“Gerard Ochet, it would seem you are to depart for the elven lands right away.” [???]
Gerard was told so by an old man with a slim but strong physique that belayed his age. He was standing in the middle of a room made of earth-colored bricks. There was no window and no furniture except for a simple wooden table in front of him. The room was dark with only a single light on the ceiling shining down on him, keeping him fully illuminated while the only other person present could barely be seen.
“I know. I’ve received my orders from the High Council just now.” [Gerard]
Gerard said, slightly brusquely.
“Is something wrong for you to speak in that tone?” [???]
The old man hidden in the shadows asked, sounding genuinely curious instead of criticizing him.
“It’s nothing major. Just… Please don’t call me by that last name.” [Gerard]
“Was the Ochet Orphanage not to your liking?” [???]
“… I just didn’t make a lot of good memories there.” [Gerard]
“I understand.” [???]
The old man put his right hand on his chest and bowed respectfully, though Gerard took his attitude with a grain of salt. He opted to change the subject before his foul mood caused him to let out a complaint that would put his life at risk.
“Anyway, the Council ordered me to retrieve what ‘should not be needed’ in the very small chance that I fail.” [Gerard]
“Why yes, the item will be ready shortly, but for a man of your stature, I am sure its deployment will not come to be.” [???]
“… Please, tell me, do you really think so.” [Gerard]
“I am but a humble treasurer. However, I believe, as one of the most powerful S ranks under our patronage, subjugating the elves should not be an impossible undertaking for you. Moreover, they are few in number.” [Treasurer]
“But… each elf could rival an S rank if given the chance. Our forces will be even less than theirs. They can use magic infinitely. We’ve got new weapons, but it’ll be the first time using them against elves. There are amazons and other enemies too. There are a lot of unknowns. This mission… Might be too difficult to carry out with just what was allocated to us.” [Gerard]
Gerard said with trepidation, but continued to carefully spin his words.
“Would it not be wiser to send out a stronger unit? Like one of the chosen ones. Lik-.” [Gerard]
“Are you doubting the decisions of the High Council which leads the First Order?” [Treasurer]
Although the old man’s question was spoken in a soft voice, Gerard went rigid and shut up right away, as if he was scared.
“… No.” [Gerard]
He said and looked down.
THUD
When he looked back up, a box as wide as a man’s shoulder width had suddenly been put on the table. It was cubic and made of grey stone with a smooth surface. Two chains were wrapped around it and held together by a padlock that the treasurer swiftly unlocked. As the padlock and chains fell off, he lifted the stone lid, revealing the contents. Inside was a deep red cushion and placed on top was a black stone in the shape of a triangular-based pyramid.
“Here is what ‘should not be needed’.” [Treasurer]
The treasurer said politely.
“A parasite. A black stone beast. A gift from the heavens.” [Treasurer]
Gerard stared at the item intently, feeling as if it was sucking him in.
“It feels… Powerful.” [Gerard]
He uttered, minding his words.
“But of course. This particular type of parasite is often likened to a Blightbringer, despite its opposite nature.” [Treasurer]
The old man slowly and carefully picked up the stone with both hands.
“For it will spread like a plague, draining the life out of anything it touches and destroy all, even one’s failures.” [Treasurer]
He then handed it over to Gerard.
“That is, of course, in the off chance, that it becomes needed.” [Treasurer]
“…” [Gerard]
After a moment of hesitation, the sour-faced man took it.
----------------------------------------
Riteinia, who was down on one knee, watched the beast with disbelief while gritting her teeth in pain. When the parasite had latched onto the Gatekeeper, she had jumped in, pried it off of her and tossed it away. Yet, as a result, her hands had black marks that were spreading, slowly crawling along her arms like tendrils. Moreover, besides the burning pain that came from the marks, her body felt heavy and her arms could barely move while the skin had an unhealthy discoloration.
“(Did I get poisoned…!? And a chunk of my mana is gone…!)” [Riteinia]
Furthermore, the Matriarch was not the only one for Rosaminta was in a similar condition. From the trunk where the beast had touched, her green body turned dark. The affliction spread like roots, turning the affected area brown and decrepit. Like a wilting flower, the Gatekeeper, moaning in pain, was clearly weakened and unable to move.
