Chapter 17
…
Deacon Adhavan, who had seen all of this unfold, couldn't help but cackle, as if what he witnessed and heard was the funniest joke in his entire life.
He looked up at the darkened, yellow, slightly reddish sky and sighed.
"This is so funny. Are you sure they can leave this place even with your sacrifice? Am I that unthreatening to you? kekekkekeke…"
He put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up to stand.
His eyes were directed toward Chriselda, as it lit in ominous red.
"Are you underestimating me???"
He exclaimed, disdain dripping from his voice.
Crack, crack, crack―
Suddenly, a series of loud popping sounds from bones shifted and broken numerous times echoed in the surroundings.
Deacon Adhavan's head jerked left and right like a broken doll.
His body began to swell in a disturbing manner, reminiscent of a horror movie transformation.
His shoulders, arms, chest, and upper body grew taller and more muscular, as if he had just chugged a gallon… no, two gallons of steroids.
Blood leaked from various wounds on his body, and the white robe he wore was torn in multiple places, yet it still clung impressively to him.
'It must be a superior product.'
Kyren thought to himself, as he also had a mixed feeling about it.
He was impressed, kind of feeling uncomfortable with how odd and gruesome the process was, but also feeling funny when he looked at his lower half.
'So, is it right to call him short king from down below his waist. His junk must be disproportionate too, then. Wait… What the hell am I even thinking about?'
Kyren shakes his head, trying to get rid of that ridiculous notion.
Now, the new transformed Deacon Adhavan stood in front of them.
He stood there menacingly, aura of hair-raising, nerve-racking, wood-woking, surrounding his body.
He looked like Monstrous Karen with its Obnoxious, Self-Centered Radiation, in Homeboy Universe, minus the pink skin and the blonde hair.
"You know, you once had us on edge when everyone called you the Incarnation of the Kael'Phion. Truly, it's a strange fate to see you like this now – desperate, helpless, weak…"
"Even after our years of enmity, my lord has voluntarily extended an olive branch to your clan – a chance to move forward and be who you truly are, rather than become a joke to those you once protected…"
"But you all stubbornly keep refusing. Why? I don't understand. Why don't you grasp that gold when it's right in front of you? Instead, you choose this worthless soil and fragile branches…"
Confusion laced Deacon Adhavan's tone, as he reminisced about many inferences forming inside his mind about their relationship and why he was here now, sent to kill the two most promising children from the Raven Clan.
Chriselda narrowed her eyes at his words, grasping perhaps the most crucial information about why their clan had been attacked from all sides in the past.
There was no hint of fear, hesitation, or desperation on her face.
"The answer is simple, really. Because we are all human. And will stay that way till our death…" she replied. A firmness of purpose that none shall rob it away.
"Human? Hehehe, Really? When—"
Abruptly, his words were cut off by a shout from Kyren, who extended his palm to face Deacon Adhavan.
"Now!!!"
Suddenly, a rock formation erupted from the ground beneath Deacon Adhavan, enveloping him completely in a matter of seconds before he could react.
"Wha—"
"Use all of your Nirvana Cragborne. Crush him!!!" Kyren instructed his summoned hero as he clenched his fist.
[Stone Coffin Execution]
Krrrttt—
The rock compressed, mercilessly tightening around him, crushing the figure inside.
The surface fractured, and blood slowly seeped from the cracks.
"Ha! I knew it. You let your guard down, you typical second-rate villain. That's why you shouldn't talk too much," Kyren celebrated gleefully.
Just after his transformation, Crag had informed him that the invisible shield covering Deacon Adhavan was gone, replaced by his physical strength alone.
Kyren had been waiting for the strongest opponent, according to Crag, to reveal himself and attack without giving him a chance to dodge, much less fight back.
That was why he had stopped Crag from helping Melyra. Fortunately, the enemy had underestimated them.
And with the right timing. Boom― the plan was a huge success…
Meanwhile, Chriselda and Melyra were so shocked that their jaws dropped at the unexpected attack. They both turned to Kyren, who was jumping for joy.
"What? Son… How???"
Kyren's lips twitched at his mother's question, not knowing how to answer or explain it to her.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Crag had just told him that the person inside was still alive.
'What the hell, how strong is that person…' Kyren was speechless.
On the other hand, Veyra, who was just beside him, looked left and right, feeling disoriented as she didn't understand any of what was currently happening.
"What is that stone. What is happening now? Where is my father? Why is he so long inside the forest??? And how is the condition of that man inside that rock? Is he… dead???" she questioned herself ceaselessly.
Taking a few potions from his inventory, Kyren threw them toward Melyra and hastily handed them to his mother and Veyra.
"Drink this first! It temporarily boosts speed. We need to run now. That person is still alive. Let's go meet Uncle Malrik first. He's our only hope to fight against that Deacon."
[Intermediate Agility Potion]
Upon consumption, this potion heightens reflexes and sharpens physical agility, granting the user enhanced mobility and quicker response time for 100 seconds.
- - - -
"Melyra, come with us too. Let Crag handle those two!!"
"Crag???" Melyra muttered in puzzlement as she swiftly approached Kyren's position.
On her way, without a second thought or suspicion that it might be poison, she downed the potion.
A sudden lightness washed over her, as if a massive burden had been lifted from her body.
Her nerves seemed to hum with an unfamiliar energy, fueling every fiber of her being.
Her muscles moved with newfound precision and synchronization, as though she had been unshackled from the constraints of her former self.
"What the hell, this is good…" Melyra said excitedly while glancing at the long, slim vial in her hand.
Meanwhile, a towering figure made of rock suddenly burst from the ground just after Kyren said Crag's name, catching the two Acolytes off guard as they were still stunned by the unexpected result of their leader being trapped in something akin to an elemental spell.
Cragborne took the two of them in the deathly embrace of the Earth.
Cragborne's form was sculpted from rough-hewn stone, adorned with ancient runes glowing faintly in emerald green – a gift from Gaia herself.
Veins of crystalline ore threaded through its rocky surface, reflecting the divine energy it carried.
Its face, though weathered and cracked, exuded a solemn dignity, with piercing eyes that shimmered like twin gemstones.
Its massive hands, shaped like jagged cliffs, were ready for ferocious strikes or protective shielding. Vines and moss draped around its shoulders, a reminder of its connection to the living earth.
Chriselda, Melyra, and Veyra stood frozen in awe, their gazes fixed on the majestic Cragborne.
Chriselda then turned toward her son, struggling to find the right words to say what was inside her mind.
"You… but… sigh, alright. Let's go…"
Chriselda wanted to ask about all these shocking revelations that had emerged in such dire circumstances that unmistakably came from her own son.
But she decided to hold her questions and follow her son's instructions first, as it seemed Kyren knew how to navigate and escape from this situation.
She suddenly found herself not really knowing what her son actually capable of and the extent of his secrets he hadn't told her yet.
And the realization left her with a swirl of conflicted emotions.
Meanwhile, Kyren was currently…