*Tap *Tap *Tap
"Huh?!" Kain and Butch suddenly found themselves taking a step forward.
Against their will their body moved, influenced by something foreign. 'Shit! NO! NO! NO!' Veins bulged and pulsed in their bodies as they tried their hardest to resist. But it was useless…
They neared the steps of the temple-
First step, AGONY!
'AHHHH!!!' the two screamed in their minds, they couldn't even utter a single sound as physical pain coursed through every fiber of their body.
*Tap
*Tap
*Tap
Every step they took, the pain doubled, they bled from their nose to their ears and even coughed blood in intervals. Their bodies wobble yet they persist in advancing.
Arthur sat at the top of the stairs and watched the duo climb unsteadily. There was a smile on his face. The view was too entertaining and spectacular.
With his chin resting in his hand, he pondered 'The hundred steps to utter demise, what a wicked method.' He had tried to decipher this hex before. How does it work? So, he could copy and apply the effects to his other spells.
He glanced at the woman behind him. She remained motionless. He had tried to commune with her in his previous life but no matter what he did, she remained unresponsive and indifferent.
*Tap
Tenth step, TORMENT!
As they took this step, their bodies trembled uncontrollably. Their mouths twitched and their eyes rolled up to the back of their heads. At this very moment, Butch and Kain were re-living all of their past traumas.
Over and over again.
*Bang!
Butch collapsed with his mouth bubbling, his eyes rolled back after he reached the twelfth step. This is the limit of his mind. 'His body is tough, yet his mind is weak.' Arthur surmised.
"There are three ways to escape this temple. One, if you're stronger than the spell caster. Two, if you persevere and reach the top. And lastly, if someone intervened and pulled you out."
Arthur then chuckled "You probably looked down on me like this before, right?" he asked the woman in red, but silence was her answer. "Some said silence means yes." He grinned, not minding the cold treatment.
'Still, no matter how many times I witness it, I still marvel at its viciousness.'
Butch and Kain can only be described as unfortunate at the moment. To be dragged inside the temple of complete ruination, was a fate worse than death.
'The first ten steps will break your body, the next twenty will shatter your mind, the next thirty will disintegrate your soul. If your 'Will' still persists you will be permitted to take the seventieth step where you will be forced to live alternate lives, experiencing hate, anger, jealousy, sadness, love, happiness and grief over and over again. You will be conscious during all of this time, knowing that you are trapped in an endless dream. And if ever your 'Will' falters then that is where you'll die. If not, the eightieth steps await you where you will re-live another lifetime. A single lifetime full of danger and despair. The condition is that you have to survive and reach the temple once more in that life. If you do, you've passed the test and will have the opportunity to take the ninetieth step where your dream life awaits. Failure to break from the illusion will keep you trapped in this temple until your last breath. And if by chance you reach the top, beyond the hundredth step, the woman in red awaits. What you'll gain? No one knows.'
The worst part of this torture is that every step you take, everything you feel will double, especially beyond the ninetieth step, the glorious and splendid life anyone wished for will become harder to turn away from. Even Arthur has only reached the ninety ninth step. He failed in reaching the top. But despite this he was not trapped, instead he was given the Blood Art Inheritance. His memories were actually fragmented. He only remembered that at the last moment someone pulled him out of that sweet dream. There was no one at the temple beside him and the woman, so Arthur knew there were secrets he had not yet uncovered.
He tried to climb the stairs again, but it no longer had any effect on him. Even more, the original temple soon vanished, turned into a spell that only he can cast. Perhaps it was telling him to find worthy beings that will reach the top.
'No matter, in this lifetime I will definitely reach you' He clenched his fist and tried to reach for the woman beyond the hundredth step-
*Buzzzt!
His hand was repelled by a strong force, like there was an invisible barrier protecting the woman in red-
There were already a lot of questions running through his mind like, 'How could I cast this spell in this life? Was this perhaps just another test because in reality he was still climbing the stairs?' So many questions, yet there is no answer. The only thing he could do was visit the place he found this damn temple. Everything would make sense then. No use in overthinking right now.
