Overpowered Wizard Chapter 99: Zarian Dies 2

Woo, fuck, that was a close one! Zarian thought, cutting off all his abilities, especially Void Layer.

That was a close one. He’d nearly bottod out, and that would’ve been embarrassing. Nobody other than Para understood the panic Zarian felt toward the end while encased in void-layered dark armor.

He must’ve looked like an unstoppable fiend as he endured Bianca’s endless light show and heavenly wrath. He was actually cutting it close toward the end until Para knocked Bianca out with healthy doses of face-to-ground dicine.

Unfortunately, the gods couldn’t help but chi in.

“Ah, no. Don’t you dare! Don’t you freaking dare!” Zarian growled.

The gods carried on anyway.

…

Zarian growled as he felt his evil alignnt rise. He nearly lost control. He nearly raised his boot and crushed Bianca’s head. Para, thankfully, restrained him as Zarian fought for control against the brainwashing alignnt.

The initial change was always the hardest. It seed like having evil 3 or good 3 hit the limit where anyone could control themselves.

Now Zarian understood why Bianca was so eager to unleash her goodness. She really had it hard. Having 3 in good or evil while under Level 100 was a lot to endure. Any more would definitely lead to total brainwashing.

Zarian refused to lose to his evil alignnt while it was only 3.

“I’m not evil. I’m evil aligned. Evil is a tool. I’m not evil. I’m not evil. You won’t control . You won’t change . I will use you. You are a tool.”

Zarian stumbled back as he wrestled more control away from the evil alignnt. He stuffed it down further and further into the depths of his profile. After a few minutes, he found equilibrium, but he was far from pleased.

Yes, he was more intelligent. Absolutely cunning, even. Hell, he could connect the dots to a few mysteries that hadn’t seed so obvious to him before compared to now. But the price was too high.

The gods ddled far too much.

“Well, I’ll dole out so thanks. Shadowfell, Hisscreep, The Dragon, I appreciate your disapproval or inattention,” Zarian said darkly. “Everyone else, you’ve goofed up.”

Sinfeast, Goldhound, Sickspread, and Killall were officially on Zarian’s godly naughty list. That included Purgehunt, Pureho, Lawkeep, Kingsblood, and Hopeland.

That was nine gods out of fourteen who were enemies for sure, with Sinfeast being at the top of the list. Evil God Sinfeast had the honor of Zarian as his number one hater, after all.

Zarian huffed angrily and shook his head. He looked around at the devastation made from the super fight of light versus dark, good versus evil. It felt both ironic and proper that the biggest fight to this point ca from Bianca. He wasn’t mad at that.

He was mad at the gods.

He took so ti to recover his ntality and emotions. He had so much Mysticism he recovered plenty of his aura quickly, too. His wizard hat helped with that.

With Bianca scooped up in his arms, he cast Void Step. He found Gilbert on the northern wall, Hannah and Naomi beside him.

“Keep her tranquilized. Heal all the damage, please,” Zarian said, setting Bianca down gently.

“Yeah, I got her.” Gilbert knelt down next to their Light Princess.

He applied his Tranquilizer Touch 1. anwhile, Bianca’s wounds faded away quickly. She would look like her usual pretty and glamorous self soon.

Gilbert also extended his Healing Force 1 to heal Zarian’s eyes faster. The recovery sensation was itchy until they returned to normal.

He didn’t open them right away because Zarian was getting better at feeling out his environnt and ‘seeing’ with aura manipulation alone. That might grow into being a useful technique the more he worked on it.

“So it really happened,” Naomi said gruffly, arms folded across her chest. “I’m glad you didn’t hold back too much.”

“I couldn’t really,” Zarian said.

“How bad was it?” Hannah asked. “We were watching from the wall. We didn’t want to intervene, but we were all worried.”

“She’s stupidly powerful despite so key weaknesses she needs to tidy up.” Zarian sighed as Para peeled back the armor and returned them to their usual appearance.

