Gabriel joyfully approached Caesar and wanted to embrace him, but Caesar pulled out a stick and was ready to strike.
"What are you doing? Do you even want to turn your friend into a trinket?" Caesar said.
"Don't come near me, you reek of alcohol," tired Caesar was ready to continue walking towards the castle, but he stopped upon hearing Gabriel.
"Why do you try so hard and spend so much time? You need to rest both physically and mentally," Gabriel said.
"I can do that behind my desk, using semi-conscious artifacts and spells," Caesar replied.
"That's all nonsense. You need to rest like a human. You'll see how new strength and ideas arise, just like with me," Gabriel said proudly, trying to approach Caesar.
"I know what kind of ideas you come up with. You invented teleportation of girls' underwear. And in the end, you created a new form of teleportation that allows you to move body parts over long distances with minimal effort. This led to the creation of the 'sex express,' where you can order a woman's rear end right in front of you," Caesar snorted, remembering Gabriel's old exploits.
"And so what? Everyone is happy about it. Besides, the spell is not only used for intimate services. The main thing is that I created it with the intention of stealing my woman's underwear, but in the end, it turned into such a remarkable spell. And this is not a one-time thing," Gabriel replied.
Caesar, listening to him, wanted to argue but couldn't find any counterarguments. Even after becoming somewhat perverted due to the loss of his women, Gabriel managed to create such amazing spells.
"Let's talk over a drink. I want to chat with an old friend and ask about a few circles and runes. I have a new idea," Gabriel suggested.
"Haha. Alright, but no girls. I don't want to accidentally run into my old students," Caesar reluctantly agreed.
"You mean the nuns? They are nice. I can't understand how they manage to restrain their carnal desires," Gabriel said thoughtfully, closing his eyes and remembering the bodies of the girls who were once nuns and prayed to God.
"Hmm," Caesar grunted, trying to express disgust on his face but failed. Taking a sigh, he said, "They are good girls. Unfortunately, I would like them to remain pure and innocent, like the snow in this world where everything is crumbling and becoming darker. We not only fall and become eternal slaves to emptiness but also succumb to sinful desires... I don't mind you having dark desires that you want to fulfill, but not thousands of them..."
"Stop, stop, twisted mill. You started preaching again. I already know that we are pale shadows of our past and that our God is dead, and our souls are shattered, just like this world. I lived here, live here, and will live until judgment day..." Gabriel paused, smirked maliciously, and said, "You know what, better tell all of this to the boy who's supposed to be with Alexander."
Caesar pondered for a moment and, breaking free from his gloomy, tired, and irritated old man facade, became a bit more lively. With each passing minute, he grew happier. He only lacked a glow. However, Caesar didn't want to waste energy on that spell.
Gabriel took Caesar by the hand and quickly led him to one of the pubs, while he was still lost in his thoughts, where he taught and preached the new faith. Caesar could have been the leader of the city, governing everyone, but by birth, he was a priest who helped people, guided their souls, and prayed to God. He was also a skilled politician and schemer. Even within the church, there were political games.
Caesar snapped out of it when a beautiful girl in monastic attire attempted to pour him a drink. He stopped her and said, "I'll do it myself." Taking a large glass in his hands, Caesar added, "Today, I'm taking a day off. And tomorrow, I'll start preparing."
***
Alexander had been running with Annino, Glazik, and Vallynor in his hands for several days. Sometimes he would make jumps or zigzags, avoiding enemies or fulfilling conditions to escape the forest.
Vallynor, exhausted from fatigue and boredom, looked at his tasks and the remaining time until the completion of the first quest: 17 days, 3 hours, 23 minutes, 23 seconds...
It had been 13 days since Vallynor killed the old woman and her vile son. In those moments when Vallynor couldn't clear his mind, which had already become almost entirely pure, he tried to recall the memories of the old woman and her son. But he couldn't take those memories seriously, like a higher level of techniques, for example. And it wasn't because of his foolishness but because the existence of such knowledge is not a blessing for mortals but a poison capable of destroying the unprepared mind. It's like a weak person trying to lift a mountain only to find out they will be crushed to death.
