v2c24: A Warm Welcome Home for Mr. Abyss
As Abyss emerged from the portal, he found himself plummeting into a deep pit, the Gateway to the New World falling alongside him. A wave of searing heat washed over him, singeing his face.
Startled by Lannis’s overly enthusiastic welcome, he exhaled a blast of icy air, transforming the heat into a cool breeze. He then chanted a spell, invisible winds catching him, the falling portal, and the chunk of floor they were standing on. He also extended his magic to support the collapsing ceiling above, realizing it was Lannis’s basement.
Despite his emotional obliviousness, Abyss was perceptive in such situations. He instantly understood what was happening.
Enemies, immune to Lannis’s explosives, had breached her defenses. He didn’t know their motives, but he was certain they wouldn’t show her any mercy.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, he had already levitated the fallen section of floor back to its original position, returning to the basement.
Lannis lay on the ground, seemingly resigned to her fate, while a spectral warrior stood before her, observing the surroundings with a hesitant expression.
“Hmm? What’s going on? Why is there a specter here?” Abyss wondered, scratching his head, deciding to assess the situation before releasing the girls.
He had assumed the enemy was simply powerful, but he hadn’t expected a spectral warrior! And a formidable one at that. No wonder Lannis couldn’t defend herself. These creatures were practically immune to physical attacks. Explosives wouldn’t harm them.
But why a specter? Were necromancers now bold enough to operate openly in cities?
He sensed another magical force attempting to stabilize the ceiling, but it was weaker and more frantic compared to his own.
“Hey, spectral friend,” Abyss said, his voice calm, as he crouched down and helped Lannis to her feet. He addressed the specter, who was standing motionless. “Who sent you here? Is the one controlling you up there, trying to hold up the ceiling with magic?”
“Grrr…”
The specter remained silent. Abyss, after a moment of thought, repeated his question in the ancient language.
The specter, finally understanding, nodded fearfully but resolutely, replying in broken ancient language, “Evil… mage… control… me… kill… halfling… above… waiting.”
“I see,” Abyss said, nodding, then snapped his fingers. “You’re free now.”
The chain around the specter’s neck shattered, severing the link between him and the necromancer. The spectral warrior, freed from his enslavement, touched his neck, bewildered, unsure what to do.
“I’m not dead?” Lannis, whom Abyss had been holding by the collar, finally lifted her head, her face covered in dust, her eyes wide with surprise. “Gray-haired boy? You’re back? Or did we both die and end up in the afterlife?”
“I’m back,” Abyss shrugged. “Were you hoping I would die?”
“You succeeded? You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t!” Lannis exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch.
“Hehe, I won’t tell you,” Abyss said, grinning mischievously. “First, tell me what’s going on with the enemy.”
Lannis, about to throw a tantrum, realized there must be a reason for Abyss’s smugness. “Boy, if you had arrived any later, I would be speaking to you as a ghost. There’s a necromancer up there, I don’t know where he came from. He wanted to capture me. I couldn’t fight him, so I blew up the place.”
“You risked your life?”
“It was my promise. I said I wouldn’t let the enemy near the portal, and I keep my promises, even if it means death,” Lannis said, wiping the dust off her face, grinning.
“I admire your dedication,” Abyss said, smiling at her. “You seem to be injured. Rest here for a while. I’ll deal with our necromantic ‘family matters’ upstairs. I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry, the ceiling won’t collapse.”
“You’re not with him, are you?” Lannis asked, sitting down without hesitation. She was exhausted and out of explosives. Even if she detonated the remaining ones, it wouldn’t achieve much.
“Of course not. I wouldn’t associate with someone like him,” Abyss said, then turned and walked towards the basement exit, pausing to pat the spectral warrior on the shoulder. “If you don’t wish to rest yet, you can follow me. I won’t disappoint you. I’m going to deal with the one who enslaved you. Wait here for me.”
The spectral warrior stared at Abyss’s retreating figure, grumbling, seemingly surprised by his offer of freedom.
In his time, there were no mages who could enslave the dead. The necromancers he had encountered after becoming a specter were all ruthless individuals who showed no respect for the deceased. He had never met one who treated the dead as equals.
Could it be… that not all necromancers were evil?
…
The necromancer, standing in Lannis’s ruined house, felt a growing sense of unease. Someone had stabilized the collapsing basement, and then silence had fallen.
Before he could decipher what had happened, he felt a sudden disconnect within his mind—he had lost his connection to Kells, the ancient warrior specter!
He was horrified. That was his strongest servant!
He wanted to rush down and investigate, but his instincts screamed at him to stay put!
Lannis was alone down there! What had she done? What had she summoned?
A terrifying premonition filled him, urging him to raise his bone spikes, aiming them at the basement entrance. Something was coming, although he couldn’t sense any presence. A primal fear surged within him!
Eugene, witnessing the necromancer’s reaction, was surprised. What was this powerful eighth-tier mage so afraid of?
Then, a gray-haired figure in a dress slowly emerged from the basement entrance.
The necromancer, his nerves on edge, reacted instantly, launching all his bone spikes towards the approaching figure, a deadly swarm filling the air!
“Hold on, let’s talk,” a calm voice said.
And as the words echoed through the air, the bone spikes lost their connection to the necromancer. They changed course, turning on their former master, stopping a meter before him.
The necromancer’s face paled. His necromancy had been completely suppressed!
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