Pivot of the Sky
chapter-177-30041322

Amon originally wanted El Mar to keep going continuously for half a month, but due to two breaks on the way, El Mar eventually lasted twenty days. The location they arrived at was an open area in the swamp, there was a small hill rising out of the ground, covered with soft grass slopes, and colorful flowers blooming in the bushes. It would be a good idea to build a rest station here for the caravans in the future.

As El Mar stayed here to rest, Amon set up a magic formation and left a tent behind, asking Raphael to stay here to protect El Mar. The next day, Amon continued advancing alone.

At this point, Amon’s strength and willpower which had been honed by his long training and experience could be clearly seen. Clearing thorns and rubble, filling low-lying spots, the new path became firm once he planted his footsteps onto it. From time to time, monsters attacked, and Amon fought them with his fang while walking day after day without a change in pace.

Amon wasn’t making things difficult for himself. He was well aware that humans were actually capable of doing a lot of things, all they needed was persistence and perseverance. Unfortunately, this was the part which most people failed at.

Amon walked another three days, and it had started raining in the Charcoal Marsh during this time. The wind blew strong and weak from time to time and during the night of the third day, the rain finally stopped, a bright round moon hanging in the sky. The moonlight in the sky seemed to be a gentle bath, and some peace and quiet descended upon the usually eerie Charcoal Marsh.

The surroundings were so silent, and other than the movement of Amon, there was hardly any sound in the distance. Suddenly, Amon waved his fang, and pale golden light flew out to the left. At this moment, a large form just happened to pounce out from the swamp. It was hit by the golden light, and it fell back heavily into the muddy water with a dull, strange roar.

It was yet another sneak attack by a giant boa, casually subdued by Amon just after launching his attack. Amon already encountered several of these along the way and they did not pose any threat to him, not even slowing him one bit. But this time was different. Amon swung out his fang and stopped his footsteps for the first time. Turning sharply, he swung out the fang once again to the right rear, but there was no movement there and no sign of the enemy!

Humbaba’s fang sliced through the air, the cold night air seemingly turning into waves of water, creating circular ripples. The scenery of the swamp and the trees shook within the ripples, and in the air above the swap which seemed empty, a figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He held a spike-like weapon and leaped through the air silently, stabbing towards Amon.

The figure was not very large, but his approaching shadow looked extremely fierce, like a sword unleashed from a fully stretched bow. The weapon in his hand was grayish-white and lusterless, resembling half a pike and a long thorn. An assassin had appeared! The assassin had chosen an impeccable timing to appear, launching his attack at the same time as the giant boa in front of him.

boas were cold-blooded creatures that lived in the swamp. The one that Amon had just encountered was a mutated giant boa that was able to blend its scent with the environment and was very hard to detect before it attacked. However, the assassin was even better than the mutated boa at remaining undetected.

Even though it was a sudden encounter, Amon had to be impressed, as this was by far the best assassin he had ever encountered. Not only was he good at stealth, but he was also patient enough to wait for the right moment to strike, using the environment to match the assassination. Amon spotted the giant boa first, and only after making his move did he realize there was danger behind him, making him almost unprepared. The assassin must have been following him for a long time, and while walking, Amon was suddenly attacked by the boa, and the assassin decided to take advantage of the situation to strike from behind.

The fang in Amon’s hand swung out, and the assassin appeared like a shadow in the moonlight, already pouncing in front of him. The fang and the short spike clashed together, and a shockwave of impact scattered between them. A great rift appeared in the ground as a result, stretching into the swamp on either side, and mud splashed up instantly as if it had been cut by an invisible plow.

Amon took two steps back before he was able to steady himself, his fang buzzing in his hands. On the other hand, the assassin bounced backwards using the impact of the tremendous force, tumbling through the air and disappearing in a flash as soon as he landed.

