Chapter 15: A Bit Psychotic
'Well, isn't this lucky? I don't even have to do anything except root for the masked stranger to succeed.'
[Incorrect.
There's an established contract between Wraith and Prey and it must be honored.]
'I don't understand'
[You can't just eat any random soul that just happens to float near you. You are only opportune to the souls of those you kill.]
'Oh'
[I should point out though that you are not strictly required to fight your prey to the death. Just that you must deliver the final blow that releases its soul.]
Evian brightened up upon hearing this and he gripped the sword in his hand even tighter.
'Alright then. I'll lurk around and steal the kill. 1500 soul points are too good to pass up.'
*Bang*
*Bam!*
*Wham!*
Evian gripped the sword in his hand tight and started inching closer to the fight. The opponents were moving too fast for his eyes to follow so the sounds of impact were all he had as fists, kicks, and spells flashed in front of him.
The Kidnapper was an Arcanist which meant, physically, he was not particularly capable. His spells and heightened spiritual senses were all he could rely on for attacks as well as reactions to attacks from his opponent.
This posed an obvious problem; The inevitable exhaustion of his Spiritual energy which powered his combat. Fortunately for him, at the Fourth Circle, his reserves were so enlarged that he could keep going for at least an hour more of intense combat.
The Masked Man realized this and he gritted his teeth as he was once again reminded of the gap between the prowess of a Knight and an Arcanist as they both went up in power levels.
The Martial path always had a clear advantage at the early stage. They invested in their bodies, and improved their physical abilities while the Arcane Path laid the foundation by opening up their senses to 'Spiritual Enlightenment'.
Laying down the foundation was an important and non-negotiable step in the Arcane Path but it also left Early stage Arcanists with low reserves and a weak arsenal of spells but that all changes as they progress.
The further they get on the Arcane Path, the larger their reserves become and the more potent their spells are. Also, once they could use their skills to earn, they could invest in Reserve-recovering potions that would keep them fighting for even longer.
In fact, the only draw-back Arcanists face down the line is the chanting time for some of their strongest spells but some Arcanists such as the Koln the Kidnapper overcome this issue with the use of Magical Items such as those Staff in his hands, that have been preloaded beforehand with some of their favorite spells.
*Thud*
"Ack"
With a hit of the staff to the ground, a wave of unseen force slammed into the stomach of the masked man who doubled over and presented his head to be smacked aside by the energy-infused staff.
"Hahahaha" Koln laughed loudly as he stalked his opponent. Ready to close the deal.
Before he made his move though, he allowed his eyes to roam over to where Evian had been. He was driven by instinct and quickly discovered, Evian was gone.
"Where is he?" he wondered with wide eyes before he spread out his spiritual senses and discovered Evian standing behind him with his sword raised.
Evian's brows were screwed up in concentration as he let out a cloud of Eldritch energy and controlled it all to be focused on his Kidnapper.
After his experience with Daria, he knew his Eldritch had a chilling effect on Arcanists at the Fourth Circle. Not enough of an effect to freeze them in a place like the Knights of the Third Order he had fought recently but enough as a distraction.
Sure enough, Koln shook as the cloud of grey deathly energy shrouded him. He paused and looked around at Evian. Those few seconds were enough for the Masked man on the ground to recover and slam his body into the distracted Kidnapper.
*Bam*
The Masked man kept pushing until he slammed Koln's back into the wall of the dilapidated building nearby and before the Kidnapper could even begin to recover, he slammed his head into the wall hard enough to crack it.
*Bonk*
*Crack!*
Koln's eyesight became blurry and he raised his staff only to have it pulled out of his hand before his head was slammed into the wall again...
*BONK*
... And again...
*BONK!*
"Ahhh-" Koln started to yell but he was shut up by a sword that stabbed through his jaw and upward into his brain. The sword went all the way until the hilt slammed into Koln's jaw and the blade came right out of the top of his head.
*Ack-"
With one final sound as blood spilled from Koln's wounds and he twitched with his life speedily nearing an end, the Masked Man eyed the hand wielding the sword.
The eyes behind the mask widened as they kept roaming until they arrived at Evian's grinning face.
"Evian-" the Masked man started to say but he stopped as Evian twisted the sword to bring about his Kidnapper's end sooner rather than later.
'Just die already!' Evian said as he kept twisting the sword and kept widening the opening he had made all through Koln's head.
While he waited out the agonizing seconds before Koln's soul became available to eat, Evian wondered why he had been finding it so easy to kill.
Back on earth, values were different. killing had grievous consequences and was not something to be done on a whim so Evian had never even considered it- But here, in this World, he hadn't even hesitated when he bashed in the head of the Intruders or when he cut off the leg of the downed Leader.
'I mean, it was in the heat of the moment but still- Have I always been capable of murder, or did I become capable after I became a Wraith?
Assistant, any answers?'
[None. This seems like a personal issue of yours that I have no stake in.
However, I will say, killing is a necessity for you now. You can't change that]
Evian's brows furrowed as he heard this and then he became very aware of the warm blood pouring out of Koln's wounds mixed with a bits of brain matter and he frowned at how good the warmth felt.
'I might be becoming a bit psychotic.'
Finally, Koln's arms flopped and his soul pulled free from his body.
The sight of the soul brightened up Evian's gloomy face instantly. He smiled widely as he opened his mouth and sucked it in.
It was immediately clear that the quality of this soul was a notch above the ones Evian had eaten so far. It tasted as good as ever but had a different 'kick' to it. It had Evian feeling just a bit blissful and increased his hunger for souls by many notches.
'Assistant, Pull up the Status Screen'
-
[Name: Evian Stygian.]
[Race: Wraith]
[Decadence: Cursed Wraith {1800/500 Soul points}]
-
Evian's grin got even wider as he stared at his tally of soul points. He pulled the sword out of Koln's head and let the lifeless body flop to the ground while he prepared to ask the Assistant to unlock the Decadent store but before he could, two strong hands grabbed his shoulders.
Evian came face to face with the Masked Man and remembered he had him to thank for surviving a fate he did not even yet understand.
"Oh yeah, thanks for your help," he said with a light chuckle.
"Evian, what happened to you? Your hair, your eyes? And you're killing now? I thought you were a pacifist" the Masked man said while shaking Evian a bit.
Now that the threat had been neutralized, the Masked Man's voice became less intense.
Evian smiled uncomfortably.
"Um, I'm sorry but I don't know you"
The Masked man paused.
"Wh- What do you mean you don't know me... It's me!" he said and when Evian still looked confused, the Masked man took off his mask to reveal a youthful fairly good-looking face,
"It's Gillert"
Evian was starting to get uncomfortable by the intensity of this stranger's stare and hold so he shook his head slowly and pulled his hand off his shoulder.
"I'm sorry but I died recently and lost all my memory.
I genuinely have no idea who you are"
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