Tezad burst into maniacal laughter, releasing a wave of necrotic energy that, like a dark sea, filled the void around him. In his blissful ignorance, he did not realize how space, like an entrancing veil, was slowly approaching, sealing his path and, perhaps, condemning him to eternal confinement.

Experavit and Edward were in shock, watching as the space metamorphosed and the dome contracted, like a giant cage. Vallynor, with suspicion in his eyes, observed as the cave transformed into a bizarre alliance of iron and flesh. He understood that Tezad was merging this space with his own, effectively combining two points into one. "This is madness," he whispered to himself.

"Did you think yourself clever, trying to outwit me? He-he-he, what fools you are," Tezad laughed, stopping the attack of an armored creature that was decisively charging at him, striking the fleshy ground. The iron armor began to emit pitiful groans, compressing and crumbling under the blows.

"You fool," shouted Duke Mogil, seeing that Vallynor was in danger. "Even if the world is dying and the laws are weakening, the laws of space remain as mighty as before. In the end, you'll only destroy your own soul."

Tezad ignored the duke's warning and turned his attention to Vallynor. "Why are you doing this?" Vallynor asked, ignoring Tezad's insults.

"What else can I do? Ever since you appeared, I've been exiled, tried to be destroyed, like trash, for the slightest mistake. DESIRING TO DEVOUR YOUR SOUL... I was even ready to give up everything else. But no, the God of Death tore my main soul into his realm and destroyed it... Just because I created an artificial soul for myself. I managed to escape... And now I thirst to reclaim what belongs to me!"

***

Deep beneath the earth, in utter darkness, a monstrous demonic entity unfolded. Its body was shackled with chains forged from mithril, orichalcum, and other materials equal to those used for divine purposes. The chains, tight around its fingers, had fused with the bones, resembling excruciating handcuffs. This sinister figure clawed at the walls, leaving behind bloody traces adorned with engravings, symbols, and runes.

The monster flung its claws, breaking the walls that could not withstand the force of its power. It carefully looked at five severed fingers, then, with undiminished zeal, gouged out part of its own hand. The sharp bone beneath the skin glinted with a deadly threat, but it did not stop the monster. It continued to scratch the walls, creating terrifying curved patterns.

Suddenly, it slowed, the gaze of its numerous eyes narrowing, sensing a giant whirl of necrotic energy. This energy enticed it, stirring and inciting a thirst, transforming the creature into something reminiscent of a demon. It was about to devour this flow of energy, recognizing familiar souls, at least one of which contained the seed of demonic power. Memories of this soul and the creation of an artificial demonic being surfaced in its mind. Then, its ambition was to capture them, but they were too small. Now, summoning its demonic instincts with a portion of its energy, it felt them dissolving into oblivion. This simple and failed plan lost its purpose, as now all its interest was focused on the energy.

"Decided," the creature pronounced, lifting its paw and creating an opening in its dark cell. The chamber walls resisted, trying to shackle it again, but the massive paw extended, overcoming resistance and creating a hole inside its dark prison.

***

Isda slowly transformed, while Ena gradually revealed her smile. She absorbed all the necrotic energy emanating from this lovesick fool.

***

Defending against Tezad's attacks, Vallynor and the other necromancers strove to hold their ground. Braving the forefront with Edward and Experavit, aware of their comrade's distress, they engaged in battle, seeking to aid his escape.

Edward, unleashing strikes from the shadows, and Experavit, leading the other necromancers, found themselves at the epicenter of the assault. Seeing this, Tezad smiled and unleashed a spell filled with necrotic energy that spread in all directions. At that moment, Edward sensed an opportunity to save Vallynor, transporting him to a safe place. Instantly appearing behind Tezad, engulfed in his own powers, Edward left him no chance, piercing his limb while he still possessed a human form. Tezad's face, a mix of surprise and displeasure, formed a question:

"How is this possible?" He was unclear on how Edward managed to see him through the mass attack that was supposed to obstruct vision.

"Edward, you're too transparent. Allow me some play. You act exactly as I anticipated!" Tendrils of sinew and veins, emerging from the ground beneath Vallynor, ensnared him, drawing him closer to Tezad. Tezad lifted him, reveling in the view from above. Slowly and ominously, he extended hundreds of arms from the flesh and declared:

"The time has come to reclaim what has been mine all along."

