With a final blow, the giant, muscular red Golem that was my Greater Blood Golem crushed the lizardman's head in its grip. I ordered the rats to carry the stone sword, leather armor, and spider shield to the hideout.
With that done, I walked through the blood pit, searching for Nas'hrah.
"I'm not saying this is a terrible idea, but this is a terrible idea!"
"I know, Kitab, but he'sss too powerrrful an ally to ignore."
Soon I found a head of dark hair amidst the piles of red flesh on the walls. The smell of the place was revolting, the buzzing of flies mingled with the wet footsteps of my boots sticking to the floor, but I had a goal to accomplish.
However, I didn't immediately awaken him. I removed some coins from my pocket and prepared to strengthen myself.
"I thought you weren't going to use that spell anymore."
"I prrromised to control myself, and I believe I've waited long enough. I won't enterrr Ma'habre unprepared. Headsss."
I tossed a five-cent coin, starting slow. Unfortunately, tails was the result, and the Colour From Outer Space took effect.
I clenched my teeth in pain as something seemed to try to pierce my skull. I felt the bone breaking and the flesh tearing. Blood trickled down my head with a final sting.
CRACK!
"AAAHHH!"
I almost fell to my knees, breathing heavily. The corners of my vision darkened as everything seemed to have doubled in number. I glimpsed the ground being painted a fresh red and had to brace myself against one of the piles of flesh to avoid falling. Bringing a trembling hand to my head, I felt a pair of horns curving to the side before pointing upwards, piercing my hood.
"You should stop."
"Not yet! Headsss!"
I tossed another five-cent coin, this time getting what I wanted. I felt stronger and the mutation didn't happen.
"That's enough!"
"Jussst one more time! Headsss!"
I tossed another coin of the same value and couldn't help but smile when I saw heads.
"HAHAHA!"
"Great, you lost your head!"
"No, I jussst found it!"
I grabbed his dark hair, pulling Nas'hrah out of the mountain of guts. His head soon slipped from my grip and the New God opened his sleepy eyes, looking around in confusion before yawning.
When the sleep mist dissipated, he glared at me with fury and disgust, as if I were nothing but trash. I stepped back, summoning the Blood Golem and preparing for recruitment.
"Who disturbs my sleep?! Can't you see I haven't preserved my entire body, you insolent creature?! Now I need more blood for the ritual! Keh Keh Keh!"
Nas'hrah floated to the center of the corridor and recited a chant in an unknown language. A wall of darkness appeared at the end of the passage, and an overwhelming pressure filled the air.
There was something large there, the aspect of darkness that the sorcerer had brought under his control.
"Will you not run away? I admire your foolish bravery! Tell me, bizarre little creature, what do you do in the darkness?"
"I feel there'sss something bigger waiting in the depthsss!"
The head grinned broadly, amused by my answer. Simultaneously, a pair of massive eyes and fingers emerged from the darkness, staring hungrily at me, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Is that so?"
"Cerrrtainly, and a supposed man of prophecy used the Cube of the Depthsss to open the door to Ma'habre! He desires to become something greater than a New God, to unify humanity and rule the worrrld! I WANT… I NEED to dessstroy him along with the reign of the New Godsss! I want to rip out their spinesss and watch them collapse, limp and weak! I want to sssee them bleed as they are crrrushed by the same arrogance that helped them assscend to power…"
Momentarily, Nas'hrah's eyes widened and his expression became impassive, completely silent, then he laughed like a madman, a disgusting noise that reverberated off the walls.
A pair of horns and a face that mixed bull and human appeared in the distance, its hot, heavy breath blowing on my hair and clothes. I resisted the urge to flee, not when I was so close to getting what I wanted, despite the fear gripping my chest.
"Keh Keh Khe! It seems we think alike! I didn't expect a worm like you to possess such knowledge. I could grant you the honor of kneeling before me if you're interested…"
For a moment, my eyes darted to the gigantic monster approaching. I wasted no time and fell to my knees, lowering my head.
"I'm interrrested."
In the blink of an eye, the creature of darkness vanished, taking with it the pressure and terror it caused me. I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding, feeling my body tremble and both hearts threaten to leap from my chest. When I finally stood up, I was face to face with the floating head leaking a steady trail of blood.