Perhaps something prevents me from seeing the memories that can harm me, so I won't break or even die as a person. Most memories can harm me.
However, there is still something that can trigger them—triggers that automatically resonate with memories and activate them.
Even from simple memories where characters simply chat and live, Vallynor managed to learn many interesting facts. He even began studying the dragon language, thinking that it might come in handy in the future.
When he grew tired of that, Vallynor delved into his soul to observe it. He wanted to learn more about the rune of time located on the Soul Plateau, a huge disc of the lowest quality comparable to hardened earth or stone.
Vallynor wanted to have a conversation with the book about further steps. After all, he didn't want to make a mistake and find out later that he could no longer progress.
Leaving all that behind, he began looking around, hoping to see something new that could trigger his memories—a so-called trigger. Some criticized and didn't want it, but he was searching for it. It's interesting what sins were committed in his previous world for someone to become a trigger? And on top of that—a rapist and a multitude of problems.
With what he learned about the world inhabited by legendary figures, who were supposed to enter other worlds to save them from complete destruction or imbalance, Vallynor concluded that someone must appear in his previous world. And if so, who: a hero or a villain? How would he punish those who protested and caused trouble? Or would he just kill them, starting a new world war?
So many questions, because none of it concerns him anymore. Damn it, because he doesn't know what to do, he starts thinking about his past. Oh, and have the trees become scarcer?
Vallynor continued to ponder as Alexander ran and made a few jumps. Gradually, the black and sturdy dead trees began to disappear. Their numbers diminished every hour.
But Alexander never stopped for a moment and no longer wasted energy evading monsters because, strangely enough, they stopped appearing. They became rarer. It proved that there were very few beings at the border of the Cursed Forest.
Now Vallynor saw a bare sandy landscape in the distance. Remembering his first day in this world when he was still on the outskirts of the forest, Vallynor had a question he hadn't considered before. How could Heishe move through the Cursed Forest? He was a huge snake, or rather, a fallen cockroach. Flying—understandable, forget it. But Heishe, how could he move? There were trees in the forest, which became sturdier. But that's not certain.
A good question. Due to boredom and unwillingness to train again, Vallynor began contemplating the answer to his question.
The answer came to him quickly, but he was uncertain, although some memories of the old woman about the forest were hinting at it. He already knew that one-third of the entire world was a forest. And even if it's a forest, it can't grow everywhere with dense trees blocking the sun. There will be places where there will be fields with a few trees, like battlefields where Vallynor fought. Oh, how convenient. Besides, every tree doesn't necessarily have to grow 5 to 10 meters from another. And if he remembered Heishe, Vallynor realized that the trees there might have been slightly bigger and more spaced apart. It was only in favor of Heishe. Too bad he died.
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Vallynor immersed himself in his thoughts, not realizing that Alexander had stopped. While Alexander held him, Vallynor fell onto the sand. Annino was already preparing to go hunting but was quickly stopped by Alexander, who gave her a slap on the head and said:
"Do not leave unless you want to return to the forest. But I won't go with you," Annino said.
Annino understood that it was better to stay and wait. She approached Vallynor, who began wagging his tail happily. Vallynor smiled and started petting her. Looking at Glazik, Vallynor suddenly started petting her as well, although the touch felt strange and unpleasant.
Glazik was startled by the unexpected gesture and initially wanted to move away. But seeing that Vallynor had lowered himself closer to her head level, she silently allowed him to pet her.
"I wonder what it would be like if Glazik had a human body," Vallynor thought. "Would she show her embarrassment?"
Alexander, sitting on the sand, closed his eyes and began to rest both physically and spiritually. Vallynor raised his head and made a displeased face, starting to train his body to complete his training and reach the final stage of development. Annino watched her master and tried to imitate Vallynor, attempting to stand on her hind legs and jump. But most of her actions looked comical.
