Sirius guides the mana in his body to form a pathway, all the way from his soul in the chest towards his right arm. He imagine snake-like vessels crawling through his muscles and bone, anchoring onto the deep layer of his skin.
The vessels need to be robust, he also need to know which muscles and what the muscles and bones are like. How they look and act.
A buzzing sound snap him out of his meditative position, he couldn't imagine his muscles and bones and skin fully. That is the one thing that made building mana vessels hard.
Sirius clicks his tongue, he would have to see the internet to help identify the muscles and bones so that he could build the mana vessels.
Though there is one other way to easily build mana vessels, but it is absolutely not recommended. Since he also isn't in any hurry, he wouldn't have to do so.
'I guess that's one thing off the to-do list.'
Sirius thought to himself, now leaving himself with two other things to do. Watching over the resting party and collecting the Souls of the Calamities.
'I guess I can collect the Souls later... it's not like it'll be gone by then, right?'
Thinking that, Sirius begin watching over the area, looking around, he could see the hole on the ceiling that allowed the moonlight to shine down on the inside.
Looking down, Sirius could see everyone but Thea.
Furrowing his eyebrows, Sirius was about to check it out until a voice calls out right outside the building, near the entrance.
"Sirius? Where are you?"
Sirius quick walk over to the edge near the entrance and look down to see Thea looking around as Sirius calls her. Looking up, Thea blinks a few time as Sirius summon floating platforms the size of his feet and jump down to the ground.
"Cool trick there."
Thea looks in wonder, curiosity apparent on her face as Sirius smiles.
"It's a new effect of my Rune."
"Ah... I see."
Thea smiles, nodding as she looks to the gothic city, despite the less mist covering the city, it is apparent that the atmosphere feels... foggy.
She sighs as she then look back to Sirius.
"Wanna take a walk with me? I already told Adam to keep watch."
"What..? But..."
"No no, it's okay. Let's take a walk around."
Thea smiles as she starts on walking through the city, Sirius could only sigh before following behind her as they explore the various ruins.
"Hey, Sirius. What do you think of this city?"
Thea asks, entering one of the houses and looking around in wonder. The dark room filled with broken floorings and furnitures. Her eyes scan the surrounding as she touch one of the furniture, a broken stone table.
"It... looks humane."
"Mmh. I think so too."
Thea nods in agreement as they both go out of the house, they then slowly walk to the direction of the statue of the golem.
Upon looking at it carefully, Sirius could see the rocks and stone that makes up the huge golem statue. Thea whistles in amazement of the statue as she looks at it.
"I really hope my phone is still working... I would really like to take photos of this statue. It's like seeing one of the seven wonders of the world, right?"
Sirius nods, whatever or whoever this statue is, it must have been revered.
"Sirius, what do you think of the Calamities?"
Thea asks as they start on walking to the stairway near the statue that leads downward. Their footsteps echo through the hollow insides of the pillar, Sirius contemplates for a bit before answering her.
"Are you asking me about how and where they come from?"
Thea nods, smiling as she look back at him.
"You're quick."
"Was that why you ask me to explore the city with you?"
"Mm, not only that! I really was curious about this city, you know, I like exploring ruins. The mysteries surrounding them, what they tell about them, captivates me. It makes me wonder about what had happen."
Thea grins, her steps becoming light as she skips and jump over stairs.
"Hey, careful... also, I guess I can't say I'm not interested in ruins too. They also fascinate me I guess."
Sirius reprimands Thea for skipping down the stairs as Thea only giggle in response. Before letting out a surprised voice in response to Sirius' admittance.
"Agreed, agreed! But, back to the point, what do you think about the Calamities then? What are their connections with this city?"
Thea redirects the topic as they both reach a platform that leads to the entrance of the second floor. Exiting out of the pillar, they both could see the corpses of ghouls that attacked them.
"Well... Calamities actually exists from way back I think."
"Oh?"
The both of them walk near and nearer the corpses, before finally stumbling on them.
On each of their chests, a hollow hole could be seen, where the Souls should be in.
"Well, I think they're a form of corruption, akin to a virus."
