Ashur, The Judgment King, has been defeated!]
[You have gained 1,000,000 EXP!]
[You have obtained the Divine Judgment Blade!]
Aric stood above him.
> "You should've kneeled when I gave you the chance."
With one final swing—
Ashur was no more.
---
The Aftermath – A New Era Begins
The Celestial Army broke.
Leaderless, they retreated into the heavens.
> [The Celestial Judgment Army has withdrawn from the battlefield!]
[Your influence over the Tower has greatly increased!]
Aric's army roared in victory.
But he wasn't done.
This was only the beginning.
The gods had declared war.
And he would burn their thrones to the ground.
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Next Steps – Expanding the Army
With the Celestial Army temporarily defeated, Aric knew the gods would send even stronger enforcers.
> "I need more power."
His next goal was clear:
Recruit more powerful beings.
Subjugate the dragons, demons, and mythical races.
Expand his influence beyond the Abyss.
He turned to his army.
> "Prepare. We march at dawn."
A new conquest was about to begin.
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End of Chapter 16