MaeveMcCarthy
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Chapter LX
🕑 Added 2024-01-26 19:29:42 +0000 UTCLily felt an electric surge of adrenaline.
As the wolf lunged with startling speed, Lily’s instincts took over. She sidestepped with practiced grace, seeing the monster’s rippling muscles through her Sphere of Perception, anticipating its trajectory, and barely evading the snapping jaws that sought to tear into her flesh. The sound of its teeth clashing mere inches from her reverberated through the chamber.
It's too fast! It’s too damn fast!
In the ferocious exchange that followed, Lily unleashed the full force of her [Death Touch]. She was forced to use [Wraithform] to evade the attack and then retaliate. Each direct hit she landed sent a shockwave of Death Energy into the wolf’s body. But its muscles and sinew stood firm under the impact, unmoved.
It has too much vitality! I can’t do this!
She tried dodging with [Wraithform] twice more times before she realized she wasn’t going to win like this. She couldn’t fight this monster like this, not when her skill wasn’t nearly strong enough. In fact, she was even tempted to use [Wraithform] for a moment to look for the amulet socket and just jump through the portal. However, knowing that the wolf would follow her meant that it would be useless: either way, she was going to have to fight this thing.
In the next exchange, Lily faced a harrowing choice. Using [Wraithform] against a foe like this meant she would waste way too much Mana—especially for a fight that was clearly going to be drawn out. So, instead, she could decide to take some of the non–lethal attacks. But then, she had two possibilities to heal herself. Her [Necrotic Restoration] or the Wands. She was painfully aware that the slow, gradual healing that [Necrotic Restoration] offered was a luxury she could not afford. The wolf’s relentless aggression gave no quarter, no moment to catch a breath or mend her wounds. This was a battle of swift, brutal exchanges where the slightest hesitation could spell her death.
Forsaking [Necrotic Restoration], Lily decided to rely instead on the immediate healing offered by her father’s enchanted wands. So, she changed her strategy. Each time the wolf’s claws raked across her skin, leaving deep, bloody furrows, she countered with a quick burst of healing light. The pain was immediate and intense – a burning reminder of the razor–edged balance between life and death. However, this way, she could inject much more Death Magic into the wolf through [Death Touch] and [Inferior Mandala of the Black Rain].
Her [Wraithform] became her lifeline in the midst of chaos. She flickered in and out of tangibility, a ghostly apparition weaving through the wolf’s otherwise mortal attacks. The skill drained her, each use a toll on her reserves, but it was a necessary sacrifice to evade the lethal fury of her foe.
Unlike with the explosion, where matter displacement had explained the high expenditure of Mana, here, it was because the monster was many levels above her. Therefore, it carried more... substance. Metaphorically, perhaps. But that’s what it counted for toward the skill’ cost. Every time she phased through the monster, the skill spent ten times as much Mana as it would have with a normal human.
Lily’s movements were getting desperate. She ducked under the sweeping claws, twisted away from the snapping jaws, and retaliated with precise, burning strikes, infusing her Death Energy into the Wildsnow Wolf from the recollection of the Black Rain through her Mandala. The room resonated with the sounds of their battle, a cacophony of growls, grunts, and the harsh impact of flesh and magic.
But Lily was caught in a dilemma. Her [Necrotic Restoration], normally her saving grace, still lay dormant. She knew the gradual healing it offered was a luxury, as she kept healing herself with the Wands, but something itched in the back of her mind. The wolf’s aggression was unyielding, giving no opportunity for recovery or respite. But still, she was getting a hunch that she needed to change the strategy if she wanted to win. The pristine white fur of the Wildsnow Wolf was barely touched by the corruption of her fists.
In the heat of the battle, an epiphany struck Lily. There was a moment when she couldn’t reach for her wand in time, and she found herself relying on [Necrotic Restoration]. She felt a thick river of vitality being transferred from the monster to her—even though the blow hadn’t delivered much damage, it was still enough to claim a part of the monster’s vitality: and given the great difference in Attributes between them, it meant that even the little crumble of health from the monster completely healed her from head to toe, and also added a good chunk of stamina to her reserves.
