While it still possessed joints, a nail and skin, this finger was by no means normal.
Its sheer size alone was large enough to occupy a large percentage of the ocean-wide interdimensional portal. But what made it even more noteworthy, was the oily and grayish skin that faded into a dark shade of red the further down the end of its talon-like nail one went.
As wide as it was, the finger did not appear to be hindered by its size, but only by the formation, which was still in the process of repairing itself. And yet, while capable of hindering it, that did not mean the formation was able to stop it.
Soon after this finger pierced the surface of the interdimensional portal, its joints began to bend, allowing for the pointy fingertip to effortlessly scratch the shaky formation. While this appeared as a simple scratch, however, its power was enough to effortlessly break the formation apart.. Almost as if the finger had not been digging into the project of an entire civilization, but on soft and warm sand.
A single scratch was all it took for the runes to explode, creating a chain reaction which threw the thousands of spatial treasures out in deep space. In a matter of seconds, the formation was no more.
In front of such an event, Roley and Der could not help but look on in fright. The sheer sight of this finger alone had sent shivers down their spines, and paralized the rest. It was oppressive, dark and aggressive, and it left them helpless. Unfortunately, just as they began thinking that things could not get any worse, their expectations fell apart like a castle of sand.
The moment the formation was destroyed, the finger began to shrink in size. From the size of a colossal column that seemed to be an integral part of the universe’s foundations, the finger went down to the size of a small asteroid, then to that of an island.. And it kept shrinking.
By the time it got to the size of a large man’s arm, more fingers pierced the portal’s surface. A middle finger at first, followed by the ring finger, little finger, and the thumb. The creature’s invasion continued as after the five fingers, a palm that connected them together emerged. In the middle of it, a head-sized bloodshot eyeball dashed left and right, up and down, leering at what lay beyond the portal inquisitively.
This eyeball kept scanning its surroundings until finally, it landed on the two cultivators, causing their heart to stop. Had it not been for their ability to control the biology of their bodies, such a shock would have killed them.
Following the eye’s appearance, an oddly slim, almost sickly wrist appeared, and after it, a hairless forearm, an elbow whose bone pierced through the skin and protruded as a black thorn, a scrawny bicep whose bundles of muscle appeared to be made out of worms squirming under a layer of dead skin.
The more of the creature emerged from the portal, the more the feeling that accompanied him weighed on the universe. By the time the elbow had passed, every sentient being that had yet to step foot into the world of cultivation fell on the ground, paralized.
Their throat became heavy as a buzz entered their ears.. They could only move their eyes around in terror, unable to do anything against the imminent threat they were feeling. Many civilizations in the multiverse had experienced events such as these, which they considered to be among the strangest mysteries of sleep.. They called it sleep paralysis, and they referred to the beings that in these situations would torment them, as their sleep paralysis demons.
As this feeling spread throughout the universe, an enormous amount of horrific energy was created. One that nobody was able to feel, or even see.
Almost as if satisfied with its dramatic entrance, the rest of the entity’s body emerged from the portal’s surface, revealing the scrawny naked body of a young young man. Gray-skinned, with large curved horns of intertwined blood threads rising from his bald head. His face had no eyes, or at least, at first.. For the time his entire body entered the universe completely, the two eyes lodged on his palms began traveling back on his face. Under the two holes that stood where a human’s nose should have been, was a single dark hole with deep cracks for lips.
The monstrous creature’s thin torso began to inflate, to an almost unreal proportion, and when it reached its limit, the hole-like mouth opened, revealing rows and rows of teeth not unlike those of a sea lamprey. As he exhaled, the sickly-sweet odor of decomposition spread for thousands of miles.
“How odd.” he babbled with a tone that did not sound human at all, but more like an underwater echo. It bubbled next to the ears of those who heard it, leaving a bad taste in their mouth.
Hearing the monster’s voice reverberate across the universe, those who were stuck to the ground in a forced state of paralysis could not help but release the content of their bowels. The voice had gripped at their stomach, and dragged their consciousness into a hellish world few words could describe.
The oddity the monstrous creature had spoken of, was that of the barrier he had just destroyed. Ever since joining the horde in their conquest, he had found this particular universe quite peculiar, in the way that it was not a collapsed universe, and yet it still denied entrance for beings such as himself.
Despite ultimately being able to break through the barrier, he could not help but acknowledge its intricacy.. For he was the aspect of Horror, and this had been the first time a mortal construct had been able to hinder his passage.
Hundreds were the universes he and his champions had engulfed with unspeakable atrocities, yet never before had they been able to resist his powers. Not even temporarily. Such a resistance, albeit futile, had amused him. It was a bonus, like a spectacle from a competent chef before being served the food that had been ordered.
