>Crescent Moonlight Curses: 1 hour remaining!
As I awaken, my first act was to check the system.
Crescent Moonlight's Curse duration: one hour.
It's enough, I judged, to commence my assault on the Dreadspires.
As I rise from my bed, I observed Lisa, still slumbering, clad only in her undergarments.
Gently, I arranged the covers, avoiding her awakening, before get dressed in my attire.
A small refrigerator held thankfully unelapsed frozen provisions and fresh water.
I retrieved frozen spaghetti, thawing it with a minor application of my fire spell – a surprisingly effective method.
The aroma was undeniably tempting, yet its destination was clear.
It was for Lisa.
"Alstair?" Sleep-heavy, she roused.
"Where are you going?"
"This is for you," I offered the spaghetti and water.
"Remain here. It's time for me to hunt Dreadspire."
"But I'm your healer! I must accompany you!" Her surprise was noticeable.
She attempted to rise, but I gently restrained her.
"You performed very well, Lisa. Now, it's my turn to confront the Dreadspires."
A tender caress to her brow sealed my words.
"But... I can't bear another loss..."
Tears welled, her grip tightening on my hand.
Her pale appearance displayed her exhaustion.
Drawing closer, I wiped away her tears.
"I promise I will return victorious from the Dawn City dungeon. For now, jus wait for my return and have a good rest, Lisa" My tone was resolute.
A hesitant nod, her grasp finally releasing.
"Promise me, we'll meet again, Alstair.", Lisa sounds begged.
"Sure. You can rest now and look the end of this nightmare in Dawn City when you wake up." With that, I secured the room, leaving her to her state of rest.
Immediately, I invoked the Gaia Endowment, fortifying my physique, honing my instincts.
My steps were measured, the atmosphere shifting from tranquility to ominous menace.
Reaching the hallway's terminus, a swift scan encompassed the lobby and upper floor.
The moment Dreadspires, accompanied by their Undead Archers, became visible, I quickly vanished into the shadows beneath nearest wall.
A rapid system check confirmed the optimal deployment of my attack.
>Crescent Moonlight Curses: 10 minutes remaining!
I dropped to one knee, grimly preparing Fire Storm spell to incinerate the encroaching legions of undead, engulfing the entire structure in a raging inferno.
Simultaneously, I secured the crucial item—the Talisman: Fake Mirror—confident that this potent charm would prove a decisive advantage in our rematch against the fearsome Dreadspires.
> Utilizied Talisman: Fake Mirror!
> Magical Fake Mirror generated!
As I utilized my potent talisman, it become a fleeting projectile, zipped across the expanse before settling in the grand hall.
Instantly, it morphed into a shimmering mirror, reflecting my exact likeness—a flawless deception.
Scarcely a moment passed before the sharp strike of crystal arrows echoed through the space; a resounding testament to Dreadspires' and his spectral archers' unwitting entrapment by my cleverly projected semblance.
>Crescent Moonlight Curses: 5 minutes remaining!
Time is crucial!
To ensure my gambit remained viable in this desperate minutes, I invoked a potent spell: Aizel, to resurrect the fallen knights slumped in the hall.
Aizel's ethereal power imbued the corpses with fiery life, transforming them into my obedient legion of Fire Soldiers.
Each soldier, swiftly arming themselves with flaming bows, formed a deadly phalanx poised to engage Dreadspires and his undead archers.
Facing a torrential rain of fiery projectiles from enemies, I command the Fire Soldier to release each of their arrow like a blazing comet, hurtled towards the enemy.
The ensuing conflict was a devastating eruption of crystal and flame, a maelstrom of destruction that rocked the very foundations of the building.
Despite the intense assault from my Fire Soldiers, the cursed crystal bolts, empowered by the Crescent Moonlight Curse, proved superior.
Dreadspires, fueled by dark sorcery, escalated his attack with terrifying speed, force, and volume.
His retaliatory barrage strike like a devastating comet storm, obliterated my Fire Soldiers and shattered my illusory decoy Talisman; Fake Mirror.
All was consumed in a blinding flash in less than sixty seconds.
The explosive devastation illuminated my position, immediately revealing my presence to Dreadspires and his spectral legions.
