Published at 9th of September 2025 12:27 pm

Book 5: Chapter 9 Curtains Closing [Part 2]

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Spirits rallying, I saw an opportunity to recover. Drawing my power inward, I cast a Heal spell on myself, the magic of my basic recovery spell boosted by my Holy Aura. It was enough to top off my health, but more significantly, it healed my Mimic's Health bar to just over sixty percent—enough to safely summon it again.

And so I did, parrying a wild axe swing from the dwarf with the banded haft of my weapon. Wormy threads escaped from my arm to form a spiked Tower Shield. Bracing it against my shoulder, I activated Shield Bash from barely a sword’s swing away. Behind the dwarf, the Beastkin tried to rise on shaky feet to dodge out of the way of the avalanche of black. Too slow, I barrelled into the both of them, knocking them over like skittles. The Beastkin once more on the floor, I ruthlessly stomped on the cur’s head, ending him.

You have slain a Beastkin. 15 experience gained.

As for the dwarf, I spotted a small gap between his helm and neck, a link of chain damaged by the rigor of the fighting. The point of my Lucerne found its mark, my strength driving the tip through to taste soft flesh. Then, with a twist of my wrist, I ended him.

You have slain a Dwarf. 50 experience gained.

Well, that was a relatively large amount of experience for killing the dwarven warrior, I thought, before realizing it was my first kill of his race. Novelty—you gained bonus points in this game for doing new and unique things. I laughed, watching my Asura gauge tick up a few points more.

I felt my soul lighten as my kills dedicated to the pursuit of Justice accumulated. Defending myself, I was clearly in the right, and I reveled in it. I imagined Goddess Avaria screaming as I twisted her concept to suit my ends, but that was all she could do. I could feel the touch of her Grace settling more heavily upon me as I executed actions in her name.

Seeing me kill more of his precious adventurers, Canis could only gift me with a swift glare filled with worry and hate. For me, it was like an oasis in a desert—satisfying and sweet. Yet, despite it all, the man had yet to panic, maintaining an air of calm as he dealt with two monsters.

Through raw and repeated experience, I found there was a problem or limitation with Holy Aura. It delayed, but did not stop, me from casting Entropic spells. As this thought whirred about, I stupidly realized I had once again forgotten about Rust. No, not forgotten. The spell had hidden from me again, that slippery thing.

Eschewing the use of Silent Casting, harsh vowels and consonants rose, carried by my voice. I uttered the syllables of Rust, the voices within somewhat stymied by my Holy Aura and only able to offer the most rudimentary aid. I almost failed to cast it as I felt a heavy impact smack against my heavy helm; only my Improved Pain Nullification skill and battle grit prevented me from losing the threads of the spell.

The black lightning of the spell erupted from me, but it glanced off the invisible wards of the Gold-ranked adventurers. Like a river seeking the path of least resistance, the spell veered toward a lower-rank adventurer on their left, clawing away at him. His weapon and armor disintegrated in an incandescent inferno, consuming him utterly.

One Mana for one dead adventurer—a poor trade. I snarled in frustrated disbelief.

One of the twin warriors decided to gloat, his deep voice cutting through the chaos. "Did you think we would not be prepared for your betrayal, Gilgamesh Salahaem? Your Fae magic will not help you here..."

"I am just the help..." I muttered behind my helmet, words meant for no one. "Not quite family yet." Betrayal—how rich. It was they who attacked me first.

In their brazen arrogance, they thought themselves prepared. But they did not have my full measure—not by half.

Now that I had my Mimic to bolster my defense, I could focus entirely on attack and positioning. The armored warrior who dared to utter such trite words had stepped a bit too far forward, thinking victory was within grasp. Or perhaps they just wanted to end this quickly, one way or another.

Whatever the reason, I seized the opening. Launching myself with a speed no man in full armor should possess, I closed the distance. Wielding my Lucerne one-handed sacrificed some agility and control, but its considerable reach remained—a reach that translated into devastating power. With a downward swing enhanced by Entropic Strike, I crushed through the arrogant warrior's guard.

Void poison surged into him from the point of impact—a substance I knew instinctively was short-lived but inimical to life and creation on this plane. Brought to one knee, his companions tried desperately to drag him away, but he was too heavy, and I was too swift.

Charging them with Rush Strike, I skewered the other twin through the eyeslit of his helm after shattering his guard with an Improved Shield Bash. To my surprise, the warrior's death was not immediate. Either he too was blessed with Regeneration, or perhaps healing Alchemics still coursed through his veins.

He scrabbled on the floor—a fallen statue of tortured metal.

Guildmaster Canis barked out more orders, his men dwindling under the onslaught of the Djinn and me. Now, it was only a matter of time before this scene reached its inevitable conclusion.

I saw it as if it were foretold… the song of my own Aura singing to me of my impending victory.

But I had learned that nothing could be taken for granted. Before the final curtain fell, luck, fortune, or Fate might yet decide to interfere. To get in my way as it was wont to do. I would take no chances.

I had grown and learned that arrogance and hubris lead to the fall of man. I would fight as if facing a hundred Fens... and I would savor every moment.

Canis, send me more, I thought to myself. Send more so that my weapon might drink of them and their energies.

It was time to make more endings and do a bit more grinding.

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