After he gathered his thoughts, he went on to explain his claim: “She’s reaching a point where she can nearly be as destructive as . But her defense is terrible outside of evasion and outmaneuvers. She should’ve ford panels and walls to box out. Maintaining my Void Layer spell while using Dark Affinity and Straight Darkness as unique armor was the biggest aura drain ever, and if Bianca had been more patient, she could’ve had in a bad spot.”

Hannah humd. “You know, Zarian, we can’t always multitask like you. I think Bianca pushed herself to the absolute limit just to challenge you with her best style.”

“You were freaking blinded and that couldn’t stop you,” Gilbert said.

Zarian shrugged. “I have spectral spiders looking out from a distance. And I used my aura manipulation to feel things out and ‘see’ by touch.”

“This freaking guy.” Gilbert shook his head.

Hannah sighed before saying under her breath, “Truly a demigod.”

“I was nearly out of aura, honestly,” Zarian said, trying to downplay himself.

“I would’ve jumped in if things turned for the worst,” Naomi said, looking out into the distance where the battle had happened.

The kobolds were massacred in the wake of two titanic adventurers of light and dark, of good and evil. There were wildfires spreading across the fields because of Bianca’s powers and the rampage of the hell gator.

The amount of damage Zarian and Bianca put out was incredible when looking at it from a distance. However, Zarian didn’t let that distract him from what Naomi had said.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I would’ve found another way.”

“I have her tranquilized, but how brainwashed is she?” Gilbert asked, still knelt.

“Pretty brainwashed. I’m evil 3 now and … it nearly took over.” Zarian grouched and shook his head.

He felt his evil alignnt try to break free. He shoved it back down its pit and fought with it.

“Are you going to be okay?” Naomi asked, the others looking concerned.

“I’ll be okay in a sec.” Once he was in control again, he said, “She’s good 5.”

“What?!” Roland scread.

He, Lora, and so other soldiers and acolytes were standing nearby while trying not to look like they were eavesdropping. Now that the cat was out of the bag, Roland stepped forward brazenly.

He looked at the Floridians like they were insane. “How are you all acting so calmly about this? Good 5 is unheard of! It’s preposterous, even! That has to be the highest in the Walled Continent! Perhaps across the entire world! She’s a true demigoddess! Is this normal in the World of Swamps and Princesses?”

The other soldiers and acolytes reacted nearly the sa as they looked down at Bianca with sothing close to worship. Not all of them did that, however.

So soldiers and acolytes looked at Zarian with a weird mixture of adoration and fear. It was as if he lived up to be an unstoppable dark god.

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Amabel was near. She watched Zarian like he couldn’t do anything wrong.

Zarian looked at his fellow Floridians. They all shrugged. Then Zarian turned to Roland and said, “We saw it coming.”

He hadn’t discussed it aloud very much with the others. But Naomi must’ve picked up on the possibility of Bianca getting pushed beyond good 3. Hannah was perceptive enough. And Gilbert wouldn’t remain clueless for long, not while next to Naomi and Hannah.

Everyone outside of Bianca would’ve realized sothing like this would happen eventually. But only Zarian was the most prepared for it.

“What do we do now?” Amabel asked.

Zarian flicked through so of his notifications. He nearly paused when he saw the Parasite Cloak had advanced to 2 along with so other stellar gains.

He moved on quickly, knowing he would co back to checking his earnings later. Or maybe not. At least for now, he focused on what the Mythical Regional Event had for them.

“Looks like we’re getting a few days off,” Zarian said. “I need so ti to recover my aura. Let’s take a break. Then later, we’ll gather bodies and equipnt from the battlefield and feed them to the dungeon.”

There were no further questions after that. The soldiers and acolytes were eager to have a break. Naomi didn’t have an issue with that command either, which was good, because he needed her for sothing dire.

“Gilbert, Hannah, stay with Bianca, please.” Zarian turned to his remaining skeletons. He frowned at the loss of Glowy and Hasty. “Guys, can you head out onto the battlefield and make sure no major kobolds are alive? Kill all the survivors if you can.”

