FAMILY ABOVE ALL: BATTLING AGAINST GODS

The Lunar World, one of the few higher worlds that had existed for several millennia, now stood on the verge of destruction.

Heavenly tribulation filled the skies no matter the position you looked up from. While the lightning tribulation concentrated at one specific location, the crushing pressure caused the earth to quake, waves of the sea rolled like a tsunami, mountains fell, and tens of millions of lives, regardless of race, were extinguished.

At a plain located a few kilometers from the capital city of the vampires, Nightingale...

The once grassy location underwent complete ruination. This location had turned into a massive crater, wide enough to cover the entire plain and deep enough to be considered an abyss.

And the center of this ruin of destruction was a small figure floating in the air, the lightning snakes above him falling onto him like a heavy downpour of rain.

Heavenly tribulation was ninety percent destructive and ten percent life-giving. As long as you are strong and lucky enough to grasp that small chance of survival, the chances of passing it are very high.

Boundless tribulation clouds covered this entire world. It was like the apocalypse had come.

Lightning flashing within these tribulation clouds descended upon Arlo, a terrifying pressure that caused heaven and earth to quiver settling upon him. Such pressure was enough to take away the breath of a peak-yellow core mage. Yet Arlo's expression remained indifferent as he absorbed the multicolored lightning falling upon him like a bottomless abyss.

His body was enveloped in golden lightning, making him look like a god of thunder descended upon the world. The sight of his small figure standing unfazed when surrounded by such an apocalyptic event was simply domineering.

"This is the power of lightning?" Arlo looked at his hands covered in lightning snakes, his face dumbfounded by the power boiling within his body. After awakening, he felt like there was nothing he could not do. But now that he had received Old Bro's power, he felt like his body was about to explode from the unfathomable strength resting within him. After all, his body cultivation had not risen with his awakening.

<< With this power, this lightning tribulation that is enough to kill experts three to four great realms higher than a yellow-core mage is nothing to you."

"What?!" Arlo exclaimed. It was such a funny scene as his body was still being bombarded by apocalyptic lightning, yet he could remain unconcerned.

<< You have now become the ruler of the five elements, so you are immune to attacks made from them. >>

A look of understanding flashed in Arlo's eyes, even so, he couldn't believe he was now strong enough to ignore attacks powerful enough to kill experts three to four great realms powerful than a yellow-core mage. It is important to know that yellow-core mages were the strongest figures within the dark galaxy. Ever since a barrier separated them from the rest of the universe, the mana and Ki energy within the galaxy fell to a low level that was barely enough to allow the birth of experts comparable to yellow core mages.

<< Boy, you still haven't escaped this calamity.>> Old Bro's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

With a grave face, Arlo nodded. The lightning attacks raining on him were getting stronger by the second, and the pressure it released was slowly but surely destroying the Lunar World. Even if he could survive this tribulation, this higher world wouldn't be able to. So even though he could now be considered a ruler of lightning, this wasn't a definite solution.

Thinking of something, Arlo asked, his eyes flashing with a light of hope.

"I doubt I can stay in a world any longer, but can't I just escape to outer space?"

<< You are looking down on the heavens. No matter where you are, this heavenly tribulation will chase you until you leave this galaxy. >>

Arlo's face twisted in anger. Even though he knew the heavens were simply trying to purge him, a virus out of its body, he couldn't stop himself from boiling in anger. Just how was he supposed to continue to live? It wasn't as if he wished to be born as a deity.

Suddenly, Old Bro threw out an unexpected question:

<< Boy, what do you think is the heavens? >>

Arlo suddenly became tongue-tied. No matter how he tried to voice his thoughts, he couldn't put them into words.

<< I see...>> Old Bro could read his thoughts, << To you, the heavens is more like a concept, something like nature or the very cosmos, but the truth is that just as higher worlds have their will, the galaxy as a whole has its own will.>>

"What?!" Once again, Arlo was shocked, his widening to display his emotion.

<< You are now strong enough to know certain truths, but this is not the time to explain them to you.>>

Arlo couldn't refute his words and simply shrugged in understanding.

<< What I want you to know is that no matter where you go, you cannot escape the will of the galaxy. >>

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

<<...>>

"Old Bro?"

Still, there was no reply. The smart Arlo suddenly realized something.

" You know something, don't you?"

Old Bro sighed.

