"Don’t be stupid, Talax!" Aria screeched. "Your mana core can’t handle your void magic!" Talax ignored Aria’s protests and fixed his gaze on the Deathbound, which had already begun casting a new spell.

He dreaded what the skeleton priest had in store following the appearance of the Demilich. The immense chamber bore the scars of the attack, with fissures spewing arcs of energy into the room. The air was thick with a noxious blend of arcane energies and the acrid stench of charred stone. Half the platforms had turned to scorched earth from the Demilich's death magic, wisps of lingering magic intertwined with the faint scent of ozone, creating an otherworldly ambiance that prickled his senses.

He didn’t waste time waiting to see what the Deathbound was conjuring. His hand dove into his dimensional bag, summoning the one item he thought might have any chance of helping. With a simple thought, the item materialized in his grasp. Talax looked down, hearing Aria’s sharp breath.

"No! It's too valuable to use! You're too low level; you'll waste it in vain!" Despite Aria's plea, Talax momentarily ignored her and examined the glowing object.

Mana Heart

Class:

Epic

Durability:

10/10

Traits:

Once consumed, it doubles the maximum mana points permanently.

The small glowing crystal offered a chance to end the creature. He couldn’t afford to waste any time; he had to reach Franny before Edward could finish him off. The magical shield protecting the Deathbound proved the most difficult obstacle, the creature was hiding behind a barrier of mana that he didn't know if he could even overcome.

“Will it be enough?” he questioned. "I'm not sure, Talax... Void magic is one of my weaker areas despite my extensive knowledge," Aria admitted uncertainly. Her lack of confidence didn’t instill much assurance. Still, urgency pressed him to act.

"But you're Voidtouched," he remarked, puzzled. He had assumed void magic would be Aria's forte. "I am, but my void magic was sealed. Since the disappearance of the Voidborn, no one I knew could wield void magic. I can't predict if you'll have enough mana or what consequences may follow once you cast. This is as new to me as it is to you."

Talax nodded, his gaze fixed on the small, heart-shaped crystal. "Okay, let's try this and see if it works." Aria sighed in resignation but didn't oppose him further. Talax infused the small item with his mana, immediately establishing a connection with the magical object.

Initially, the connection felt like others he'd formed with magical items, an insubstantial bond. Gradually, the bond thickened, and for the first time, he felt a response from the other end. That was all the warning he got before a river of mana poured into his core, pumping so much energy that his mana pool had difficulty accommodating.

His void magic picked up its head as if curious to see what was happening but didn’t intervene. He felt his core contract in agitation, trying to find a way to take in the overflow of mana and Talax had a weird reaction to the peculiar feeling. It was as if something inside him was racing a million times harder making him think that he was about to explode from overstimulation.

Despite this, his mana core slowly expanded. He could actually feel the small galaxy, full of planets, stars and small buds of life reach new heights. Abruptly, the sensation stopped, the mana heart in his hand lost its brilliance, crumbling to dust. His mana core settled, adjusting to its newfound size, and then calmed.

“Congratulations! You have used the item, Mana Heart.”

“Your mana pool has expanded, doubling in size.”

“Congratulations! You have 628/628 mana remaining.”

Talax took a deep breath, attempting to calm his racing heart and acclimate to the unsettling feeling. "That felt weird," he murmured. Aria didn’t waste the chance to grumble about his decision to use the mana heart. "I can’t believe you just did that! Mages hunt for mana hearts like crazy! It’s one of the most precious artifacts for magic users and you just wasted it when you are a pitiful level 15!"

Talax didn’t take Aria too seriously. She may be right, but items were to be used, not stashed away for some distant purpose. In his current situation, he didn’t have a lot of options. He needed something powerful, something that would help him reach Franny quickly. He didn’t have time to waste and hatch a plan that may or may not work. He needed his void magic!

“Okay... Here goes nothing!” Talax raised his hands and looked straight at the Deathbound, which was thankfully still occupied with his spell. “Good luck,” Aria murmured subdued, and Talax nodded his thanks.

As soon as he thought of his spell, Weak Void Ball, something unexpected happened. No incantations spilled from his lips, nor did his hands move in their usual practiced manner for spellcasting. But his Void magic responded, like an old friend, the small purple planet awakened reaching out and encasing his body with its strength and hunger.