No one laughed. Alexander, with his eyes closed, appeared to be asleep and occasionally frowned. Glazik, as usual, observed everything. And Vallynor grimaced as if going through agony. He couldn't train properly. For him, sports were scarier than having sex with a fat, hairy woman. Close your eyes and imagine fashion models. Although, knowing what they were—whores and carriers of diseases—it would be better to have sex with this nightmare. You would be sure that no one would find out about her. And if she claimed to be innocent, you would believe her. It's better not to think about such terrible things to avoid ruining the mood.
Glazik, watching Vallynor and his clumsy movements, sensed something and looked into the desert, where there was only sand. The black sand absorbed light and last hopes. It surrounded everything, and in the distance, she saw something. But either it was too far away, or it was black. Glazik couldn't understand what she saw and whether there was really something there or if it was an illusion.
Alexander opened his eyes and quickly caught Vallynor and Annino. Then he leaped and caught Glazik. He tried to escape with all his might.
Vallynor looked at Alexander with surprise and saw his serious expression. He quickly realized that something had happened. But what could make this warrior act like that? Vallynor began to look around, but many things were blurry due to the speed. He noticed that something strange was happening, as if he was flying. When he came to his senses, Vallynor realized that he was flying alone. What is happening? Annino is flying with me, and Glazik has stopped in mid-air. What the hell is going on? I can't fly on my own in the embrace of this sand.
Falling onto the black sand, Vallynor sustained a few injuries, but being undead, he didn't feel any pain upon impact. Not feeling pain is a blessing. Why didn't I have this when I lived in my world? I didn't feel pain when I hit my finger against the nightstand. I didn't want to hit it again and experience more pain. What am I thinking? Only about terrible things, about whether I am undead or not...
Regaining consciousness with his head buried in the black sand, Vallynor realized that a large part of his body had sunk into the sand. He extricated himself from the sand and began searching for the cause of his flight, looking in the direction from which he was catapulted.
Vallynor saw Alexander holding a sword in his hand and attempting to attack a brick. The black brick flew in front of Alexander and was struck by his sword.
Annino appeared beside Vallynor, and her master looked at the brick with bewilderment. Observing the brick receiving damage but not retaliating, Annino sensed that it was not dangerous and pounced on the brick. Glazik, suspended in the sky, saw Annino rushing towards the enemy and tried to stop her.
"Stop, do not attack with magic," even Alexander tried to halt Annino when he saw the magical attack heading towards the brick.
After the magical strike, the black brick turned red. Then the black sand began to move, and red bricks emerged from it, overlapping and connecting to each other.
Alexander quickly caught Vallynor, who whimpered sadly. Realizing what he had done, Annino began to regret, but now was not the time for regrets.
Holding the wolf in one hand, Alexander leaped towards the approaching Glazik. He grabbed her and rushed towards Vallynor, who was the farthest away from everyone, as a huge wall formed behind his back.
Vallynor looked in surprise as a massive glowing wall was assembled from the red bricks. He expected to see a giant, a golem, or a monster controlling the bricks, not a huge wall collapsing onto them.
Seeing the wall starting to fall on them, Vallynor started running away from it. Alexander caught up with Vallynor and picked him up, running with all his might.
The red wall, gradually descending upon them, gained speed with each breath of Alexander and increased in length and width.
"What kind of killer bricks are these?" Vallynor couldn't help but ask. He couldn't find anything about them in the memories of the Forest Queen. He didn't know why it didn't bother him now, and it wasn't the time to worry about it.
Alexander was focused on escape. He didn't understand what Vallynor had said, and even if he did, he wouldn't have replied. Glazik wanted to respond but realized that not a single word reached the ears of her foolish master. Do his ears even work in this undead state?
Glazik remembered telepathy, which was rarely used since she became Vallynor's familiar, and mentally replied to him:
"The enemy is a magical formation made of magical blocks. It was created with the blood and souls of thousands of warriors. And finally, the Dark Mage, drawing the formation with his own blood and sacrificing his soul, brought the wall to life to prevent enemies from destroying their country. This wall became the country's defense against invasions. However, because it was created with blood, flesh, and the soul of the spellcaster, the wall became alive and eventually even intelligent. Moreover, to defend itself, it began to attack and kill enemies of the country it protected. The frightened country attacked the wall, wanting to destroy a potential enemy they couldn't control, but they ended up destroying themselves."
