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An Otherworldly Scholar - 149
🕑 Added 2024-08-10 02:05:17 +0000 UTCIcy tendrils invaded the arena, and the air froze to the point that it was painful to breathe. The crowd's screams flooded my senses. Thousands fought to exit the arena through the western side. The crowd huddled together as the rime conquered ground, and the mass of people turned into a stampede that invaded the arena.
“Firana!” I yelled as the stampede wallowed her.
A screech pierced my ears, and I felt my body getting numb as a sickly yellow mana surrounded me. Over my head, a flock of Undead Harpies flew in circles. I tried to move, but my vision darkened.
“Discharge mana!” Holst yelled across the pavilion.
The spell constricted my mana pool, but I had magic to spare. With a blue flare, the binding spell disappeared, and my vision returned to normal. Most of the spectators were paralyzed or lay on the ground. The harpies dove into the defenseless crowd.
Firana shot a wind gust from the tip of her sword, destabilizing the monsters and forcing them to scramble. The rime continued gaining terrain, reaching the unconscious bodies of the spectators who had fallen behind. Elincia siphoned my mana and released herself from the spell. Then, she grabbed my hand and dragged me to the weapons rack. She grabbed a bow and pointed at the harpies as mana surged through her body. The arrowhead shone bright, and like a tracer bullet, it stuck to a harpy’s side. The creature screeched and turned towards us, seemingly unharmed.
Undead Harpy Lv.12 (Corrupted).
“Damn undead,” Elincia said as she nocked the next arrow.
Ilya appeared by my side and grabbed a small bow.
A wave of Ice Wraiths soared over the inner wall into the arena. Zaon and Wolf remained paralyzed by the undead harpy spell, and so did the crowd. This was about to get ugly. I used Mana Manipulation and summoned my mana blade.
“Aim for the wing bones,” Holst calmly said, grabbing an arming sword and a wooden round shield. “Or not.”
Prince Adrien jumped down the VIP box with an old iron sword in his hand and strolled to the middle of the arena at a leisurely pace. Mana surged through his body, and the illusion surrounding the sword shattered. Where a moment earlier was an old piece of metal, now was a slender red sword with shining runes all over the blade. Energy pulsated from the weapon like it was a living being, but I had to look away and tone down my mana sense.
“Baram’s Cursed Runeblade,” I muttered.
Sensing the strength of the sword, Firana decided it was a good idea to move away. Energy crackled around the blade, sending red sparks and electric arcs all around the Prince. The hair on my arms stood on its ends as I watched the scene in awe. Ice Wraiths and Undead Harpies saw Prince Adrien still standing and pounced on him. They didn't get to touch him. Prince Adrien raised the sword, and a storm of red and white lightning enshrouded the arena. The sun dimmed, the day seemed to become night, and the sword screeched.
I tried to channel a shield spell in front of the pavilion, but my mana didn’t react. Where there was a deep pool of mana inside my chest, now was a black hole. I focused. Mana Manipulation, Awareness, Minor Illusion, there was nothing there but a void as if someone had ripped the System away from my body and mind. Even Identify stopped working.
Thunder exploded in the center of the arena, and every last trace of mana disappeared. When I opened my eyes, there was no sign of the undead monsters or the ice area spell, only Prince Adrien with the sword on high, the sleeve of his jacket torn apart, and the black tentacles of Corruption running under his skin. I blinked, unsure if my eyes were showing the truth, but the Corruption seemed to be ripped out by the sword before the Prince put it inside the sheath once again.
[Awareness] set off all the alarms in my brain, but I ignored them. There were no monsters left, and the spell that kept the crowd paralyzed was lifted. The invasion hadn’t finished yet. Undead Harpies and Ice Wraiths still soared through Farcrest’s skies, and [Awareness] made me notice the distant sounds of combat. Royal soldiers entered the arena, and the Fortifiers cast a barrier around the inner wall.
“We need to return to the orphanage,” I said.
