"The cold of eternity has long frozen my heart. Where once compassion and joy lived, only emptiness remains. I command the dead because I no longer live myself." -Azrael Nocturne
The once-lively camp of the forbidden army now stood completely empty. Only a few warriors had survived until now. Azrael was stronger than ever before. The enormous bone serpent soared through the sky. Liang Wei and Aiden stood on the hill, hand in hand, ready to face Azrael in one final showdown. Through their physical contact, Liang Wei could transfer his skill [Wrath of the Vanguard] to Aiden, protecting them both. The yellow glow now surrounded Aiden as well. Determined and full of courage, they both leaped towards the beast. Azrael seized his chance. The bone serpent flew directly at the two boys, its mouth wide open. For a moment, Aiden closed his eyes, but everything happened faster than he expected. They found themselves inside the mouth of the giant bone serpent sooner than they anticipated.
Episode 7 - God of the Undead (Part 3)
With a slight clatter, Aiden and Liang Wei landed inside the serpent. They were at least glad to be on somewhat solid ground now. "Wow, Azrael can do all this just by moving bones? That guy's combat IQ is truly unique," said Liang Wei, showing his respect for the opponent. Even though Azrael had killed all his friends, Liang Wei still respected him to a certain extent. This reflected the forbidden army's principle to never stop respecting their foes. "Azrael is probably at the other end of the serpent, if he's not in the head," Aiden remarked, "Let's hurry!" Nodding slightly, they pressed on. Soon, openings began to appear between the bones in the 'walls,' from which sharp bones shot out. Aiden briefly let go of his comrade's hand, but soon they grasped each other again, running forward as if nothing had happened. The bone projectiles simply bounced off the skill's aura.
The duo ran onward, almost unstoppable. Azrael noticed this too. The bone serpent veered vertically, diving straight towards the ground. Luckily, Aiden and Liang Wei managed to perch on a bone in the wall. "What now? We can't just run to the end of the serpent anymore!" Liang Wei was slightly panicked, but Aiden broke through his despair. "We still have one option - my Body Enhancement!" Liang Wei smiled after a short pause. "I knew you'd have an idea. You surprise me every time... Go on, then!" Aiden jumped into the air, with Liang Wei lifting his arm protectively so Aiden could land on it, still under the influence of [Wrath of the Vanguard]. Aiden activated [Body Enhancement], allowing him to reach the end of the serpent with a single leap. As he broke through the ceiling, he encountered another platform and another ceiling, as if there was a double layer. As expected, Azrael was waiting there.
"So, what do you think of my plan? I expected that at least your friend would enter the serpent with his skill. A fall from this height wouldn't even withstand his skill. My body would simply reassemble itself, though." Azrael sat in the center, a faint smile on his lips. Aiden was furious at this remark. "You talk about bodies and friends, but you have neither a proper body nor humanity! How dare you say such things...?" Azrael's faint smile turned into a broad grin. He summoned a bone sword into his hands and cut off his own right arm. In seconds, the black liquid reformed a new arm. "Pretty intense, right? I could never have achieved this without my master, Lord Valenor! He made me what I am! You're right, I'm no human! I'm a god! Only I!" Slowly, Aiden began to understand what had happened. "Poor thing, you've gradually lost more and more humanity." He paused and assumed a fighting stance. "Azrael, my old friend, let me release you from your sad, empty life. Once I've freed you, I'll defeat this Valenor and avenge you!"
Azrael's grin morphed into a deranged, almost insane laugh as he charged at Aiden. "You think you can take on a god?" he screamed, flinging his arms forward. From his back and arms, bone spears shot out, moving around him like tentacles and lunging at Aiden. Aiden raised his arms in defense, knocking aside the bones with [Body Enhancement], but Azrael was faster.
"Feel that?" Azrael screamed hysterically, spinning rapidly as his bone whips spiraled around him, forcing Aiden on the defensive. "I am the beginning and the end! I am the Alpha and Omega! Only me! Only me!" His scream echoed through the void as his bone whips battered Aiden like waves.
Aiden ducked, rolling across the ground, dodging a particularly dangerous spike aimed at him. "You're no god, Azrael!" he yelled, launching a quick counterattack as he sprinted toward the maniac. But Azrael was ready for him. With a delighted smile, he suddenly sprouted bone blades from his forearms, gleaming like razors.