<< That is right. There is only one way to escape your current plight. >>

"Oh! What is it?" Arlo felt the flames of hope within him reignited.

<< You need to cripple yourself. Destroy your core and leave the central one. That way, you wouldn't be able to create the essence of reality, and would no longer be considered a deity.>>

"..." Arlo was stunned into silence.

<< That is the only way.>>

Old Bro descended into silence as he watched the stunned Arlo. He didn't even dare to directly read his state of mind. Arlo had been looking forward to this day, and he wasn't disappointed in the end. The power he now wields makes him the undisputed strongest in the entire galaxy. Old Bro knew if Arlo were to be placed in the outside galaxies, he would still be considered a major powerhouse.

Yet, now he had to relinquish such power even before he could relish it?

That was something almost impossible for any human known for their selfishness to do. As such, Old Bro decided to give him some time.

Like this, time slowly passed.

The earth of the Lunar World split apart as lava burst into the skies.

Old Bro, who had decided to give Arlo some time to think couldn't hold on any longer. He was just about to speak when something unexpected happened.

Space fluctuated fiercely some distance behind him.

Turning back, the silent Arlo profusely trembled.

There, about two kilometers away, appeared six figures who were gazing dumbly at him.

Arlo wouldn't miss that bald head that was currently reflecting the lightning in the skies, even if placed in a crowd of millions.

He had missed seeing that wavy fiery hair and that sensual figure his father always secretly drooled at.

He didn't miss the chills that fat figure on high heels and covered in makeup sent down his back one bit.

He missed the affectionate eyes his dark-haired teacher always looked at him with.

And finally...

"Father!" Tears spilled down Arlo's face.

Now that he had awakened and even received Old Bro's powers, Arlo could feel and gauge the power nestling within his father's body.

Tyrannical!

That was the only word that could describe his father.

If anyone asked him who was the strongest person he had ever met, Arlo wouldn't hesitate to reply 'Scarlett'. Yet now, Arlo could tell that his father was several levels above her. In fact, comparing the two was simply wrong.

As his feeling of admiration quickly wore off, a feeling of longing took its place.

He regretted the way he left off with his father, and when he thought he had died, he felt so suffocated that he wished to die. Now that he saw those silver eyes filled with dignity and confidence, Arlo couldn't restrain himself.

"Father!" He cried as he unconsciously broke the sonic barrier and disappeared. Despite being a god, Arlo's current appearance was no different from a child seeking his parent's warmth.

<< Stop! >> Old Bro anxiously cried out. This was the first time Arlo had ever heard the voice of the artifact spirit sound so hoarse. He quickly came to a stop before he could cover more than a kilometer, and it didn't even take Arlo a moment to realize the reason for Old Bro's fear.

Even now, he was still being bombarded by heavenly tribulation. Arlo's eyes contracted into pin size as a feeling of dread overcame him. He had almost committed a terrible mistake. He didn't doubt for one second that even his father, who was so strong that even he felt admiration for, would be instantly eradicated by the multicolored lightning surrounding him.

However, while Arlo understood the situation he was in, that didn't mean others would.

<< No, stop!>> Old Bro screamed again, this time, not in Arlo's mind, but in the outside world.

A golden-haired figure had launched herself in Arlo's direction.

" My son!" Arlo saw the veil covering his mother's face fly off because of her abrupt movement and when he saw her face, his heart tightened as if it was being squeezed.

Scarlett, Rebecca, Evangeline; every one of these figures could be called a world-toppling beauty. Yet, none of them came close to how beautiful his mother was.

But what made Arlo feel suffocated were the crystalline tears left in the wake of his mother's charge.

It was impossible to quantify a mother's love.  And not even death could stop it.

" MOTHER, NO!"

As if sensing something, the lightning attacking Arlo suddenly came to a stop. Then three lightning arcs as thick as an adult's torso flew towards the daring intruder. Rita didn't even sense the attack, as the three lightning arcs pierced through space and arrived before her. However, the lightning attack wasn't the only one that appeared beside her.

A silver-haired man suddenly pulled her into his embrace as he raised his hand at the approaching death.

"Black Hole series..."A dark ball instantly formed on his outstretched hand.

"Mini-black hole."

The world suddenly descended into darkness, as the dark ball sucked in the surrounding light.

The first lightning arcs disappeared without a trace, and the second lightning arcs soon followed. However, cracks appeared around the conjured black hole.