And then, something else happened.
[*Ding!* Skill – Alchemic Constitution level 6!]
[*Ding!* Skill – Alchemic Constitution level 7!]
Lily barely had time to react before the wolf swiped at her again. This time, she felt slightly faster and managed to dodge without relying on taking damage or using [Wraithform]. Her change in rhythm had thrown the monster off.
Then, as her fist impacted the flank of the monster, she felt like her [Death Touch] actually dealt more damage than before.
[*Ding!* Skill – Death Touch (Master Stage) level 11!]
What in the world—
Even this minor enhancement made her feel more robust, more capable of enduring the onslaught. Suddenly, the memories of battling rats in the capital flashed before her eyes – specifically, how those fights had enhanced her skills through the cycle of injury and self–healing. The revelation dawned on her – her wounds were not just a source of pain but of power that was potentially linked to the Alchemists. She realized that the key to overcoming the wolf lay in leveling her ability through a cycle of sustaining injuries and rapidly healing herself.
The Wildsnow Wolf, brimming with vitality due to its sheer level, became an opportunity for rapid healing and leveling her skills. If she could manage to strike it effectively while simultaneously leveling her constitution, she could turn the tide of this grueling battle. This realization added a new layer to the fight – a delicate balance between opportunity and the primal instinct of self–preservation.
Lily engaged the wolf with renewed vigor, her attacks a blend of desperation and fury. Every time she struck the wolf, she felt the dual sensations of pain from its counter–attacks and the rush of healing energy course through her veins.
But most importantly, [Alchemic Constitution] was slowly getting stronger as the monster finally started weakening.
[*Ding!* Skill – Alchemic Constitution level 8!]
[*Ding!* Skill – Alchemic Constitution level 9!]
...
[*Ding!* Skill – Alchemic Constitution level 15!]
As the fight wore on, her [Death Touch] and [Inferior Mandala of the Black Rain] began to level up as well, gradually penetrating the high vitality of the monstrous wolf. Each of her strikes left behind a gruesome trail of half–decomposed, half–melted flesh.
As the battle between Lily and the Wildsnow Wolf raged on in the shadowy chamber, her mastery over Death Magic and the blossoming [Alchemic Constitution] finally began to turn the tide. Her [Death Touch], initially struggling to breach the beast’s formidable vitality, started to reveal its true destructive potential. With each precise strike, Lily’s hands became conduits of deathly energy, destroying the enemy.
The monster, a simple creature of raw power, was unprepared for the corrosive nature of her magic. Had this been the Alpha, she would have most likely been dead. However, against this enemy, the dark energy of her [Death Touch] seeped deep into its wounds, eating away at sinew and bone. The mandala, a manifestation of her will, started coating her fists in a thin layer of the black liquid that had almost killed her in her inner world back then.
[*Ding!* Adjunct Skill – Inferior Mandala of the Black Rain level 30!]
[*Ding!* Adjunct Skill – Inferior Mandala of the Black Rain level 31!]
[*Ding!* Adjunct Skill – Inferior Mandala of the Black Rain level 32!]
With every exchange, the monster’s movements grew more labored, its howls less of defiance and more of agony. The once mighty predator was slowly being undone by the relentless onslaught.
...
Breathing heavily, Lily stood over the carcass of the Wildsnow Wolf. The beast’s fearsome form was now a grotesque sight, its body a mix of decay and destruction wrought by her ruthless assault. The chamber, once echoing with the sounds of their fierce battle, fell into a heavy silence, punctuated only by her heavy breaths and the crackling of torches.
In this moment of victory, Lily felt a complex mix of triumph and exhaustion—even the recovered stamina from [Necrotic Restoration] wasn’t enough for what she had gone through in terms of mental exhaustion.
