Ozlo's Dragonfyre burned through countless undead in an instant. The blaze seemed to scorch all undead in its path, yet it left the trees and even the blades of grass untouched, only incinerating what Ozlo wanted it to and nothing else. As expected of someone who had made a pact with Dragons, and of someone with his diligence and work ethic, he was unrivaled when it came to his control over Dragonfyre.
As it rampaged, Ozlo came to confirm their condition.
"Are you all okay?"
"Barely. That was way too much undead for us to handle".
None of them were protagonists with OP abilities, so none of them had any ability to suddenly defeat an entire undead horde. Even if it was mainly goblins, the sheer numbers were just too many.
"This has to be Chianthias right?"
"Maybe, but that's not guaranteed. It could be something else" Ozlo mentioned, burning through another wave of undead. "There are way more of them then I expected. This is especially concerning".
"Is there anyone else who would set something up like this?"
Ozlo grimaced. "Don't you remember? This forest is full of ancient ruins. And when the massive Starfall event happened, there was a massive flux of spacetime energy. This caused damage to the room used to safely acquire True Arcaniums...but it wouldn't have limited itself to just that. The fact that the Elven Facility came online, and who knows what else activated or was affected. Which means...the state of the undead may be something buried beneath the ground here. And it also means that these may not be the only undead we have to face".
Everyone had a shocked revelation to Ozlo's words. Indeed, all of those facts had been established. For the fact that the Mage's Guildmaster had only just started to make use of the elven mechanized soldiers, they had no idea how much of the facility was working before then. But if it only became truly activated when the spacetime energy wave hit this world, then that meant there could be countless other magical artifacts being affected.
"Furthermore, some time ago a strange wave of purified energy hit the city as well. The cause is unknown, but that could have triggered something as well. Kuroki, Riku, you both should know exactly when this happened".
"...when our curses got lifted".
"Indeed. That was a little too strange. Even if we know that Akano was behind it, and that he was being juiced by some pact he made with a god, we don't know how much divine energy was released into the spirit world then, and then leaked into the physical world. Assuming that it targeted all curses, then there could be ramifications. The curses that were not at the direct point of impact but just in the surrounding area could be especially problematic, because rather than disappearing, its possible they just degraded, or even mutated. We also don't know if the spacetime energy had an impact on that as well. And finally...Chianthias has never utilized undead before. Its not impossible she was given a relic to utilize them, but there is a good chance there is a relic undiscovered in these ruins that is the true cause".
Ozlo said that, but there was something he had not said yet.
I also heard about that Shadow thing that attacked you as well. If I am right, that Shade Bird is part of something bigger. I know a lot of magic, but its abilities and powers...it sounds abnormal, unlike any creature I have ever heard of before. And I have been to the Spirit World many a times. I cannot ignore the possibility that when it got defeated, they made another plans to go after Kuroki...but why him? Kuroki has magic sure, but its not like he is especially powerful or shows any hidden destiny or special talents. His magical growth, while great, is nothing out of the normal when it comes down to it. There is no reason to be so wary of him...
Stumped by this, Ozlo couldn't say it out loud. There was no definite proof, and he wasn't even totally sure of it himself. But he believed that it was at least vaguely on the right path to figuring things out.
"Everyone stay with me. We cant let this undead horde reach the city. I will burn us a path through. Gramps, you there?"
"Of course!" Riza declared, jumping from the shadows. Four swords charged forward, flying through the air and cutting through the zombies and skeletons with ease. Whatever force that reanimated them didn't seem to work when Riza cut through them, as they lost all their power.
For the first time in a long time, Ozlo and Riza had both taken the battlefield at the same time. Riza's swords seemed to cut through the very necromatic powers itself that bound the undead, as they flew around the battlefield cutting everything in their way. The swords glowed with runes engraved upon them, as they sliced through the very fabric of mana itself.
"...those swords, just what are they? He claims the bands are just a decoy, but its clear they disappear when the swords appear. What are they truly?" Kuroki asked.
"They are swords made of Soulsilver. They were created by the Arcanists of Arc Haria, a bastion of magic that has existed for thousands of years. When he says the bands are decoys, that is a half truth. It is true that they do not transform into the swords he uses. What they contain are spells that he uses to obscure their nature. While the spell is invoked, the bands disappear. When it is uninvoked, the bands reappear. All to hide that the swords are made of an Ethereal metal".