"Oh, but I am! I am immortal!" Azrael screamed, lunging at Aiden. The blades met Aiden's enhanced skin, but even with Body Enhancement, the impact was intense. Aiden blocked the strikes with his forearms, but Azrael was relentless. He moved with superhuman speed, his bone swords dancing in a deadly rhythm. Each strike was precise, as if Azrael had spent his entire life perfecting his combat skills.
Aiden gritted his teeth, pushed back, but Azrael was like a force of nature—unstoppable, unyielding. His eyes sparkled with madness, and he laughed maniacally, pressing Aiden further. "Do you feel it, Aiden? Do you feel the power of a god?"
"Enough!" Aiden shouted, shattering Azrael's bone blades with a mighty punch and landing a direct hit to his chest. Azrael staggered, but his grin didn't waver. Instead, new bones immediately grew from his body, replacing the shattered ones, and he resumed his assault on Aiden. "You can't defeat me! I will always come back!"
Then it happened. With one final insane laugh, Azrael made the entire platform they fought on vanish. "This is the will of a god!" he yelled. Everything around them fell into the void, except for a tiny piece of ground where Azrael stood. Aiden, completely caught off guard, stepped into nothingness. He couldn't grasp anything, couldn't stop it—and he fell.
"I am the god, and you are nothing! Nothing!" Azrael screamed in a final hysterical outburst as Aiden plunged into the depths. But Aiden couldn't give up just like that. He landed precisely on one of the two large fangs of the bone serpent. It was unclear if he had anticipated it or just been lucky, but one thing was certain: the fight wasn't over. Aiden briefly closed his eyes, then opened them again. A bright, blue glow emanated from them—the same glow that appeared when he last gave 250%. This time, he focused all his power into his legs. With a single, powerful jump, he propelled himself upward. The pain was intense. Aiden screamed. His legs were severely strained, but he knew this might be his last chance. He closed his eyes and blocked out every bit of pain. Soon, he reached the top again, where Azrael was waiting. In the same motion, the brave young man formed a fist. He struck his opponent directly in the chin. This shock caused both Aiden and Azrael to break through the bone serpent. The pain forced Azrael to cancel his technique, causing the bone serpent to quickly disintegrate back into its parts.
Aiden, Liang Wei, and Azrael landed on the hard ground of the hill. Shortly after, Azrael stood up and burst into booming laughter. In the end, the young man was the one who had won. But he wasn't the only one to rise. Liang Wei also opened his eyes and got up. Aiden was awake too, though both of his legs were badly affected by the earlier attack. "You two are pretty persistent, huh?" Azrael was surprised, but the grin remained. "Fine, I'll use my trump card. I didn't want to, as this technique ruthlessly destroys everything around, but I have no other choice." With these words, Azrael extended his hand. The bones all flew into his hand. It seemed impossible, as the bones were not exactly small, yet they all gathered at a single point in the former human's palm.
Liang Wei instantly knew what was going to happen. "No, don't!" If Azrael continued, the bones would result in a massive explosion. He immediately activated his skill [Wrath of the Vanguard] and charged forward. Almost all the bones were in Azrael's hand now. Liang Wei embraced the maniac tightly as if hugging him, hoping the explosion would be contained within. But Liang Wei knew it wouldn't be enough and that both Aiden and the remaining army members would be caught in the blast. However, there was something Liang Wei hadn't expected: Morvan's appearance. "The Warrior Brothers are still alive, but their condition is critical. It will probably get even worse if I don't help you out again." Morvan placed his hand on Liang Wei's shoulder, transferring [Wrath of the Vanguard] to the slime warrior. With a gentle movement of his other hand, the vice leader created a dome, also enveloped in the yellow aura. Seconds later, an incredibly loud bang echoed.
