CHAPTER 124.

Frei was fed the potion as her eyes grew wide. It really was real. She had been saved by Amber, by the person she had chosen to serve. It was something that she never expected, because⁠— why would she?

All her life she was a castaway, the people that loved her were gone, and Amber was a contractual relationship for her. She had no responsibility to meddle in her affairs, let alone save her life like this. Yet she did, and the notion was unbelievable.

The curses on her body were erased, and a moment later the healer from the Saints of Truth burst through another part of the wall, swinging for Amber.

Frei was suddenly nervous due to the obvious level disparity, but to her surprise Amber simply ducked under the wide swing and lifted her in a carry. Then, Amber, with a kick of her legs, took Frei out of the building, leaving through one of the ripped holes, and ignoring the healer who screamed in anger.

“Someone as weak as you dares to get in my way?” the healer appeared and this time, Amber teleported away.

Frei blinked, was Amber’s grand plan to outrun the level 315 Healer? Because that most certainly was not going to work. At least, the chains were no longer on her, but her mana reservers were poor and she was missing her storage ring, so she couldn’t help Amber yet.

Perhaps she’s buying time?

Amber dashed to the side, behind a tree and dropped Frei gently on the ground, much to her surprise.

“Please take care of her,” she said simply.

Who? Frei was confused, and a moment later a spell was used on her, and she saw two familiar people.

And when she understood what the magic was doing, she finally felt safe.

* * *

Amber turned, cracking her neck. She didn’t have all that much time, she didn’t know how busy the head guard was with the Arcane Council, but she didn’t expect it to last long. Especially not after they had taken so long to find Frei. Even though Remmel had gotten some mages to set up proper anti-scrying formations and the works to give her as much time as possible, Amber still remained cynical.

And why wouldn’t she?

Frei almost died.

And now, it was time for her to face the person that had caused Frei all that pain. While she didn’t comment on it, it was clear that the elven mage had just lost her family. Which Amber found vile.

The warrior from the Saints of Truth appeared in front of her with a ace twisted in anger. But Amber could only focus on how vile it was to deliberately do that. And it angered her, a lot.

“You know, if you lead me to the Dark Reaper I may be willing to spare you, girl who has the same class as that man,” she said, displeased.

And Amber didn’t say anything as she increased her attributes to as much as she could without the use of Essence, and then she pounced. She had seen the Healer using her fists, so it was normal to repay in kind. Amber swung her balled fist with all her strength and the woman immediately frowned.

“Bad choice.” She received her punch with the palm of her hand⁠—

A loud bang echoed and the woman slid across the ground as the water at their feet rocked, and her eyes flashed with some surprise, before they immediately frowned.

“You really are making a mistake, fighting someone 100 levels above you, girl.”

Amber shrugged. “I already pissed off the parliament of the Sacred Forest, and also killed the other Archbishop, I’m not known to make good choices.”

At that the woman immediately frowned.

First step is luring her. Amber prepared herself on her mind.

“In fact, Mr Archbishop Amos was so damn obsessed with me he killed himself in an attempt to blast me,” she added, barely remembering his name.

At that the member of the Saints of Truth was finally done listening and screamed.

“You bitch⁠—” She appeared behind Amber, swinging with a golden light.

Amber deflected it with her forearm, getting a burst of pain from the brushing and then with her left hand she went for a hook but the mage easily dodged it and went for an uppercut.

Second step is going all out.

She immediately blared her Essence to the max, and allowed the hit to make contact. In an instant, her brain wobbled and she lost consciousness for a second but still managed to raise her other hand and block the following jab into her face.

She gripped as the healer tried to pull back⁠ and Amber⁠— headbutted her. The healer reeled and then Amber punched, breaking her jaw and teeth and she didn’t stop there as she pulled again, her left hand still holding hers and then she punched her un-armored stomach.

Ribs cracked and Amber immediately channeled her Essence as she pulled her hand back and flicked her arm. Wind Cleave and Fulminating Slash went off, immediately piercing and cutting deep into the woman and also exploding. And Amber dug into her body, and intended to rip her heart out when she screamed⁠—

“You’re not getting away with this!”

