After Nalia had escaped with Soren's assistance, Harald gathered Thorian and the other weakened members before setting off in pursuit. However, despite Harald's exceptional speed, they were unable to locate Soren, who had disappeared into the fiery wilderness. The smoke from the fires reduced visibility and complicated the effort to track his scent.
Nonetheless, Thorian wasn't out of options. He knew that Nalia's only chance of survival was through awakening the soulmire. Yet, since they had already freed William and the other sacrifices, that plan was no longer viable.
Nalia, unaware of this change, had a predictable path for Thorian. "Let's head to Strongheart Manor," Thorian commanded, having deduced Nalia’s likely actions. He then bit his lower lip, looking down. "I hope Nox is unharmed."
With a clear objective, the group made haste towards Locksley, then proceeded to the inner citadel. Along the way, citizens and guards viewed them with horror and fled. Thorian was momentarily indifferent to their reactions; every second was crucial, and he was determined to avoid any new regrets.
Upon entering the manor through the main gate, Alacritas appeared beside them, alongside Magnus who was accompanying him.
"My lord, I assume you wish to visit the dungeon," he said, foregoing any preliminaries.
At Thorian's nod, he led them to the staircase descending into the dungeon. The bodies of the guards Alacritas had slain were gone, though the puddles of blood remained, a grim reminder of their fate.
As they descended into the dungeon, not a single soul was in sight. The prisoners had already been freed, and neither Nox nor Nalia could be found within the cells.
"Let's check that chamber," Thorian directed.
Upon opening the chamber door, they were greeted by the sight of Nox, standing beside the lifeless body of Nalia.
"Oh, you've arrived?" Nox remarked, glancing back at Thorian and his companions. "You're a bit late. I've already completed what needed to be done."
Thorian, observing Nalia's body lying in a pool of her own blood, smiled. He then turned to Nox, his expression filled with pride. "Excellent work. It looks like you managed to exact your revenge after all."
Ventus, taken aback by the scene, hurried to Nalia's side and checked for any signs of life. Confirming her death, he looked up at Nox with a grin, "You cunning devil. You landed the final blow after all."
"It's your own fault for letting her slip away," Nox retorted with a chuckle.
"Bring her body to me," Thorian commanded, his strength greatly diminished from the overuse of his magic. "We take no risks with Nalia and her peculiar abilities. Her body must be cremated at once."
Ventus nodded in agreement, lifting Nalia's body and rushing it over to Thorian for inspection. Upon examination, Thorian confirmed her death beyond doubt. Her heart was pierced, leaving a vast hole in her chest.
"Incinerate her until nothing remains," Thorian decreed.
"As you wish, king," Ventus replied with a smile, then proceeded to annihilate Nalia's body with a series of powerful fireballs. When he finished, not even ashes remained.
"That settles it, then," Forlune remarked, eyeing the spot where Nalia's body had lain. "This witch is finally truly gone. It's hard to believe the extent of the trouble she caused us."
"My lord, what should we do next?" Aqua asked, once the grim task had concluded.
Pausing for a moment, Thorian recalled the slender man who had fled with Nalia just as they were about to defeat her, and clenched his fist. He then turned to Nox and inquired, "When Nalia arrived here, was she with someone?"
"No," Nox replied, shaking his head, puzzled. "She was alone."
Thorian bit his lip in frustration, thinking, Without Nalia's powers, I doubt that man poses any threat to us. Yet, we must resolve this issue. I won't be at peace knowing an adversary remains at large.
"My lord, I understand what might be troubling you," Aqua interjected, pulling Thorian from his thoughts. "But you're already worn out from our recent battle. We could assign the task of searching for the slender man to Alacritas; I'm confident he's still nearby."
Acknowledging Aqua's suggestion, Thorian turned to Alacritas. "Please handle this. Search every part of the city for him."
"As you command, my lord," Alacritas responded, bowing slightly before quickly departing. He was a man of action, reliable and concise.
With that matter addressed, Thorian faced Nox and, with a hint of weariness, instructed, "Today, you'll face the abyss. But first, I must share some advice. Every five floors contain hidden quests. Completing these is crucial for maximizing rewards. I won’t detail each one, but remember, defeat all adversaries before taking down the floor's boss. Understood?"
"That sounds straightforward enough," Nox answered with a light chuckle. "Don't worry about me. Return to the village and rest."
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"I will," Thorian said, his voice laden with fatigue but his smile unwavering as he regarded Nox.
