168. Nobody
“Salvos! Salvos, where are you going?!”
Edithe screamed as loud as she could, but the Demon girl flew away from the walls, happily landing on a nearby hill instead of the crenellations. The red-haired woman clicked her tongue. She had to stop Salvos. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good.
She could sense the powerful magic, even amidst the fighting and battle. It drew Salvos to it. And Edithe was determined to stop it. Even if it meant that she had to leave the walls—
Salvos winked out of existence.
There was a flicker. Edithe blinked. And her friend was gone.
“What?”
The red-haired woman couldn’t help but stare. She didn’t know what happened. One moment, Salvos was there, the next, she was gone. Edithe grew worried. If something bad happened… but she couldn’t focus on that.
An army of monsters bore down on Vamont. Salvos staved off their approach with her efforts. But at some point during her attack, she must have gotten confused. She started attacking their flank, even as the vanguard pressed onward to the city.
Now, they were here. Edithe bit her lower lip as she saw the first of the Gatho Mammoths charging for the gates. They were followed by leaping [Rancor Mites] and hopping Saeves. The red-haired woman pointed her staff at them, focusing her [Storm of Ice and Fire] to allay their approach. The lower leveled monsters fell by the dozens as the flames and frost gathered in a sphere. A Gatho Mammoth fell, and so did another.
But the third one reached the gates. It slammed the metal bars open just as Edithe’s magic brought it down. She cursed internally as even more monsters poured through the gates. She had to concentrate all her magic on the broken gates. But something drew her attention.
A terrible pain set over. Edithe clasped her head as the [Mages] around her collapsed, bleeding from the mouth and screaming. She glanced up at the Mindreapers. A dozen of them hovered over her side of the wall. [Archers] and [Mages] struggled to loose their projectiles at them, but were quickly brought to their knees by the powerful mind magic.
Edithe turned her [Storm of Ice and Fire] towards them, but only one was caught within it. The others scattered around, still blaring their mind magic. The Mindreaper fell quickly as Edithe narrowed her eyes. Fine, if you want to play it like that—
Six Mindreapers circled over Edithe. They coordinated with each other— Mindreapers were known to be intelligent monsters. But that was their mistake. They blasted her with their mind magic at the same time, and she grinned.
“[Fiery Riposte].”
All at once, they were engulfed in flames. A powerful fire that could not be dodged. It was a replica of what they struck her with. It wasn’t exactly as strong as the magic they used against her, but it was enough to bring them all down.
Edithe hurriedly uncorked a healing potion and took a large gulp from it. She didn’t have the highest [Vitality]. And while that assault didn't come close to killing her, she needed to be at full health for the battle. There were tens of thousands of monsters out there. If she even let her guard down once, she could die.
And, unfortunately for Edithe, she did let her guard down. Just briefly with a single sip.
She glanced back up just in time to see a Gatho Mammoth ramming into the crenellations. The stone crumbled over as the red-haired woman was sent tumbling through the air. The walls of the city fell, and the evacuating city was left vulnerable to the encroaching horde.
[Hellprince - Lvl. 151]
The world around me vanished. It was like I was sucked into a darkness. The very same void which held me before I was born. Everything was gone, even if I could still feel the earth and grass beneath my feet. I saw none of it.
“H-how…?”
I shook my head, creating a Nebular Kusarigama. I couldn’t hesitate now. Only one thing was clear— the magic permeating the air was powerful. I was completely outmatched. I had to be on guard, ready for anything.
I glanced over at the shadows around me, hearing their whispers, threatening to lash out at any moment. I calmed myself, taking a deep breath.
“Lily said you were Level 138.”
It was a simple statement. I waited for any kind of a response. One came from my left.
“Lily? Ah, the Fairy who lived. So, you were one of those two rats she helped escape that night.”
I spun around and released a cone of flames in that direction, burning everything that could’ve possibly been hiding the darkness. It lit up the void. I saw flashes— flickers of a tree being burned. The grass was engulfed in my blue flames. But Belzu didn’t scream. He only chuckled.
“Did you think my illusions are limited to your sight alone? No. I can alter all your senses: what you see, what you hear, what you smell, what you taste, and what you feel. It is but a simple trick to fool a mind, no matter the level of the individual.”
His words came in scattered voices. Fragments broke in from below me followed by questions from my right. There was no way for me to discern where Belzu was. I narrowed my eyes.
“How are you Level 151 now?”