Slowly, the dome dissolved. Aiden looked up. He saw Morvan, who was still encased in a layer of slime, protecting himself doubly. But Liang Wei could not be saved. Azrael, too, was nothing more than a small puddle. "Liang Wei!" Aiden called out in shock. Was he really dead? But the army leader slowly moved his head. He smiled and gave a thumbs-up before his skill dissolved and he fell to the ground. Then the next shock followed. The puddle began to regenerate into a human shape. "Not really, right…?" Aiden had been so happy about their victory. But one thing was strange—the puddle had only formed a basic human shape out of black liquid, with no details. Could that even be called human? Azrael shouted, "Yes! I alone am the god here! You have lost! Ahahaha, this feels so amazing! This must be my absolute, divine form!" But then, there was the sound of sparks. Azrael's form began to dissolve into dust. "What?! What's happening to me?! Why… I… NO! THIS CANNOT BE…! MASTER, PLEASE STOP IT! I DON'T WANT TO DIE, NO! I… I AM… I AM GOD!" Soon, Azrael's pitiful form had completely crumbled to dust. Liang Wei, who was still conscious, had a faint suspicion of what might have happened. This suspicion would soon be confirmed.
Out of nowhere, a dark figure appeared next to Aiden. "Your legs look bad… Let me help you." As the dark figure placed his hand on Aiden's leg, Liang Wei shouted desperately, "Aiden, no!" Shortly after, the boy's legs were healed as if nothing had happened. The figure turned to Liang Wei. "Now, for you." Instantly, he placed his hand on Liang Wei's shoulder, healing his entire body. The young man immediately tried to use this to his advantage and attempted to overpower the figure with a kick. The unknown man's reaction was so fast that he could dodge in time. That was the moment when Aiden could fully see the figure. He was a man, about 1.90 meters tall. His straight hair reached his hips and was black as the night. He wore a black cloak reminiscent of a vampire. The man's eyes were narrow, yet they saw through everything. A slight smile sat on his face. He exuded danger and darkness. "Not… Valenor!" Aiden realized. The man before them was Valenor Nightstorm, the very man who had manipulated Azrael and robbed him of his humanity. Liang Wei also seemed to recognize Valenor. "Oh dear… My apprentice has caused you some trouble. Fortunately, I was able to take back the new body I gave him. Who knows what would have happened otherwise, haha."
Valenor seemed somehow friendly—maybe a bit too friendly. He continued with his monologue: "My task for him was actually to wipe out the forbidden army. Somehow, it ended with him almost destroying the world." Aiden knew this wasn't the real reason. During his battle against Azrael, it seemed as if the necromancer had held back on purpose. It was as if something prevented him from unleashing his true powers. The real Azrael he knew was still in there somewhere. So, Valenor saw the best option was to end it before it even began. "What are you planning?" Liang Wei asked angrily as he stood up, facing Valenor. Valenor just smiled and replied, "You've probably heard of the 'captive god,' haven't you?" Liang Wei flinched. "The captive god… You don't mean…" Valoran grinned. "Exactly, I want to free Valoran from his seals." There was a brief silence. Aiden remembered that name. He had seen it written on the tree stump in the sacred tree, where Vincent had betrayed him long ago. Liang Wei shouted, "No, don't do that! He'll destroy everything!" Valenor's smile only grew. "He'll create a new world order. Valoran is the god we need!"
Liang Wei stood protectively in front of Aiden. "We won't let that happen!" But Valenor briefly closed his eyes. "I already have everything I need. In three days, the unsealing ritual will be performed. What you do until then is of no concern to me. I have some things to take care of. We'll meet again in three days." Aiden immediately charged at Valenor. His fist, enhanced by [Body Enhancement], sliced through Valenor's chest like a knife through butter. Black liquid sprayed everywhere. "Not really, right…?" The boy quickly withdrew. It was the same liquid that made up Azrael's body. The hole in Valenor's chest also regenerated instantly with that black liquid. With one last smile, the dangerous man completely dissolved into the liquid and disappeared as quickly as he had come.
"Damn it! Fuck, fuck, fuck! This is not good!" Liang Wei was extremely frustrated about Valenor's appearance. Aiden spoke up, "What happened? I don't understand anything. Can you explain it to me?" Liang Wei calmed down a bit. "Alright… First of all, about Valenor. Valenor, along with me, founded the forbidden army. We were once best friends, but after a severe incident, Valenor swore revenge. Which brings us to where we are today." Out of the corner of his eye, they spotted Morvan, who was transporting Luna and the Warrior Brothers in a slime ball.