While he was enjoying this semblance of resistance, however, that was not because he appreciated creatures of power.. But because the power of horror created from those whose strong spirits had been broken, was the strongest, and sweetest.
Now eager to begin the invasion, the aspect of Horror curiously looked at his surroundings, until moments later, his eyes met those of one of the two cultivators that had been standing in the distance, immobile like a statue of salt. His attention was caught by the young-looking man’s eyes, both filled with equal amounts of impossible brilliance and inscrutable darkness.
But that was not all. He could also feel the primordial powers of mana within his body. Essences of purity that could only be found before even a being as old and powerful as he was, had been born.
Although the powers within the young man lacked structure, change, and sound, which he found quite odd, they felt like a world of its own.. All in the body of someone whose age, he could tell, was far from reaching the five digits.
Der and Roley, of course, did not need to guess who this man was. They could feel it in their bones, a chill that spread across their flesh and gave them goosebumps. And if that was not enough, just the fact that the entirety of Horror’s horde had not yet barged in, and were patiently waiting for his permission before entering, was a big enough clue.
Unfortunately, the oddity that was Roley’s body was not too mysterious of a sight for Horror. He had long felt the presence of several treasures of mana engraved within his body, and quickly lost interest. With indifference, the monstrous young man prepared to snap the two out of existence, but then, his attention was caught by the approaching lights.
In the distance, hundreds of millions of cultivators and elementals dashed across space and towards the interdimensional portal.
While the two armies considered one another enemies, their members were no fools. The Elementals were quick to take notice of the cultivators’ unwillingness to reap their lives, and the cultivators kept in mind their leader’s words, and what could have possibly changed his mind.
After spectating an hour of what both armies could hardly consider a ‘conventional duel’, they had both realized that something was wrong. However, their hostility was only truly put aside when the golden hue that surrounded the large orb of stable space had disappeared, replaced by the terrifying feeling of horror that had permeated into their bones, or elemental bodies.
It was when this change took place that they realized that their fight was futile, and that a more terrifying foe was on its way. Without sparing a second thought, the generals of both armies ordered their troops retreat, and together, they headed for the interdimensional portal.
Horror noticed the armies’ arrival with amusement, but only as a few of their strongest members called out for their leaders, did he start to feel ecstatic. As he let out a deep and watery laugh, showing his infinite rows of pointy teeth, he turned towards the interdimensional portal, from which uncountable monstrous creatures began to emerge.
In the past few centuries, Horror had witnessed many types of atrocities play out in his name.. Yet nothing could compare to the power produced by a sovereign that could do nothing to avoid its empire’s demise. All the guilt, the responsibility, the helplessness.. They all made for the sweetest type of horror.
Almost as if aware of their lord’s intentions, the armies of Horror roared in excitement before charging at the two armies.
As Roley noticed the horde’s targets, he immediately took control over the surrounding natural essence, and condensed it into a small orb of pure power. He then aimed it at the bulk of the aspect’s horde before letting go of it.
The small orb traveled at impossible speed, disappearing from its creator’s grasp so rapidly, that it appeared to have teleported away.. Yet a moment later, it reappeared. Before it could find its target, the small orb had been caged by two gray fingers, which had picked it from space and moved it in front of Horror’s own face.
*CRUNCH* Horror popped the small bead into his mouth, where it was crushed by his hundreds of teeth like a cheap piece of hard candy.
The powers of which the orb was made of were triggered by the rough treatment of Horror’s mouth, and exploded as usual.. But the might of the explosion was completely dampened as Horror closed his mouth. A faint boom was heard, but nothing more, leaving the monstrous young man unharmed.
The otherwise indifferent aspect of Horror appeared to have enjoyed this treat, which to him, felt like no more than a spicy chewing gum. As his attention moved back from his mouth, however, he noticed a blade approach his throat.
*CLANK* Der’s blade hacked at the aspect’s neck, which appeared soft, oily and of a bluish gray color, but that he found as hard as metal, causing sparks to fly around at the moment of impact. But that was not all. Unbothered by the failed assassination attempt, Der took advantage of his close proximity and ordered, “Order a retreat!”
The three words entered the hole that was where the aspect’s ears should have been. But instead of compelling him to obey, the order caught him off guard. Surprised, the young monster turned towards the middle-aged man with newfound interest and confusion, for while he had no problem resisting the man’s odd power, he had felt the compulsion of obeying his order.
Before he could even inquire about Der’s abilities, however, Horror noticed a second pearl of primordial power approaching him, as well as a small rift opening behind the middle-aged man’s back. From the rift a naked arm emerged, grabbed Der’s armor, and dragged him in just in time for the bead to land on the face of the aspect of existence.
