COI C69
On this moment, it was the audience watching audience. Quill and Sanquin sees the teachers while the teachers see them. It wasn’t them who wanted to contact each other, but one of the teachers did. It was accidentally set up as they are still trying to test the video settings they have installed. Then it got misalign with the time pacing. The teachers who maintain the settings apologized then said to the others who are with them.
“This is some fuck up time settings were getting into”
“Are you really not a software engineer? How did you manage to install so many programs like this?”
“I don’t need to, Haw’s stone thing made it easier to adapt”
The look at the computer still working up the heat, where the GPU, graphics processing unit, is heating up the hardware and it gets complicated as he writes down more needed updates for this thing to function to all these data they have. It was a glitch but won’t try to see what happened on screen, he only guesses that they see it and try to say something. Like what he heard that they contact with them on screen and it wasn’t them using an app to reach the sphere.
Quill sees that they are trying to contact her, and Sanquin don’t believe a thing what she had saw before.
“They are trying to contact here?”
Sanquin calmly laughs “They don’t know how fast this world is and it felt like days when I’m in here”
“You’re right, but they made improvement as they are using their technology on the sphere . . . More advanced than the previous computers . . . Like those other visitors before”
They returned looking at the screen as the fight continues. Haw remained resting as the others fight on, First reaches Haw as he escaped from the ring bearer.
The copy perfectly in sync as First comes in, while Haw lays down as Second copy continues to heal him. First copy wore what Haw last saw when they are together, and then the real First came as it is improved to the most intimidating outfit. Out in the time frame as both of them see something new about each other, First’s equipment had activated his magic items in such threatening aura, Haw said
“Are you going out there alone?”
“No, and how about you? You finally brought your equipment and survive somehow”
Haw was confused, for how long did he have to wait for him to say that. He already recovered and Second kept healing him. He stays quiet as it must be something wrong with their heads. First thought is much that the copies were not as good as he thought, with more scrolls and spells, written and hidden through the emptiness from here. He didn’t know what will Second do next after healing. Second copy persists like what only himself will mind.
“We will need to get going, it is impossible for me and Second to fight without someone protecting us”
“What happened to Thean?”
“I like you better asked “Where are the other elves now?””
Exposed to the light outside and the monument starts to repair itself, Second is burning alive as his wings hanging on as it’s dying and scourging flew him against the rays of light. The elf’s wisps rained down like fiery raindrops flowing across the storm. He can’t glide up but flaps rapidly as the wind blows down. The wisps elf floating down where the two meet upward and downward, the elf lands on the air as for Second bumps where he flies up. The impact reveals the floor where is block off, the monument is healing as he bangs his fists upward.
The elf watches him struggle with his face and body drench by the sun up high, no sense of mercy to his eyes, and plenty of time for him to be cruel. Second gritted as he is forcing all of his mana to heal himself, the gem is still in his hand waiting for First to activate again. Continue to persist to stay alive, the elf kept his pose to his opponent, an Enders who will not show mercy or this is the punishment, and above all else, no one knows anymore why are their actions chose these ways.
The gem starts glowing and the relief of Second’s face speaks desperately to leave or the sun burns him alive. The elf waited for the right moment where the burned wisps are piling up above him. His expressionless gaze as he shows to him as soon it is blocked by the pile, and he is anticipating he will escape like they did before. The gem shines as his body starts to disappear. The elf quickly raised his hand to the side waiting to unleash from above.
The sun burns them both, and gravely so their bodies wish to find relief on this miserable array piled up on Second. The elf unleashes the heat, as Second teleported. First summons him back to them, Second appeared next to Haw, the copy, and the flames join them in a blaze. Haw burned alongside with him and Second endured it with his silent scream. First feel the burns where the area it protected them breaks as it is burning inside. The flames spread further as everyone embraces the hot sun.
The Ring bearer remained still as the fire spreads. The ring kept him from the harshness of the fire. Once more, the ring speaks to him again. The elf responds in discipline to stop its effortless rambles. The mask elf surrounded Thean to no chance of rest. The wisps held the weapons he forged and made through his craftsmanship. Thean with only one weapon, impressively taken them down, as he fights and drink his potions during this moment, then Thean turns away. The mask elf and the other wisps pull back where the flames spread through them.
The flames disperse and Second already used his ‘redemption’, all of them now have two extra lives left. Burnt like coal body as his body moved and chipped off from his ashes, neither look natural nor recognized by many, his entire body is scourged by the fire. Haw sees it with his own eyes, and Second should’ve been turned to dust by that point. For Second, he heals himself alive while being in flames. Marks of his outside flesh tried to stay alive in its black charred skin, but only his breathing being block by his own ashes when he should’ve died.
