Chapter 111

Chapter 111

Guardian Angel Z357 clashed with Ar’elith the First Lich King.

A powerful shockwave rippled across the landscape. Arelioth’s Pass shook. The ground trembled, and bits of rocks and rubble crashed down the cliffside into the valley. The surrounding structures— the Ruins of Fihla’s Castle— were blown apart in an instant.

The dust and debris settled as Guardian Angel Z357 narrowed his twelve eyes. His gilded lance hovered right before the Lich King’s skull, blocked by an icy staff. A purple staff. One that was conjured by the Void’s powers.

Ar’elith’s flaming eyes blaze as he roared. He swung down with his staff, aiming for the angel’s face. Z357 parried the strike, before quickly ducking under a follow-up attack. The Lich King cackled as he leapt back and raised a finger.

“I am Ar’elith! I am the Lord of All Undeath! I am the One Who Tamed the Five Revenants of Arelioth’s Path!”

He screamed as an ice spike began to form at the tip of his finger. Guardian Angel Z357 floated across from him, eyeing the purple aura coalescing around the Lich King. For a moment, the Void’s essence flared.

“I shall not... I shall not—” Ar’elith started, before his form twisted and his voice distorted. “I shall not be humiliated by a dRoNE SuCh AS YOU!”

The ice spikes multiplied a thousandfold. The attacks rained down at Guardian Angel Z357 as he raised his head. He saw the shadows drawing closer, and he closed his eyes.

Without A Trace, he activated one of his Techniques.

The Lich King’s burning purple eyes flickered as the angel’s figure seemed to vanish. But Guardian Angel Z357 hadn’t simply become invisible. His form was incorporeal. And as he flew forward, the hail of ice spikes phased through his body.

They rained down onto the nearby cliffside, ripping apart the stone with their explosions. A second valley was shredded open from the volley of blasts. It was a crater that would have engulfed multiple large cities— it ran parallel with Arelioth’s Pass, permanently scarring the landscape.

Guardian Angel Z357 easily avoided them and reached Ar’elith’s side in an instant, before ending the effects of his Technique. His body phased back into existence as the Lich King recoiled.

“You—”

And Guardian Angel 357 thrust forward with his lance, shattered the skeleton’s ribs in a single swing.

Ar’elith collapsed into a pile of bones as he screamed. But the purple aura wreathing his body did not fade away. He slowly began to regenerate as the angel flitted back.

If Guardian Angel Z357 wanted, he could have dispelled the Void’s essence from the Lich King’s remains. However, he did not. He refused to do it. Even as he sensed the brief tear in space forming within the bones. Like a core of depravity.

He refused to destroy it entirely.

Not yet, he told himself. Not until—

[In Progress: (0/1) Void’s Heir defeated!]

Guardian Angel Z357 eyed the blue box flashing to his side. He dismissed the objective, readying even more of his Techniques.

Not until the Void’s Heir fully succumbs, and the Fal-Deus steps foot into Planet 16B.

Only then, could Guardian Angel Z357 put a halt to this incursion between the Void and Vacuos. All he needed to do was ensure that the vessel— that Ar’elith the First Lich King— was fully broken, so the Fal-Deus could claim a medium to walk this world.

For now—

Guardian Angel Z357 watched as the Lich King was pieced back together once again.

—--

Ar’elith blinked. He stood in an empty room. A dark room. One that was shrouded in a veil of purple mist. An expanse of nothingness surrounded him, and he frowned. Where was he? He didn’t know. He raised a hand—

And paused when he didn’t see a skeletal arm protruding from his side.

He stared, puzzled for a long moment. Then he looked down at himself. His eyes went wide when he saw a young man. Flesh and skin still clung to his bones, and long golden locks trickled down his neck. He was the Lich King. He was the Lord of All Undeath. And right now, he was—L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.

...human?

His name was Arthur. He had been a [Priest] once. He had been a devout follower of the World System. He was a non-combatant— his Skills were tailored to empowering others and helping them level. He was also capable of guiding others down different advancement paths for their Classes.

He had everything he could have ever wanted. He had a wife— he had two children. And while he wasn’t rich, he was happy.

Until it was all taken away from him.

He couldn’t breathe. The dark tendrils tightened their grips on him, and he felt like his body was being ripped apart. Somehow, he still remained in one piece. And he gritted his teeth, remembering his dreams.

He recalled the promise he had made himself

“I am Ar’elith the Lich King!” he shouted as he fought back against his bindings. “The Lord of All Undeath— the One Who Tamed the Five Revenants of Arelioth’s Path!”

Arthur rose to one feet as he glared up at the floating eye. He balled his hands into fists, before breaking free from the dark tendrils holding down his arms. He roared in defiance as he stared into the Void.

“I shall not be your pawn!”

For a moment, it looked like he was going to break free from his bindings. But the Void simply returned his gaze.

“No,” it said as more tendrils emerged from the darkness. “You will not be a pawn.”

And they dragged Arthur down as he screamed. He was brought back down to his knees, before his face was slammed into the ground. He opened his mouth, and one of the tendrils wrapped around his face, preventing him from speaking.

The eye looked down at him as he struggled. No words left his mouth. He was sinking into the darkness, and he could only stare helplessly as the Void took control of his body— as it took on his feelings and his emotions. As his mind gave in to its temptation.

“You will be my vessel.”

All Arthur could feel now was—

“And then we can both have our revenge.”

...anger.

—--

Guardian Angel Z357 saw an opening. The Lich King hesitated for a brief moment, and the angel swooped in for another powerful blow. But before he could reach his target, a powerful explosion of the Void’s essence shot out in all directions.

The blast sent him flying back as he raised his lance to protect himself from the explosion. He crashed straight through a nearby cliffside before catching himself mid-air. The cliff collapsed beneath him as he quickly regained his bearings.

His twelve eyes flickered as he stared at the crater at the center of the blast. A figure stood there. Not a skeletal figure— but one that was covered in a thin layer of flesh. Like a desiccated body. Except the ribs poked out of its stomach, and it still wore the face of a skull.

A pair of bone-like wings protruded from its back as a dark aura wisped off its body like a regal cloak. The purple shadows receded for a moment, revealing a hole dug into its chest. One that looked like a glistening crystal eye, but... distorted.

Almost like it was a rift in space.

Guardian Angel Z357 stared at this figure— at the creature that had replaced Ar’elith. No... it hadn’t replaced the Lich King. Rather, they had become one. Or they were in the process of becoming one.

A blue box flashed before the angel’s twelve eyes as he descended from the sky.

[Processing: Change in Objective...

...

Failed: (0/1) Void’s Heir defeated!

Minor Objective E: Destroy the Fledgling God Vessel before Planet 16B is destroyed!(0/1) Fledgling God Vessel destroyed!

Main Objective Incomplete!]

Guardian Angel Z357 landed right before the creature as it stared at itself. It flexed a hand curiously, before looking up towards him. He braced himself as the World System gave him a warning.

[WARNING! Exorbitant Amounts of Void Essence Detected!

Threat Level: Demigod(?)*

*Danger is rapidly growing!]

Fledgling God Vessel? Demigod? Guardian Angel Z357 tilted his head back. Then he raised his lance as he prepared for battle. Finally, he could eradicate the Fal—

“Perish.”

And the Fledgling God Vessel appeared behind the angel before he could react. He couldn’t even spin around in time to protect himself. A blast of lightning fell from the sky, consuming him as he silently screamed in agony.