The pillar of light fed on the Holy Light of Sunshine and it grew hotter.
Its temperature increased to the limit before it exploded, turning the sea into mist and pulverizing everything around it.
The shockwaves hit the group on the beach.
The mist, along with a slight dribble of rain and small bones, followed.
“It ended,” Apollo spoke, heaving.
He sensed the Necromancer’s presence disappear.
“Yes, this went better than I expected,” Athena said. Her eyes dropped from exhaustion.
“I’ll deal with the phylactery now.”
Apollo increased his [Synchronization] with Sunshine.
Cracks appeared on his skin, and his eyes became hazy.
His senses merged with Sunshine, and he could feel everything the Spirit could.
He used the Spirit to locate the areas with a sudden surge of Darkness.
Those places would be where the Necromancer had placed its phylactery.
The surge of Darkness and Death around the phylactery after a Necromancer’s — or a lich’s —death was a natural phenomenon.
Unfortunately, the surge was minute, and phylacteries would normally be placed far from each other.
A normal awakener wouldn’t be able to use the window of opportunity to locate the phylactery due to their limited range.
Sunshine solved the problem for Apollo.
“I’ve found the phylacteries. There are….”
“Why did you go silent?” Athena questioned. “How many phylacteries are there, and what is their location?”
“….The phylacteries are around us.”
“How many?”
“All of them.”
“….?”
“Every piece of bone around us is a phylactery.”
“….!?”
Darkness erupted from the small pieces of bones.
It jumped into the sky, flowing and merging at the center of the sea.
Athena stared at the scene with grim eyes.
She had used a large portion of her mana for the last attack.
Even if she wanted, she couldn’t use another attack at the moment.
Apollo forced his tired body to move and raised his hand, pointing his palm towards the giant orb of Darkness.
“O Great Spirit of Mine…”
Apollo’s heart pumped blood furiously through his veins.
He could feel it. His heart was about to burst due to the huge amount of stress.
His skin and veins ruptured, but he forced himself to continue the chanting.
“Burn—”
“Stop.” Neo placed his hand over Apollo’s shoulder. “You will kill yourself.”
“I can handle this much.”
“You can’t,” Neo said, seeing the Death covering Apollo, ready to pull him into her embrace.
“Remember the plan. You’ve failed your first attack. Now, it’s my turn.”
Neo patted Apollo’s shoulder once and stepped towards the sea.
He used his Water affinity to walk over the water.
“You can’t defeat him either! Stop this madness, Neo—”
Before Apollo could complete his sentence, Emma placed her hand over his head.
He turned to her and saw her shaking her head.
“Don’t stop him. It’s his choice.”
“But… but you said he knew the Necromancer. He is his friend!”
“Yes, that’s why he has to be the one to put this thing to an end.”
Apollo was trying to protect Neo. He didn’t want Neo to stain his hands with his friend’s blood.
He bit his lips while drowning in regret.
‘Finally,’ Emma thought as she watched Neo approach the orb of Darkness. ‘It would’ve been dangerous if he remained here.’
Unknown to Apollo and Athena, Neo had been ready to attack them if the Necromancer’s life was in danger.
Emma was surprised when she sensed his bloodlust.
She, however, couldn’t attack Neo as she risked disturbing Athena and Apollo while they were fighting the Necromancer, and Neo was too close to them.
There was a chance Emma wouldn’t be able to protect them in time if Neo attacked.
‘I can take him out and the Necromancer together from this place.’
Unknown to Emma, Neo knew what she was thinking.
He had purposefully leaked his bloodlust to tie her hands by making her focus on protecting Apollo and Athena.
If he hadn’t, she would’ve entered the battle long ago and killed Jack.
Neo erased those thoughts from his mind.
He stared at the giant orb of Darkness which housed pieces of Jack’s soul.
“Hey, Jack.”
The surrounding Darkness attacked Neo, but he used his own Darkness to overpower Jack’s Darkness.
The bone sea reappeared and rushed towards Neo.
Kyuuu!
The caterpillar devoured the time of the bones, and they froze.
“You’ve grown strong.”
He unsheathed his sword and kept walking forward.
The three rings of Death he had stored around his heart started to vibrate.
They hummed, as if singing the lullaby of death.
Flickers of red lightning crackled around Obitus.
“Even the Myths are having trouble defeating you.”
Neo’s Death mastery had decreased to Mid Apprentice Level.
However, this only affected the Death he created now.
The rings of Death stored in his heart were different.
They were created when he was at Peak Adept Mastery.
“Everyone would be happy when they see how much you’ve grown. Mars, Felix, Arthur, Sean, Morrigan, Clara, your parents. I bet they would be surprised.”
The caterpillar couldn’t devour more time.
The sea of bones started to move again. It rushed towards Neo from all sides.
“I’m happy too to see how strong you’ve become. So…”
Neo raised his sword.
Darkness and Death surrounded his blade.
He combined his elements with the only sword technique he could use.
Seventh Stance:
Tenraizan.
“Stop crying and come out.”
His sword descended.
The front of the orb of Darkness, floating in the sky, was split apart.
Red lightning crackled around the newly made entrance.
No one saw Neo’s attack land.
Not because it was fast, but because he had manipulated Death to kill a portion of the orb of Darkness.
The orb of Darkness quivered.
It began to heal itself.
Before it closed, Neo jumped and entered it.
Wails of souls assailed Neo. They tried to corrupt his mind.
Grotesque figures stitched from bone and rotting flesh appeared in Neo’s path.
Shadowy tendrils lashed at him.
“Do it.”
Kyuu!
The caterpillar, sitting on his shoulder, devoured their time, allowing Neo a smooth passage ahead.
At the center, Neo found ‘Jack.’
His bones and flesh were visible. Half of his face was melted.
His limbs were tied by a mass of flesh, and he let out feral growls.
“There is no way I can talk to you like ‘this,'” Neo muttered. “Let’s go somewhere more private.”
He placed his hand over Jack’s head and used his second Trait.
Mind Invasion.
Neo’s gaze became vacant, and he woke up inside Jack’s soul space.
The dark void was filled with distorted souls.
Countless voices entered into Neo’s head.
YouAreHIsfrIEndYoUKiLLedUSDIEDIEDIEwewiLLnevERfOrgIveyOU
Neo ignored the voices.
He closed his eyes and spread out his senses to find Jack.
***
Author’s Note:
Golden Ticket Event
For every 50 Golden Tickets
received this month, I’ll release
1 extra chapter
! ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-
The
first mass release
is scheduled for
10th December
.
We’ve already reached 150 Golden Tickets, so 3 extra chapters are confirmed for that day!
Keep gifting those Golden Tickets for even more bonus chapters!
Let’s make this month unforgettable!
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