When the last attack smashed into it, the black hole shattered, the residue from the last lightning smashing toward Arthur and Rita.

Arthur was quick to turn around as he shielded his wife. When the residual energy smashed into him, his body was sent flying into the distance as he coughed up mouthful upon mouthful of blood. His aura plummeted; even then, he wrapped his wife tightly in his embrace and received the brunt of their fall as they rolled for several kilometers.

"Arlo!"

Anna, Martins, Ari, and the others quickly disappeared and arrived before the duo. Seeing Arthur's condition, they couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.

Only three attacks left the strongest existence within the dark galaxy at the gate of death! They knew that Arthur had also gone through many lightning tribulations every time he accomplished something that was supposed to be impossible, yet he couldn't even survive just three attacks from his son's tribulation.

What they didn't know was that what Arthur accomplished was simply phenomenal.

Old Bro had made it clear that each of the lightning attacks was powerful enough to insta-kill an expert three to four great stages greater than Arthur, yet he had received three of such attacks and was still alive. Put in simpler terms, Arthur just survived attacks comparable to a full-launched attack of an expert about 48 levels above his cultivation. Even Arlo was almost sent to death despite being a deity and possessing tens of mana cores. The only reason why he could now ignore such attacks was because of Old Bro; if not, he would have been long dead.

"A-Arthur!" Rita became pale as she quickly checked her husband's condition. Without hesitation, she used the power she had been refusing to use for almost a decade, as golden light enveloped her and her husband.

In a normal situation, her powers were enough to heal a person who was at the point of death almost instantly, yet she found that there was a strange energy stopping her husband from recovering. Still, his condition was improving, albeit slowly.

"AH! FUCK OFF!'

For the first time in his life, Arlo cursed, as he felt his veins almost burst from the anger he was feeling.

With an angry cry, he soared towards the heavenly tribulation covering the skies, as a sea of golden lightning erupted from his body.

RUUUMBLE!

The skies shook as the sea of golden lightning formed a golden vortex that pierced through the heavenly tribulation clouds.

Arlo's hair soared behind him as golden lightning crackled noisily around him. Standing within the vortex that had pierced the tribulation clouds, he spread his hands wide, and the golden vortex widened as they swallowed the multicolored lightning around them.

Like a ring of fire spreading out on a piece of paper, the golden vortex spread across the skies, and the tribulation of lightning around them was sucked without a trace.

ROOOOAR!

As the golden vortex continued to expand, the multicolored lightning moving from every direction across the world to this location suddenly changed.

Lightning dragons of different colors swam through the skies as they approached the still-enlarging golden vortex.

The two lightning attacks met, and the world went silent.

Ari, Anna, Martins, Rita, and Arthur had long distanced themselves from this apocalyptic clash. With a look of terror, these mighty figures that could individually dominate any world they were placed in, gazed at the world-destroying scene above them.

Like a mirror that had cracked, tiny fissures appeared in the skies. The fissures seemed to grow every second as they spread out in every direction.

It seemed the Lunar World had finally reached its breaking point.

<< Arlo!>> Old Bro sighed. No matter how he called Arlo, he couldn't get to him. It seemed he had finally been overcome by his emotions. The rollercoaster of emotions Arlo had experienced on this short day was enough to overwhelm even the coolest adult.

Old Bro felt rueful that a higher world would be lost because of Arlo's awakening. Not to mention the higher world was even ruled by Scarlett, and if it was destroyed, she would suffer a terrifying backlash.

Just when it seemed like the situation could no longer be resolved, two thin cracks appeared above the golden vortex and the surrounding lightning dragons. While the two thin cracks appeared to widen slowly, the truth was that they were moving too fast to register. When they stretched completely, two world-encompassing golden eyes covered the skies, and the world suddenly went still.

Arthur, Rita, and the group  were frozen...

The golden vortex and lightning dragons were frozen...

Old Bro, the strongest artifact in the realm of the gods was frozen...

The Lunar world was frozen...

In fact, hundreds of thousands of orbiting planets were frozen...

The entire dark galaxy appeared to be frozen.

As the two golden eyes filled with golden runes spun in opposite directions, they gazed at the only object that was yet to be frozen within this stopped frame of time.

Arlo, who had been rampaging in anger, looked at the two golden eyes in stunned silence.

****

AN: Sigh! Another long chapter. Well, we have two to three more chapters before we reach the end of the first volume (Awakening). Thanks for reading.