The skeletons nodded along. They didn’t show any emotions upfront.

However, Zarian noticed how they moved with less perkiness and rattle when they went off to fulfill the order. Goblin skeleton Darko moved with even more sluggishness than the others.

It felt heartless, but he might have to reconsider bumping up the numbers of advanced skeletons he had at his disposal. He doubted he would do more war gas like these often, but facing sothing like a siege was teaching him the necessity of having extra Self-Sufficient skeletons ready for deploynt.

That depended on if he would get a chance to make improvents.

“Naomi, with ,” Zarian said.

She perked up and followed.

They took the stairs down and headed for one of the cleaned up hos that was the largest in the fort. It was probably the ho of the village leader before the slaughter of the villagers. The place was barren after the soldiers and acolytes removed the debris, bodies, and blood.

Zarian stopped inside where the village leader had a large living room that worked as a reception area for guests. He breathed in and out deeply, wrangling down his evil alignnt. He kept his eyes shut for a while until he felt more like himself.

Then he opened his eyes and looked at Naomi.

“What’s up?” Naomi shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

“Can you pull the dallion out of your soul for ?” Zarian asked.

“Sure.”

A heavy gold dallion phased out of Naomi’s chest and laid over her leather armor. Intricate engravings swirled around its surface where seven different colored gems lay embedded around the edges.

He used his Identify trait.

“I still like this charm on you, even though the optimal thing to do is to give it to soone with more Wonder,” Zarian said. “Thankfully, you have the Earth-Sky ditation.”

Naomi’s Earth-Sky ditation raised her Wonder and Mysticism stats. It was a great skill, since Naomi had the lowest Wonder and Mysticism among the Floridians.

Zarian found it brazen of her to rely on Willpower, Strength, and Agility, being his complete opposite. Granted, she was the only one who could pull off Aura Ignition, making her special in her own way.

She’s co a long way too, hasn’t she? Zarian thought.

“Yeah, my ditation skill is pretty nice,” Naomi said. “I don’t think I want to go off and test this dallion thing against death magic myself, though. I would rather be the one doling out death.”

“I get that.” Zarian looked up as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Naomi shifted her stance again and looked at him suspiciously. She waited for him to speak further.

“Did I explain why I got that charm?” he asked.

“It’s because you’re the Honored Outsider, right?”

Zarian pulled up the old notification. He read his first achievent aloud for Naomi.

Naomi blinked. “That’s a lot of pleases from the System.”

“Yeah, well, I think it’s ti to cash in on my worriso origins,” Zarian said. “Star System, I think you know what I want. I don’t enjoy operating under the current alignnt gas. I want a change. Make it so that and Bianca can still work together without being brainwashed by our alignnts.”

“Are you sure the Star System will respond?” Naomi asked.

“It has to,” Zarian said.

The Star System, however, didn’t respond.

Zarian frowned as he looked into the air. Then he asked, “Are you ignoring because you don’t want to respond or because you don’t have an answer to changing the alignnts?”

The Star System didn’t respond.

Zarian sighed. He rubbed his eyes. He glanced over at Naomi who was looking more and more worried.

Sothing clicked behind her eyes.

She had him figured out, and he knew she would.

“No,” Naomi said.

Zarian smiled a little. “I think it’s ti to call in those connections.”

“The cost is too big.” Naomi stepped forward. “We can find another way. Maybe Bianca has to go solo for a while.” Naomi gulped. “Or maybe you need to leave us for a while. Then, after we hit Level 100, Bianca would get in control of herself.”

Zarian shook his head. “The gods are playing hard ball. More so now than for anyone in the Lesser Worlds, I bet. And it’s because of . They won’t let things go normally for Bianca or .”

Naomi looked down and balled her hands into shaky fists. She spoke through gritted teeth. “Leave us behind, Zarian.”

“No.”

“What you’re planning is so colossally stupid we might lose you forever. What makes you think your origins are enough to make a big sweeping change and … and … bring you back to us?” Naomi asked. “You’re proposing that solution, aren’t you? You’re going to off yourself!”