“A bunch of small monsters is nothing for Captain Garibal’s barriers, so unless the main gates are overrun, the orphanage is safe. The most dangerous thing right now is the people,” Janus said, sword in hand and putrid viscera covering his arm to the elbow. He pointed his sword toward the exits where Guardsmen were helping the victims of the stampede.
Where had he come from? I assumed he had blinked in.
The orphanage was far from helpless. Thanks to the ‘stalker’ situation, we had two veteran Guardsmen, Captain Garibal, and a royal soldier watching over the manor. There was also Loki, Astrid, and Risha. I hoped Loki was awake. I knew Janus was right, but a part of me wanted to keep everyone together so I could look over them. Zaon and Wolf were vulnerable against the Harpy's paralyzing screech, so it could be dangerous to take them to the streets. The Great Hall was the safest place for them at the moment.
“Go help the guardsmen, kids. If there is anyone gravely wounded, use this,” Elincia said, handing them her potion pouch.
The kids nodded and Ilya guided them out of the pavilion. Over our heads, a flock of undead harpies gnawed on the Fortifier’s barrier, but after a moment, they decided it was an impenetrable obstacle and flew away. The nobles in the VIP box were unfazed by the scene.
Captain Kiln finished giving orders to a group of guardsmen and entered the pavilion.
“Why so pale, Rob?” She greeted me.
“Not fond of the undead,” I replied, unable to find the source of her good mood.
“Don’t glare at me. This is just another Monday near the frontier,” she shrugged. “The city is prepared for a small undead incursion, and there’s the royal army outside the walls.”
Magic arrows and spells crossed the sky into the flocks of Undead Harpies and Ice Wraiths. Whatever skirmish was happening outside the wall, it didn’t look like a small incursion. Elincia, at least, seemed calm. She put the bow on her shoulder and watched the surroundings. The Fortifier’s barrier was unscathed.
Prince Adrien was chatting with the other nobles back at the VIP box, but I had a bad feeling. The Corruption spot in my chest gripped my flesh, and it wasn’t because of the cold. It tugged me like the ring on my finger pulled me towards Elincia.
“The Lich is alive,” I said.
Captain Kiln put one of her heavy hands on my shoulder and gently squeezed it. “I understand you are worried about the kids, Rob, but it’s just an incursion. It happens at least once a year. Even little kids know what to do.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Like forming a stampede?”
In the arena, healers tended to the civilians hurt in the panic.
“They are trained to run indoors and close doors and windows, so I guess that was what they attempted to do,” Captain Kiln sighed.
“I’ll go check on the orphanage, then. Don’t let the kids get out of the barrier,” I said, grabbing a sword from the weapons rack and putting it in my belt.
“I’ll go with you,” Elincia replied, her mask of composure cracking.
Captain Kiln squeezed my shoulder a bit more. “The streets can be dangerous.”
“You said citizens are trained to get indoors. I think by now, everyone is locked under seven keys,” I replied. “Besides, a couple of low-level flyers will not be a problem for me.”
Captain Kiln let me go.
Maybe, the Lich’s electric blue eyes were only a trick of my mind due to the traumatic event. I tried to not think about it: Elincia getting struck by the orc spear, the Lich injecting Corruption into my body, the ceiling of the cave collapsing over my head. It had been too close of a call for all of us, and the memory still haunted me in my dreams.
“Let’s remain vigilant. Even if it is just a small incursion, we shouldn’t lower our guard,” I said, walking through the pavilion’s entrance. Elincia followed.
My fast pace alerted the kids, and they abandoned their jobs and jogged to meet me.
“Where are you going?” Ilya asked.
“The orphanage. I’m going to see if everything is in order,” I replied.
“We are coming with you,” Firana said.
“No, you are going to stay inside the barrier near Captain Kiln. The streets are dangerous.”
