The Empyreal Gem Master

Gem Master Azazel's voice was robust as others easily heard it.

This whole time, Alexander had yet to make a move as everyone attributed it to his Variant Life Socket.

And when they truly thought about it, a few realized how they could barely see the outline of this Variant Life Socket on him as they didn't even know the shape that made it defective.

But was there actually something with it? For Gem Master Azazel to be speaking so confidently about Alexander joining the next battles?

With these questions beginning to rise, Alexander couldn't help but nod with a smile towards Gem Master Azazel.

He never meant to hide his power in the long term.

He was his father's son. Strength didn't just come purely with one's output of power as a Gem Master.

It also came with their position in this world.

The higher the position, the more things he will gain access to. 

"You don't have to worry, Gem Master Azazel. I'll take the next Beast of Corruption we come acros-"

…!

Others had begun to relax and sit down while discussing the blood-pumping battles.

The first taste of defeating Beasts of Corruption.

Occasional glances towards Claire as they wondered what her Support Ability Gems were to give her such a high damage that could kill Tier 1 Beasts in a single shot.

Everything had begun to calm down, and yet in the middle of speaking, Alexander never finished his words!

This was because his senses that extended up to a single mile felt something that did not seem real.

He had to raise his head to make sure he wasn't imagining things as he looked to the skies.

The skies!

And there, in the far distance about half a mile in the air, he could barely, just barely see the same thing his senses clearly captured.

It was…a tear in space.

And it was only getting wider.

His expression rapidly changed from surprise to shock, his turned gaze confusing Gem Master Azazel and Claire as they also looked up.

And at such a moment.

CRACK!

As if glass was shattered.

As if the skies themselves were crying at being ripped apart!

Within a second, the sky in the distance became torn as an unbelievable scene unfolded.

From the sides of the tearing sky, massive furred hands pulled and stretched as the tear became larger and larger.

Until the body of the furry hands tearing apart the skies showed itself.

The first thing that Alexander noticed was its eyes.

Its deeply red eyes pulsed with arcs of red lightning, its face being that of a massive black-furred Gorilla!

The second thing that instantly came to attention was on the chest of this massive gorilla that seemed larger than even the Emerald Tree Boa- towering at the very least to be 30 meters. On its chest…were four vibrant Life Sockets.

Four Life Sockets that each shone with radiant crimson Gems.

It was a surreal reality.

DUM!

Alexander felt the beat of his heart and the spinning of his Enneagram that seemed to bring him to attention to the current situation.

It was...a Breach inside a Breach.

Something he had never heard of!

But most disastrous in all this was the fact that the first Beast of Corruption to peer its head through was a massive black furred gorilla that had four dazzling Life Sockets.

At a minimum, any Beast of Corruption with 4 Life Sockets was considered a Tier 4 Beast. And they could very well scale up to being Tier 5 Beasts depending on their Bloodline!

Such Beasts needed someone like his Father leading multiple Squadrons just to hold up against it and see if it could be taken down.

For such a Beast to appear inside a Tier 1 Breach…was a death sentence.

Time felt like it was going slower.

With his heightened senses, Alexander felt the oppressive air of this beast closely, along with its face.

He was able to see as its eyes looked around and came to lock on them right away, and they went further by distinguishing them as it seemed to be looking through them one by one!

Until…

"No…"

His shock turned into horror.

This was because he saw the crimson eyes of this Beast lock onto none other than Claire- at the dazzling collection of Five Life Sockets on her chest.

And its eyes shone with intelligence and intellect as they curved into smiles.

The furry arms of this massive beast that were tearing open the skies then grabbed onto the ends of this tear, and using them as leverage…it flung its body from the skies and towards their location instantly.

Before anybody could even react!

HUUM!

At such a time, Alexander felt his Enneagram spin with even more speed.

And yet time seemed to be moving ever slowly.

He moved by instinct.

He reached out and wrapped his left hand around Claire's waist, and his right hand flung out in front of him and released a terrifying burst of cold light that flung his figure and Claire backward!

It was unfathomably quick.

So quick that even the Three-Link Gem Masters like Azazel, Todd, and Richard could not react to it.

But he had to do it as a moment later, where they used to be standing…

BOOOM!

The earth splintered and cried as if a meteor had thundered down.

Nearby, Gem Master Azazel was flung back as his body began to burn with crimson radiance of utter shock.

Finally, time seemed to move again.

The shocked Gem Masters came to grasp the realization that somehow, a massive Beast of Corruption with Four Life Sockets had appeared within their midst!

The shock and fear from this alone were intense as, with his arms trembling slightly, Gem Master Todd raised his blue bow of lightning as he yelled out.

"Protect! Lady! Claire!"

A dazzling arrow, nay, a dazzling spear was released from his bow made of lightning.

A spear of lightning so quick that it instantly smashed onto the lustrous black fur of the Beast of Corruption in their midst.

And…what occurred next caused the fear budding in their hearts to rise by another octave.

The powerful attack from Gem Master Todd, one of the few most powerful Three-Link Gem Masters here…it smashed into the fur of this Beast as it fizzled out entirely before it pierced anything!

"...!"