Vallynor listened and watched as the wall approached his head. Fortunately, Alexander was faster than the wall, and they managed to escape before it fell on them.
"Why magic? Why couldn't they attack it with magic?" Vallynor asked thoughtfully, trying to recall or summon some memories related to this wall. Luckily, he barely found anything.
"A magical formation made of magical blocks was always attacked with magic. The country that created the wall had a strong hatred for mages, just like everyone who created the wall. But even that didn't stop them from using the power of a mage, and magic attacked their own country, attacking the magical formation made of magical blocks that had protected them for decades."
"Using magic when you hate it doesn't sound logical. It's also strange to attack your own defender," remarked Vallynor.
"You're as illogical as ever," Vallynor retorted. "These people, desperate to survive, used the powers they hated. The long defense against the wall lessened the damage suffered by the country. Over time, they forgot their hatred for magic and began to spread and study it themselves. The wall that once protected them helped the country strengthen and become powerful, but then it started attacking others. Thus, the victim turned into the aggressor. However, they couldn't control the wall and decided to destroy it. As a result, they were destroyed by their own greed. Idiots."
"Where did you learn..." Vallynor wanted to ask how a red wall appeared behind his back, quickly crumbling into bricks and flying towards them.
Alexander slightly slowed his pace to allow Vallynor to hear him and said, "Summon your soul hands and attack every block that approaches us." Then he resumed his previous speed.
Vallynor summoned fifty soul hands and waited for the red bricks to fly at him.
The large wall that had fallen earlier broke into pieces and flew towards Alexander and his companions. New bricks continued to emerge from the sand.
Some bricks accelerated and flew towards the enemies, while others gathered in large heaps and fell onto the sand in front of them, attempting to stop or at least slow them down.
One red brick flew straight towards Vallynor's head. He noticed it and wanted to warn Alexander, but he remained silent, and the brick approached. Vallynor didn't wait for the brick to get close enough for him to stop it. Soul hands can affect matter at a close distance, but would Vallynor make it before the brick hit his head?
Alexander's words about attacking the bricks with soul hands made Vallynor think that perhaps each brick had a fragment of a soul.
As he attacked the brick, Vallynor indeed sensed a soul within it, albeit a small fragment. He ripped off a piece of the soul and quickly transferred it to his grimoire. Fortunately, the "Necronomicon" was intact, so souls that came into contact with him could be immediately sent to it for safekeeping... in the form of currency.
The brick that lost a fragment of its soul should have fallen onto the sand, but instead, it turned black and flew at a significant speed into the black sand, fully submerging itself and disappearing.
The bricks continued to fly towards the fleeing group. Vallynor would stop them and retaliate, taking pieces of their souls, but the red bricks kept appearing and attacking relentlessly. They fell to the ground like rain. If anyone was struck by a falling brick, they would turn into a bloody pulp of flesh.
Numerous soul hands attacked the red bricks, swarming like a swarm of bees. Others would halt or counterattack the bricks that came too close.
Alexander ran with all his might, always leaping or dodging the massive bricks that fell in front of him. Sometimes, as he ran, bricks would shoot up from beneath his feet, creating unexpected enormous pits.
Annino sadly watched as Glazik began to attack the nearest bricks. Seeing her actions, Annino herself started to attack with her shadow blades, not getting in Alexander's way.
In the distance, a multitude of bricks started to gather, forming a new wall, preparing for the appearance of an enemy.
"Just like an SCP wall," muttered Vallynor as he attacked the flying bricks.
"What?" unexpectedly asked Glazik, puzzled by Vallynor's comment.
"Never mind. You wouldn't understand anyway... More importantly, how did you hear me?"
Glazik silently continued attacking the bricks, while Vallynor looked at her askance, still attacking the bricks.
BAM! A massive block fell right in front of Vallynor's face. It startled him greatly, as well as everyone else. Even Alexander began to scowl because the larger blocks were falling more frequently and at a higher speed.
"It's becoming more dangerous," whispered Vallynor.