The irony in my words didn’t go over my head. My policy as a teacher was to be as fair and just as possible, but as a caretaker, the kid’s safety was more important than anything else. I was about to continue my way when the ground trembled, and a vine slowly crept around my ankle.
“Very funny, Ilya, but we don’t have time for this,” I sighed.
“What? I agree inside the barrier is safer for us. I’m not doing anything,” the girl replied.
The vine gripped my ankle, and the thorns buried deep in my flesh. Firana unsheathed her sword and severed the vine. I grunted as I pulled it from my skin like the suction cups of an octopus’ tentacle. The vine was rotten like the flesh of the undead.
“Undead plants? I muttered, but before I could get an answer, the ground trembled again.
Hundreds of rotten vines emerged from the ground, some thin as whips, others thick as old trees. The vines slithered out of the ground, getting intertwined and forming strong muscle-like braids. I wasn’t going to wait to see what undead abomination they were going to shape, so I summoned my mana blade and cut the nearest vine.
I used [Identify].
Undead Forest Warden Sapling Lv.15 (Corrupted). [Identify] Spawns of a dead Forest Warden brought back to life by a powerful wizard. Born from the very essence of the forest, the spawns of the Forest Warden will kill any living being their creator deems an invader. Run away, Rob. Don’t give them the rune. Remember our deal. I need you alive. Weakness: Magic, Fire.
A shiver ran down my spine. I didn’t expect the System Avatar to engrave a note in an Identify prompt, but that had little to do with my reaction. If there was a Sapling, there had to be a Forest Warden like the one that destroyed Farcrest when Captain Kiln was still a youngster. I focus on the message. Who were ‘them’, and why did they want the mysterious rune? The answer instantly popped into my mind. The Lich and the Forest Warden. Was Farcrest prepared for a Monster Surge with two bosses?
I ducked as a two-meter-tall Sapling tried to decapitate me with its vine arms and followed with a diagonal cut that cut cleanly through the body of the creature. As strong and durable as they were, they weren’t fast at all. I followed up with several cuts to the lower body until the splinters lay down motionless.
“Everyone, stick together! Let’s fall back into the pavilion!” I yelled as a small army of Saplings started taking shape.
Across the arena, the vines covered the inner wall, making it crumble like a sand castle.
“Izabeka! That’s a Forest Warden!” I yelled as Captain Kiln emerged from the pavilion and punched a Sapling into a fine mist of splinters.
Holst followed nearby, his shield and sword shining white.
“You don’t have to tell me! I recognize a Forest Warden when I see one!” She barked back. “If one of those pieces of bark starts glowing red, run and don’t look back.”
I summoned a mana shield and pushed a small Sapling away for the kids. Other than Firana and her Gust Blade, I didn’t think their attacks had enough piercing power to cut them down. Maybe Wolf could cut down one with an axe, but his lack of defensive capabilities worried me.
“What does red mean?” I asked over the sound of the battle.
My fears were true. The younger guardsmen had trouble destroying the Saplings.
“Red means the true body is there!” Captain Kiln said. “Remember the dryads from the Bard Song? The Forest Warden is similar. That slippery bastard is an elemental spirit that can jump freely from one body to another. Don’t try to fight him on your own!”
Izabeka went ahead, smashing Saplings with her bare hands. Mana shone around her arms like a silvery patina, multiplying her strength and hardening her skin. It was the first time I saw her let her fury control her.
“She lost a lot during the Forest Warden Monster Surge,” Holst said.
“Should you be telling me that?” I asked as Captain Kiln and the royal bodyguards made the Saplings retreat. Despite their number, Saplings were still low-level monsters, and every warrior above level thirty seemed to have an easy time dealing with them.
Holst raised an eyebrow. “I trust you will do what is best for Izabeka with that information.”
The royal soldiers pushed the Saplings away, and the Fire Mages burned the vines wrapping the inner wall. The monster wave was under control, and the non-combatants were escorted into the Great Hall. It seemed there were no casualties and only a few wounded. We followed the retinue into the vestibule, where everyone was reunited. Despite the chaos outside, the nobles were having drinks and carefree conversation.