"What a pity I no longer have a body, otherwise I would have you perform other tasks. I am known by many titles, but you may call me Nas'hrah, the Doom and Terror of Modern Man. I detest the idea of having a brainless worm like you following me as a student, but perhaps I need you this time, considering you possess the talisman of one of my mages, so perhaps you are more capable than those useless ones. My strength is not what it once was. Make no mistake, I could crush you like the worm you are, but to complete the work, I need my body back. There must be a way to do exactly that in the ancient city beneath these ruins; I want you to help me there."
His mood swings were impressive; one moment he laughed as if he had seen the funniest thing in the world, and now his face contorted in a grimace of anger and frustration.
"Asss you wish, Masterrr, but before we depart, perhaps it would be best if we reunited with my companionsss. The more help, the faster you will recover yourrr body; I don't want you to waste your time and energy on thingsss beneath you."
"Hmph! It seems you learn quickly to respect your superiors. Let's see if your fighting skills are as good as your words. Now shut your mouth, that irritating accent of yours is hurting my ears!"
I nodded and dismissed my Golem with a gesture, leading the way to the hideout. Well, I just need to prove myself useful and stroke his ego for everything to go well. We descended the stairs to the prisons, and along the way, I heard Nas'hrah's murmurs and complaints, which eventually turned to me.
"Servant, what kind of creature are you, some creation of the dungeon?"
"No, Masterrr, I was human once, but I assumed this appearance due to the effectsss of a spell to strengthen me."
"Ugliness suits you. I think this is connected to the Gods from another world watching you and the grimoire in your hands, isn't it?"
"Exactly, Masterrr. I am nothing more than a toy to entertain the Godsss of my world. They brought me here for an unknown reassson, and now I wish to free myssself from their grip. The book is a small aid they grrranted me."
"I would pity you if you weren't so pathetic, but at least I respect your wish. The Gods think themselves too good, doing whatever they want with humanity."
We descended the spiral staircase, hearing a commotion coming from the hideout. I slowly approached the entrance with Shark Teeth at the ready, only to stop when I saw D'arce trying to stop Madeleine from running away.
"Please, calm down, I'm sure he's alright, but you can't rush things!"
Taking a deep breath, I mentally kicked myself for the stupid thing I'd done and crossed the entrance, drawing everyone's attention.
"I'm back." They both stopped immediately, and Madeleine smiled, circling D'arce and hugging my leg.
"Hm… How peculiar."
Nas'hrah chose this moment to make his presence known, staring at the girl with barely contained curiosity. She returned his gaze with a mixture of fear and surprise, slowly raising her dagger, making the sorcerer grin broadly. However, I grabbed her arm before she could unleash his wrath.
"You have potential, brat, but grow up a little, after all, I have nothing to stab below the neck."
Then he floated around the room, observing us all while making a series of strange noises.
"This isn't just a bunch of fools, you're prepared. High affinity, various spells and abilities, cursed weapons, undead, powerful soul stones, even the terrible Miasma and a rare Penitent Armor. What's going on here?"
Moonless began to growl and D'arce tensed as the sorcerer's aggression intensified. I placed myself between them before the situation worsened.
"If the Masterrr allows, I can explain the eventsss that occurred after your long slumber."
"Very well, do so."
He won't like what I have to say. We'll just alter Madeleine's story a little.
-XXXXXX-
"THOSE BASTARDS! DAMNED VERMIN! I WILL…"
We stepped back and watched as Nas'hrah hurled insult after insult, each more terrible and creative than the last. He completely ignored our presence, lost in his hatred. The situation would be comical if he weren't such a terrible person.
At the moment, I was covering Madeleine's ears while talking to D'arce.
"So this is the New God you told me about?"
The disbelief in her voice was impossible to hide.
"Exactly, one of the cruelessst men to ever walk the earth and our mossst powerful ally."
"Why did you do this alone? I could have helped."
I cringed at the disappointment in her tone; anger was preferable to that.
"Becaussse I didn't want you to get hurt. I had a plan, but if the worssst happened, you wouldn't suffer the consequencesss."
I jumped when a cold, armored hand touched my shoulder, but the gentle voice provided a contrast.
"Next time, let us know if you have another insane plan."
I nodded, but this wasn't the end of the conversation.
"Do you think Nas'hrah will stay with us?"
"Only while we are ussseful. When everything is done, he will probably turn againssst us or want us as eternal servantsss. Until then, treat him with respect, don't be aggresssive, and stroke his ego."
The knight agreed, and after a few moments, the sorcerer finally emerged from his furious ramblings.
