Chapter 266: Bony Castle (2/2)

”What do you mean?” Rae asked with confusion.

”They're screaming for help.” Arthur could hear their cries clearly from inside the castle. ”They are... ceasing to exist.” He could feel their existence fading. ”We need to go, now.” Arthur waved his hand as purple mana left his body.

In front of him appeared Lilo, stretching its body before letting out a deep roar that shook the heavens. Its majestic aura made the undead look their way with unease. Rae backed away at the sudden appearance of the dragon while looking at it with fear.

”Come on!” Arthur jumped on Lilo's back while offering his hand to Rae. She looked at him with both shock and suspicion. ”I'm showing you all of this because I trust you. I know that I've hidden a lot of things, but I need you to trust me.”

”...” Rae looked at him silently before waving her hand. Ori was carried to Lilo's back where Arthur grabbed him and placed him in front of him. Even now, he was unconscious. ”I can jump on my own,” Rae said before she jumped and landed gracefully behind him.

”I need you to protect Ori once we're there,” Arthur asked of her. The only reason that he has shown so much of his powers now is that he could feel something familiar from within the castle.

It was the same feeling he had when he saw Yuran in the sea of memories. The Enders were trying to invade his body and take over his existence, and his screams were similar to what he was hearing now.

Whatever the thing that was going on inside of the castle was a repetition of the past. If this was the reason that Ori was like this, then it would mean that Ellen was also in danger of the same fate.

Lilo flapped his wings and they soared into the skies. They rose until they were above the castle before Arthur placed his hand on Lilo's head.

”Let's blast it open, Lilo,” Arthur said as he started using the Art of Creation. The Dragon Mark on his hand started glowing as his mana seeped into it and then into Lilo.

”Hehe, this is fun, master.” Lilo roared in delight as it opened its mouth preparing a mana blast. The sphere of mana turned golden as Arthur's mana seeped into it as well. The sphere sank into space as if the latter was a piece of fabric.

”Alexie Linan, what exactly are you?” Rae's voice came from behind him. ”I'm starting to suspect that you aren't just a rural noble's illegitimate son.”

”Well,” Arthur smiled as the mana blast grew bigger. ”I'm just a nobody.” The mana blast was released and it tore through the skies in a golden pillar and struck the castle's roof where the black pillar was leaving it.

The mana blast collided with the castle's roof causing a shockwave to push them backward. There was a giant explosion as the castle's roof started to break down revealing the hall inside.

Lilo rose farther making Arthur see what was inside. A giant black circle was drawn on the ground with several bodies lying around it. It was the source of the black pillar and to Arthur's dismay, the people lying on the floor were the guild members he had arrived with.

”What is this?” Rae muttered in disgust at the scene. Every guild member was bleeding dark substance from their orifices while their eyes were white. ”Is this some kind of altar?”

”Exactly,” Arthur nodded as he looked at them, searching for Ellen. He found her after a few seconds lying in the center of the circle with her eyes closed and her face covered with black tar.

”Lilo, dive!” He commanded Lilo and they entered the bony castle through the hole in the roof. Without waiting for Lilo to land, Arthur jumped and landed in front of Ellen's body.

”Ellen!” He shouted as he cautiously looked around the hall. However, it was dark inside as the only light came from the glowing of the circle. He was surrounded by darkness.

Seeing that he couldn't be assured of his safety even while being cautious, Arthur ran toward Ellen and rested his knees beside her. He grabbed her shoulders as he tried to shake her awake.

There was no response.

”Ellen!” Arthur called out as he placed his fingers on her neck to feel a pulse, but there was none. She wasn't breathing either and her skin was cold. ”No, wake up.” Arthur injected her body with mana as he started compressing her chest to bring her heart beating again.