章節 29: Chapter 29: Black... Magic!?
Rivella, year 1089 of the 7th era.
A few months passed after the vicissitudes at the Nefertalis Magic Academy, where adventurer Jorael narrowly defeated Richard Graville, secret code name Narcissus.
The young adventurer triumph did not remain hidden for a long time within the walls of the school, and the news quickly spread like wildfire throughout the Empire.
In addition to this, countless missions had been completed by the adventurers, who had elevated their ranks: Jorael's to Veteran and Cyn'Thia's to Officer.
The events of Nefertalis and missions across the Empire combined brought fame to both adventurers and, as a result, Jorael became known as the "Dark Prince", due to his cold beauty and the use of his slave, while Cyn'Thia became known as the "Silver Arrow", due to her distinctive silver-blonde hair and her archery prowess.
It was a quiet, sunny day in Rivella, and Jorael was waking up in his room at the Mad Filly Inn. He immediately felt that there was someone with him who shouldn't have been there, so he said:
"Sigh... Who's here..."
"Ah-ha! Master found me!" said an excited young female voice.
"Mya... I said a lot of times not to enter my room..." he said, annoyed.
"but... I wanted to wake you up!" Mya said innocently.
"Yes... the same every morning...
Wait... where is your sister?!" He asked worriedly while he sat on his bed and looked around his room, but no one except the little Mya was to be found.
"BOOO!" suddenly shouted another young female voice as she came out of the closet trying to scare Jorael. Then she said excitedly:
"Did I scare you, Master ?!"
"Oh... it's you Nya!
I think I was dying of terror!
Thanks to Atremis it's just you!" He joked making the two girls burst out laughing.
The sisters were children of the Beastmen Demon Clan. They were about 8 years old and Mya was a bunny with long ears with brownish fur, while Nya was a cat with ears and a tail with light pink fur.
"Now, can you please get out of my room?" he asked them.
"Okey-dokey Master!" both sisters said before leaving the room.
"Sigh... the same routine every morning...
But it's… refreshing…" Jorael whispered to himself, recalling distant memories.
He got ready and dressed to start his day. As he walked out of his room, the door to the room opposite to his opened, and a familiar voice greeted him:
"Good morning Master!
Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning Thia.
I'll say I slept, somehow..." he replied.
"Nightmares again?" she asked worriedly.
"Just a little…
Then the sisters came into my room again…" he complained.
"Are you afraid of them?" she asked jokingly.
"Of course not! It's not of them that I'm afraid of...
This "Hunger" of mine will not stop, I even attacked you... several times." Jorael explained worriedly.
"Master, I have already said that I am fine, I will make you stop as always ..." she said confidently.
"No. I don't want to hurt you.
I don't want to hurt anyone..." he said he still worried.
"Sigh... good.
I'll keep sleeping in my room..." she said annoyed.
Soon after the chatter, they went down to the inn for breakfast. As soon as they arrived, Mya and Nya served them their meals.
"Ah-ha! Munchy-munchy time!" both sisters cried.
"Thanks, cute little ones!" Cyn'Thia said smiling.
"The quality of the food has certainly increased since many Demons have started working in the kitchen..." Jorael commented as he began to eat.
Suddenly, a loud, male-like howl scream interrupted breakfast:
"WOOOOO!"
"Why did you have to say that Master... here he comes..." Cyn'Thia commented shaking her head in disappointment.
A huge and mighty man ran straight to the adventurer's table and furiously hit the wooden table with his powerful fists. He cried out in anger again:
"DID YOU JUST IMPLIED THAT MADAM DAISY'S FOOD IS BAD?!"
"Sigh... Azumath, please, you are spilling the food and it will be wasted." Jorael replied annoyed.
"Oh sorry...
BUT DON'T BELIEVE I'LL LET THIS GO THROUGH...
WHEN MADAM DAISY DOESN'T NEED YOU ANYMORE, I WILL TEAR YOU APART! "Azumath screamed again.
"I didn't say anything bad about Daisy... I just said..." Jorael was saying before being interrupted by Cyn'Thia:
"STOP IT! Master please... just shut up.
