Meera didn’t know how long she cried, but she felt even more exhausted than before by the time her tears dried up. Her friends didn’t say anything. No words for how it will be okay, or they will make it somehow. They stayed silent, wallowing in their own personal hells, which was perhaps the worst fate—being so close to freedom yet unable to attain it.
Her friends didn’t even have enough space to roam around. Shade and Cinders’ forms were flickering more often by the minute. It was as if the wind was picking up, threatening to blow them out forever.
Meera set her head against the wall, closed her eyes, and shut off Mirror Eagle’s Perceptivity, as she didn’t care about seeing everything right now. Then, without meaning to, she brought up her notifications.
*ding!*
[Your party has killed a Cursed Undead Wraith – Level 209. For killing an enemy 100 levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]
Meera paused her notifications right away. This meant that Edwyn was indeed dead.
“Edwyn is dead,” Meera declared. “I’m looking at my notifications, and it shows that I or we’ve killed a Cursed Undead Wraith, which was his tag.”
“R-R-Really?” Shade perked up.
“Then why are we still trapped?” Onyx asked.
Cinders tilted her head to the side. “E-Either, he hassss…returned as-as a w-w-wraith or…”
“Or the curse was never attached to him.” Meera finished for her. “The curse was always on this cave. That’s why you can’t leave, even after his death.”
Meera deflated. Just when there was a flicker of hope, it was crushed. So, Meera continued her notifications.
*ding!*
[You have killed 24 Cursed Undead from Level 34 – Level 78]
*ding!*
[Congratulation. Mirror Image Hunter has gained 24 levels and has reached Level 128. You have been awarded 72 stat points.]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 110 & Level 120 in your main class, you have earned two more Chakram.]
Two more mirror chakrams appeared on her arm, bringing her total to eleven—nine normal, and the two Level 2 chakrams on her back.
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Mirror’s Affinity has gained 14 levels and reached Level 94. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 96% boost.]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 23 levels and reached Level 24]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Ambush Tactics has gained 7 levels and reached Level 35]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Shroud of Shadows has gained 8 levels and reached Level 30]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Shadow Affinity has gained 8 levels and reached Level 18. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 20% boost.]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Mirror Step has gained 15 levels and reached Level 67]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Druvis Power has gained 6 levels and reached Level 15]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Mirror Eagle’s Perceptivity has gained 12 levels and reached Level 53]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Mirror Shield has gained 6 levels and reached Level 32]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Mirror Blast has gained 4 levels and reached Level 61]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Mirror Shard Barrage has gained 10 levels and reached Level 15]
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*ding!*
[Congratulations. Vitalize has gained 11 levels and reached Level 50]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Identify has reached Level 5. You can now Identify people up to sixty levels higher than you.]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Alpha Aura has gained 6 levels and reached Level 13]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Wild Instincts has gained 6 levels and reached Level 16]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Tactician’s Gaze has gained 6 levels and reached Level 37]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Spectral Resistance has gained 12 levels and reached Level 25]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Prismatic Distortion has gained 8 levels and reached Level 9]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Absorption has gained 5 levels and reached Level 20]
She paused at the last two notifications. If I’m remembering right…Prismatic Distortion makes it harder for enemies to hit me at range, and Absorption gives me temporary buffs against magical attacks.
She quickly checked their descriptions, and she was right, and it made sense why they had leveled up. Edwyn could hardly touch her, and his darkness beams did less damage each time. However, it nearly faded her friends out of existence. Seeing her friends’ flickering form made her want to weep.
Next came the skills she had stolen. It would have made her excited to see what she got, but not so much now.
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Void Scourge. Void Scourge – Type: Active. You can shoot a concentrated beam of pure darkness, capable of wreaking physical and spiritual havoc upon your foes. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Vampiric Chains. Vampiric Chains – Type: Active. You can manifest ethereal chains composed of darkness and shadows. These chains will bind and immobilize your foes, rendering them temporarily helpless, while they drain the life force and vitality of any living beings and add it to your own. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
*ding!*
[Please choose one of these skills.]
Meera had been on the receiving end of both these skills, and neither of them was particularly nice. After seeing what Void Scourge had done to her friends, she did not want to take that skill, even if it were the more destructive of the two. But then she already had a beam—Mirror Shard Barrage—whose power was amplified by Mirror Affinity and her armor.
Besides, having a skill that would restrict my enemies and give me their Health would be nice, too.
She chose Vampiric Chains and received the message to choose a skill she wanted to forgo. There was only she could get rid of as all the others were becoming vital to her. She decided to let go of Dreadful Wail.
*ding!*
[You have acquired the skill Vampiric Chains – Level 1]
The rest of the skills she got from the undead were the same as the ones from the wraiths. She chose Soul Drift, where she could, to add experience to her main class. Otherwise, she chose skills she already had—Haunting Presence and Spectral Resilience. Of course, she had to discard some, as neither choice was what she wanted. It took a long time, but she finally got it sorted.
