Zen, looking at the armor, sensed a feeling of relief, but the thought of the necromancer still haunted him. Zen tried to go, but his body fell, and when it was about to touch the ground, the bushes slowed down the fall. The voice said, Rest assured, child, they will be fine. Zen fell asleep in a long slumber after a hard-fought battle and a near-death experience, multiple in fact.
Faraway in the ruins, the Necromancer fought Yawen and Rui alone. The necromancer's evil laugh was truly appalling.
Yawen and the Necromancer clashed fiercely, each strike of Yawen's dual swords a testament to her skill. However, the necromancer's dark arts took their toll, slowly weakening Yawen's body. Meanwhile, Rui, with his limited abilities, fought valiantly against the necromancer's summons, relying on his agility and a barrage of thrown daggers to keep the creatures at bay.
As the battle raged on, the necromancer's summons grew stronger. Orcs, skeletons, and horse guards emerged, forcing Yawen to split her focus between them and the necromancer. Despite her weakening state, she managed to hold her ground, drawing strength from the glowing fruits she had collected from the garden.
"Annoying child, I will tear you apart and hang your body parts from the ceiling for a grand spectacle," the Necromancer sneered at Rui.
Rui, undeterred, shot back, "I'd like to see you try."
Suddenly, a loud thud echoed through the battlefield, causing both Yawen and Rui to pause momentarily. The necromancer's eyes glinted with malevolent glee. "Your friend is dead," he declared, his voice dripping with sinister satisfaction. An evil laugh reverberated through the air.
Yawen, undeterred, retorted, "It could be the summons too; who knows?" Her voice was steady, despite the worry gnawing at her heart.
The necromancer, sensing an opportunity to break their morale, sneered, "My summon is the strongest creation of mine. He was a knight from a foreign land who perished in the desert. When I found his body, I was astonished to see his armor made of dragon scales. It was quite a treat."
He continued, a twisted pride evident in his tone, "I discovered his name from his belongings. Richard the Lionheart. He was a knight; knights are the protectors of the king and kingdom. Richard was a king overthrown in a coup by his people. He died in the desert while attempting to come here to escape the attempt. I resurrected his body and made him my summons. Though he isn't as strong as he once was, his essence is enormous. It isn't infinite, but it's vast."
Rui, his resolve unshaken, replied defiantly, "I believe in Zen, and we need to get rid of you anyway."
Yawen, her voice filled with unwavering faith, added, "Zen will emerge victorious, and you will be hanged soon, and the age-old quote will come true."
The necromancer's face twisted with anger, and he intensified his assault. Yawen, despite her weakening body, fought on with renewed vigor, her dual swords flashing in the dim light. Rui continued to fend off the summons, his agility and quick thinking keeping him one step ahead of the undead horde.
The battle raged on, the air thick with tension and the sounds of clashing steel. Yawen and Rui's determination to defeat the Necromancer grew stronger with every passing moment, their faith in Zen unshaken. The necromancer's confidence, however, remained unyielding, certain that his dark creations would prevail. The stage was set for a climactic confrontation, where the true strength of their resolve would be tested.
The Necromancer, now visibly enraged, spat, "You can be as hopeful as you like, but hope does not win fights." With a wave of his hand, he made his summons stronger and called forth even more undead creatures. Despite her fearless expression, Yawen felt a twinge of worry.
Rui, battling fiercely against the necromancer's minions, called out, "What are you doing here?"
The necromancer sneered, "It's none of your business, but since you'll die anyway, I'll tell you. I came here to research these old ruins. These ruins served as bunkers during the Great War ages ago. I intend to uncover ancient secrets and obtain summoning scrolls. This place also acts as my hideout, where I conduct my experiments."
Rui, undeterred by the revelation, declared, "It seems God has sent us to eradicate you and cleanse this land of your evil."
The necromancer's laughter echoed through the ruins. "Bold words for one so young. Let's see how long your faith holds out." He intensified his assault, summoning more creatures and strengthening the ones already in battle.
Yawen, her grip tightening on her swords, glanced at Rui. His unwavering determination fueled her own resolve. Together, they fought on, ready to face whatever the necromancer had in store for them.
Rui, aiming to further unsettle the necromancer, taunted, "You made a good decision hiding yourself, or else you'd scare people too."
The necromancer's fury boiled over. "You arrogant brat, you have angered me to extremes. Don't you know how to speak to your elders?" he bellowed.
In response, Rui hurled a small fireball, igniting the necromancer's robes. The flames burned away his tattered clothing, revealing his skeletal frame. The necromancer's rage intensified. "You'll pay for that!" he roared, summoning earth golems to crush Rui.
