From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 509

Six figures appeared in the sky behind Deo. They stood hidden in the clouds with their feet planted in midair.

Dennis felt six waves of pressure hit him simultaneously. Each one was as strong as Deo. Even someone like him felt a heavy weight press against his chest.

The first figure was impossible to read. No one could tell their age or gender. They held a wooden barrel that was a little shorter than a person. The smell of wine drifted from it. Their tongue was much longer than usual. With a light curl of that tongue, the wine inside the barrel lifted on its own and flowed into their mouth. The strangest part was that the wine level inside the barrel never went down, no matter how much they drank.

The second figure was a man in his late forties. A clear bronze glow showed through his skin. The color of his body shifted with the light. Sometimes it looked pale. Sometimes it looked gray. Standing in the clouds, he almost blended into the mist. He looked like a human chameleon because his body shifted with whatever was around him.

The third figure was an old man in a patterned robe. He stood on the head of a massive mutant snake. The snake breathed out clouds of poisonous gas. Several crows flew past and dropped dead from the sky. The snake's eyes gave off a cold glow that made the heart tighten. It looked like it could swallow someone whole at any moment. Yet under the old man's feet, the beast stayed calm and obedient like a pet.

The fourth figure was a middle-aged man with an ordinary face. He looked like someone you could lose in any crowd. No one would notice him with a second look. The only strange thing was that his left arm was gone at the shoulder. His long sleeve fluttered in the wind. He looked like a one-armed man.

The fifth figure had hair that stood straight up like fire. His eyes were wide and full of killing intent. Both of his arms were fine. One of his legs looked wrong. A gust of wind lifted his pant leg, revealing a short, twisted right leg. He had been born with uneven legs.

Dennis looked over them as their names left his lips one by one.

"Gragas, the Barrelborn. Moffat, the Stonehide. Watz, the Serpentseer. Alaric, the Lonefist. Hadrian, the Stormkick."

Every one of them was a legendary figure. Each one was as strong as he was. Each one had shaken the world in the past. Some were famous. Some were infamous. Even the youngest of them had risen to fame more than sixty years ago.

Gragas licked his red-stained lips and smiled.

"King of Assassins, long time no see."

The others gave Dennis a short nod.

Dennis' eyes tightened. A trace of emotion crossed his face.

"No wonder Netherweb is so strong. But when it comes to the top power of this world, the Arbitration Office still stands above all. I truly see it today."

He let out a low laugh.

"If even people like you work under the Arbitration Office, what can't they do in this world?"

He knew that Deo had left the Churchill family a hundred years ago and joined the Arbitration Office without hesitation. Deo was now one of the twenty-four Chief Arbitrators and ranked in the top ten. The people with him clearly held the same rank. Every one of them was a high-ranking Chief Arbitrator.

Moffat spoke in a flat voice.

"Hermit, the strength of the Arbitration Office is far beyond what you imagine. It isn't something a small assassin group like Netherweb can compare to. After this is over, you can think about joining us and becoming one of us."

Dennis didn't answer.

His gaze moved past the group and settled on the figure standing at the back.

It was a handsome young Western man dressed like a priest. He stood close to six feet tall and carried a strong presence. That wasn't what caught Dennis' attention. His eyes were fixed on the ring on the man's hand. It gave off a faint sense of danger that felt strangely familiar.

"Ring of the Sage?"

After a moment, Dennis' eyes narrowed. For the first time, his face turned serious.

"We can defeat him. That much is sure. What we can't do is stop him from running. That's why we need you. You will draw him into the formation we already set.

"Once he enters it, he has no way out.

"Of course, you could try to kill him with your own strength. In my eyes, that chance is too small."

Dennis looked at the dark green liquid in Deo's hand. He didn't argue. His voice stayed low.

"Where do I lure him to?"

Deo gave a strange smile. He pointed down and tossed the test tube over.

Dennis looked down at the grand Yelem Church far below. He made up his mind.

"Deal."

As soon as he spoke, he crushed the test tube in his hand. The dark green liquid turned into thin streams and flowed into his mouth.

The moment it went down his throat, a wild surge of power spread from his chest and rushed through his limbs. It soaked into every part of his body. A pink ripple passed over his skin. It spread outward for a moment. Then it pulled back into him. A small pink flame flickered inside his pupils. His already terrifying presence exploded and turned violent. It was more than twice as strong as before.

He lifted his head.

"Jeff. This time, only a god coming down can save you."