Thirty-Seven: Winds of Change
Dusken was dead. Blood splattered all over the floor as his broken bones protruded out of his body in a harrowing, skin-crawling manner.
Blood continuously flowed from his mouth as his deep dark eyes held a gaze of profundity, but also lifelessness in them.
The armoured beings didn't dare to cross into the room for some reason and just stood outside.
Seeing that their target had died, they turned around and vanished without a trace. Probably to pursue another person who had just entered the second phase.
The torches in the small chamber were flickering as portraits of ancient battles hung on the wall. A stale, olden air permeated the area creating a contrast between heat and cold.
The shadows of the pillars and other small objects in the room were deep and there was darkness that even the fire in the torches couldn't fully dispel.
Dusken should have died, but he didn't.
For some reason, he felt the pain, intense pain that should have been able to kill anyone, but yet not him.
The dark flame on his body had retreated on his command and his dim, lifeless eyes scanned the room.
His hand was covered with gloves, Lunar's gloves. This was the material card that he had summoned when those knights fell to the ground.
The enchantment of the material card called Unbothered had said:
[When a person wears this glove, nothing from outside can penetrate it and nothing from within can harm anything outside.]
The greatsword and spear of the armoured beings were unable to tear the glove apart, proving that the enchantment was truly awesome.
If it wasn't for his weak bones, he may very well have been in a better shape, but the limitations of the human flesh shrunk his chances of survival.
"Ha-ha," he let out a pained laugh while feeling a sense of powerless rage at how pitiful he was.
'This life, ah, only Immortality transcends all.' He thought as his vision was slowly growing dark and the surroundings were fading away.
'Who am I kidding? Immortality is unattainable. Even the devil of Immortality died.' Dusken smiled as blood flowed from his mouth.
There was only one being that had ever attained eternal life and he was called the devil of Immortality. There were nine devils who ruled over forbidden laws.
However, the devil of Immortality had been killed by the gods, and even he had died. Dusken knew that he was just a mere human, where a devil had failed, what was he?
As he fell deep into his thoughts while his eyelids were slowly growing heavy, his vision suddenly changed as a dark light shone on him, healing all his wounds and broken bones in an instant.
Dusken immediately found himself standing on a platform with four other people standing there with him.
He was slightly dazed.
'What just happened?' He wrinkled his nose, glancing around.
On the platform stood four other people aside from him. One was a person he knew very well… Lillian.
She stared at him with a cold, indifferent gaze like she wasn't surprised at his sudden appearance. He averted his gaze from her and observed the second person.
The other person was someone who gave him a very great first impression in an overly bad way… witch Madonna.
Her deep eyes, which seemed to reflect utter coldness, glanced at him with unconcealed curiosity and a wish to kidnap. Dusken wasn't sure but he still felt a chill run down his spine.
'As expected of a level nine. Even though I entered before her, she still finished the second phase before me.' Dusken thought, letting out a silent sigh.
His stare moved to the third person; he was the guy on the battlefield of the beastmen who had been the first person to summon his material card and possess a laser ability.
The boy observed Dusken in return as his amber eyes shone with a tint of red before vanishing without a trace.
'It seems he can't control his ability that well, but it's still good to note down a potential enemy.' Dusken's stare moved away from the boy.
The fourth person was another boy with dark green eyes and milk-coloured skin; the boy's eyes almost reminded him of Kyle.
Dusken also recognized him as one of those people who had summoned their material cards in the battle with the Naga clan.
'If I remember correctly, this guy's ability has something to do with lightning.' He noted inwardly.
After observing everyone, Dusken immediately sensed the tension in the air as everyone exchanged weird glances.
The platform they stood on was large, but a black, transparent barrier differentiated everyone, making them unable to move.
The place was dimly lit like all other part of the castle. There were drawings on the wall depicting battlefields and bloodshed.
The platform was suspended in the air as everyone just stood, waiting for what would happen next. Or rather, the third phase of this inheritance.
Dusken snuck a glance at Lillian; she still had that aloof air around her and the calm demeanour she emanated proved that she wasn't just a mere child but had a great experience in life.
'It seems that my hypothesis about her may be correct.' Dusken thought as his gaze moved to witch Madonna.
She was the one who possessed the only way for him to get the legacy of the god of darkness and get out of this illusion.
However, she was also inexplicably powerful. A reaction suddenly occurred in the room as that same voice boomed.
"TWO HOURS LEFT TILL DEATH." The voice was cold, emotionless and uncaring.
The corner of Dusken's lips twitched, how the hell was he supposed to get the inheritance when he didn't even know what to do?
Suddenly, a weird sound was heard as another person appeared on the stage. A girl with shoulder-length hair and large lake-blue eyes stood on the platform with an absentminded look on her face.
Dusken immediately recognised her as a candidate.
However, another sound was heard again as a second person appeared again. A boy with dark brown skin, a square jaw and wearing a brown robe.
'Another candidate? What's happening?' Dusken asked himself inwardly, but as though triggered by some event, multiple sounds boomed in the area as everyone in the inheritance poured on this stage like a tide.
Beastmen, humans, Bryan, and even creatures.
At that moment, a calm, soothing voice resounded in their minds.
"THIRD PHASE HAS BEGUN."
As soon as the voice's words settled, a low sound rang out.
Thud.
A beastman fell to the ground with a low thud… asleep.
Thud.
Another sound rang out as a human fell asleep. Soon, more sounds were heard as living beings fell to the ground one by one.
Dusken saw all these as a cold light ran through his eyes. For some reason, he remained awake.
Every living entity had all fallen, remaining only him.
'What's going on?' He thought while placing his chin on his palm and deeply contemplating.
Suddenly, his vision darkened as he fell to the ground without resistance.
The sounds of snoring resounded in the area as everyone fell asleep. However, the shadows and darkness in the surroundings all surged and combined, forming a dark being.
"Ah! It's been a long time." That being said, his voice is raspy like someone who hasn't spoken for thousands of years.
"I guess my brother fulfilled his promise. I sense the presence of an Abyssal Star." The being mumbled to itself as his gaze locked on the sleeping Dusken.
"Oh, my destined one, I have finally found you, but you're just too soft-hearted. To become a demon you need more."
The being lingered for a moment then added:
"Although you're an Abyssal Entity from my clan, you can't get my acceptance that easily. You need to be more; you need to be cruel, for I, the will of the Abyssal Devil, await your return."
The being's words rang out in the silent space as it muttered to itself like a lunatic. After a while, it moved towards the sleeping Dusken and vanished without a trace.