Althair's Point of View
Lilith is a Swordsman, and that guard is a Mage, Althair monologued. He must be an Archmage, but I have the advantage here.
Watch me from above. I'm not asking for prayers; I'm just asking you to watch me. This time, I will succeed.
I quickly glanced around—our position is near the Crossing Point, based on my memory of this terrain. Imagine an ancient square map; the Crossing Point is in the very center. To the north is the Warden's place, the northwest is inhabited by the Kaelthorn Aegis, the northeast by the Kabera Lupus, to the west is a swamp inhabited by the Neravine Coil. The east is occupied by the Umbran Siphon, the southwest is where an S-rank dungeon is located, and the southeast is inhabited by the Aegros Sentinel. And the south is our arrival point.
In total, The Veil has 3 mystical beasts and 3 monsters—all of which are S-rank.
The 3 mystical beasts are:
The Kabera Lupus is a giant wolf with a body of dense fog, its blue eyes glowing with a cold light. The Neravine Coil is a giant swamp serpent with greenish-black scales, its eyes like pulsating dimensional rifts. The Aegros Sentinel is a giant deer with glowing Myrrh crystal antlers, its fur a silvery white.
The 3 monsters are:
The Kaelthorn Aegis is a fallen warrior, a soldier with a single wing, its body like cracked stone with embers glowing within. The Umbran Siphon is a creature similar to a squid, but with a difference. The Umbran Siphon is a supernatural being, its form a liquid shadow with smoke tentacles.
And finally, the Warden, whom I will explain later.
...
So, what's my plan? Of course, I'm going to circle this ancient forest—not just circle it, but more accurately, visit a few places. Namely, the lairs of the Umbran Siphon and the Kabera Lupus. Yes, it's a bit troublesome, but it's necessary. I will use both of those creatures to fight Lilith. First, I'll go to the Umbran Siphon, and second, or last, the Kabera Lupus.
"Clara, hold on tight," I whispered while carrying Clara like a koala. Wind appeared at the soles of my feet, wind that would make me fly. Then, we left.
Lilith smirked at our movement. "Running? It's no use, heir of the North. We can chase you to the ends of the earth."
The black-armored NPC began to chant something. The air around him vibrated, signaling a high-level spell was being prepared.
Now, I thought.
I flew at super high speed, heading for a narrow gap between two large trees. Lilith and her NPC reflexively followed, just as I had hoped.
"Wind Blade!" I threw an attack at them, but not to attack—to force them to move into the position I wanted. Lilith dodged nimbly, leaping onto a tree branch. Her NPC created a barrier to block.
Perfect.
I chanted a spell silently while continuing to move. The wind around us began to change its pattern—subtly, but enough for what I planned.
"Do you think running around will help you?" Lilith descended from the tree, her sword gleaming blood-red. I'll play your game, Kaelvros, Lilith monologued. I'll act foolish, follow your little scenario, and only when you've played your ace will I get serious.
"Hehehe," a small laugh escaped Lilith's lips.
"Heaven's Whirlwind!" A defensive and offensive spell. I used it once against the Dragin in Chapter 5. But there's a difference here. Before, I used my body as the center of the whirlwind; now, I'm throwing the whirlwind at them.
This was the opening I was looking for. I was waiting to see where Lilith and the NPC would move. They had just dodged and landed; that was a precious one-second opening, and Lilith speaking added another second to the duration. What was my goal? To create a sign of a battle that would lure the Umbran Siphon here.
Lilith and the NPC were hit directly, caught in the current of the whirlwind. Unlike the Dragin, whose body was instantly destroyed, the two of them were not destroyed. In other words, Lilith and the NPC endured.
When it was over, Lilith fell, as did the NPC. The battlefield was filled with dust and fog.
"You damn kid," said Lilith as she got up and brushed the dust from her clothes. Lilith then looked in all directions, where everything was covered by a thick fog. "Where is he?" she asked her subordinate.
"I don't know. I've already used my magic to detect them but found nothing. It's as if they were never here."
"You idiot."
"Forgive me, Your Majesty."
In the thick fog, the silhouette of a man and a woman appeared. Lilith focused her gaze.
"Come here, Lilith."
"I'm right here. Don't you want our lives?"
Lilith immediately charged forward without a second thought, her NPC following her. They didn't realize that it was the Umbran Siphon.
Third-Person Point of View
"7. 8. 9. 10," Althair whispered from a distance. "It worked. They must have been fooled."
"Fooled by who?" Clara asked, confused.
"We are now in the territory of the Umbran Siphon, a monster that likes to call out to travelers by name, twisting their destinations or directions," Althair explained.
"So they're clashing now?" Clara asked, understanding. "But why was Lilith fooled so easily? Was there manipulation magic involved?"
"Yes, the Umbran Siphon manipulated Lilith's mind. The reason it targeted Lilith instead of us is that it preys on the strongest."
"And just now, Lilith was the strongest, so the Umbran Siphon ignored us, who are weaker than her," Althair explained. "And now we will head to the northeast, where the Kabera Lupus is," Althair explained his plan. "The Kabera Lupus is a mystical beast in the form of a giant wolf."