Sirius spoke, summoning [Red Horn] and poking the corpse around, looking at the pale gross body.
"At least, maybe, some of them. Not all of them. There's not much known about Calamities after all, but if there's something that made me think that it is a form of corruption, it's two simple things."
Thea, whose also poking around the corpses with her sword turns to look at him, tilting her head.
"That is...?"
"First, Souls. There exists a purity in our status window that shows Soul Purity, as if telling us that our Souls are not pure. If there are people out there that do not get the Status window or become Blessed, maybe they've already been turned into a Calamity. Even now, as a Seed and Evoker, unless ascend into being a Ruler and make our Souls pure, we may even be turned into a Calamity."
Thea, now standing next to him smiles upon hearing Sirius' thoughts, seemingly happy. Which makes Sirius tilt his head.
"What's with the smile?"
"Oh no no, don't mind it. It's just, your deduction is interesting, it may just be valid to be the truth."
"A lot of people already think of that, at least Cassian did and some of the others. Especially those that know about the existence of Gates and Abyss."
Thea chuckles upon hearing the response, before smiling at him and patting his shoulder.
"Not everyone is smart and think deeply about it. Some just simply think the Calamities are monsters that comes from hell, trying to condemn us all to where they come from."
Sirius chuckle, looking at her red eyes as he nods.
"That, I agree."
"So, what's the second thing?"
"Ah... well it's obvious, it's correlated to Soul Purity. Our body."
Sirius looks at the air in front of him as a hologram visible only for him appears.
Status: [Blessed]
Name: Sirius
Class: [Evoker]
Soul Purity: [1/6]
Body: [Tainted]
Blessings: [Red Horn] [Shard of Night] [Boidae Shell]
Runes: [Brightest Star]: [Supernova's Crown] [Stellar Force]
"It says Tainted, our bodies before the Calamities even came must have also been tainted. Thus why those that weren't Blessed when the Apocalypse ascended became corrupted, becoming a Calamity. Because their Souls were not Blessed to at least fight off the corruption. Since we Blessed gets to at least purify our souls, we're safe from Calamities. That's why I think the Calamites are some sort of virus. Once again, at least maybe some of the Calamities, and that is my hypothesis."
Thea stares at Sirius, a smile apparent on her face as she nods.
"'Tis a logical hypothesis, sire Sirius."
Thea joked, her tone imitating the old english way to speak as Sirius chuckle.
"Thou self thank the madam for thy words."
A grin flashes across Sirius' face as the both of them look at each others eyes. Before they both break into a giggle as they look back to the pillar, turning their back.
"Well, let's go back and..."
A sense of dread fills both Sirius and Thea, the both of them widen their eyes and turn around. Right in between them, a black blur descends as a furry snout appears in between them, a putrid smell escapes its nostrils. Sharp teeth with drool lingering on them drips onto the ground in between them.
White eyes with sickening flesh sprouts from its head, as though the brain had been dragged out of the skull could be seen marring its head.
The black werewolf appears to be huge despite its hunched back, a long thick black rotting greatsword, carried by one of its arm with muscles protruding out of its skin and some of its body parts appearing to be chewed off marks its body.
Worms crawl around the holes of its body as it latch onto it, as if eating the werewolf alive. Yet the werewolf doesn't seem to mind.
The werewolf slams the greatsword down to Thea as she quickly blocks it, Thea right before the werewolf strikes already strengthened her body with mana. The mana from her Soul travels inside the mana vessels throughout her entire body.
Right after blocking the sword, the ground beneath her crack as she lets out a hiss. Unfortunately for Sirius, at the same time the werewolf strikes down Thea, the werewolf swings its left arm against Sirius. The swing was too fast for his eyes to follow, but Sirius knows where it was going to land.
Blocking the fist that was aimed to Sirius' head, Sirius did save himself from getting his head blown off. But, the force it carried was strong enough to send Sirius flying across. Sirius' body collides against the wall of the bridge. Which luckily did not break and send Sirius flying off of the bridge to his death.
But the collision did knock the air out off his lungs as he could feel the collision slamming against the old bruise he got from the one when he collided against the Fallen snake which made him pass out.