White light burst and Amber felt all of the curses on her body become inert which Amber expected. Then, the woman immediately healed as she grabbed onto Amber’s arm and twisted, pushing it out and breaking it. She headbutted back and Amber stumbled.

“Just die!”

And she punched, digging into abdomen, rearranging her organs before it sent her flying at supersonic speeds.

Amber hit the wall of the sunken cirque with a blast of rock. She coughed up blood as she healed it, and like a bullet the healer arrived, kicking into Amber’s abdomen and breaking her spine as she sunk into the mountain.

She blacked out for a moment before she recovered consciousness. In the end, perhaps it would've been better to go all out from the start but she also had to get information on what this woman could do. Especially because there was a good chance that this fight would call the head guard over.

But it was clear that she wouldn’t be able to escape, and now she had gotten a good amount of information. So, she made her decision.

Amber healed, her body lightly glowing as she got out of the mountain, and the woman immediately went for a hit but Amber in return flared her Essence, as she took out Arkara’s Staff and another object.

A ring, similar to the Ring of the Twin Moons with a similar function except a lot more straightforward. Instead of being usable once a month it was usable once, and instead of having no drawback it required a simple sacrifice.

She smiled as the ring began to glow in a bright red light, and the woman’s eyes widened.

“You⁠—”

Her punch connected but Amber simply took it as she smiled. “ Ring of Truth, to punish this heathen I offer you half of my vitality.”

The ring flared, and Amber pointed her staff at the woman as she hit the stone wall.

“So listen to me and make her vanish with my⁠—”

Storm of Destruction.

And red lightning connected as the ring on her hand shattered. Amber immediately felt her body contort with pain and the warrior⁠— screamed.

She was thrown away by the first red lightning bolt, and a chain of ever increasing lightning bolts followed after her. Making a linear line of red that tore through the environment, evaporating the water, destroying the surroundings and breaking everything apart.

In a single moment the land was torn asunder and Amber collapsed panting.

“Fuck, that was worse than I expected…”

Her curses weren’t restored but she still kept half of her Essence after the attack, the enhancements of the staff and the ring combined had achieved such destruction. Unfortunately, there was only one of those rings inside the storage.

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Amber slowly healed as she got up, drinking a health potion as she looked into the distance. She didn’t think the attack had killed the woman, but it should’ve gotten her quite badly. Now all that was left was to finish her off. She tossed the vial away and⁠—

The member of the Saints of Truth appeared next to her and grabbed onto her arm with both hands, immediately breaking the bone into multiple places. Amber felt danger like never before, as she was slammed into the ground, the woman was covered with a red aura and she immediately raised her boot and stomped.

“Cauterize.”

Water exploded and sizzled and Amber screamed as her wound that had already been healing⁠— reopened. And a notification came, one that made her pause.

[In the presence of a rampaging Lightblessed Enlightened Healer any skill below the 5th Rank is suppressed.]

[In the presence of a rampaging Savage Brawler any close quarter skill below the 5th Rank is suppressed.]

She can do all of that?!

Amber’s heart immediately skipped and she was pulled as the healer held her by the hand, and punched, making her throw up blood. Then she headbutted as Amber reeled. Her brain struggling to process what had just happened, but she also made herself think about her new skill.

It’s 3rd Rank would save her, and yet⁠—

Amber was punched, her nose was broken.

⁠— she couldn’t use it because of the restrictions.

“You know, one of the many meanings for my name is protected by god.” She pressed onto Amber’s hand, breaking all of her fingers at once. “So engrave the name Samara into your brain, bitch and remember the mistake you’ve made by confronting me; someone who can suppress your pathetic skills! No amount of artifacts will allow you to cross the wide chasm between the two of us!”

Amber flared her Essence as she looked at the woman defiantly and swung, using both of her slashing attacks at the healer. Which she ate before Amber was kicked on the legs, breaking her limbs. Even then, Amber still kept on trying to use her new skill.

