Chapter 717: Whispers of the Descent
My blood ran cold, a thick, heavy weight gripping my heart, but I fought the urge to flee the vision. If it were only Luke, I would have left without looking back, and probably cried myself to sleep again, but tears would have to wait. The reason for that was the massive demon gate hovering over the chasm.
It was a deep, inky black so dark it seemed to absorb the light of the morning sun. It must have been close to a thousand feet tall, bigger than any gate save the one my staff had summoned above High Valley. The currents of mana swirling across its surface were thick as trees, emitting the pressure of an eighth-level soul. The oily miasma could only ever come from one attribute. This was a curse gate.
Beyond the curse gate, I could make out other gates dotting the horizon. Each was a beacon of its attribute, releasing plumes of mana into the sky. There was a fire gate, an ice gate, and another curse gate, none weaker than sixth. There were half a dozen more, but they were too far for me to discern their attributes.
The curse gate hovered at the lip of the cliff, its center directly before Luke. Behind him, ten thousand demons–the remnants of the army we had taken from Brithlite to the Empire, had assembled. The scions were skittish, yet none fought or wandered off. Their gazes were locked on the gate. The evolved demons were more composed. It was difficult to read many of the monstrous demon types, but the humanoid ones looked nervous.
After a few tense seconds, Jessia emerged from the tent, standing by Luke. She folded her arms, shifting her weight onto one hip.
"What’s taking so long?" she asked.
Luke glanced at her, frowning. "Ask them yourself, if you’re so curious."
She pouted. "You’re no fun anymore."
"Fun? We’re here for blood and vengeance, Jessia. This is the last stage of the Descent. Can’t you be a little more serious?"
"Is that what’s on your mind?" She leaned closer, peering at him with a small smirk. "Not, say, a kitten perhaps? With lustrous red hair and a tail that never stops twitching?"
"No."