Chapter 105
Tristan Devon. [Necromancer]. Member of the Sect of the Abyssal Thorns. And the very same man who Noele was after.
He stood before her, standing at parade rest with his hands behind his back as his wight circled around him. The undead moved with all four of its limbs. It crawled like a crouching dog, warily eyeing the every movement of the three adventurers.
Noele bit her lower lip, before glancing back at Saros. The gnome was in terrible shape. He was bleeding with broken bones. The wight must have struck him with a powerful Skill because it easily tore through his protective artifacts. Shaking her head, the blonde girl glanced at Garron.
“Look after Saros,” she said as she held the burly man’s gaze. “I’ll handle Tristan.”
Garron hesitated. “I—”
But the [Necromancer] interrupted him. “Oh? I didn’t know we were already on a first-name basis.”
Tristan Devon strode forward with a smug smirk plastered across his face. Noele gritted her teeth as she raised both her blades dangerously at him. He shook his head.
“I’d prefer it if you take me out to dinner first, but…” He glanced down at the wight, gently caressing its head. “I believe that only Talon over here will be feasting tonight.”
It growled as its flame-like eyes bore into the Noble Spellsword. She took a step to the side, trying to draw its attention away from both her friends. The gnome was coughing and sputtering as Garron poured a healing potion down his mouth.
“Give it up, Tristan,” she warned as pointed her two blades at the [Necromancer]. “We won’t let you bring the First Lich King back from the dead.”
He cocked his head curiously as his smile flickered for a brief moment. “Bring… Ar’elith back? No— you must be mistaken.”
“What are you talking about?” Noele asked as she continued circling around the [Necromancer] and his pet wight.
“I do not intend to merely revive Ar’elith,” Tristan said as he laughed wildly. “I shall herald the return of the First Lich King, and he shall be stronger than ever thanks to the power of the Void!”
The Noble Spellsword pursed her lips. “You’re… you’re insane. Don’t you know what he wants? He wishes to slaughter every living being on Vacuos!”
“And I’m going to support him in that endeavor,” the [Necromancer] snorted. “So I don’t see how that’s my problem.”
“And using the Void’s power? The very manifestation of all that is evil?” Noele shook her head. “Why would you do that?”
“Well, it’s as you said.” He shrugged casually. “I am insane.”
The blonde girl blinked, and Tristan just nodded at his wight.
“Kill her.”
The wight lunged at her. Its gray figure moved like a blur. Noele could barely even keep up with it. The only reason she was able to even react was thanks to her [Keen Battle Intuition]. She raised both her blades to parry the wight’s attack, but its claws were overcome with a dark aura.
The attack clashed with her blades. The golden glow from her [Noble Aura Blade] flickered for a second as she stumbled back. The wight staggered from the impact too, but it didn’t let up. It raised its head as it unhinged its jaw.
Noele saw the black flames coming in an instant. [Flash Step] carried her a dozen feet into the air, and she watched as the wight’s attack engulfed a pile of rubble. It was all incinerated in an instant. Rock and stone melted with the soil, glowing a molten red.
The black flames dissipated as Noele spun around, crashing down into the wight’s back. Her two blades shone with a brilliant golden light as she cried out.
“Elegant Noble Slash!”
There was a pulse of golden light. A sharp ringing resounded as the blonde girl stared. The bright aura of her Elegant Noble Slash continued shimmering around her blades, but the wight was still standing. It had its claws raised, clinging onto the guard of the hilt. It… redirected her attack!
Her blade struck the ground, cleaving the ground beneath the wight’s feet open. Noele landed as she tried to pull her sword back, but the wight kicked her before she could touch the ground. She flipped in the air as she landed a dozen feet away with a grimace.
“That was a close one— was that a Skill? You nearly cleaved my dear Talon in half!” Tristan Devon exclaimed, before chuckling softly. “But it seems that even my mindless undead can see through your tricks.”
“That wasn’t a trick,” Noele scoffed. “I literally just tried to stab your wight.”
“And you failed!” He grinned in return.
She straightened as she raised her two blades with narrowed eyes. And a smirk slowly spread across her lips.
“No,” she said. “No, I didn’t.”
Tristan Devon paused. “Uh, what—”
And a metallic sphere rolled up to him, before clinking onto his boots. He frowned as he stared down at the object. He opened his mouth, and the Blooming Grenade exploded.
He yelped as he was flung back from the blast. There was a glimmer of light from whatever barrier artifact he had on his person. It protected him from the explosion, but a second metallic sphere landed with him right by the archway. His eyes went wide, and he quickly kicked it out of the way.
A second explosion shook the area as the [Necromancer] scrambled to his feet. The archway collapsed behind him as he frowned. He stared with round eyes as Saros strolled forward, spinning another Blooming Grenade on a finger. Garron stood by his side, shield raised.
“What…?” Tristan stared at the other two adventurers in shock.
“Hey,” the gnome said. “Pleasure doin’ business with ya.”
And he tossed the Blooming Grenade at the [Necromancer]. Noele watched as Tristan Devon pointed a finger, unleashing a fire arrow at the metallic sphere. Another blast ripped out as both the blonde girl and the wight stumbled back from the shockwave.