Suddenly a rustling sound was heard.
'Hmm' Arthur looked down. Below the temple, a figure slowly emerged from the thick bushes.
A woman with pristine dark hair and purple eyes arrived at the temple of doom. She was injured, bleeding from her neck to her thighs. On her shoulders were Darren who fell off the truck and Jasmin who tried to run away to call for backup.
It was Dian. Arthur originally positioned her not too far from here. She was a backup plan in case someone managed to get in.
He had her intercept Jasmin via telepathic communication.
She was a bit tricky for the current Dian to handle but since she was already exhausted and weakened, Dian managed somehow.
It was a wonder why Jasmin only thought of running away to call for help at the last moment. Arthur thought it's because of the guilt of leaving her teammates to face him alone or the confidence that they could defeat him.
Anyway, despite her sorry state right now, Dian was at the top of her class during her training days. She might've been a little rusty, but she was enough to handle the weakened mage.
Arthur wouldn't have had her intercept the runaway opponent if he wasn't confident in Dian's combat abilities. Based on her performance in his previous life, he knew she had what it takes. Using only brute force, she managed to subdue a dagger wielding, shadow cloaking opponent. That speaks volume on how capable Dian is.
"Young Master, this-" She trembled, feeling the bone chilling aura of the temple. From afar it looked just like a broken building yet now that she was up close, she couldn't help but gulp in nervousness.
Arthur found her reaction adorable. He was also entertaining the thought of letting her climb but that was only a passing notion. He of all people should know that she has a trauma that she couldn't escape from till now. Arthur's devil nature wanted to see what would happen, what kind of expression she'll make and what kind of pain she will feel. He wanted to know.
But he wouldn't, Arthur wasn't someone who would be controlled by mere instinct.
"I'm coming down, don't touch anything." He ordered and the chains on his back grabbed nearby foundations to support his descent.
"Young Master! Are you alright?" She worried as she observed the current Arthur. He was covered in dirt and blood stains. Although he was a mess, he didn't have any physical injury, aside from the recoil of his last spell, he was fine.
"I'm alright, don't worry. I'm just drained from using too much Aera." He smiled and shook his head. "How about you?"
"I'm fine, just minor injuries. My wounds have already started healing." She said with a disbelief tone. She still couldn't fathom the power coursing through her.
"And how about them?" he asked after glancing at the bodies beneath her feet.
"I've injected this man with the rejuvenation serum we found in their lodging, just as you ordered. This woman on the other hand- she's just knocked out." The serum was originally meant for Arthur to keep him alive. It was supposed to be inserted inside the restoration chamber that Kain's group retrieved for maximum healing effect.
"Excellent, treat those two as well and check the condition of the girl inside that truck." He said as he pointed toward Harry and Shannon.
"Right away, Young Master " she paused and eyed Arthur. "Your form- it's a little different from before."
Arthur retracted the chains on his back and opened his arms "It's not demonic in nature, this power is different from the one you saw then. No need to worry." He said with a grin showing his fangs.
Dian nodded, she didn't inquire about the temple and checked on the other's condition. But in her mind, there was a flashback of the time when Arthur licked her wounds and drank her blood. She wondered if his current state was the same back then.
Arthur looked at Kain, as he expected, the man was strong. His body and mentality were impressive.
Kain was at the seventeenth step. His robust body was trembling, and his eyes were crying tears of blood. This spell was the best torture method.
Seeing this Arthur decided to stop. If he continued, then no doubt Kain would die. His mind and body had already reached their limit. Such a toy was hard to find, he had to make sure Kain was still useful.
And besides, Arthur had also reached his limit. He won't be able to maintain the spell for long anyway so he might as well stop here. He already had a good grasp on the level of his magical output.
With a wave of his hands the temple turned into light particles and slowly disappeared. It started from the bottom causing Kain and Butch's bodies to fall in the bloody lake. As the monolith was fading from sight, the woman in red once more looked toward Arthur. Unfortunately, his attention was elsewhere.