Restored back to health, Second tries to stand up and Haw helped him on his way. Haw with his coat and gas mask protected from the flames, and the equipment he has stay in its condition. First survives somehow and sees the two are alright and expect the trait kicks in, during this moment he asks
“How much do you have left?” Both said
“2”
“Including me, let’s bring Thean here, we gathered as much wrath as we both needed”
Haw raised his eyes hidden with his cracked lens mask. The magic from what First said made the two wondering about it.
Thean’s gem starts glowing after the spread of the flames, he had forgotten about it, and quickly uses it as he is trapped. The mask elf sees him leave and the wisps burned by the flames are releasing what mana it had on him, it missed and he then disappeared. Thean finally regroup as four as they look at each other in more intimidating way. They look at Haw for how much things he had including the thing on his back. Looks damaged and remotely functional as he tests it out with his gun. It blows air at the moment, as he dials on the other. He is ready.
First said to Thean “We think this is enough risk for us to gather what we needed. Me and the rest lost our first blessings. How about you?”
“Lost mine from not handling my new powers”
First silenced a bit then said “. . . There is no time now, they are probably grouping up . . .”
Second warns them “Watch out!”
The team breaks away where rain of arrows strafe in a line, then raise up then blasted in the air, as shrapnel appeared like an explosion as they manage to stop it.
The ring bearer casts his soulfate magic, where the two gathered along with the wisps. The wisps elf stands behind the two where the mask elf stays with him by the side. Thean sees them as the other two elves were not seen, he asks Haw
“Where’s the other two elves?”
“One is out, the other one left as we were fighting”
“The elf leaves you and lost the other one. Great, now we can have an advantage here”
First gets skeptic “Are you sure? There is no way that elf was defeated less than an hour”
“There is no time to think, Woni’es, we are facing those three for now”
The elves waited for the others to come, through their wisps as they communicate one another
“Our brother elf was vanquished, and our younger brother brought explosives”
“Did he know he had that?”
“He should’ve abusing it at the beginning, then the lady made it a surprise for both of them”
The elf smirks “Heh, I could imagine that man demon would do it. Where’s his weapon now?”
“I have it”
They don’t know where fifth elf is, and the three had to continue. They sense their magic as they grew much experience as their magic items start collecting around them.
Both of them positioned themselves where the trails of arrows persist, their patience grew thin and the fight drags on long enough to appease both sides. The elves let them grow while the team learned much about their new powers. Haw on the other hand look up from above, within time continue to tic, the infection will start to grow. Quill and Sanquin watch the sun cleanse the surface, where the infection can’t be purge. Slowly down inside the monument. The fungus liquefies itself down where it needs better dampness, and the dampness is neutral mana. Sadly, the fifth elf is there.
The wisps gather all around them, First and Second’s wisps were release a while back, their own creatures never returned to their side but for theirs are limitless. They can’t release more as the sparks of those wisps were fruitful of their fights. The wisps elf had showed them the potential of his magic. Some of the wisps hid its magic with them, making it First thought about it as he fights against the Ring bearer. The magic he gathered from them that he found their wisps are weak and nothing much they could do against their obvious strength.
Already coming to their way, Haw raised his tank and dialing up his weapon. Aimed upward with his gun and siphoned the air as it collected the wind of wisps, droving through to his tank. Haw shoots at the wisps and the wind turned bright and silent, the elves saw the old weapon again. The plague thief, stealing the wisps’ strength as it sprays on it with unknown substance after it breathes. Haw stops as the wind settled down. Thean and the others are ready for the counterattack they released the magic they thrown throughout the area.
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Patience is trying to excite itself. The elves had waited long enough even belittling their use of magic, as they raised their weapons. The wisps elf summoned the wisps again, but all together gathered into a ball of light. Casting his magic around them and everywhere to reaches its influence, the walls and sections appeared before them. The neutral mana and elven mana facing each other, a rift is form to make their own domain, and much more as it tries to fill itself in every corner of this monument.
They charge together and divided by their realms made. The wisps elf and Haw fought each other for the domain to purge their rifts. Haw runs inside their rift as the elves go theirs. Haw switches his dials to collect and counter the wisps’ influence where their influence starts to raise in arcane sigils and seals around their side. Magic writings forming on the team’s feet and raised like tombs and released its protective auras, while the wisps elf cleansing the magic on their side as they are trying to find a way to get through to the enemy’s rift.