With that, Thorian and his companions made their way back to Wolvendale. Upon arrival, Thorian looked at Vigil and left one last instruction. “The soulmire needs to be purified. Make it your first priority after you recover and bring in a host of high-level priests to help you in the process.”
“As you wish, my lord,” Vigil nodded.
As such, Thorian proceeded directly to his room without any fanfare and collapsed onto his bed. The moment his head touched the pillow, he was swept away into dreamland.
* * *
Nox’s POV
With Thorian and the majority of his companions resting after their strenuous battle, Nox was left with one remaining objective. He met up with Alacritas and the rest of his team, then they made their way to the abyss's entrance.
As they navigated the underground passages, Nox inquired, "What about the task Thorian assigned you? Did you locate that man?"
"I found him, and he was deceased," Alacritas replied gravely. "Judging by the condition of his body, it seems he was killed by Nalia herself. His corpse was withered, as if his soul had been extracted. I only know of one person that can do such a thing, and it’s Nalia"
"How utterly merciless," Nox remarked. "If that man had been with her upon her arrival, I might not have been able to approach them unnoticed due to his abilities. It’s fortunate for us she eliminated him, leaving herself vulnerable."
"I, too, fail to grasp her logic," Alacritas admitted with a shake of his head. "But as you've said, boss, it turned out to be advantageous. We should be grateful for her stupidity and move on."
With a chuckle at Alacritas's words, Nox and his team continued through the tunnel until they reached the chamber housing the portal to the abyss.
"It's time," Alacritas declared, his smile reflecting anticipation as he looked back at Nox. "I've been looking forward to the chance for us to really fight side by side, boss."
"Me too! I’ve been hearing all about it," piped up one of their assassin teammates, Cassia, who had been with Nox's primary group from the beginning.
"I'm excited as well," Nox replied, smiling before his gaze shifted back to the abyss's entrance. "Now let’s see what this abyss is all about."
With that, the team of five stepped through the portal. As soon as they were teleported, Nox was greeted by a series of very familiar notifications.
Welcome to the first floor of the abyss.
To clear this floor, complete the floor quest
Floor Quest Description Eliminate all the attacking goblins. Rewards
500 Experience Points.
250 Arcane Coins.
"That's hardly any experience points," Cassia grumbled, her disappointment evident. "I expected much more from this."
"Perhaps it starts off slow," suggested Alfie, another assassin in the group. "The deeper floors might offer greater rewards."
"I sure hope so, or this will be a letdown," Cassia sighed, her expectations dampened.
"Let's stay focused," Alacritas urged, bringing the group's attention back to the task at hand.
Nox, meanwhile, couldn't help but chuckle at his team's reactions before he redirected his focus to the immediate challenge. They were suddenly confronted by three groups of five goblins. With practiced ease, he drew his sword, ready for the confrontation.
Effortlessly, Nox and his team dispatched the goblins, completing the floor's quest. As they advanced, conquering floor after floor, the challenges seemed trivial. Upon reaching and clearing the fifth floor, they finally noticed a significant boost in their levels, validating their efforts in the abyss.
Level up!
Deciding to take a look at his progress, Nox opened up his status panel.
Display Panel
Ding
Race Shadowstalker Kobold Level 23/30 (exp: 2782/6800) Class Shadow Reaper Level 18/40 (exp: 5417/6200) Lifespan 40 years Cultivation Realm Qi Gathering First Stage (67.3%) Stats Strength 69 Agility 115 Constitution 48 Mana 46 Qi 20 Free Points 90
Looking at the ridiculous amount of Free Points he had amassed, Nox decided that it was finally time to use them.
Strength: 69—>90
Agility: 115—>150
Constitution: 48—>58
Mana: 46—>60
As Nox allocated his newly acquired stat points, he experienced a profound surge of strength. It was as if he had instantly shed twenty kilograms, his body feeling significantly lighter. His muscles became more defined, clearly enhancing the power of his punches. The mana swirling around his heart expanded, allowing him prolonged access to his abilities.
"How do you feel, boss?" Alacritas's question broke Nox's focus. "You seem transformed. You've distributed your points, haven't you?"
"Yes," Nox responded, marveling at the changes in his physique. "I feel much stronger now."
"That's excellent to hear," Cassia said, her smile wide. "I've also gained a lot of strength. I initially underestimated the abyss, but at this rate, I might evolve soon if we keep this up."
"Then let's move on," Nox declared, his eyes on the notification inviting them to the next floor. "I'm curious to see the look on Thorian's face when we spar again."