RISE OF EROS

Everything seemed to have turned for the better when Elidyr's sword pierced the chest of the hooded leader, but the joy was short-lived, as only seconds later, the stabbed man began to laugh hysterically.

He moved with such freedom despite being stabbed by Elidyr that he didn't seem to have suffered any damage at all. Noticing his confusion, the hooded leader stopped laughing and, looking at Elidyr, asked rhetorically, "Did you think you had won?"

Seconds later, he laughed mockingly again, and while Elidyr was dismayed, the leader of the men from Purgatory took a step back and pulled out the sword lodged in his chest.

Although this took Elidyr by surprise, he wasn't worried about the man stepping away, as he was sure he had injured him. What he didn't understand was how the man could keep moving so calmly and vigorously.

Even though the battle against the abysmal had drained the best strength of Zaros, Sereda, and Elidyr, the previous attack couldn't be underestimated to the point of ignoring the damage and receiving it as the leader of Purgatory did.

The hooded leader looked at Elidyr, who was still confused, and with a smile said, "It seems you're still not over the fact that I resisted your attack. Do you want to know the secret?"

Although Elidyr wanted to know, he wouldn't lower himself to ask; instead, he began to focus his energy, trying to land another blow. The leader of Purgatory watched Elidyr's actions and shook his head as if disapproving of his move.

Elidyr paid no attention and continued accumulating energy in his celestial sword, but his enemy's words distracted him. "Our mission is not the sealed abysmal," said the man who acted as the leader of Purgatory.

These words surprised Elidyr and even distracted him from gathering energy. Seeing that he had captured Elidyr's attention, the man continued his monologue like any third-rate villain in a novel.

"Our goal has always been the three of you. The organization knows the threats it faces in trying to revive our god. The first and most difficult obstacle is the dragon clan," said the leader of the organization known as Purgatory.

"The second is the survivors of the previous war, especially the most powerful and experienced ones like you, Zaros, and Sereda," he continued, concluding, "The third, I don't know, but from what I hear, it's not worth mentioning for now."

Upon hearing this, Elidyr immediately understood whom they referred to as the third obstacle. Not only from this man's words did he understand that the organization called Purgatory already knew about Andrew being a god candidate, but also because Zaros had already told him a few things.

"So, your plan is to weaken the seals of the abysmals trapped on the continent and force us out to fight a war of attrition, then strike hard when we're exhausted, like the cowards you are," said Elidyr, realizing their plan.

The leader of Purgatory showed an even wider grin, and unconcerned about his plan being revealed, he nodded. He wasn't worried about them knowing his plan because, in the end, if an abysmal appeared, Elidyr and other experts would have to move.

In short, although they could now prepare contingency plans knowing what the enemy was plotting, they were still at a disadvantage. Elidyr sighed in exhaustion as he understood everything.

Meanwhile, the leader of Purgatory was still wearing a radiant smile, though it actually looked quite creepy. This irritated Elidyr, but he didn't lose his calm and instead asked, "That doesn't explain how you endured my blow."

Upon hearing this, the leader of Purgatory smiled even more broadly and began to say, "It's true. No matter how weak you are, it's hard not to suffer from your attack, but that's only if you don't possess our arcane magics."

"Are you saying your dark magics are special?" Elidyr continued asking, trying to gather more information. The leader of Purgatory wanted to keep gloating, but at that moment, he felt something strange.
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This man wasn't chosen as leader because of his strength and skills in arcane magic, but because he was intelligent. His problem was that he tended to be arrogant, but at that moment, as arrogance consumed him, a flash of clarity passed through his mind.

Dropping his laughter and boasting, he looked at Elidyr and seriously asked, "Why are you trying to gain information when you're about to die?" Elidyr was surprised to see how his opponent suddenly became so sharp.

He was sure this wasn't a natural event, and it wasn't. That so-called flash of clarity was actually a seal within his mind placed there by the organization Purgatory to prevent him from giving away too much information.

The reason it brought him back to reality was because it had been activated, making him cautious. As mentioned, he has a sharp mind and is intelligent, so he immediately sees the anomaly.

Elidyr might be weak, Sereda unconscious, and Zaros sent away, but he knew they couldn't be underestimated. Now that his mind had cleared, he shouted, "No more chit-chat! Attack!"

