Chapter 22: Not a cliffhanger (1/2)

The three initiates looked at her confused as she grabbed Naiir’s arm. She started glowing blue as flames formed around her. He recoiled letting out a gasp of pain but couldn’t move his arm out of her grasp, relaxing a little again after the fire didn’t burn him.

“Hold still. Something dangerous is here. Or was that normal Walter?” She asked the barman who had put down the mug and jumped over the counter.

“No, not normal. Initiates you should stay here, this likely isn’t something you can handle. Ilea, can I ask you to come with me? A healer might be invaluable. And I’m certain it’s in your best interest as well…,”

She got up after healing Naiir, who started moving his previously broken arm in wonder. “I’ve got your back… my sword?” he nodded and exited the door.

Handing her one of the guard’s swords he started running towards the epicenter of the pulse. “What do you think that was?” she asked as she easily followed his rapid pace.

“Came from the summoning hall I think. Nothing good. Let’s hope whatever whomever summoned is under control…,”

Turning the corner to the summoning hall, a dark clothed silhouette crashed into the opposite wall. “Indra!” Walter shouted as he closed in on the bleeding man.

“...Demon…,” the man gurgled the words out before Walter motioned Ilea to Indra and rushed into the room with impressive speed. His mana surging and black lightning crackling around himself.

Ilea started healing the man. ‘Broken ribs, several organs damaged. These skills really help with identifying those wounds hmm…,’ she thought. The second tier of her Reconstruction spell helped miles in saving the man’s life. She could heal specific parts but also had knowledge on what was the worst damage.

After his ribs cracked back into the right places he gasped for air. Looking at her, he seemed tired “...careful, mind…,” he slumped down in her hands. Feeling no more damage in the man she also noticed he was completely devoid of mana, probably having used it all defending himself. The noise from the room had stopped and Ilea rushed in to help. The scene before her was confusing yet at the same time mesmerizing.

Walter and Harthome were standing still with both a hammer and a fist raised. Dark lightning periodically crackling around both of them. Behind them was a being shrouded in a powerful mana with its hand around Celene’s neck. She had a vacant look in her eyes. Before Ilea could even think to teleport, the being turned its head and locked eyes with her.

A dizzying headache assaulted her, memories flooding through her brain at an insane speed. “StiLL…,” the being whispered. It’s black eyes and abyss like mouth left no power in her to argue.

‘Mind...Reconstruct…,’ Her mana surging as all of her remaining consciousness healed her whole being. The headache lessened and by the time the being turned its head back to Celene, Ilea could move again.

Seeing the being not react, she spent another three seconds getting over the shock and continuing to heal herself. Focusing completely on her head now. ‘What the hell… you fuck!’ with that she blinked next to the being and smashed a fully powered punch into it’s unprotected side. The lifted arm gave her a free shot at its torso.

[Mage – lvl ??]

Like a rag doll the being so helpfully identified crashed into the wall as Ilea caught Celene. “...YoU DaRe DeFy ME?” A loud voice only describable as a whisper spoke as the being got up in an inhuman way, it’s legs and arms bending where they shouldn’t.

Laying Celene down on the ground, she faced the being while maintaining Reconstruction to her head. Another powerful surge of mana was released by the monster paralyzing Ilea for two full seconds while she resisted the spell.

With a fluid motion the being flung its arms and two spikes entered Ilea’s eyes, blinding her and filling her with unimaginable pain. She screamed as she kept healing her mind, Only now removing her perception of pain.

“YoU wILL DiE iN AgoNY!” the whisper now felt like it was coming from inside her head. Seeing the being before her with her Sphere, it was holding its side, obviously injured by her one attack.

‘Not...such...a...strong...guy...are...you…?’ She thought sluggishly, healing the damage from what she presumed to be a mental attack.

Suddenly the pressure ended. Trying to lift her arms, an impact rocketed her backwards and she landed with a loud crack in the wall behind her. The being had suddenly moved and pushed her with a shock wave.

Seeing no bones broken, she kept only healing her head. The pressure started again and surged, stronger and stronger. “HoW dO yOU ReSIst?!? STILL!!”

Ilea felt as a massive surge of mana traveled from the spikes in her head through her body. Shivering at what she assumed to be raw pain, she was glad she had removed her perception of it.

Another two seconds of this precarious balance between damage and recovery passed when the pressure suddenly lessened.

‘ding’ ‘You have learned the skill General: Mental Resistance: You are more adept at resisting and detecting attacks to your mind – lvl 1’

‘ding’ ‘Mental Resistance reaches lvl 2’

‘ding’ ‘Mental Resistance reaches lvl 3’

‘ding’ ‘Mental Resistance reaches lvl 4’

‘ding’ ‘Mental Resistance reaches lvl 5’

A total of only twenty five seconds, half of her mana channeled to her head and thankfully no pain later, her new skill had leveled four times. ‘I can move again. Man that headache would’ve likely literally killed me.’ She stayed unmoving as the being advanced again, the pressure much less prevalent now.

Again the mental attack ceased as it pushed towards her with one limb, clearly preparing to send out another wave of force.

Ilea ready this time blinked behind the beast and slammed a fist into its back sending it towards the opposite end of the room. Spinning with the momentum of her punch, she blinked towards the being just as it slammed into the wall and delivered a kick into its already injured back.

The pressure started again but Ilea never stopped healing her head and thus brain. She steadily raised her fist and slammed it into the being now sprawled below her.

She hit its shoulder when it managed to pierce her torso with its left arm which moved unnaturally behind its back. Jerking in the last moment, she managed to deflect the fatal blow to her heart towards her ribcage and shoulder.

Holding the arm inside of her with her left arm, she delivered another punch to the being with her right one. This time she hit its left arm. It seemed the punch to its shoulder had already removed its ability to move it but she wanted to make sure. The mental pressure lessened a little after that.

The next punch hit the being’s neck, the next one its head. Each punch lessening the pressure a little until she was moving with her full speed and power, punching until no more noise or struggling came from her enemy. Punching until she felt her fist enter the ground up to her wrist behind the downed being.

Ilea quickly ripped the arm out of her shoulder and blinked away. Standing there, she heard movement around her as the others were released from the spell that held them. Circulating Reconstruction through herself, the wounds on her side quickly closed.

‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Demon - Mind Weaver lvl 180].’

‘ding’ ‘You have defeated an enemy a hundred levels or more above your own. Additional Experience is granted.’

‘ding’ ‘Azarinth Healer has reached level 73. 5 Stat points awarded.’

‘ding’ ‘Azarinth Healer has reached level 74. 5 Stat points awarded.’

‘ding’ ‘Azarinth Healer has reached level 75. 5 Stat points awarded.’