David stood frozen, staring at the cloaked figure before him. The dark figure exuded an oppressive aura that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His instincts screamed danger, and he gripped the hilt of Dragon's Might tightly, though it did little to quell the rising sense of dread.
"You're trespassing on Zalthor Empire's territory," the figure said in a deep, resonant voice that seemed to echo in the shadows around them.
David's heart sank, his mouth dry. The Zalthor Empire—the same empire whose military had been turned into wraiths by their emperor, a cruel ruler known for his use of dark magic. He had heard rumors, stories from his system, but standing before one of its noble figures made those distant whispers a terrifying reality.
"Who are you?" David managed to ask, his voice hoarse.
The figure stepped forward, his cloak rippling like smoke in the dim light. A cold smile curled across his lips as he pulled back his hood, revealing a face that was unnervingly human, yet touched by the ethereal. His eyes glowed with a faint, eerie light. "I am Marquess Veylis of Zalthor," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "And you, trespasser, have made a grave mistake."
David's mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening. Why would the Marquess of Zalthor be here, in this desolate, beast-ridden forest? And then he asked while keeping his distance. "Have I done something that would warrant you coming here?"
Marquess Veylis chuckled, a dark sound that sent chills down David's spine. "Ah, yes. You injured Duke Darkmoor's tamed beast—the Abyssal Terror. A creature that was in a weakened state after childbirth, no less." His eyes gleamed with malice as he spoke, and David felt a sudden weight settle on his chest. "That creature was not merely guarding territory for sport, you fool. It was protecting its offspring."
David's heart pounded in his chest, the weight of the revelation crashing down on him. That explained the Terror's desperation, its almost fanatical need to keep him away from the cave. He had been so focused on defeating the beast, on uncovering the mystery of what it guarded, that he hadn't stopped to think. Of course, it was protecting its child.
"I didn't know," David said quickly, his voice shaky. "I didn't know it had a child… I thought—"
"It doesn't matter what you thought," Veylis interrupted, his voice sharp as a blade. He took another step forward, his hand reaching beneath his cloak. "The fact remains: you injured a beast belonging to a Duke of Zalthor. And for that alone, you deserve death."
David's blood ran cold as Veylis brandished a sleek, dark sword, its blade glinting menacingly under the faint moonlight. The Marquess's amusement had faded, replaced by a deadly calm that made David's stomach twist with fear. He knew there would be no reasoning with this man—this wraith.
With a swift motion, Veylis lunged.
David barely had time to react. He raised Dragon's Might to block the strike, but the blade in Veylis's hand moved unnaturally, twisting and changing direction mid-air, as if it had a mind of its own. David's defense crumbled, and the blade sliced deep into his chest, breaking a rib and sending a jolt of agony through his body.
The pain was unlike anything he had felt before. The sword hadn't just cut flesh—it had injured his soul. A deep, searing pain burned within him, and he gasped for breath, his vision swimming with darkness.
He gritted his teeth, summoning the Titan's Resilience skill to fortify his body, but Veylis's blade seemed to bypass all defenses, like it was hunting his very essence. He was outmatched—outclassed in every way.
Desperate, David called upon the full extent of his powers. He activated his new Wraithkeeper abilities, transforming into a Spectral Blade, hoping the ethereal form would protect him from Veylis's relentless assault. His body dissolved into shadow, and for a moment, he felt a glimmer of hope. But it was short-lived.
Veylis's eyes widened slightly in surprise as David commanded lesser wraiths, summoning spectral figures to attack the Marquess from all sides. But Veylis merely laughed, a cruel sound. "I see… I underestimated you. You have quite a few tricks up your sleeve, ones which I am not aware of no less." His amusement returned, though his tone grew colder. "Had I known of your abilities, I might have spared you… for interrogation. But now… it's too late."
Veylis's blade struck again, this time not for David's body, but for his soul. David felt the sword tear through his essence, and the pain was indescribable. It was as if his very being was unraveling, like threads being pulled apart. He stumbled, barely able to stand, his mind screaming in agony.
David activated Soul Shroud, hoping to inflict harm on Veylis's soul in return. The shroud enveloped him, allowing him to reach into Veylis's essence, but the Marquess was too powerful. His soul, trained and much stronger, resisted, barely affected by David's attack.
"Your efforts are commendable," Veylis mocked, stepping closer. "But your soul is already doomed. There's no treatment for the wounds I've inflicted. You'll die soon enough."
David's heart pounded as he tried to summon the strength to fight back, but the pain was overwhelming. He could feel his life slipping away with every breath. And in that moment, as the darkness closed in, his thoughts drifted—not to the fight, not to survival, but to the people he had left behind.
His little sister.
He had been so focused on surviving in this brutal world, so consumed by the hunt for power, that he had forgotten why he was doing it all. He had wanted to return to Earth, to see her again, to apologize for the way he had left things. They had fought before he was taken, bitter words exchanged, and he had never had the chance to make things right.
Tears blurred his vision as the realization hit him. He would never get that chance now.
All those points he had collected, all the power he had gained—it had been for nothing. The system had offered him a way to travel between worlds, to return to Earth, but the cost had been astronomical. Ten billion points. And now, it was out of reach forever.
World Traveler: 10 Billion RP
Veylis raised his sword one final time, the cruel glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he prepared to deliver the killing blow.
David's last thoughts were of his sister, her face smiling at him from a memory that felt so distant now. He had wanted to go back. He had wanted to make things right.
He closed his eyes, as the sword came down.