Chapter 8: Inheritance of the Sacred armor
Just then, a notification flashed before Darin’s eyes—*Poison nullified. Curse nullified.* A surge of power flowed through him. He began healing himself as fast as possible. Within moments, his leg was restored, and his strength returned. The curse of health had lifted, and Darin felt his energy surging back. He was tired but far more capable of handling the knight now.
The knight was also getting back to his feet. Darin, now empowered, quickly summoned a wind spell and flung the knight across the room. He felt a renewed control over his magic, casting spells with ease. The knight slammed into the wall but rose again, rushing at Darin with everything he had. Darin smiled slightly—things were different now.
As the knight charged, Darin conjured a deep hole beneath him. The bottom of the hole turned to sand, dragging the knight down. The knight struggled, but unlike before, he couldn’t escape the trap easily. Darin frowned, seeing the knight still fighting to break free. This opponent was incredibly strong. With a determined expression, Darin unleashed a torrent of flames, burning the knight with all the fire magic he could muster.
The heat intensified, and the entire basement filled with smoke. Darin could barely see through the thick haze as the armor on the knight began to melt. He hoped he had finally won. But then, emerging from the flames, a figure stepped out. It wasn’t the knight—at least not as Darin had expected.
The creature inside the armor was humanoid but clearly not human. His skin was green and thin, his body fragile and covered only by a strip of cloth. He had no expression on his face, but his eyes were cold and focused. Darin’s heart sank. This creature, whatever it was, was far from ordinary.
The green-skinned figure extended his hand toward the sword, and the blade flew back into his grasp. Darin, realizing he was facing a far more dangerous enemy, wasn’t ready to give up. He launched a water spell, trying to douse the creature and extinguish the remaining flames, but it had no effect. The figure was unfazed by the water.
Thinking quickly, Darin turned the water into ice, hurling sharp shards at the creature. The ice pierced its skin, and for the first time, the creature reacted, letting out a shrill, animalistic screech. Darin pressed his attack, sending more ice at the creature, puncturing its green flesh again and again. The creature fell to the ground, writhing in pain, but it still wasn’t dead.
Desperate to end the fight, Darin summoned fire again, trying to burn the creature to ash. But no matter how much flame he conjured, it wasn’t enough. The creature was still alive, and Darin’s magic, though powerful, seemed useless against this unnatural being. Exhausted and frustrated, he wondered what more he could do to defeat this seemingly invincible foe.
The next moment, Darin kept pushing himself to act. The green-skinned man got up again, still burning, advancing toward him. Darin, nearing his limits, summoned ice magic and attacked with all his remaining strength. Each strike was draining him further. He knew he had to end the fight quickly, or it would take everything from him.
In a moment of desperation, Darin decided to use a rune to infuse his knife with magic. Heating up the blade, he focused his energy and applied the rune—magic symbols glowing on the knife for the first time. The man rushed toward him, but Darin lunged forward, driving the knife straight into his heart.
The creature staggered, the knife starting to melt through his body. Darin watched as the blue fluid began seeping from the man, realizing that something was finally working. But it wasn’t enough. Searching around, Darin found another knife, desperately trying again to infuse it with more power. His first attempt failed. Then another. He tried again and again, failing six times in total. Finally, on his seventh attempt, the rune took hold.
Without wasting any more time, Darin charged at the creature and stabbed the knife directly into its head. The creature let out a gurgling sound as its body began to melt. The scales, organs—everything that came into contact with the knife was disintegrating. Darin, exhausted and panting heavily, watched as the creature slowly dissolved.
He collapsed onto the ground, his body swollen from the overuse of magic. Every ounce of his strength had been spent. He could feel that he had reached his absolute limit—any further use of magic could be fatal. Sitting there, he caught his breath, trying to process what had just happened.
The green-skinned man, or whatever he had been, was now a puddle of melted flesh and fluids. The knives had done their job, and the creature was no more. Darin let out a sigh of relief, but his mind raced. What had that thing been? A monster, a demon? He didn’t know, but at least it was dead.