"Soulsilver? Ethereal metal?"
"Soulsilver can only be produced by forging it from a fragment of one's own soul. The process is painful, long, and delicate. Its not something artificers can even make, or any normal mage. They are bathed within the full moon at the summit of Crater Mountain, where mirrors and crystals are used to focus the power, empowered by the moonlight. And then, during a time when the sky is moonless, they are finished. They exist and yet they do not exist. The only things more difficult to produce are Spirit Swords and Godblades when it comes to magical weapons, some say. The techniques used are ancient, and a great deal of ritual and ceremony goes into each one. The wielder must lay naked upon the worktable during the entire process, as their very soul is used as an ingredient and so their bodies must absorb an equal amount of moonlight and starlight".
This was a level of magic Kuroki was not familiar with, but it sounded powerful and fascinating.
"What level of magic is this?"
"The magic that you are familiar with is what has been found easy to manifest and control, and therefore has been spread around. One could say its simplified. But when you got your True Arcanium, you got a taste of it right? The power that lurked within that ritual? That would be Sorcery, the advanced form of magic. There is more nuance and ritual involved often, but in exchange the benefits are greater. Often times it can be a bit more specific and harder to use, but you can create truly special things such as Soulsilver Blades. They are able to cut through strands of magic itself, and a Soulsilver blade is capable of cutting through even the most powerful locks. But outside of a very few exceptions, the only one who can use a Soulsilver blade is the one whose soul was used to make it. There are other applications of Soulsilver however, that dont involve such specificity, although one would still have to use fragments of their soul to create them in the first place. But Soulsilver seals also exist. These seals are so strong and powerful, only a great and powerful magical tool invoked with the greatest sorcery can penetrate it. Even Gramp's soulsilver blades would be unable to scratch one".
In other words, Sorcery was the more advanced version of magic. While magic was easier to use and understand, Sorcery took more time and patience. Kuroki was excited to explore it as well, but it sounded like something that was not so easily accessed. He might need to take time before he could fully grasp it, although apparently the ritual to get a True Arcanium is actually a form of sorcery. This made sense to Kuroki, compared to when he used magic, it felt different. More advanced and ancient, and also something that had more nuance and steps to it.
Either way, the army of undead was incapable of stopping these two powerhouses. The normal goblin army would have been impossible for them to face alone, but zombies and skeletons were weaker versions of their living selves. It was said they dropped in power by one or two ranks in terms of estimations, but still.
"Are you going to wipe out the whole undead horde?"
"No. We would run out of stamina before that happened" Ozlo mentioned.
"Yeah. This sea of undead? It's kinda everywhere right now. There are others chipping away at it in other areas, but this isn't something we can handle ourselves" Riza added.
"Are you sure? To me, it looks like your slaughtering them all with ease".
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"Yeah, I am sure it looks that way, but their sheer numbers make that impossible. We are just pushing through. The center of this undead swarm should be around where the relic will be, although I am sure it will end up being underground inside some sort of crazy ruins" Ozlo pointed out, as he got a handful of Dragonfyre in his hands and seemed to toss it as he swept his arm across an area, causing the fire to jet out and incinerate everything in a flaming wave. "Looks like we are getting close too, good".
"Again, can't you summon dragons to deal with this all?"
"I don't call upon the big ones unless absolutely necessary. Especially in the forest. Even I wouldn't be able to stop the forest from being incinerated, and I need to keep them on standby for bigger threats. Like if Chianthias suddenly pops out to attack. I don't think she is behind it, but she might take advantage of it".
Riza cut through with his dual sword style, as they saw what appeared to be ruined stairs leading underground. There were a lot of undead around, but the four swords flying around him went in and helped clear the way as the six of them ran into the ruins.
"Ozlo, these ruins..."
"Yeah, I noticed too gramps".
"Wait wait, what? Dont leave us out!" Kuroki complained.
"The ruins in this area, they should be human, but this stonework here, the smoothness...that's Dwarvern style. However, the markers and writing, as well as the style of torch holders, are all human. Might be they hired Dwarves to make this, but...the ceilings are a bit short for humans".