His subordinates immediately began preparing their spells and weapons to attack when suddenly Sereda's voice was heard, "We won't get more out of him. He has a seal in his mind; it'll be impossible to remove it without killing him or turning him into an idiot, and in either state, he's of no use to us."

Her voice was serene and calm. There was no trace of the previous exhaustion, which made everyone look at her, and they were shocked not only to see her standing, but that she seemed completely recovered.

Not even her clothes bore the damage and dirt from the last time they saw her, and that was just a few minutes ago. "What the hell is going on here?" asked the leader of Purgatory angrily.

"It's simple. We're not the ones who fell into your trap; you fell into ours," said Zaros suddenly, in a voice that was soft yet strangely powerful, making the members of Purgatory jump in fear.

Elidyr let out an annoyed sigh as he said, "I guess we won't gain anything here. Should we finish them off?" His words were so calm it didn't seem like he was talking about exterminating more than 30 people.

The leader of Purgatory, despite his intelligence, couldn't understand what was happening. Until recently, he had them in the palm of his hand, and these three were about to collapse, but now they stood before him as if nothing had happened.

At that moment, the man seemed to understand and suddenly said, terrified of being right, "Were you acting?" To which Sereda, Elidyr, and Zaros smiled and said in unison with a slightly playful tone, "Of course."

"Damn you..." yelled the leader, but he couldn't even finish his words before a powerful aura spread from Zaros, destroying everything in its path. Elidyr and Zaros had the strength to face two abysmals like the one they sealed with ease, so they couldn't be weakened by just one of them.

Even Sereda had the power to defeat that abysmal, so they were really just putting on an act to gather information, but the organization called Purgatory seemed very cautious, and they didn't get much.

After destroying the enemies, Elidyr turned to look at Sereda and asked, "Is the seal secure?" To which Sereda replied, "I modified the original seal with one of my own creations. If they want to open it, they need the key, and only I have it."

Zaros, being an experienced strategist, immediately raised his concerns, "That would put you in danger. Certainly, attacking the city of Naraeth with all the arcanists there will be difficult, but not impossible. Also, are you sure they can't force the seal open by brute force?"

"I understand your concerns," said Sereda, adding, "But it won't be that easy. As you said, attacking Naraeth isn't simple, it's hidden and protected by many spells and magics. I don't think there's a city more protected than that," Sereda concluded. Zaros has to admit she is right, but it is still a risk. Difficult and protected does not mean invulnerable.

Sereda, as if understanding Zaros's thoughts, continued, "There's no invulnerable place in this world, so Naraeth is the best option. Besides, if you leave links in the city, you can help us if there's trouble."

Sereda's idea didn't need to be stated because Zaros and Elidyr were already planning to do that the moment they heard that Sereda had the key to the seal. While they didn't fear an abyssal, in large numbers they were problematic.

Ignoring this, Sereda continued speaking, "As for breaking the seal by force, they'd need at least 100 demigods at legend level, equivalent to your strength, which I doubt exists on the continent."

Elidyr and Zaros were surprised, as this meant the seal was robust and powerful. "How long will the seal last? Is it possible for someone to create a key by studying the seal?" Zaros asked again.

"The seal will last at least 100 years after my death before it starts to deteriorate," Sereda replied without worry as if no threat arose, the seal would stand strong for at least a couple of millennia.

This made Zaros and Elidyr relax a little, but Sereda's next words made them tense again, '"As for creating a key, it's possible". Zaros and Elidyr looked at her urgently for an explanation, and Sereda only smiled as she explained, "Creating a key is possible, but to do so, one would have to surpass my arcane magic".

Sereda smiled widely and added, "I don't want to brag, but in that area, I'm second to none, so I don't believe anyone could create the key". The vampire and liquid spirit knew how powerful Sereda's arcane magic is, but her words didn't offer much comfort.

"I understand that there could be some hidden arcanists of great power who surpass me. I don't rule out that possibility, but think of it this way, if they exist and are with the enemy, it's pointless to try sealing the abysmals in the first place, so for now, we're safe", said Sereda.

Her words were true, and because of that, they stopped worrying about what they couldn't control or change. After the conversation, the three of them left. Now, they had to find a way to inform all their allies about what they had learned, to coordinate a counterattack.