You know Azumath has a crush on Daisy..."
"Oh, Daisy...
I pray every day at Atremis to let me taste her tasty food again…" Azumath said as he daydreamed.
He was a Demon in his forties of the Lycan Clan, a Werewolves clan. He had tremendous power, but when the Blue Moon shines in the night sky, he turns into a werewolf, greatly increasing his physical capacity.
Daisy came to scold Azumath:
"You were sweeping the floor, why did you suddenly leave everything, Wolfy?"
"I... I... S-sorry Madam!
I heard someone speak ill of you, and I..." the Demon said apologizing.
"Come on Wolfy, be a good boy..." Daisy said winking.
"S-sure Madam! WOOOOO!" howled Azumath, immediately rushing to his job.
"Sigh ... it's reliable but sometimes it gets lost all of a sudden...
Anyway, was I on your mind, Candy boy? "Asked the innkeeper.
"No...
What news do we have today?" Jorael asked as he finished his breakfast.
"Oh... straight to the point, I like it.
We got great news today because...
it looks like Dahlia and Narcissus will be here in Rivella tomorrow as they have been summoned by the High Priest." Daisy announced with excitement.
"Meh... it's not that I care much about the activity of the Flowers...
But thanks for your service. "said Jorael showing her his gratitude to him.
"Candy boy... you should be wary of them, and not be reckless like you did in Northum." she pointed out.
"Master, she's right..." Cyn'Thia commented.
"Eh-eh ... Northum.
Let's not talk about Northum.
Eh-eh…" Jorael whispered, laughing maniacally.
"Sigh... so, at least listen to this:
There have been reports from the girls about strange movements on the night of the slums. People have started to disappear and many people no longer go out at night. This is bad for the girl business, and mine after all…" Daisy explained worriedly.
"This caught my interest.
We should check it out, right Thia? "Jorael asked.
"Sure, Master!" she excitedly replied.
"Meow! Who am I!?" a young female voice suddenly asked as she held Pancelot hiding behind the cat.
"Er... Nya!" Cyn'Thia yelled trying to guess.
"No! Meow!"
"Uhm... Mya!" guessed Jorael.
"No! Meow!"
"So, who are you..." both adventurers said annoyed.
"PANCELOT, THE TALKING CAT!
Ahahah!
They are dummies, Mya!" Nya screamed as she laughed with her sister.
"So, I was right..." Cyn'Thia whispered to herself.
"Girls! Go help in the kitchen!" Daisy ordered the little Demons as they ran away. She then spoke again:
"One last thing. Our funds aren't great at the moment. We bought a lot of slaves and keeping them at the inn... it's hard.
The inn's income is better than before, but it won't be enough to provide food for everyone. So..."
"I got it.
There aren't many quests lately, so I'll have to come up with something, or...
I'll have to speed up and get everyone out of the Empire." Jorael explained.
"Thank you, Candy boy." Daisy said with teary eyes.
"Well, now we should go look for work... eh-eh..." Jorael said before leaving the inn with his aide.
They left the hall to meet the bouncer at the inn's entrance.
"Good morning Sonni!" Cyn'Thia greeted him.
"Oh... Little & Big Master! Good morning!
I think I heard Brother Azumath scream, again..." he replied.
"Good morning. Yes, you know how he is ..." Jorael said.
"Oh... the Big Master must have said something about Master Daisy..." Sonni commented.
"Do you see how he immediately understood it, Master?" said the Elf.
"Sigh... let's go." Jorael said as they began to walk away from the inn.
"So, what now?" Cyn'Thia asked as she walked on the muddy road.
"Like yesterday, we'll check if Catherine has something for us... or wait for tonight." Jorael explained.
"Oh... Solid plan.
Let me ask you something, why don't you wear the helmet I bought for you?" She asked.
"It's not that I don't like it, or that I don't appreciate your gift.
It's just… it's kind of annoying to hang around with that." He replied too honestly.
"But Master!
Your horns are growing!
You're taking a big risk; your hair won't be able to hide it sooner or later…" she said worriedly.
"Don't worry Thia.