With a stomp of his foot Amon had flown into the air, casting his detection magic to sweep through the dark swampy jungle. He noticed that the assassin had left a faint trail in the mud and air, but he had already disappeared. The assassin could not escape too far in such a short time, but had probably gone back into hiding.

He was so well hidden that Amon wouldn’t be able to spot him even if he swept through the air with his detection magic. Unless he performed a large, indiscriminate attack to turn the entire large swamp upside down only then could he have a chance of locating the assassin. However, if Amon really did that and searched in the wrong direction, the assassin could have slipped away from the other direction.

The path he had opened was now cut off by a deep rift that showed the danger of the encounter. The moonlight shone on the rift, but it was now quiet and peaceful. With a wave of his hand, Amon filled the rift with a surge of dirt and rocks, then turned and made what seemed like an unbelievable decision – continuing to open the path!

That had been Amon’s original intention all along, and even if he encountered the world’s most fearsome assassin, he still wouldn’t change his mind. Since the assassin couldn’t be found, he continued to do his own thing.

As Amon walked in the moonlight, the winding road left behind him, he wondered about the assassin’s origin. It seemed that someone did not want him to open the path, or did not want him to enter the Plains of Duc himself, but who had sent the assassin? He slowly recalled the various emissaries of the Ennead which he had seen when he experienced Schrodinger’s soul imprint, trying to find those that were adept at assassination. But no matter how he tried, none of them seemed to match the assassin he had just seen.

In his haste a moment ago, Amon was unable to use his full power to strike, but he was also aware that it wasn’t something ordinary people could withstand, and that the assassin had taken on the attack head-on. Although the assassin did not gain the upper hand, he was unharmed, and was able to fly away using the force of the impact, and wiped his presence in the shortest possible time.

Silent and undetectable before striking, and disappearing without a trace after a single hit, this had to be one of the best assassins in the world! The power used by that person was very special, and not just a mere martial or magic technique, so he definitely should be an emissary from a certain divine clan. With such an assassin attempting to assassinate Amon at such a time, the god behind it should most likely be Enlil.

Amon was frustrated to know that Ejypt had also sent pursuers after him, and they were his benefactor Gabriel and his friend Idu, but neither of them were obviously the assassin from earlier. Since Seth had already dispatched the Lion King, there was no need for him to send another emissary to make a move, especially since this area was already Enlil’s territory.

The assassin must still be lurking in the Charcoal Marsh, not far from Amon and waiting for a better time to strike. Anyone else being targeted by such an assassin, even if not alarmed, would have been cautiously on guard, and found a safe place to hide and wait until dawn arrived, before leaving by a safe route. For Amon, he even had the option of flying out of the Charcoal Marsh directly.

But Amon did nothing, as if he was silently declaring to the assassin hiding in the shadows – whether you assassinate me or not, I’m going to continue opening a path. Was this a show of defiance and mockery? Amon himself might not have meant it, but who knew how the assassin would think.

Continuing on, there was a large area of water ahead floating with dead branches and rotting leaves, with many strange trees growing in the water. They resembled arms reaching out from the mud underneath, as if trying to grasp something in mid-air. It was the perfect environment for an assassin to strike, but Amon advanced without any hesitation.

As the mud swelled beneath his feet and was instantly baked dry and by fire elemental magic, a small pathway appeared in the strange tree-covered water, stretching straight ahead. It took Amon a long time to reach land once again, but nothing moved around him, and the assassin didn’t strike. It was as if he had given up, and perhaps he had left?

After some time, Amon stepped onto land again. There was a small upward slope here, with dense bushes growing over two men’s height, and jagged, strange rocks along the way. He waved his fang lightly, and the shrubs were uprooted and flung to the sides, while the strange rocks that blocked the road were shattered and filled the roadbed. As Amon walked by, the trees and rubble flew about, creating an amazing sight.

