“L-Leon?” Victor’s voice trembled as he spoke, his expression a mixture of shock, confusion, and disbelief.
His wide eyes were fixed on the bloodied, motionless body of the blue-haired boy lying before him.
For a moment, Victor felt like time had stopped, his mind struggling to process the horrific reality before him.
Then, abruptly shattering this stillness, a voice pierced his dazed thoughts.
“Damn, he’s dead.”
The voice was soft yet laced with a cold, indifferent tone.
Victor’s head snapped toward the source….. Thalia and Raven standing there, seemingly appearing out of nowhere just like him.
Victor’s eyes narrowed as he noticed something peculiar….. there was something different about them as if they had matured in the short time since he had last seen them.
“How much time did you guys spend?” Victor asked with an indifferent tone.
But Thalia and Raven didn’t answer. Instead, their eyes were drawn back to Leon’s lifeless form. Thalia’s brow furrowed as she stepped closer, crouching down beside the body,
“Looks like he died a long time ago,” she murmured as she examined his pale, almost translucent skin and the tattered remnants of his clothes.
Victor felt a cold chill run down his spine. The sight of Leon’s decayed body, coupled with no answer from Aria… made him feel as though he was in a nightmare.
He quickly stood, his mind racing. He had miscalculated badly. He had believed that as long as he could contact the others, he could somehow save them. But the distorted flow of time had thrown all his plans into disarray. Even his telepathy was malfunctioning, and now, seeing Leon like this, worry gnawed at him…. worry for Aria, who he had yet to contact, who he still needed answers from.
As Victor turned and began to walk away, his thoughts consumed by dread, Thalia and Raven exchanged a glance.
Thalia lingered a moment longer by Leon’s body…. She knew Leon was not someone easily defeated, yet the gaping wounds and the cruel claws punched through his body told a different story… one of a brutal and unfair fight.
This made her uneasy. Perhaps, she thought, it would be wise for them to stick together…
Raven, on the other hand, seemed more detached. She stared blankly at Leon’s corpse, her thoughts unreadable, before finally deciding to follow Victor.
However, just as they left the scene behind, something unexpected happened….. Leon’s body twitched violently…. From his nose, a thick, red molten-like substance began to ooze out.
“V…”
… Find more adventures on empire
…
As they continued walking, the silence stretched between them, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Thalia, unable to bear it any longer, broke the silence.
“Did you not encounter any monsters?” she asked, her voice filled with curiosity as she eyed Victor.
Despite everything, he didn’t have a single scratch on him… no wounds, no signs of a struggle. But there was something different about him too. He seemed… bigger, somehow more imposing.
Victor, however, didn’t respond. He was too focused on the path ahead, his mind racing with questions.
Why hadn’t any monsters crossed his path?
What was going on here?
Seeing his lack of response, Thalia shrugged, deciding not to press the issue. She continued to follow him.
Suddenly, Victor’s voice broke through the silence, startling them both, “I heard from Aether,” he said, his tone carrying a weight that made Raven stiffen.
Raven’s reaction was immediate. Her eyes narrowed as she adjusted her sunglasses, trying to hide the surprise and annoyance flickering in them.
“Don’t you think it’s too dangerous to involve him?” Victor pressed. He didn’t slow down, his footsteps echoing in the quiet surroundings.
Thalia frowned, her mind racing to catch up. What was he talking about? What had Aether said? She couldn’t piece it together.
Raven, however, was deeply troubled. She had trusted Aether with her plans and had believed he would keep them confidential. The fact that he had divulged this information to Victor felt like a betrayal, a sharp sting that she hadn’t expected.
Sensing the tension, Victor offered a small, knowing smile. “He’s my friend,” he said gently, as if trying to soothe Raven’s unease, “Of course, he only told me because he believed I’m more suitable for the task.”
Raven exhaled slowly, nodding in reluctant understanding. “Looks like you two trust each other too much,” she remarked, though her voice held a trace of bitterness.
Victor smirked, “Of course, we’re best friends,” he replied, the words laced with a deeper meaning.
Thalia and Raven exchanged a look before scoffing in unison, “Best friends?” they echoed, their voices dripping with disdain, “More like the first to stab each other in the back when the time comes.”
Victor’s smirk faltered, a frown tugging at his lips.
