These two monstrosities stared at each other. One an actual monster, and the other as detached from humanity – it might as well be one.
You have encountered a level 341 monster, Keeper of spells - Kaiper. Type-Mage. Title-Lord of Spells.
"How did you find me?"
The Knight stepped into the barrier through the tare it had made. It then absorbed all of the void not currently being used for armament. The monster was not shocked; it even seemed to welcome the guests. The Knight then pointed towards the inside of the ribs, but this time, its face grew horrid with malice.
'Things just keep getting more interesting, don't they? A title, after all, I myself know not my name, but instead use my title, this monster actually has a title – Lord of Spells – fitting.'
"You have something I want."
It looked into its chest and spoke with the same irritating voice. "This? I am afraid I can't give you."
"I was not asking. In your state, you could never stop me."
"You sure talk big for someone who has not even unleashed the second seal – don't you think? I do give you that you made it through my barrier, but even as I am now, I can dispose of a rogue knight looking for fame and glory easy."
'I guess it can see my stats. I almost feel bad for it.'
"What are you thinking, for some reason I can't hear your thoughts, do delight me."
The Knight then stopped using the concealment it had learned from the Marshal.
The monster took a step back, and with a shaky smile it said, "What exactly am I looking at? What even are you?" Somehow, it still did not change its irritating tone.
"I have a deal for you. You give me that book and I will make your soul into something worthy of your miserable life."
The Knight was still being too careless, even in this state, this monster was almost as strong a Red Scorch, even worse this happens to be the first monster with a title it had met. And in the woods of Elleria, their battle might be dangerous for the citizens. It could get assistance from its army, but the monster still has its power, and the book. And by the way the guard and the queen put it, that itself is more dangerous.
"You're right, if we fight now, I have a feeling you will probably kill me, after all you sick thing are a destroyer, or should I say void being, aren't you? I have never heard of a thing such as a void dweller, but by the looks of that darkness you summoned, it's safe to say I was mistaken for thinking it is elemental darkness – the work of your concealment and sense manipulation. Impressive.
However, with your knowledge stats being as high as mine, I bet you can tell that I will a hassle to deal with, nothing is as dangerous as a battered and bruised monster, especially one with the pride to not submit to the weak.
On the other hand, facing a destroyer is nigh impossible, especially one trained to face its own kind such as yourself."
It scratched its head in frustration.
"Let me put it this way…"
Its ribs open like the doors in a cell, and it then reached in for the book.
"… I could trade you for something of value."
"Even if I have something to trade, you must still die. If I leave you alive, knowing what you know, it could make looking for something else harder. That I cannot compromise."
"Well, so be it…"
The book opened, and before it read a word, they were instantly covered by inky darkness.
"Are you finding it a bit difficult to read in here, are we?
Then the monster began to teleport. 'It seems I can't feel or see where I am going, neither am I able to read, and for some reason I can't use my power. No surprise my light skills aren't working either. In this state, I'm probably dead, I shouldn't have never let it get this close, I didn't think it could get through my barrier… No matter though, I still remember some of the spells.'
The Knight caught up by using the skill [Teleportation] because it was a little faster than the one used by the monster for spells. The Knight then tried to crane the book out of the ribs; after it lost the ability to read, it had put it there quickly. But then upon sensing danger the Knight jumped back.
"Save none but the caster!" it said in a strange tongue of which the Knight could understand because of the pendant – [Gift of Speech].
It then appeared on the next tree over. This is how it had escaped the queen, a distancing spell which throws the caster a certain distance from the target. It did not matter though since the Knight had released a lot of the void, this still covered most of the area. The Knight had to be quick, as soon as Keiper figures something out, the battle may not be so one sided.
Then the Knight summoned the hammer, then activated Willruption. This things will, was the will to learn, similar to that of the Knight, but this thing wants to spread it not receive it. The difference between the storyteller and the one who lives the story.
"Confusion!" – another spell.
The Knight then lost the ability to guide its body well, just like fighting Tyun. The thing threw the Knight senses off, but now it knew how to fight without them. Nearby was the Vile hunter. Its senses were so sharp, even just watching the battle from above the Knight could still find Keiper.
Then the Knight activated visage of terror, using it to lead the blinded monster towards it. It then caught it by is arms, the skin was too tough to break through, the Knight then tried to crane the book out of the ribs again, to no avail. The Knight could not perpetrate the skin just using the power over fear. This is when the Knight changed tactics and instead made horrendously petrified of the book inside.
With a trembling hand it tried to reach inside to drag the book out, but then it bit off its own hands, after using a spell to make them weak. With a loud tear, the hands were off. It tore them to the wrists, not fully though.
Then the ribs wanted to open and let the book fall out, because this is an all-consuming fear, even the silent galaxy that makes up the medium of its body moved all the dull stars away from the book, oddly enough creating a cosmic void in its chest. This is when it smashed its head into the chest, its neck was bending at unnatural angles to do this.
This broke the muscles and whatever it used to open the ribs to free the book. It was afraid of the book, but it had not become irrational, so it just made itself incapable of throwing it out. Then it said a few dozen spells, making the book invisible, and float to not touch the inner walls of the chest/cage.
Then the Knight aimed at the ribs to smash them open, when another spell was cast.
"Instincts supreme control."
It could not see, but its stumps blocked the blow, and then the other hand squared a hit to the Knight's side. The Knight was sent flying. And landed in the sturdy trees, that splintered but not before bending the armour slightly inward. The punch the Knight had thrown had used [Impact] thus even with the toughness of the skin, the Knight's blow had completely shattered the hand that blocked.
Keiper looked at the lifeless arm. It was not responding, and it was not remembering the restoration spell, and didn't want to accidentally heal the hands and ribs as such it restored it partially and used a puppetry skill to control them.
"Restore to few seconds ago!"
But even partial restoration did not work, because the Knight had also teared at the soul and the weaker wills imbedded in the monster.
The monster got irritated and winced, 'Just like I thought, I guess both this thing and the queen deal damage that cannot be healed, and I don't have time to recover fully. What should I do? … That could work.'
It knew almost every spell in the book, but the more dangerous ones would kill it if a single letter was pronounced wrong, this is how it had even almost died. But there was one spell it was sure it could not get wrong. It had spent more time learning it, due to how interesting it is.
"Fere chaos se afti tin taxi
Katanaloste opos epithymei i akataponiti orexi sou
Min afiseis kanenan na xefygei apo ti sagini sou
Se deno
Se sfragizo
Sta splachna tou diastimatos se exorizo
Mesa ston keno tou mazi me ola osa einai gyro sou
Opou boreis kapote na fereis taxi sto chaos."