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94.98% Fantasy System / Chapter 281: The Dead Are Here

Chapter 281: The Dead Are Here

A lone old man walked amid a mountain of corpses. The stench of blood and decay filled the area, illuminated under a single silver string of the broken moon. Wolves howled in the distance, lamenting the loss of their dearest, as monsters growled in rage. The lone man took small steps and turned his head left first, then right, as though he was afraid to miss some detail from the horrifying view surrounding him.

A crow, with feathers so black it melded into the darkness of the night, flew down and settled on the right shoulder of the lone man.

"All are dead! All are dead!" it croaked incessantly into his ear. "All are dead, and you're next!"

The lone man paid no heed to the taunts of the crow and continued to walk in a straight line, the line was easy to follow as on both of his side, as a mountain of corpses blocked his sight. He could only go straight ahead.

"The dead come looking for you! They wish for you join them!" The crow pecked the cheek of the lone man until he started bleeding. As the sudden sharp pain overtook him, he turned his head in a daze and caught a glimpse of what lay behind him. Dead men and women, adults and children, covered in blood and filth crawling ever so closer to him. Half a step separated him from the next body crawling towards him, and no matter how hard he tried, his feet couldn't walk any faster.

He tried to calm himself down by taking deep breaths and focusing on walking down his lonely road, but his head would always turn sideways, catching a glimpse of the horde following him.

However, much to his relief, he had finally exited the lonely road. The sky shone brightly all of a sudden, and the crow had turned silent. In front of him was a blue lake, the sun reflected on the water and green vibrant grass swaying at its side. The lone man dropped down in order to take a drink. He was thirsty, so very thirsty. He didn't know how long it took for him to cross the lonely road, but he was relieved it was over.

As he bent down in order to scoop the lake's water, he noticed ripples in the blue water of the lake. Taken aback, he stood back up quickly and waited to see what would come up.

Bodies, dead bodies, surfaced. It was the lone man's family, dead yet peaceful looking; unlike the bodies in the lonely road. However, their peaceful faces were no comfort to the lone man. His heart beat faster as his tears rolled down his chapped cheeks.

A white raven came out of the reflection of the sun; its feather wet but capable of flight. It settled down on his left shoulder and said, "Death is here, but so if life! The one who raises the dead and the one who heals the sick, he who controls both, holds the key to the world. The one who feasts on worlds and the one who rules the elements, he who controls both, controls the fate of men."

The lone man listened to the rabbles of the white raven until he felt a hand's hold on him. He heard the crow squeak into his ear saying, "I told you the dead are coming for you!"

He turned around and found a familiar face staring down at his, a scarred face and eyes filled with sadness and regret. It was a dead man as well, and it told him, "You took my wife, my daughter, and my son. I will take you with me." The dead man's hand released the lone man, and instead approached his face.

.

.

.

Ryuunosuke Nakamura woke up in a jolt as soon as the dead man, Erykytos, touched his face. He was drenched in sweat and breathed weakly. He was getting weaker and weaker every day, ever since the Battle of Generations. It was no secret that he was going to die soon, and it was a miracle that he held on for so long. The technique he had used on the day of the battle wore him completely.

"We thought we lost you, great-grandfather," Hayato called out to him.

Ryuunosuke looked around the brightly lit room, and his eyes landed on the faces of all of his family members, as well as his guest, Edward Avalon. Only after seeing their faces filled with tears and worry did he realize that he was on his deathbed.

"I see," he muttered. "The dead didn't get me yet."

Ryuunosuke squeezed out the little power he had left in him and stood up. His body was thin, all skin and bones. He wobbled around the room, giving each member of his large family a kiss on the forehead and a kiss on the forehead. The only ones he left were Hayato and Ed, whom he considered as his own son.

"Everyone, if you would be so kind, please leave us," he asked gently. Inside of his room, only the ones he didn't bid farewell to have remained.

"The world, our world, is in grave danger, my dear boys," he said. "Erykytos and Vortigern, those two didn't die killing each other, they died in order to…"

"We know, great-grandfather, or rather Ed knows," Hayato said with a warm smile.

"I don't know everything, but I plan on traveling to the Tower of Origin in order to find some answers," Ed followed.

"I see," Ryuunosuke's face lit up with a smile of relief. "Then, I have worried for no reason. You know. I'm not the only one plagued with knowledge. Oh, what a relief."

Ed and Hayato could do nothing except let the old man find relief at his very last moments.

"I'm sorry my dear boys, I won't be around to help you this time. You'll need to face it all on your own. I can only pray for you from the other side. I'll pray that you won't join me anytime soon."

Ryuunosuke went back to his futon and sat down cross-legged. His eyes suddenly turned hazy as his whole body relaxed at once. Ed and Hayato stayed by his side until his whole body shook and he stood up.

"I can see them," he said. "It's Vortigern; he's come to pick me up. Oh, Erykytos, can you forgive me, like you've forgiven this fool before me?"

Hayato could no longer hold his tears, as he realized that his great-grandfather was talking to his dead friends.

"A surprise? What surprise could you be hiding for a dying man?" he asked those only he could see. "Ooooh, Lina, is it really you?"

Ed and Hayato felt their hearts turn to mush as they listened to him. Lina was the name of Ryuunosuke's late wife, whom he lost over two centuries prior.

"I've missed you so much. Yes, yes, I'm ready to go. They know the young ones know. They're the ones who hold the fate to our world now," Ryuunosuke said as he extended his hand to hold something. His face was wet with tears, but a large smile was plastered on his face.

