CHAPTER 127.

Her consciousness was fading, there was a disconnect from her body as her entire head felt chilly. The back of her head and sides were banging against her skull, almost as if her brain wanted to break out⁠— a head splitting headache that made it hard to think. And the world in her vision was spinning, blood was flying, and to top it all off, there were also loud and high pitched ringing sounds.

What happened?

One moment she was trying to kill the Archmage with the staff, the other she had the staff and the next one her hands had been cut off, her attack was erased and she… Her eyes widened as Amber realized a simple fact:

She was dying.

The sounds turned into screams, and a moment later, she was enveloped by shadows. She felt the faintest of touch around her head, and a moment later it all became darkness along with a weird motion as she kept on moving. Then, a moment later, she lost touch with the outside world. And instead, remembered her upbringing.

She remembered her doting mother, who was kind but was also a highly functional alcoholic. She remembered how she had anger issues and yet never took it out on her. Not until she moved out for college. Because she had betrayed her, because her mother had raised her and this was how she was being repaid.

And that was how she lost contact with her.

Amber remembered her friends, she remembered the girl that had once asked her out but immediately cried when she declined. She remembered the praise of her teachers, the weird looks she got when running so much.

She remembered meeting Ax’thra. Saving Liz and Thieney. Rescuing Velda.

Amber remembered everything, every little aspect of her life as it all faded away. And for a moment, she felt lonely, for a moment she felt bad, before finally, she felt simple disappointment on herself.

She didn’t want to die here, but what could she do?

She was trying to rouse her Essence but it didn’t respond, she was trying to do anything but nothing really responded.

In the end, as much as she wished for Ax’thra, or for Val’leri, or even for Sid’fril⁠— or anyone with power to save her, it wasn’t happening. This was unfortunately the end.

Her consciousness began to fade, and she felt pain.

A lot of it.

Amber screamed and her vision came back as she gagged and the first thing she felt was an embrace as sobs entered her ears.

“It worked, it actually worked,” Frei cried.

“What?”

She blinked, seeing her elven companion crying, and then she touched her neck where there was a thin line. It was made out of scar tissue and a reminder of what had happened. There was also blood around her neck and she still felt pain around it. She could still feel her tissues connecting, and her body was; her own. The same one she had lost.

“How did you save me?”

“I scrambled for your head and body, and immediately put them together but it wasn’t working⁠— I thought I really thought someone else was going to die in front of me,” she said trembling. “But then I used my best regeneration potion and a bit of my Legacy Branch and it… it just worked…”

She swallowed. Amber had a feeling that that wasn’t the whole reason, but that the 5th Rank of Recovery of Curses had also played a big part in her recovery. Nonetheless, she didn’t voice that out, but instead thanked her companion.

“Thank you.”

“I knew you weren’t dead because of the lack of notification but⁠—”

Frei’s eyes widened and she yanked her in a hurry, then a moment later the spot where they had been standing was blown to smithereens. Amber and Frei landed together far from the current battlefield as Frei spoke with seriousness. All the nervousness and indecision from her voice suddenly gone.

“We have to take the staff off him, or we’ll all die. Only a level 400 attack will tear down his barrier, not even Remmel’s anti-magic dagger will work,” she said, frowning. “Also, here. You’ll need it.”

Amber caught a Ring of the Twin Moons and immediately put it on, then a moment later the Archmage appeared before them. Now he looked wholly uninjured, and on his hands there was Arkara’s Staff, its stone shining a turquoise light now instead. Though the Archmage had an ugly frown.

“Even killing you is as difficult as capturing you, I guess I should admire that,” he spat. “This time I’ll make sure your head does not rejoin with your body⁠— or even better if there’s no head.”

Amber immediately frowned. She was still lightly shivering from the fact that her head was cut off. But at the same time, that feeling merely made her want to extinguish the Archmage as soon as possible; to kill the thing that had caused her such pain. Just like the Demon of Genesis . He wanted him dead.

“Amber, I hate to say this, but you’ll have to buy me time,” she said, before turning to the Archmage. “Otherwise we won’t stand a chance.”

“Frei Lasren, you really have become this bitch’s dog. I really thought you had great promise in magic but you continue to disappoint me.”