After a brief pause, Liang Wei decided to quickly tell the boy the rest. "Now, about Valoran. Valoran is a legend in this world's history. He was one of the strongest fighters there ever was—no, he was THE strongest warrior ever. He was a veritable monster. His power was comparable to that of a god. One day, he suddenly decided to fight against this world and its inhabitants. It was one of the few moments when all four Tier-III beasts fought a single person at the same time—to no avail. Behemoth suffered severe damage, leaving him forever weakened, never to match the other beasts again. Celestial Dragon is now enslaved by Valenor. Leviathan retreated to his lake, from which he never returned. Only Gigantosaurus remained in his original state. He is currently the only Tier-III beast that still has an owner who treats him like a friend."
Seeing Morvan approaching, Aiden interrupted the young leader. "What happened then?" Liang Wei realized he had digressed. "Well, Valoran became so strong that no one could stop him—no one except one person. That person was the then-leader of the organization that ruled this world. He sacrificed his own life to seal Valoran with a 'God Seal' and sixteen 'Hero Seals.' The God Seal locked Valoran's body and soul, while the Hero Seals each contained a part of his abilities. However, no seal exists without a key. Shortly after, two boys were born. Each of them had a part of the key transferred to their souls, so the seal could only be broken if both of these children died simultaneously. One of the boys was given to the Shadow Runners tribe, and the other was gifted the Celestial Dragon and placed with the Demon Slayers. This boy grew into what we know today as Valenor Nightstorm. It seems he found the other part of the key and will soon kill him. We must storm his castle and defeat him before it's too late! But alone, we're way too weak…"
Suddenly, Aiden had an idea. Demon Slayers and Shadow Runners—those names sounded familiar. He immediately recalled the class selection when he entered this world. Demon Slayers and Shadow Runners were two of the options. "Liang Wei, I know what we need to do." The young leader turned around, intrigued, as Aiden continued, "We'll pay a visit to the Demon Slayers and Shadow Runners—I've got some connections." Liang Wei was stunned. "Connections? Really?" But before Aiden could respond, something strange happened. His view of the world changed—better said, his field of vision. Suddenly, he saw images and sequences from another person's perspective, as if wearing a VR headset. They were clearly memories he was seeing.
<-=- The Life of the one whose Life was taken -=->
I opened my eyes. Everything was blurry, but I knew I wasn't home in Japan. I was alone. I woke up in a big city, but I was cast out because of my necromancer powers. I had no one. For a few days, I was on the brink of death. I had nothing to eat, nothing to drink. I was alone. But then, everything changed. A man reached out his hand. He offered me food, he offered me drink, he offered me a place to sleep. So, I lived for years with this man, who went by the name Valenor. I found friends, family, and even fell in love.
One day, Valenor offered to make me stronger. For that, I had to drink a chalice full of black liquid every day. So, I drank the liquid for the first time. I felt strength and vitality spreading through me. I felt better, stronger, and healthier. I continued to drink a chalice daily, feeling myself grow stronger each day until a year later, I was given a mission. I was to raid a village and kill all its inhabitants. I didn't know why, but somehow, I had no problem with it. I felt a slight emptiness rising within me. So, I raided the village and killed every single person. I felt no remorse, no sense that I had done anything wrong. After all, it was just a command from my master that I obeyed. One person in the village I recognized immediately. It was the girl I had fallen in love with. I remember how she begged for help. Despite my love for her, I killed her without hesitation. I felt no love, but I could still feel things like happiness, joy, and sadness. That day, I lost the feeling of 'love.'
My life went on like that for six years. Every year, I received a new mission. One time, I had to sneak into a city; another time, I had to betray someone I had grown close to. Every year, I lost another feeling during these missions. Anger, fear, sorrow, pride, shame, and finally, joy, all left me. Year by year, I noticed my body was made more and more of black liquid, until by the seventh year, it was no longer the same. So, my seventh and final mission for now was to wipe out the forbidden army. After this mission, I would finally be free. I felt joy, happiness, and harmony. But I lost that too during my fight against Aiden. My inner self reappeared. It told me, "Don't attack!" or "Miss this strike!" to save Aiden. When Valenor returned to kill me, I felt, for the first time in six years, all the feelings I had suppressed until then. I felt anger, hate, and sorrow. I wanted to live on, so I screamed and begged him to let me live. All I wanted was to live again with Aiden and my other friends and have as much fun as we used to.
[Skill 'Lifetime Legend - Restrictionless' learned]
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