Vallynor struggled to break free, but the sinews and veins drained his energy, and Tezad's words weighed heavily on his nerves—he was unwilling to lose the Necronomicon.

A familiar tattoo of a triangle with semicircles at the corners, now with a circle of spikes inside, flared on Vallynor's hand. Before him, the Necronomicon materialized, emitting powerful surges of energy. Then, chains emerged from every necromancer, extending from their souls towards the book. Remarkably, these chains stretched even to Vallynor and Tezad.

Tezad froze, unable to move. The Necronomicon approached, its iron spikes hurled towards him, but they were halted by the book's necrotic energy.

The flesh, previously motionless, displayed discontent and repulsion on Tezad's face. In the next instant, this disgruntled look turned into a mad smile. The chains that had bound him now ensnared Vallynor.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha." Tezad's mad laughter filled the space, and all necromancers viewed him with distrust.

"You… you…" Even Experavit was utterly shocked by the sight.

"I'm free!" Tezad exclaimed, looking at the bewildered Vallynor. "You thought these shackles, which limit me and make me a slave, were necessary for me. Now I'm free, and you... you've taken my burden." He-he.

"What have you done?" Vallynor asked, confused. "What are these chains? And why have Tezad's chains wrapped around me?"

"Quite simple, it's a pact with Death and the God of Death. Power always comes at a price. A portion of their strength, their potential, restricts their growth and turns them into servants. A god who abandoned us in our darkest moments, leaving us to suffer in this rotten world. Essentially, the agreement has doubled, maybe even tripled… Ha-ha-ha… Damn, I hate this annoying Hero and Villain Effect, influencing fate and mind."

Displeased, Tezad threw the bewildered Vallynor onto the meaty floor, which transformed into spikes, but he was saved by Duke of the Graves. The chains disappeared as if they had never existed.

"And now to deal with you... Edward." Tezad, having solved his main problem, lost interest in Vallynor and turned his head towards Edward, who was casting spells.

One hand after another struck Edward as he recited a spell. Tearing him apart and absorbing him like air, Tezad grew in size.

"Now!" Edward shouted as Experavit leaped forward, cursing in Chinese and pulling out various talismans. Then he uttered a spell in a foreign language, unleashing menacing energies that merged with Edward's spell.

Experavit recited spells in Chinese, like a virtuoso musician performing his symphony of magic. His face was filled with disdain, as if on the verge of vomiting, and sometimes he cursed the Chinese with such internal revulsion that his words seemed like echoes of some magical melody. Vallynor couldn't tell if this was part of the spell or just an expression of indignation. But now was not the time to ponder. Looking around, he noticed forgotten angels sitting in a corner.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The angel girl, who had fiercely tried to destroy him, became something terrifying, perhaps demonic. Light seemed to abandon her, and darkness embraced her, with necrotic energy stirring within. Feeling Vallynor's gaze, she looked at him and smiled, raising her hand in greeting.

Vallynor couldn't understand what had happened to her. Hitting his head, he suffered a concussion of the brain and soul, or perhaps both. But there was a strange feeling. As if she had become someone else, not the girl who sought his death, but a mysterious being, an embodiment of dark secrets.

Reflecting on this, Duke of the Graves took Vallynor in his arms and began to recite a spell along with the other necromancers, hindering Tezad and slowing him down. As he absorbed Edward, they tried to stop Experavit and Edward, despite his injuries.

Sheets of paper, adorned with various symbols, flew before Experavit, like a magical dance of spells performed by leaves in the wind. Some slowed Tezad's movements, others blocked his attacks. The nearest sheets from Experavit's spells joined with Edward's, creating an exquisite fusion of magic and darkness.

Tezad smirked and said, as flesh and steel from a lump of flesh split into two:

"Who would have thought that the great Necromancer, studying the soul and its associated magic, would explore the blasphemous techniques of those who have so greatly distorted our methods. As a token of my gratitude, I want to gift you this."

A massive dragon head appeared before Experavit, spewing blue fire in his direction. The barrier cracked and fell in just two seconds. After that, the dragon head engulfed Experavit.