The familiar feelings that his magic evoked were still there, the avaricious hunger and the tyrannical conviction of superiority blanketed his mind, yet this time, it didn’t feel untamed and perilous as it had before. It was more akin to an undeniable truth that he had come to accept. There was no struggle for dominance between Talax and his void magic but they worked in unison. He felt the void reach out from him with its ancient aura, trying to sate its avaricious appetite, and Talax allowed it, knowing instinctively that it was a side of his power that he couldn’t and shouldn’t hold back.

All this happened in an instant as Talax, with hungry eyes and resolute hands, cast the primal energy spell. The void drained his mana reservoir and surged the energy through his hands like a roaring river. A faint purple light radiated from a small point of power forming between his hands, echoing the sense of hunger and antiquity throughout the temple. Suddenly, energy flooded into the tiny orb, morphing it into a miniature sun, no larger than his head, crackling with terrifying power. For a fleeting moment, Talax feared losing control of this ball of destruction, but it was as if his void magic wanted to help him and respond to his will.

With all the concentration he could muster, he unleashed the wild energy. His eyes stung from the spell's power, and his exposed skin prickled with goosebumps, yet his focus remained fixed on the ball's trajectory. It soared across the platform with unwavering determination, hurtling straight toward the Deathbound.

The creature halted its incantation, frozen in anticipation of its impending doom. Talax didn’t know whether the deathbound had frozen in fear or it believed that its shield spell would protect it from his spell. He didn’t really care, he just waited with bated breath to see the results of his void spell, having felt the power of his magic he was sure it would be spectacular.

The void ball almost leisurely brushed against the black barrier, punching a hole through it and continuing its relentless path. The barrier shattered and blinked out of existence revealing the horror on the Deathbound’s skeletal face. Spinning with crackling energy, the void ball illuminated the creature's skeletal form. In a desperate act, the Deathbound, with sudden speed born of desperation, attempted to evade, but the primal energy, seemingly apathetic, altered its trajectory.

Talax saw with his mouth hanging open as a part of the Deathbound was simply gone. Half of its face and part of its torso was simply gone, sucked into oblivion by the power of the crackling energy of his void magic. The ball continued its course, seemingly not yet satisfied by the destruction it had caused and destroyed two more skeletons that had managed to survive the Demilich’s attack. Slowly the ball of void energy lost its mass until it disappeared.

The Deathbound stood there for a moment longer, as if it had difficulty to grasp the fact that it had been destroyed, but then Talax felt a burst of mana from the kill, and the formidable foe crumble in a pile of yellowed bones. “Eat shit, shithead! You got what you deserved!” Aria howled inside his head in ecstasy, relishing her former friend's demise.

“Congratulations! You have successfully cast the Void Magic spell, Weak Void Ball for the first time!”

“You have 228/628 mana remaining.”

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“Congratulations! You have killed a level 29 Deathbound!”

“Congratulations! You have killed a level 8 Skeleton!”

“Congratulations! You have killed a level 7 Skeleton!”

Talax felt elated, but he couldn’t revel in his success. Both his mind and body were exhausted after casting the demanding spell. His mind felt overworked and fatigued, a small headache brewing at the back of his head from the massive use of mana. His body too, felt drained, as if pushed to its limits by the hungry presence of void magic.

“Should I drink another potion?” he asked Aria. His mana pool still had enough for now, but he wondered if the potion might alleviate his headache. “I would advise against it. Your pathways are strained, and you're likely experiencing severe backlash. It’s best to refrain from using mana for a while so your pathways can heal from the strain of casting such a high-energy spell. But Talax... You did it! You managed to use void magic without it overtaking your mind!”

Talax managed a weak smile as he listened to Aria’s encouraging voice. Despite the strain in his mind and body, he was surprised at how smoothly everything had gone. His void magic hadn’t surged uncontrollably; instead, it had remained restrained, almost cooperative, as if finally, it had become a part of him and not some external force. He pondered whether it was due to his evolved Voidborn wreath or having sufficient mana to appease its insatiable appetite.

His thoughts abruptly halted when screams erupted from a platform below. His head snapped around to see a bloodied Franny falling to the floor. Qalo's frantic screams echoed, but he couldn’t reach their friend. With Walter's death, there was no one to halt the skeletons’ advance. The remaining animated corpses marched toward the last survivors inside the temple. Though their numbers had dwindled during the Demilich's attack, there were still enough to pose a threat.