A wave of suffocating darkness emanated from them, a tangible aura of malice pressing down upon me.
They descended like ravenous wolves, intent on tearing me to shreds.
Undeterred by their menacing advance, I anticipated their moves.
With a swift motion, I summoned the Dragon Scepter from my inventory, its tip aimed directly at Dreadspires and his undead archers.
The system's notification, generate an important message in this deafening chaos, signaled my counter-offensive.
>Crescent Moonlight Curses ended!
>Your Mana power return to normal!
>Your Magic damage return to normal!
>Your Magic Barrier Defense return to normal!
The moment I had long waited for had arrived!
I unleashed the prepped Firestorm without a second thought.
A fiery maelstrom erupted, a blinding inferno that shattered countless windows and instantly reduced the Undead Archers to cinders.
Even the Dreadspires, shielded by potent magical barrier, staggered and toppled under the storm's overwhelming heat.
Exploiting the chaotic inferno, I vaulted into the lobby, landing amidst the Dreadspires' desperate struggle for balance.
I felt his agony, his furious energy contained within the fracturing of his magical barrier.
"A Zeta protégé! The one who survived my venom!" he roared, his voice laced with fury.
"A foolhardy mortal, risking their life for the treacherous Zeta! Such reckless audacity!"
His scorn was so loud.
Like Moonscar before him, the Dreadspires spoke in the monstrous tongue, but his words were perfectly clear to me.
Even though it tempted to claim my victory and the quest's reward, I resisted.
A different objective consumed me.
"You see me now, don't you?" I challenged, my tone dripping with defiance. "Why you're not attacking me now? Why haven't you launched your immediate attack?"
"Such an arrogance!" he spat, readying his shattered bow. "Yet, your power is undeniable! You'll regret this insolence!"
His movements were a blur, far surpassing my capacity for casting a high-damage spell.
"Foolish mortal!" he sneered, aiming his bow at my head. "You've granted me the time I needed. Prepare to die!"
His confidence was unshakeable since he remained blind to the shift in the tides of battle.
His boast, however, confirmed my suspicions: the Dreadspires' perception was fatally flawed.
Unaware of my preparations, the Dreadspire faced the full fury of my Divine Thunder spell.
I unleashed it with the Dragon Scepter, a bolt of celestial energy aimed directly at his arrogant heart.
While seemingly focused on obliterating the undead archers with a Fire Storm, I'd simultaneously charged this devastating counter.
The Fire Storm served as a distraction; the Divine Thunder, a swift and merciless execution.
The blazing flash of the spell seared the heavens, leaving the creature momentarily stunned by the overwhelming brilliance.
In the blink of an eye, the Divine Thunder slammed into him, pulverizing his magical barriers and shattering the majority of his being, his bow reduced to splinters.
A single, focused discharge of Divine Thunder successfully obliterated the Dreadspire's defenses.
The concussive force shattered nearby windows, a deafening roar accompanying the obliteration.
All that remained of the once-proud Dreadspire was a fractured skull, rolling to a stop at my feet.
His life, however fleeting, offered a grim opportunity for a final, pointed remark. "
Your boasted speed is not working," I observed, knowing a sliver of consciousness persisted.
"I anticipated your every move, preparing for this moment long in advance."
"You treacherous sorcerer!" he spat, his defiance a pathetic echo against the carnage.
"This is not victory, but a foul trick!" He continues his resentful shouting grated on my nerves.
I understood his desire for honorable combat, but this was war, not a chivalrous duel.
His constant rant needed to be stopped.
"Zeta sends his greetings," I declared, while preparing my spell incantation. "He assures me you'll soon join your friend."
The Return to Earth spell crushed the skull under an unimaginable weight of gravity, pulverizing it into dust.
With his demise, the mess of the battle faded, leaving only the faint whisper of dissolving undead archers.
An eerie quiet settled over the ravaged battlefield.
From my vantage point atop the ruined building, I watched the night sky yield to the approaching dawn.
Relief washed over me, a profound sense of accomplishment settling upon my weary soul.
The system's confirmation of my triumph echoed silently within my mind; the Dreadspire was defeated.