“What happened here?” Salgos lowered on one knee, picking up the soil. It crumbled through his fingers leaving a gray stain on the black gauntlet.
They reached the desert of ashen plains. It looked like a remnant of a battlefield. The old scorches marked the earth. Deserted plains were only interrupted by lonely dead trees that spiked from the gray soil. The flakes of ash flew with the wind forming a cloud that covered most of the view. Sun punched through the veil of ash and slightly illuminated flakes flew around. The sun's rays were not strong enough to reach the earth which made the impression that the group walked under the water, knees in the murky territory.
The group walked in slowly. The first steps through the desert felt awkward. Each step sunk ankle-deep in the ground as if the earth was padded with soft pillows. As soon as they entered the ashen mist it became obvious why everybody avoided this place. To simply breathe, Adira covered her mouth with a cloth and tried to catch all the air she could. Seeing was another issue. The only notable feature was the vague figure of Salgos marching in front without care. The girl followed the rising clouds of ash from the Demigod’s heavy steps.
“The Forgotten King Alazar, the strongest of kings, fought against the Demigod of Fire.” Galen seemed to also struggle to speak through the ash. He closed his nose and mouth with the arm, squinting his eyes. The desert was intimidatingly silent. Not being able to see people around made Galen shout even though everyone could hear him perfectly. “He slain the Demigod, but his whole Empire was burned in a fight, and only ash remained.”
“A mere mortal killed a Demigod?”
“There is another version. Some claim the volcano erupted and consumed the whole place. But-”
“It would look much different if it was a volcano.”
“Yes. There are enough survivors to confirm it was a battle.”
“That mortal must have a blessing of God of War, no less.” Salgos sounded amused. The mere possibility of a mortal warrior defeating a Demigod caught his interest. To kill him mortals had united with Gods and became powerful champions of their Gods. A single human ending the life of Demigod of Fire sounded impossible. “Was it him? Or some other God?”
“Nobody knows. People say he had a rare warrior class. But nobody can confirm anything. Every document was burned with the land itself. Mostly farmers from the border villages survived. Nobody knows anything about Alazar now. That’s why they call him the Forgotte- khe-khe-.” Galen coughed violently as a big flake of ash got in his throat. That ended the conversation, the man continued to walk with his mouth shut the rest of the way.
Adira wiped her eyes. She realized she could not tell what direction they came from, or what direction they were heading in. The group could well be going in circles unless Salgos had some ways of navigating without seeing. Her mind had ignored rationality and instead whispered that they were lost in the ashen mist.
“How do we know where to go?” Feeling panic scratching at the back of her throat the huntress could not help but voice her worries. Surprisingly Skreetha’s face appeared right over her shoulder. The monster lowered itself to the girl’s level, suddenly materializing from the mist.
“We coming to the direction the island was heading. I can track where we go. Don’t be afraid, little girl.” She murmured into her ear, clearly enjoying her invisibility among the clouds of ash.
“Shut up.” Adira scowled at the sudden intrusion. The arachne laughed, marching forward effortlessly. Her legs pierced the ash and left no trace that she was there. These grounds were perfect for her to hide. Already, after taking a couple of steps the girl struggled to see the monster, although she could see Salgos from much further away.
The desert was large, and they only touched the borders of it. In theory, the ashen desert was as large as the Solendir Empire spreading all the way to the northern ocean. They would not reach their goal any time soon, so the best solution was to get comfortable with it. The girl chewed on the dried food Galen bought. In addition to the salty and tough meat the ash frequently dried her tongue. The huntress spat and frowned. The journey promised to be long.
Fortunately, the ash cloud cleared the next day. An empty charred desert lay in front of the group. Somehow Adira preferred the ashen cover instead. The empty gray land going into the horizon in every direction had a more bitter taste than the flakes of ash on her tongue. The infinite plains stretched where the eye could see, making the girl feel insignificant and stranded. She focused on moving forward after towering Demigod, to keep her sanity intact. On the way he was headed, the huntress saw a small dot in the sky covered by the shallow clouds. Her heart jumped when she realized what it was. The Flying Island and it was within reach!