A rift slowly recognized. Elven nightly glow against arcane in darken shinning light, violet, emerald, sapphire, or crimson, these are arising through the magic writings. Formed in and against one another, many obstacles hid within their own rift, and such as the Agatheans tried to get them to theirs and vice versa. Rifts are shift and turn where they try to spread their influence, all bordered together as the two sources are trying to breach theirs as they fight on their side.
Thean stands where their rift didn’t reach him, he summoned his image to run through their side. The wisps tried to trap him as he is cornered all around. Thean switches as it made it back closely to their rift. The wisps chased him to their side then disappears as soon as he reacted. Yet, the mask elf appears before Thean. Thean parried him as the elf flew closer to their border. The elf dashes to the side, around, and pushes back at him. Thean switched again and his possessed image takes his place.
No hesitation, already the wind appears to retaliate him. He breaks Thean’s guard and brings out his daggers, hidden through the wind and thrown at it as he passed by. The possessed image returns and bears the attack then grabbed the trails of dashes, it chases him like a shadow and it follows swiftly. The mask spins around as the image moves forward and recklessly hits him by the shoulder. It stops him to initiate his combo, then he uses his other weapon hidden on his boot. He raises his leg, kicks, and sweeps it to its feet.
It fell then executed it with his sword suddenly stabs through its guts. Quickly ending the possessed without any moment to fight back, through the elven rage, the possessed forced itself through him as it faded. Phasing through the switch activate again, Thean reappeared and uses his hilt through his head. Multiple times gathered by the arcane, he effectively backs off as his mask breaks. Thean clashes his sword to the elf’s sword where he gets pushed back. The mask elf dashes away, his mask breaks in two, and he look at him with his face revealed. The elf gets a new one through his wind magic then dashes forward and fights again.
Possessed image returned to the rift trying to pull out the elven magic tainted on its guts. Shattering the concealment as it had its head falls off, preventing the magic to purge it completely, raising its severe head to the magic writings as it heals itself. Draining the rift’s influence drastically, the switch happened again, but cuts off in mid switch. Thean falls off where the Ring bearer lashes out with his ring and entangled the link between him and his image. First hidden the other side of the rift, he casts his spells and breaking through their rift and saves Thean.
The ring bearer quickly denies his magic, grabbing the spell on contact and defuses with his ring. First’s spell transforms as it is dispelled and grabs the ring bearer then pulls him to their rift. The ring tries to break free but the magic was able to endure it. Their rift starts to shrink as he continues to slide in. The drag turns into a strong pull and the ring was able to break, but it grew bigger as it stretches around the elf. The pull is getting harsher while the ring bearer breaks free with every limb being drag at a time. The pull turns desperate, the magic is turning closer to the shrinking rift as it breaks apart.
His arm free . . . pull . . . his leg free . . . pulled him by the waste then drags him forward with his front and head drag forward. Pull, intensely going into their rift, as the rift shrinks more than what the ring should be engulfed to their side. He uses his free hand to grab the entangling spell squeezing it as the pull ripped off itself. His head is free . . . pulled by the leg . . . bringing up to the air and slammed him on the ground. The spell reached his head again then pulls him closer once more. The wisps come and covered itself with spells. The arcane made the wisps harder to break it with only his ring was able to. He lies down closer to the rift.
The ring bearer dashes up, but a strange hand burst through the rift and grabs his head. He retaliates by using the ring and released an aura of its soulfate’s presence. The rift disperses where he stands and sees only the hand floating and grabbing him still, a floating hand grew bigger to fits his head, he sees the arcane reattached the hand then pulled him to the enemies’ side. The rift restored but the elf is trapped. First don’t know what happened why the rift shrinks but it seems Thean’s special weapon is leeching the arcane they channel.
Thean is being pushed back and away from side of the rift. The relentless attacks forced him to back away. The wisps are now gathered to him and unleashed unforgivable presence. The rift starts to tear itself, whereas Haw is aiming at it with his gun pointed at the elves’ rift. Pierced through the elven side, the nozzle flows through the rift. The spread reaches where the two are fighting, the wisps shield them as it is being quickly eradicated to their direction. The rift stretches and reaches them in the darken light, as with writings are coming and the magic inside forces the rift in a faster rate.