Talax wasted no time and bolted into action. He didn’t stop to battle the skeletons trying to stop him, he plowed through them. Tychos's blessing continued to aid him, allowing him to evade the obstacles presented to him. Scaling down the platforms, he felt almost untouchable, leaping over the multiple staircases leading down to the entrance of the temple and maneuvering past enemies attempting to block his path.

At a certain point, he finally spotted Vesperine engaged in combat with the last remaining gnoll. The towering creature, almost twice her size, glared down at the smaller woman with its beady black eyes. Vesperine moved like smoke, slipping past the gnoll's attacks and delivering precise, critical hits that further infuriated the creature.

Talax left them to their duel and reached the next platform. There, he saw Qalo wielding his hammer, destroying a handful of skeletons with each powerful swing. The stairs leading to the last platform, where Franny struggled to pull his battered body away from his uncle, were overrun with skeletal creatures.

Seeing no other way forward, he decided to strain his already overburdened pathways further. With a swift gesture and a sharp inhale, he exhaled a frosty breath, freezing the chattering skeletons in their tracks. His burgeoning headache surged into blinding pain, his blood vessels protesting in spasms.

“Talax, be careful! You've overexerted your pathways. Continuing like this, you'll lose consciousness,” cautioned Aria, though he was already aware. “I must reach Franny,” he murmured, trying to muster determination amidst his fraying mind.

Using his sword, he struck the frozen creatures, causing them to crumble like glass, clearing a path. Despite his fatigue, his resolute body pressed forward, every step crunching over the remnants of skeletons strewn beneath his boots. As he descended the stairs and set foot on the final platform, the ground ominously trembled, reminding him of the impending return of the temple to the earth's depths.

The skeletons all turned toward him, their eerie focus palpable as their chattering briefly ceased before resuming their deranged symphony. “Get to Franny!” bellowed Qalo from the side of the platform. Talax nodded, raising his left hand, feeling power gather within his grasp as small arcs of electricity danced across his skin. He sensed the rapid draining of his remaining mana, his mind beginning to swim.

“Stop!” Aria's warning reached him faintly, as if from a distance, but it cut through the haze, prompting him to cease infusing mana into the spell. He heard a thunderous crack, a bright light, and for a moment, the hazy outlines of his surroundings regained clarity.

“Congratulations! You have killed a level 11 skeleton.”

“Congratulations! You have killed a level 7 skeleton.”

“Congratulations! You have killed a level 8 skeleton.”

He watched the skeleton he targeted explode into a heap of scorched bones, but the effects of his spell, Lightning Strike, didn’t stop there. The summoned lightning lingered, branching off toward the nearby skeletons, killing two more and paralyzing several others. Electricity crackled over the blackened bones, inducing twitching movements in those affected, rendering them unable to control their limbs.

“Your remaining mana is 33 out of 628.”

Aria’s voice echoed like a bell of warning inside his head. Reminding him how close he had come to being completely wiped out and being reduced to nothing more than lunch for the dead creatures. She spoke urgently, but his mind struggled to process her words.

His mind jolted awake when he witnessed Franny being impaled by Edward’s greatsword. “No!” he bellowed in horror. Franny’s clouded eyes tracked him, and he went to smile in relief when he coughed up a gush of blood.

Talax started running, pushing aside the few skeletons around him. He heard Qalo yell and with the corner of his eye he saw him activating the new domain he had unlocked, attracting the remaining skeletons by inducing them with mad rage, leaving the way clear for him to reach Edward and Franny.

Edward had already spotted him and was waiting for him with a crazy gleam in his eyes. It was as if the older noble had finally shed whatever mask he was wearing, not caring if Talax and Franny saw his true visage. The lines on his face seemed somehow more severe and his eyes held a madness and a peculiar craving that even his void magic failed to compare to.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment since I saw your ugly little face!” the older man spat venomously. Talax didn’t stop running, nor did he respond. Unable to cast any more spells, he reached for his dagger of necrotic damage. Edward dispatched a skeleton with a careless flick of his wrist, almost as an afterthought, as he eagerly waited to meet Talax.

Talax lunged forward, his shortsword aimed at Edward's midsection. The older warrior sidestepped smoothly, deflecting the strike with his greatsword. Metal clashed against metal, sending a jolt up Talax's arm. Edward retaliated with a swift diagonal slash, forcing Talax to pivot, narrowly avoiding the edge of the blade that grazed his side.