Slight rain started to fall around them. Each raindrop falling into the ash raised a small dust cloud, and it looked like the earth puffed at each drop of the water. The little drizzle was a much-needed break from the ash. Adira faced it and tried to enjoy the moment. She looked at the small vortex of black clouds forming over the group. As ominous as it looked, the girl did not pay it much attention. Until Galen growled at the sky.
“The Lightning Hunters. Get ready to fight!” Before she realized what he said her hands gripped onto the weapon fully prepared for combat. She skipped the bags to the ground and looked at the clouds again.
Lightning hunters were an elite group that collected members from all over the world by the Demigod of Lightning, Fourth son of Odeum, Holstorm. He was famous for moving his followers using storm clouds. They seemed to find out about Salgos. Adira smiled, perhaps that was the moment for the ambush she and the others had been waiting for.
Lightning struck from the skies. A gigantic figure, similar in size to Salgos’s, emerged from where it struck. A man slowly emerged from the flash. He threw his white hair to the back and met Salgos with a hungry grin. The Demigod held a glaive, like Adira’s, but his weapon was even taller than him. Compared to it the one she had looked like a toothpick. That was the legendary Holstorm, the son of Lightning. Because of admiration for the Demigod, the young huntress also chose to fight with the glaive when she was young. Now he stepped out of the lightning, sending shivers through her body.
Multiple lightning flashed over the field behind him, figures emerged out of them similar to the way Holstorm appeared. They wore blue tunics over thick plate armor. Each stood up in the same manner, repeated countless times, reading their weapons. They showed impeccable discipline in their movements. The fabled elite group of high-level soldiers readied to fight in front of Adira.
Salgos was not impressed. He greeted the Demigod, not hiding his haughtiness.
“Holstorm.”
“And finally, I found you, Salgos! You are a hot topic! If only you knew the price Gods’, put on your head. I will be the next God of Lightning with that power!”
“I was wondering who would be the lamb they sent to die first. Of course, it’s going to be you.”
“Send me? All it took for me to learn you are alive! And here I am, fixing this minor misshapen.” Holstorm gestured widely as if he was on stage. The heads of his soldiers were turned towards him, taking every word with idolatry. “Soldiers! Surround the humans, I will deal with the Demigod personally.”
“When I have been fighting your father, you have been playing toy soldiers. I see that nothing has changed. You still are a weak ostensible child seeking to control others.” Salgos raised his war hammer. “Think about your last words. I will pass them to Odeum.”
“Big words for a dead man. Show them the might of the Lightning hunters! Attack!” With a war cry the soldier rushed forward as one. The Demigod shot like lightning towards Salgos. In the blink of an eye, two Demigods exploded in a mass of flashing darkness and lightning.
The fight forced Adira to switch her attention towards the Lightning hunters’ attack. Eight lightning warriors circled over to Galen and her. The archer cried in rage and rained arrows on the approaching enemy.
“I was preparing… for this day… for the past decade… you bastards!.. Today I… will hunt... you!” Before the attackers raised their shields the hunter shot five arrows at once. They hit each other mid-flight and ricocheted to the sides. Two lightning soldiers dropped shot by the arrows from an angle they could never expect. The rest were forced to stop by a giant pit of darkness ripping the earth in front of them.
The shadow magic raged accompanying Galen’s emotions. The dark pillars erupted from the earth and kept the soldiers on their feet. They were forcing them to thread the needle dodging the arrows and magic that forced them towards the arrows. They never had a chance to charge past the pits. The old war hero slowly wounded the lightning hunters. It looked like he was ready to single-handedly take them all down.
Adira stood behind the man. She did not want to fight. The Lightning Hunters saved Verdania many times. The elite soldiers could help them to kill Salgos and end it all. Is that not the perfect opportunity to turn at the Demigod? The girl looked around watching the chaos of magic exploding like fireworks in front of her, and wondered why did they fight? She spotted figures in blue armor flanking Galen. Two lightning hunters, a man and a woman circled around the pits undetected. They were heading straight towards Adira who unintentionally covered Galen’s rear.
