Chapter 63

Will of the Sword Spirit (II)

A sword roared as it erupted with a pushback force akin to an explosion, tossing Emma and Jamal back and forcing Cain to use Wind to gently bear them down onto the ground. Winds soared like mad around the man, heaving his hair up, the black sockets shimmering in golden starlight.

The man suddenly vanished, prompting Cain to frown and charge his left arm with Creation, Earth, and Body, pushing it out and summoning a massive wall of earth. A mere breath later, the sword slashed through it, ripping it out into thousands of pieces, but by then Cain had already brought Diya and him some paces away.

Meeting the pair of now-golden eyes, Cain grinned, feeling electrified. It was a direct challenge -- something that bosses would on occasion issue if they were impressed by any one individual. He quickly charged Wind and tossed Diya over to Emma who caught the girl skillfully.

“Keep attacking him,” Cain said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s finish this.”

The man vanished once again as Cain used Blink+, teleporting right behind the man, charging Arcane and Fire into his palm and slapping it forward, unleashing a bolt of fire. The man spun abruptly and cut at it while Cain used the second of five charges of Blink+, appearing at the man’s open flank, a sphere of ice already loaded and immediately unleashed at the man, exploding into the torrent of needle-like bolts that dove at the man.

He quickly ducked to the side, simultaneously evading the bolts as well as Jamal's and Senna's strikes, closing the gap between him and Cain within a single dash, sword already drawn and midway through its trajectory, aimed at Cain's throat. The latter used the third charge, Wind, Fire, and Body coalescing into a roar of elements as he slammed into the ground, shaking the platform and temporarily causing the man to stumble. Shards of raging fire exploded from on top of his flesh as Cain found himself tossed back due to the force, gaining nearly two hundred feet of distance between the Sword Spirit and him.

Mid-flight, he took a deep breath and charged Creation, Aether, Frost, Water, and Wind, hundreds of halos lighting up like lanterns behind him, each roughly ten feet in diameter, shimmering in staggering and frigid sapphire. By the time Cain landed and came to a stop, the halos shuddered and rapidly expanded before exploding, each shooting a bolt of blackforst lighting, snapping into explosions at and around the man who weaved his sword around maniacally, deflecting.

“... Sword Heart!” the man roared, his voice shaking the world and vanquishing the halos, once again pushing Emma and Jamal back. Golden winds surged around him as he charged forward, crossing the distance between him and Cain with a single step, spinning in the process and slashing at Cain from above. The latter used the fourth charge of Blink+, yet just as he appeared behind the man, he was forced to use fifth, and the sixth right after, gaining back the two hundred feet of distance.

Out of charges, Cain grinned and took a deep breath as he saw the man once again rush at him. Glancing at his Mana, he noted that he had 1240 left. Three hundred to evade... two hundred to charge a feint... and four hundred to toss him into their attacks... works!

He rapidly calculated the possibilities and charged a minuscule amount of Fire into his fingertip, tossing it roughly fifty feet to his right.

“In ten seconds, unleash everything you’ve got there!!” he commanded the others as he himself charged Body, Wind, Blood, and Water, shadowing and edging back almost instantaneously, evading the overhead strike of the man. The sword landed squarely against its brethren, ripping out large chunks of it in the process. Even as he was evading, Cain once again began charging Creation, Arcane, and Fire, building a massive -- yet deceptively hollow -- sphere of Fire. The attack drew the man’s attention as he worked to evade the sphere that rammed down toward the ground.

Predicting his point of evasion, Cain roared and charged Creation, Earth, Arcane, and Frost, slamming his fists together before ripping them out like a hammer.

The man sliced the sword up and dashed sideways, leaving behind a blurry afterimage. Yet, just as he landed, and before he could even react, space next to him split open, a massive, fifteen feet tall gash opening up like a maw of the beast but, instead of sucking him in, a brunt of earth-cast and frost-endowed energy shaped in the form of a massive fist slammed into his side, tossing him further back roughly forty feet in an arc.

“NOW!!!” Cain screamed out, stumbling back a few feet, his breathing ragged, every muscle in his body aching.

At his command, Senna unleashed a massive weapon -- the creation made up of her entire arsenal -- in the shape of a sword, Jamal used Visceral Slash, his most devastating, direct-damage-dealing skill, and Emma used Divine Reckoning, alighting her warhammer in the glitter of pure gold and slamming it in concert with the other attacks.

The man landed directly into the torrential storm, yet even as his body found itself ripped bit by bit, health dropping beyond the point of saving, he didn’t scream, nor did he look away from Cain, the golden glimmer of his eyes slowly vanishing, their natural, black abyss slowly being restored.

A concert of light emerged at the point of collision, the outburst of aftermath’s energy pushing everyone at the very least a hundred feet away. The light slowly settled, leaving behind a dusted remnants that were soon after dissipated by the wild gusts of wind, revealing a man coated in a golden sheen, kneeling.

//Congratulations on defeating Sword Spirit Host!

You have leveled up!

...

Congratulations on reaching Level 38!

You have gained 2 Titles: Blade Mountain Conqueror (+10 to Main Stats), The One Who Impressed Spirits (+20% to the Mastery Speed of Elements, + 10% to Mana)

You have gained 2 Achievements: Conqueror of the Blade, Undaunted

Please talk with the Sword Spirit for further rewards!//

Cain sighed in relief, but that wasn't the case with the rest who were still on full alert as the man appeared very much alive. Chuckling, Cain slowly began walking forward, his legs feeling like two blocks of stone. They were still very skeptical of the information they got from the notifications versus what they saw with their eyes.

“Relax,” he called out to them, stopping by the man. “It’s done.”

“A-are you sure?” Jamal asked, swallowing a mouthful.

“No, that’s why I’m standing right next to the dude.” Cain replied sarcastically.

