The Wandering Fairy [LitRPG World-Hopping]

Ignoring the pain from his wounded body, Soren crawled toward Isha, who was also desperately doing the same. The both of them glancing warily at the elders circling around the sinister pillar of light.

Despite the commotion, none of them even showed any hint of concern or surprise. As if they were all puppets on a string, unable to look away from the task they were given. Their hollow eyes showed no thought or emotion. They continued to feed their anima into the glorious light pillar, unaware of their surroundings.

"The elders…" She mumbled quietly before biting her lips. "They were all traitors… Just like you said."

There was no mistaking that sinister sensation when looking at them. Indeed, every single one of them had been turned into the Fallen. Strangest of all, even the ones who were likely younger than the massacre fifty years ago were now exhibiting the same behavior.

Soren was now certain of his theory. That the Vynasians inhabiting their bodies will switch to a different host once their original one ages too much. The younger villagers who were not aware of this hidden secret will grow up not knowing anything for a while but then they too would slowly be converted or killed.

In a sense, Isha and Uruk would have likely suffered a similar fate if Elder Kaalan kept the lie going for another decade or two. By then, the pair of siblings would likely have become elders of the village too, so their conversion would be guaranteed.

Gritting his teeth, Soren clutched tightly to his wand and the Heartdrinker Sigil then activated [Eyes of the Fairy]. He was going to see the unseen. And his target was one that he had been avoiding all this time.

My recklessness knows no bounds…

Taking a deep breath, he turned his eyes to the blinding pillar of light they were all encircling. It was akin to staring at the sun directly with no protection, but he no longer cared. He needed to confirm his suspicions.

It didn't take long for The Records to receive an answer. Just like he had assumed, the natural effect this Beacon of Guidance holds was no longer present. Replaced by something far more sinister… Far more ghastly and unreal.

He was instantly left petrified. If not for his [Eyes of the Fairy], perhaps none would have ever realized what lay within.

The translucent figure of a head floating endlessly within an array of fractal geometries. His snake-like silver hair slithering in all directions, as if submerged in water. And yet, the clarity within his eyes… It was unlike anything he had seen.

The clarity of a madman.

It was as if Soren was staring at a reflection of himself. But the visage was of someone else… Someone he was familiar with.

Elder Kaalan.

The ghost-like entity within the light smiled at him, as if sensing his gaze.

"I expected this meeting to happen sooner or later."

As his eyes bled from the pain his abilities were inflicting upon him, Soren frowned deeply and answered back:

"What the hell are you? Isn't Elder Kaalan fighting against the Blossom Sword Flower right now?"

The Beyond represented the words in his answer back to Soren.

"Kaalan and I are one in the same… Two portions of the same soul. It was me that had been communicating with you all along. Not the one you see roaming in this frigid hell."

What? Soren couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Sensing his strange behavior, Isha asked in worry, "What are you seeing? What's happening?" But he had no time to answer back. He needed to obtain as much information from this strange entity before his abilities deactivated.

"Two portions of the same soul. Do you mean he split his own soul in half?"

"Not in half… The majority still remains within that occupied vessel. What he left behind here was only the portions necessary for keeping the lie alive…"

Thousands of thoughts poured into Soren's mind, but he had to keep his vision focused.

"So your task is maintaining the magecraft barrier here while your other half tries to kill the Petalsword Sovereign?"

"Indeed."

So far, nothing seemed at all strange by his explanation. Soren had already known that Elder Kaalan's magecraft affinity had something to do with soul manipulation, so everything he was witnessing so far was on par with that theory. But he still felt like he was missing something.

"Strange… If that is the case, then you should be fully aware of what I plan to do, right?"

He received an unexpected answer, "Yes."

"Why aren't you trying to stop me?"

The strange entity swimming inside the Beacon of Guidance smiled faintly before answering:

"Who knows…"

Just then, he heard Isha's voice once again. Though this time, it was far more filled with panic:

"What are you hesitating for?! Do it!"

His [Eyes of the Fairy] finally deactivated, bringing his vision back to where he had originally been standing. The Fallen Elders continued their silent gaze upon the pillar of light, feeding it all they had. None were aware of what rested inside…

He swiftly glanced to his right, noticing the clouds of smoke from before. Though, it seemed far more chaotic now, with Isha standing at the center, channeling her anima frantically.

Outside the shrine, the Fallen warriors they had passed through were returning in full force, descending upon the old building with murder filling their eyes. If not for the Snow Wyvern Isha was commanding, they would have likely already captured them.

In that split second, all hesitation left Soren's mind. Despite his suspicions, he could no longer hold back. With the Heartdrinker Sigil in hand, he gave the bloody amulet a command: to inject the unseen without being seen.

