Chapter 198: The Cursed City Beneath The Red Moon
Chapter 198: The Cursed City Beneath The Red Moon
[System Notice!]
[Congratulations, player! You have completed the quest: "Restore the Lost Bond."]
[You have obtained the class-exclusive skill: Dragon Path Artisan (SSS).]
[Congratulations! Due to the acquired skill, a Dracotralysis Tree has grown in the mind
space!]
[The player will need the help of an Archi-Void to make proper use of it.]
[System Notice!]
[Congratulations, player, for taming the Abyss dragon Mar'Garet Von Abyss-Void (SS).]
[The negative emotion she embodies is: Obsession.]
[An Overlord needs to find their own way of keeping an Abyss-Void in line.]
[Otherwise, they will act out based on your perceived emotions rather than your actual wishes.]
[System Notice!]
[Congratulations, player! You have obtained 5 generals, completing the hidden quest: "Overlord's Right Arm."]
[All your generals now possess "voluntary passage," meaning unless the player decides to limit them, they are allowed to exit and re-enter the mind space at any time.]
[Notice! The player won't be able to summon another general until their next awakening (Lvl 50), although normal summoning is still possible.]
[Congratulations! You have discovered the skill: Spear Mastery (SS).]
Alister blinked as the system messages flashed in rapid succession. He couldn't read through all of them, but he got the general sense of what it was trying to say.
He found himself back in reality. The surroundings of the ruined red moon city grounds came into view, with Terra, Cinder, and Draven standing nearby.
"Congratulations on your success, my lord," Terra said, smiling.
Alister gave a nod. "Thanks," he replied, "but there's more to be done."
He stepped forward, gazing down at the ruined city as he spoke softly.
"Alzuring, Mar'Garet, come forth."
A rift tore open beside him, the air shimmering as the fabric of reality bent. From it, Alzuring and Mar'Garet emerged in their combat forms.
Alzuring was the first to step forward. He was tall, slightly taller than Darven. His sharp face was framed by two curling horns that extended from his forehead.
His eyes, a deep sapphire blue, and his silver and ocean blue hair fell to his side. In his left hand, he held what looked like a white bow without a string, appearing to be made from the upper halves of his horns, both possessing sharp, pointy tips.
He donned blue, white, and silver dragon scale armor, and on his back were smaller versions of his once massive wings. His long hair was tied together with a golden hairpin.
Mar'Garet then stepped out. Her dark armor gleamed under the red moonlight, with all the previous damage gone, looking as though it was fresh out of an equipment shop.
Her long, silver hair flowed down her back, and in her hand, she gripped her spear, its blade gleaming under the crimson light.
For some reason, when she stepped out, she looked around at the other generals, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she gazed at Cinder. Cinder noticed the strange hostility, narrowing her gaze intensely as well, but decided to ignore her, walking up to Alister's side.
As she approached Alister, her eyes softened slightly, but her posture remained poised and ready for battle.
Mar'Garet did the same, both of them standing at Alister's side as they gazed down at the ruined city crawling with monsters.
Alzuring moved elegantly to the edge of the skyscraper, then looked down as he said, "What a peculiar sight... What cursed these creatures to such a foul fate?"
Terra, standing nearby with her arms crossed, glanced at the creatures Alzuring was referring to, adjusting a pair of glasses on the ridge of her nose, from who knows where.
She took a deep breath before answering, "These are what's left of people who fell victim to a parasitic spore infestation. It's a fungus-like parasite that invades the host's body, gradually taking over their motor functions, mind, and eventually their entire body."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
"The plants erupting from their bodies are part of the spore's reproductive cycle. It uses the bodies of its victims as both nourishment and a vessel to spread its spores further. The reason they seem... Undead-like is because the fungus controls their actions, using them to infect others and expand its reach."
Terra's gaze darkened as she finally said, "It's not just a physical infestation. It attacks the very essence of what makes them human, leaving nothing but mindless husks driven by the need to spread. A perfect example of nature's darker side... relentless, merciless."
Alzuring's gaze shifted back to Terra, his sharp eyes softening ever so slightly. "It's reassuring to know that we already have an Archi-Void among the young lord's forces," he said with a touch of respect as he glanced at Terra.
"You'll be invaluable for what's to come."
"I appreciate praise, but may I ask what your name is?"
"Oh, forgive my late introduction, I am Alzuring Von Azure-Void."
"Terra Von Archi-Void." Terra responded. "Glad to make your acquaintance Alzuring, may we both fulfil our parts and serve our lord till the end."
"Indeed we shall."
Alister, listening intently, couldn't help but notice the strange addition on Terra's face. "Terra, why are you wearing glasses?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, unable to hide his curiosity. She was a dragon with X-ray vision, whose eyes could see objects from miles away. Why would she need glasses? Alister silently wondered.
Terra smiled brightly, adjusting the glasses with an almost proud gesture. "Ah, I observed that humans with higher intellectual capacities than others tend to wear them on their faces, so I thought it would be nice to have a pair as well," she said, her voice brimming with excitement.
Alister was a bit confused with how she acted. He had never seen this side of her before-so excited, like she had found a piece of treasure. "And how did you even obtain those?"
Terra's eyes lit up as she eagerly explained. "It was in that valley where you summoned me to save your teammates. During the fight, I found these glasses buried in the rubble. They were almost completely melted down because of all the heat from the earth, but I managed to restore them."
She raised a finger, excitement in her tone. "I used a precise cooling technique to reverse the damage. First, I froze the frames using arcane craft to solidify the metal without making it
brittle."
"Then I shaped them back to their original form with small, calculated pulses of energy, before finally repairing the lenses using tiny fragments of crystal I shaped using my bloodline
ability."
She adjusted the glasses once more, as if to show them off. "I decided to wear them because they fit perfectly, and... I have grown to like that gesture human scholars make by adjusting
them."
Terra adjusted her glasses once more and smiled. "I hope the sight of them doesn't bother you, my lord. If they do, I'll gladly discard them."
Alister looked at her, feeling slightly awkward about the gesture. "No, as long as you like
them, you can keep them."
Terra's eyes lit up. "Thank you, my lord! I am grateful."
Alister offered a small smile. "It's my pleasure."
He then turned his attention to Mar'Garet. "You haven't properly introduced yourself to the
others yet."
Mar'Garet smiled, a glint of pride in her eyes. "Ah, right." She stepped forward. "I am Mar'Garet Von Abyss-Void, master of the spear and a loyal pupil of my lord. Most of what I know, I learned from him. I owe him much, and I will serve well by his side."
There was confidence in her tone, and the others listened with respect. Alister gave a satisfied nod. "Good, since introductions are out of the way, we need to move quickly and complete the objective I brought you all here for."
Alister narrowed his eyes dangerously as they glowed brightly. Other rifts opened up in the sky, and his Wyverns flew out of them as he finally said, "We have a long night ahead of us. We're not stopping until every monster here is either eradicated or devoured."