Lair

Chapter 042 - Setting Sun

By Skalsar

>Ahahahaha!<, the [Paladin] was laughing as he tried to cut away my flesh.

His bastard sword finally broke through an improvised shield I had created by overlapping chitin that I created with the reserve of magic power I had to spare.

>Humans are weird.<, I say.

'But thinking about it.

I might be too.

Didn't I die just now?

Just what has happened to me?'

'What do you mean, you died?', Nyr ask me most irritated and with worry.

[Blessing Of Frey] has ended due to the destruction of the deity.

I see.

A blessing, huh?

Is that why I still remember?

That deity, she did something to me and was destroyed for it.

Cutting away two more of my arms with a lucky strike, that [Paladin] turns around and kicks away Danar.

Danar, Sora, Blazer and Lysk had come through [Portals] in order to help, but couldn't do much.

Sora tried to lash him with her claws, but could only scratch his armor before hit in the face, which send her flying. Blazer tried to bite the arm, but the [Paladin] simply dodged and cut two of his legs. Lysk used his [Bewitching Eyes] but didn't seem to have any effect.

He doesn't look like he is interested in them in any way, not even taking them serious I believe.

I share the knowledge I acquired with them through our minds link.

About how I killed Lily.

About how I 'recreated' her as a creature and she killed Odas.

About how the [Paladin] still slaughtered us all.

And of course, how that white deity did something and was ripped apart by the other deities for doing so, with me keeping my memories of something that now seems to have not happened.

'What?!', Danar screamed to my mind as the knowledge flooded the hive.

The inhabitants of [The Hive] have been acknowledged as a new race, by acquiring a human level of knowledge.

The [Paladins] bastard sword cuts another of my legs.

I can't move anymore.

>This is it, monster.

Please scream for me!<, he says as he presses his sword slowly into my chest.

Slowly pressing on, in order to cause me pain.

It burns.

But I won't give him that victory..

>G.. Gaaaah!<, I scream painfully.

Well yes I do scream, so what? It hurts like hell!

It's a freaking sword being pushed slowly into my chest!

I stare into his eyes as the sword slowly approaches my core.

Then I smile.

Startled, he notices something is off.

Ripping out his sword, he turns around, but only to stare into white fog.

Then.. hundreds of creatures appear on the surface through [Portals].

Shadows lurking around.

[Formlings].

Swinging his sword in a wide arc, the [Paladin] wants to get rid of them.

With a look on his face as if getting rid of insects.

>What..?<, a weird tone escapes him as he is surprised about his sword just going through.

Blood flows from his mouth.

>Impossible.<, he says.

He is dropping his sword and feeling his chest.

The white fog from before had formed to a figure with claws and a hollow face.

Holding something that stopped pulsating just now.

A lump of flesh.

A human heart.

With a small explosion of magic power from the [Paladin], the [Ghost Walker – Rare Variant] and many of the creeping shadows called [Formlings] perish. This was all he could control, being on the edge of deaths door. Danar still shielded me from the explosion, seeing how I wouldn't have survived it in my current state.

Cores are dropping all around from the pocketrealms of the [Formlings] as they died.

But the [Paladin] drops to the ground too.

>A lower being can't do such a thing.<, he says to himself.

Is he talking about the [Ghost Walker] ripping out his heart?

If so, it made perfect sense.

Not having a physical form, it used all its magic power to directly attack the heart.

>I'm the champion of Logaris.<, he says.

>A lowly monster can't harm me.<, tears are starting to roll from his face.

>He promised me, he blessed me.<, he is weeping now, realizing that this is his end.

I like it.

Smiling, I watch him die.

>He has let you down.<, I tell him even through it's a lie, I like the despair in his final moment.

I chuckle as he drops dead.

The real reason is just as he said.

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Deities have their own rules and laws.

The blessing that [Paladin] had, must be just as he said.

A monster can't damage him in any way.

But we aren't monsters any longer.

Quite possible he was supposed to kill Lily just for that, to stop us from advancing into a race.

I have to thank.. what was her name..?

My memory is getting blurry.

That deity.. the one that saved me.

I can't remember her name.

Just like with when Danar was still just "Hivemind" and told us of [The Goddess Of Vengeance] that created us but was destroyed by the other deities for some reason. Seems like you can't remember the name if the deity gets destroyed.

>Daddy!<, a highpitched voice is screaming besides me.

>Please!<, it is Lily who is screaming and crying.

He had shielded her from that magic explosion, hasn't he?

>Wake up! Please!<, she begs.

This is.. sad..?

But many died, even that [Guard] and other people in the village.

Why is it only sad to see Lily like this?

'I don't feel sad.

I find it quite amusing.', Lysk tells me.

Well, Lysk was trapped by humans for like ever, that doesn't count.

'Sorry, I don't feel sad either.

He never gave in to my temptation, he was mean.', Sora says.

Guess a [Succubus] doesn't count either..

'Well..', Danar starts.

'Oh not you too!', I shout.

'No, no! I mean.. I'm sad about it too.

He seemed ok, for a human that is.

But can't you do something about it with your skill?'

Skill he says..

He means the [Summon Soul] thing..

'That would be a bad idea.. he wouldn't be himself anymore.

I tried before..', I say, thinking about Lily.

[Drones] and [Hiveworkers] from within the hive appear before me and give me magic power.

Being cut down like this, I'm nearly depleted.

This is good, I won't die this time.

I discard the dead flesh and morph into a [Morphling] again.

Leaving behind blood and gore.

As our flesh is made from magic power, it can be turned back into magic power.

The others are shocked and worried about my memory of the deities.

But Danar seems thoughtful.

'Your memories are worrisome, but we will need him.', Danar says.

Guess that might be true..

'And Lily will need him too, even if he isn't really himself anymore.', he adds.

I don't know..

I have the feeling that this is wrong.

That I can't do it right.

'Then let me do it?', Sora offers.

Huh?

Her?

'I have a much better understanding of a human body.

I believe, using the dead body, I can create something similar to it.', she says.

'I might be able to help with that.', Nyr seems to be confident too.

Guess that might be true.

And if Nyr is helping..

Well, whatever.

They use some of the cores that are lying around, looking for those that aren't damaged.

Maybe fifteen of those small cores should do they believe.

Intertwining them with eachother.

Forming them.

'We just need him to be believable human, right?

Like some puppet.', Sora asks Danar, who nods.

Seems like they want to control the village with this.

Not just the village.

The whole territory I guess.

'Here you go.', they tell me and hand me a intertwined core in the form of a human heart.

Guess it makes sense that way.

I take it and step near his corpse.

Lily doesn't even look at me.

She just cries, with her head resting on his belly.

Grabbing his clothes with all the strenght of her small hands.

>Please wake up..<, she whispers again.

I lay the core onto his chest and start feeding it magic power.

Then I focus on using the skill.

His [Soul] is still lingering around.

Scattered here and there for a bit.

But still around.

If we were to mindlessly use magic power that surrounds us, we might destroy it in the blink of an eye, that is how fragile it is.

His [Soul] is disgustingly weak.

Not the [Soul] of Odas, the [Soul] of the [Paladin].

Odas [Soul] is just fine, staying around his daugther as if not wanting to leave.

Clinging to her with all his might.

Focussing my mind, a weak black glow surrounds the core.

The flesh beneath it is getting slowly absorbed, as the new heart oozes into the corpse.

'Why should we try to imitate the form, if it is already lying before us, empty.

I shall call this a [Ghoul]', Sora thought.

And as I spread the [Soul] into the core, his new heart starts beating.