As I marched towards the castle that loomed in the centre of the island, thoughts of Gustin and Cara's aura occupied my mind. I had discovered a counterattack against it.
In the wake of the army that had passed through here, it seemed like hours had gone by before I reached the central area of the island. And what I beheld was nothing short of enchanting.
The black castle stood before me, surrounded by tall, rusty buildings that appeared neglected for years. Made entirely of stone, some of these structures emitted a soft glow from crystalline lines adorning their surfaces.
Boom!
Roar!
A distant roar and the sounds of cursing and yelling caught my attention. I strode in the direction from which the commotion arose, knowing that the raiders must be engaged in battle, possibly with undead creatures or Uneamacian beings.
In this camp, the inhabitants had encountered an unusual form of intelligent undead—an Undeamacian exceptional and rare breed that emerged when a person with high mental fortitude was cursed. They learned to suppress their murderous and destructive urges, gaining control over their undead forms while retaining their knowledge from life.
Typically, the memories of those turned undead deteriorated, supplanted by an all-consuming desire for life essence. But those who manage to suppress these compulsions acquire not only an undead body but also a unique ability to control or summon lesser undead. Known as "Undeamacians," they become undead magicians.
Once teeming with such creatures, the island had witnessed the Prince's family and the people of the kingdom banding together, relentlessly exterminating the Undeamacians. What once numbered in the dozens could now be counted on a mere handful.
Venturing closer to the battleground, I found myself amidst the chaos of war. The Army clashed with these formidable opponents. , dark-skinned monsters with glowing white eyes, engaged in combat against the soldiers.
I watched in amusement as one of the figures swiftly snatched the head of a magician, devouring it whole. Another leapt upon a hapless human, attempting to rend and consume him, but a fireball collided with the creature. Another mage appeared and incinerated the monster, reducing it to ash.
Yet, instead of lying defeated on the ground, the creature rose again. Its flesh vanished, leaving only a skeletal frame that advanced toward the caster of the fireball. The entire battlefield was now filled with these grotesque spectacles.
Monsters emerged, slaughtering adventurers and soldiers alike. Fallen bodies transformed into skeletal remains and mindless zombies.
In this grotesque scene of carnage, the air heavy with the stench of death, the battle raged on.
Amid the chaotic battlefield, Gustine's figure stood, a sword gripped tightly in his hand. The blade emitted sparks as he brandished it, his red hair and green eyes a striking contrast to his battle-worn armour. Scars adorned his face, and his wounded eye leaked blood, its lid shut tightly.
Facing him was Undeama, who raised his head, summoning a circle of pulsating magic with a wave of his hand. Gustine swiftly slashed downward, attempting to cleave through the magic circle and the person before him.
The figure let out a bellowing laugh. "Hahahahaha! You fools think you can defeat us?"
"Hahaha!" he continued, his hand moving in a motion to make another attempt, and then his palm descended towards the ground, level with Gustine's chest.
From the rotating magic circle, a flood of monstrous creatures emerged, responding to the figure's command. Still laughing, he spoke again. "Hah hah, you all think that by cursing us and forcing us to become undead,"
"YOU CAN PLUNDER OUR GROUND! "
The figure's voice was sound like a mocking tone but a hint of anger was hidden within it.
Again he laughed "Ah ha! Foolish! Go and ask Ethan Bowart what happens when you try to be over-smart!"
With that, The horde of monsters rushed towards Gustine from the airborne circle. The sound of a swift click echoed, followed by Gustine slashing his sword horizontally, seemingly cleaving the monsters in half at the waists. Yet, to his astonishment, the dead creatures rose again, now in skeletal form.
Elsewhere, Cara stood amidst a field of statues. Each statue depicted monstrous creatures, all of them looked like statues of ice sculpture
A satisfied smile graced her lips as she revelled in the yells and screams filling the air. Facing her was another figure, resembling the one Gustine was engaged in combat with.
This figure, a girl with purple hair flowing in the air, wore black clothing. Half of her face was composed of bone, with only her internal skull visible where the skin was removed. Her right eye glowed with a purple hue, while her natural eye shimmered.
A black smoke emanated from her body, surprising and filling the entire battlefield. Whenever someone perished, that ominous smoke would enter their lifeless form, resurrecting them as undead. No one was spared, as the summoned monsters fought against the surviving humans, turning them into the cursed undead.
Within the army, parties and groups were organised, each consisting of a healer who worked tirelessly to counteract the curse's effects, periodically healing those affected by it.
The mist surrounding the battlefield originated from the girl facing Cara, who exhibited a determined expression. Cara, on the other hand, wore a smirk on her face, seemingly amused.
"Do you have anything to say like that fool?" Cara asked, tauntingly.
The lady in front of her burst into laughter. "Didn't you hear what Latia just said? Don't try to be over-smart."
The smoke emanating from the girl's grotesque body seemed to be engaged in a fierce battle with the mist generated by Cara. Hearing the lady's words, Cara's smirk only widened.
"Let's see who's truly full of themselves," Cara declared with authority, her voice echoing across the entire battlefield.
And then came the
[Downpour.]
Cara's voice held the weight of final judgement, raining down upon the monsters and undead infesting the land. A white fog emerged from her body, expanding rapidly, filling the entire battlefield before ascending into the purple-hued sky.
Gradually, the fog began to coalesce, taking the shape of a dagger. Alongside it, another smaller dagger materialised in the sky. Cara lifted her hand, the speed of dagger creation in the sky increasing.
She slowly moved her hand towards the ground, commanding every dagger in the sky to follow suit.
Boom! Boom!
Each dagger pierced through the monsters and skeletons on the battlefield, wreaking havoc among their ranks.