Nothing strange in particular was happening, but when Amon passed a cluster of trees, the rocks which he destroyed did not fall to the ground. Instead, they suddenly exploded and headed straight towards Amon like countless whistling arrows. While Amon was smashing the rocks, someone had channeled his magical power and manipulated the rubble to rain upon Amon. Each flying piece of rock carried a vibrating energy with it, and they could prevent detection magic from sensing anything.

Amon’s reaction was extremely quick. His hand reached forward with a grasp, and a huge shield appeared out of thin air in his palm. The shield had a faint halo of light surrounding it, and it had been condensed with air elemental magic. The rubble hit the shield with thudding sounds, and while smaller pieces of flying stones were catapulted right back, larger pieces of flying stones seemed to be wrapped with a sticky power and fell to the ground. The figure of the assassin appeared again among the flying stones, the short spike in his hand stabbing fiercely at the air elemental shield with a spiraling force, shattering it into pieces.

Amon’s magical defense was broken, and the assassin came flying down in a condescending swoop, the short spike slicing down with an arc of light in the moonlight. The strike was so sudden and more powerful than the last, but Amon merely grunted and met the attack with his fang.

Their weapons did not collide directly with each other, but golden light spilled forth from within the trees together with the sounds of rumbling. Branches and leaves were blown all over the place while stones scattered around. The scene was just like a vicious melee between two supreme warriors on the battlefield, each taking on the opponents attacks head-on. The assassin attacked very quickly and his movements were very agile, like a fluttering shadow under the moonlight. His spike drew arcs of light as he swung it, and every strike contained an immense amount of power.

Amon said in a low voice: “Who sent you, and who are you?” The fang in his hand was wrapped with golden light as he attacked with it, and Amon steadily advanced up the slope of the hill, his powerful aura locked onto the assassin. From the foot of the hill to the high slopes, the rumbling sounds never ceased, and all the while the assassin was being pushed back by Amon.

The assassin spoke in the heat of the battle, his voice cold: “My name is Bright Moon Night, I am an emissary of the gods! No matter how powerful the person I’m about to assassinate, no matter where they hide or how far they flee, there’s no running away from me. You are truly amazing and have not died so far, but no matter how much you struggle, sooner or later you will be killed by me. I never fail!”

This man had such an arrogant tone, and judging from his skills, he did indeed have the right to be arrogant. However, it was ridiculous for him to say such words now, as it was clear that Amon currently had the upper hand and was pushing him backwards.

Amon smiled coldly. “Gods’ emissary, Bright Moon Night? The moon is really full today and the moonlight is beautiful, but you seem to have forgotten what you’re supposed to do. I’m not even trying to hide, and I’m not running away. No matter who you are or who sent you here, no matter how far you try to run or where you hide, I will find you!”

The man snapped: “Amon, do you really think I would be afraid of you?”

Amon shook his head. “I don’t need you to fear me, I just want to catch you.”

As they spoke, Bright Moon Night had retreated to the top of the hill, and wherever they passed, the ground below them was destroyed. The two were surrounded by a flurry of light rays shooting out in a chaotic fashion, the fang and spike exchanging blows in such a way that it seemed to rip the moonlight into shreds.

Amon steadily ascended to the highest point, and locked the assassin down with his powerful aura. Although the opponent was very strong and fast, and possessed even faster reflexes than Amon, he was no match for Amon in direct close combat, and Amon was confident that he would eventually capture him. However, at this moment, in the midst of the fierce fight, Bright Moon Night suddenly let out a long howl. The moonlight trembled in the howl, and Amon watched as he underwent a shocking change.

Bright Moon Night’s entire body emitted a series of bone crunching sounds, his body grew taller by more than two feet, his clothes were ripped, and his eyes glowed with a fierce and strange green light. His physical appearance was also transforming, and his facial features protruded, with all the teeth in his mouth becoming sharp fangs, while his arms grew longer.