Vallynor watched the dragon head slowly merge back into Tezad's flesh. He remembered the two moments when Experavit turned his head towards him and uttered one word.

The dome, filling the entire space and merging two worlds in an instant, crumbled. Edward turned to the Duke of the Graves and yelled, "Now!" A crack appeared in space before Vallynor and the Duke of the Graves, into which the bewildered Vallynor was instantly thrown. Then the crack closed, and the Duke of the Graves along with the other necromancers attacked Tezad.

Edward, having depleted a great amount of necrotic energy, was torn apart and absorbed by what he once was—his body, which now belonged to Tezad. Tezad, smirking, ceased releasing necrotic energy into the air and, ignoring all his injuries, returned through the already narrow crack, slicing through the flesh.

"I will obtain everything I need today. Even two souls. What a harvest," Tezad proclaimed.

Fully healed, the crack vanished, and from the ground, claws grew, rising up and arching their fingers high. Ena cast aside Forkas, who had lost consciousness, and looked at Isda's body, or rather, her new body. Shedding all her clothes, she examined her new half-human, half-demonic form, studying her claws and tail. She even felt her fifth point and the most sensitive spots.

"Unfortunately, this energy was insufficient to fully transform this body into a fallen angel," Ena stated. Green fire enveloped her, and scant clothing covered the most vital areas of her body and skin. Then, spreading her wings, she soared into the air and looked at Isda's soul in her hand. Ena bit her lip, not fully transformed, her gaze filled with determination that replaced her previous hesitations. And, taking off, she rushed straight into the fissures in the earth from which the claws had grown.

***

Caesar, majestically seated at the table, was enveloped in the fragrance of tea, which lazily wafted through the air, weaving its own web of aromas. From time to time, he lifted his gaze toward the windowpane, and a weightless smile blossomed on his face. Beyond the door, Alexander's shouts and curses echoed, who, despite all persuasion, tried to confront Caesar over his preference for Vallynor. With a deep sigh, Caesar briefly allowed a smile to cross his face, but soon, a shadow of seriousness flickered across his expression as a knock came at the door.

"Enter," Caesar commanded. Minker entered the room, holding a stack of papers.

"I've brought the reports," he announced, handing the documents to Caesar.

Caesar took the papers and began to scrutinize Minker's reports. Suddenly, he looked up, feeling the tremor from a recent earthquake. Lost in thought about the future, he turned away from the papers and looked at Minker, stating:

"Open the vault and prepare everything as written here." Drawing a piece of paper from his pocket, he handed it to Minker.

Minker frowned upon reading the note but then, sighing from fatigue and indifference, tucked the paper away and left the room.

After Minker had departed, Caesar continued to pore over the reports on the fallen. He delved into the numbers of collected souls, the count of bodies, as well as the volume of gathered and allocated impurities. The reports also contained data on the surviving creatures. One of the reports caused Caesar to slow his reading, repeatedly going over the line: "The number of fallen phoenixes decreases." Stroking his beard, he furrowed his brow and set aside the sheet, moving on to the remaining reports.

Another message reported the disappearance of Fernando, of whom there was no longer any news. Sometime later, Riku vanished along with her maidens. The second disappearance puzzled Caesar, as even he could not foresee the future tied to these events. Unlike the predictions associated with Vallynor, Riku future remained a mystery, shrouded in a veil of the unknown.

***

"Mmm." Vallynor jolted awake, his gaze scattered as he surveyed the surroundings. Familiar trees towered before him, and he felt that he was once again in the cursed forest. Anxiety began to envelop him like an invisible fog.

However, these worries soon receded to the background, giving way to others that emerged in his memory when he recalled recent events. Quickly baring his arm, he looked at his tattoo, which had almost faded; the familiar magical mark now featured a circle with spikes in the center. Attempting to summon the Necronomicon, he found that the book did not respond. Instead, a red panel appeared before him with the inscription:

[Due to energy depletion, the Necronomicon is in sleep mode, as is the inner world. All functions will be disabled indefinitely. To expedite awakening, please become stronger and gather necrotic energy.]