“Anyway,” Raven sighed, clearly wanting to change the subject, “It’s not like I forced him or anything,” she said, shrugging as if to dismiss the entire matter. “He was the one who agreed in exchange for information about his ring.”
Victor’s eyes narrowed as he considered her words, “Information exchange?” he repeated, his tone sceptical, “Don’t you think that’s a bit too one-sided? I mean, you might be able to fool him because he’s desperate to know more about his past, but that doesn’t mean he should risk his future for it.”
“Lose his future? I didn’t—” Raven began, but Victor cut her off sharply.
“Asking him to steal the horns from the Ex-Arcane King? Are you serious?” Victor’s voice rose, filled with disbelief and shock.
Thalia’s eyes widened in horror. “What?!” she exclaimed, turning to Raven with a look of betrayal. “I thought you asked me to do that! What the hell are you planning now?”
Raven’s gaze flicked between Victor and Thalia, a sigh escaping her lips. “Thalia, yes, we are the ones doing it,” she admitted, her tone serious and resigned.
Thalia’s frown deepened. “Then why—”
“I asked him because he’s faster than you,” Raven explained, her voice firm and unyielding. Before Thalia could argue, Raven continued, her tone dead serious, “He’s faster than me!!”
Thalia was taken aback by her words, but before she could process it,
“I’m faster than him,” Victor said with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with a mix of pride and challenge.
Raven glanced at him, her expression unreadable. She shook her head slowly. “I know what you’re thinking, but you can’t do it,” she said, her voice calm but with an undertone of finality.
Victor’s smirk grew wider, “And why not?” he asked, his voice dripping with confidence. “I’m pretty sure I’m faster than him. And don’t worry,” he added with a cocky grin, “I’m not afraid of the Lizard Emperor.”
“Puff!” Thalia couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, hearing Victor casually refer to the Dragon Emperor as a mere “Lizard.”
[+10 AP]
Yet, Raven remained unfazed, shaking her head with a serious expression. “As I mentioned to him before, that ring he has… it holds significant meaning. It’s the reason he’s more suitable for this task than any of us.”
Victor’s frown deepened, a spark of curiosity igniting within him, ‘Now that makes me damn curious about my past,’ he thought. He couldn’t help but ask, “Why is that? What makes this ring so important?”
But Raven simply shook her head again, her expression stern and unreadable. The silence that followed only served to heighten Victor’s curiosity, but seeing her resolute face, he knew he wouldn’t get any more answers out of her.
He sighed, glancing at his mission tab, which remained silent. With no blinking, he continued to walk, though his thoughts lingered on the mystery of the ring.
Thalia, however, wasn’t so easily dissuaded. Her curiosity was piqued as well, and she snagged Raven’s arm, trying to get her to talk.
But Raven refused to divulge any more, her lips sealed tight.
Suddenly,
“KYRRRrrrrrr!”
A low, guttural growl echoed through the air.
Instantly, Victor and the others went on high alert, their senses sharp as they searched for the source of the sound….. Their eyes fell upon a Wyvern.
No, not just ordinary Wyvern. Its body was a grotesque mix of bones, rotting flesh, and molten lava that seeped from its gaping wounds. It was the same creature they had seen in the peak mountain.
Raven’s eyes narrowed as she took in the sight, “Now I understand why Leon died,” she muttered.
Victor glanced at her, “What do you mean?” he asked, his eyes never leaving the monstrous Wyvern, which was glaring at them with burning hatred as it slowly advanced, its massive form hindered by the confined narrow path unable to fly.
Raven’s gaze was cold as she explained, “Those things… they’re like us. Look closely—there’s no Arcane crystal attached to it.”
Victor scanned the creature’s body, noticing the absence of the Arcane crystal that usually present such beasts. His heart sank as he began to piece together the truth. “You mean…”
“Yes,” Raven confirmed, her voice barely above a whisper. “Those were once people… people who were cursed by the Summit.”
Victor blinked in surprise, his mind reeling as he looked at the monster again, seeing it in a new, horrifying light. These were no mere beasts; they were victims, twisted and transformed into abominations by a curse that defied understanding.
Raven reached into her pocket and pulled out a few small white balls. She held them up for Victor and Thalia to see. “The moment that cursed blood—or rather, that molten lava—touches you, you’ll be cursed and turned into one of them.”
Victor and Thalia’s eyes widened in shock. Before they could react, Raven tossed the white balls toward the monster…
BOOOM!!