Graver watched the peasants for a little while longer, his hands still coated with the mayor’s blood. He didn’t have time to leave a truly lethal blow, but a mortal like that should die out in no time.
He spat to the side, sitting on the roof of the inn, only mildly entertained, but still incredibly pissed off. Wanda’s ass, he wasn’t expecting his employer to get locked away like a petty criminal. Pretending to be a butler, only tending Drew’s horses hurt his pride, and he didn’t get to see much. Only the rumors that some wolf and a cat teamed up with the brave new citizens to scare off the magicians. The griffin made their scary spells misfire, causing them to eradicate themselves.
Graver had to stop himself from facepalming many, many times. He considered stealing a horse and leaving, but going through all of this only to end up without any pay was out the window. As if things couldn’t get any worse, the hero suspected he was here, so took it upon himself to personally guard Drew’s cell until the real kingdom soldiers arrived.
After a while of rotting in this F-ranked backwater, he hatched a thriller of a plan. A simple one, actually. The lousy town guards wouldn’t be able to do a thing when it came to the assassination of the mayor himself. Unfortunately, Graver was no rogue, lacking the training to not do a sloppy job, but as a magician much stronger than a pathetic mortal, he didn’t need the skills. He snarled, seeing that the hero still didn’t leave the blasted jail.
Graver wanted to remain under the radar, return to the sect, blending in. Nobody cared if one came and went out, as long as they contributed to the Crimson Sect by the end of the month. Only an idiot would betray them or the elders. The demonic faction ran things in secret in order to one day present an alternative that could even overthrow that blasted Lord Ruler.
He had no choice but to use his trump card. Ugh, it felt humiliating, like wielding a giant hammer on a child. Or pouring water on the Red Star after her temper flared out of control.
The blood on his hands seeped into his skin and he pulled his wand from a sheath strapped to his side. His spell book, a magician’s soul partner, manifested at his side as he gathered the power. The words of the spell flowed through his mind, allowing him to chant without vocalization like an inexperienced amateur. Unfortunately, he still had to say the name of the spell at the very end to activate it.
“Summoning Chorus Number Four. Draw from the Blood Pact. Come forth, Blood Wraith!”
An awfully long title of a spell, containing some key activation variables, but it’d do the trick. The glowing red power oozed from Graver, his wand, and his spell book. That turned the sky red, a fitting intro, to his most powerful summonable creature. A being of fear.
“Devour the mayor first, then use that power to devour the hero and his party,” Graver said. “To think I’m forced to use such power on mere weaklings. If the sect finds out, I’ll be expelled as an embarrassment beyond help.”
The summoned creature, the blood wraith, began to manifest.
The moment we took to the air with Beakwing, something strange happened, and I began to seriously worry about the townspeople. As if the reddening sky wasn’t an obvious indication. This kind of shit was why I insisted on keeping my abilities and identity a secret, to keep away the assholes. Judging by the surging of powerful aura I felt in the air, it simply didn’t matter. Whether it was by fate’s design as the system called it or not, magicians would stumble upon this place.
What the hell were the guards doing?
We clearly missed one of the Crimson Sect bastards, but who? Everyone searched the town, making sure they were all gone before calling it a day. This mystery guy hadn’t caused a ruckus until now.
Were they after the mayor this entire time? Maybe. But the moment I saw a red robe-wearing skeleton the size of a house equipped with a scythe manifest, I tossed that idea away. The mayor didn’t have enough value to be any more than a distraction. This was a challenge for the hero’s party.
Well, four of them were on Beakwing’s back with me, along with Milia, Wolverine, and Harmony. Mandi and Lucas stayed back with Cheetara to man the shop. Tom, seemingly afraid of the griffin, simply opted to run back to the town instead.
I couldn’t refute Harmony from getting to her own father and wouldn’t be cruel enough to stop her either, as long as I personally went along. Thankfully, the hero’s party could deal with what appeared to be the fucking Grim Reaper over there. I looked at them for confirmation. They nodded.
“It’s a blood wraith,” Iris said. “It’s going to be a tough battle, but we should be able to handle it. Just save the mayor. Your potions are ridiculously fast, like a thing of miracles.”
