Chapter 144: A Long Time Ago (1/2)

The crunching sound rang through the forest, sending chills down the spine of those hearing it. The fairy inside the prison looked at the being emerging from the darkness.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

The darkness covered the being from head to toe, and it rippled like a flame. It was munching on the fairy's head with its long, sharp teeth before it spat out its head.

”What....”

The fairy's body began shaking at the sudden death of its companion. It had no idea how this being slipped past their notice and how it effortlessly crushed their barrier.

Their queen blessed the fairies with a barrier that protected them from most physical and elemental attacks. However, the darkness destroyed the barrier as if it was nothing.

The head rolled on the ground to reveal the fairy's lifeless face—and the monster opened its jaw again to devour something ethereal coming out of its body.

”What are you?!” the imprisoned fairy shrieked with horror. However, the dark being was unbothered with it, and it didn't even try to devour its friend's body and threw it away to roll on the ground.

”I didn't think it would work,” the dark being muttered as he crouched beside the wounded archeologist. ”Do you think you can live?”

”Answer me!” the fairy said from behind him. However, it was ignored. The dark being was staring at the archeologist, who met his gaze.

”I... can...”

”Well said,” the dark being stood up from his spot and turned toward the fairy. ”I will help you,” the being said, with his neutral voice that seemed masked. ”However, you will have to give me something in return.”

”I... accept...” Taly didn't hesitate because she knew without his help, she would die. The dark being revealed his fangs into what seemed to be a grin.

”It is time for another meal.”

***

Nikolai used his darkness to hide his identity and to break through the fairy's barriers. One entity could be behind these fairies, but Nikolai didn't know why they were after the archeologist.

”Stay away!” the fairy shrieked as it slammed its body into the light bars, but it was trapped. ”Let me out! I don't want to die! No! No!”

”I will let you out,” Nikolai raised his hand again, and the darkness rippled. ”Just be still,” he grinned as he attacked the light, and it broke down like grass. However, his hand didn't stop and continued to grab the fairy's body, breaking through its barrier.

The darkness was the bane of elements, as long as the gods weren't involved. His hand grabbed the fairy of the body, which started struggling against the darkness, but it was devouring it.

”No, please, let me go, please, no. I will be good. I won't come back again, just don't kill me,” it begged for its life, but Nikolai's jaws were unhinged.

Screams echoed through the forest as the crunching sound returned, and a body fell to the ground. Nikolai felt the euphoria of devouring a living soul as the system's notification appeared in front of him.

[A high-quality living soul has been devoured. The Curse of The Banished has been sated. Remaining time: 13 days, 23 hours, and 3 minutes.]

'I gained two weeks by devouring these fairies,' Nikolai was satisfied with his instinct to follow the light. It looked tasty, and Nikolai confirmed that it was.

After the euphoria disappeared, Nikolai remembered that he had a historian to save. When he turned around, he saw that the woman was looking at him with fear, but there was also despair.

”Do you want me to leave?”

Even though he asked, Nikolai had no intention of actually leaving. There was a reason that the fairies were after this archeologist, and he wanted to know what it was. Taly opened her mouth to say something, but she simply began coughing blood. Then, she stared at her blood before shaking her head.

”Then, we have a deal,” Nikolai walked toward it as he took three potions that Sergio gave him. There wasn't a lot left from them.

Nikolai poured the first one on the wound in her stomach, then the one in her back, and then he made her drink the third potion. Her body began to glow as it began to heal rapidly.

”Thank... you...” when she regained some strength, Taly thanked him. Nikolai was confused because he expected her to run away when she could, not to thank him.