They circled each other, Edward mockingly playing with his greatsword as if it weighed nothing. Talax attacked again, but his strikes were met with calculated counters from Edward, the clash of their weapons reverberating through the chamber. Talax feinted left, aiming for Edward's exposed flank, but the veteran fighter anticipated the move, parrying with precision.

Sweat dripped down Talax's brow as he fought to keep pace with Edward's unyielding assault. He lunged forward again, this time with a swift series of strikes, each one met with a resounding block from Edward's greatsword. With a sudden burst of speed, Talax attempted a low sweep, aiming to unbalance his opponent. Edward, however, anticipated the maneuver, stepping back and effortlessly deflecting the attack.

The intensity of their battle escalated, the space between them shrinking with each clash. It was Edward’s turn to attack and Talax found himself on the defensive, his breaths coming in short, ragged gasps as he struggled to anticipate Edward's relentless strikes. A moment of hesitation was all it took. Edward seized the opening, delivering a punishing overhead chop. Talax's instincts kicked in, and he leaped to the side at the last possible moment, feeling the force of the sword's momentum whizzing centimeters from his body.

Talax, seizing the moment after evading Edward's powerful overhead strike, made a swift move to press his advantage. But Edward, swift and cunning, anticipated the maneuver, driving the tip of his greatsword with merciless precision into Talax's thigh. Pain surged through Talax's body, a guttural cry tearing from his lips as he fought to stay standing, refusing to crumble immediately.

He let his sword clatter to the floor, and he grasped onto Edward's hands for support. Talax's grip tightened in a desperate attempt to remain upright. His left hand still clutched the familiar hilt of the dagger, a sliver of hope in his delirium. Summoning the last dregs of his strength, Talax brought the blade to bear, slicing it across the exposed wrist where Edward's gauntlet met his metal glove.

A twisted smile of annoyance flickered across Edward's lips as the blade made its mark. Talax, drained and barely conscious, released his grip on Edward, his body finally succumbing as he collapsed to the ground. Edward loomed over him, sneering with contempt, taunting, "Is that all you can do, you pathetic worm?"

Talax struggled to maintain consciousness, the chamber spinning around him as his breaths grew shallow and labored. With blurry eyes he looked up at the seasoned warrior and began laughing. Edward looked at him like he had lost his mind, his raised sword momentarily frozen midair.

"Laugh all you want, peasant! You'll die here, just like you deserve, buried under the earth, among these devious creatures that will feast on your flesh, forgotten by..." Edward’s face went slack, his mouth opening in an attempt to continue, but no words emerged. He stared at Talax, bewildered, blinking furiously, and Talax responded with a wicked smile.

Without a care in the world, Talax retrieved a health potion and drank it while observing Edward. Black veins snaked up Edward's neck, his skin melting like wax. "Bye-bye, you two-faced asshole!"

Talax stood, his skin already healing from the potent health potion, and brushed off the dust from his new armor. The clatter of a sword made him look up, only to see Edward gasping for breath as his body shriveled into a dissolving mess.

He had never thought he could go toe to toe with the veteran warrior in a straight up battle. He knew his limitations, as well as Edward’s vast experience and powerful abilities. He just needed to fight like the inexperienced fool he really was, so that Edward wouldn’t use one of his abilities, he wanted him to think that he was out of aces, only depending on his pitiful skill with blades.

If he hadn’t come across the deadly plant earlier in the dungeon, Talax would probably be dead by now, but thanks to Midnight Horror, all he had needed was a small cut. A simple touch from his blade and Edward would lose 180 health points per second. H had completely forgotten about the plant, until he had moved his things into the new bag. When he saw the deadly plant and used his analyze skill, he immediately realized he had a potent weapon.

He coated his dagger of necrotic damage with the small leaves and waited for an opportunity to use it. He didn't know if the poison would work against the skeletons, so he chose to use the poisoned blade on something with flesh and blood. That something was Edward.

He felt a burst of mana and Aria announced.

“Congratulations! You have killed a level 27 human.”

“Congratulations! You have reached level 16!”

And with that, the towering form of Edward crumbled to the ground. The once formidable and fearsome warrior, now reduced to a decayed husk.

“So long asshole!”