36.2. City Under Attack
Leveled again?
Edithe raised a brow. I nodded eagerly as I identified my companions.
[Mage - Level 49]
[Warrior - Level 20]
Hey!
I frowned, turning to Daniel.
You still have your necklace block your real level.
Yeah. And Im not going to turn it off anyti soon. So youll have to deal with seeing this way.
I crossed my arms and stomped a foot down petulantly.
How would I know if youve passed in levels then?
You wont. Thats the point.
He smirked as I glared at him. Edithe rolled her eyes.
Dont encourage her, Daniel.
Then she turned to .
And Salvos, dont do that.
Why? I see Humans do it all the ti!
Children do it. Youve said it yourself, didnt you? Youre not a child.
I
I scowled.
Fine.
We entered the damaged temple building as its sturdy pillars held up the remains of the half collapsed roof above. Rubble and ash littered the front entrance, however that seed to be where most of the destruction had been kept to. Lucerna was fought back here. The [Priests], while noncombatants, were able to band together with adventurers and guards to force him to flee.
And it was not just them. They also had the help of
Sakura!
I ran up to the [Beastkin]. She limply stood up, turning to as I approached. I paused right before her, staring at the stump where her foot was supposed to be.
What happened?
It seems you have been busy since we last t, Salvos.
I nodded.
I have been. We went to a Dungeon fought Centinels and Giant Spiders. But nevermind that. Whats wrong with your leg?
The wolf-like creature stood up. Even without her front left leg, she was able to stand without a problem; it might have impeded her movents if she were running or fighting, but it didnt seem to bother her currently.
I underestimated the [Djinn]. I thought he had been hurt, overwheld by the sheer combined force of hundreds of Humans and myself. However I was wrong. I foolishly pursued him, and paid the price.
She raised what remained of her leg and shook her head, her white mane still as majestic as before despite her current look.
But cant you restore it? Use one of those red liquids Humans use?
There had been a few tis in the Dungeon when Daniel had to share his bottles with . However he was hesitant, since he didnt bring much with him.
Healing potions are not cure-alls, Salvos. They nd open wounds, and they may even reattach so body parts, but they will not bring back lost limbs. And they are expensive. [Alchemists] require extrely rare ingredients to create them. It is cheaper to get a [Mage] capable of healing spells to fix you than to pay an [Alchemist] to suit every single guard in the city with one. And unfortunately, the city guards did not think it was best to waste their resources on .
So they only sent soone to heal you?
No.
Sakura replied softly.
They left as is.
What?
I stared at the [Beastkin], aghast. Why would they do that? She helped them chase Lucerna away! But why wouldnt they do that either?
I paused, considering why I even thought it was awful the Humans didnt help Sakura; by the sounds of it, it was the most logical thing for them to do. It was like if I still had my Spear of Flas and gave it to a random Demon instead of Haec it made no sense.
Still, I didnt like that they left Sakura in her injured state.
I recovered on my own, through [Rest] and ti. I will never be able to fight the sa again, but it matters not. My only job is to guard this temple, and if that ans I die doing so, then I will do it.
I see.
I nodded slowly.
Well, Im glad to see that youre alive.
Indeed. Now what is it you need of ?
Sakura tilted her head and her gaze bore into . I blinked, glancing between my Human companions and the [Beastkin], before rembering why we ca here.
Right. We were, uh, wondering about Lucerna...
The [Djinn]. Is there anything you can tell us about him?
Edithe took up after .
Where was he headed? What were his Skills? And was he really Level 60?
To answer your first question: I do not know. As for his Skills, you must have seen them yourself when your team fought him, no? He uses ash and smoke he can conjure deadly balls of ash that would kill any Human below Level 40 in an instant. He summons pillars of ash that co crashing to the ground, causing imnse destruction. And he flees in a mist of smoke, disappearing within the shroud he creates.
The Human woman nodded along. Daniel piped up.
Isnt that the sa Skills you ntioned, Edithe?
It is. So he hasnt gained any new Skills since. Thats good for us. We know what to expect.
I shook my head.
No I never saw him use half of those Skills you ntioned when I fought him. And I fought him twice. Those Skills of his theyre new. He might have been inexperienced with them when he first fought you. We cant expect him to fight the sa way.
Sakura looked at , then at the two Humans.
Salvos is correct. He is dangerous, do not take him lightly. That was the mistake I made.
She paused for a mont before finishing.
And yes, he was Level 60 when I last saw him. But he might be higher now. Be wary.
We will.
Edithe answered firmly, her voice full of resolve.
We just need to know where he went. So we can put a stop to him before he causes too much destruction and death.
It is too late. He is already the Destroyer. But that doesnt an he cant be stopped. As we speak, the king of Nixa is calling his lords to mobilize their armies. The people are unhappy. Unrest is at an all ti high. And now a crisis has struck his largest province. He will act. The [Djinn] will die. All that remains to be seen is who will slay him and when.
Then tell us where Lucerna went. You had to have found out what he wanted from fighting him, right?
The Human woman gave her a pleading look. But Sakura simply lowered her head.
I know not where he went, but I know what he wants.
And what does he want?
I peered at Sakura as she faced . Lucerna had gone on a rampage since he was summoned to the Mortal Realm. He didn't listen to the [Cultists], even though they were the ones who brought him here. Instead, he slaughtered them in a rage. He attacked every town, village, and city he ca across, leaving behind rubble and ash. He had to have a goal. He had to have a reason for doing all this. But what was it?
The [Beastkin] opened her mouth
And was interrupted by a [Priest] running down the halls of the temple.
Move aside! Urgent ssage received from wait, youre adventurers arent you?
The man stopped right before us. He was the one who showed Daniel and I around the temple when we first ca here. We slowly nodded as he sighed in relief.
Good. Then you can relay this ssage for to the Adventurers Guild.
ssage?
I cocked my head. The [Priest] nodded as he passed a piece of paper with sothing written on it.
Its an official missive from the Sanctuary of Faunas branch in Silvergrove. The [Djinn] was spotted from their walls 15 minutes ago. It is currently trying to breach the gates.
I looked at the pale, wrinkled face of the older man, then down at the letter in my hand. He spoke at the sa ti as I read the ssage on it.
Silvergrove is under attack.
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