Calming down, Darin finally realized that his curse and poison immunity had returned. His powers were fully back, but the shock of the battle still lingered in his mind. He knew his next step. He had to confront the Poisoned Mercenary and show him who he was truly dealing with. That encounter needed to be resolved once and for all.
But there was another pressing issue—his sister. Her entanglement with a servant troubled him deeply, and he knew he had to address it soon. And there was more—*the Red Horse mercenaries* had been dealt with, but that didn’t mean others wouldn’t come. Other criminal groups were sure to target him, and he had the Gold Bank’s fabricated loan to handle as well.
And then, looming over all of this, was the Barrar family. One of the most powerful and noble families in the capital, they were after his estate and, more importantly, his life. He was walking a dangerous path, and the challenges ahead felt endless.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Just as Darin tried to gather his thoughts, a sudden notification appeared before him. Whatever it was, it shattered his focus and changed everything in an instant.
[you Have cleared the inheritance of the Sacred Armor]
Darin breathed heavily as the green man's body dissolved into a strange blue liquid. The enchanted knife fell to the ground, its runes still active, proving that the creature’s body had indeed melted away. It was over—he had finally killed the green man. Exhausted, Darin slumped against the wall, allowing himself a moment to rest. His body ached, and his magic reserves were nearly depleted, but the victory gave him a brief sense of relief.
There were many things he needed to consider, but first, he had to recover. Darin knew he had to regain his strength and master his abilities if he hoped to challenge greater threats, especially the Barrar family. He had to become the best version of himself, to hone his powers so that he could stand against his enemies with confidence.
He thought about retrieving the knives but quickly remembered that there was nothing particularly special about them—it was the rune that had made them powerful. His attention shifted to the green man's sword, which was still in perfect condition. Darin was intrigued by how the green man had controlled the weapon, making it float and move as though it were an extension of his body. It was a formidable weapon, and Darin was relieved that his opponent hadn’t used it to its full potential.
Suddenly, a series of notifications appeared before him. He had inherited something—the *Sacred Armor*, a powerful relic that had somehow been passed down to him. Darin wasn’t sure if it was real, feeling almost as though he were in a dream, but the notifications confirmed it. The sacred armor was extremely valuable, and the moment he realized this, he felt a warm sensation spreading through his body, an aura of power enveloping him. It was a comforting feeling, but he couldn’t yet tell how strong this armor was.
Curious, Darin tried to summon the sacred armor, focusing his energy. A piece of armor materialized around his hand, shimmering with power. He admired the strength it radiated but quickly realized he couldn’t summon the full armor yet. It required more focus and power than he currently had. The armor vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Darin wondering what else the sacred armor was capable of.
His thoughts shifted back to the sword. Could it be part of the sacred armor? He felt a strange connection to it and decided to test it. Concentrating, Darin lifted the sword into the air, and to his surprise, it floated effortlessly. He moved his hand, and the sword followed, twisting and turning in midair. It was completely under his control. Experimenting further, he changed the sword's form, transforming it into a spear. Darin marveled at how beautiful and powerful the weapon felt—it was no ordinary sword.
When he held the sword, though, it was too heavy for him to lift easily. Using his magic, he lightened the sword and continued to control it with ease, making it dance through the air. It felt like an extension of his own body, responding to his thoughts and movements with precision. Darin even applied a rune to the blade effortlessly, something that had been difficult before. The connection he had with the weapon made it seem alive in his hands.
With a single slash, he tested the sword’s power, breaking through a nearby wall. The mark left behind was deep, and Darin realized he had made the sword incredibly overpowered. Satisfied with his experiment, he wondered how to store the weapon. To his amazement, he managed to shrink the sword down, transforming it into a keychain-sized knife. He slipped it into his pocket, knowing it could be a lethal tool in moments of life or death.
The weapon was dangerous, even terrifying in its potential. Darin could control it from a distance, fire it at enemies, and strike without warning. He smiled, knowing that this sword, or whatever form it took, would be a powerful ally in the battles ahead.