Ronica nodded. “I’m not sure if you believe in myths and legends, but be careful with creating too many miracles.” She grinned. “You may just attract the Goddess of Miracles and she may force you to marry her and have babies.”
“That’s just some dumb legend,” Maxus said. “We didn’t get our visit for taking down the Wanda-forsaken Midnight Dragon.”
Ronica shrugged. “Just a friendly message to help calm the mood. Besides, there was a rumor of our very own hero getting a late-night visit.”
“Yeah, from Princess Ling attempting to sneak into his room,” Maxus said. “He barred his room with a magically-enhanced dresser.”
“A hero denying a night visit from a princess,” I said, my eyes still on the terror in the city. We were approaching rapidly, and I prepared to drop off the hero’s party. “Isn’t he a womanizer?”
Harmony gave me a look of disgust, but it was clearly not a look aimed at me, but Ramon.
“It’s a long story,” Ronica said, “but you should count your blessings you hadn’t met her. Death and beauty combined into one being. I’m envious of you, actually, Nate.”
Nuwa nodded in agreement. I looked at Milia.
“She’s… right,” Milia said, but didn’t elaborate. It appeared the dryad had met royalty. That’d be an interesting conversation tonight, perhaps over snacks with the spirit beast pets.
“Beakwing, you do the honors of greeting our unwanted blood wraith guest,” I said.
My griffin wasted no time charging his magic. “Hero’s party, get ready. We need to get rid of this thing quick before it attacks.”
“You can’t exactly kill a blood wraith quickly,” Ronica said.
“Well, I guess I’ll try it while we’re in the sky,” I said, aiming a hand.
“Don’t! Let Beakwing’s magic do it,” Nuwa suddenly said. “Your intense power could be deflected. The blood wraith was summoned here by someone with a boundary field. I can feel it now.”
“Isn’t that a little too convenient to keep me out of the fight?” I asked, reluctantly letting go of the charge of my magic. Sure, I could stupidly go against her warning, being a magical newbie and all, but if the field deflected my magic into a random building, no one would survive. I’d essentially annihilate bystanders.
Beakwing released his attack, which did nothing but draw the wraith’s attention. Up close, the thing’s eye sockets glowed an eerie red. Someone stood on a rooftop near it wearing what looked to be a butler’s suit, though ragged, as if he wore the same thing for weeks.
Unfortunately, this being the main section of town, a good amount of people were in the area. Including Chenzu, who stared up at the wraith fearfully. He seemed to shake himself out of a trance and then yelled at people to run.
That was when the scythe came down very close to an unlucky woman. Chenzu pulled her away just in time, saving her life. The roadway now had a giant crater in the middle of it.
“Iris, shoot the guy standing on the roof,” I said coldly. “I want a headshot. Now.”
She did so without hesitation, her eyes furious at almost witnessing the death of a civilian she was supposed to be protecting. I’d give the hero’s party credit where it was due. They were kind of like freedom fighters, in a way.
Unfortunately, the person on the roof was no weakling and a glowing red shield erected around him just a second before the arrow could take his life. Iris clicked her tongue, annoyed.
By this time, we were entering town. Beakwing landed and let out a giant roar at the wraith. The blood wraith didn’t appear to give a damn, its focus… well, I didn’t know. Perhaps it was up to its obvious summoner on the roof.
“How did you spot the summoner so fast?” Ronica asked. “I couldn’t sense him over this icky blood aura.”
I ignored her. “Can you do something about the boundary field?”
“I can,” a voice said. Surprised, I turned to see Chenzu running up to us. For some reason, the summoner wasn’t paying us much attention. He seemed to be searching for someone, even muttering to himself as if dissatisfied. As a result, the blood wraith only attacked those who got close to it, but didn’t charge us, uninterested. That… kind of felt relieving, as it gave us ample time to make sure any stragglers got the hell away. No one questioned why I was there, as they clearly assumed the spirit beasts were going to do the fighting. They knew little about the mysterious strangers that were the hero’s party and Chenzu, only that they carried weapons like warriors.
“Good luck, warriors,” some lady said. “And Nate, thank you for offering to give them potions.”
“You guys hold it off, I can’t let Harmony get too far ahead of me,” I said. “I need to heal her father first.”