Everyone there was short and not at the height of a fully grown human. Riza seemed to stop growing entirely fifty or sixty years ago, Ozlo was just fourteen years old and the tallest, but he wasn't tall by any aspect, he was on the shorter side of fourteen probably, but perhaps maybe just average. Kuroki had his strange stunted growth which made him seem a lot younger then he was. Riku and Kaede were both ten years old. And Ryuu was eight years old. None of them were particularly tall, so the ceilings were not an issue for them, but for a fully grown adult, they would certainly be a bit cramped. They would probably be able to stand straight up, but the ceiling would be very close to their heads. Humans typically didn't like it when the Ceiling was that close.
"These ruins don't make sense at all. Typical Dwarvern architecture would actually have higher ceilings and bigger doors usually. Not sure why, but that's what a lot prefer. There are exceptions, but I have never heard of any in this area. I suppose this could be a very Ancient Dwarvern ruin that used human writing, but that would be rather unusual".
"Usually, when ruins are unusual, its never a good sign" Riza finished up Ozlo's observation.
"What concerns me also is that the undead didn't follow us in. I was prepared to unleash Dragonfyre in these halls, but they seemed like they really wanted to avoid coming in no matter what".
Riku looked uneasy. "I don't like how closed in we are. It will be hard to fight or use weapons in this enclosed space, especially for me and Riza whose weapons are large".
Kaede meanwhile was more concerned about what was ahead. "If the undead wanted to keep us out, but could not actually enter, that means something about this place is forcing them out...but it let us inside?"
"This is not going to be good" Ryuu muttered.
As they said that, they made their way through the ruins that got creepier and creepier. There were murals on the walls that at first showed kings and kingdoms, of prosperity and happiness, but then eventually destruction and dismay at the hands of a Demon King...and the allies that did not come to help them. At that point, a lot of them had died...but then the king, who died in a previous panel, got up, but he seemed to don a robe...and his head was a skull now. It then showed him conquering a neighbor Dwarvern nation, and having them build secret facilities for him that would be incredibly difficult to have armies enter, where he could operate in peace.
And then of course, right as they got to some rather large stone doors that took up the entire hallway, they saw that engraved upon them was an undead army, ready to reclaim its kingdom. And at the center, the Undead King holding a strange crystal inside of three rings, floating in his hand.
Fearing the worst, they pushed forward and getting the doors open brought them into a large chamber. It appeared they were at the top story, and it went twenty stories down. There were hallways all over, as well as stairs that led down to various other levels. The ancient stonework, despite all the passing of time and age, still seemed to be pristine, and it was without any cracks or blemishes.
Not only that, but it was perfectly lit up by glowing crystals and torches both. Lit torches, that were glowing green for some reason. And hanging like a chandelier in the center was a large plate filled with some sort of liquid that was producing purple fire.
"...the hell is that purple fire? I am not familiar with any magical fire that is purple" Ozlo muttered.
Riza however had a grimace on his face. "I am. Green Fire is typically Soulfyre, but Purple Fire is Divifyre. Its infused with divine energies. Extremely rare, and extremely hard to get. And to have such a large thing in this entrance chamber...this entire room is probably part of some massive ritual. A ritual we will find the answers for the deeper we go in, but we cannot be sure what else we will find. Everyone, stay together and absolutely do not get separated".
Ryuu was confused by what was mentioned. "Hold on, is it even possible for Divifyre to be in the same place as undead?"
Ozlo thought for a moment. "It is probably why the undead cannot enter. That fire is powering something, but it also keeps them away. Thats why the undead can't get in. The question is what".
As he said that, Riza started to look around.
"We are being watched..." he said, when suddenly the stairs turned into a slide under his feet, and he slid down. A moment later, a passageway opened up in a wall in front of him the moment he would have slid into him, and then sealed itself behind him.
"Shit, its a trap! Everyone stay together!" Ozlo warned, when the green fire of a torch suddenly blazed around him, isolating him from the others. Ozlo tried to burn through it with Dragonfyre, but the green fire raged uncontrollably, pushing him back instead. The raging green flames felt both hot and cold at once, sending chills as well as burning any who tried to touch it. It was forcing him away from the group.