Darin tried once more to summon the sacred armor using magic, but his body had reached its limit. Exhausted, his strength gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor. His body, pushed far beyond its capacity, succumbed to fatigue. For a few moments, he was completely unconscious, and soon he drifted into a deep sleep, his body finally giving in to rest. Hours passed as he lay on the cold floor, having fallen asleep after testing his sword and powers late into the night. He had spent a great deal of time exploring his newfound abilities, but there were still no new memories from Asa Raybond regarding the inheritance. All he knew was that the sacred armor was incredibly powerful—a life-saving treasure now in his possession.
While Darin slept, Ella, the maid who had threatened him earlier, sat in a shady bar within the capital’s criminal underworld. It was a dark corner of the city where mercenaries and outlaws gathered, and Ella was seated with her crew—two men and a woman. Frustrated and in a foul mood, Ella drank deeply. She was irritated that she couldn’t seduce or manipulate Darin Meyes, the infamous young master of the Meyes family. Darin had a reputation for being a notorious debauchee, known for squandering his wealth on desires, yet she, one of the most seductive mercenaries in the capital, couldn’t sway him.
“I can’t believe I couldn’t get to him. What was his name again?” Ella asked, slamming down her drink.
“Darin. Darin Meyes,” the girl across from her replied.
“Yes, that guy,” Ella muttered, taking another swig of alcohol. “I don’t even feel like a woman anymore. I must be getting old if I can’t handle a boy like him.” Her voice was laced with bitterness, her ego bruised by her failure.
One of the men teased her, “You’re only 26, younger than youth itself,” and gave her a flirtatious grin. Ella smiled back weakly, lifting her glass. “You’re sweet,” she replied, but deep inside, she still felt disappointed. Another drink and she lamented again, “Why couldn’t I win over that kid?”
The girl sitting across from her, a fellow adventurer, leaned in with a playful smirk and whispered, “Maybe he’s not a man after all.” She kissed Ella on the cheek and stood up, saying she had plans elsewhere.
Blushing slightly from the kiss, Ella remained with the two men, who were now relaxing and chatting. They weren’t ordinary men but freelance mercenaries who avoided aligning with any organization. As they drank, a scruffy-looking man approached their table—someone from the Red Horse Gang.
He asked Ella for help in locating Darin Meyes. Ella, irritated by the reminder of her earlier failure, snapped, “Has the whole black market heard about this?” She was frustrated, thinking that news of her encounter with Darin had spread.
The Red Horse man explained that their leader had gone to find Darin but was now missing, along with the rest of their crew. This piqued Ella’s interest, and she exchanged glances with her companions. The disappearance of the Red Horse leader and his gang was unexpected.
Ella replied, “Barry, the butler, is stronger than most surpassers, almost capable of fighting a Heavenly Rank warrior. But last I saw, he was injured. There’s no way he could have taken down the Red Horse leader.”
The man persisted, saying that’s why they needed to find Darin—he might know what happened. Perhaps the Red Horse leader had been kidnapped or killed. Ella, known for her tracking abilities, realized she could easily locate Darin. One of her abilities required close contact with the target, and since she had threatened Darin earlier, she had the necessary connection to track him.
Sighing, she agreed to help. As her mind cleared from the alcohol, she activated her powers. She performed a series of hand motions, focusing her energy, and then her eyes opened wide. “He’s close. I’ll lead you to him,” she said, and they began moving toward Darin’s location.
Ella wasn’t worried about her safety, even in the dead of night. She was feared by criminals and mercenaries alike, known as the "Seductive Queen." Despite her earlier failure with Darin, she was determined to track him down and show him why people feared her.
As they walked through the capital’s dark streets, Ella suddenly stopped and announced, “Darin is in the ruins of the knight.” The Red Horse man was shocked, as that location was known for housing the inheritance of the sacred armor. None of them dared approach further, knowing that the ruins were not to be disturbed lightly. But Ella remained confident, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
As they descended into the basement, either stepping or jumping down, they moved cautiously toward the ruins. From above, they peered down into the chamber. In the center of the room, they saw evidence of a fierce battle—a large hole in the floor, scorched earth, and ashes strewn across the ground. Two knives lay side by side, and it was clear that something destructive had taken place.
***************************************************************\
Thank YOU!