"So we're going to use it to weaken Lilith?" Clara asked, getting to the point.
"Yes. Let's go to the northeast. I'm sure Lilith will defeat that S-rank monster."
...
10 minutes later - Northeast, before entering the giant wolf's territory.
"Come here, give me the storage ring," Althair requested of Clara.
Without a word, Clara immediately took off the ring from her left hand and gave it to Althair. Althair then searched for something Clara didn't know about.
"What are you looking for?" Clara asked.
"Myrrh dust. Then we'll sprinkle the dust all over our bodies, from top to bottom," Althair replied.
"For?"
"So we can survive the Kabera Lupus. The Kabera Lupus has blue eyes, which are actually blind. In other words, the Kabera Lupus relies on its sense of smell," Althair explained.
"I see. So when Lilith gets here, the wolf will come out and pounce on her, ignoring us because it can't detect us, right?" Clara confirmed.
"Correct. Smart girl."
"Let's enter the Kabera Lupus's territory," Althair instructed.
The territory of the Kabera Lupus was a cursed temple. The temple looked ancient, made of teak wood that seemed ready to collapse.
"We've arrived," said Althair.
"We've arrived? Where's the wolf?" Clara asked, confused.
Althair then pointed with his index finger at the ground near the temple. "There. That ground is not actually ground, but the body of the sleeping Kabera Lupus."
"WHAT! Seriously?"
"That's right."
"Unbelievable. I really couldn't have predicted that. I thought the wolf would appear or be guarding the temple."
"Hmm."
"So what are we going to do now?" Clara asked.
"I'm going to meditate here. I'm going to break through," Althair replied.
"So you were triggered, weren't you? During the fight with the elves?"
"Yes."
I sat down, meditating calmly, clearing my mind. I recalled the recent events, the pressure from this battle, the deaths of my best friends, my responsibility to protect Carsel and to protect Clara, my only remaining friend.
...
40 minutes later, in the place that was previously filled with thick fog, it was now clear. The fog had disappeared, a sign that the ruler of the territory was dead.
"Huff," Lilith sighed. She was now kneeling with a sword in her right hand, her body covered in the black blood of the Umbran Siphon. "How troublesome," Lilith said, then she turned to her left where her subordinate was. The NPC was concentrating, searching for the whereabouts of Althair and Clara.
"I've found them!" the subordinate said happily.
"Where?" Lilith asked.
"They are in the northeast," the subordinate informed her.
"No more troublesome things, right? No more monsters or mystical beasts in this land?" Lilith confirmed.
"Yes, I have confirmed that this new continent has no monsters left."
"Alright, let's go. Let's hunt those naughty children," Lilith invited.
They were unaware that this continent still had monsters and mystical beasts. Although they were S-rank, they were more special than any the two of them had ever fought before, because their existence was immune to detection. They could not be detected by magic.
...
BOOM!!
The ground shattered and trembled as someone landed brutally. That person was the Vampire Queen, Lilith, and her subordinate. Althair and Clara, who had been sitting, reflexively stood up, facing the newcomer.
"I've finally found you," Lilith said, licking her blade—the blade was stained with the black blood of the Umbran Siphon.
"Yeah, come on over," Althair said, then gave her the middle finger, provoking her.
Lilith was provoked. The bulging veins on her forehead proved it. She immediately charged, her longsword coated in sword aura.
Suddenly, from behind them, a giant wolf appeared, 30 meters tall. The wolf lunged at Lilith, leaping over Althair and Clara.
"What the," Lilith said, surprised, her brow furrowed.
With sharp claws five meters long, the Kabera Lupus immediately slashed at Lilith in a vertical arc, while Lilith slashed back at the wolf's claws. From a distance, Clara gave a buff to the Kabera Lupus, increasing its weight. So the wolf's slash was heavier and stronger, causing Lilith to lose the clash.
Meanwhile, Lilith's subordinate immediately began to cast a spell with his hands, but from the shadows, from his blind spot, the silhouette of a man appeared and instantly abducted him.
THUD
"Want to help your boss? Don't even think about it," said Althair.
Althair was using only his bare hands. The NPC, on the other hand, summoned a magic staff in his left hand.
"I know that an earth affinity loses to a wind affinity. But I am an Archmage, while you are only an Adept," the NPC said, opening the conversation. "Domain Magic: Land Tenure!"
[Magic Domain is an area where an Archmage projects their mana circles into physical reality, creating a "Magical Field" where they have absolute control over magical phenomena.]
A giant magic circle appeared on the ground, layered with ancient runes that pulsed like the earth's heartbeat. A subtle vibration spread in all directions, making the air feel heavy and stable. All particles of dust, pebbles, and even boulders began to float slightly, as if awaiting a command. A brown light gave an ancient and unshakable impression. The radius of his magic domain was 30 meters.
"The advantage is mine now," the NPC said.