She clutched the dallion with one hand while breathing hard. Zarian had never seen Naomi panic like this.

He didn’t know why he wanted her here for this, either. It would’ve been easier if he were alone. But maybe he needed to see her reaction before making a decision that could change everything.

“It has to work,” Zarian said. “Either that or the Star System makes another change for . It did it once. It can do it again.”

A blue alert appeared that both he and Naomi could see.

“See! The Star System can’t do what you want, Zarian!” Naomi shouted. “Please consider other options.” She bit the edge of her lip before saying, “Sotis, we can’t always get what we want. That’s … just how things are.”

Zarian looked at her like she wasn’t Naomi Washington anymore. He couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. It disgusted him a little.

She must’ve picked up on that and backed away, more so out of sha. He hated to see that from her.

There was a long silence. So many things could be said, but they were left unsaid instead.

Zarian sighed and rubbed the back of his neck again. Then he let out a low chuckle that turned into a hearty laugh.

Naomi looked at him like the madman he was.

“Sorry, sorry, it just hit that the martyr classes were actually fitting,” Zarian said. “I love my friends. Even when you’re not always the best of people, you’re the type I like to be around. I’m willing to sacrifice everything for those types of friends. I’m willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for Bianca, Gilbert, Hannah, and you. So … I can’t accept the idea ‘that’s just how things are’ when I know deep down I have sothing that can make a change. I just … have to trigger it. Maybe my real parents will finally show up or sothing.”

Naomi looked at him hard and long. Then she said with a croak, “What if you’re wrong?”

“What if I’m right?” he asked with a grin.

“This isn’t the evil alignnt talking?” Naomi asked. Then she shook her head. “No, the evil alignnt wouldn’t do sothing like this. But Zarian … you’re more likely to be wrong.”

“I’m Zarian Darkrun, and I like my chances.” There was a hint of magic behind his na when he said it with more weight, intention, and aning. It was enough for them both to feel it.

Naomi shivered. Goosebumps covered her exposed skin.

Ariana Darkrun appeared in the room’s corner behind Naomi. No dream this ti. His ghostly little sister was here for a reason, as if what Zarian was about to do summoned her.

Ariana smiled silently. He kept her appearance in his peripherals, not drawing attention to her, while he focused on Naomi.

Naomi shook on the spot, ignorant of the ghost, before striding forward all the way. She grabbed him by the front of his leather armor and lifted him off his feet. She shook him a few tis as she growled.

“I swear on all the gods, good, evil, I don’t give a damn, that if you screw this up, I will revive you and kick your ass!” Naomi threatened, with tears in her eyes. “Don’t you dare screw this up, okay? Whatever is on the other side, you get what you’re looking for and co back!”

“Aye, ma’am,” Zarian replied, reaching down to pat her on the head.

She let him go and stumbled back. She looked twitchy. Like she wanted to run in again and stop him.

Her eyes were watery and puffy. She was all rage now, barely held back by her will.

She looked beautiful that way, which was a ssed up thought, but Zarian was in a ssed up mood. It didn’t help that he had to hold back his evil alignnt.

It was no surprise that evil was self-serving and didn’t like major sacrifices of self. He had to fight it the whole ti, and he was too stubborn to let it win.

Zarian gave Naomi a two-finger salute. Then he pointed the sa fingers against the side of his head.

A gold notification appeared in the open this ti.

Ignoring the Star System, Zarian spoke to his literally closest companion, his cloak. “Sorry, Para, for what’s going to co. I hope you don’t mind sticking all the way through with .”

“I’m ready,” Para said. “We will help our friend … and eat the gods!”

“Atta girl. You’re really the greatest cloak anyone can have.”

Another notification appeared. This ti, it was a red alert.

“I alone am the Honored Outsider,” Zarian said. “I do what I want.”

Naomi watched, her tears streaming. Ariana grinned widely and revealed her hidden fangs. And Zarian pulled the trigger.