If we don't make enough money, we will soon be out of the empire." He said.
"Umpf... you never listen to me." she said annoyed.
"It's not true.
Fine... I'll wear it. "said Jorael, making Cyn'Thia smile.
...
After a day of searching for work, the adventurers found nothing worth doing, as Catherine did not yet have a mission for them.
Night fell on Rivella, and they had nothing to do but check if Daisy's rumors of the strange nighttime movements of the East District were true.
"There are really fewer people than usual wandering the streets..." Cyn'Thia whispered as she walked down the dirt road of the slum.
"Yes, and they are all drunkards, or... night ladies." Jorael replied.
As the night got darker, they spent a few hours patrolling the quiet streets, until suddenly they heard a scream coming from a nearby shack that broke the calm and tranquility.
"What was that?!" cried Cyn'Thia in fright.
"Let's go!" Jorael answered, running hastily in the direction of the scream.
Once they arrived, they noticed that the wooden door of the shack was ajar, so they slowly opened it to check what was going on inside.
On a makeshift bed at the far end of the room, there was an unknown figure turned from behind astride a seemingly unconscious woman.
"What the...!?" Jorael whispered, making the strange figure notice the adventurers who were staring from the door.
"WhO Is DiStURbinG My mEAl!?" a hideous voice yelled before it turned to see the intruders.
When it finally turned to them, it exposed its nature, that of a monstrous, misshapen creature, with long fingers and razor-sharp nails, and with its hideous face with vivid red eyes as bright as its piercing teeth drenched in the woman's blood.
"You ..." he whispered the creature, as she apparently recognized Jorael.
"W-what are you!" cried the Traveler in disgust, looking at the monster.
"We MeT AgAin JorAEl, The DaRk PRinCE...
…anD alSo YouR NOsy SlaVE, SilVER aRRoW!" the creature yelled.
Both adventurers looked into each other's confused eyes, then Jorael said:
"I... I don't remember meeting you but...
Leave that woman alone!"
"AHhHhhHh… ThiS TiME I'll MakE yoU Pay foR EveRYthINg!" cried the monster assuming an attack position.
"Thia, please take care of the woman...
I'll take care of this... thing..." Jorael was saying, only to be interrupted by the screaming creature:
"BLOOD WE DRUNK, FLESH WE ATE, LET FIREBOLT SPREAD THE HATE!"
To Jorael's amazement, a shiny black inverted heptagram appeared in front of the creature's hand, and soon after a one mel flaming sphere materialized.
"Black… magic!?" Jorael muttered dazed to the point that he didn't react in time to escape the attack, as the fireball hit him slamming him against the wall of the shack and exploding, creating a huge hole in the wooden wall.
"Ouch... what a fool of me..." Jorael whispered as he found himself on the ground outside the shack.
"Master! What are you doing!?" Cyn'Thia cried as she fired an arrow from her bow, aimed at her monster's face.
The arrow flew swiftly across the room, but just as it nearly reached its target, the creature grabbed the flying arrow with its monstrous hand and snapped it in half. It laughed and then it screamed:
"StAY ThERe QuiET yOU ElF WHOre!
YoU wiLL be The NExT!"
Meanwhile, Jorael stood up, and as soon as the monster finished insulting the elf, he charged at full speed at the creature that defended itself from the attack with its arms. However, Jorael's blow was powerful enough to knock him out of the shack, completely destroying another wall.
"ArGHhhhH!
YoU FuCkERrRrR!" cried the monster as it fell to the ground.
"Thia, soon the woman!" Jorael said worriedly.
As the Elf ran straight to check on the woman, the creature stood up and he started laughing like crazy:
"AHahaHHahah!
ToO LaTE noW, FoOLS!"
"She's breathing!
But she's really weak…" Cyn'Thia exclaimed as she checked the woman's vital signs.
"Use your White Magic!
I'll keep this thing busy!" yelled Jorael.
"I sAID tOO LaTe FooLS!
BLOOD WE DRUNK, FLESH WE ATE, LET BERSERK SPREAD THE HATE!" the monster enchanted, casting a beginner spell on itself to enhance physical abilities, at the cost of going mad.
