Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

*Boom!!!*

The entire fog became embroiled in lust flames and in a matter of seconds all of its energy was expended and it fizzled out of existence along with the flames.

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" Hal said with a bright smile while he brushed his hair back.

Amelia shook her head,

"'Fun' is not what I would call it" she said as Hal walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her midsection while nuzzling his face into the side of her neck.

"Oh, you are just being grumpy. I know what can turn that frown into a smile" he said and sucked her neck harder and Amelia giggled while she said,

"Do I really have to remind you that we are still in the Garden of Peril where its Array wants you dead? Or that right outside this dome, there are four more fog giants like the one we just faced?"

Hal stopped his ministrations and adopted a mockingly thoughtful expression,

"You know, it completely slipped my mind" he said with a chuckle before disentangling from her and looking over at Karmen who had dispersed Executioner.

"Well, here goes" he said and the Dome faded to reveal them to the eyes of the others.

As he looked at the trio, Vihaan gulped and he thought back to what Hal had said to him in the restaurant; 'If we fight, I'd probably end up killing you'.

He could not help but believe it considering the impressive display so far.

It left him frustrated because he knew, somehow he knew Hal was younger than him and yet already surpassed him so much.

However, his disappointment was nothing like the Antonovs. Especially the brothers.

Since they had been here, they had been knocked out, chased, and then attacked. Always been on the defensive. Never a chance to shine. Where and when had they shown their class as geniuses of the Antonov family?

As for Hal's age and talent, it hit even harder since they knew Hal was only nineteen and the same could be said for Amelia even though Karmen's was still relatively unknown although they did not think the difference could be all that high.

Nicole, while agreeing with some of the assessments wondered if all that made Hal so special and impressive was indeed just talent and not... something else.

Hal did a couple of stretches and winked at Delaney who gulped.

Then he turned around and then began to spin slowly while ignoring the other groups that were trying their best to battle against the remaining fog giants and then he adopted a thoughtful look.

Thanks to the stupid Array that controlled the garden, he had no way of scouting ahead with his senses as that would only confuse him further and since Grimoire was in his body, its senses were being hindered as well.

He even considered drawing a directional Rune circle to guide him but knew it would be useless against the interference of an Array that could very well be Divine.

That said, he felt there were two ways to track the center of the garden.

Go by vegetation or go by presence.

Going by vegetation would take too long and rely too much on looking at their feet throughout but going by presence would be much quicker and relatively easy.

And by presence, he meant the presence of Cosmic energy.

Clearly, cosmic energy was going to be thicker at the center of the garden as that aided the growth of plants there better than anywhere else and now he was trying to sense it.

'That way' he turned over to somewhere and told the other two through their telepathic connection and they dashed away from the group in search for the center.

At first, those in their group paused but then, they all stood up and those who were injured took mending pills to hold themselves together and follow after the trio because clearly, they knew or at least believed they knew where the center was.

The fact that the other four fog giants were starting to look over in their direction only made for a stronger motivation.

It was not long after their group left much to the annoyance of the other groups still embroiled with fog giants and wondering how the other fog giant could have been defeated so quickly, that the Doxons arrived.

The trio of Ivan, Artyom, and Elora were looking relatively the same while the other Doxons who had clearly been left with the responsibility of fending off attacks from the Array, looking worse for wear.

As soon as they arrived, the fog giants zeroed in on them but it was only one of them that actually attacked.

The Doxons gulped but prepared to attack when Artyom said,

"Step aside" and then let out the pressure of his Mid-stage Cosmic Aurora realm cultivation and flicked his wrist to bring out a Sword from his spatial ring.

The sword was silver with a black handle and hilt and was bejeweled with a blue jewel which glinted in the light and then he flooded it with Cosmic energy to showcase it as an Aurora grade artifact and then vanished to next appear with his sword pressed against the purple spike giant fist.

There was a flash of light and then a *Bang* sound after which, not only the spike but the entire fist was gone.

It regenerated soon enough though but then Elora's voice sounded out,

"Fifth Grade skill"

She never mentioned the name of the skill but a blue five-circled ring appeared beneath her feet and chains emerged from around the edges with many of them targeting the fog giant and somehow actually managing to hold him in place.

Then there was a flash of lightning and Ivan was already at the top of the giant and boring downward to strike it with his fist coated with lightning that many who saw could not help but believe was more than a skill.

*KRAKABOOM*

The lightning traveled from the head of the giant to its entire body and in a spectacular sound, it was destroyed and rendered into nothing but ordinary grey mist.

Ivan landed in what could best be described as a superhero landing and then straightened up without looking to have broken sweat.

It had all being in a minute or so and many gaped at the display of dominance by the Doxon trio but Ivan looked over towards the direction Hal and the others had left in.

"Tch, they are on the right track" he said knowing the direction Hal had headed despite not having seen them leave.

"We must hurry" he added before turning his eyes to the other fog giants who were quick to catch on after the destruction of yet another colleague and made their way towards the trio who looked relatively serious as they prepared to destroy them.

And that was exactly what they did and they did it with spectacular sounds of destructive lightning.

Sounds which Hal and the others heard where they were but mostly ignored as they were facing yet another obstacle in their journey to the center; changing terrain and the ever sudden appearance of traps.

One minute the grounds were bright with cultivation helping herbs which Vanya took the time to collect and the next, it was opening to admit all those who could not evade quickly enough. With large and sharp spikes waiting for them right underneath the openings.