Chapter 231: Fearsome
Orienn Bellaghum and an archer stood side by side. Orienn seemed to have recovered quite well from Zarek’s previous attack on him. The archer, however, still seemed quite pissed about what had happened.
Interestingly enough, he was a Droele as well. However, rather than wielding heavy weapons like most of his race did, he instead opted for a heavy bow with a string tension that most B Classes couldn’t even pull to half mast.
Despite being related to Eliz, though, the Droele archer was still looking down at the ground.
"I gave you this mission, Edwin. You’re saying that you failed?"
The archer continued to look down at the ground, not responding.
"Not only did you fail, but you let Lyn die as well?"
Orienn shook when he heard this.
He wasn’t even supposed to be here. But he had gotten strong-armed into coming by Edwin. He knew that if he didn’t come to explain his side of things, he might truly end up getting hunted down by one of the Demons.
From the sounds of it, it seemed that Lyn’s relationship with Eliz wasn’t shallow. Maybe that made sense. With Lyn’s ability to control Wood Aether... maybe there were certain things about the elven lineage that were the same as the rumors.
"This guy isn’t normal, sister."
BANG!
The flat of a great sword slapped against Edwin’s body. He was sent smashing into the ground, his face planting into the hard surface.
"Do you think I care about your excuses? I sent you over there to deal with the Fake Demon, and now you’re telling me that you had trouble dealing with someone that wasn’t even him?"
Edwin grit his teeth, his grip on his bow tightening, but there was nothing that he could do about this. His sister had always been more powerful than him.
After he realized he’d never match her with a blade, he chose a completely different direction. But he was still too fresh and new to it, so he hadn’t managed to catch up to his previous abilities yet and had instead been lagging behind.
Due to that, the gap between them had only opened up even more.
Others might have already given up and returned to the blade, but Edwin knew that there was no going back. The gap would only continue to widen, and now, because of his lag, he would only be further back than he was before.
His only chance was to have an epiphany with the bow and change his fate. But until then, he was stuck here beneath her blade, being humiliated to her whims.
"Pathetic," Eliz spat. She seemed genuinely annoyed, and it no longer even seemed to be about Lyn’s death anymore. She was furious for another reason entirely.
Picking her great sword up, Eliz stood to her full height, her gaze turning cold.
"Zarek Ashborn is his name? Never heard of him, but he’s number one on my kill list right now."
**
Zarek moved forward with fast but deliberate steps. Every one he took was measured and controlled, his breathing even, his pace steady.
Normally, he might try and use this as training, but there were too many enemies around and more powerful ones on the way. If he tried to train his stamina right now, he would be biting off more than he could chew.
He liked taking risks, but he was also measured with them. Right now, whatever challenges he faced would have to be more than enough of a challenge.
His face was stone cold, his expression hard to read.
By now, his number of Ashen Souls had increased to two, as his last kill didn’t utilize one of them. But he found the burden to be heavy. There was no way he could continue it for long.
His eyes narrowed as he sensed a shuffle in the forest ahead. He sidestepped hard, changing direction. His left knee was coated in Lurker’s Godsfall, making it react as though with an explosive sprint.
A spiraling jet of water with more velocity than a speeding bullet ripped by, thwacking against a tree and ripping through it as well.
Zarek’s ear twitched as he picked up a river nearby, but the direction of the bullet didn’t come from there.
What made his Ash so powerful, though, was that it was immune to the usual weaknesses of fire. It could combust even in a vacuum, and water did not have a suppressive effect on it.
However, before Zarek could act, a rotting smell made his nose twitch. It was incredibly subtle, so much so that most wouldn’t have even picked up on it.
’Here already?’
Zarek’s mind went through several possibilities, wondering if the water Turned that attacked him first was actually linked to this rotting smell or not.
Unfortunately, his answer came before he could come to the conclusion on his own.
He sensed a change in his shadow as one of his Ashen Souls was suddenly swallowed up by something.
Zarek’s heart skipped a beat. It seemed this Urouge actually had something that could counter his Ashen Souls, but if he really was a necromancer, this wasn’t too much of a surprise.
Both of their abilities played with death. What was more poignant was how dangerous Urouge was.
This was definitely not a direct effect of the Skill he was using. It was definitely a secondary or tertiary ability, which meant that Urouge was not only powerful, but he knew how to use his Skills to similar levels of effectiveness as Zarek himself.
SHUUUU!
Another bullet of water came for Zarek, even faster than the last.
Zarek barely managed to register that there was a second bullet of water hidden behind the first.
’Troublesome.’
It really was two attacks at the same time. Or, rather, Urouge had probably timed it so that it would happen like this. His summon hadn’t even shown itself.
But what was clear was that Urouge could use his summons like a proxy, using them to attack despite the distance he hid from.
These summons were obviously not his most powerful, but he knew how to use the situation to his advantage, painting Zarek into a corner.
He had probably waited until a water type attacked Zarek in order to see if it could limit his flames or not. If this didn’t work, he would begin testing other things until he understood Zarek like the back of his hand.
Only then would he strike all out.
He was the most annoying and most fearsome kind of opponent.