Zack jolted awake, his own cough ripping him from sleep.
“Cough, cough. Where am I?”
He was still groggy, body throbbing so intensely he had to grunt. ‘Damn, what happened?’ He glanced at the massive crater ahead, memory flooding back in a rush. ‘I was duking it out with the saintess!’
Drawing on the last dregs of mana, he tapped into his level 2 wizard's innate ability to hover above the dust. Inhaling sharply, he surveyed the scene from his aerial vantage point. ‘Damn...the devastation's insane. Hold up, if it's this bad here, what about Fannie?’
Expanding his senses, he scrambled to locate her. ‘Shit, shit, shit! What kind of idiot gets so wrapped up in a fight they forget about Fannie's safety? Damn it!’
Luckily, Fannie had brought along containers of his mana, which helped Zack locate her more quickly. He found her unconscious, but she had managed to activate the artifact to infuse herself with his mana, rendering her presence undetectable to the surroundings. However, she hadn't been able to activate a camouflage spell on top of that, so she remained visible visually.
Breathing a sigh of relief at her safety, he noticed her injuries were minor and already starting to heal. Letting the artifact continue its work, he fortified her hiding spot with defensive and camouflage spells.
Then, he dashed towards the crater's center to check on the saintess. He needed to confirm she was down for the count. As he made his way, he sensed a powerful presence hurtling towards them from the west.
‘Damn, that aura's massive. Must be a level 3 powerhouse. Did she call for backup?’ Zack activated his [Invisibility] spell, then, ignoring his protesting body, he kicked in [Triple Enhancement]. In this state, he hadn't met anyone faster than him yet.
Reaching the crater's center, he scanned for any signs of life before picking up a faint presence. Flipping over a rock, he found the saintess lying there, surprisingly conscious. He dropped the [Camouflage].
The saintess peered at him as he appeared, but her expression betrayed no surprise.
She murmured softly, "The blue devil mask, and that agility... I should've recognized you from a decade ago. Are you here for revenge?"
Zack just stared back, neither confirming nor denying. “Did you ever think this day would come? You've taken innocent lives. It's time for you to face the consequences.”
At the mention of innocent lives, a flicker of confusion crossed her face, though it was fleeting.
"Death is not our ultimate end; we will all inevitably pass into His embrace. Those who perform righteous deeds shall enter His paradise, while those who commit wrongs will face His Hellfire. 'Kill' is a potent term; it's more apt to say I've ensured their uncertain path to His paradise. By ushering them personally to His embrace, I also absolve their sins. Ultimately, I too shall return to Him. What cause have I for fearing death?" The saintess regarded him serenely.
Veins pulsed on Zack's forehead, his frustration almost boiling over into a torrent of curses aimed at the saintess. But he reined himself in, reminding himself, ‘Stay calm, no point arguing with someone who's out of their mind. No point at all.’
He concentrated his mana, weaving a complex spell with patterns and symbols swirling in a dizzying dance. And then, from the spell pattern, he summoned forth a pristine white spear, streaks of blue intermittently coursing through its body.
[God Series] - [Odin’s Spear - Gungnir]!
Like all his god series spells, this one was intricate, a testament to his mastery of spell patterns and formations. The spear was adorned with exquisite engravings, its surface shimmering with a faint light, resembling a work of art.
But beneath its elegant facade lay unmatched piercing and slashing power. However, it required close proximity to unleash its full potential, which is why he hadn't used it against the saintess before.
Now, determined to ensure her demise, he was prepared to exhaust his remaining mana on his most potent close combat spell. He aimed the spear at her heart, scrutinizing her gaze. Her eyes, calm and oddly serene, held a hint of relief?
“Why? Why do you have such a righteous look on your face? Don’t you realize the innocent lives you've taken? You should feel guilty!” Zack snapped, his voice thundering at the saintess.
The saintess remained silent, simply closing her eyes. Zack's hand trembled on the spear. Even now, he struggled with the idea of taking a life, even that of a murderous monster. But he hardened his resolve, telling himself, ‘This person deserves to die.’
As he thrust the spear towards the saintess' heart, he sensed the powerful presence that had arrived earlier now stationed 1 km from the crater's center.
“NOOOOO!! STOOOOOP!” a booming voice echoed from behind Zack. But he paid no heed and carried out his task. As the dust settled before him, he suppressed the queasiness rising in his gut. ‘Yeah, this isn't my thing. What a messed up world we live in.’
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! CLAARICEE!” The man behind him screamed hysterically.
SWOOSH!
Zack flickered 200 meters away, narrowly dodging a massive aura slash from behind. He eyed the level 3 powerhouse, whom he assumed had come to rescue the saintess. The man wore thick golden armor adorned with church symbols, gripping a massive broadsword.
The man dropped his weapon and knelt where the saintess had lain.
“Did you kill her?” he asked in a hoarse, desperate voice, not even turning his head. Zack knew the question was directed at him, but he remained silent, weighing his chances against this formidable opponent.
Instead of responding, Zack hurled the [Gungnir] towards Reginald. In an instant, Reginald expanded his domain, halting the spear mid-air. The domain continued to expand, but before it could reach Zack, he vanished from sight, activating his [Camouflage] as he fled.
Before Reginald could react, the spear behind him detonated, but his powerful domain contained the explosion, creating a bright bubble of light in front of him. Ignoring the fading light, he retrieved his broadsword and rose to his full three-meter stature.
Reginald scanned his surroundings swiftly, but frowned when he detected no anomalies. He quickly locked down the mana within his domain, preventing anything from moving inside it, then unleashed a sweeping slash in all directions.