“Wait!” The young huntress called out to them, trying to avoid the fight. The old hunter turned his head at her call as well and spotted the two soldiers. He shot an arrow forcing them to cover. The woman raised her shield and covered her head, losing eye contact with the archer. He created a wall beneath her, catching her off guard. The other hunter was more prepared and jumped forward. The wall separated the two.
“Shit!” Galen was hoping to catch both of them. The second hunter continued his charge. “Adira, keep him busy!”
The man could not afford to shift his focus from keeping the group of Lightning Hunters away. If any of them breached the pit line, he would not be able to hold them from charging. So, he hoped the girl would buy him enough time. The lone warrior rushed forward with a spear at the ready. The young huntress wearily raised her glaive. She did not lose hope to stop the fighting and work together against the Demigod.
“I don’t want to fight you!” She shouted, but the only reply was a disgusted grimace. The man was set to kill. Adira realized it was stupid of her to try and talk. Why should he trust her words? To him she was an enemy, and he would not lower his guard because she asked.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
The lightning hunter closed the distance and disappeared in a flash. It was the famed Lightning Hunters’ charge. Their soldiers all learned the lightning magic as their second advancement to be able to perform this maneuver. As soon as they were within the distance, they shot forward and skewered through opponents. Armies were defeated with one single charge of a handful of Lightning hunters.
However, “Odium Steps” were faster than lightning. Adira easily flanked the hunter walking around his attack. He could see her movements, but his body could not match her speed. He hopelessly followed the girl with his eyes. When he finished his strike, the huntress already stood behind him.
“Listen!” She repeated, lowering her weapon. “I won't fight you. We are on the same side.” The soldier faced Adira only after she canceled her ability. He jumped prepared to defend even though he knew she could have killed him already. The girl stood calmly, not showing any signs of threat. Finally, the lightning hunter acknowledged her intentions and lowered his weapon.
“No! What are you doing, Robin? She is just messing with you!” A woman who had been flanking Galen with this man shouted through the vicious rain of arrows. The soldier kept his eyes on Adira, studying her. Then he shouted back to his companion without breaking eye contact.
“She is not. I can see it in her eyes. She is not an enemy.” He raised his spear again, deciding to finally turn his back to the young huntress. The girl smiled in relief. The first step was made to fix this pointless fight. The guy, Robin, spoke with reassurance before resuming his attack. “Stay back. We will take care of this.”
Adira’s heart froze at the realization. He was not going to attack Salgos, he needed to take down that annoying archer who kept his whole squad occupied. Adira tried to stop him, but it was too late. The man was already charging with lethal precision. Adira could only watch how Galen was going to die. It was another mistake for her collection. One that will cost the old hero his life.
The Lightning hunter rushed with all the might of the famed lightning charge. He almost closed all the distance to his target as suddenly the air around him exploded. His charge was broken forcibly, making him stop. Lightning discharged in different directions. In confusion, he looked down at his chest searching for what stopped him. A glaive glimmered reflecting the chaos around the battlefield on its white metal edge.
The blade was stained with blood from the tip and all the way down to the hunter’s chest. Blood filled his mouth confirming his suspicions. In disbelief, the man turned his head back. He looked at Adira’s horrified face as she gripped the shaft of the weapon and pointed right into his back. Robin tried to say something, but only his lips moved.
“No-o-o-o-o!” The girl who accompanied him cried in desperation. Adira could not turn away from a dying man. This was so different than looking at the dying monster. There was a person with goals and beliefs, who trusted her, and she stabbed him in the back.
The Lightning Huntress went berserk, forgetting about her safety. She charged over the pits. Galen did not react to such reckless assault. His shots were fired too late. Two arrows stuck in the girl’s shoulder and neck as she landed. She broke through the pit line in one desperate jump and charged at the girl who killed her friend, ignoring the archer’s attacks.