That day Ryuunosuke Nakamura, the founder of the great Ryuu kingdom, the Hero of the Great War, and the protector of the realms, passed away standing on his feet. The dead had come for him, and he left with them willingly. That day, the last Transcendent cultivator, and creature in the world passed away, leaving behind a rich legacy, and the keys to the future.

The next day, the whole world mourned in silence, until it was interrupted by the shattering skies above it.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Shigun Shigun

Hello everyone. Sorry for the long pauses that are taking place, I'm unfortunately very busy with my life, and the novel will probably keep updating this way until it is finished, hopefully during summer. I hope that you enjoy the chapter, though they are small numbered compared to the early days.

PS: Ed's father is dead, I did not make a mistake, and it will be explained why it was said that he was injured during the war.

PS 2: In one week the novel turns one year old!

Chapter 282: Let Loose

The sudden rumble and thundering of the skies took the people of the world by surprise. Before they knew it, all of them had their eyes fixated at the strange glass-like film covering the blue vast endlessness above them; a glass so fragile it broke faster than the speed of sound. The thundering noise soon died down and the film finished breaking apart, and not a second later, darkness spread over the plains, mountains, rivers…and the cities of men.

Those who always carried vigilance next to their hearts were quick to react, hundreds of Qi spheres blazed around the populace of men, illuminating the world in place of the sun that had disappeared. Only then did the normal people notice what was happening. Everything happened so fast that they were unable to keep up with it, but once the realization sunk in, terror and fear consumed them. The sun was gone, the blue sky had turned dark, and the wailing and screams of the weak hearted were not much help.

People flocked around the strong cultivators, seeking the warmth of their Qi, and the reassurance of having strength by their side. However, no one was prepared for what was yet to come. An ear-splitting shriek came from all directions. The shriek intensified until everyone got a clear look at its source.

Deep inside the darkness, from the swirling smoky vortex far above their heads, a 'bird' emerged. Its body had no feathers, as it looked like a dead chicken. Yet, it was able to fly all too well, and its size was big enough to cover the nearest mountain from sight.

The people started to flee in all sorts of directions, seeking shelter somewhere far from the featherless flying chicken. After all, how could they not? They could see it clearly in its, its intent to attack the people holding the Qi spheres. It was targeting the cultivators.

The same thing was happening over all the major cities of the world, and everyone had to bear the full brunt of the attack. Avalon was no different. The disciples and sect Elders of Glory and Sword sect moved as though they'd been training for the attack all of their lives.

"Disciple, help the people evacuate. Elders, we're after the chickens!" Edmund pointed his black spear at the closest naked chicken, and after giving his orders, he flew towards it.

The chicken noticed him and retaliated, purple smoke burst out of its peak and spread down towards the surface. However, Edmund did not dodge the attack; instead, he focused Qi on his spear and thrust towards the smoke, dispersing it in an instant. He knew that the attack would hurt the citizens if here to let it hit the ground, and his attack allowed him to gauge the enemy's strength. After all, he couldn't read its Qi at all.

Edmund gripped his spear with confidence and flew towards the chicken at his maximum speed. Like a black glow, he swept through the space separating them and beheaded the oversized chick without any effort at all. Although he couldn't read its Qi, he could tell that its abilities were comparable with a monster of Immortal level 1. Not much of a threat for him.

Noticing his triumph, the other Elders followed suit and started to kill the chickens descending from above. The deceased bodies kept piling up on the ground, but there were always more enemies in the air, waiting to be slain.

After what seemed like hours, the chickens were all finally slain. But, the darkness was not ending. Instead, the skies thundered and crashed, as lightning surged through the heavens above them. An instant later, the smoky vortex swished and swooshed into one mass.

A humanoid being emerged. Its size was not large, as it was barely two meters tall. It was covered in dark bluish scales from head to toe, which made it resemble a dragon. In its right hand was a black spear, almost as tall as it was. And in its left hand, it gripped a pitch black ball. Its presence was terrifying, but its Qi could not be read at all!

It looked down on the thousands of bodies on the ground and smirked. Edmund and the others clearly knew that the chickens and the Dragonoid came from the same place, but they knew not why it laughed. However, the next instant they could tell that it was not smiling out of air.

The Dragonoid threw the black ball faster than anyone could react. As it smashed into the ground, black smoke gushed out and spread the whole city in an instant.

Edmund had a bad feeling in his heart and soon started to notice changes on the ground. The dead bodies of the chickens started to wriggle around until popping sounds were heard. Small, tadpole-like creatures emerged from under the skin of the naked chickens.

The tadpoles grew at an alarming rate, turning into full-fledged monsters in less than two seconds. Black spiders, two-headed hounds, zombies, ghouls, black serpents…dark creatures of all kinds swarmed the city. They had numbered in the thousand.

The Dragonoid's laughter could soon be heard throughout the whole city of Avalon, while the disciples and Elders who were stunned could do nothing but watch as the bulk of the monsters started to head towards the castle.

"Everyone…go, protect the king, the queen, and the people. Leave this place to me," Edmund said as he started to breathe slowly.

"Don't even think about it, that thing is not something you can beat alone," Audun warned.

"I know, but we can't do much about this situation. We can't let that thing leave this place, and we can't leave the horde alone," Edmund explained. "We can at least do one thing right, and that is protecting the castle. I'll stay back and watch that monster's movement. If push comes to shove, I have Edward's special pieces of jewelry to protect me."

Bard, Audun, and the others could do nothing but give up under the power of Edmund's smiling, reassuring face. They also knew that his words were true. They could not repeat their mistake and leave their king to die.

"Now then," Edmund looked down at the monsters and as he raised his spear high. Qi continued to concentrate in its tip until it was released in one go, turning into hundreds of light attack that targeted the monsters beneath. "Time to let loose."


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