"The secret to success is sacrifice and radical logicality"
In this dire situation, I needed mana to power my next spell and I knew where to get it—William. By coming here alone, he was willing to put his life at stake just to avenge his son's death.
"What I ask for is not your life, but two of those seven years you have left," I said as I knelt beside his unconscious boy and gently caressed his cheek.
If he is willing to risk his life, then he wouldn't mind losing two years of his life.
William's body twitched as he grew paler while his veins turned raven-black and bulged unnaturally.
{The last host had a family, and it cost her life. I had almost given up on finding my host amongst humans when I heard a cry, not for life but for me, death. A boy filled with anguish, resentment, and pain and has no ties to anyone in this world. You are the perfect host!} Lin was excited and it was infectious.
"From graves long lost, from marrow-deep,
Rise, awaken, the dead now creep!
Pale fangs of ruin, pierce the land,
Let bone and horror take their stand!
Entomb, ensnare, devour whole—
Bone Forest, claim their soul!"
Laughing hysterically as I slammed my hand on the ground, sending deep cracks spider-webbing outward, and a massive magic array spiraled into existence, covering the entire battlefield in less than a second.
Without hesitation, I unleashed a pulse of death energy through the earth, stirring the remains of the long-dead buried beneath.
Ahead was a raging 15-foot rock golem charging at top speed, and above was a miniature sun of malicious fox fire, but my laughter never ceased because I could beat them all!
I have the power to win!
"Death Magic: Bone Forest!"
BOOM!
Suddenly, skeletal spires burst forth, forming a jagged and chaotic maze of bone, shooting in all directions. Within the chaotic maze, a vicious grin spread across my lips as the vines formed a 13-step reinforced cube of absolute defense.
Meanwhile, the bone spires slammed into the charging rock golden. Vito's charge was vicious, but eventually even he was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and overwhelming size of my bone forest.
BOOM!
Another cataclysmic explosion erupted as Mrs. Lotus's attack crashed into the bone forest which towered over the natural forest. Bone stems and pillars fell, crashing loudly but her attack failed to reach me.
Of course, it would. This spell was worth two years of William's life!
Seated in a cross-legged position, within the dark cage I built for myself, I could feel their life forces, making it easy to pinpoint their locations. Cries of my Wailing Requiem filled the air as it made its way to Mrs. Lotus's airborne figure.
"Foxes can't fly" I grinned devilishly
Shi~shi~shi~shi!
Shi~shi~shi~shi!
The eerie laughter of the flaming soul drowned Mrs. Lotus's shocked cry for help before the deafening explosion.
BOOM!
"Miyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Vito's thunderous cry left a twisted smile on my face.
That was the confirmation I needed. My gamble paid off and now for the grand finale.
The final showdown!
And as expected, Vito did not disappoint. As the bone walls crumbled around me, a world like never before was revealed. Trees grew from their roots rapidly, rising above the sky and falling like a tidal wave on a stormy night, threatening to consume everything in its path.
I could see Vito riding the wave with a malicious gleam in his eyes while holding onto Mrs. Lotus's head. That was probably all that was left of her after the unfortunate collision with my burning skull.
This sight would be terrifying even for an Earth realm master. Seeing the forces of nature bending to the will of the enemy would quench the fighting spirit of a man but I wasn't a man.
"I am God." I snapped my finger, and a human-sized soul wisp appeared in front of me, twisting and contorting unnaturally.
Mrs. Lotus's cries of pain and mercy resonated from the whispering that soon assumed the shape of a skull.
"From abyssal depths where lost souls weep,
I summon anguish, bound and steeped.
With fire unholy, with torment untamed,
Wail and seek, your sorrow unchained!
Hunt, haunt, and claim your due—
Wailing Requiem, burn them through!"
Death Magic: Wailing Requiem!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" A soul-piercing cry as shadows coiled around it before getting engulfed in a burst of dark green hell flames.
Shi~shi~shi~!
Shi~shi~shi~!
The skull trembled and let out a familiar bone-chilling wail but I didn't release it yet. Instead, I kept gathering life energy from the endless wave of trees crashing down at my location.
One after the other, they withered at a rapid pace, and their life force followed the blazing skull, rapidly increasing its size until it had grown twice my size and loomed over me like a miniature flaming skull meteor.
"MONSTER!" Vito growled and I snorted disdainfully.
"Sacrifice is a law of nature. You must give to take. I simply offer souls for power. That doesn't make me a monster." I said and finally pressed forward unleashing my ultimate Wailing Requiem, powered by the soul of a peak Mortal realm expert.
The power stored within souls was truly astonishing. They were miniature spheres of untapped energy and this makes me wonder where all that energy goes.
The souls of the hundreds and thousands that die every day. All that untapped power. Where does it go?
{Get stronger and you will find the truth!} Lin hissed and I nodded in agreement.
BOOM!
____
____
The cataclysmic explosion that followed rocked the valley as the battlefield dyed an eerie green. Shockwaves erupted endlessly as the green-faced off against the power of hell.
It was amusing watching the endless devouring forest rot faster than it could regrow. Angels of death circled the battlefield from above as the struggle continued.