"You, do what you have to do, and let's go to Ma'habre! I'll rip off and reanimate the heads of those damned ones! Countless centuries and they still haven't realized that the throne won't change anything, and now we have a walking abortion thinking it can do better!"
Apparently, the theoretical magic lessons will have to wait.
First, we combined all the items that could be combined, creating all sorts of flasks and herbs, all supervised by Nas'hrah, who offered some advice, because according to him: Our work was terribly amateurish, and we shouldn't die pathetically before he gets his new body. We stocked them in our bags, pockets, and my backpack, along with plenty of food. With that done, I finally used the Carve spell, using Shark Teeth as a guinea pig.
With a pen, I wrote the word Fm'latghor on the side of the weapon. The ink glowed a deep green, hissing and smoking as its words were carved into the weapon's material.
When I finished, the weapon was immediately engulfed in green flames, and I felt a pressure in my head, my mind being drained. I didn't know exactly what to do, so I concentrated and wished for the fire to cease, which it did quickly, leaving the weapon unharmed.
I explained how the spell worked to everyone, and D'arce wished for the same to be done to her weapons. I wrote the same word on her spear, obtaining a similar result, and then wrote the word R'luh on her Morning Star and my Meat Cleaver, but there was no noticeable change.
Finally, I inscribed Ah'lloigshogg on Madeleine's dagger, and unlike the previous two weapons, hers gave me a terrifying feeling as I approached it.
Nas'hrah asked a few questions about the Gods I worshipped and the spells granted, but in the end, he dropped the subject. Worshipping deities was beneath him, and the Old Ones were beyond his reach anyway; he wouldn't get anything in return.
One of the last things I did was swap the armored skeleton's wooden shield for the spider shield, and with that done, we descended the stairs to the Tomb of the Gods, with me giving a basic lesson in magic along the way.
"...So, to conclude, casting ssspells is a mixture of intention and inssstinct. Vocalization and concentration also help, but you won't alwaysss have time for that durrring combat. Don't forget to monitor your ssstate of mind, because the end will come quickly if you go mad during a fight. Besidesss, it's an unpleasant sssensation."
"That I can agree with. I still remember the first time I was overcome by madness. I have no idea how I ended up in the middle of the desert surrounded by burnt corpses."
The nostalgia with which Nas'hrah spoke disturbed me, but I didn't dare comment on the matter. Eventually, we reached the catacombs, traversing the underground corridors until we stopped before the entrance gate of the Tomb of the Gods.
That dark wall still smiled at me, saying my name, and this time, I accepted its call. However, before we could take another step, a shiver ran through my body, and it seemed the same was true for the others, who visibly trembled.
Kitab squeezed my arm, and I felt my stomach sink as I read his words.
"A terrifying presence has entered the room."
No!
Footsteps echoed in the darkness, and a pair of empty eyes gleamed ahead.
No!
An abnormally tall and muscular being, wearing a butcher's apron and with a head covered in dark feathers and a beak, appeared in our path.
No!
Slamming its flail on the ground, the Crow Mauler let out a deafening screech, a shrill noise that nearly burst our eardrums. I almost fell to my knees as I clenched my teeth and held my head.
"Holy shit, my ears! Who let out that scream?!"
As if that wasn't enough, Cahara, Enki, and Rag turned the corner, their surprised gazes alternating between us and the monster ahead.
"Hey, you're still alive! That is…WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?! AND WHY IS THAT HEAD FLOATING!"
Any joy it had instantly vanished upon realizing our strange and dangerous situation.
"THIS HEAD IS CALLED NAS'HRAH, YOU SON OF A WHORE!"
The New God replied, not at all happy to be treated with such disrespect.
And of course, the Crow Mauler wouldn't stand still while we talked; however, instead of advancing, he writhed while clutching his chest with a human hand.
There was a pulsating tumor above his heart, accelerating the beat to the point of becoming audible as the monster screamed. The creature spat a pool of blood onto the ground as it bent over, clutching its stomach.
Suddenly, with the tearing of flesh and rearrangement of bones, a pair of black wings sprouted from its back, a new arm grew in place of its flail, holding the object as a weapon, while the remaining arm had its fingers replaced by long, sharp claws, two pairs of eyes sprouted on its head, and when it finally stood up, we saw the mass of red flesh and eyes covering its heart.
Finally, he closed the distance with a flap of his wings, and I couldn't help but feel nostalgic seeing everyone gathered here again.
END OF CHAPTER