"What the hell is this thing doing?!" Jorael yelled in confusion, but as a red cloud coming out of the inverted black heptagram struck the creature, he suddenly screamed sending shivers down the spine of all who listened to his gruesome howl.
"AhAhaHAhAHhahAh!" the monster laughed as it charged furiously with its hands as weapons, grinding his sharp teeth still covered in blood.
"W-what is it doing?!" Cyn'Thia asked in terror.
"It's gone crazy!
Berserk is an offensive spell of depower, not enhancement..." Jorael explained as he drew his sword, waiting to repel the enemy's attack.
The monster unleashed convulsively heinous attacks intended to kill Jorael, but he dodged or parried all of the attacks, and sometimes he even counterattacked with Crimson Justice, injuring the creature.
"What's going on?! Your wounds!?" Jorael suddenly exclaimed, noticing that all the creature's wounds were regenerating almost instantly.
"I jUsT aTE... AHahAhHaha!" commented the monster between his attacks.
Meanwhile, a white light shone from inside the shack, but soon after Cyn'Thia cried desperately:
"Master, Heal doesn't work! H-how is that possible?!
Also... what's with these blood-covered bites on her neck!?"
"What?!" Jorael yelled as he was evading the monster's furious blows.
"AHaHahahAh!
TolD yOU sO, FoOLs!" commented the creature while laughing.
"Wait... bites on the neck?!?!
Maybe I'm stupid or delusional, but...
Are you a vampire?!" Jorael asked.
The creature suddenly stopped moving.
"HoW Do yOU kNoW thAT NAME?!" the monster exclaimed furiously.
"Thia, let's not waste any more time. Sancta!" instantly enchanted Jorael.
A glowing golden heptagram appeared, activating a major spell of Holy Magic. A two mels spear of pure light came out of the heptagram and was immediately thrown at the monster's thigh, impaling it to the ground.
"ARGHHhhhHhH!" the creature screeched in pain as it could no longer move.
"Thia, please go a little farther!" Jorael said approaching the unconscious woman on the bed.
"Megaene!" Enchanted Jorael, still unsuccessful as the elf.
"ArGhHhhh... ToLD yoU sOooooaAaArgHhHh!" the monster blathered in pain.
"What the fuck did you do to her?!" Jorael exclaimed angrily.
"AhahAHaAAARRGHHHhHhHH!" the creature laughed in pain.
The woman's hand suddenly moved and she grabbed Jorael's arm. She was barely conscious and whispered very slowly:
"R-R... o... b..."
"I can't understand! What are you saying !?" Jorael asked worriedly, but it was already too late.
The woman died at that moment, freeing her grip from Jorael's arm, taking her last breath.
"No ..." Cyn'Thia whispered with tears streaming from her eyes.
"W-wait, it's the first time but I can do it... Rise!" enchanted Jorael, using a difficult superior spell of White Magic that can sometimes reanimate the dead for some time as soon after their death.
However, all efforts were in vain because all the spells did not work.
"Huff... huff... I'm dizzy..." Jorael whispered panting heavily.
"Master! You will faint if you consume all your Magic!" Cyn'Thia screamed in concern.
"ArGHhH...
WhO aRe YoU ReALly DaRk prinCE?!
TheSe SpeLLs wErE inStanTly CasT..." the monster commented.
"Huff... SHUT UP!
Who the fuck are you and what the fuck did you do to her?!?! "shouted Jorael furiously.
"Oh... I wOndER hOW muCH yoU cAN hoLd tHis fUckiNG liGhT laNce... aAAarRgGhhHh!" the monster said painfully.
"Huff... Thia... be... read..." Jorael just whispered, but unfortunately, he couldn't hold back his Holy Magic spell which suddenly disappeared, freeing the monster.
"AHahHah!
BLOOD WE DRUNK, FLESH WE ATE, LET DARKNESS SPREAD THE HATE!" enchanted the creature.
When the intermediate spell of Black Magic activated, the ground turned into a pitch-black puddle beneath the adventurer's feet.
"Shit... we won't make it... huff..." Jorael whispered.
