Chapter 314 The Sun shines upon the Mountain

Chapter 314 The Sun shines upon the Mountain

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"Huff... Arg..."

The cold hard ground against his skin, Dale slowly lost his senses as his body broke down.

He wasn't healing, he was dying, and very painfully at that.

His skin split apart and his bones cracked with every movement, as if he was the most fragile person in the world...

Moving his head around, he could see it, his goal, just a few meters away.

Being this close to his goal yet at the same time so far... If only his legs could still move.

/Push.../

But he wasn't going to give up like that.

He raised his right hand and pushed the ground, getting on his knees.

Even if he had to crawl, he would reach it... If his legs wouldn't move, then his arms would.

Albeit that wouldn't be necessary.

"Huff..."

Because as the seconds passed and as he reached the throne, he felt his body energize, giving him the boost he needed to get up and walk to the center of the Ancient Hall.

He felt as if the ancient statues that still hung around were looking at him, following him with their stony gazes.

But maybe that was just him hallucinating from overworking his body.

/Step.../

Each step was heavy as if he was carrying his body weight as extra luggage, causing his tired legs to tremble whenever he moved.

His muscles screamed and in a sense, so did his mind.

/Fwoosh.../

"Huff..."

Maybe feeling his determination and desires, his sword flew from above the gate, floating next to him, giving him support so he could walk somewhat better.

He also saw how his spear and bow were strapped around the sword's handle, and with a pensive gaze, he fetched the spear, using it as a cane as he walked forward.

Feeling much lighter, his steps became quicker and the pain in his body lessened even if very so slightly.

/Step.../

He felt as if he could see it, the throne, waiting for him behind the shadows...

"!"

But would it be so easy?

/Step.../

/Stop.../

To his far right, standing next to a pillar, was a man.

He didn't have any particularly interesting features.

His clothes were like those an explorer would have, but they didn't look exquisite in any way shape, or form.

His blonde hair was messy and disorderly, it even seemed a bit dark, not having the glister it should've had.

In his right hand, the man held a thick book just as messy as his hair, and he kept flipping through its pages as he walked, reading on and on as the book itself seemed infinite.

There was a simple sword tied to his waist, but... That was about it.

Still... If there was one thing one could say about him was that... His eyes were immeasurably clear.

Even in the mist surrounding the mountains, a mist that covered the entire world in a faint haze, his eyes shone brightly like polished gems in the sand.

As if the mist itself could not contain his gaze.

""...""

/Poof.../

Upon seeing Dale, he stopped reading his book, changing his attention to him as he closed it with one hand.

/Silence.../

A looming silence formed between the two of them as they gazed at each other... And for a moment, the blond man seemed to smile.

But in the next one...

/FUOM!/

"?!!!"

Out of nowhere, Dale was trapped within a cubicle of greenish energy, and he felt his entire body be squished as the shadow of a horned beast manifested in the air, pressing him down with its claws.

"U-URRRG!"

He felt his entire being be compressed, organ by organ, even his eyes slowly caved in under the creature's... The man's powers.

He tried to struggle but he was too tired, way too tired.

Even if he wanted to continue, his body could not follow through with his desires.

He bit his lips, his nails dug into his flesh, but he couldn't even stand, much less break through the barrier...

/Shine!.../

"ARRRRRRG!!!"

But in his moment of desperation, one of the statues lit up, shining a beam of light onto his body, causing his skin to light up in flames and his eyes began to emit faint light as he let out a bloody scream.nove(lB-1n

The golden light traveled across his body, from his feet to his hair, from the tip of a finger to the other, delivering pain like none other.

"..."

But amidst this desperate situation, Dale was reminded of why he had started to climb.

And when his doubts cleared away, the only thing left in his mind was his goal.

It was not an empty obsession anymore, it had become pure and hard determination.

Even if just for a moment, he had purpose again.

And when that happened, his body began to protest, not against him, but against those who were delivering it pain.

And the gears of his flesh began spinning once more.

/Grab.../

...

/Gasp!/

"Huff..."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, the blond man reappeared, having teleported himself out of harm's way.

His eyes darted around as he tried to make sense of the situation, but it was too late.

/Flash!/

"?!"

If he thought he would be safe by creating distance, then he was very much wrong.

Using his bow for the first time, Dale pulled the string and an arrow materialized in his hand.

/BLAST!/

/FIRE!/

A fiery arrow was released, flying across the air like a comet in the sky, it hit precisely against the blond man's chest, sending him flying back to the edge of the Hall.

/Flash!/

/Flash!/

Following one arrow were two more arrows, and behind those were a few more.

A complete barrage, very much like the situation before...

Their roles had been switched.

/SHIELD!/

/SPLAT!/

"?!"

The blonde man raised a shield but it quickly shattered under the elemental arrows, giving the chance for Dale's sword to plunge itself on the blond man's back, causing him to spit out blood as he looked back in disbelief.

/Flash!/

Once again, he teleported away, this time, closer to Dale, right in front of the center of the Hall where the Throne's Shadow stood.

/Gasp.../

Gasping for air, he took a step back, but Dale would not give it to him.

Within a second of his teleportation, Dale was already in front of the man, piercing with his spear as he went through the man's heart!

/CLANG!/

"HAAAAA!"

The man screamed in wrath, bringing forth a wave of power as he deflected Dale's spear, swinging sideways as he cut at his arm.

/CLANG!/

Dale pulled his spear back, blocking with the end of his spear, and like this, a bout of blows began.

/CLANG!/

/SWIPE!/

/KICK!/

/PUNCH!/

/SLASH!/

/PIERCE!!!/

Two desperate men exchanged blows atop the highest mountain of the world, but with each exchange, one's momentum grew stronger while the other's grew weaker...

/SLASH!/

/CLANG!/

/PIERCE/

/PLUNGE!/

"!"

/Drip.../

Finally, with one last act of violence, Dale blocked the man's weak sword strike with his palm, letting it cut through his flesh but giving him the chance to shove his spear deep into his heart, pinning him against a pillar.

/G-Gasp.../

This time, the man did not teleport, instead, he only looked at Dale in a mix of disbelief and... Amusement?

"..."

But in the end, Dale wouldn't have the chance to ask that of him because immediately after, the blond man gasped one last time as he died with that expression on his face.

His head dropped and his body went completely limp, and not long after, it turned into dust, leaving behind only the aftermath of their clash as proof of his existence.

His sword soon fell onto the ground as well, shattering into pieces while his book, which had fallen during their clash broke apart, its pages flying to the wind and down the mountain like snowflakes in winter.

/Shine.../

As the man died, the mist surrounding the mountain peak cleared up and sunlight began to shine upon the ancient Hall...

/Throw... Thud.../

"Huff... Huff..."

Tired beyond belief, Dale moved past the man, using the pillar as support as he left a bloody handprint in it.

He left everything behind, his bow, his sword, and his spear, taking silent and lonely steps towards his destination.

A Throne cast in shadow...

/Shine.../

But the moment sunlight shone upon it... Revealing its appearance...

/Din... Din... Din.../

Dale heard bells echo in the sky around him...

/Thud!/

And as his vision grew turbid, he fell on the ground, his entire world spinning as it went dark.

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Notes