At the same time, chains wrapped themselves around Riku and Kaede's legs, and began to drag them away down another passageway. Kuroki tried to freeze the chains, but a giant skeletal arm grabbed him and Ryuu, and threw them down into another passageway, splitting them all up from each other in a moment. Once everyone was pulled away from each other, the passageways closed, leaving Kuroki and Ryuu, Kaede and Riku, Ozlo, and Riza all separated from each other.
Kuroki created a ball of light to see where they landed, only to see about a dozen old coffins. Each one seemed to be quite well made, as they were well preserved, but more disturbing was what was done to them. Silver chains wrapped around each one, and giant wooden stakes were impaled into each coffin. Not only that, but the coffins themselves were somehow soaking wet with an unusual water. Kuroki could sense traces of divine power inside of it, suggesting that somehow it was holy water soaking it. And weirdly enough, an aqueduct ran all around the coffins, with water racing around them all.
The only exception was the middle coffin. It was smaller then the others, but it was long since broken. This wasn't something that happened last month either, when they first arrived. Based on the rust of the broken chains, which apparently only started rusting once they were broken, and the rotting of the wood, it appeared this thing was broken out of more than thirty years ago. In other words, it long predated the spacetime wave and the zombies, so it was likely unrelated to what they were going through right now.
"Just to be clear, these are...vampire coffins right?"
"Probably. It looks like one got free, but given the rot and rust, that happened thirty years ago at least. Its likely long gone now. And the others...their seals look intact. So long as we don't remove the stakes or the chains, we should be fine...however, we can't shed a single drop of blood inside this room. If blood is spilled, and they become active..."
"The vampires wake up and we might die. Got it".
"Yep".
Kuroki did not think he could take on ancient vampires that someone sealed away to this degree rather then killed. He would just ask Ozlo if he could incinerate them all later. That seemed like the far more intelligent and thought out solution. However, something deep down was screaming at him to do something else as well.
Harvest the blood. Become more powerful to take them down.
It was that darkness at the pit of his stomach. He felt the murderous impulse, but this time it did not just want him to kill. It wanted him to become stronger.
It wanted him to kill Ryuu and absorb his powers.
No! Ryuu is my friend and companion! Shut up!
He had never felt the Dark Seed react this way before, but it was unusually strong. THe desire for Ryuu's blood and empowering himself with it was a bit overwhelming.
It must be resonating with the Vampires!
In his resistance, he half collapsed against a wall. Ryuu seemed to be holding his head as well.
"We need...to get out...of this room".
Ryuu tried to open the one visible door, but it was locked. Kuroki didn't even bother trying to check for wards or traps, the situation was too serious. He summoned his staff into his hands, and he blasted it with pure arcane energy, blowing up a chunk of the wall. The two of them staggered out, and once they were outside of the room, the Dark Seeds within them began to weaken.
"What the hell...was that..."
"I never felt it react like that before..."
"It has never resonated with anything like that before...but the vampires shouldn't be capable of that, especially while dead...there might be something else in here as well".
"Yeah...it felt like the source of it came from...lower?"
"We have to find Ozlo or Riza. It might get worse the deeper we go, and I don't think we will like what happens if we do".
----------------------------------------
Meanwhile, in the central chamber...
A skeletal figure dressed as a mage looked upon various images projected by the crystal, showing the various intruders of the ruins. With him was a strange diamond like crystal floating in the center of three rings, which was floating in the air beside him.
"Hmmm. First I become awakened once more thanks to the strange energy charging my masterpiece, and now we have intruders? How vexing. I assume at least some of them are the ones you wanted?"
He turned towards the figure with him...a Shade.
It nodded to him, and spoke into his head.
"The four youngest, make them submit. The rest...do as you wish with them. Hand the four to us, and we shall grant you your wish".
"Very well, I shall honor my end of the bargain".
Yes, after he had awoken, he had quite the visitor.
Using such a strange being as a medium for negotiations....whoever they are, they clearly have the power to conjure such beings. I wonder just how much I will be able to augment my own lich powers and finally accomplish my wish!
He plotted and schemed, as he looked towards his skeletal minions.
"Capture the four of them, bring them closer to me and the Shade so that they will submit. As for the other two...keep them busy, and kill them. They seem to be the strongest anyways, so send the elite forces to kill them".
Being so close to his desire, he would not let anything stop him now. He would get what he desired, and nothing would stand in his way.