NOVEL NEXT Chapter 120: 120—Killing the Withmare Fiend
Lucen watched Peter Cross's Spirit Light closely. His body was still numb and wracked by lingering pain. He resummoned his spear, along with another weapon: Thomas's [Indigo Blade].
He had been unsure what to do with the sleek, purple sword; if he used it in public, it would be obvious that he killed Thomas.
But they were effectively alone now, and it would be a while before the others caught up. He threw the sword into Peter's hands.
"Behead it," Lucen ordered.
A moment passed in complete silence. Peter simply stared into empty space, his body wispy and semi-transparent.
[He's refusing commands. At least he isn't trying to kill you.]
Peter suddenly turned to him, his black eyes as empty as the night sky. Lucen visibly swallowed and tried getting to his feet.
"You really jinxed it."
[Sorry about that.]
Peter watched Lucen rise blankly, his hands loosely wrapped around the sword. Seeing Peter Cross so empty was far more unnerving than Lucen thought.
He knew that Peter wouldn't truly return. Spirit Lights were simply the final impression a person left on the world.
Peter had returned in his final form before he died. Lucen couldn't confirm if he was as strong as he had been when they fought, but if he was even half as strong, he was an invaluable asset.
Lucen searched for the body of the Withmare Fiend. Its blood was an acidic poison, so Lucen found its trail soon.
There was a single spot on the ground where burning, black blood sank into the forest floor. The grass in that spot was not only being eaten by the acid, but was also turning gray and drying up.
The Withmare Fiend was stealing life from the plants to heal itself.
[We should do something similar. Just in case Peter isn't on our side.]
Lucen placed a hand against a tree and channeled the meager Hunger mana in his soul. He still had some mana in his blood, but [Blood Rebirth] was struggling against the poisonous blood.
Maybe by stealing the life from a Carama tree, he could heal faster.
This was a miscalculation. Disparate images flashed through his eyes as he sucked life from the tree.
The Withmare Fiend had called the Carama trees "god's tree." He had assumed that was just a religious name they called the trees.
Lucen saw several shapes in the air, flying in perfect formation. They had six wings and white feathers.
There was a great flying beast hovering below dark clouds, battling silver bolts of lightning and screaming profane things.
Lucen's mind returned to the world, aching terribly. The poison seemed halfway healed, but his skull felt like nails were being driven into it. He raised his head to find Peter still staring at him.
He could feel his soul more distinctly now and sense its warning. The Fiend was almost healed and would stand soon.
He narrowed his eyes at Peter's Spirit Light. "Behead it. Now."
[Dominance] flowed more smoothly than ever with his words. Peter Cross was now his servant, and he would follow commands.
Peter's eyes focused, and he walked toward the spot where the corrosive blood had burned away the grass.
Lucen could see the Fiend, but Peter followed his orders to a T. The purple blade rose over the Spirit's head, glinting in the sunlight with a purplish glow.
"Noooo," the hollow voice of the Fiend roared. "Not yet… I will bring back… the glory."
The sword came down like a guillotine on empty space. There was a final slit and a dull thud.
The body of the Withmare Fiend finally revealed itself. Its fur was a beautiful white, stained with its black blood.
Its six arms fell limply by its side. Lucen found its head a few meters away. Its face was putrid, slimy, and flat as a board. It made no noise, and its beady eyes were glassy and blind like a bird's.
One eye was missing, and the entirety of its body was covered in grisly scars.
[You've gained a skill: Black Blood.]
[Black Blood (High): The cursed blood of the Withmare. Cast down from the sky, any of them that reach Tyrant rank will slowly be killed by their own blood. Your blood is poisonous and corrosive to the touch.]
[Discovery: 70%]
[You have a very high chance of gaining this Spirit Light. Please place a hand on the corpse.]
Lucen remembered Peter's Spirit Light suddenly. He faced the ghostly copy of his former enemy.
Peter's eyes were much more focused than when he first summoned the Spirit. There was also something lurking behind those eyes: something dark and tired.
Lucen dismissed the Spirit, terribly unnerved by its nature. But he had to admit, Spirit Lights were beyond useful.
He crouched over the head of the Withmare Fiend and placed a hand on its cold, wet skin. Normally, he'd initiate the process for Spirit Light extraction on the body, but this felt right.
[Absorption initiated…]
[Insight and Will have reached the minimum threshold…]
[Dominance is above the minimum threshold and Discovery is below the minimum threshold…]
[Congratulations! You have obtained a High-rank Spirit Light, Withmare Fiend. Spirit Lights made by the Devourer system retain their full prowess and power from just before their death.]
Lucen was busy dealing with the rush of memories he felt anytime he extracted a Spirit Light.
He had memories of coming to consciousness alone in the dark. He was born and abandoned deep in the nest, the runt of the litter. He remembered countless nights of maddening hunger, reaching to feed from the breast of a Withmare mother with her own children.
The mother had taken his first eye, and he learned not to rely on his species. He became a predator in the forest, eating rats and small birds until he met that man.
The man's face was constantly changing and terribly disgusting to look at. The terrifying being lowered himself before him and offered a jagged shape made of purple crystal.
Lucen snapped his head to the side violently. "I have no such memories."
The declaration helped pull him out of the creature's memories, but Lucen's face was still dark and foreboding.
"Who is that man?"
Lucen stood, walking away from the Withmare's corpse. Footsteps echoing through the forest drew his attention.
The others were coming.
[Oh, and I think we just received the Physical rune the Withmare Fiend was using.]