[Ophidian Transfer].

The blizzard raged with cold fury, descending all in its darkness. All but the Blossom Sword Flower Herself. For every snowflake the wind carried, three vibrant petals danced in that chaos. And for every chilling howl, a brilliant jingle of a bell could be heard all the same.

She danced in the air freely, flower sword in hand. The enemy before Her was persistent but his flesh remained mortal. A pitiful being who had volunteered for his own demise.

One step forward; the air split with a whistle, as though cleaved by an unseen blade. Two steps forward; the snow peeled apart, water welling at the seams of each cut. She walked upon Her own petals, like a serene angel that the world could not touch.

For every step She took, Kaalan took another back. He was covered from head to toe in bloody lacerations—some closer than others to his vitals. And yet, the maddening fervor in his eyes remained the same.

[Mortal. Why have you forsaken your own flesh?] She asked callously as the barrage of Her attacks continued. [What value do you gain from allying yourself with the traitors of this realm?]

Kaalan dodged another invisible slash then shook his scepter slightly, letting three hungry ghosts out from within their cage. The three entities transformed into brilliant swords that each mirrored Her techniques.

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"For the sake of our God."

[Your God's demise has already been set in stone. Even if you succeed in bringing him back, he will not be the same God you cherished.]

"Gods do not need to be cherished. They only need to be followed."

As he said this, the hungry ghosts launched themselves at the brilliant flower, unaware of Her thorns. She quickly dispatched each of them with ease before taking another lacerating step toward Her enemy.

[Are those really the words you believe, or the ones you were lulled by? Fifty years you had to brood and think over your choices… How utterly foolish.]

Thorn-laced roots erupted from the ground, bearing more flowers and petals for Her arsenal. The strange blades danced as they were carried by the frigid wind, becoming a part of Her unblurred sword.

Seeing this, Elder Kaalan frantically readied his anima for another magecraft spell, but before he could, he noticed a faint flash of light in the distance. His eyes widened as he desperately twisted his body away.

Sure enough, it was another hidden attack. A stream of crystalized petals frozen in ice flew past him faster than any arrow. Then, he noticed a few more flashes here and there. The barrage was never going to end.

Dodge after dodge added more and more scratches to his wounds. And yet, he continued. Shaking his scepter again, Kaalan allowed six hungry ghosts out of their cages this time. All of them heading in the direction of the Petalsword Sovereign.

They all swiftly transformed into brilliant swords just like before. But their petals were far more numerous this time.

The Blossom Sword Flower squinted Her honey-colored eyes, watching the strange little critters fly toward Her in desperation.

[They consume runic representations?]

"Very astute," Kaalan said while dodging another invisible slash. "All things in the Beyond hold representation. Your attacks included."

[I see.] She didn't hesitate to destroy them once again, taking several more steps in the air in the process.

The longer this battle continued, the more She closed the gap between them. Elder Kaalan was using his Soul Weapon skill, [Burden of the Vessel], to lower the weight of his own body to that of his soul. Doing so allowed him to float freely in the air, but that didn't mean he could propel himself faster than his enemy.

Still, he held a massive advantage. Due to the village's barrier, most of Her skills were restricted, leaving Her with only a portion of Her anima. And there was also the effects of [Soul Corruption] which were slowly breaking down the representation of Her Runic Existence. The longer She takes to defeat him, the worse Her situation will be…

The Blossom Sword Flower understood this perfectly. And yet, She also knew that She wasn't alone. Her ability to read other's minds might have been restricted, but Her vision remains clear—Soren and the others were clearly planning to stop him.

[For someone so cautious, you are awfully careless. The Heartdrinker Sigil that Soren possessed was a variable you should have had under your control. Using it to lure me here was one thing, but now, it has a greater chance of spelling your doom than helping you fulfil your goals.]

"How are you so sure of that?" He wiped the blood off his chin then shook the scepter once again. Twelve hungry ghosts emerged, racing toward Her. "My goals may not always be my own goals, after all."

[What do you mean by that, mortal?] She once again stepped forward, dispatching the ever hungry ghosts vying to consume the representation of Her attacks.

[And what even are your goals anyway? Surely you are aware of my immortality, are you not?] She stared at Her own glowing visage. Indeed, the wound in Her chest was slowly festering and growing, taking away from Her usual splendor.

[Perhaps you could corrupt my Runic Existence enough to shatter my Spirit Body to pieces, but those pieces will remain active with my will. My spirit legion, the Garden of Blades, will soon descend upon thy and gather those pieces eventually. You will only delay your doom.]