Yawen intervened, her water arts slicing through the golems with ease. The necromancer, having exhausted most of his essence and umbra , found himself unable to summon a stronger being to kill them off.
(Umbra is the malevolent counterpart to Essentia, representing a twisted and corrupt form of elemental energy. It is derived from negative sources and forbidden practices, making it both powerful and dangerous.)
Yawen continued to battle the array of monsters he had already called forth—bodies of horse knights, zombies, skeletons, goblins, and ogres lay scattered across the ground.
Growing tired, Yawen consumed more of the glowing berries to recover her strength. The Necromancer, seeing this, cursed under his breath, "Damn that girl; she shall be the end of me. I must survive until my summons returns and kills that boy. It's a battle against time. The one who lasts the longest wins."
He watched as Yawen fought tirelessly, knowing he had depleted much of his energy summoning the monsters. He struggled to keep up with Rui's relentless attacks, the boy's youthful energy clashing against his own dwindling reserves.
"I must plan to kill this child and then run away from here," the necromancer muttered to himself, desperation creeping into his voice. "She will die anyway if I can outlast them both."
Rui, sensing the necromancer's waning strength, pressed his advantage. "You're running out of tricks, old man," he taunted, launching another barrage of fireballs.
Yawen, despite her exhaustion, stood firm beside Rui, her swords flashing as she cut down the remaining monsters. "Your end is near, Necromancer," she declared.
The necromancer's mind raced. His plan to escape seemed increasingly futile as the pair continued to push forward. His only hope lay in a desperate final gambit, but with every passing second, his defeat seemed more certain. The battlefield was littered with the remnants of his dark creations, and the resolve of Yawen and Rui shone brighter than ever.
The necromancer took out potions from his pocket and drank them. The liquid inside looked dark, as if water had been corrupted by evil. As soon as he consumed the potion, an unnatural energy coursed through his body, making him feel invigorated. His voice grew more authoritative, echoing through the room. "I have not been pushed to such extremes in a long time," he declared. "I shall be glad to see you all perish as you beg for mercy."
With renewed vigor, the necromancer drew a circle on the ground. Ominous energy filled the air, and the room grew colder. The circle pulsed with dark power, enhancing his summoning abilities. To Yawen's dismay, the creatures she had defeated began to rise once more, their eyes glowing with malevolent light.
Yawen, feeling the weight of exhaustion, glanced at Rui and said, "I'll be the happiest person on earth once I get away from this place and rest under the warm sun."
Rui, agreeing with Yawen, added, "Me too. I shall pay a lot of alms and promise never to wander off recklessly and get lost again."
The necromancer, now surrounded by a horde of revived monsters, laughed maniacally. "Your hopes are futile. You will never see the sun again!" he taunted.
Despite the dire situation, Yawen and Rui stood firm. Yawen, with her dual swords ready, faced the resurrected horde. Rui, determined to protect his friend, readied his next attack. Their resolve was unwavering, even as the necromancer's dark magic intensified.
The battle continued, with Yawen and Rui fighting the last battle in the ruins. The Necromancer, now more powerful than ever, prepared for a final showdown. The fate of Yawen and Rui hung in the balance, but their spirits remained strong.
Yawen turned to Rui, urgency in her voice. "We must take down this necromancer soon. I'm running out of glowing berries, and I'll soon be too tired to continue."
As they heard the loud noises of rooms collapsing, the sounds reverberated enough to reach the forests above. Rui looked up, concerned. "That must be the battle between Zen and that knight."
"Yes," Yawen replied, her voice filled with determination. "He's fighting so hard for our sake. We must kill this necromancer soon so that Zen can rest. We've depended on him throughout our journey; now it's time to repay him."
Rui nodded in agreement. "You're right. Let's finish this."
The necromancer, overhearing their conversation, let out a sinister laugh. "Hahahahaha, your friend seems to be taking a lot of punches from my knight. Soon enough, you too will perish. This place is soon to be discovered by other people, and I must evacuate. I'll leave this scene looking like a fight between the monsters here and you all."
The potions that renewed the necromancer, all spent on making the dark circle, were once again tired, but confident that this would be their last stand, they rejoiced and made a run for it.
"We can't let him escape," Rui shouted, launching a fiery barrage at the necromancer.
"I won't let him," Yawen replied, her eyes fixed on their enemy.
Suddenly, a thunderous noise echoed through the hall, and the entire structure began to collapse. Massive chunks of debris fell, burying Yawen, Rui, and the Necromancer beneath the rubble. Dust and chaos filled the air, marking a sudden, unexpected end to their intense confrontation.