“I don’t understand why you can still attack me back, but it doesn’t matter because you are mere trash.”

She was punched in the face, going into the water as her mind reeled. Amber clenched her fist, a flame igniting on it from within. She focused on Essence control more than anything, to make it as small as possible; to not completely consume her core; to make it stronger.

Amber focused as the mage grabbed her by the throat and squeezed her roughly. But even then, she kept on trying to use her new skill.

“What’s wrong, cat got your tongue?” she mocked. “Alas, your inflated ego convinced you this was a good idea, you flew too close to the sun, Cursebearer woman.”

The mage’s eyes narrowed and she squeezed harder, crushing Amber’s windpipe and she finally gathered enough. She raised her hand and stabbed a small arrow into the woman’s shoulder⁠—

Primordial Blazing Bolt.

A rippling explosion of blue went off, taking the healer’s arm and blasting Amber away as she came to a rolling stop.

Resurrect, she cast inwardly, hitting the ground. Revive, restore, alive me⁠— Amber desperately tried to use her skill and a moment later, she felt a presence behind her that loomed over her preparing a shining attack as the light around her body began to fade.

“You resisted till the end, I’ll give you that, but now is goodbye⁠.”

And Amber groaned, struggling to breathe as she finally managed to use her newest skill, the suppression finally wearing off.

[Accursed Strength 3rd Rank — level 9.

You’ve grown adept at using your curses, at consuming them and even grown somewhat used at having them be extinguished and out of your grasp. Now your curses affect your strength, starting at 50% bonus and scaling up or weakening depending on your status to them.

2nd Rank ⁠— You’ve gained an instinctual gauge to what your current strength bonus is.

3rd Rank ⁠— Once every six hours, you can flare extinguished curses, causing them to come back with four times the intensity.

And the third rank kicked in.

Amber immediately regenerated as she felt strength course through her body and she tapped her body as she used Cursed Reignition, causing the strength bonus to hit a whole 350%. Then she used her meager Essence to empower God’s Physique and her Legacy Branch, her strength attributes reaching a never seen before heights.

Amber used the 3rd Rank of Quick Dash.

The healer stomped and water exploded, Amber appeared on top of her and clasping both of her hands together she swung down. All while wishing she would’ve succeeded in bodily enhancement with runes, as she wondered what it could’ve been.

Bones cracked as the healer was blasted right into the ground with a loud explosion, then she tried to teleport away as Amber immediately arrived before her, her eyes widening. As she just now recovered her arm.

“How does it feel?” Amber asked, stomping down on her foot and punching.

The member from the Saints of Truth bent almost fully in 90 degrees, her leg snapping out of its socket as Amber delivered another blow.

“To be beaten by trash.”

The woman’s eyes trembled as Amber punched and she finally spoke as she tried to back off, blocking a blow that caused her hand to snap.

“H-How…” the disbelief in her quivering voice was obvious. “You were⁠—”

And Amber punched her away, making her crash into the house where she had encountered Frei. Part of the roof collapsed as wood splintered all over the place. And finally Amber summoned Cursewelder as she teleported into the house.

The healer immediately turned to block, but the burning silver flames on the sword immediately cleaved through her arm, her eyes quivering.

“You⁠— you have two divine artifacts.”

Amber swung down as the woman tried to block, the sword cleaving deep into her bone as she squealed.

“Just what are you?!” she screamed.

A pale orange aura surrounded her as her strength increased, and she immediately healed her missing limb as she tried to fought back, but Amber blocked and she deflected her fist, following the muscle memory from General Weapon Mastery.

Then, she took the chance to slash, amputating the woman’s arm off. Then flaring her Essence she used Inexorable Will as the member of the Saints of Truth gritted her teeth, and Amber slashed, taking her other arm.

“I refuse to die to someone over a hundred levels below me!”

Her arms regrew and she pounced on Amber as she gritted her teeth, un-summoning Cursewelder and re-summoning it to stab it right into her heart. Then, using her mana she cast⁠—

Flamethrower.