She had just faced an adversary many levels her senior and emerged victorious – a feat that spoke volumes of her skill and determination. Exhausted, Lily slumped against the cold stone wall of the chamber, the aftermath of the battle weighing heavily on her. Her breaths came in ragged gasps. The torch behind her suddenly flickered violently, casting dancing shadows on the ancient walls. Without her knowing it, tendrils of energy started to snake from where her back had touched the wall and up to the dark ceiling.
Her gaze then drifted to the walls around her, illuminated by the torch’s glow. The carvings that adorned the stone spoke of a history shrouded in enigma. Using her Myriad Tongue skill, she began to decipher the serpentine inscriptions.
“The fate of the world...” She got up and walked toward the other side of the room, where she spotted the amulet socket. She temporarily ignored it to take a better look at the wall. “The fate of the world is in the balance of powers—we must eliminate the parasites that took over the primordial concepts.”
The words were fascinating and foreboding, suggesting that the Alchemists were more than mere warriors or scholars.
“Imprisoning them is the only way to drain their power at the moment,” she read out loud as if she were perusing a diary. “We wield powers that break them, but they have too many followers. We can’t keep them imprisoned anymore and not dedicate ourselves to our art. We have lost our numbers and powers... our share of the world is shrinking.”
What the hell? She mused as her eyebrows shot up.
“New parasites have freed the old ones, taking over some of their power. We must delve deeper into our arts. Destroying them is the only way forward. However, the researchers in this temple haven’t found a solution yet. Our First Stage wasn’t enough. The Third, too, was only enough to imprison them. Unless one of us can reach the Fourth Stage and gather power similar to the parasites, we cannot triumph.”
Wait. They were... jailers? Of... Gods?
She read further, finding inscriptions speaking of monsters beyond imagination and entities contained and restrained by the Alchemists’ sacrifice. It was a revelation that cast the Alchemists in a new light.
They’re not like Earth’s Alchemists. They don’t manipulate the elements—not that I can see. They... I don’t know what they do. Let’s see.
Lily traced her fingers over the carvings, feeling the weight of the history they bore. The inscriptions hinted at a grander society. Among the scripts, she found a stylized image that captured her attention. It depicted a figure bound in chains, exuding an aura of both majesty and anger. Though the carving did not name the figure, something in the back of Lily’s mind whispered of its possible identity...
It can’t be... Lucas?
Lost in thought, Lily pondered the implications of what she had uncovered.
She was so engrossed in deciphering the cryptic symbols that she barely noticed the subtle change occurring on the stone’s surface beneath her hands.
The stone, which had been cold and inert, began to react to her touch, darkening as if absorbing the light around it. Slowly, tendrils of a sinister red light began to snake out from where her fingers lay. They spread thinly across the walls like the veins of a living entity, pulsating with an eerie energy. The red light slithered toward the two colossal statues standing sentinel at either end of the room and then to the rest of them.
“Shit,” she swore.
Lily stepped back, her heart racing as she witnessed the statues tremble and shake. Dust and small stones cascaded down from their massive forms as they began to move. With a grinding sound that echoed ominously through the chamber, the statues dislodged themselves from their pedestals. The sight was both magnificent and terrifying.
The statues, now free from their stony constraints, turned their imposing stone faces toward her. In their eyes, probably carved eons ago, flickered a spark of life – a deep, angry glow that seemed to pierce her very soul. Each statue held a weapon – one a sword, the other an axe – that appeared all the more menacing now that they were wielded by these newly animated guardians.
Frozen in fear, Lily felt a chill run down her spine. She was witnessing something ancient and powerful, something that should have remained a part of history. The realization hit her – she had inadvertently triggered a defense mechanism of some kind.
But why? I’m not a threat and the ouroboros...
Sadly, she had no time to ponder any of this. If the statues were hostile and she remained stationary, she was as good as dead.
So, with trembling fingers, she drew the amulet from her Aurum Ring, hesitating momentarily as she recalled the searing pain it had inflicted upon her previously. Steeling herself against the memory, she swiftly withdrew the amulet and placed it into the socket, immediately summoning a wand to cure her hand. The ancient stone groaned in response, a sound that echoed through the chamber, as if awakening from a long slumber.