Althair remained silent, listening without responding. The NPC moved his staff, and the ground beneath Althair disappeared, becoming a chasm, forcing Althair to immediately cast a wind spell. Althair hovered above, while the NPC was below. The NPC began to launch boulders at Althair. Althair dodged and counter-attacked as well.
Althair cast a wind spear spell, not one, but a dozen. The wind spears shot toward the NPC, but a stone wall immediately rose from below, becoming a barrier.
"Tch," Althair cursed.
Althair flew, dodging the attacks launched by the NPC. But he began to lose focus as a barrage of stones attacked him. Suddenly, from the ground, a giant hand made of stone emerged. Not one, but three giant stone hands. The hands targeted Althair.
Althair then cast a wind sphere spell. There were three wind spheres—they shot toward the three hands, destroying them. But the hands began to grow back.
It seems it's time, Althair monologued. I'll make him think he's already won.
The stone hands attacked Althair, forming fists and punching his body. Althair simply took the hit and was sent flying 28 meters back.
THWACK
"So simple. Why did you make it so difficult?" the NPC said.
Althair got up from the rubble, his head was bleeding, blood decorating his handsome face. But a smirk appeared on his face. The NPC, seeing this, felt offended, thinking Althair was mocking the low damage he had dealt.
"Hahahaha," a laugh escaped from Althair.
"Did that impact make him crazy?" the NPC said, getting chills from the laughter.
"Now it's my turn, bastard," said Althair.
Althair flew upwards. Despite his new wound, Althair stood firm. "Why does the air feel heavy?" the NPC said. "Wait a minute..."
"Don't tell me... that's not possible, right? He's only 17 years old."
The NPC furrowed his brow, looking at Althair's body, peering through it and seeing five mana circles had formed. "Last time, when we first met, he only had four mana circles. Did he just create a fifth one and break through?!"
A mana circle formed in the air, not on the ground. Runes spun like a vortex, emitting a pale blue light. The air pressure changed drastically—wind swirled, forming crosscurrents that cut and lifted particles of earth. Dust and stones that had previously been subject to the Earth Archmage were now lifted, spinning in an uncontrollable spiral.
"Domain Magic: Lord of the Wind!"
Althair had finally unleashed his first magic domain. Unlike the NPC's, Althair's only had a radius of 15 meters. But that wasn't the issue; what mattered was what was inside.
Instant erosion: The pillars and stone walls formed by the Earth Domain began to erode, crack, and crumble from the high-pressure gusts. The wind lifted chunks of earth, causing the earth constructs to lose stability.
"Taste your own attack, you bastard," said Althair. The chunks of earth floated up, attacking their owner. I can't make any more stone walls, or he'll just control them with the wind. I have to use a general spell. The NPC cast a barrier, a common magic spell that could be used by all mages regardless of their affinity.
BOOM!
The clash created smoke, which billowed from the location. Althair gave him no time to breathe. He immediately lifted the NPC into the air with his wind. The NPC thrashed his limbs wildly. "Let me go, you bastard! I am the honorable guard of the Vampire Queen, I..."
Slash
The NPC's body was split in two. Blood and internal organs like intestines, liver, heart, and lungs spilled out from the gash. The NPC was split by an invisible blade launched by Althair.
"Huff... Now, only that whore is left."
Althair arrived at the battle site of Clara & Kabera Lupus vs. the Vampire Queen. He arrived just in time—almost too late, actually.
The Vampire Queen had won. She had defeated Clara and the giant wolf. Althair flew towards Clara. From a distance, he saw Lilith choking her. The Kabera Lupus was dead, its corpse lying on the ground like an ordinary animal. Only the two of them were left, Clara and Lilith.
Althair immediately sped forward, summoned a sword in his right hand, and intended to slash horizontally at Lilith's back. But it had been predicted. Lilith released Clara, instantly spun around, and punched Althair in the stomach. Her fist pierced through his stomach. He should have been dead.
"N-no! Al!" Clara shouted with worry.
Althair, who had just been punched by Lilith, disappeared like smoke. "Damn it! I was tricked," Lilith cursed.
Althair appeared from her blind spot, from behind. Lilith was guaranteed to be too late to react, as turning her body was slower than moving right or left. He wasn't saving Clara and fleeing; he was ignoring her. This wasn't carelessness but a move born of a cool head. Because Lilith's guard was down, this was a golden opportunity.
Althair appeared behind Lilith and immediately slashed her neck. He didn't stop there. He slashed again, brutally, cutting through every bit of her skin, flesh, muscle, bone, nerves, and every molecule she possessed. He even cut her so cleanly that not a single piece was left. Only the blood splattered from her body and Althair's sword remained.
Althair stopped. Every slash he made was a release of emotion. Emotion for his family, emotion for the loss of his friends, and the pressure he had felt for days.
Clara got up and hugged Althair's stomach from behind.
"It's okay. We did it. We're safe, and the enemy is gone," Clara said with great care.
"Yeah, finally."
"Let's go to the Warden's place, Althair."
"Right. Let's go home."