She smiled. “Sorry teacher, but I found my calling.”

“I stopped being that ages ago!”

He summoned ten barriers with his staff and Amber dashed and Frei teleported away, then they exploded. The explosion radius was unlike anything she had seen before. Which only served to remind her of the power Arkara’s Staff had brought to the man.

I should have never taken it out. Amber regretted it.

As soon as he powered up, she should’ve put it away. But unfortunately, hindsight is always 20/20. Still, Amber chose not to linger on things and immediately dashed to the side as more barriers exploded.

The blast caught her and she was thrown further away from the previous battle site. And Amber noticed something from afar. The guards were intact even if the surroundings were completely destroyed. Though Amber couldn’t use that to her advantage, because Frei’s tier 4 spell would kill them.

She cursed and Amber felt danger as she swerved away, only a third of her neck was chopped off by a barrier. Then, the mage appeared in front of her pointing his staff and Amber⁠— ducked. The tree behind her was split in half, it was clear to her the Archmage wanted one thing and one thing only; to decapitate her.

“Are you sure you should be targeting me?” Amber grunted, throwing a Fulminating Slash into the Archmage in front of her.

The explosion of blue engulfed him and Amber felt danger as she stumbled back, falling on her rear as the ground was torn asunder by a gigantic barrier that would’ve split her body in half otherwise.

“It doesn’t matter, all of you will die anyway. That spell is not hard to dodge.”

Amber backed off and at that moment, Remmel grabbed her before the two disappeared and the mage scoffed. They were under Aveline’s skill. Even now, she was saving their lives.

“There is a barrier preventing teleportations from taking place, you people won’t escape,” he said. “You’re merely trying to delay the inevitable.”

Remmel immediately brought her as far away from the mage as possible, and the man looked bloodied but resolute.

“Have this,” he handed her a Ring of Truth before he continued speaking. “Listen carefully Amber, When Frei prepares the spell there is only one thing we want you to do and that is for you to bring the mage to the spot where your red explosion happened. So long as he is in that area everything will be fine.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” Amber asked, frowning.

“If you must, use this, but I’d rather you not do it unless you can enhance it somehow,” he said, pushing a scroll onto her.

Amber grabbed the item and quickly used Appraisal. It was quite literally a scroll with a shuffle spell; not the curse but the spell. It would allow her to switch with any object or person, at varying success rates depending on the target. And Amber noted that she could use Cursed Rage Synergy in order to enhance it. So, she stowed it and prepared herself for the worst.

“Alright. Did Aveline finish the carvings?”

Remmel frowned. “She did⁠, they’re still intact, why⁠—”

And two barriers appeared between them as the two dashed in different directions, the explosion hitting them and getting them out of stealth. Amber immediately teleported away as another barrier exploded⁠— no, evaporated the spot where she had just been in.

How? She was shocked that the mage had managed to get past Aveline’s spell. She landed in a stumble, and the mage appeared behind her and Amber once more ducked, as the air overhead was sliced open.

“You know, if controlling the staff wasn’t so difficult you’d already be dead,” he commented. “However, sensing you is not a problem anymore.”

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Amber dashed away and ducked as the mage attempted to decapitate her again. She was shocked because there was almost no cooldown to his attempts.

That said, Frei is preparing her attack and considering how she’s a prodigy, it shouldn’t take too long. She had read books about her in the academy, she was lauded as a prodigy⁠— there was absolutely no way that she’d take long. And so, Amber bid her time as she focused on running.

She dodged two more barriers as the mage seemingly just began to enjoy the hunt, but Amber simply focused on one thing and one thing only.

Running.

A moment later, he appeared this time he kicked and Amber failed to dodge as she tripped.

Her heart skipped numerous beats as she landed with a thud. She was truly powerless against the staff, something that made her regret her actions from earlier even more. She opened her eyes only to shake as the staff was pointed at her neck, and for a moment, she remembered what had happened before.

“You really are annoying, but perhaps it means that the reward from killing you will be greater,” he smiled wickedly.

“W-Wait,” Amber cried.

She couldn’t die here. She did NOT want to die here. She wanted to live, no matter what.

“You want to recite your last words or what?” he asked.

