Chapter 1121 (2/2)

Vualla had tried her best since then. Every tip she had learned from Cail Tweocs over the past six months came to her, strengthening her immensely from her power before. Her image was uniform and strong. It could stand against a Nether Gatekeeper’s corrosive and dense Nether, barely. And with every blow she endured from the terrible foe, she could feel her image being refined into something even more capable. Right around the corner, an epiphany was tantalizing her. She was so close to being powerful enough-

But when she had to handle the ambushes from the lesser Nether Beasts as well-

When she had to give up ground in order to not take a wound serious enough to diminish her current combat capabilities-

After fifteen minutes, Vualla was exhausted and the levies against the Nether Beasts were overwhelmed. Once again, the terrifying mass of numbers the Nether forces possessed surged forward to overwhelm them.

Even if she was very close to becoming strong enough to make a difference, she wouldn’t make it in time. Those same soldiers that had rallied when she saved them now began to die as more and more Nether Beasts slashed their way forward. With every Aether soldier who died, the hole got bigger and Nether seized more of a foothold on this side of the barricades. Very soon, they would be overrun.

And with the Nether Gatekeeper and its lackeys pinning her down, she could not help them.

You aren’t enough, That poisonous voice that was born by her father completely ignoring her as a child whispered. You will never be enough. Everything you want to protect will die.

And strangely, Vualla could feel it in the air. All around her, she could feel the small exodus of lives around her and the small burst of energy that was released when a soul was extinguished permanently. The small gasp as a whole slew of images ceased to be. But Vualla gritted her teeth and concentrated her Willpower. She ignored the strange flood of information that was coming to her.

“No, I will… I have the freedom to choose my fate. And I choose to save them all-”

The Nether Gatekeeper gathered its six tails into a single focused blade and thrust it forward at blinding speed toward Vualla. Relying on her instincts, all of Vualla power of destruction went into her left hand and she unleashed a brutal left hook toward the Nether Gatekeeper’s core. The two blows crossed between them in a flash and then both landed heavily.

“Fuck,” Vualla said as the thrust from the tail pierced completely through the center of her right gauntlet and continued to rip forward. Luckily the quick defense was enough to divert the blow slightly and the tail just bored a huge hole in her shoulder rather than skewering a lung. Still, this is what she had tried so hard to avoid; now, her right arm would be out of commission for quite a while.

Yet Vualla’s blow had also landed. And this time she felt the Nether Gatekeeper’s body shuddering beneath the assault. But before she could follow up, the lesser Nether Beasts smashed into her and knocked her backward.

It’s you fucks that are the problem, Vualla thought furiously. If you all just gave me the chance to strike…!

Tumbling through the air, Vualla quickly flew backward and crashed into a medical tent that had been hastily set up near the frontlines. Most everyone who could walk had already been evacuated, so those that remained in the dim tent were afflicted with deadly wounds. Her chest heaving, Vualla looked around at the dying soldiers around her and then looked back at the Nether forces.

At least it seemed that fucker was just as hurt as I was, Vualla thought bitterly as she looked as the several Nether Beasts that were hovering around it worriedly. Then her eyes refocused on the Nether Beast that was walking slowly forward to face her.

It possessed a tall and relatively graceful form for Nether Beasts, possessing two huge hands lined with long talons. And with five-star strength, it was nothing to sneeze at. The air around it crackled with particularly dense Nether energy. Even if this one wasn’t six star yet, it wasn’t far from it. Certainly, it would be enough to buy time for the Nether Gatekeeper to recover. Hell, considering Vualla’s current injuries, it might be enough to kill her itself.

I cannot die here. Vualla’s eyes narrowed. I cannot… I cannot afford… and even if I need to-

The five star Nether Beast leaned forward and rushed quickly forward. Despite its size, it seemed to move with uncanny grace. Vualla’s instincts were screaming she needed to lash out against it, but her thoughts kept following that strange sensation of death around. If she could only just find-

A realization struck her. Suddenly she looked around at the surrounding bodies with a baleful light in her azure eyes. That energy that is released when they die… when the images cease to exist… isn’t that the purest energy of destruction? If I take that power and make it my own-

Even if its not mine… they would think it worth it if I take it from them, right? They will die anyway. So if I just-

“Vualla.”

Vualla’s entire world froze at that single word spoken in a voice that was so impossibly familiar to her. “Eh…?”

The Nether Beast in front of her rippled. The black fire around its body dimmed and fell away. The long talons became normal fingers. There was black hair, a striking face, strong and wiry limbs, and of course, piercing emerald eyes.

“Randidly Ghosthound…? But you are-!”

“In the flesh, finally,” Randidly said with obvious relish. Then he gave her another look, one that was laced with a deep sadness. Shaking his head, he turned around and looked back toward the forces of Nether that were surging forward. To her surprise, Vualla felt so strangely reassured, having him standing next to her against the coming horde.“...for now, let’s not waste time with small talk. Shall we? We have a miracle to make from scratch.”