They nodded and, with a blur, I caught up to the blue-haired girl and scooped her up. I think I broke a world record as we reached the mayor’s house in less than a few seconds.
He was currently in bed, surrounded by Tom, a few guards, and someone I assumed was a doctor, though he looked as if he got dragged to the mayor’s house judging by his appearance.
I wasted no time, ignoring the doctor’s question, and poured a potion down his throat. They all watched the wound in his gut visibly heal instantly. Harmony’s crying calmed as she threw her arms around her father, who woke up.
Once again, I was both extremely proud and afraid of my own creation. But due to that, my Dao of Creation came into being, a reward for being aware of the consequences of my actions.
“I have to go, but Harmony, stay here with your father,” I said. “Everyone, you do not want to go outside. There are some warriors dealing with the monster. I’m going to support them with my potions.”
As I hurried off, Tom looked as if he wanted to say something, his shirt covered in sweat from the run, but I kept going. Honestly, I had long believed he suspected me. If anything, he and Harmony appeared to be relatives or long family-like friends. Harmony likely told him some time before becoming my apprentice. The mayor knew about the hero’s party and, seeing how they basically made my shop a hangout spot, probably connected the dots. He was also among the small group that knew about Harmony’s magic.
However, what they didn’t know, but Milia and I knew, was that Harmony had raw potential to become a true badass. She almost felt like my adopted little sister who got on my nerves half the time.
Upon returning to the battle, a prompt signaled that the summoner had given up on whatever he searched for in order to deal with us.
[Enemy analysis.]
[Blood Wraith. S-ranked Summoned Night Apparition. Danger!]
[Enemy analysis.]
Graver, hidden Crimson Sect member.
Magician rank: 12th realm of the Highcore.
[Boss fight begin.]
“He really did have some kind of shield, but I’ve managed to take it down,” Chenzu said. “The bad news is that the summoner’s paying attention now. He’s strong.”
“Will the wraith disappear if… the summoner’s knocked out?” I asked as I jumped backward, just evading a swing from its scythe.
“No,” Ronica said. “Either kill him or we make the big boy disappear.” She grinned, aiming a wooden wand at the monster’s head. Her spell book wasn’t out, so it couldn’t have been that much of a threat.
But Graver’s spell book floated alongside of him. I had to ask.
“Does summoning your spell book give you any kind of boost?” I asked.
“It enables you to use your strongest spells,” Ronica said, firing pink lightning at the giant monster. “There are some that boost your power, but they usually come with downsides.”
I nodded, then dashed into action toward the summoner. He didn’t realize I was coming until I jumped to the roof to meet him, greeting the bastard with a fist. Graver put up a magical shield, but the problem with throwing up something hastily was that it would inevitably fail. So, it shattered easily.
He took the punch to the face, and I winced upon realizing I sent the man flying at what looked like hundreds of meters per second on a trip. He missed the buildings thankfully, but at this rate, he’d end up at the village in between Kyushu and Wingston.
Okay, thankfully my thoughts were just an exaggeration and I actually held back just a little. He landed on his back in the middle of a field outside the town and didn’t get back up. But he wasn’t dead. Even if I decided to take the bloody path, what good would it do when there was so many questions to ask? Yes, interrogation. We were getting attacked by the Crimson Sect a lot and maybe this moron had some answers. However, if the hero’s party decided to silence him behind my back, I wouldn’t complain.
Call me what you want, but I didn’t think I received the Dao of Creation for nothing! Speaking of which.
Jumping to the ground, I pulled out the summoning potion while everyone struggled with the wraith and poured a drop onto the ground. The spot glowed brightly until the dragon from before, Aku, spawned into existence, a giant.
“Destroy the wraith, Aku,” I said. “I want the scythe, though.”
Iris facepalmed. “The scythe’s the size of a two-story building. Why do you want such a thing?”
“Decoration,” I replied to the elf with a straight face.
Even Milia looked at me, but she simply shrugged.
“I think he’s trying to compensate for something,” Ronica said. “Right?”
“Goddammit, I walked right into that,” I said.
The women were laughing and fighting, which seemed to piss off the wraith. It didn’t enjoy being mocked, even as a summoned creature without its full will.