“I just wanted to say that…”

Amber looked at the mage and raised her hand, a ring present on it. One that she had just summoned, one tried to use earlier and failed her, but one that should work now. Before it had dispelled, but now it would work.

After all, mage barriers filtered between attacks and other things.

“You should stop.”

Inexorable WIll went off and then she used her ring⁠—

Repulse.

The mage was blasted away as his eyes widened and Amber rolled out of the way as a barrier almost sliced her in half. Then with a burst of speed she ran towards the crater.

I’ll have my best chance to stall him there. At this point the danger of being in the same spot as him didn’t matter. All that matters is getting the chance to take the staff.

Amber took out the Cursewelder and tried to block a forming barrier as she ducked and to her surprise⁠— the sword repelled it completely, something that gave the mage pause as he tried to slash at her once more only to get the same result. Appearing next to her.

“How strange. Now I’m curious, is that sword a divine artifact too, thief?”

“So what if it is?” Amber retorted, still going towards the crater.

She dashed forward, careful to not use the 3rd Rank of Quick Dash in case of emergency. And a moment later, she was grabbed by the arm.

“I want it.”

Amber stowed Cursewelder into her ring in inhumane reaction time, and her arm was⁠— chopped off a moment later.

“No.” Amber scoffed and⁠— burned. The mage let out a loud grunt as he let go and Amber teleported past him and got near the crater.

“I will make sure you die a painful death, Amber.”

Yet in spite of his words, he didn’t act. At least not for a second. But as soon as she walked past the fallen soldiers, he appeared and kicked with a barrier forming on his foot. Amber’s spine snapped and she was thrown deep into the still scorching crater as her consciousness almost blanked out.

The mage appeared before her and Amber weakly lifted her ring and⁠—

He used dispel as Repulse, failed to do anything. And Amber simply frowned, and the mage raised his foot and stomped.

A loud crunch resounded and Amber nearly threw up. Then, as he chopped off her left arm and she gritted her teeth, a note from Remmel appeared on her hand.

“Must be the signal from your friends,” he said. “Though I don’t sense any mana, how peculiar. I don’t know what your friend said to you while you were playing hide and seek, but it hardly matters.”

Amber ignored that, and instead she focused. I just have to run⁠— the mage stomped again and she suppressed a scream. Her mind raced for answers, and finally she arrived at one.

“It fascinates me how your body regenerates so quickly. I wonder what the limits are on that,” he said. “I’d love to see.”

He encrusted his barrier into her newly regenerated arm, and Amber saw Frei appeared in the sky as it became complete night.

“Oh, it’s starting.”

“You wanted my sword right?” Amber took Cursewelder out.

The Archmage raised his brow, his anger gone. But even with that he looked disheveled, which was a trace of his previous insanity. However, Amber paid no attention to that and threw it before lifting her ring and flicked it away with Repulse. It ended up jamming itself into a tree.

“Good trick, but I’m not moving until the spell is done,” he laughed.

Frei raised her hand, hesitation on her face.

“You know if you try to use that scroll I sensed I’ll just shut it down, right?” he asked incredulously.

Amber looked up at Frei and called. “Do it.”

She hesitated but ultimately nodded as her hand reached a new peak.

“Fallen.”

Amber took out the scroll as the mage smirked and then, she glared at him and used Inexorable Will exerting her core as the mage flinched and the scroll flashed to light.

In an instant, she appeared where Cursewelder had been and the spot with the mage⁠—

“Star.”

Exploded.

It was done.

It all was engulfed in darkness, as Amber looked back preparing herself to enter the fray once more, but a moment later she saw a dome of light.

He blocked it?

It was cracked and falling apart. The dirt and everything around until the guards were missing, only a single spot of dirt remained untouched. And a moment later she heard a maniacal laugh.

“It’s useless!” He laughed. “I could’ve killed you all already, and you don’t seem to realize it. You all don’t seem to understand that it only takes a single spell for me to end you all.”

He raised the staff high into the air as thousands of barriers appeared in the surroundings. Amber began to sweat from the danger.

“None of you can understand the potential of this divine artifact that our land was blessed with, and you all have been trying to take it! You are all a bunch of dim witted individuals aren’t you?”