The wisps elf is restoring their rift as they are trying to fight back. The fragment of the rift reaches them and touches them with intense magical density. Thean fights back and the mask elf weakens by the arcane presence. The elf breaks away but pulled closer to him as Thean finally hits him with his arcane magic. Thean holds him with his sword stab him to the chest, arcane magic flows through him trying to permanently damage mask elf by the marks of the writings. Thean’s rift fades back and the wisps rescue the elf as the arcane magic marks him.
Thean breaks his grip and shatter the arcane by the tip of his sword. The elf gritted his teeth where the shatter pierced on his chest as the marks persist as the elf heals. The rift continues to go around them, as the mask elf was able to dodge him while Thean guides the rift towards him. The elf struggles as the magic writings are damaging his chest. The shattered remains stay on him while the wisps try to break it off. Every time Thean’s rift touches Thean filled secretly with Second’s buff and magic writings, he takes these chances and continues his attack.
The Ring bearer is inside the enemy’s side of the rift. He fights his way against the magic writings and the possessed image, his ring already made a dome for him where the magic clawing on to him. The image filled with arcane magic shattered through his protection on contact as it dares to. Unstable magic follow through where the writings exceed its release, the two hold no gripe of both powerful blows to each other. The shock quakes the rift but held on the ground, the writings absorb the force and the impactful strength, as the ring learns it.
The image backs down as the ring replicate its arcane magic. The Ring bearer continues to follow up his attacks, the possessed image used the remnants of its own magic, and the elf phased through him and grabs its face. The image revealed its true face, releasing its spells on its gazing eyes. It was useless, as the ring speaks to the image and the elf listened to its high voice. Recognizable language reaches it,
“Foul soul made by your own, becomes an item and nothing more, deep within your core, even I am willing to act, and there I follow, this pact. I will always be free . . . at anytime”
Thean feels his image quiets down, and the mask elf senses the Ring bearer’s guilt through the strong essence coming their way. Thean starts to get reckless. The image returns to Thean, doing parkour, through the wisps defenses as it slides its way forward from where it put it on fire. Thean grabs the elf’s arm, then quickly thrown him to the ground. He held it firm and the elf forged and extended his weapon. Thean releases his arcane trying to cease the extension. The elf image appeared behind him and strengthening the elf’s magic. Together, they stab Thean down, bearing it all, while Thean’s image demonically rushes at them.
The image comes forth and slashes through them. The mask elf disappeared and the image he had was cut in half dragging on by the image as it turns around grabbing the half then converts it into healing. It slams the other half of the elven image to Thean as it is used to recover him through elven magic. The image pulled Thean up and looks rather calm now. He thought he can control him, but it looks willing to fight now. The arcane it absorbs and beating essence coming through it, he can’t understand what it tells him but it is eager to fight dangerously.
First was thrown at them as they catch him. The Ring bearer escaped their rifts and quickly raised his arrows at First. Nearly catching First on that moment, the arrow hits him and quickly switches between the First and the Ring bearer. Thean and the image stop moving as the ring bearer appeared. The ring lightens up as its aura grew in power, the dark rift comes to them and the elf dodges it. The dark rift touches them both and then they disappeared.
Second pulled Thean and his image to their rift. The magic writings brighten ever so dim. It is time to use that magic, while the elves rallied and prepare what is happening. The wisps elf pulled the mask elf to safety and the Ring bearer uses the ring’s power. The wisps elf said
“There is no time now, they will be going to unleash the power they are curious of. Use the soulfate ring to the best of your abilities when the arcane is released”
The dark rift starts shrinking while the night rift stays, hardening its barriers and borders. All these moments have come to see, the respect the elves can give they let them used the concealed magic, and their expectation hope will rivaled them. A magic that can’t be recognize nor used for how many years and the magic belonged to someone in history. Weak and new by their experience, it is time to see how they used it as it is exploited. Thean don’t know how his image becomes, he only brings it due to the records of being an elf slayer by title. Now the next phase is coming, it is time to release it, Thean and First are determine for it.
Both rifts are transcending, and transforming into divine or desecration. The night rift forms thunderous and magic resisting against their arcane, while the dark rift is destroying the mana itself and around it, finally an equal in power yet the elves remained calm as they were ready for it. Haw appeared out from the rifts as he held his thrower start to leak out. Both magic desperately want to release from his tank, it leaks and the tube pierces holes as their rift is harming his equipment. He breathes through his gas mask and oblivious by their rifts’ magic. His coat nulled his senses and still endures their tremendous mana.
