Not waiting for the nearly two dozen, aberrant golems to act, I took the initiative to attack first. As my dark lances shot out, my summons split up into two groups on my orders. Slith was latched onto to the back of Bas, as the combo raced off along the outer edges using a combination of their spells and strength to cripple, rip through, and atrophy the enemies they passed by. The three Wraith Spores took off into the air, forming a triangular formation that constantly changed orientations as they focused their attacks on singular targets while maneuvering with a familiar deftness. My enemies foolishly split their attacks among all of us, while I focused on us staying on the move while fighting back. However, even as the aberrant golems began to take damage and die, the true threat appeared.

Craaaaccckk! With a jarring explosion, the crystal pillar shattered, sending a flurry of debris everywhere and drawing all of our attention to the center of the red mound. As the particle storm of red slowly cleared, I finally caught sight of the creature that emerged. Encased in crimson, melted armor that was part of its bulky, malformed body, the creature strode forward with the blazing, red flames in its eye sockets glaring at me. If the aberrant creatures that I had first encountered inside the barrier had been a poor imitation of a skeletal soldier, this thing was a nightmarish imitation of a death knight, covered in irregular spikes and chaotic engravings.

However, an imitation or not, I recognized the origin of the creature's design, just like that of the aberrant golems battling my summons. All of them were distorted versions of the former guardians of the Mana Pool, and while the golems were nothing to fear, the aberrant death knight was different. Even from how far I was from the creature, I could feel the pressure its soul emitted. Its predecessor had been one of Neduzar's most powerful summons, and I realized this creature had inherited that high tier strength. “Fuck!”

“Raaaaawwwwwwrrrhhhhh!” The aberrant death knight raised its horned head and roared, emitting a massive swirl of red that engulfed all of us and created a pressure wave that sent me reeling. I barely stabilized myself in the air, and for the first time, I felt the same terror that I had brought upon all my former victims. Floating backwards involuntarily, the insidious thought that I could not win against this monster pervaded my mind. My summons were no better, as they shook where they were, fear filling their souls and almost overwhelming our mind links.

I knew I had to flee! Now that I knew what I was facing, I knew I couldn't win. I could return later, better prepared and stronger. In fact, I realized that it didn't even matter if I was killed here, as I was doing nothing more than parasitizing this body's soul. There was nothing to lose, no matter what I did. I could always start over, as long as my body and soul in the throne room remained intact. What other choice did I have if the enemy was too strong?

“Traiiiitooorrr...”

Her voice jolted my soul, and the next thing I knew, I found myself floating in a familiar, white space. Shaking my immaterial head, I was finally able to think clearly and purge my thoughts of the unreasonable fear, doubt, and anxiety clouding it "Shit!" I realized what that aberrant death knight had done to me. It galled me that I had been so easily manipulated by a spell, even if had been a high tier one.

However, looking around this space, I didn't understand what I doing back in core/black box of my soul. It had been here that I defeated and assimilated Neduzar, earning my right to survive.“I shouldn't be here. I won...” My words sounded confused and uncertain even to myself.

“Once an ant, always an ant!” The sneering voice sent shivers through my translucent form, and I swiveled around, shock coursing through me.

“No! You can't be here! I defeated you!” Staring at the misty apparition floating before me, I backed away in disbelief.

The skull like face moved flexibly as it twisted in a vicious smile, and Neduzar's scorn filled voice reverberated in the white space. “Defeated? Defeated... Hahahahhaha! Did you forget, boy, what happens when you absorb another being's soul?” Laughing like a madman, he spun around, raising ghostly arms almost as though he was proving his existence.

Suddenly stopping, he warped right in front of me in a burst of darkness. His eyes glowing with black flames and rage, he spat,“You know nothing, boy! Call yourself a lich now, do you? Killed some vermin! Discovered some secrets! And suddenly, you believe you're an all powerful lord of the dead?”

“I... no... I mean... how...” I didn't know how to answer and didn't even know how he knew all that, not to mention how he still existed. In the end, I could only retreat in front of the specter.

“Hah! Look at you... Pathetic! All it took was a single enemy spell to break your will! What did you say boy? That you weren't me? That I couldn't stop you? That you would destroy my life's work, no matter the cost!” Neduzar was almost shrieking by the end.

I remembered my promise when I saw the corrupted Mana Pool, and I remembered my determination. Even so, it felt unfair.

However, almost like he was reading my mind, Neduzar roared.“Fair? Fair! Hah! Everything you have, you stole from me, boy! Your knowledge, your power, your very body! All of it! Without me, you would have been nothing! Now, you plan on running? Like the very vermin you prided in killing? How does it feel, boy, to be a worthless coward?”

As much I wanted blame the spell cast on me or even explain how I didn't plan on running, I knew deep down that those were just excuses and what he was saying was right. This entire time, I had everything handed to me in a platter. All the power and all my knowledge: none of it truly belonged to me. I had almost been playing a role, just like in a game. In the end, all it took was for one attack, no matter how powerful it was, from the death knight to break my determination. Looking at Neduzar's arrogant, twisted face, I felt pathetic.

But then, I felt the anger burning deep in me. It had been slowly building this entire time, since I saw this bastard again. Every insult he had hurled at me had fanned it, and every accusation he had made, no matter how true, had added fuel to it. So, it was no surprise that my anger finally crossed a threshold.

Finally snapping, I shoved my face in his, yelling back. “Fuck you, you shitty son of a bitch! I didn't ask to be pulled to this god damn place! I didn't even know what the fuck this place was! More than that, you fucking tried to eat my fucking soul! So, hell yeah, I crushed you! I took your fucking body! I took your damn powers! I even took your shitty fortress! And guess what? There's nothing you can do about it!” I knew I was being irrational, but sometimes belittling and hammering someone too far led to insanity.

Neduzar floated backwards slowly, and he suddenly smiled at me almost like a mad scientist looking at his newest creation. “Good! Good! It seems you have some fire in you after all.” Then, the former Tyrant of Darkness slowly dissipated, his words echoing with in the white space. “So, prove you are worthy of what you plundered from me. I will be watching!”

I had no chance to reply before everything collapsed around me, and my consciousness spun back to reality. In the distance, the aberrant death knight was lowering its head even as a bright, crimson blade flashed into existence in its right hand. I clenched my fists, as my own anger roared through my mind, breaking the effects of the death knight's on me. My summons immediately froze in their retreat.

“Fuck!” I had no clue what had just happened to me, and I honestly didn't have the time to dwell on it right now However, I was damned if I was going be treated like some loser by the remnant of a defeated rat. “Man up, you shits! We have business to take care of!”