As soon as we entered, the Marquis, Chieftain Alton, and the Dukes with their generals came to us. With them came a priest dressed in pure white. Only the Marquis seemed worried. Captain Kiln signaled us to stay silent, and the kids nodded.
“What are we dealing with?” Prince Adrien asked as soon as he was in earshot of the Marquis.
Maybe it was my imagination but after using the Runeblade, he seemed more pale than usual.
“An Undead Forest Warden. The royal army has entered Farcrest and is pruning the Saplings. This is a true Monster Surge,” Chieftain Alton, still dressed as a Verdas soldier, replied. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know how my Sentinels didn’t catch it. The Warden’s true body should have enough mana to be easily detectable. If the creature is attacking the Great Hall, it might already be inside the valley. Otherwise, it shouldn’t have enough range.”
The nobles exchanged a worried glance.
“I can defeat it, but first, I need to find it,” Lord Herran said, slapping the black axe in his belt.
“I will look for it personally. A level sixty monster can’t hide that easily,” Duke Jorn said, his cold voice carrying over the noise of the vestibule.”Then you can kill it, Leonard, if you really desire so.”
Everyone seemed pleased with the plan.
“This is unusual. An Undead Forest Warden shouldn’t be able to control Harpies and Wraiths. In fact, a Forest Warden can’t control anything other than its own Saplings,” Lord Osgiria pointed out.
“A Monster Surge with two core monsters is not possible, Victor,” Lord Gairon pointed out. Then, he realized that wasn’t what Lord Osgiria meant. The temperature in the vestibule seemed to drop. “There’s no way someone is controlling the Forest Warden. It would require a level eighty monster with exceptional magic expertise to control a level sixty Forest Warden.”
The blue eyes filled with malice appeared before.
“A high-level Lich, maybe?” I intruded on the conversation.
Telling Prince Adrien and the dukes that I was able to catch a Lich by surprise and bury it under a mountain was out of the question. Not even Captain Kiln believed me at first, and she was a witness to the chunks of Corruption all over my body. Only after a lot of convincing she had given me the benefit of the doubt.
Prince Adrien and the dukes turned around to look at me.
“The System would not let a high-level Lich run free so close to civilization. Corruption-spreading monsters are quickly dealt with by the Quest system,” the priest said.
The group seemed to agree, except for Prince Adrien.
“You are telling the truth, aren’t you?” He muttered, his [Awareness] measuring me to the most tiny movement of my facial muscles. No. He must’ve had an even stronger skill than [Awareness]. It was almost like he could see directly into my mind.
“I came close to a Lich a few months ago. It cost me a lot of Corruption to get away, and I still have a little bit,” I said, pulling the neck of my jacket down to reveal the dark spot on my chest. To my surprise, it had turned into a small black sun, much like Astrid’s.
Prince Adrien fell silent, and nobody dared to utter a word. Even the nobles who weren’t involved in the conversation seemed to catch the hint, and slowly, the whole vestibule quieted. Their nonchalant expressions were now tainted by concern.
“A Lich is easier to find and kill,” Lord Herran broke the silence, his boastful voice filling the vestibule. “I don’t know why you are so worried. With the Runeblade and the Void Axe on our side, spellcasters have no chance. Even if they are high level.”
Prince Adrien took a deep breath, like gathering strength to speak. Was the Runeblade so taxing to use? The amount of Corruption around his arm was worrying at first glance, but there didn’t seem to be any trace of it. I looked at the old iron sword hanging from his belt. There was no clue about the enchanted blade, and my mana sense couldn’t even detect a drop of mana.
“A Lich is indeed easier to kill,” Prince Adrien said. “You know what to look for, Duke Jorn.”
“As you order, My Liege,” Duke Jorn said, and a moment later, he disappeared in a swirl of black mana particles.