The end was near, I could see it!
"Nothing is free, the world giveth and taketh. For your life, I have sacrificed two years of William's lifespan and the fox's soul! What have you given up in exchange for mine?" I asked as my clothes and hair whipped madly against the wind, but I remained seated in a cross-legged position, fearlessly watching the chaos unfold.
"Nature giveth in abundance! For centuries I have served this forest as its guardian. I need not pay any other way to claim victory!" Vito retorted in a thundering voice, yet my mocking chuckle still reached his ears.
"This is the difference between us. Now, Perish!
BOOM!
The blinding green light has dimmed and the chaotic valley turned silent like a cemetery. The towering bones were nowhere in sight and all that was left was just a thick forest hiding the horrors of the battle that just took place.
My hand clutched my chest hard; it felt like I had run out of oxygen, and my vision was a bit blurry. Beside me was William, peacefully sleeping, unaware of the chaos that unfolded in his absence.
Glancing around I took in the condition of the battlefield—barren wastelands filled with bones and remnants of withered trees. Chunks of Mrs. Lotus's corpse was scattered around; the explosion had blown her to smithereens.
That explained how Vito had her head in hand while launching his final attack.
And finally, Vito.
His towering figure has lost all its rock armor, and one-half of its body has been blown off. With what was left of its face, he glared at me, just sitting barely ten meters away.
Its once lush green body had turned gray, withering with each passing second. If it wasn't for its withered limbs it probably would have launched another attack.
"You won..." Vito said calmly but those words meant nothing to me.
The excitement came with the thrill of battle. The aftermath was a bitter taste of the same emptiness I had just driven away. I was annoyed, not because I won but because it ended too quickly.
I wish the clash had lasted a bit longer.
"The outcome was decided even before the battle began. Death cannot be defeated." I shook my head.
My victory was to be expected. I'm not sure why I felt this way but the confidence that came with this magic was intoxicating.
"No one is truly invincible. If not, death wouldn't be seeking a new host." Vito responded and I frowned.
I wanted to retort but I had nothing to say. Without knowledge of the former hosts, it was not my place to defend them.
"I am different." I snapped.
"But the power remains the same." Vito shook his head with a bitter smile. "I'm not the first of my kind to fall and I will not be the last. The same applies to you.
Thud!
I abruptly stood up, my annoyance superseded the aching pain in my joints.
"The opinion of the dead does not matter," I said. "Might makes right. I won—"
As I spoke I placed my hand on Vito's chest and looked straight into his dimming eyes.
"Your three hundred years of experience and service to nature could not save you from death," I said before piercing his chest.
Vito's burning eyes dilated at first before losing their spark. I pulled out the massive ball of light green soul wisp—Vito's soul. Without hesitation, I yanked it into my mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.
Aah!
A groan escaped my lips as I clenched my chest in pain. The pain was abrupt, fierce, and brief—coming in ten-second intervals. My vision danced between clear and blurry.
The pain came from my core.
{You need to leave this place… You can't pass out here!} Lin warned and I agreed.
The entire battlefield was reeked of death magic. I would rather end William here than have him wake up and see all of this. With great effort, I picked up Mrs. Lotus's head, grabbed William by the hand, and dragged him along.
Every ten seconds I was assaulted by a stabbing pain and even fell to my knees a few times. But, I kept moving regardless. It took twenty long, painful minutes, but we made it past the bridge, and using my decay power, I watched the bridge reduce to dust before collapsing next to William and shutting my eyes.
_______________________
SWOOSH!
A cold wind blew causing my hair to whip violently. Above the clouds was a blood moon, casting a crimson shade over the world. But where am I?
I wanted to look around but I couldn't. Wait, why am I on my knees with numerous swords buried deep into my chest?
My dark robes were torn and bloody and my back was heavy—I looked over my shoulder just to get a glimpse of the countless spears lodged in my back.
"How?" I muttered, "Weapons like this shouldn't be able to harm me."
But then I noticed something. Beneath my feet was a golden magic array that spanned hundreds of meters. At the four cardinal points were four golden pillars. Tied to those pillars were the golden chains that bound my hands.
Surrounding me were thousands of people chanting and muttering incantations which powered the golden formation that suppressed my power.
In the distance was a bishop in white and golden garments, glaring at me like I was the devil as a priest in black cassock handed over another spear.
"Your comrades… the other fallen deities residing in mortal bodies. Where are they hiding?" The bishop's voice carried a trace of disgust. "Speak the truth and your death will be swift!"
Only now did I realize what was going on. I was witnessing the death of another host, but this one was a man, but he wasn't human.
Judging from the blade-shaped ears, every one of them, so I guessed this happened within the elf empire and this was taking place on an open field.
A familiar figure formed beside me; Lin! He glanced at me and sighed.
"I had high hopes for you and you disappointed me." He said with a frown.
"I can't… I can't kill my people!" The owner of the
body hissed.
He seemed more pissed at Lin than the people killing him. Lin sighed and shook his head. The disappointment in his eyes was impossible to miss, and then he vanished, and the world turned dark again.