“What the hell kind of monster is that…?!” [Riteinia]
Riteinia muttered angrily, ignoring her worried amazons that were crowding around her to protect her, their weapons raised. Every golden-eyed warrior was no longer in a spectating mood. The enemy had made their leader fall on one knee, her arms immobile and turning black and discolored like those of the dead. Not only that, their instincts were warning them that the six-armed creature was incredibly dangerous.
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“GUOON! GUOON! GUOOOOOOONNNN!!!” [Black stone beast]
Letting out its weird, ear-splitting roar, the beast was continuously being roasted by a rain of lightning that fell on its position. Its body was scorched black and red embers danced on its skin, but it regenerated so quickly that all trace of its wounds instantly disappeared.
“(This, this creature…)” [Itham]
The one that was controlling the lightning storm was Itham. He had snapped out of it when he saw the Gatekeeper and the Matriarch get injured. Instead of focusing on the invaders that had escaped, he unleashed his devastating magic on the bird-headed monster that remained.
“(Is it even a living thing…?!)” [Itham]
But, seeing how little effect his attack did, he changed strategy and raised his arms. His hands were held close at eye level, his palms facing each other diagonally upward, and his curled fingers were spread apart. It was as if he was holding a sphere, a heavy sphere that threatened to slip through his fingers. Lightning arcs jumped between his palms and his frown deepened in exertion.
Like a conductor, the High Elder willed the power that was falling from the clouds and it listened. The voltaic rain abated as he gathered the zigzagging lances, forming a spiral of electrical energy in the clouds. The low rumbling and crackling of its birth could barely be heard over the cacophony of thunder.
“(Kuh…! This is why… Lightning is such a temperamental child…!)” [Itham]
Itham thought, hands shaking and drops of sweat sliding down his face. Hundreds, thousands of lightning bolts were instantly gathering and each filament was pushing against his control. The more he accumulated and hung in the sky, the more it felt like he was trying to block the raging wind using his body. However, he did not need to suppress nature’s wrath. He just needed to temporarily contain it all in one place, compress it, let it amplify, and point it in the right direction.
“(O spirits, I am Itham, child of lightning, leader of the elves, guardian of Hossiley Nac’s secrets, servant to the Tree of Life…)” [Itham]
Itham prayed silently as a way to focus his mind on the titanic task at hand.
“(Please, stand with me, so I may fulfill my duty…!)” [Itham]
Once he was about to lose control over the spiral of energy, like water about to spill from a full glass, he let it loose.
“(And so I may protect the treasure my wife left me!)” [Itham]
He lowered both arms, and that was the signal.
The spiral of energy turned into a massive lightning bolt that came crashing down on the black stone beast with a booming roar that shook the air and the earth. As if receiving heaven’s judgment, the creature was engulfed by the intense bluish white light. Everyone shielded their eyes from the blinding light. For five, six, seven seconds, the voltaic pillar continued to fall, and before long, it disappeared.
“… Is it dead?” [Amazon]
An amazon muttered, looking at the cratered, melted earth. Lightning continued to rain down since Itham didn’t let up on the attack. Everyone wondered if the beast had been slain while feeling in awe.
“… Guess that’s an elf for you. It really feels like the world’s elements are on their side.” [Amazon]
Itham had demonstrated before their eyes the power that the elves possessed and how they could take on entire armies.
“And it’s the High Elder, the only one who can command lightning. If only he was good in a brawl too and had a stronger body, he’d be perfect.” [Amazon]
It reminded the amazons why their tribe respected their strength, despite their lack of physical prowess.
“Even our Matriarch wouldn’t survive a direct hit from that. That thing’s definitely dead.” [Amazon]
The tension loosened as some of the golden-eyed women began to think that the battle was over.
“… No.” [Riteinia]
But not Riteinia, who vigilantly kept watch.
“IT’S NOT DEAD YET!!” [Riteinia]
Amidst the storm, its shadowy figure could still be seen.
“GUOOOOOOONNNN!!!” [Black stone beast]
The beast roared, sending shivers down everyone’s spines. The black silhouette that kept appearing and disappearing between the flashes of lightning began to change. It was supporting itself on its six arms, looking much like a spider. From its back, a seventh arm sprouted, followed by an eighth and a ninth, until there were twelve in total. Then, a bird-like head could be seen, attached to its own neck and body, emerging, pushing its way out. Those watching realized that the beast was duplicating, which made them reflexively take a step back.
