Chapter 167 –

The smell that akin to milk and cream mixed with flower fragrance made Joshua flop down unconscious. Archie kneeled on one knee. He touched his head, feeling a bit woozy. He wanted to feel asleep all the sudden.

“Archie, are you okay?” she pointed her palm at Archie. A stream of cool energy wrapped and coated him.

“What is this?” he asked.

“A protection spell, it should protect you from this spell,” she answered.

“Is this spell harmful? Is Joshua okay?” he looked at Joshua with creased brows.

“He should be. The spell’s not harmful but it induces anyone to a state of sleep. They will be able to drift through their memories.” she explained. Her palms were now pointed on the obelisk.

“So it’s safe?” Archie said. “When will this spell wear off?”

Eiya looked over her shoulder with beads of sweats flowing down her cheeks. “As long as I make this obelisk mine then there should be no problem. But I fear that this will not be easy. If this obelisk is acting like this, then it only means that my sister didn’t go down without a fight.”

“So are we expecting people to come here?” Archie stood up. He looked around him and draws his pistol from his holster.

“Yes,” she nodded with seriousness on her face. “If the High Lords have noticed then they will be here. I am sure that they will be seeking my end. So I ask you to protect me and him for now.”

“No problem,” Archie nodded, “I’ll make sure that no harm will to the two of you!” he declared.

“Thank you,” she smiled curtly. She turned her eyes back to the obelisk. Her palms started to glow brightly. Particles of light gathered like floating streams of water. They coiled around her limbs, and her blue hair started to shine brightly like the stars in the sky.

The sound of wind and water echoed around. There was a spiral of wind that enveloped the whole garden. The obelisk was slowly gathering a whirlwind of energy that laid the flowers down flat. Archie felt like he was being swept by the wind. But his body was able to absorb the essence and dampened the force pushing him.

“Sigh,” he inhaled. The veins on his body glowed with a greenish color. Ever since his body merged with runes, there was a huge change that happened to him. The major veins on his body were now converted into pathways that would allow the runic energy to cross his veins smoothly. The change was at first painful, but it subsided and allowed him to strengthen his body and make use of the runes other than releasing fire from his palms.

The energy that was amassing around the garden was pure. Its essence allowed Archie to nourish his body further. He could feel all of his body getting stronger. The veins around his limbs were bulging. It was throbbing as if it was being injected continuously.

“Ah, so here you are,” a voice filled with apathy sounded out.

Then ten figures dropped down the garden with ease. They had long knife-like ears. They looked like elves but their eyes were slanted. Their irises were red and two protruding fangs were on the edges of their mouth. They were garb in black robes. Archie could feel a sinister aura around them.

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“And so the last of the elves still tries to protect this land soiled with pollution and degeneracy. Helping humans, they do not deserve your help, elf.” the leader said.

Eiya did not reply. Her face was still facing the obelisk as if she turned deaf to the leader who was trying to break her concentration.

“I see,” the leader inclined his head. “You are still stubborn despite all the years being trapped inside that thing, ever so venerable to the humans who will soon turn this continent into a fiery wasteland. You are only delaying the enviable. The Old Ones tells that all shall burn.”

Eiya gritted her teeth. She was trying her best but the leader’s voice pierced her heart. She could tell that there was something inside her heart that agrees with him. The Old Ones were familiar seers who had once guided her own people. If what the leader said was true.

“No!” she purged the thought out of her head. “I cannot let such thing poison me. I cannot confirm what he said as lies! I need to hear them from the seers themselves!

The leader looked at Eiya’s unmoving posture. He shook his head. There was no convincing the last of the elves. He took a step.

“Stop right there,” Archie placed himself in front of them. “She’s doing something important. I cannot let you disturb her.”

“Human,” said one of them. “Get away and we might spare your life. You do not stand a chance in front of us.”

“Doesn’t mean that I’ll listen to you,” Archie said sternly. He looked at ten of them. Then his eyes saw Joshua lying near them. His eyes were followed by one of them.

“Oh, a human, a sleeping one too,” the voice was cold. There was a menace in his eyes.

“What the hell are you trying to do!?” Archie shouted. He watched him raise his right leg to stomp on Joshua’s head flat. Archie tried to stop him but he was blocked by the others. He thought that Joshua was going to die. But then it happened.

Joshua jolted his head to the right and avoided the stomp. He raised his rifle and squeezed the trigger of his rifle at the man’s chest. The man had his chest eviscerated by the rifle fire. He propped down on his knees and bled to death. The other nine were stunned by what happened. It was clear that the man who was sleeping should be dead. Yet the tables were turned immediately.

“Looks like I am still here,” Joshua stood up clumsily, “so it was all a dream then. Looks like I am stuck in this place forever. No way back home...” he was tearing up. “So you are the fucks that tried to kill me? I was having a NICE fucking dream. And you have to ruin it all. I do not know what you are here for. But I can see that you are trying to stop whatever she’s doing. Fine then, if this world is not giving me that dream. Then I am not going to give you bastards what you want.”

Anger beamed on his face. There was something menacing about Joshua that made Archie shiver. Indeed, he had tears on his face. But his look was that of someone who had his heart emptied.