Slowly, Tristan Devon lowered his hand as his wight leapt back to his side. He swept his gaze over the area, eyeing each individual adventurer for a long moment. His lips twisted, before he faced Noele. She took a step forward, joining both Saros and Garron’s sides.
And the [Necromancer] began to cackle wildly.
“Oh, you got me. You got me good. You were flirting with me to distract me so your friends could heal up!”
“I wasn’t flirting—” the blonde girl started.
But he ignored her. He just spread his arms wide as he smiled savagely at her. “Unfortunately for you— it’s already too late.”
“Too late?” Garron asked with a frown.
The wight snarled, and Tristan Devon simply shook his head. A weak tremor washed over the ground as Noele paused. Her brows snapped together as the ground began to glow with a purple light.
The Ruins of Fihla’s Castle was caught within the confines of a giant ritual circle.
And space began to twist and warp high up in the sky, beneath the illumination of the moon overhead. Purple flakes of twisted magic coalesced at its very center as Noele could just stare.
Tristan Devon laughed.
“The ritual has already begun. Soon, the First Lich King shall walk this earth once more! And you shall all perish!”
—--
Guardian Angel Z357 raised his head. He sensed it in the distance. Once again, he detected the Void’s essence closeby. But it was no mere rift— it was far more potent than that. He flew up into the sky, and even from a far distance, his twelve eyes saw it.
An unfolding scene in the ruins of an old castle. A vast ritual circle that drew the power of the Void. The vague shape of bones forming high in the very center. And three adventurers, confronting a [Necromancer] in battle.
It was perceived with perfect clarity by the angel. But he did not act just yet. Instead, he recalled the words of the Fal-Deus.
“I will not falter until I walk the world once more—”
The voice echoed in Guardian Angel Z357’s mind. His twelve eyes closed for a moment, and he pondered over the potential courses of actions. He could move to stop this ritual— but then that would solve nothing.
The Fal-Deus would return one way or another. As it had said, so long as it had a vessel to contain its power— a medium to carry out its will— it was going to come back again and again and again.
Then everything Guardian Angel Z357 had done here would be utterly pointless. He raised his head as a new prompt appeared for him.
[Processing: Change in Objective…
Minor Objective B Incomplete!
New Minor Objective Obtained
Main Objective Incomplete!]
He stared at the blue screen. He took in the directives given to him by the World System. Slowly, he mechanically turned to face the Void ritual in the distance. And—
Guardian Angel Z357 hesitated.
—--
“Hm?”
I blinked as I came to a halt right before the dirt path. Dorien glanced back at me, and the twelve bastion bees following after us paused. They stared at me curiously as I narrowed my eyes.
“Is something the matter, Amelia?” the [Druid] asked apprehensively.
One of the bastion bees— the youngest of them all— tilted its head at me, but I focused my gaze at the horizon in the distance. It was still night, and we were getting close to Wolfwater. But I didn’t think I was going to be able to get back to the village any time soon.
“It’s… nothing,” I said as I waved a hand dismissively. “Just go on ahead— I’ll catch up with you guys soon.”
“...right.” Dorien furrowed his brows, but he didn’t press the question.
Instead, he ushered the bastion bees forward, returning back to Wolfwater without me. The young bastion bee stared at me, perplexed. It was carrying the eggs, and it looked like it didn’t want to leave my side— probably to protect the unborn babies. But I gave it a reassuring nod.
“Dorien will look after you. He’s a [Druid], so he’ll protect you guys if any dumb humans try to attack you while I’m gone. Don’t worry, alright?”
For a moment, the young bastion bee just held my gaze. Its bulbous red eyes flickered, before it finally drew back. I watched as it hurriedly fluttered after Dorien, tightly clutching onto the eggs to its chitin.
I smiled, then I dug into my pockets. I pulled out a [Message] scroll as I looked towards the horizon, before looking back down at the magical parchment. I waited for the words to appear.
But nothing showed up.
—--
Noele backed up as she felt the tremor washing over the ground. A nearby pillar collapsed, and the bright light from the ritual circle shone with even more intensity than before. Both Saros and Garron steadied themselves as she raised her head.
She looked up at the purple figure forming high overhead. Strands of the twisted magic wove through the air in an arc, forming the vague shape of a dome over the Ruins of Fihla’s Castle. The Noble Spellsword watched as a skull was carved out of the nebulous mass of the Void’s magic. Finally, she lowered her head as a voice drew her attention.
“It is done.” Tristan Devon swept back, bowing as he smirked at her. “Now, I shall bid you farewell.”
He spun around and walked away. Noele gritted her teeth. She didn’t give chase to him. It was already too late. So she reached for a [Message] scroll in her Bag of Holding— And a dark figure pounced at her, knocking the piece of parchment out of her hand.
The Noble Spellsword’s eyes went wide as she stumbled back. She looked up, hearing a growl. And she stared at the wight as it circled dangerously around her, its teeth bared.
“You’re quite annoying, you know that, right?”
She drew both her blades once more, and the undead pounced at her again.
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