“GUOOOOOOONNNN!!!” [Black stone beast]
The new, identical creature that had grown out of the first one let out a roar to announce its birth. Like the original, it stood under the rain of lightning, getting electrocuted, but showed no sign of dying. However, it wasn’t the end. From the first black stone beast and the second, more arms, more heads, more bodies sprouted. More monsters emerged, and from them, even more crawled out, increasing their numbers exponentially.
From one to two.
From two to four.
From four to ten.
From ten to thirty.
From thirty to one hundred.
Within a dozen seconds, over a hundred shadows stood in the storm. Their screams, like those of a bird or a horn, joined the dissonance of thunder.
“Spirits…!” [Itham]
Itham uttered as he put the tips of his fingers together, recognizing the urgency of the situation. As he expected, the beasts were about to spill out of the area of effect of his spell. The High Elder spread his arms left and right with filaments of electricity connecting his fingers for a moment. Then, obeying his will, the rain of lightning grew bigger in size. Instead of hitting a focalized point, it hammered a much larger area. Green grass turned into embers and ash under its expansion.
Itham was scorching the earth, carpet bombing all before his eyes. All for the sake of keeping the monsters at bay, but it wasn’t good enough. The distorted sound of countless horns resounded, threatening to drown out the thunder. Dark figures moved in the storm, ignoring their wounds, regenerating, and relentlessly crawling towards their preys. In just a few seconds, several broke through their electrical cage.
“Oh no you won’t…!” [Rosaminta]
Rosaminta, though looking like a wilted flower, captured these beasts, instantly growing vines under their feet that wrapped around them. She tried to siphon them of their energy and use it to recover, killing two birds with one stone. However, it didn’t work at all as the multi-armed creatures tore away the vines that withered upon contact. The Gatekeeper recoiled, surprised, but took action right away.
“Guh…! Guaaaah!!” [Rosaminta]
With a grunt of exertion, she formed a wall of giant roots and branches like spikes in front of the black stone beasts. But, her endeavor barely slowed them down. Brown roots and branches instantly turned dark and rotted whenever touched by the parasites, letting them barrel through the blockade with ease.
“AMAZOOONS!!!” [Riteinia]
Seeing where the fight was going, Riteinia shouted after forcing herself to stand while Silvania handed her a sword and wrapped bandages around her feet. All of her amazons understood the unsaid order and braced themselves. They were about to engage in an uphill battle, but no one thought of escaping. They had to eliminate the threat immediately before it reached the city. Furthermore, they knew that showing their backs would only make them easy to kill.
Itham ordered the lightning storm to follow the black stone beasts, but he couldn’t let it engulf his allies. Moreover, he had run out of time. Mindlessly, savagely, they rushed at their targets. The grey-skinned, bird-headed, eyeless creatures ran as fast as leopards on all eight limbs for the first couple of steps. Then, they accelerated explosively, kicking up scorched earth and turning into blurs.
Riteinia, who held a sword in her mouth, dropped it and kicked it at the group of enemies. It impaled one of them in the chest, making it lose its balance and fall down. Yet, it quickly got back up as if nothing happened and the sword was pushed out of its body.
“RAAAAAHHH!!!” [Riteinia]
The next second, the Matriarch bravely yelled as she delivered an inhumanly fast right kick to the closest enemy in front of her. Six arms moved to block her blow, but it proved futile. She crushed them along with the head and the body was knocked back in a spray of black blood.
“Guh!” [Riteinia]
But, Riteinia also suffered as she felt the same pain and fatigue in her leg than when her arms became decrepit and covered in black, tendril-like marks. Strength once again left her body and her right foot felt too weak to support her weight. If she took off the bandages, she would see that it was covered in black marks and discolored.
“(Damn it! So they don’t actually need to directly touch you!)” [Riteinia]
The light green-haired woman thought, scolding herself for her naivety. She gritted her teeth in frustration as she realized that shielding her skin with bandages wasn’t enough. Simple cloth would not protect her from the creatures’ power. Sadly, she didn’t have time to come up with and implement other countermeasures.
The beast that was kicked away had fully healed, head and all.
And even as they fought, the parasites continued to multiply and increase in numbers.
A veritable swarm fell on the Matriarch.
“HAAAAAAAHHH!!!” [Riteinia]
Riteinia faced it head-on, glared at the wave of oncoming death and shouted in defiance.