But luckily this one did not make him pass out.
Looking at the werewolf, Sirius could see that it is focusing its entire attention to Thea. Maybe deeming it the most dangerous out of the two of them.
Just from the first few seconds, the both of them knew that they would not win in a competition of strength. Especially if they drag this out. They needed to end this fast.
If there's one thing Sirius is confident in, is that his explosive power from using [Supernova's Crown]. Now that he is an Evoker, how big would the force of the mana explosion be?
"Thea! I have a plan! Keep him busy for a bit, and when I say now, you run back!"
Thea nods, lightning crackles as her sword blurs, her hair flutters as she and the werewolf strikes towards each other's vital part. Wounds start to accumulate, but luckily for Thea, she could barely keep up with the sword and claws enough to not get her internals mushed or get stabbed.
Out on the distance, on the city, black swarm of masses run towards where they are. Sirius widens his eyes, there's not a lot of time.
Storing every mana in the air inside his soul, a blinding pain akin to bloating his own body resurface. The familiar pain filling him as needle-like pain stabs every part of his body.
Volumes of thick mana seeps into his body at an alarming rate, Sirius hiss as the air around him seemingly moving like a wave.
Now, the werewolf seems to be alarmed due to the massive accumulation of mana. It looks at Sirius, a grave mistake.
Thea roars, her eyes wide as she concentrate volumes of mana into the tip of her sword. Lightning crackles violently, cracking the ground beneath as her sword moves with a flash, aimed at its chest to where its heart is at.
The werewolf, though made a mistake, quickly makes up for it by shifting its body. The tip of her sword makes contact with the werewolf's chest, right beneath its left collarbone. A blast of lightning bursts like fire as it explodes out of the werewolf's left arm.
"NOW!"
The werewolf loses its left arm, but it doesn't seem to care as it dashes forward to Sirius. Its mind set on one goal.
To kill Sirius before he could do whatever he's planning on doing right now.
Thea dashes past the werewolf who ignored her. Her body enhanced with mana, bolt towards Sirius as she moves past behind him.
Though a bit doubtful and worried, she decides to trust him. After all, both of their lives depend on him now.
Sirius moves forward before raising his red sword high to the air. Mana leaks from his body like a radiation.
At the same time Sirius raised his sword and brings it down, the werewolf swings its sword towards Sirius. Aiming to cave in his head.
Sirius grits his teeth and push his whole body weight down, bringing his sword to the ground as the mana that is stored inside his body explode outward.
A loud boom echoes, wind howls and rage, rocks explode and shoot out like shrapnels from a grenade. Sharp rocks stabs Sirius with great speed, leaving him bleeding internally from the impact of the shrapnels. Though his armor could withstand the stabs, it couldn't negate the force. Sirius is thrown back from the shockwave as his sword and the mana inside his body collided with the ground.
The ground beneath them crack and unravel, Sirius had notice that the bridges are not as robust as it probably had been, most likely worn out from the rain or time.
Unfortunately, what Sirius had in mind didn't go as planned since the werewolf instead of falling down the bridge as it broke — at least a section of the bridge where he planned to explode the mana — it had been sent tumbling away.
It escapes the clutches of death as it crawls away from the broken part of the bridge. A gap between the bridge that is quite pronounced could be seen that separates one part of the bridge and one part that leads to the entrance of the city on the second floor.
Sirius groans, his head ringing from ragdolling on the ground with great speed.
Thea quickly support him by her shoulder, throwing his left arm around said shoulder as she carry him away from the battlefield.
"Thanks..."
He murmured, his body screaming in pain as Thea nods. She look back to see the werewolf staring at her from the distance. Sufficient to say, the werewolf isn't exactly lucky too. Holes could be seen penetrating parts of its body, one of its white eye is now a mess of flesh and blood. Caused by one of the rocks that shot out like shrapnels.
Now left with holes in its body, a broken eye, and a single right arm, it stares down at Thea and Sirius with a hunched back as it watches them both walk away. The swarm of ghouls finally appear behind the werewolf as they also watch the two humans escape their grasp.