The Empyreal Gem Master

Rain.

An impossible rarity.

Whenever it came, Life would bloom as it was always a happy occasion!

Yet at this moment, it felt very dreary and foreboding.

Branch Leader Julius found himself questioning why there would be rain at this time.

When the horns of Beasts of Corruption sounded and rain fell simultaneously, he actually felt a sense of despondency as with flames swirling around his feet, his figure shot towards the Walls of Carthage to see!

The tendrils of flames came from nothing else but the [Flame Manipulation] Ability Gem socketed in the center of his chest.

A Gem he had with him for as long as he could remember, and its burst of power brought him to the top of the walls at this moment.

Amidst scrambling Gem Masters.

He saw.

He was that horrifically, the Tier 3 Breach that was the Den of Corruption…had ripped the skies and earth even more.

It had enlarged and become even more prominent.

This alone would be reason for shock, but there was then the fact that from the entrance of this Breach, Branch Leader Julius could see with his enhanced eyesight...throngs of dark masses moving together.

It was a tide of Beasts of Corruption.

The Inner and Outer Barracks of the Den of Corruption seemed decimated at this moment, overrun by Beasts of Corruption as Julius already knew that the hundreds of Three-Link Gem Masters and below who were stationed here and didn’t retreat in time...were dead!

Dead!

How many lives were those? How many of them left their families behind?

Branch Leader Julius closed his eyes momentarily as it felt like time had stalled, but within moments…

"Branch Leader!"

A shot came beside him as a Three-Link Gem Master with a Messenger Device came beside him.

"Three Four-Link Beasts of Corruption spotted so far! They attacked together as the Barracks fell within minutes, and now…a tide of Beasts of Corruption is flowing through under their lead!"

Three Four-Link Beasts of Corruption.

Branch Leader Julius heard such a thing as he shook his head while looking into the skies.

There, the visage of Branch Leader Axel could be seen surrounded by blue lightning and thunder, heavy waves of anger surrounding him!

Julius sighed as he voiced out calmly.

"If only it were just three Four-Link Beasts of Corruption."

…!

If only.

His attuned senses that had long since become accustomed to the aura of Four-Link Beasts of Corruption told him that from the Den of Corruption far ahead of them, a minimum of Six Four-Link Beasts of Corruption could be felt.

And this wasn’t all.

WU!

The horn blared.

The Beasts of Corruption neared!

The paved roads leading to the Den of Corruption were destroyed as, at this moment, a flying type Beast of Corruption led swathes of other Beasts that blotted the skies, stopping a mile away as its piercing eyes gazed coldly.

It was a Four-Link Flame Crow.

Black flames burned around its body as behind it, a few hundred Flame Crows floated with ferociousness.

Below them, a massive Four-Link Water Bison roared, tendrils of water surrounding its body as those like it followed behind by the hundreds!

To its left, a Four-Link Lightning Praying Mantis twisted its head unnaturally as blue lighting coursed across its body and the bodies of those like it followed closely!

One powerful Beast of Corruption after another was seen leading a tide of their brethren, and all of them came to a stop a mile away from the Walls of Carthage as they didn’t even chase the Gem Masters fearfully running towards their Wall.

When Branch Leader Julius saw this, his hand went towards a small bag to his right side as he pulled out an incandescent Gem.

It glowed with a radiant white light as this was something very few Gem Masters around would ever know the purpose of.

And yet Julius grasped it in his hands as after seeing the tide of Beasts of Corruption ahead of them…he crushed it.

CRACK!

The white Gem cracked and released a burst of white light up as if it were sending a signal!

In the distance, the Flame Crow and other Four-Link Beasts of Corruption raised their gaze to follow this signal.

A sneer escaped the Flame Crow as from its beak dripping with black flames…

"It is no use, human."

…!

A cruel humanoid voice echoed out from it.

"Today, nothing will be of use."

Utterly terrifying words echoed out, and as if to complement these words…

ROAR!

A booming roar echoed out from behind as the tides of Beasts of Corruption parted.

In between the Lightning Praying Mantis and the Water Bison, the Beasts parted ways as a Golden Flame Lion strutted through, its mane bright with flames!

What was shocking was the fact that atop this Golden Flame Lion…was actually a human.

A human!

Hair shining with golden splendor. Eyes as blue as the sea.

A middle aged man emanating power and vile grace was actually seated on a Four-Link Golden Flame Lion, his own chest brimming with the light of a Four-Link Gem Master as he was adorned in a pure white robe, and behind him…other Humans adorned in white robes also followed.

Humans.

Among the tides of Beasts.

And it seemed like they came from the expanded Den of Corruption as well!

The gaze of Branch Leader Julius became immeasurably sour as looking at the golden hair and blue eyes of the humans ahead of him, a single word arose.

Galanis.

Humans from the Galanis Bloodline were actually mixed in with throngs of Beasts of Corruption!

What the hell was this? Why was this? Why?!

OOOH!

On the walls, a booming horn of order was bellowed out by a Three-Link Gem Master in a commanding post, thousands of Ranged Gem Masters getting their bows ready.

On certain sections of the tall walls, there were arrow tower battlements that had massive crossbows powered by unique materials pulsing with waves of energy.

All of them were at the ready as behind Branch Leader Julius, rows of Gem Masters were already lined up behind him!

And behind Branch Leader Axel, dozens of Gem Masters crackling with lightning flew up behind him as they were at the ready!

Drops of rain heavily began to fall.

No joy was on the faces of anyone as instead, immense trepidation and tension filled everything.

Just what had gone wrong? Why was this happening right now?!