Indifferently staring at the red panel, Vallynor was beset with thousands of questions, but he knew he wouldn't find any answers just yet.

A faint roar woke Vallynor. He turned his head toward the sound and saw a beast with four pairs of arms and two long legs, topped with a head resembling that of an alligator. The creature slowly approached, then lunged at him.

Vallynor instantly drew his scythe and attempted to slice the creature in half, but upon striking, he realized he lacked necrotic energy and couldn't penetrate the tough scales covering its body. Suddenly, the beast clamped both hands onto his shoulder, piercing the mage's cloak and armor, leaving a hole in his shoulder.

With a jerk, Vallynor severed these two hands with his scythe. Fortunately, they were less protected than the rest of the body. However, the creature, using its remaining limbs, leaped back and began to dig in the sand. Half-submerging itself in the soft sand, it opened its maw and directed it at Vallynor.

Everything happened so swiftly that Vallynor, despite his desire to act, found himself paralyzed, unable to utter a spell. Without energy, he was merely a common man with second-level strength.

Vallynor's instincts screamed for him to dodge, and he complied, hiding behind a tree. Like rays of energy piercing him, a strong blow could have been fatal had it reached Vallynor. But the tree remained whole and undamaged.

As he peeked around, Vallynor saw the creature keeping its mouth open when another blow struck. "One, two, three… seven" — Vallynor counted, and when he reached seven, the foe fired at him again.

Vallynor kept counting until the enemy attacked again. As another shot flew at him, Vallynor ran to another tree, continuing his count. When he reached seven, the shot hit his new cover.

After repeating this several times, Vallynor awaited the enemy's shot. He tried to summon necrotic energy, but to no avail. Too little time had passed, and there was no energy nearby from which it could emanate.

"Mmm…" Vallynor sensed something was amiss. His eyes widened, and he leaped forward. Where he had just stood, the creature with six intact arms landed on the sand. Its impact scattered black sand, forming impenetrable clouds.

Vallynor silently cursed his bad luck, pondering how to replenish enough energy to enshroud his scythe. "Hands" — he thought, realizing that a bit of necrotic energy could be harvested from the beast's severed hands. He quickly ran to the hands.

As he reached the severed hands, the beast's tongue struck his back, trying to pull him inside. Using the scythe as a lever, braced against a tree, he stretched his free hand toward the severed limbs.

"Yes!" he exclaimed with joy, feeling a small amount of necrotic energy. Without dwelling too long, he absorbed all the energy.

Checking its amount, he realized he could enshroud the scythe's blades for a few seconds, just within three to five seconds. Frowning at the beast, which was diligently trying to consume him, Vallynor smiled and freed his scythe from the tree, then instantly moved toward the beast.

The beast opened its maw, aiming to swallow his body and soul. Just seconds before it could succeed, Vallynor wrapped his scythe in necrotic energy and sliced the enemy in two. The beast's soul burst forth from the carcass, flying towards Vallynor. From mental fatigue, he didn't immediately grasp what had happened. And even if he wished to prevent it, without energy, he was powerless.

Taking a few steps, Vallynor stood between the two halves of the bisected body, from which black liquid flowed. This, perhaps tainted blood, caused him to be stained. But for Vallynor, it was a trivial matter. Instead, he awaited the body to begin generating necrotic energy.

As necrotic energy started to arise in the beast's body, Vallynor absorbed it, leaving not a drop. Gathering energy, he began to meditate to clear his mind of useless thoughts at the moment. He contemplated his next move.

Ultimately, he swiftly determined his further actions: return to the city. But to do so, he needed to survive and become stronger along the way. Perhaps even reach the third tier in each of the three directions. Thinking it over, Vallynor decided to try summoning the fragrant hands. But, feeling that activating and maintaining the spell required energy, he quickly canceled it.

He pondered, realizing that if the path of the soul is linked to the soul itself, then all spells of this path might consume soul energy. And in this, he was partly correct. But, of course, only for the middle and higher tiers. For the lower tiers, where Vallynor stood, external energy was still needed to initiate and maintain the spell.

Feeling he would no longer receive necrotic energy from the corpse, he sent the body to his inventory. Then, in shock, he looked at his hands and smacked himself on the head.