The battle between the three protector beasts and the Eldritch continued. However, there were no more surprises as the destroyed portal prevented the Eldritch from reinforcing itself, causing its strength to steadily decline. The three beasts took a cautious approach, taking turns and protecting each other in tandem as they besieged the ancient horror.
Meanwhile, Alex had fallen unconscious. The overuse of powerful abilities far beyond his league had taken a toll on his body. However, not everything was negative... for him.
In another part of the world, the Ashen Knights were besieging a lizardmen city. Just moments before Alex initiated his final ritual, they had breached the city's walls and started their attack. This battle was much more challenging than the previous one against the Kobolds, as the forces on both sides were evenly matched, making the siege a true nightmare.
However, the real nightmare for the besieging force was about to unfold. At the exact moment when Spectral Alex performed the forbidden ritual to exceed his own limits, every Ashen Knight felt intense pain, as if being impaled in the gut by a lance—a sensation many could testify to.
This sudden pain left the knights slightly incapacitated, and they had to retreat simultaneously, leaving a breach in the front that had cost them dearly to achieve.
As time passed, the pain did not subside; instead, it intensified. When Spectral Alex exceeded the power of the protector beasts, the pain shifted into something even more unbearable. Each knight, and this was a thousand times worse for those who had obtained energy from the ashes in the earth, felt their connection to the ash energy severed.
This time, the sensation went beyond pain; it was like being paralyzed, losing all connection with one's body. It couldn't be described with words—a dissociation so potent that it immediately drove every knight to madness. Those of higher levels were affected exponentially more.
Lieutenants were hitting themselves, kicking and flailing, whimpering and spitting. Magas, especially Lissie, scratched their faces, tore out chunks of hair, eating them, and biting their fingers. Jane, trying to maintain some control through the pain, eventually lost all reason, inflicting harm on herself, dislocating her right arm and leg, as well as breaking the humerus in her left arm.
The allied troops that had rushed to fill the gap left by the knights began to notice the strange behavior. No one knew exactly what was happening; most thought they had been affected by a spell or curse with a wide area of effect. However, allied spells to soothe pain or dispel curses did nothing to help the knights.
Finally, the pain and alienation toward their own bodies stopped increasing and began to decrease without ever disappearing completely. The knights stood still and silent like statues in a cemetery.
In a still-frenzied battlefield where the defenders had begun to take the lead, pushing the invaders out of the city, Lissie made a move.
With her staff in hand, she began drawing arcane symbols in the air and magic circles on the ground. "Swords of the just, free this world from its evil, purge those who lead us to Gehenna," proclaimed Lissie.
The knights were enveloped in their usual crimson glow, but this time it was a dirty violet.
What followed next was a horror that very few survived to tell, leaving the knights' honor stained for centuries to come.
In the forest, Alex was rescued by the pack of Moonstalkers and placed under protection while the battle between the three guardians and the Eldritch continued.
When Alex woke up this time, he felt really strange. It was a difficult sensation to explain, but somehow, it could be likened to the pain after a gym workout. Indeed, he was completely sore, and every small movement was uncomfortable. However, he felt stronger, both physically and internally. His body had grown slightly, becoming more muscular. Although he had no way to verify it, he felt significantly heavier than he appeared. The density of his muscles and bones had explosively increased.
He also gained a much deeper understanding of the Ashen Knights' path. He finally glimpsed why he always ended up in such bad shape after using his abilities. Essentially, he was using skills far beyond his current level, and it was obvious that you would hurt yourself if you tried to climb a six-step ladder each time.
Soon, Alex's introspection was interrupted by an assertive purr. "Lunaria, is that you? What are you doing here? And, since I'm asking, where are we, and what happened to the fight?" Alex questioned the small feline.
The little cat approached, positioning herself at the exact distance for Alex to pet her, then ignored the human. Alex was familiar with the feline's attitude and played along, stroking her while scanning the surroundings.
Lunaria, content with the petting, finally conveyed interesting information. "Guests? Who could be coming for me? Are you sure they're not the Krons pursuing me? It would be really devastating if they found my camp," Alex told the small animal.
Lunaria simply shook her head in Alex's direction and then turned her head in a particular direction, emitting a hiss from which an elf emerged, followed by other senior elves.
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Alex was even more confused; he didn't know this elf at all. He was sure he hadn't had any contact with her, and the number of people he had done business with was quite limited.
Soon, however, the link between them became clear when the marquess stepped forward.
"Greetings, young human. You look really bad, and that new hair color makes you unusually old," said the marquess, referring to a grayish-white strand of hair Alex now had.
"Good afternoon, Marquess. I apologize for greeting you while sitting, but as you can see, this little one has me kidnapped," Alex replied, pointing to the small feline now perched in his lap. He then added, "Would you mind introducing me to your company?"
"Of course, excuse my manners. This is Princess Ley of the Kellenar Empire. Also present is the Empress's delegate. The Empire has some business with you, so I brought them to you. I hope you forgive this intrusion," the marquess responded.
