Karn swiftly positioned himself in front of Hope, instinctively shielding her from the encircling soldiers. Their blank faces betrayed no mercy, their weapons poised to eliminate any threat to their King. Even with his arsenal of magical empowering gems, King Lorthac retreated behind his men, uncertain of the danger posed by the now human Karn and his crimson book.
Karn grimaced and weigh up the extent of power he could harness with the book, remembering the failed lesson he had with Alec when he allowed the power to consume him as a conduit.
Silently, he swore, aware that summoning that energy would endanger Hope, trapping her within its destructive force. Surprisingly, she turned her back to his, unphased and ready to confront the approaching threat from her side of the coliseum. Her green living armour responded instinctively to her will, forming a protective casing around her and filling her hands with a spear and leaf green shield.
Just as Karn believed they had run out of options, a flutter of wings echoed from above. Looking up, Karn caught sight of numerous dark shapes descending to the sand behind the advancing soldiers. With cobalt blades in hand, they swooped down, slashing through the enemy troops in a whirlwind of blue steel with black feathers swirling in their wake.
The spectators, caught in a moment of anguish, abandoned their bloodlust and fled in a panic, trampling each other in their desperate rush towards the exits. Karn noticed the master of ceremonies struggling to escape his podium, only to be overwhelmed by the mass of bodies.
The King, mustering a sliver of his courage, roared in frustration, demanding attention. "Where are my court event caster!? Bury these damn fools!"
However, his words were met only by stifled grunts of pain and quick, effortless ends for his enslaved soldiers. Within a blink of an eye, the soldiers were completely wiped out, leaving only the Kraven warriors standing.
They eyed the treacherous King before them, slowly advancing toward their target in a disciplined formation.
Amidst the chaotic scene, as the remnants of the crowd clambered over the fallen bodies of their fellow spectators, a solitary figure emerged onto the podium above. Clad in dark robes and holding a black book of power, the figure revealed itself.
Karn flinched as he recognised the alchemist and the source of his agony.
"Micholas!" the King shouted. "Come, dispatch these fools."
The hunched figure laughed from beneath the darkened hood, relishing the King's predicament.
"Micholas!" the King repeated, his voice filled with desperation and anger.
Raising his black book, the hooded figure directed his hand towards Karn. "You have been a fine puppet. Now, let's see what you do next," he taunted.
Karn took a step back, clutching the red book protectively against his chest. Every fibre of his being screamed at him to flee, but he steeled himself and took a step forward, dismissing his internal struggle.
Then, the Alchemist turned his attention to the King, murmuring under his breath. He extended his empty hand toward the King, and the gem around his neck glowed, emitting a noxious smoke. The corrupted gem forcefully pressed against the King's armour, causing the royal to scream in agony as it pierced through the steel and into his ribcage. Within seconds, the King's face contorted, his helmet flying off, revealing his whitened beard. He dropped his resplendent blade and began to wail.
In that brief moment, Karn recognised a distant resemblance to his own father, but the vision swiftly vanished as the power of the corrupted gem infused itself within the King's being. His skin began to boil, and his body expanded. Instead of tearing apart the armour, it absorbed it, sucking in the power from the other elementlet gems in the process. Each gem accelerated the transformation, and the King grew until he towered head and shoulders above the edge of the fighting pit.
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"Shit," Karn muttered under his breath, recognizing the Reaper before him.
The Kraven warriors maintained their composure, pacing themselves as they eyed the monstrous creature before them. Thirsty for blood, they refused to act rashly without fully understanding their opponent. Their discipline guiding their actions.
"I hunger," murmured the King, his jaw widening to reveal a gaping maw yearning for flesh.
Amidst the uncertainty, the tallest Kraven barked an order, "Cut his legs out from under him!"
As soon as his words reverberated through the air, the Kraven warriors surged forward, their feathers creating a cloud-like formation. Their gleaming swords unleashed blue flashes of light as they struck the monster's shins, resulting in explosions of metal shards. Each attack displayed perfect precision, but their blades shattered upon impact.
