Chapter Twenty-Six: Improvements
Dusken's eyes flashed with a cold light as he grasped one word Lillian had said.
'I knew it,' he thought with a concealed smirk.
The names of gods couldn't be known by mortals unless they bore the legacy of the god. However, only one deity had ever allowed mortals to know her name.
Dusken shook his head, dispelling such thoughts as he went over Lillian's words.
'Did she just say that witch Madonna rose to power because of the tablet of Nothing?'
Dusken's heart shook as the realisation dawned on him. The tablet he had sought was in the possession of the Witch Madonna.
Instead of feeling dread, a determined light burned in the depths of Dusken's eyes as he resolved to obtain it at all costs.
The problem, however, was that Madonna appeared to be immensely powerful. According to Lillian's words, she had brought entire kingdoms to their knees.
So, mere determination wouldn't be enough. Dusken inhaled deeply, shaking his head in resignation.
"The tablet that Madonna wields… is it truly the tablet of darkness?" he asked solemnly.
Lillian halted her steps, turning to face him.
"Yes," she said with a slight smile.
"She holds the legacy of the god of darkness and, therefore, also seeks the rest of his inheritance." Her tone was firm, devoid of any doubt.
Dusken's brows furrowed.
"How powerful is she?" he asked, his mind already formulating plans on how to kill her.
To his surprise, Lillian chuckled, her laughter ringing like a soft bell.
"If you think you can kill her, dispel such thoughts immediately," Her laughter faded as she leaned slightly forward.
"Witch Madonna is a Level Nine awakened human, and rumours have it that she's just a step away from the Preeminent Rank."
Dusken's blood ran cold, but he didn't show it outwardly. The plans he had been forming in his mind were extinguished before they could take shape.
'Level nine.' Dusken thought, aware that Madonna had a runic core, so defeating her as a level one was a dream. A dream that he would still pursue.
Humans with runic cores were tens of times stronger than those without.
While creatures could form their runic cores at Level One, humans needed to reach Level Five to achieve the same.
Dusken inhaled deeply as Lillian slowly shook her head.
"I'll advice you to not hesitate. She's just a Level Nine. Once we kill her, our strength will drastically improve. Breaking through several levels wouldn't be impossible." Her voice was nonchalant, as if her words were a certainty.
Dusken stared at Lillian with a slight smile, he felt a strange sense of familiarity, as she was just like him, pursuing your desires before anything else.
Still, he couldn't ignore his goal. To pass this trial, he needed that tablet, so he had to plan and get stronger before attempting to chase his desire.
He only had one chance in this trial and he mustn't fail.
'What was the god of darkness thinking by putting us here? I understand now why he is a deity of death,' Dusken thought, recalling the god's words to the candidates in the divine palace.
---
¬You are armed and ready. Whoever finds the tablet during this trial shall inherit my legacy. Those who fail will perish in the test. This is the path you have chosen. By choosing me, you have chosen death.¬
---
Dusken smirked bitterly at the memory. Nothing was entirely impossible for him. As long as there was a shred of life left in him, he would strain towards his goals.
'Still, I need strength. I need to level up quickly,' he sighed.
"Lil—" Dusken began, only for his eyes to narrow sharply. He stared ahead with a fierce intensity as a glint of viscous light flickered in his gaze.
Lillian immediately grew alarmed and faced forward. Seeing nothing, she frowned.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and concern.
Dusken remained silent. His shadow, which he had sent ahead to scout, had detected something. Two beastly shadows were rapidly approaching from 40 metres away.
"Yes," he said darkly. "Two creatures are charging at us from the front."
Lillian reacted at once, tightening her grip on her claws. Dusken's piercing stare remained fixed in the distance, but it was obstructed by the trees on his path. Without hesitation, he recalled his shadow. But the creatures advanced swiftly. Soon, one figure leapt out from behind a huge tree while the other charged forward like a bull before stopping abruptly.
Lillian's claws gleamed as her grip tightened further, and Dusken extended his hand.
Dark light swirled around his wrist, and a small card materialised in his grasp. His grip remained steady as his eyes locked on the two approaching threats.
The first creature was a small beast with thick black fur that overflowed from its body.
Its thin, bony arms ended in long, dark nails that emitted plumes of black smoke, akin to a witch's tools. Its legs, however, were thicker and clearly built for great strength.
Two small but fully formed wings sprouted from its spine, though its hair-covered face concealed everything but a pair of narrow, dark eyes that burned with an eerie calm.
The second creature was markedly different. Dusken barely had time to assess it before it charged forward, its eyes blazing with murderous fury.
'I'm not dealing with that one,' Dusken thought, shaking his head. For some reason, he felt an odd pull towards the black-haired beast.
"Lillian, you handle that one!" he shouted, charging at the second creature.
The black-haired beast screeched, flapping its wings and shooting toward him at a frightening speed.
The air whistled in its wake. Dusken sidestepped, his feet scraping against the ground as he avoided its trajectory.
He swung his blade in a wide arc, aiming for one of its wings. His palms ached from the strain of past battles.
The beast twisted mid-air, one of its nails shooting towards him with alarming speed. Dusken abandoned his attack to defend himself.
'Curse it,' he thought, narrowly avoiding the smoking nail. Whatever substance coated it was likely dangerous.
The beast spun in the air and lunged at him again. Dusken tracked its movement, sidestepping once more.
This time, however, his sword lashed out as a dark tattoo slithered across his skin, flowing into the blade.
'Dark Flame.' The steel darkened, slicing into the beast's flesh.
The creature jolted, howling in pain as hot liquid splattered across Dusken's hands. With a thud, the beast hit the sandy ground but quickly recovered, using its powerful legs to pounce again.
Its nails sliced through the air with terrifying precision. Dusken tilted his body just enough to avoid them.
With a swift movement, he drove his knee upward, smashing into the beast's jaw and sending it reeling through the air, blood spurting from its wounds.
'Easy. I've improved a lot since earlier battles,' Dusken thought as he advanced, determined not to give the creature a chance to stabilise itself.
Standing over the fallen beast, he brought his sword down in a deadly arc.
But before the blade could connect, panic flashed in the beast's eyes as it flapped its remaining wing, shooting its nails at him again.
Dark light swirled around him, and another card materialised in his hand.
Spell Card Activation: Nightfall Whisper.
A silent murmur echoed as his shadow rose, forming a protective shield that received the incoming nails.
The disruption allowed the beast to escape, narrowly avoiding death.
Dusken frowned as the creature's wary gaze locked onto him.
Green blood oozed steadily from its wound, and it let out a furious roar. Yet it hesitated, unwilling to attack.
Dusken frowned visibly, he hadn't wanted to show Lillian his spell card and he felt slightly regretful. Still, he had no choice - those nails could have been fatal.
Summoning his soul script, he glanced at his Abysmal Points.
Abysmal Points: [30/1000]
'Significant progress,' he thought with a faint smile.
Snapping back to the battle, he stared at the bleeding creature and swung his sword in a wide arc, intending to finish the creature off.
But then, the winds in the area roared to life as though something had annoyed them.