“Congratulation, Humans,” the man spoke, startling the four once again. Lifting his head, he looked into Cain’s eyes, the thin, blueish lips curling up into a faint smile. “You have proven yourselves.”

“... you’re not gonna ask me to host you, right?” Cain asked immediately, shuddering at the very sound of his words.

“No,” the man chuckled lightly before replying. “Even if I wanted you, your feeble vessel would burst at the mere concept of it.”

“Oh,” Cain mumbled. “That’s... encouraging.”

“I imagine you were sent here by L’ksha, no?” Cain nodded. “The old fool... never gave up. Haah,” sighing, the man lowered his head, as though too exhausted to keep it up. The wounds on his body seemed to be getting worse by each passing second, blood pooling beneath him profusely. “This is an accursed land, Humans. A morbid land. But alas... I am freed.”

“What trapped you, anyway?” Cain quizzed as the other four also began approaching cautiously.

“... the same man you dread facing,” the man replied, his answer momentarily freezing Cain’s heart. “You are right to fear him, Human. He... he is the Last Hero of the Dying Age -- the last Mortal to ever be capable of holding me. Though he may be a skeleton of who he was in the past, he is still a shadow tall enough to cast the world into the Age of Darkness.”

"... he... he was a Conqueror?" Cain probed with bated breath, his heartbeat quickening.

“Yes,” the man nodded faintly, his voice turning lower and lower. “An old, decayed, maddened one... but yes. No matter your mind,” the man added cryptically as Emma, Jamal, Diya, and Senna stopped behind Cain. “You don’t stand a chance. Not with those children with you, anyway.”

“Children...?” Emma mumbled.

“I never planned on facing him unless a borderline impossible stroke of luck happened to us,” Cain sighed, shaking his head. “Now, with your warning... ah, I’d very much rather just go to a beach or something...”

“... you may cull that desire, but don’t kill it, Human,” the man -- who now began to age even more at the speeds visible to the naked eye. “It sustains those who wish to survive the Crucible. There is no certainty in this inferno -- I know not the extent of your prowess, nor those children’s. One way or another... the Ruined King must fall before it all ends.”

“...” Cain remained muted for a moment, mulling over the words. He felt there was something in them that he should recognize, but was not clever enough to see it. “We’ll see. Are you ready to go?”

“... yes,” the man replied as the skin and muscles and bones began melting in a golden shower, leaving behind only a sword-shaped array of light, palm-sized. “Your awards... have been deposited...”

The tiny sword flew into Cain’s inventory against his wishes, prompting Te’gha to suddenly jump out, appearing startled and horrified.

“H-h-h-human!! You hate, Te’gha?! Death!! You gave me death!!”

“H-huh?” even Cain was momentarily confused as he saw the shaking Te’gha in his arms, the wide-eyed cat looking at him with a pleading gaze. “Oh, the Sword Spirit? Wait, you think it’s gonna kill you?”

“Murderous Spirit!!” Te’gha cried out. “Deadly spirit! Scary!”

“... you can just stay out for a while,” Cain shrugged. “Until we bring it back.”

“...” the cat seemed to mull it over for a moment as Emma reached in and grabbed it.

“Don’t worry, Te,” she said, smiling gently and petting the furred beast. “You can stay around with us, and we’ll protect you!”

“Yes, yes,” Diya nodded as well, petting the cat gently. “I make sure nothing will happen to you!”

“Damn,” Senna’s lips parted into an expression of temporary shock. “The hell’s that cute thing...”

While everyone once again began drooling over Te’gha’s ‘cuteness’ that Cain was simply incapable of seeing, he dove into his inventory and saw three extra items residing there: Spirited Cloak (A), Shard of Light (B-), and a single Ante-Crystal(E).

//Spirited Cloak(A) Armor

Level: 35

Requirements: Intelligence(150)

+5% to Main Stats

+50% to Movement Speed

+1 Mastery Rank to ‘Wind’

Passive: Running in a straight line for 3 seconds triggers the Wind Spirits, increasing the movement speed by an extra 200% while maintaining the straight line

Passive: Stamina consumption outside the battle decreased by 60%

Active: Wind Spirits coat the wearer, increasing their speed by 80% for 5 seconds, and gives them a 50% chance to completely avoid an incoming attack//

//Shard of Light(B-)

Collected: 1/10

??? //

//Ante-Crystal(E)

Collected: 2/100

??? //

///Name: Cain Gregory Age: 32 Race: Human

Class: Elementalist Level: 38

Strength: 36 Vitality: 99 Agility: 38 Stamina: 67

Intelligence: 222 Wisdom: 173 Health: 990 Mana: 3107

Traits: Labourer(C+), Quick-witted(A), Tenacious(B), Leadership(A-), Analysis(A-), Awareness(B-), Keen(C+)

Skills: Spell Creation(?), Fire(B+), Frost(B-), Arcane (B), Earth (B-), Wind (A), Blink(C+), Elemental Shield(C+), Water(C), Blood(D+), Mana Burning (D-), Mana Surge(D-), Nature(D+), Body(C+), Aether(D-), Creation(D-)

Created Spells: Falling Fire(C-), Amnesty Shield(B+),

Items:Ember’s Quartz(B-), Phoenix’s Feather(A-), Crown of Flames(A), ‘Velthar’s Bracelet(B-), Orb of Deception(S-), Spirited Cloak(A)

Titles: The First Elementalist, Bandit Slayer, Direwolf Slayer, Monster Slayer, Maverick, Spell Creator, The Herald, The One Who Survived Death, Reborn Elementalist, Void Slayer, Slayer of the Nightmares, Blade Mountain Conqueror, The One Who Impressed Spirits

Achievements: 14 (+1 to Main Stats for each achievement)///