-- Oh, so you've decided to sacrifice yourself? How chivalrous. Lloyd smirked, clapping his hands. -- What do you think you can do? Do you really believe you can defeat all of us here? --
This was your plan all along. You even brought the villagers so Stella wouldn't use her full power. - I replied.
-- Well, it's your mother's fault. If she had just accepted the king's order, she wouldn't be in this situation. -- Lloyd responded, his tone sharp.
You mean the order from a demon? Diether told us everything before I stabbed his throat. And I bet you're a demon too, SIR LLOYD. - I retorted, glaring at him.
Lloyd's face twisted in anger.
-- To be called a demon… that's an insult to my family name! My ancestors have fought demons for hundreds of years. I'll kill you, hunt your mother down, and slaughter your father too! --
I cast a barrier around me and summoned a fireball amplified with dark magic.
Hundreds of fireballs with black flames appeared in the sky, crackling ominously.
I Realize that it doesn't matter who dies or who I kill, as long as I can protect the people close to me, it doesn't really matter.
The soldiers and villagers stepped back, fear written on their faces as they looked up at the black flames.
-- You do realize there are innocent villagers here, don't you? -- Lloyd said, a hint of fear creeping into his voice.
I didn't respond.
With a motion of my hand, the black flames rained down like a storm from hell,
Panic erupted as everyone scattered. The fireballs struck the ground and their targets indiscriminately. Screams filled the air as those hit by the black flames burned, their bodies consumed. It didn't matter if they were villagers, militia, or soldiers hey all succumbed.
/System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP/System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP/System: +100 EXP/System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP /System: +100 EXP
Lloyd stood in the middle of the chaos, glaring at me with rage.
-- You're just a child… This will make you a threat and an enemy of the entire kingdom! --
Suddenly, my barrier vanished.
-- But it's over. -- Lloyd smirked.
Pain shot through me as a sword pierced my back. Blood poured from the wound. I turned my head to see the captain. He had used a cursed petal to cancel my magic and stabbed me from behind.
-- Good job, Anthony. You're as fast as ever. -- Lloyd said with a cruel smile.
The pain was unbearable, but I clenched my teeth and summoned my swords from thin air.
-- How… how can he still summon a sword? -- Anthony stammered, visibly confused.
I swung the blade, aiming to strike him, but Anthony leapt back, dodging the attack.
-- Did the effect of the cursed petal wear off? It should last at least five seconds! -- Anthony shouted.
-- It doesn't matter. He's going to die anyway, -- Lloyd said, waving off Anthony's concern.
My vision blurred, my limbs weakened, and then everything went dark.
/System: Rebooting…
When I opened my eyes, the pain was gone. Lloyd and Anthony were talking to the soldiers, and the villagers had begun to walk away from the scene.
How long was I dead? I needed to be wary of anyone holding cursed petals. As a mage, they were my greatest threat. I should've dealt with them first.
I stood up abruptly, letting my mana flow through my bloodstream and into my heart. The surge amplified both my magical and physical abilities.
Without a second thought, I spread my mana into the ground, and the earth crumbled beneath us.
Lloyd's eyes widened in shock. -- It's an earthquake… NO! -- He turned to look at me, his face twisting in disbelief. -- How… YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!! --
Anthony and the soldiers froze, while the villagers and militia stared in confusion. They had seen Anthony stab me through the back, leaving a gaping hole in my body.
Then, the soldiers wielding cursed petals reappeared, Anthony among them. Before they could start chanting, I grabbed my sword and propelled myself toward one of them using wind magic. My blade plunged into his heart.
/System: +100 EXP
I immediately cast a wind blade to take down another. Now, only nine remained.
/System: +100 EXP
Pouring all my mana into the surrounding space like what i did earlier, but this time I focused it into a single point. The light around thet tiny space distorted, collapsing into a tiny black void.
Then a black hole formed.
Nearby soldiers were pulled in, Crushing their flesh and bones in the process as they screamed in agony.
/System: +100 EXP
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After a few seconds the black hole disappeared. The more i killed the more my stats grew.
Lloyd watched in disbelief. -- What is this…? What are you? -- He stumbled back, but then regained his composure. -- Everyone! Kill that boy, no matter what! -- He drew his sword and charged forward, rallying the remaining soldiers, militia, and villagers.
Anthony rushed toward me, wielding his sword and another cursed petal. I cast a barrier around myself just as his blade clashed against it.
-- Why isn't he using the cursed petal? -- I thought. Then it clicked—there must be a cooldown before he could use it again.
The remaining nine cursed petal users began chanting, their red essence floating in the air, inching toward me.
Everyone attacked from all directions, forcing me to repeatedly recast my barrier while dodging the red essence at the same time.
I fought back with my sword, slashing and countering as best I could.
Desperate, I decided to float into the sky to gain an advantage. But before I could reach a safe height, a cursed petal struck me, disabling my magic.
I plummeted to the ground, landing hard. Magicless and vulnerable, I struggled to move.
Suddenly, multiple swords pierced my body.
- AAAAAAGHHHH!! - I screamed, writhing in pain as they butchered every part of me.
The effect of the cursed petal wears off. I can't feel my limbs, and my consciousness is slipping away. But before everything fades, I summon a dense fireball high into the sky, pouring every ounce of my remaining mana into it. The energy condenses, transforming into a pure white sphere.