Dozens of black tentacles came out of the puddle, constraining both Cyn'Thia and Jorael, rendering them unable to move.
"AHaHah!
Ugh... I'll FaInt tOO frOm aLL thIs Magic usAge..." the monster said as it was approaching the bed.
"Now... littLE Rob.
CoME oUT..." the creature said, reaching out under the bed.
Faced with the desperation of the adventurers, the monster grabbed a child who had remained silent and hidden under the bed. He looked like a five-year-old boy, still conscious, but his pale face and his dead eyes told he wasn't here with his scarred mind.
"Rob?! This was what the woman was trying to tell me!
FUCK! I was too focused on the monster that I didn't notice him...
You disgusting creature leave it! huff…" Jorael ordered.
"AhHHHhhhHh... I thiNK I wiLL noT!
So... do yoU rEmeMBer me NoW?" asked the monster.
"I don't know... Leave the boy! Huff..." Jorael said still trying to regain his power as he was unable to move due to the spell.
"DiSaPPoiNtmenT...
WeLL ThEn... I'LL leaVe tO briNG heR a giFT." the creature said before leaving the shack with the boy.
"NOOOOOOO!" both adventurers screamed in utter despair.
...
A few minutes passed and the Darkness spell ceased to hold back both adventurers.
"Master ... I'm sorry." Cyn'Thia said crying.
"It's not your fault, it's mine.
Please go back to the inn." Jorael said as he apparently stood up after regaining some of his powers.
"No! What are you going to do?!" she asked worriedly.
"I'll find and save that boy whatever it takes." he confidently stated.
"Master, please..." she cried, hugging Jorael's arm.
"Please, just go.
I can't protect both you and the boy…" Jorael said as he ran out of the shack looking for clues, leaving Cyn'Thia behind.
He started looking for the monster's footsteps, which it left in the muddy road.
"Those steps ... it's that thing.
Is it going... to the center of Rivella?!" Jorael wondered, following the trail of footprints on the road.
"Shit, now the road is paved...
There are no more steps to follow, DAMN!
Wait... what about the smell of blood it has on itself..." he realized, concentrating his senses to smell a new trail.
"This way... yes, right to the square!" he thought as he ran into the piazza following what his nose told him to do.
Once he arrived, he continued to trace the scent to discover the monster's final location: the High Temple of Kalipso.
"W-what!?" yelled Jorael internally taken by surprise.
He stared at the entrance to the temple, where guards were guarding the doors.
"Soldiers?! How did that thing go through the entrance!?
I'm smelling the right path he took!?
No ... there is no mistake.
I have to go in now." He thought as he approached the entrance.
"HALT! No overnight visits!" The guards intimated aggressively.
"Oh... Yeah, sorry..." Jorael whispered as he walked away into a dark alley bordering the temple. Once he was sure he was alone in the darkness he enchanted:
"I hope I have enough Magic... Vanish!"
"Well! Now let's go up this wall and see inside..." Jorael thought as he climbed the high walls of the Temple after turning invisible.
He moved silently to the first roof of the temple and, hearing some voices, he walked over to take a look at the inner courtyard. Three men were talking animatedly:
"You have to stop your nocturnal adventures. We have to stay calm and follow the rule."
"Ahahahahah!
Why? As long as I'm under her protection, I can do what I want! "
"How can you be under her protection !?"
"After my hunts, I always bring her fresh children. You should know that she is obsessed with children!"
"Oh yeah... hey you still have blood on your mouth.
Mmm...Was the prey good?"
"Ahahahahah! Yup!
Much better than the rotten meat with worms they give you to eat!"
"Sublime! Priest Gunther, please, next time give us some fresh snacks... like a finger or two..."
創作者的想法 
Tengu_San
Tengu_San Such meaty stuff...
Thank you as always for supporting me!
Support me how you can with power stones, comments or gifts if you think this story deserves it. Everything is welcomed as it boosts a lot of my confidence and morale to keep writing!
Love to y'all!
Updates every Saturday (and maybeee Wednesday) 8.00 pm CEST/GMT+1
-- 收到的禮物 
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票