SLASH! BOOM! RUMBLE!
All these actions occurred in the blink of an eye, from Zack launching the [Gungnir] to the grand paladin's devastating attack. Unfortunately, Zack had already bolted from the area of destruction with his insane speed. He even managed to evade the expanding domain, which expanded in the blink of an eye.
As Zack fled, his thoughts returned to the man he'd encountered. That dude had to be the grand paladin, Reginald Suncrest. Sir Reginald was rumored to wield power on par with the saintess and the pope, despite recently reaching level 3. Examining the seething, formidable aura emanating from the man before him, Zack couldn't be certain whether the grand paladin surpassed the pope in strength. However, he was sure that the grand paladin outclassed the saintess.
With his mana reserves nearly depleted and his body in tatters, Zack knew he stood no chance of winning. So, he made the decision to escape, but not before attempting a sneak attack on the grand paladin. As expected, it was no easy feat to catch a level 3 powerhouse off guard with their domain active.
Turning his gaze back to the distant grand paladin, Zack's eyes widened. ‘Damn! Is this guy even human? He's gotta be descended from giants or something. Anyway, I better get back to Fannie.’ He was more taken aback by the grand paladin's towering three-meter height than the fact that his domain spanned a whopping 800 meters.
Pushing aside his thoughts, Zack focused on reaching Fannie's location. Upon arrival, he swiftly scooped her up before vanishing, heading in the direction of the lightning magic tower.
Meanwhile, behind Zack, amidst the dust and debris from his earlier slash, Sir Reginald scanned his surroundings meticulously but found no trace of his quarry. ‘Damn it, he must have slipped away.’
Realizing this, Sir Reginald's bloodshot eyes blazed even redder with rage. “FUCCKKKK! DAMMIT!! SHIIITT!” A grand paladin reduced to cursing like a commoner, but he couldn't care less. He needed an outlet for his fury. “I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN! MARK MY WORDS! I'LL RIP YOU APART AND FEED YOU TO THE HOUNDS! I… I…” He screamed as he unleashed indiscriminate aura slashes, tearing through the surroundings in his fit of rage.
THUD!
Finally unable to contain his rage any longer, Sir Reginald was overcome by a profound sense of sadness. He sank to his knees, the only patch of ground left untouched by his fury being the saintess's final resting place. Dropping his head into his hands, he fought back tears, whispering the name that had been forgotten by all but him, “Clarice…” The name of a girl forsaken the moment she became the saintess.
***
As Zack dashed through the forest, he sensed movement behind him.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, maintaining a smooth ride through the trees. Despite his efforts to keep the journey comfortable, he still sped through the forest faster than a level 1 wizard using a body enhancement spell.
“Hmmm,” Fannie murmured vaguely, tightening her grip around his neck before nuzzling her face against Zack’s shoulder.
Then, seeming to recognize that she was in safe hands, she drifted back to sleep. Zack felt a mix of amusement and guilt. He found her antics amusing but felt guilty for not considering her safety during his battle with the saintess.
Blinded by rage and consumed by the desire for revenge, he had prioritized his vendetta over the safety of his loved ones. That realization hit him hard as he reflected on the fight. ‘Well, no point dwelling on the past. I'll just have to do better next time.’
With that resolve, he refocused on their journey to the lightning magic tower.
Three days later, Zack and Fannie arrived at one of the teleportation circles leading to the lightning magic tower. Fannie had awoken two days prior.
When Zack informed her of the saintess's demise, Fannie accepted the news calmly. She didn't express joy or feign sorrow. She simply accepted it and offered no further comment.
Zack ruffled Fannie's hair, noticing how she'd grown. Fannie, though, shot him a look, cheeks puffed out in annoyance. She wasn't keen on him messing with her hair. "Don't treat me like a kid," she said, "I'm only three years younger than you!"
After ensuring his face reverted to its original appearance, Zack activated the teleportation circle. In a blink, they found themselves in the lightning magic tower's teleportation hall.
Fannie's eyes widened as she took in the enormity of the teleportation hall. It was bigger than a football stadium, with hundreds of teleportation circles scattered around. Each circle had a glowing word indicating its destination.
Flashes of light from wizards teleporting in and out added to the bustling atmosphere, resembling a noisy market. Zack patted Fannie's head, signaling her to follow him.
He led her to the mission hall to get a badge for Fannie, requesting one for a level 1 wizard. The staff hesitated, sensing that Fannie's mana was only at an apprentice level. Zack had given her mana with [Hidden Strength] to conceal her strength at an apprentice level instead of hiding her presence entirely.
The staff asked to consult with their manager before approving. Zack agreed, knowing they had time. After completing their urgent task outside the tower—disrupting the Holy Empire's movements—they could chill inside for a bit.
The manager of the mission hall's contracting section personally came over after hearing that Zack, the newest level 2 powerhouse, had requested a contract for someone else.
The manager confirmed that a level 2 wizard in the tower could indeed grant level 1 wizard privileges to anyone, including an apprentice. However, the person still needed to sign the contract for a level 1 wizard.
Zack agreed and swiftly completed the contract signing before heading to his floor. Walking alongside Fannie, he noticed she was still in a daze, clutching the badge she'd received earlier. Zack chuckled and tousled Fannie's hair again.
Fannie seemed to snap out of it, jumping with joy as she realized she could now stay with him inside the tower. It seemed she was happier to be by his side than to be a wizard in the lightning magic tower.