When did it happen?
The thought clawed at my mind as blood bubbled from my lips. My breath hitched, shallow and sharp, and I cast my eyes downward to where a spear... dark and pulsating.. protruded from my stomach. It radiated a dark energy, its surface writhing faintly as though alive.
The pain wasn’t sharp like I’d expected. Instead, it was cold, numbing, as if the spear had torn not just flesh but sothing deeper, leaving behind a void. My legs wavered slightly beneath , but I forced myself to stand firm.
Then another spear flew toward , silent as death itself, slicing through the air. I twisted to the side just in ti, the weapon barely grazing before it disappeared into the darkness.
When did it get past my mist?
I barely had ti to think before a voice, deep and calm yet laden with authority, reverberated through the hall.
"You dare disturb this kingdom?"
The voice was almost too calm, each word a declaration that carried an unspoken weight. It echoed endlessly in the vast chamber, a sound that crawled under my skin and stayed there.
Turning slowly, I faced the source.
The figure that erged from the shadows was no re foe. A knight, clad in dark, silvery ash armor, stepped forward with an unnerving grace. His figure towered just slightly taller than a man’s, but it was the aura around him that commanded attention. His helt obscured his face, but faint reddish-orange lights glowed ominously from its eye slits, flickering like dying embers.
The knight’s presence wasn’t just imposing... it was suffocating.
I reached for the spear lodged in my side, gripping its pulsating shaft. A faint hiss escaped through my clenched teeth as I yanked it free, blood spurting from the wound. The weapon clattered to the floor with a dull tallic thud, its edges dissolving into a faint, shadowy mist before it disappeared completely. I pressed a hand to the wound, feeling the warm, sticky blood seep between my fingers.
Still, I stood my ground.
The knight’s steps echoed as he approached, his stride slow and deliberate. He stopped a short distance away, and his voice filled the air again, calm but unyielding.
"Na yourself, and state your purpose in my lord’s kingdom."
His words carried the weight of expectation. He was not asking. He was demanding.
I said nothing at first, staring back at him in silence. My hand, still pressed to my side, was sared with blood. I wiped my face instinctively, only to streak it with crimson. My pulse thundered in my ears, but I kept my expression blank.
The knight’s voice thundered once more.
"I ask again. Na yourself."
I finally spoke, my voice low and steady, devoid of emotion.
"0924... a Wanderer," I said, my eyes locking with the faint glow of his. "One who’s about to take your head and walk through that door... to get to the next."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Then, it began.
A dark energy seeped from the knight’s armor, an oppressive void that seed to swallow what little light remained in the hall. The air grew heavier with every passing second, each breath a labor.
It wasn’t just darkness.
The energy felt alive. It writhed, pulsing with a deep, unrelenting grief. The raw emotions emanating from him were almost tangible... grief, rage, despair... all swirling together in an unquenchable hunger.
The ground trembled.
Du! Du! Du!
The vibrations grew stronger, a deep, rhythmic pounding that echoed like a war drum.
The knight’s voice cut through the chaos, steady but calm.
"I am afraid I cannot let you pass, Wanderer."
I smirked, blood staining my teeth. The tension in the air was almost intoxicating, and I could feel the faint tremor of adrenaline coursing through . My lips twisted into sothing between a grin and a grimace, an expression that made my blood pumped.
"I didn’t ask for your permission," I replied, lifting my hand.
Mist began to coalesce around , thick and tangible, swirling like a living storm. The familiar energy surged through , cold and unrelenting, wrapping around my body like armor. In my hand, the mist solidified into a blade.. long, sleek, and jagged at its edges. Its translucent form shimred faintly, its presence as nacing as the aura surrounding the knight.
I pointed the blade at him, without saying a word.
A chi echoed faintly in my ears,
[SYSTEM]
DEFEAT THE GENERAL OF THE FORSAKEN
ASHEN KNIGHT GERALT
FAILURE: ???
The air between us crackled with tension, and then, in an instant, we moved.
Our figures blurred, vanishing and reappearing as the first clash rang out.
CLANG!
The sound of steel eting armored fist reverberated through the hall, a deafening impact that sent shockwaves rippling through the air.
The knight’s fist glowed faintly with dark energy as it collided with my mist blade. Sparks flew in the dim light, illuminating the dark space for a fleeting mont before plunging it back into darkness.
I pivoted, bringing my blade around in a sweeping arc, aiming for his neck.
Bang!
He blocked the strike with his armored forearm, the impact sending a sharp jolt up my arm. The force of his parry pushed back, but I regained my footing quickly, darting to the side as his armored fist crashed into the ground where I’d been standing.
KANG!
The floor beneath his strike cracked, fissures spreading outward like veins. Dust and debris clouded the air, but I didn’t let it distract .
I lunged, driving my blade toward his exposed side, but he twisted at the last mont, his movents impossibly fast for soone wearing heavy armor. His fist t my blade again, deflecting it fast before he retaliated, his fist swinging in a wide arc.
I barely managed to dissolve into mist, his strike passing harmlessly through the cloud before I reford behind him.
My blade ca down again, a diagonal slash aid at his back.
But he was ready.
Spinning with inhuman speed, he raised his fist and t my strike head-on.
CLANG!
The collision sent vibrations rattling through my arms, but I didn’t relent. My mist blade pushed against his armored hand, the two of us locked in a battle of strength and will.
The knight’s glowing eyes flared, and I could feel the raw dark energy emanating from him intensify. His voice rumbled, low and ominous.
"You are not ready for what lies beyond that door."
I gritted my teeth, pressing harder against him.
"We’ll see about that."
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