The beast's enhanced skin, infused with gems and steel, were impervious to their assaults.
Just as the last Kraven warrior swung his blade, the monstrous King snatched the bird-like warrior from the air, crushing him within his grip. With a sickening crunch, the Kraven fell motionless, and the King eagerly opened his maw.
As the Kraven disappeared down his gullet, the monster absorbed the flesh, adding it to his own massive form. Small black feathers began to sprout sporadically across his mutilated skin and the King’s eyes turned a sicking shade of yellow.
"Damn it! Release the arrows!" the tall Kraven commanded.
From high above the structure, a black rain of arrows descended upon the beast. However, as the arrows struck the monster, they rebounded off his skin, striking a few of the nearby Kraven who couldn't evade the onslaught.
"Halt! Retreat!" the Kraven shouted.
Yet, as they retreated, the monstrous King snatched a few Kraven caught by the arrows, crushing them within his insatiable maw.
"Holy shit," Karn swore, then grabbed Hope before she could charge recklessly towards the beast.
Through the slit in her living steel helmet, Karn could see the anger burning in her eyes, her gaze fixed on the King.
"We need to destroy the black crystal in his chest," she spoke with unwavering conviction.
Karn nodded, understanding her determined resolve and the trauma fuelling it.
"Okay, then we need a plan," he quickly responded, urging her to back away.
At that moment, the preoccupied King was too focused on the Kraven warriors, allowing Karn and Hope a few precious seconds to think.
As they retreated away from the monster, a thought gradually formed in Karn's mind, a merging of words spoken by his great grandfather, the White Dragon, and Alec.
There was no magic in this world. The book had been created using the blood and magic of others to trigger an event that would absorb the magic from the soil of Ren Daral.
What if I could reverse the event? He wondered. Not completely but enough to stop the mad King.
The King, roaring with a challenge, finally turned his attention to the only two figures remaining on the battlefield.
"Stay back," Karn said to Hope, resigning himself to an uncertain fate.
Hope shook her head. "No. What are you thinking?"
He offered her a reassuring smile and gently pushed her aside as the monstrous King charged.
Taking a step towards the King, Karn focused his mind on the power surging within the monster's flesh. His plan seemed insane, but if he could execute it successfully, it might just save everyone.
With a mighty roar, the King leaped towards Karn's diminutive form, soaring through the air. Karn's heart raced, and jaw clenched as he recklessly plunged his hand into the folds of the Book of the Known. His mind homed in on a single thought and intent.
Just as the original owner of the book had stolen the power of magic through the blood of millions, Karn would now use that same power and redirect it back to the mass of corruption before him. He didn't need words to shape the event; his intent alone was enough, for the Book understood precisely what he aimed to accomplish.
Karn's eyes blazed with white-hot intensity as the power of the book surged through his arm and into his chest, melding with the intent embedded in his mind. The ground trembled as the Monster King struggled to maintain his balance, and a force from deep within the earth's core rippled upwards, shaking the very ground beneath them.
The King's eyes widened as he snarled and lunged to grab Karn from the sandy floor. However, he hesitated just inches away. In that crucial moment, a thick tree root shot up from the ground, impaling the beast's clawed hand with a massive splinter. The creature let out a deafening roar as more shoots sprouted around Karn.
Flinching at the sight, Karn stumbled backward, releasing the event to do whatever it willed. Pulling Hope away, they witnessed the land itself, a force from below, rise from under the coliseum to reclaim its territory. The King roared again as a massive tree spine pierced his hardened skin, absorbing his flesh as if it were mere soil. The anger on the King's face faltered as the tree sprouted within him, splintering in all directions.
A distinct shattering sound reverberated throughout the area as the corrupted gem within the King exploded. The tree root absorbed the corruption, filtering the raw power into something else. Something pure.
Hope clutched around Karn’s chest as he wrapped a protective arm around her. Their eyes glued towards the King's as his body slowly dissolved into ash before their very eyes.