In a single moment the woman combusted into purple, silver and blue flames as she screamed and she was affected by curses, which meant⁠—

Battery.

Amber blasted the woman with all the accumulated curses she had, as she was thrown away out of the house and finally, she raised her hand as she poured all of the accumulated rage from the scuffle into it. The Curse of the Abyss from her title gathering at her command, aimed at the woman as she slowly got up⁠—

And Amber discharged it all.

The spot where the healer had been standing ruptured with a purple explosion, the Curse of the Abyss exacerbating every single curse the woman had been hit with. Flesh streaked into the surroundings and Amber just stared at the flaming spot. Her heart beating, her entire being panting from the exertion that had been.

Her core wasn’t suffering yet, but it was close.

Amber stared at the smoke, as she saw a small light, and then⁠— it ruptured. It swept over her as her curses were forcefully suppressed again. To have access to that much stuff was unbelievable.

The healer burst out of the smoke, this time some of the wounds persevered as she arrived, her gaze filled with madness.

“I won’t die!” She jumped over her sword swing.

Amber blocked a punch as she was sent back, her strength a far cry of what it had been, but at the same time hers was also less than ideal⁠— no longer having any Essence to spare.

“I refuse to fall for your tricks, you’ve consumed all of my mana,” she kicked, making Amber stumble back as she gritted her teeth.

“Just what kind of things are you hiding, Cursebearer?!”

Amber was forced to dodge out of the way as she found herself growing weaker and the healer growing stronger. A light aura surrounding the member of the Saints of Truth.

She’s growing stronger from every hit she lands on me. That was the only logical conclusion, and it was bad.

Amber stepped out of the way, gritting her teeth as the healer chased for her. She was so durable. How was she supposed to kill her? Amber blocked with her massive sword as she was pushed back, the healer’s attacks growing more frenzied.

The healer laughed. “I’ll make you confess everything!”

“Shut up, already, fuck,” she cursed.

Amber dashed back and raised her sword, and cast⁠— Flamethrower. Flames engulfed the woman as she pounced right through them and Amber used her sword to block as a punch still landed on her face. Then, Amber kicked, sending her opponent away as she began to think.

How to kill the damn woman.

Overwhelming her physically was clearly not an option, so something more precise had to be it.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw the healer charge towards her, and Amber came to a quick conclusion⁠— aim for the fucking head.

She sidestepped, and from within the Cursewelder summoned the Sword of the Abyss and slashed deep into the woman’s neck as she healed it right through. Not managing to decapitate her. Her eyes widened and⁠—

Amber was punched into the stomach and was sent flying, losing both of her swords. She needed a way to blow her head off, yet she had nothing, no skills, no anything. Perhaps this battle would’ve been going a lot more differently if she had been able to enhance her body once more with runes.

But unfortunately, that wasn’t possible⁠—

Amber dodged as her train of thought paused, and she immediately created two runes of flaring with her incredibly niche skill Cursed Creation. And then she stepped back and jabbed, channeling a burst of Essence on her arm.

Her hand tore into the throat of the healer as she gasped in surprise, but she smiled as her wound closed immediately, and Amber tackled.

She tackled the healer onto the ground as she immediately punched Amber into her ribs, breaking them.

“I didn’t know you were that desperate to die⁠— ah!”

She gasped as Amber strangled her and she simply laughed, punching once more as the pain got worse, and Amber⁠— channeled her Essence, trying to refine her favorite attack. Primordial Blazing Bolt.

The healer laughed, punching twice more and almost getting Amber of her, but a moment later her face changed to a panic as blue flames immediately began to burn.

“Stop⁠—”

And a moment later⁠.

It exploded.

Her head exploded, brain matter and entrails went in all directions, and Amber couldn’t help but let out a deep breath as she collapsed on the ground.

She had won.

[You have defeated a [Lightblessed Healer. Lvl. 315].]

For defeating an enemy 120 levels above your own, you have received bonus experience!

Less experience for defeating an enemy as a group.

…