He laughed crazily and Amber made a decision. If she was going to die anyway. Might as well do her best.

“No matter, I will kill you all.”

She blasted away from the tree with a powerful jump and immediately hit the spot where the Cursewelder had been and grabbed it, and the Archmage grinned, for he had won. Even at point blank, Inexorable Will did nothing as he showed his pearly whites in happiness.

“Obliteration of Parallel⁠—”

And a golden arrow struck him. A loud crack resounded and his personal barrier shattered as he nearly fell over from the shockwave, and Amber⁠’s eyes momentarily widened.

Thank you Asil.

She dashed forward, unaffected by the spell.

“You⁠—”

Inexorable Will.

The mage froze and with Silver Flame Edge, and all her strength enhancements she slashed. Wind Cleave going off as the mage’s arm was sheared off like butter.

“NO!”

Amber yanked the staff and kicked him away with a loud bang as she raised the staff into the air.

Amber decided to trust the claim that all of the carvings were done and intact in spite of the environment saying otherwise, and immediately began to channel Essence as she drew runes into the air. Not a second later different spots in the surroundings were felt by Amber.

Aveline had carved them far away which was all the more impressive that she kept them consistent. Amber followed her Essence, as she drew with the staff into the air, her acceptable rune knowledge aiding her.

“Everyone, get the soldiers out of here, and leave me alone,” she commanded.

A moment later, the soldiers began to be teleported out, and Amber switched her rings around. As she began casting.

“Ring of Truth, I seek your power once again, please allow me to offer three quarters of my life in exchange for your aid,” it was a much longer cast.

One befitting of the insane Saints of Truth. And one that would allow her to make the attack even stronger. An aura of red surrounded her.

“So please, grant this humble servant your power, please allow me to punish this heathen with your aid.”

And she let out a deep breath as she activated the Ring of the Twin Moons, the aura around her turning white. Then she enhanced with the Curse of the Vanquished, as the spell reached new heights. And by this point, all of the guards were gone.

All but one person remained; the Archmage that appeared in front of her.

“I won’t let you!”

Amber strained her core with Inexorable Will as the man’s spell was interrupted. And Amber focused on finishing her cast as the staff let out an irradiating light. Her Essence drained completely, her core almost cracked and⁠ a moment later, shattered, leveling up as its new-found Essence was emptied a second time.

And Amber completed her spell with that, barely.

“Aid me in creating this Lighting Storm.”

And the mage before was smitten by white lightning from the heavens themselves.

Amber was blasted back as the spot where she had just been standing was pulverized. A rain of thunder that shattered her ear-drums engulfed the area as the environment was annihilated. Everything in that crater was torn apart, erased off the map, an attack that rivaled the might of Frei’s own tier 4 spell.

An attack created by countless of enhancements, an attack that could only made once, and an attack that⁠—

Amber hit a tree with a loud bang as dizziness hit her.

⁠— an attack that would put an end to this battle in a single moment.

[You have defeated a [Barrier Mage. Lvl. 352].]

For defeating an enemy 155 levels above your own, you have received bonus experience!

Less experience for defeating an enemy as a group.

…

While Amber had come here to learn magic and get better at Essence, a lot of things hadn’t gone as planned.

She had fought and almost died numerous times. But all those times she grew stronger, and with each, she grew closer to her Class Advancement. And finally, this battle happened. The final confrontation for her to leave the Sacred Forest, and her last tribulation to reach greater heights.

And she came out on top.

In the end, there was no better battle than this one to become more and to grow stronger.

[You have reached level 199. 10 stat points awarded.]

+5 Vitality +5 Strength +5 Dexterity.]

[You have reached level 200. 10 stat points awarded.]

+5 Vitality +5 Strength +5 Dexterity.]

[Requirements for Class Advancement have been met!]

In the end, there’s no better battle to get my advancements.

Amber didn’t know what conditions she had cleared, but it didn’t matter. Because after so long, it had finally happened.

[Level ups delayed due to pending advancements.]

…

[Class Advancement is now Available!

You may now evolve your class.]

[Legacy Branch advancement is now Available!

You may now specialize your Legacy Branch.]

Her level 200 advancements.