Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

Sealing.

Maybe he could not battle the Array but at least he could attempt sealing a part of its offensive abilities.

Not a big part but at least a part that would allow them to leave here.

This seal would not last long.

In fact, the moment they were all gone from here despite their considerable cultivation, the seal would be broken but it was well worth the effort.

Besides, sealing the array was only part of the plan.

The other part would involve using anyone who was not Karmen and Amelia as a shield in his bid to get the Primal fruit.

So now he was flooding the Array with large amounts of Astral energy as only he could while also adding Devil energy.

As Embry groaned at the impossibility of such immense discharge of Astral energy, the Rune circles took shape.

There were eight of them, all shining a bright Royal blue color that looked beautiful to behold.

It was not only their color, it was the workmanship in the drawing of the array. No single flaw could be pointed out on them.

Hal was not the only Runemaster on scene and those others could appreciate the sheer difficulty and the high demand in skill to do what he had just done.

Also, what was with that immense Astral energy used in the creation of the Rune circles?

Who was this Guy?

To say they were shocked would be an understatement.

Hal was, however, in no position to enjoy the admiring and envious looks being thrown to him at the moment as he completed the drawing of the eight Rune circles, and then they were all connected with lines to form a pentagram shape in which two of the circles were situated.

Then the lines became Royal blue Astral chains and it was then that Embry realized what the Rune circles were truly about,

"I don't think so" he growled and a Purple spike formed in mid-air and shot towards Hal but Hal was still grinning as the Devil energy finally took its place in the Sealing Array and streaks of nightmarish black could be observed and it corrupted the spike that was tossed to him.

It drastically reduced the Spike's speed and gave Karmen the time to intercept it with a strike of her broadsword cosmic Armament with her strength enhanced by her Fiendish bloodline.

She destroyed it successfully, proving that what the Spike had actually had in its favor were speed and sharpness.

Take away its speed and destroying it was relatively easy.

"Grr" Embry growled but by then the Array took effect and bound the offensive part of the Array which saw to Embry's skin turning transparent before vanishing from existence.

"What just happened?" Elora asked in a carrying voice.

She was not the only one confused by the display and the disappearance of the one who had caused so much panic and bloodshed.

Hell, even the Runemasters present had no idea what just happened.

At first, no one made a move, and then everyone who was not on Hal's side and had not heard his proclamation that this was not the center of the Garden, made their way to the hill which they began attempting to borrow through.

Hal stood up, 

"Well, goodbye to you all" He said and ran off. Followed closely by Amelia and Karmen who unlike all others knew what was about to happen and did not want to be here when it happened.

"What's the rush? You did it" Cheslav said.

"If you say so" Hal called back and almost immediately, purple spikes began to appear on numerous places around the hill and successfully skewered the unlucky ones before others leaped back quickly but that was hardly a move towards safety as spikes began propping up in numerous locations in the Garden.

Then a Grey fog began rolling in but this time it was not to chase or herd them anywhere but to attack any living being on the garden grounds.

The Array was acting out its anger at Hal but just as Hal had suspected, it could not actually 'see'.

It could feel anyone in its domain but it could not pick them out singularly and was all the more reason Embry had been important as he acted as the Array's eyes. 

Since Embry could not return, for now, it decided to simply kill them all. Eventually, it would get the blue-eyed bastard that had drawn the sealing Array.

That Talent though. It reminded the Array of someone...

Anyway,

No place looked safe anymore and those who had been on Hal's side of the Garden were quick to follow after him in search for the Center of the Garden.

As for the others, they attempted to battle the fog, which kept swallowing their attacks and launching it back at them, just so they could continue boring through the hill where most still believed the Fruit was.

"Where are they going?" Elora had the time to ask.

"To the center of the Garden. Or at least they are searching for it." Ivan replied looking as calm as could be.

"The center? Is this not it?" She asked.

She could not really be blamed though as this was her first time in the Garden.

"No. I knew it the moment we were in here. The resources here are too thin for it to be the center. But to think many would figure it out as well. It must be that boy." Ivan said and then turned to face his Artyom and Elora, 

"As you saw, he's a Runemaster. And a talented one at that. Do you still refuse to think of a possibility that he is 'Family'?" He asked.

Artyom frowned and looked to still be in denial but said nothing.

Neither did Elora.

"No matter. We are going as well. I am not leaving this garden without the Primal fruit" he said and there was a glint in his eyes as he said it.

Then a spike appeared to begin forming right behind him. In an angle that would see it stabbing through his back but he spun so fast away from the spot and then slammed his palm against it to destroy it once it was fully formed.

An impressive display of speed and strength.

Then together with the other Doxons, they made their way out, fending off spikes and escaping the fog as they went.

Meanwhile, things were far from rosy for Hal and the hundreds with him either.

With no real sense of direction, they all made an unconscious decision to follow the only one among them who had been able to point out that they had not been at the center of the garden in the first place.

That he had displayed impressive, or more accurately, monstrous skills at Rune casting and Array mapping did not count against him either.

Hal was quite glad they were there as that had been his main reason for proclaiming his discovery to them. After all, it was even harder for the Array to pinpoint him as an individual when they are a large group of hundreds.

However, it was then that the Array proved its ability to reason.

Grey fog began to roll in from all directions and Hal who was still not quite ready to know if the fog could swallow beings like it did attacks frowned but then the fog took the shape of five fog giants all positioned to surround their group of hundreds.

Hal felt that the fact that it had not come forward and simply swallowed them meant it could not and despite its ability to absorb and return Cosmic energy-based attacks it was still fog and was useless against actual physical objects it could not manipulate.

Which meant they could probably go through them.

That thought lost all credence however when the fog giants' large foggy fists became encased in large purple spikes which definitely affected physical beings.

Boryan gulped, 

"This is bad. This is really really bad"