I slipped into the unknown part of the forest and sat behind a tree. My breath was heavy in my chest, and my heart was pounding. I was in an unimaginable amount of pain, and it took everything that I had to stay conscious. I glanced at my notifications now that I had a chance to breathe, and I saw I was suffering from a broken arm and so darkness poisoning. The broken arm didnt an much to since my natural regeneration would fix it.
But I would need Alinore if I wanted to cure the darkness part. I leaned against the tree and saw that the boss bar had finally vanished. Even so, that ant little to . I knew he was hunting . I took a deep breath and glanced around to see where I ended up. The trees here were even grayer than the other parts of the forest. In fact, I would say that they were sick. Sothing was afflicting them. I saw a zombie corpse nearby, and I shivered as I saw it was recently eaten. Whatever was here was sothing that I didnt want to deal with.
I looked around the trees, and I felt like I was being watched by sothing, though I wasnt sure by what. I sat there for a bit before I rummaged around in the small bag of holding that I kept around my waist and reached in for my ergency potion. This was a quick, oh shit kinda deal. This was one of those monts, mainly since this potion was rather expensive.
I brought the potion up to my lips; however, it shattered in my hands before I drank it. The crimson liquid splattered my pants, and debris of glass rained down. I instantly went on high alert and brought my sword to bear while trying to baby my broken arm.
Well, well, well, look who we have here, lost in the woods. A little noble. The voice was bitter and condensing and not one that I recognized.
Who are you? I asked as I pressed myself into the tree. The darkness hung around with the fog, obscuring everything. I glanced around the area, trying to discern any movent, but there was nothing. A re undead would have been incapable of a shot like that. Well, now I wasnt so sure.
Oh, no one, really. The male voice tore through the shadows, and I saw a form materialize. It was a man that stood at roughly my height and was clad in a long, flowing black cloak with the hood raised. But what terrified was the white dagger painted across the front.
I gritted my teeth and bared my blade towards him. I wouldnt fall into the trap of asking why he was here or how he got here. That was pointless. I had a feeling why he was here, though. To finish the job that started long ago. Well, sorry, Im not ready to die.
Two more assassins materialized from around the trees. One had a bow while the other had a long sword. I could easily fight them if I didnt have a broken arm. But they broke the fastest way I had to fix that. I kept my eyes on the three of them as they circled around . They were cautious, which would make moving on them a little more challenging.
The one with the sword dashed forward, bringing his weapon around in a deadly arc. I dropped my body weight down at the last second, and it passed over my head, leaving a gash on the tree behind . Moving on instinct, I stepped forward and launched a jab towards him. The pain in my arm flared up as it shifted.
The assassin stepped back and parried my blade, and the other launched an arrow at the last second, causing to fire a third quick step. I created so distance and tried to run. I dipped behind a tree and quickly activated lunge while monitoring my stamina bar. If I hit critical levels, I would die.
Redrick running wont save you. You are going to die here. The mans bitter voice was a small way behind as I plunged deeper into the forest. Those blasted nobles and the power gas that they played. I hated them. I hated them all. All just to solidify more power, and for what? It didnt matter who they stepped on to get to the top, so long as they got there.
Iheld my tongue as I dipped behind another tree. This ti, the feeling of being watched was even more potent, and it was coming from the trees. Now that I thought about it, it was odd that there wasnt a single mob in this area. Well, ones that werent already permanently dead.
Die here. A voice rang above . One that croaked and sounded like it had never spoken before. It was coarse, heavy, and, most of all, the hair on the back of my neck rose.
"Going to."
Die here
More voices joined the first, each different, but they talked in unison, repeating the sa word, each ti, the voices getting clearer and more apparent, and sounded like the assassin that followed . I shivered as I stared into the canopy and the forest floor, trying to cover all the angles. But I saw nothing, not until I heard a screech that filled the air. One that sounded like nails against a chalkboard. A sound that made want to turn tail and run as fear coursed through my veins unbound.
My body froze and refused to react. The only thing that I could move were my eyes. My eyes quickly scanned the area in a panic before I saw a set of orbs that glittered in the night. First, there was one, then two, and more kept coming until I saw at most ten. They stared at from the shadows of the trees. Just sitting there watching . Yet, I could do nothing but stand there.