Adira felt the girl's hatred and could not blame her. The huntress hated herself no less. For a moment she considered just letting her do what she wanted with her. She deserved it. However, her instincts compelled her to raise her weapon and prepare to fight.
Taking advantage of this distraction other soldiers followed, as the continuous assault suddenly paused. The huntress’s mad dash bought them just enough time to counterattack. Galen had to focus on their assault and trust Adira to deal with the sole soldier.
The pits preventing the Lightning Hunters from advancing turned into pillars, sending the slowest ones flying in the air while they were jumping over. Only four of their members made it across in time. The archer fired two more arrows, taking down a soldier that just landed and was unable to dodge. Others immediately used the lightning charge to disappear from view, only lightning traced their steps.
Galen created more shadow pits deliberately leaving space between them. It did not stop the charge but forced the soldiers to move to the side, right at the arrows he fired simultaneously with casting magic. A soldier ran directly into an arrow. His body popped out into existence with a similar discharge of electricity all around him. Next lightning hunter slashed at Galen before the body of the dying soldier hit the ground. Others avoided the trap and closed the distance as well.
Their attack did not reach the archer. The old hero launched himself into the air with a pillar of shadow. Before the first Lightning hunter that reached Galen understood what happened, another shot landed right on top of his head, nailing him to the ground. Despite not being able to match their speed Galen was always one step ahead of them. He learned the tactics of his worst enemies and knew how to fight them.
The two remaining soldiers readied themselves to follow Galen. They did not jump. Their bodies were pierced by the dark spears like paper. That was nothing like Galen’s abilities. Way more powerful shadows killed all the soldiers with ease. Salgos turned his head in their direction, where he looked the death took its toll. He turned his head to arachne. The four soldiers that fought her dropped like flies, not even realizing what killed them.
His gaze was death. He held Holstorm, by his head. The Lightning Demigod was turned into a twisted mess of blood and flesh only remotely resembling his handsome and proud self. His long silver hair now turned into messy red braids, and his body swelled and crushed in different places. Salgos disparagingly brought the half-dead Demigod closer to his face.
“Watch yourself now. A pathetic spoiled brat who accomplished nothing. Your brothers and father are hunting Gods through Infinity, and you are here, pretending to be strong to mortals. Odeum would thank me for getting rid of this stain on his family!”
The Dark Demigod basked in his triumph, slowly squeezing his fist on Holstorm’s head. He enjoyed his weak struggle. The sound of the skull cracking resounded through the desert multiple times before the bone finally gave in. The Lightning Demigod was no more.
Galen looked at the simple and overwhelming display of Salgos’s power. They could never fight him. The Demigod held power even an army could not match.
“Adira!” He thought about the girl who was fighting a battle against elite soldiers. He quickly searched for her. The lone girl stood on her knees beside the body of a dead lightning huntress ignoring everything around her. She raised her head towards the archer who was going her way.
His face froze, and everything around her followed. The raindrops stopped in the air together with ash flying from the disturbing steps. Her companions and even Salgos stopped in time. Somehow a familiar crippling fear crawled under her skin dismantling all her attributes and classes. The notifications in her head stopped talking.
Godslayer level 41 leveled u… Another voice replaced it. A harsh and alien male voice. “You are Ready for War, apostle.”
Adira stood up, and the world around her disappeared. She suddenly found herself surrounded by red murk. The girl could never imagine darkness to be fully red like she was swimming in the sea of blood. A big silhouette stood in front of her veiled by the dark tint. In the outline, the girl could see thousands of weapons stuck in him. She recognized different swords, halberds, arrows, and spears stuck halfway into his round body.
“Who are you?” She shouted in the darkness, but her voice was lost to her ears. The figure’s voice thundered over her.
“Rise, apostle, and take my gift.” Something pierced Adira’s skin and she felt power streaming into her. “You earned my respect by killing another human. It means you are ready to become the true Godslayer.”
“No!” The girl finally managed to gather herself. “I don’t care who you are, I will not listen to you.”