"s-on, de-roy-r of w-ds, pr-nit-rs of al-" an inaudible whisper escaped her mouth. Words so silent even Arthur couldn't hear them.
Using one of his chains Arthur fished out Kain and Butch. He also undid his Vampiric transformation. Afterwards the blood lake and the red clouds began to dissipate like vapor.
Sunlight peeked through the dissipating clouds. The sun had risen, and a new morning had come.
"You! Ugh! How-"
Arthur heard a voice, Hansel who was inside the truck was already half conscious. But since she lost too much blood, her body couldn't get up. Dian injected her with a rejuvenating serum which immediately replenished her blood and gave her the strength to wake up.
Dian had her pinned to the ground because as soon as she woke up, she saw her injured friends beside her. Her immediate thought was that there was still an enemy around. The last memory she could recall was that of a hostile pursuer. That is why she reacted like this.
Being knocked down and pinned, her head cleared, and she managed to see the whole picture in front. The truck had been overturned. The ground and surrounding had been ravaged by battle. There was also a faint red mist that had now started to fade.
"This is impossible! You! You're the boy in the manor!" Hansel was hysterical at the moment. She believed she was dreaming but the feeling of pain of being pinned to the ground says otherwise.
Arthur looked at her for a moment and then Dian. She immediately understood what he meant. She stood up along with Hansel.
*Bang!
With a sudden kick to the jaw, Dian knocked her back out. Her body smashed on the ground heavily. She was already healed so that kick won't kill her. She was also a mage, she could take that kick ten more times before it could compromise her life.
Arthur took a deep breath and enjoyed the sunlight. After a long time, finally his body could enjoy the richness of the morning sun again.
Before, when his body was still weak, he could only enjoy the sunlight for a couple of minutes before he started sweating buckets and worst-case scenario, faint.
As he was enjoying the warmth, Kain weakly sat up. He was still feeling dizzy, but he no longer felt any pain. Like everything was an illusion-
Flashbacks were still fresh in his memories though. He was also feeling confused and out of it. 'What the hell just happened?!' was the only thing he could ask.
There was fear and anxiety gripping his whole body. The nightmares had already ended but his mind was still trapped.
Arthur approached him with soft strides.
"You- re Arthur Ror-y" Kain said, seeing the familiar face of the young man they used to monitor.
Arthur answered "Indeed I am."
Kain had an inkling feeling of eureka. Like an enlightenment had popped in his head but he was too dizzy to clearly think about it.
And before he could put the pieces of the puzzle together, Arthur did a spinning kick, striking his temple, causing him to tumble hard to the side, his eyes rolled back from the sheer impact of the kick.
'How can it be yo-' these were his last thoughts before passing out. At the last moment, Arthur's voice and actions managed to give him a bone chilling realization.
Dian approached her master after carefully laying all the bodies on the ground. "It will take too long to clean this, Master. The Main Household might already be on their way to investigate the strange occurrence that happened here."
Her worry was justified. After all, the fight created a lot of noise and ruckus. There was the issue of the sky turning red and the thousands of bats that swarmed this area. And lastly, what about the trees that were engulfed in flames and the explosions caused by Hansel's attack. Although the main household was far from this place, for sure they would know about the things that happened inside their territory.
Right?
Arthur smirked as he looked at her. He then answered her question with another.
"Would I ever act unprepared, Dian? Did you think that I would risk our lives just to subdue these people? You really think lowly of me." He said with a heartbroken expression.
Dian panicked a bit after hearing his words. "T-that wasn't my intention Young Master."
Arthur laughed seeing her act like this. Teasing her was one of the things he enjoyed in life. Dian on the other hand, grumbled softly but then smiled. Being teased like this means that her Young Lord still had that spark of childishness. She was worried that Arthur had been completely corrupted by demonic powers based on his actions these past few days.
Going back to the topic, after thinking about it, indeed Arthur would not make such a high-risk play.
'Does he have a way to repair this?' She wondered.