Then, Prince Adrien stretched his back and turned around. “Isn’t it great that the most powerful warriors of the kingdom are here to help Farcrest? Call me if something happens.”
I could tell he was hiding something. Probably pain.
The dukes ordered their generals, and the group dissolved.
A moment later, I was walking through the Great Hall's main door, followed by Elincia, the kids, Captain Kiln, and Holst. Izabeka knew I wasn’t going to stay put, so she decided to tag along. The reason why Holst had joined was a mystery for everyone, but an extra sword could come in handy. The reports were positive. After the first wave, the royal army entered the city and cleaned the streets of monsters.
We crossed the empty market without encountering any monsters. The cobblestone was crumbled where undead vines had emerged, and some houses were partially affected, but the presence of patrols of all colors and banners told me there were too few monsters for every combatant. It was a bad time to be an undead monster, yet, this was the most important spot in the city. It was only natural for patrols of every noble house to be nearby.
The Northern District worried me the most. The presence of taverns and brothels in the area and the cheapness of a stay at least resulted in a constant presence of low and mid-level soldiers. I tried to convince myself everything would be okay.
Zaon warned us about a monster's presence in the vicinity, and we encountered a lone Sapling around the corner. Captain Kiln smashed it into rotten dust before any of us could react. Between Zaon’s detection skills, Ilya’s Spirit Animal and Firana running over the roofs, we reached the orphanage without delay.
Risha and Captain Garibal greeted us from the entrance. The whole manor was surrounded by a protective barrier, and a crowd of non-combatants had gathered around the orphanage. I let out a sigh of relief and grabbed Elincia’s hand. The cobblestone was cracked along the street, but the front yard was untouched. It seemed the barrier went underground too.
Captain Garibal opened a hole in the barrier, and the kids crossed.
“Aren’t you coming?” Elincia stopped.
“I have work to do. Pending accounts with Forest Wardens.” Captain Kiln replied, dead serious. “Be careful in there. There’s always a second and a third wave.”
Before saying anything else, she turned around and walked back towards the Great Hall. Part of my heart wanted to go with her, but I had to be there for the kids. I turned around to enter the barrier, but Holst stopped me.
“I was planning to say this back at the tournament but…” he signaled the surrounding destruction. “Kellaren might be gone, but you—”
I sensed a surge of magic where Holst’s Silence Hex should be, and he grimaced, clenching his jaw.
“I can’t say a lot, but… danger exists nearby,” Holst said, rummaging through his pockets.
The man pulled out two pocket watches with slim furrows along the edges instead of hands and no numbers. He poured mana into them, and the furrow started glowing blue. Then, he handed me one and kept the other.
“It’s a timer,” Holst explained, minding his words not to trigger the Hex. “I can’t talk, but you can meet me exactly six hours from now on the stairs towards the audience hall. It might… enlighten you about the danger that exists nearby.”
“What is going to happen there?”
Holst grimaced again, and his forehead became covered with sweat.
“For a fellow Scholar, you are an idiot,” Holst hissed through his clenched teeth. “Be undetectable.”
Without another word, he turned around and followed Captain Kiln into the maze of alleys.
Comments
I Dare Korval
I think most are underestimating this lich since he's tapping directly into the fountain for power. Also, he did mention that there are worse things that even it had to run from. Good to see Holst getting a little pain for what he did to the orphanage, and that he wants to make up for it (or feels honor bound to help Rob see who his real enemy is in Farcrest). It probably will not happen, but it would be great to see all the kids from the tournament at the orphanage and have to fight together so they can really show what they can do and help smooth over any hard feeling from the tournament. Really looking forward to the next chapter, thanks for all the hard work!
Emmanuel Dixon
That was a pretty stupid question Rob
Mohamed
Thanks for the chapter
Logos
Very cool chapter. The lich choosing to attack Farcrest now is really one of the times of all time. I hope we get to see Duke Jorn in action next!