“This is why I chose you. You will kill and you will defy. I will make you the strongest person alive. You will fight the System because it is your nature to fight what controls you.” The stream empowering her ended. Adira found herself back in the real world. Nothing seemed to change while she was gone. The rain continued to fall. Galen rushed towards her. The usual System’s voice returned.
Godslayer level 42 leveled up to Godslayer level 67. New skill is available.
The young huntress fell on her knees stunned. Her body hardened with new coming power. The jump in growth was too sudden, she felt her muscles grow tighter, her vitality filling her with the energy she never had. The slight mana exhaustion she had from the fight wore off.
The sensation was so empowering, so clean and pleasant, that she almost forgot what she had done to earn it. Adira killed another human and earned the respect of that nameless God. It was kill or be killed, she wanted to tell herself. She was ready to pay for it with her life. However, another, more nasty voice on the back of her head, told her not to die before completing her revenge. Instead, it compelled her to take these gifts and keep fighting.
The archer reached the girl’s spot of grief. He looked over the bodies and focused on the distressed girl. Not knowing what to say, the man went with the only thing he could muster.
“You did well. Good job slaying these pests.” Adira scowled in reply, gritting her teeth, and staring at Galen with anger. It was not a righteous death. They were good people who were protecting Verdania and other kingdoms. She stood up, drilling the man with her enraged gaze.
“You are one to talk! Never in my life have I met such a pathetic man. All you do is complain and hate.” The huntress did not notice how she began to shout. Skreetha grinned glancing at the girl’s outburst. The arachne turned to the bodies, waving her webs around them. Adira’s hands itched to tear into the man’s flesh and tear him open. She held the instinct and let her words do the work.
“Everywhere we go, you bring death. You don’t care about anyone! Even I, probably, was manipulated to listen to you. Was that your goal? To make me feel alone and powerless? Because every time I am around you, I feel it!”
An unexpected figure reached out to Adira, shielding her from Galen’s confused gaze. Salgos looked at the girl standing enraged next to the bodies she killed.
“You are ready.” He reached with a hand.
The huntress felt betrayed for many reasons. It was not a fight they should have fought. These people should not have been killed because of this misunderstanding. Yet they were, and the only reason for that was Galen and Skreetha's selfish desires. The emotions that were piling up in her heart now streamed out. Spite for Galen’s gloating at the innocent deaths. Anger at her inability to do anything.
She realized she saw little reason for Salgos to die. Her angst multiplied, and the only reason to overcome it was to become stronger. As strong as the lone Demigod fighting against Gods. The one reaching out to her. Adira took his hand, ready to see the world burn.
The armor around the huntress changed. It became the same black as the metal of the Dark Demigod. Simple metal plates strapped to her leather armor transformed into plate mail. The breastplate grew thicker and shaped into a full-fledged cuirass matching her body. Faulds and pauldrons protected her legs. From shoulder to finger, her arms were now clad in armor. Pauldrons weighed on her shoulders and gauntlets covered her hand, ending with sharp claws, capable of piercing the flesh. A helmet covered her head with a long hollow nape at the back, where her red hair collected in a neat tail that followed her movements.
The girl felt power surging through her. Her attributes rose even more, she felt as if they had doubled, causing a new wave of uncomfortable adjustments in her body. She squeezed her hands and felt like she could crush a stone with it. Her muscles tightened on par with warriors famous for blocking cuts with their raw flesh. She was blessed by the Demigod and became a servant of Darkness. She looked Saglos in the eyes and spoke with newfound resolve.
“I offer you, my loyalty. In return, I wish for one thing. Promise it to me and I will become your knight.” The Demigod nodded, listening to her request. “When we reach the island, I want to take the head of the arachne.”
Adira pointed towards Skreetha. The monster froze and stared back at the girl.
“Her life in exchange for your loyalty? Very well, you will have it.” Adira lowered to one knee and bowed her head, pledging loyalty the way she saw Verdanian knights did.
“Now rise, Champion of Darkness.” The young huntress stood up, invigorated. She turned to Skreetha with a rapacious determination, and the arachne paled with terror watching at what Adira had become.
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