The battle still raged on where Glenwood Cavern had once stood.
Aiko and the Earth Mage Hiden were locked in a battle of one versus one. Aiko’s katana was slicing through the earth like butter. Meanwhile Hiden continued launching attacks, although, none seemed to be coming close to his strongest attack.
Aiko was only getting started. Moments later her skill activated on its own.
[Bushido Resonance]
The temporary boost of her stats flared to life, signaling that she was reaching her limits and had to make use of it.
Aiko shot forward with her katana drawn for a killing strike. Hiden hardened his body and took the hit to his side with his forearm. With his other hand he formed a sword of compressed earth and controlled it with his mind. The earth blade shot towards Aiko. She blocked. It shot again. She blocked it with her katana. Again and again, the floating sword attacked and she parried each one with precision.
"Why is he so strong...and he’s not even the strongest one? Can I really avenge my master like this? No! No time for doubting myself. I was trained by the best!’
Her health had nearly gotten to a critical state. [Unbroken Spirit] kicked in automatically. Her pain was gone and her strength and speed vastly increased beyond their previous limits.
Aiko burst forward with great speed and aimed for Hiden’s neck. The hardened earth was too thick for her katana to reach. She did not give up. She adjusted her angle and struck again. This time her katana cut right through and severed his head completely.
Aiko tried to jump back but Hiden’s body still moved. With his hand he wrapped around her wrist. With his other hand he summoned the earth sword and stabbed it through her stomach.
Aiko fell to the ground, severely wounded.
John who had been watching the fight, forced himself up and the Soulreaper Scythe appeared in his hand.
He swung it down in a vertical arc at Hiden. The blade split the headless body in two. Both halves fell and promptly turns to solid earth.
A second later Hiden stood completely fine a few feet away not a wound on him and his head was completely attached to his body.
True fear and despair washed over John.
Hiden looked at him with disdain. "Weak and pathetic. What did you think that harmless little strike was going to do to me, the earth mage that commands the power over earth and the strongest mage to ever exist.huh?"
His voice was dripping with venom. "Everyone refers to the girl on the ground as a Hero, yet she can’t even save herself. She even got her master killed. And you...the Necromancer trash that everyone looked upon."
"Your class is trash. You are trash. You let all your comrades die, and instead of bringing them back to fight with you, you faced me alone. Not that it would have helped you to defeat me anyway."
Hiden raised a hand. "When I kill all of you, my rank will increase. So thank you in advance."
An earth spear formed and shot forward severing Lyra’s head off her body. Her lifeless body fell to the ground.
John roared and forced himself up, fear and rage painted on his face. Hiden immediately shot another earth spear through John’s abdomen. He gritted his teeth and used [Death’s Grip] to drain a portion of Hiden’s life.
Hiden’s eyes widened in shock. He quickly cast a spell.
[Earthen Displacement]
His body turned to flowing stone and shifted several meters away, releasing John from his grip.
John immediately activated [Summon].
Lyra reappeared beside him, her head whole. She wrapped her arms around him John returning the embrace tightly.
A calm female voice drifted down from above.
"That’s enough, Hiden. Clearly he has a few more skills in his arsenal. The Hero definitely has something up her sleeve and Lyra with her illusions...together they could actually defeat you."
Elise the Ice Mage descended from the sky on a large crystalline bird. The creature had translucent blue and white feathers that looked like carved ice and also glowing azure eyes. Its name Frostwing.
Hiden looked up in surprise. "So you’re here Ice Mage Elise. Want to take them on together?"
Elise landed lightly and amusement was clear in her voice. "Not interested. They’re not worthy enough for me to fight...though the Necromancer is somewhat interesting. I wonder if that life draining skill of his would work on me."
She gestured for Hiden to follow. "Come. Report back before you get yourself killed."
Hiden visibly cowered. He summoned a large bird made of earth magic and flew away after Elise and Frostwing.
The air pressure finally stopped.
Lyra turned back to Aiko, who was lying on the ground heavily wounded and barely alive.
"We have to help her right now, master," Lyra said urgently. "If she dies, you can still bring her back."
"Master".
"Master...come back."
Lyra stared at John’s lifeless body on the ground, which she knew wasn’t really dead as she was still living.
Five days later.
In the forest where Glenwood Cavern had once stood, Lyra and recovering Aiko kept watch over John’s motionless body.
Meanwhile, John floated in an endless void of black. A mechanical voice echoed through his mind.
[User is now evolving at high speeds]
[User is now Rank B]
[Three new skills unlocked]
[Death Domain (S)] - Creates a large area of necromantic influence. Living beings inside are weakened, while all the undead under the user’s control are greatly strengthened.
[Soul Link (S)] - Allows the user to share senses, pain, and power with any summoned undead. Damage taken by the user can be distributed to the linked servants.
[Mass Awaken (SS)] - Simultaneously revive multiple corpses within range as loyal undead. The stronger the ones were in life, the stronger the resulting undead become.
[Agility: 42] - You are now a True Necromancer. Physical agility is no longer gonna be needed.
[Strength: 49] - You have your summons. Let them fight.
[Class evolved: True Necromancer]
[User is now being transported back to Alderia]
Back in the forest, Aiko was quietly explaining to Lyra that she had her own limited use resurrection skill although she had used most of it already.
Suddenly, John’s body twitched.
He sat up and his appearance had changed completely. His hair was now pure white. A black mask was over the left of his face. In his hand was a new scythe longer and more elegant than before made out of a deep blue metal that pulsed with cold necrotic light. Dark energy swirled faintly around the blade.
Lyra’s eyes widened. "Master...is that you?"
She threw herself to him and hugged him tightly. "I knew you were alive!"
John raised a hand and his status panel appeared.
Name: John Graves
Class: True Necromancer
Rank: B
Mana Aptitude: 100
Strength: 42
Agility: 49
Skills:
Awaken (SSS)
Summon (SS)
Death’s Grip (A)
Death Domain (S)
Soul Link (S)
Mass Awaken (SS)
Weapon:
Azure Soulreaper (Unique) - Blue necrotic scythe that grows stronger with every soul it claims. Can be manifested and dismissed at will. Channels pure death energy.
He then opened Lyra’s status.
Name: Lyra Vane
Class: Shadow Illusionist
Rank: B
Mana Aptitude: 71
Strength: 35
Agility: 110
Skills:
Phantom Veil (A)
Shadow Bind (B)
Mirror Step (B)
Dark Resonance (C)
Shadow Shard (B)
Phantom Execution (A)
New Skills:
Umbral Dominion (A) - Creates a field of living shadow that conceals allies and disorients enemies.
Illusionary Army (A) - Generates multiple realistic illusionary copies of the user or allies that can deal minor real damage.
Night’s Embrace (B) - Temporarily merges with shadows, becoming nearly undetectable and increasing movement speed.
John closed the panels and looked up at the sky, a cold smile on his lips.
"I’ll take my revenge on you soon, Hiden."