Anthony notices it almost immediately.
-- ALL OF YOU, FALL BACK!! -- Anthony shouts, his voice tinged with panic.
The fireball begins its slow descent, radiating an intense, searing heat. Soldiers and villagers scatter in terror, but Lloyd remains rooted in front of me, defiant.
Lloyd looks up at the sky. His face turns grim. With a cold determination, he drives his sword straight into my head.
*/System: Rebooting…
…I died again.
When I open my eyes, I see the blue sky peeking through the dark storm clouds Stella created earlier. There's a massive hole in the sky.
I open the system to check the Quest tab:
*/System: Main Quest: Kill the Knight Lloyd [1 Day and 14 Hours Remaining]
*/System: Main Quest: Kill the Demon Lord [1270 Days Remaining]
*/System: Side Quest: Annihilate Lloyd's Platoon: 6 Soldiers Remaining [1 Day and 16 Hours Remaining]
Only six soldiers remain.
As I glance around, I find myself standing in the middle of a massive crater. The ground is charred black, and the air reeks of ash and burnt flesh. Scattered everywhere are the remains of Lloyd's platoon—burned bodies, melted armor, dismembered limbs.
I ascend from the crater, floating into the air. Soldiers and villagers caught in the explosion stare at me in horror. Their disbelief is written across their faces.
Our house—my home—was caught in the explosion. It's gone, disintegrated into nothing. So many memories erased in an instant.
Lloyd and Anthony are staring at me, their expressions frozen in shock as they see me alive and completely unharmed.
The nearby soldiers fall to their knees, their will to fight shattered. Even the chief, along with the surviving villagers, mutters in fear.
-- We let a family of demons live among us… He's clearly not human... -- the chief murmurs, trembling.
I didn't intend for the militia and villagers to die. But if I hold back my power, like Stella did, this fight will only get harder. I don't have a choice.
Anthony, wasting no time, leaps into the air. His sword gleams as he moves with breathtaking speed, slashing toward my neck.
But before the blade touches me, I cast a barrier in an instant, stopping the attack cold.
Anthony lands and steps back, his shoulders slumping.
-- Feels like this battle was decided before it even began. I'm done. -- He sheathes his sword and turns away, walking off.
-- ANTHONY, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?! -- Lloyd roars, his voice shaking with fury.
-- Home, brother. I didn't sign up to fight an unkillable monster like that. Call me again when you've found Stella. -- Anthony replies without looking back, his tone calm yet resolute
Lloyd turns abruptly and follows Anthony, sword in hand. Without warning, he swings at Anthony's neck.
Anthony blocks the attack with ease, their blades clashing in a sharp metallic cry. With a swift move, Anthony pushes Lloyd to the ground, pinning him. He points his sword directly at Lloyd's neck.
-- Don't worry, Sir Lloyd. I'll tell the king how you fought Stella and this monster, and how you died a hero, just like you always dreamed. -- Anthony smirks, sheathing his sword before turning to walk away.
Lloyd glares at Anthony's retreating figure, trembling with rage, then storms toward the village chief.
-- You peasants! Pick up your weapons! I'm not going home without the head of Stella or this boy! I will personally kill anyone who dares to leave! -- Lloyd snarls, his voice cracking with fury.
-- This is nonsense, Sir Lloyd… We should go back now… -- the village chief replies hesitantly, his voice filled with fear.
Without hesitation, Lloyd plunges his sword into the chief's gut.
-- Who's next?! -- he looks on the crowd
The chief's body collapses, rolling into the crater.
I descend to the ground, landing where Lloyd is standing. The remaining soldiers and villagers instinctively step back, their terror palpable.
-- You think you've already won? -- Lloyd sneers, pulling something from his pocket: another cursed petal.
I summon my sword instantly.
Lloyd charges at me with heavy, desperate blows, but my stats have grown far beyond his. The gap between us is insurmountable now. I block every attack with ease, his strikes barely making me flinch.
-- What are you all standing there for? Attack! This monster can't use magic! -- Lloyd screams, commanding both the soldiers and villagers.
Panic spreads among them. Hesitantly at first, they charge toward me. I fend off their weak attacks until, after a few seconds, I feel my magic return.
With a powerful burst of wind, I cast a spell that sends everyone flying back.
The villagers… These are the same people we protected during the goblin invasion just days ago. And now, I'm the one fighting them. No… I'm killing them.
Lloyd staggers to his feet, his armor battered and his face twisted in desperation. He charges at me again, his attacks becoming sloppier and more erratic.
He glances at the soldiers lying on the ground, injured and defeated. His breathing becomes uneven. Suddenly, he stops.
Lloyd takes a few steps toward them, then, without warning, begins stabbing each one of them, one by one.
*/System: Side Quest: Annihilate Lloyd's Platoon: 0 Soldiers Remaining [ Complete ]
-- Useless… Just die… You're of no use to the king or the kingdom… -- he mutters under his breath, his voice hollow and detached.
He's completely lost his mind.
I spread my mana into the ground, feeling it pulse beneath my feet. Two massive pillars of stone rise instantly on either side of Lloyd. With a flick of my hand, I command the pillars to move.
This is the end...
They close in on him with crushing force, His blood flows from the center of the impact, trickling down the stone and soaking into the ground below....
*/System: Main Quest: Kill the Knight Lloyd [ Complete ]