The moment the amulet clicked into place, the air around her vibrated with energy. A brilliant light erupted from the socket, coalescing into the form of a portal between two columns standing at the center of the room. It shimmered with a multitude of colors.
There was no turning back now. The portal beckoned her, a swirling vortex of light and shadow. With a mixture of fear and determination, Lily sprinted through the portal, her body enveloped by its radiant energy.
On the other side, she found… nothing. She had just passed through the portal as if the portal hadn’t even been there. She was still in the same chamber with all the statues.
Without a second thought, Lily leaped toward the portal again. And again, nothing. She was still in the same room. She could feel the gaze of the statues on her back, their anger palpable in the air. As she crossed the threshold of the portal, a thunderous voice boomed through the chamber, stopping her in her tracks.
“You filthy intruder branded by those slimy creatures,” the voice resonated with a power that shook the very foundations of the room. “You really thought you could enter our sanctuary and defile it without paying a price? You really thought one of your kind could use our masters’ technology?!”
The torchlight flickered across the cavernous chamber, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to mock her predicament. Before her, the two colossal statues – one brandishing a massive sword and the other an axe – walked closer to her, their stone surfaces cracking and groaning as if shedding the weight of centuries.
The statues, remnants of a forgotten era, towered over Lily, their carved features twisted into expressions of righteous fury. Their eyes, once dull and lifeless, now burned with a deep, angry glow, fixed upon her with unsettling intensity.
“You are a filthy intruder, branded by those slimy creatures,” boomed the voice of the sword–wielding statue, its words resonating through the chamber like thunder. The sound reverberated off the walls, filling the space with a palpable sense of dread.
Lily, despite the overwhelming terror that gripped her, found her voice, “I don’t understand. I’m innocent. I just...”
Her plea fell on deaf ears as the statues remained unmoved, their stony faces set in a grim determination. The axe–wielding colossus, in particular, seemed to simmer with a barely contained rage, its massive form radiating a tangible hostility.
The statue with the sword responded to her, though, its voice a deep rumble, “Innocence is a luxury you forfeited the moment you trespassed into our sanctuary.”
Lily’s mind raced, searching for a way to defuse the situation. In a desperate attempt, she revealed, “I have [Alchemic Constitution]! I thought...”
Her words seemed to ignite a spark of recognition in the statues, but it was not the reaction she had hoped for. A momentary pause was followed by an eruption of fury.
“So, a tainted child has gained one of our masters’ skills,” growled the axe–wielding statue, its voice laced with disgust. “You are an abomination! You shall not live to see another day!”
With a fluidity that belied its massive form, the statue stepped toward her, the floor trembling with each heavy stride. The two–handed axe, a weapon that seemed more like a tool for execution, was raised high, poised to deliver a fatal blow.
Lily, her back against the cold stone, screamed, “I’m innocent! Please!”
Her words echoed futilely in the chamber as the statue loomed over her, its axe glinting menacingly in the torchlight. Time seemed to slow as the weapon began its descent, a harbinger of certain death.
At that moment, a sudden ding sounded in Lily’s mind, jarring her from the impending doom.
[*Ding!* Congratulations, you can now choose your First Class! Hopefully, you chose a peaceful place to make your choice because it will take some time! You’re about to become unconscious. Take care!]
Comments
Aclys
Welp, bit of a stretch to claim she is innocent. She knows she's here for a reason and has been getting set up for this by some greater power or powers even. She'd have been better off by far by admitting to it but claiming to be unwilling. Seeking redemption seems like it would go over a lot better than trying to claim innocence she never had. That said, I expect this is where we see her finally get herself the titular death healer class... and the first death she's gonna have to heal will be her own? Hype on.
Isaac Boyles
I'm sure it'll be fine, that's a perfectly safe situation to be in while unconscious