Underneath the torn clothes, the muscles all over his body resembled countless snakes bulging and pulsing, his skin turned gray and became covered with a strange layer of fluffy hair. He no longer looked human at all, but like a huge wolf that was now walking upright, and powerful energy lingered around him with an incomparably violent air.

Even with Amon’s strong willpower, he couldn’t help but be shocked at this moment. The fang in his hand ruthlessly stabbed forward, carrying a roar that could impact souls. Bright Moon Night had been through a sudden corporeal transformation. He seemed to have entered an enraged, raving state. Amon was no longer confident of capturing him alive, so the only thing left to do was to kill him.

He actually remembered Hardedef at this moment. Hardedef had also unintentionally awakened a restless power within him, but was unable to suppress the impulses brought about by the power. It was only after he met Amon that he was guided to merge it with his body and mind. If Hardedef hadn’t met Amon, and had kept training that restless power, and had survived or been guided by another, would he have become like this assassin? Amon wasn’t aware of this, but felt that the sudden outburst of the Bright Moon Night was somewhat familiar to Hardedef’s situation.

Bright Moon Night let out a loud roar, and five sharp claws extended from each of his large furry hands. The spike in his hand smashed onto the fang with great force, the first time their weapons had directly collided since the start of their second encounter, and the sound it made was like two small mountains made of metal crashing into each other, emitting a huge roar which shattered the stones around them into pieces.

Amon took two steps back and felt half of his body go a little numb, the fang in his hand was still shaking rapidly and making a sound which resembled wailing. For an instant, he nearly could not hold the fang steadily, what an explosive impact this was!

Amon was like that, but it was no better for Bright Moon Night. His hand that held the spike could not stop trembling, and he took several steps backwards. Suddenly, he threw away his weapon and lunged at Amon, apparently in a berserk state. In just a flash, he appeared in front of Amon, this speed was even faster than Enkidu.

Amon didn’t have time to use any other tactics, so he flew backwards, letting go of his fang and swinging his fists. The scene was like two strong men brawling in the street. The fists hit the claws with a golden light and a loud ‘bang’, and although the sharp claws bent strangely upon impact, they did not break.

Bright Moon Night let out a low roar of pain in his throat, and swung another claw across. Amon dodged and reached out to grab the man’s wrist, but ended up grabbing at the air. His opponent’s reaction speed was too fast! Bright Moon Night flashed like a whirlwind and appeared behind Amon. Amon turned around and punched again with a surge of power, and the two continued brawling.

Amon had never encountered such an opponent before, fast like a fleeting shadow, but so violent in his bursts of power, leaving him no choice but to fight in melee with bursts of energy, as there was no time to use any other techniques.

Amon couldn’t help but be secretly shocked. If Hardedef’s experience had been anything to go by, after entering an enraged state, not only was he able to greatly increase his speed and explosive power in a short period of time, but the pain he suffered could also cause him to go berserk. The assassin had also changed form, and Amon wondered if he was originally a wolf demon, or the result of a strange shape-shifting magic technique, or perhaps the result of training that restless power?

This enraged state could not be maintained for long, and could also damage oneself if overused, but Amon was not interested in testing how long Bright Moon Night could last. Amon growled: “You think that you’re the only one who can do this?”

Next, the crunching of bones could be heard from Amon’s body as well, and his muscles started throbbing. While his physical form hadn’t changed, it felt as though he had, and an even more powerful aura of rage emanated from his body. Amon had once told Hardedef that he was on the wrong path and needed guidance. That although there could be several right paths, there were infinite wrong paths. Amon had witnessed that restless power of Hardedef’s, and knew exactly how to activate it after merging it into one’s body and mind, and was using it right now.

It was as if two fierce beasts were fighting in the Charcoal Marsh, emitting strange roars and long, continuous howling. Amon’s fists descended with golden light like raindrops, forcing Bright Moon Night back to the edge of the water that he had crossed not long ago, and with a violent punch, Amon knocked him over before leaping close and reaching out to grab his throat.