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Spectral Resistance has reached Level 26]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Haunting Presence has gained 2 levels and reached Level 18]
*ding!*
[Congratulations. Stalker has gained 2 levels and reached Level 21]
Meera sighed. “Finally, got that done.”
“W-What?” Shade asked, head on the ground. His form was still shivering.
“My ability—” She paused and decided to tell them about her class and class ability as Edwyn was dead, and even if he was alive in whatever form, it wasn’t like he could leave this cave, and no one could go in.
Once she finished, her friends were more than surprised.
“Y-You had…an…a-a-ability like…that?” Shade exclaimed. “E-Edwyn would h-h-have…loved to…d-dissect you.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t say anything about this in the cave,” Onyx said. “Or who knows what he would’ve done to get his hands on you.”
“Even after completing his goal?”
“Y-Yes,” Cinders said. “E-Even…after.”
Without meaning to, Meera reached into her Hoard Belt and took out the green crystal that had caused her so much trouble.
[Crystal of Darthin – After many trials and sacrifices, this crystal was born. One that contains the powers of the Master of Skills. But Darthin is not easily pleased with those who try to take his power. Thrice and thrice alone, this crystal will grant you any power you desire, but you must sacrifice an innocent soul each time. This soul cannot be under any spell or magic. They must willingly sacrifice themselves for your greed.]
Meera scoffed. “This thing exacts a heavy toll. You need to sacrifice a willing soul to get a new skill, and it only works three times.”
Cinders started. “That’s…”
But Shade interrupted her. “Y-Yes, he would have…o-o-opened you up f-f-from…head-ad to t-toe.”
“All those deaths for something that only works three times,” Onyx said. “The man was a monster…”
“I would smash this thing to bits if I didn’t need it for information on my brother.” Meera gripped the crystal tightly, and each fiber of her being told her to activate Druvis Power and crush it to pieces.
“W-Wait,” Shade cried. “I o-offer m-m-my soul.”
“What?” Meera cried.
“U-Use me…and g-get yourself-f…a new s-skill,” the bat said, drawing the looks of his two ghostly companions. “I-I am…f-fading as it is. T-T-Tell her…”
Cinders nodded, and her whole form flickered, driving the point home. “O-Onyx might…have d-driven the darknessss…away, b-but its still…e-eating at o-our c-core.”
“N-Now, I d-don’t think…we’ll be g-g-going the same p-place as u-usual,” Shade said. “B-But maybe…we m-might, ifff we…”
“No…” Meera teared up again. “I can’t use you.”
“H-have to…” Shade replied.
“D-Do it for uss…” Cinders finished.
Meera felt like she was in hell. She couldn’t sacrifice her friends. She wasn’t that person. She wasn’t like Edwyn. Tears spilled from her eyes. They helped me so much. She wiped at her eyes, but more tears took their place. I couldn’t have gotten out of there alive without their help. I can’t use them like he did.
“D-Don’t let that b-b-bastard…dictate h-how we g-go…again,” Shade said.
Meera started and looked to her fading friends and nodded through tearful eyes. She didn’t know how she would ever live this down. But she would do this for them. So, they felt some measure of peace if there ever was such a thing after death.
Meera didn’t know how to use the Crystal of Darthin, but she figured it couldn’t be any different from the other magical items she had used.
She ran her Mana through the green crystal, and it lit up like a green lamp, washing the small tunnel with a green light. “I sacrifice…C-Cinders and Shade.” Meera sobbed.
“I go willingly,” Shade said.
“As do I.”
The crystal flashed even brighter. Shade and Cinders forms coalesced into two balls of light, and they were drawn toward the crystal. The two balls—their souls floated around the crystal, circling it for a long time.
“I accept,” said a voice like a bull’s, no, more like a Druvis’.
Meera couldn’t be sure, but she was certain she had heard the god, Darthin, speak. The two balls floated upwards towards the ceiling.
“Hey, this is not so bad,” She heard Shade’s voice from one of the balls of light. “Meera, you should definitely die sometime. It’s not so bad, indeed.”
“Thank you, Meera...for keeping your promise,” Cinders said.
Just like that, the two balls of light—her friends shot through the rocky ceiling. The Crystal of Darthin stopped shining, and two major, jagged cracks formed along its length.
*ding!*
[The Crystal of Darthin will allow you to choose whatever power you wish. Please describe your wish for your sacrifices.]
Meera was not in the right state of mind to think of two skills after losing her friends like that. Without even thinking about it, she asked for the first thing that came to her mind. It was something that had irked her ever since she had filled up her skill slots.
I want five more skill slots.
There was a long silence as no notification popped up, nor did a god speak in her mind. It went on long enough that Meera thought she might have to speak it verbally or that she had asked for too much, but then…
*ding!*
[Your wish has been granted by Darthin.]
Meera yelped when she saw the five empty skill slots in her skill section for a total of fifteen skills. Usually, her first reaction would have been to jump up with joy, but then she saw Onyx, and tears spilled from her eyes again, as she had no way of getting him out.