Chapter 671: Gauntlet (2/2)

‘ding’ ‘Azarinth Awakening [Enhanced] reaches 3rd lvl 5’

‘ding’ ‘Transfer [Enhanced] reaches 3rd lvl 3’

‘ding’ ‘Ashen Wings [Enhanced] reaches 3rd lvl 4’

‘ding’ ‘Space Shift reaches 3rd lvl 30’

‘ding’ ‘Blast Resistance reaches 3rd lvl 7’

‘ding’ ‘Blight Resistance reaches 2nd lvl 2’

‘ding’ ‘Bone Magic Resistance reaches 2nd lvl 18’

‘ding’ ‘Crystal Magic Resistance reaches 2nd lvl 15’

‘ding’ ‘Dark Magic Resistance reaches 2nd lvl 7’

‘ding’ ‘Flesh Magic Resistance reaches lvl 10’

‘ding’ ‘Shadow Magic Resistance reaches lvl 2’

‘ding’ ‘Smoke Magic Resistance reaches 2nd lvl 4’

“You had quite the repertoire here, care to raise them all again for another round?” Ilea asked with a smile. Some time had passed and while Feyrair had moved quite a distance through the underground, the two Elders still remained in the very same place as they had several hours prior.

Really good for levels too, she thought, especially glad that Space Shift had finally reached the last level in the third tier. The fact that the Lich had so many creatures under its employ, willingly, or without possessing a will, meant she could try herself against a wide variety of unknowns. None had used magic entirely unfamiliar to her, or at least to her resistances, which made the whole process smoother than it could’ve been.

“You have proven your capabilities, wanderer. There is no need to redo what you have already accomplished. But now awaits your most dire task. A monster so gruesome none has slain it in all the time the paths have existed,” it said with a vibrating whisper, the ground before them opening up to reveal a deep shaft of ice, changing to stone farther down.

Ilea noted that they were now quite a bit below the others. “You can’t summon the creature in this area here?” she asked, using Eternal Huntress to see if she could see signs of a dangerous creature. The very air coming from the darkness below seemed to light up.

“The last battlefield is down below,” Death said.

Oh really?

“You’re not coming down with me?” she asked.

“Indeed not. There is no ice. It’s… uncomfortable,” it answered, crossing its ethereal arms.

“Aha,” Ilea mused. Her instincts informed her that whatever was waiting down below was considerably more dangerous than the creature hovering in front of her, though she didn’t think it a pushover either, mostly due to the soul magic it wielded.

“And what’s stopping me from just attacking you here and ending the path of death?” she asked. The main thing she thought suspicious was his sudden lack of interest in the battle he deemed so glorious before.

His eyes glowered as he spread his arms and cackled lightly. “Not a mere brute? Your… allies, friends, whatever they may be to you. I will hunt them down and kill them, while you fail to navigate theses corridors to come and stop me. You possess defenses that may be enough to survive a sustained battle with me, but they do not. And you know this. Go into the cavern, slay the monster, and be on your way, with your allies unharmed.”

“You overestimate your spacial abilities,” Ilea said, pretty sure she could just latch on to his teleportation.

“And you underestimate my destructive potential. I know your kind. You would risk much to protect your allies. And are you not interested? In the being that has kept even me at bay?” he asked.

Concentrated busts of soul magic could take the Elders out. Probably. No idea if they have resistances against it or not. But what about the other two fragments? Do they simply not care? Or would they fight us too if this one deems us enemies?

“I’m interested in good fights, sure, but I don’t like being threatened into them,” she said.

The fragment moved both hands to its head and bent over, producing a maddening screech. “So long…. So long…. So long… have I waited!!” he shouted, pointing at her. “And you! You are one that may succeed, where all others have failed. Regeneration, a mind to think, instincts honed in countless battles. You would jump down to face the monster. I knew it to be true. Why do you choose to mistrust when it’s all so close, so close to grasp?!

“If I.. present… the essence of those you hold dear… to be kept here forever, or released… I will have to kill them,” he murmured and floated away.

Ilea prevented his teleport, causing him to look back in annoyance.

“Let them go now and I promise that I will try to fight whatever is down there. If I fail, I’ll come back when I’m stronger,” she said.

“You would have me abandon this path for a mere promise?” Death asked, eyes flickering.

“You said you knew my kind. Either you accept and get a chance at me fighting that thing, or I will kill you right here. And trust me, if you harm any of my allies, I will carve out this entire mountain to find and destroy everything that is a part of you,” she said, their eyes locking.

The Lich fragment considered for a moment. “Very well. I accept.”

It moved them both into the room where the Elders resided.

“… it is her whom I loved, and her for whom I chose this path of darkness and treachery. My choices I regret in every waking hour of this cursed existence, and yet my love for her will keep me sane, until the day I will finally find rest.” the other fragment finished with shaking whispered words, tears of blue light rolling down his ethereal form.

Ilea could hear teeth grinding from the fragment next to her as she looked at Pierce wiping away tears. Verena too seemed burdened, listening to the lich with a pained expression.

“These two will be released,” Death said.

“They are saved?” the fragment asked, glancing at Ilea. “A wind of hope flows through these ancient halls. Very well, I shall see them off,” the Lich said and vanished with the Elders in tow.

Ilea could see them appear far above before she latched on to the fragment that called itself death, appearing in a long hall filled with burning rocks, wooden bars and poles, ice splinters on the ground, and angled walls. An obstacle course, she surmised.

Feyrair dangled from one of the walls, his hand trying to reach a nearby crevice before he jumped and caught himself, giving off a joyous hiss.

The nearby fragment jumped in the air. “YES! You fucking did it! Well done ELF!!!”

“I know. I’m the best,” Fey mused.

What is even happening here? Ilea thought, glancing at the yet more annoyed fragment next to her.

“He is free to go, bring him out,” Death said in a commanding tone.

The other fragment glanced over. “Now that’s an interesting change of pace. Tired of killing?” it asked, giggling to itself before it vanished, Feyrair going with it.

“Why go to all this trouble?” Ilea asked when they were back in front of the hole.

“You do not need to know,” the being said. “Now go and slay the beast.”

“Care to give me some more information about it? If you want it dead, I might benefit from some clues,” she said.

“Reasonable. It’s at a higher level than I, it uses void magic, mindless but its instincts and ability to adapt are above what most monsters display. The area will be dark to your eyes, but the creature can see,” the being explained.

“Alright. Now you better not go back on the deal. I’ll check it out and if I can’t win, you’ll help me train,” she said.

“That was not part of the agreement,” the creature said.

“You want that thing dead, don’t you?” she asked.

Its eyes glowered, while it ground its invisible teeth.