As she was pondering Dian shuddered as she felt an ominous power cover Arthur. Dark smokes emanated from within him and became a coat that concealed a very shocking transformation.
Soon the black smoke faded revealing Arthur in all of his demonic glory.
His nails turned inky along with eyes that glowed in black. His azure eyes remained but his sclera turned dark making him more breathtaking. Literally since the power he released was suffocating.
Two curved horns sprouted from his forehead and a tail with a dagger-like point slithered behind him.
'This power!' Arthur's current state greatly affected Dian who had a demonic heart. Worship, fear and awe blended in her heart as she watched the descent of the Devil in the mortal realm.
"I set up this array earlier when their group was climbing the mountain. I call it False World, a reflection of the original." Arthur's voice jolted the stunned woman beside him. She was too engrossed with his presence.
For now, Arthur could only cover a few kilometers. When he was at his peak, he could copy a massive continent with thriving civilizations.
With everything wrapped up, there was no need to stay here any longer.
Arthur abruptly stomped his feet. A massive formation beneath his feet that run for kilometers blinked on and off and then-
*Crack! *Crack!
Like glass, the whole place cracked and fragmented along with the formation array. With him as the center, the cracks snaked like sharp rivers, spreading rapidly, even the sky wasn't spared.
*Shatter!
Pieces of the sky and the horizon fell revealing a scene not much different from before. But below on the ground, a mind-boggling scene presented itself in front of Dian.
The fallen and uprooted trees stood once more, the broken rocks were mended with moss regrown on its surface. As if the battle that took place here was but an illusion.
The craters were gone, replaced by rich evergreen grass that was originally rooted in its spot. The dirt road that was messed up was back to its former appearance. Lastly the part of the forest that was blown to bits and engulfed in fire returned to their former lustrous image. The only thing that stayed the same are the bodies lying on the ground and the truck that had crashed into a tree.
"I- I have no words, Young Master" She was speechless. This method was too much. How could there be such a spell?
This spell array was made by Arthur. Using his deep understanding of Illusions, he managed to create a fake world. Although he could not copy living things right now, when he was in his prime he could make a fake continent with thriving civilizations. This made him the most slippery bastard in the whole cosmos. Paired with the Runes of Perdan, he managed to trick even the most powerful being. But in the end, tricks were still tricks. How could it compete with absolute power?
The bats were real though, he took them into the array to test his control over them.
And speaking of the Runes of Perdan-
At the boundaries of the illusion array, runes glowed creating a magical dome that hid everything from the outside eyes.
Earlier, after revealing his 'revelations' to Dian, Arthur immediately sprang to action. He covered a wide area with runes he carved on the barks of trees, leaves and rocks. After carving he rested for a bit and drank one of the rejuvenation serum they found. After resting he proceeded to set the False World array and rest again this time drinking two serums.
Their effects were marvellous, unfortunately their effect lessened if used regularly.
Back at the present, after the False World collapsed, Arthur's shadow expanded toward the bodies and the truck. Like quicksand, Kain's group and vehicle slowly sank into the darkness.
At this moment Arthur was still in his devil form. His two hands, his fingers were covered by dark energy making them appear like they were submerged in ink.
He scratched the space in front like he was drawing patterns at a lightning-fast pace.
Dian wondered what he was doing but didn't disturb him and just stood aside letting him do his thing.
The Runes of Perdan that were carved kilometers away slowly faded. As if drawn in reverse, there seemed to be an invisible pen redrawing the runes backwards.
After a while Arthur kneeled and collapsed. He vomited a lot of blood. His head ached like crazy, and he was feeling extremely sick. He was also sweating buckets.
He was drained.
The mental toll of erasing the profound runes from a distance dawned on him like a heavy weight.
"Let's go back," he said as he used [Blood Dominion] to remove the traces of blood.
Dian carried him like a princess as she quickly jumped from tree to tree. Arthur closed his eyes and undid his transformation, reverting to his normal form.
With her heightened senses, Dian managed to avoid powerful beasts on their way back, making Arthur rest peacefully.