“I will take care of this pest, Master,” Aku said, inhaling. The wraith actually turned around to face him and blocked the golden flames with his scythe.
“Oh yeah, I forgot S-ranked monsters are a pain in the ass,” I said.
Aku bashed the wraith backward with a quick tail attack. The blood wraith tried to slice him in half but was too slow, the dragon dodging nimbly.
“So, you can summon dragons now. Why am I not surprised?” Maxus said, shaking his head.
“Just hurry and take care of this thing,” I said, voice tired. “People are looking, and they think you’re a group of warriors. I will provide support through potion only. Wolverine, Beakwing, aim for the back. Blast him!”
Wolverine barked in confirmation. Beakwing grunted his reply, charging up magic. However, this wasn’t his usual spell. His claws began to glow as bright as torches.
“A new skill,” I said softly.
Wolverine released his Sunlight Flash, though it didn’t do much damage. Beakwing pounced on the wraith, bringing the monster to the ground and then raked multiple glowing claws across it before getting tossed to the side.
I considered risking it but held my ground. The hero’s party weren’t weaklings and fought these things before. This was a test of faith in other people, I supposed.
Chenzu played a few notes on his lute, ending with a flat that covered the wraith in a purple haze.
“Its defenses are down. Take it out, Sir Dragon,” he said to Aku.
I almost quoted something but knowing damn well it’d go to waste on the people of this era, I kept my mouth shut. Instead, I hurried at a somewhat believable running speed to the downed summoner. There was no fucking way I’d allow that dumbass cliché where the guy gets away simply because we weren’t paying attention for a few minutes. He already got away once by posing as a butler, keeping away from the main fight. We couldn’t allow this to happen again.
When I collected him, I turned to see Milia delivering an airborne downward swing straight out of an anime, slicing a giant gash into the center of the wraith’s head. Red light burst from what I assumed was a wound. Yet the thing just didn’t die.
Being all the way out here in the field, I considered firing, but tossed that idea away. Without coordinating that properly, someone would get in the way and get blown to pieces before their sense of danger even had the chance to react. Or maybe the sense would allow them to dodge in time. Taking that risk simply wasn’t an option, so I hefted the summoner and ran to the jail, which wasn’t too far away.
“Here, another Crimson Sect bastard,” I told the hero, who opened his eyes as I walked in. “He summoned a blood wraith, by the way.”
Ramon’s eyes widened and he rushed out.
“Wait! Let them— Goddammit, he’s gone,” I said. “Welp, I guess I’m stuck babysitting you two. What? You’re expecting me to leave so you can hatch an escape plan?”
I revealed just a peek of a killing intent, causing Drew to go pale. “I’ve been meaning to speak with you, Sir Drew Starrigon. You’ve got some time to answer a few questions, right?”
I gave him my corporate smile. He could only shiver. “Well? Nod if you understand.”
He nodded vigorously. “I… I understand.”
Drew felt as if he stared into an endless abyss of power when the master magician revealed himself. For a second there, he almost thought the Peace Spawner found him. However, he didn’t sense the rumors of tangible evil or endless darkness.
Not that he understood what he sensed from the guy before him.
“By the way, I figure you know this, but I’m Nate, the town’s potion maker,” he said.
And from those words, Drew now understood. These people had no idea that someone almost akin to a god walked among them. But… but why not claim easy fame? Why live in a backwater? He could marry the princess if he wanted.
Though Drew wouldn’t wish that fate even on this man. His blood boiled, but quickly cooled down. If he lied to the master magician, he was dead. One could not lie to them.
In his life, he’d met only one other, someone that was basically god of the Bringers of Dawn. Well, he didn’t meet him, only caught a glimpse of the man who looked no more than twenty-five years, stepping out a bit for fresh air, his mostly female attendants groveling around him.
Drew felt the life force of the wraith deplete and soon, he’d be alone with that irritating hero again.
“We’ll start with something easy, Sir Starrigon,” the frightening master magician said, though his voice was calm, his demeanor lax. “Tell me earnestly why the hell you’re here. And think about your answer. I’m not above breaking off your fingers one by one for trying to bullshit me.”
Drew paled again and then opened his mouth, ready to answer any question this figure of death had for him.