You have been paralyzed by fear
A few seconds passed by before I could hear the steps of another walking towards . Ah, have you finally decided to just give up? The assassins voice sounded next to , and I desperately fought to move, and I couldnt even open my mouth to speak.
Well, it doesnt matter anyway. I saw a glint of steel in the moonlight, and I screwed my eyes shut, ntally cursing every last mber of the noble court. I would co back to haunt them all, and I would make them pay. However, the blow landed on my good shoulder, pinning to the tree. My assailant let out a surprised shriek, and I opened my eyes.
I saw a scrawny creature with patches of long, stringy hair matted together by grease. Its eyes were muddy brown, and its teeth were all sharpened to a fine point as it bit into the shoulder of the assassin. Slimy flesh glistened in the moonlight as it rode the assassin as he tried to throw it off. More gasps of surprises filled the air around as more of the creatures fell from the tree. Finally, my fear wore off, and I reached up and pulled the knife from my shoulder. Seeing my chance to escape present itself, I reached up and pulled the dagger out and quickly threw it to the side and made a run for it while everyone was distracted.
I ran for what felt like hours until I ca across an area that looked as if it used to be a training ground, and thankfully it was empty. I stumbled over to a small structure on the outskirts and fell inside. My vision swam, and my body was going numb. My stomach twisted as nausea rocked my body. I rolled inside and stared at the ceiling as thoughts slowly drifted through my failing vision.
Was this how I was supposed to die? For the first ti since my father died, I cried. I failed everyone, and, most of all, I failed myself. I dragged my team into this, and for all I knew, they could be dead. With much difficulty, I pulled myself across the floor and propped myself against the wall.
Even though those creatures caught the assassins off guard, I knew it wouldnt last long. They would be after soon enough, and then my team if they were not already dead now. I felt my heartbreak as I realized the depths of my failure. A dry cackle left my lips as I stared out across the training area as I replaced my weakness with rage. I refused to die here. I have never been this weak before. So why now? The rage helped push to my feet, and another round of pain shot through like a thousand fire bolts causing to drop once more.
My health bar was slowly trickling down, and my anger faded. Please, I didnt want to die. Not here. Not alone. I would do anything to not die here. As the sorrow flooded my mind, a thought drifted on the tide. Didnt I still have sothing? The pain started to leak into my mind, and I beca delirious as fire filled my veins. One that I faintly recognized as another toxin. What did I have that could help? It was sothing important, right?
I was slowly losing consciousness before it finally hit . I had that summoning stone. I reached into the hidden pocket and stared at it. The patterns on it danced around and seed to be filled with life as they took various shapes. The way the lines moved and shifted threatened to drag into it once more before I shook myself out of it.
I held it in the moonlight, and I realized then just how fragile yet heavy it was. The way it seed to weigh into my palm and sear my flesh with the coldness it seed to radiate. Without another thought, I crushed the stone, and a line of text tilled my vision.
Please wait.summoning domain god
God, huh? I thought it was just a simple core. I felt my eyelids grow heavy as ti seed to stand still, and a magical formation appeared on the training field before . The shape was lost to , but it reminded of snow with how intricately they crossed each other as they spun around, locked in an eternal waltz. Pulses of violet light started to fill the air, followed by soft orange lightning bolts that struck the ground.
The pain that wracked my body ca to a halt. My breath caught in my throat as a form rose from the middle of a formation. The first part that I saw was a mask covered in whitish purple and a color that I imdiately recognized as being the sa as ki. Then long, flowing honey brown hair caught the wind. The being was wearing a long, flowing cloak with colors that made feel as if I was staring into eternity itself. The right hand was clad in so strange tal that reminded of glass, though the left hand was clenched in a fist and covered in a myriad of scars.
I sat there dumbstruck as I realized I was staring at the core of the domain. I thought cores were supposed to be just, well, cores, not a living being. I used my analysis skill once more out of habit than anything else.
Level 1 Calixa Asteria Empress of Souls.
I felt despair at looking at her level. A level one? I may have just killed us both, but her color was one that I had never seen before on a nad text, and that was the color of freshly polished gold. But just before I opened my mouth to speak, I saw another notification appear; this ti, it was a global notification.
A boss in the domain has awakened and evolved into a unique race and boss type. Slay it to receive unique accolades.
As I stared at the Empress before , I could only wonder at what I had done.
Reviews
All reviews (0)