The marquess's attitude was a great surprise to all the elves present, except for the princess. In the eyes of the elves, the marquess was demeaning the honor of the Kellenar Empire to a pathetic human who didn't even know basic etiquette when addressing superiors.
The princess, however, knew that Alex was in no condition to do anything, let alone stand up. For a brief moment, she witnessed how Alex survived the siege of that monstrosity, and that alone qualified him as a worthy opponent. If she had seen his subsequent transformation, her actions today might have been very different.
The envoy, however, was not so patient. "Human, I have been sent by our powerful Empress on behalf of Sera, the Guardian of Light. You have been granted the honor of joining her host. Sign the agreement with your blood and present yourself at the port of Nixhaven for relocation," said the envoy, throwing a document in Alex's direction.
However, he was not in a position to move his body; he could barely pet little Lunaria, and that was already too much. The parchment flew in a parabolic arc and finally bounced off Alex's face.
Silence.
A heavy silence engulfed the scene, and the marquess's face contorted in terror.
Others might not know or be vaguely aware, but the place was filled with powerful creatures. Half of the Alphas were still quite close, along with many of their packs and their best fighters. Not to mention that Alex had the grace of the three great protector creatures. Here, it was basically his territory, and the envoy had spat in his face.
"Envoy," said Alex slowly while barely picking up the paper that now bothered the small feline, "Sera's dogs are not welcome here."
Upon hearing Alex's words, the forest began to stir.
The wild lights of various pairs of eyes could be seen.
The rhythmic beat of hooves from various animals.
Claws being extended.
The slight rustling of the grass.
The forest had allowed these intruders to linger for a long time without consequence. The elves began to close their formation around the princess in a futile attempt to feel secure.
Princess Ley nervously looked around, sensing the growing hostility of the environment. The envoy of the empire, on the other hand, showed an expression of disbelief and disdain, not understanding the magnitude of the situation.
Alex, though battered, stood up with effort, holding Lunaria in his arms. He stared at the envoy, his eyes radiating a mix of exhaustion and challenge. "You should have been more careful with your words and choices, envoy. Here, you have no power, and the creatures of this forest do not take kindly to contempt, especially coming from someone who only has their title to boast about."
The marquess, much more humble because he knew how insignificant he was in these places, understood the gravity of the situation. He looked at the envoy and spoke with severity, "You have violated the hospitality of this place and disrespected its guest. This forest is full of beings who could turn you to dust with a simple thought. I suggest you retract and apologize."
The envoy, though reluctant, understood he was in a precarious position. He swallowed hard and, with a reluctant attitude, said, "My apologies if I have offended. It was not my intention. I am only following the orders of the Empress."
The forest seemed to calm down a bit, but the tension still hung in the air. Feeling a bit stronger, Alex decided to leverage the situation in his favor. "The Empress and her war dogs are not welcome here. This forest is home to countless creatures, which will protect it from any invader, be it from this world or beyond. As for you and Sera, I won't sign your damn agreement."
Princess Ley, observing the situation with insight, intervened. "Perhaps there has been a misunderstanding. My mother only wants to join forces to face greater threats, like the Eldritch plaguing these lands."
Alex frowned, but before he could respond, Lunaria emitted a protective growl, and the creatures of the forest slowly advanced toward the group. Giant wolves, Moonstalkers, and other magical beings surrounded the elves and the envoy.
"Consider this a warning. The forest and its inhabitants will not be underestimated or scorned. Now, leave us be," declared Alex firmly.
The princess began to retreat, thinking that her mission had failed. Truth be told, she wanted to scold and punish the envoy, but if their mission was to recruit the human, it was evident they couldn't, no matter how they presented themselves; the mission was impossible from the start.
The marquess, however, would not be an elite among elites if he couldn't perceive that the envoy was hiding something by how he had reacted to Alex's refusal. There was a certain reluctance in his face, as if he hadn't failed yet. Rhenar couldn't consider himself a good counter-spy if he didn't recognize the greed in the envoy's face.
With a quick movement that only the most powerful animals noticed, he snatched some documents from a pocket inside the envoy's coat—a serious assault offense that would be punishable by death if they were in Kellenar.
The envoy erupted in anger at being assaulted. However, after a short while, he stopped shouting insults upon seeing what the marquess was reading.
The princess was quite intrigued by the marquess's actions. She knew him better than anyone and knew that her former mentor wouldn't act hastily. Something had made him think that the envoy was harming them, so she didn't lift a finger to help or intervene on behalf of the envoy, despite his constant pleas.
"Princess, I think you'd like to take a quick look at this," said the marquess as he handed the papers to the princess, then added, looking in a particular direction, "and you'd better do it fast."
The sudden movement of the marquess had put the forest on alert again, and this time, they wouldn't tolerate it anymore. Hostility was on the rise again, and the creatures were waiting for any small order or mistake from the elves to leap in their direction and tear them apart.