Haw turns around to the elves had already bleak in sands coming through their wisps, his coat bear so much except of his weapon. He walks steadily as the weight grew heavier and he went dull for a bit after securing the rift’s area. The equipment he carries start to break, while his eyes trying to adjust as he spent looking in the dark too long. Both rifts are finally attack on both sides, as Haw in the middle engulfed in between bearing more the weight of their pressures.
Dark rift opens up the magic writings enforced into the destructive existence to the many bright lights of the wisps. Shattering like glass in different colors, it certain their side is greater. The ring raises the last light to spread through the writings. The elves watch them purge their rift, and the test is complete. They fought well with equal strength, but these elves used one magic item while they bring many. The elven gods would be pleased of their efforts, but it is time to face an actual elf warrior in full set. It was enough for them to witness a few things the team have, and they remembered well.
The rift collided once more as the night rift spread while the dark rift moves only two directions. The Ring bearer uses the ring one last time and the wisps elf guides the last remaining wisps with elven blessings. The mask elf moves closely to the rift. Closer where it collides, Thean and the image charges in as the elves face it themselves. The mask elf raised all of his weapons at Thean, piercing him. The switch happened again as the image is fully destroyed from the elf’s attack. It tears itself through the elf’s body. His flesh turned to glass and Thean appeared before him shattering his body.
The image left a diabolic laugh as the mask elf fell and remembered this inhumane act. First comes along bring his spells to cast the ring bearer, the elf retaliates with his ring. Arcane and soulfate magic brace each other in impact, where both magic forces pushing through. The arcane slowly reaching to him where his hand with his ring exposed by the dark rift. His skin corroded into crystal letting him strengthening his will on to the ring. Focus only to the ring and let his body gives out, the time has come for him to settle as the last segment to honor their agreement. First is making magic circle on the elf’s crystallized body as he released it in direct contact. One arcane blast caused his body to shatter leaving the ring fell to the ground.
The ring lies on the ground put those three on stationary. The wisps elf finished empowering his last remaining wisps and focus on the enemies in front of him. He raised his spell blasts. Haw charges forward and blocks the attack. The cloud of elven magic entangled him, and cut if off with his hand shovel. The two look at each other, directly to the eyes. The elf raised his hand wants to get something from him. Haw understood and pulled a potion at hand gives it to him. The wisps pick it up and give it to elf. The elf said
“Entertain the lady, Haw. Make sure she gets what you wanted from your commitment”
The elf drinks the potion and disappears. The ring erupts further as Haw gets caught. The ring without its master, it is freely endangering their heads by the sounds of its whispers. Three of them except the image are being filled by the soulfate’s souls trapped within the ring. Their body starts to break down into sands and crumbles down. First and Thean feel the crippling deformation within their mana and their body, while Haw with no mana deluded his mind with memories that is not belong to him.
The ring keeps going as it speaking to them. They don’t understand as it is damaging them to scar their souls. Without knowledge of their language, then they are scarred on their flesh. Second runs to them and trying to break off the ring’s influence, he reached closer to the ring and hears it. Can’t understand what it said and only his owned will wanting to save them. Slides down as he can’t endure it anymore, he somehow kicks the ring away and fell off from the edge of the falling debris. The ring of influence had stop and they had defeated them. But they seem not fulfilled from what they did.
First complains “Ugh! So this is what those city guild entertainment is”
Thean hid his image “Very unsatisfying, that ‘We’re’ guy is making fun of my swordsmanship”
“Uh what? You still got their names. We didn’t even call out by their persistent meddling”
Second is relief “Phew* and I thought we are not going to be the one to activate the landmark”
Haw still doubting “They are Enders, they don’t like when you said to them like that. They already know”
Thean has his eyes down “Anyway how about that fifth elf. Where is he?”
First starts to worry as he looks around the place “They took down magic writings, and I’ve pointed the spell upward”
“Why did you aim your spells upward?”
“I used the ceiling to fall on them, it seems it didn’t fell”
Second starts to worry “Then he must be up there”
The team looks up as it is not over. The wisps are gathering up to where they are looking. The fungus already being purged and the debris had already been sealed up. However, the elf puts his magic where the sun rays down.
He gathers all the magic items from his fallen brothers. The elf who has nothing had taken every item they have. He sheathed his broken claymore, picks up the mask, and the wisps carrying the ring to him. Everything is gathered together, for the last effort to face them with between two reasons. Either they are here to win as proof of their renaissance or being entertained by the same demon throughout the years of its new era, The Recovering. As of now, they still hope as their real counterpart wishes to hear. In the meantime, when will they visit them as this is finished?