"And delay it, we must." Kaalan once again used his ability to summon the ghosts—twenty four of them. It became clear to the Petalsword Sovereign that their numbers would double each time… And so would their strength.

Nevertheless, She held nothing back against them, splitting each one to pieces before it could even realize what was happening. Then the cycle would repeat. Kaalan would once again summon the ghosts, multiplying their number.

Twenty four turned into forty eight. Forty eight turned into ninety six. Ninety six became a hundred and ninety two.

With every round, the matchup became harder for Her and easier for him. And yet, the distance between them was rapidly shrinking anyway.

After summoning one thousand, five hundred and thirty six ghosts at once from his scepter, the inevitable occurred. A single stream of petals flew from a direction he couldn't perceive, and with it, his head detached itself from its body.

Slicing through the cloud of wailing ghosts and snow, the Blossom Sword Flower finally reached his decapitated body. [Burden of the Vessel] had remained active, even after receiving such a fatal wound.

Slowly, the animal mask he had been adorning fell from his face, revealing his true expression: a smile.

One that seemed untainted by the touch of the Vynasians.

"How unexpected… I thought I would last longer…"

[You've done well for a mortal.]

"But I wouldn't say you're alright either." He glanced at Her brilliant form. She was covered in countless vibrant cracks and even Her ethereal glow had lost its usual luster. "It seems my ability has done its part."

The silence between them grew. Neither could say anything in that moment.

But it wouldn't last for long. As if waiting for the right moment, the snow storm ended, and with it, came the brilliance of the sun. It all happened so quickly, as if its creation had been a lie all along.

[Your barrier has been destroyed.]

She could once again feel the rush of Her anima. The Petalsword Sovereign glanced slightly toward the distant shrine, as if picturing what had occurred inside.

Elder Kaalan looked down at the village below him. His smile widening.

"How ironic. To be defeated by [Ophidian Transfer] of all abilities."

Unaware of the chaos brewing in the skies, Soren had just done what he had planned to do from the start: using [Ophidian Transfer] to send the information he had obtained from his visions of that fifty year old massacre into the Beacon of Guidance itself.

From what he had heard from Mistress Sienna, the beacons are said to grant wisdom to those who embrace their touch. The anima within would infuse with the person, granting them the knowledge they desire, but in the process, they also convert to Vyakism—becoming worshippers of the Beast of Knowledge.

The one in Nagashi village was the same, but also slightly different. Long gone was the influence of the Dragon King—replaced by a lie crafted half a century prior. And it was through maintaining this lie that the beacon became a source of power for Kaalan's ambitions.

However, this also made Soren theorize something else entirely… Since the lie affected those in the vicinity of the village, one must ask the question—why would the Beacon also change?

Soren had pondered over this since his arrival at the village. But he had no information on how it transformed. Not until he obtained that vision from Cassia's memories…

And that's when it finally clicked together. The Beacons of Guidance weren't just strange sources of light and anima… They were, in fact, alive. That anima within them held its own representation in the Beyond… Its own Runic Existence.

The lie Cassia told fifty years ago erased the memories of even this grand pillar of existence… That was how Elder Kaalan was even able to keep a portion of his Soul inside of it—he simply hijacked whatever existed there before him… Leaving it dormant and unable to remember its own origins.

By using [Ophidian Transfer] into the Beacon, he was able to allow it to recall its own existence. And just as he had theorized, it actually worked.

Sitting on his knees before the tower of light, Soren held his hand upright, pointing the bloodthirsty Heartdrinker Sigil at the center of its radiance… Exactly where Elder Kaalan's soul fragment rested.

The connection was instantly established.

I can't believe that worked…

In the air, the Petalsword Sovereign was once again obtaining all the information around Her, like sunlight to a flower. She vividly absorbed the memories of Soren's accomplishment—understanding everything he had witnessed and seen.

She turned once again to Kaalan, his levitating head frozen in the air.

[Any last words, mortal?]

"I've already said them." He chuckled. "It was not you who defeated me, but the young man below you."

She closed Her eyes briefly. [I see. So the portion that remained human was left within the Beacon of Guidance…]

"Indeed," Kaalan closed his eyes for the last time. For a second, he pictured his existence from before that fateful tragedy. What was he doing again? Studying magecraft? Conversing with friends? Or perhaps looking after his aging mother…

"Madness truly is a mirror..."

With that said, his soul finally scattered with the frigid wind. [Burden of the Vessel] deactivated.

The Petalsword Blossom levitated his body, all the while absorbing his memories and experiences. She opened Her honey-colored eyes and stared up at the radiant sun.

[Always remember yourself. These are words you truly lived by.]