“You, yourself, were not an Archdemon, were you? Tell me, [Changeling]— are you a [Changeling]?”
“I’m Salvos.”
“Salvos, then.”
Belzu sounded satisfied. At least he was using my name and not calling me other things like girl or fool, as others kept doing.
“Do you truly believe you are the only one who levels? The only one who pursues a higher power?”
He spoke as something shot out of the shadows. A boulder came sailing at me. I leapt to the side as it shattered on the earth. I stumbled back, snapping my gaze around me. This time, a tree tumbled my way. I raised my Nebular Kusarigama, slashing in half, only for it to vanish without feeling.
I blinked, and was struck from behind. I rolled on the ground and turned back, seeing Belzu disappear into the darkness.
“I have labored long and hard to reach the Mortal Realm of my own capacity. Now that I am here, I shall not remain idle. I have amassed my army, I have evolved beyond a mere Archdemon, and I shall prepare for his arrival.”
“His arrival?”
The world around me warped. The ground returned, but it was a pale white. Hills and hillocks rose up, towering over me, creating a familiar sight. The sky turned red, and Belzu buzzed overhead.
“Your King.”
I leapt up after him, flapping my wings as rapidly closed the distance. Belzu grinned. And I slammed straight into a wall. I tumbled through the air as the world around me rolled, turning itself over.
Now, I stood on the crimson sky, and straightened.
“I serve no King. Only myself.”
“Oh?”
The ground below me shot up, but I didn’t flinch. It was an illusion. It faded through me like it was nothing. According to Lily, Belzu could cast illusion magic and curses. As far as I was concerned, no curses allowed anyone to cast earth magic.
“Ah, you lack a summoning collar. I should have noticed it before.”
I walked through the false attack unharmed. It was as if an entire chunk of the red sky fell out, displaced, trying to strike the ground.
“I am Salvos. I have companions. I have friends. But I will do what I want, never what others tell me to do. If I ever listen to something someone else says, it’s only because I wanted to do it myself.”
“Such a simple reasoning. So, you do not serve Regnorex then?”
I shook my head.
“I do not serve the Demon King. Nor do I serve the Devil.”
“Then you are like the Beast.”
Suddenly, the world around me shifted. It was like I was being carried through the Netherworld, seeing the rapidly changing landscape. The mountainous terrain dipped into a massive crater, and a creature rested dormant in the center. Around it lay the corpses of thousands of Demons. Infant Demons, Lesser Demons, Greater Demons, and even Archdemons.
[Fiends], [Succubi], [Incubi], [Hellbeasts], [Legions], [Gadarenes], [Changelings], [Cambions]. Nothing was spared from this creature. It bore the body of a wolf without fur. Its legs were clawed, that of a bear. And from its neck were the heads of many serpents.
Belzu’s voice echoed as it cracked an eye open.
“An untamed creature, obedient only to your fickle desires.”
“I am not fickle—”
The Beast roared. It turned its thirteen heads my way and unhinged their crooked jaws. A black light shone within its mouths, before releasing a dark beam of terrifying energy at me.
It was supposed to be an illusion. I knew it was an illusion. But an intense pain gripped me. It made me curl up into a ball as a seering hit overcame me.
“W-what is this…?”
“There are more things than you can understand. More things than you know. Perhaps, if you have never interfered with my business, you could have lived. Alas, you shall die today.”
I screamed as the pain grew worse and worse. I tried to get up. I tried to move. It was too much pain. I knew this feeling— it was the magic of the undead. It was a curse.
I writhed and cried while it drained me of my health and mana. Trapped in a bubble of Belzu’s powerful curse. The level discrepancy between us was clear. He tricked me, toyed with me, and now he was going to kill me. Even with my protections— my artifacts and Skills— it was… it was…
My eyes widened, even through the pain. My Pendant of Greater Protection still covered my body. My Ring of Lesser Curse Protection didn’t flash its usual light. Even my [Title Skill: General Curse Resistance] didn’t activate.
The realization settled in, and I knew what this was. It was an illusion. Belzu had trapped me in an illusion of pain. He made me believe I was truly being cursed, once I figured out I didn’t have to avoid his false attacks. This pain wouldn’t kill me. It didn’t even hurt me. It was just a sensation I felt on my skin.
I closed my eyes, immersing myself away from whatever sights Bezlu would conjure up. I had no reason to see what he showed me. It was never real in the first place. The pain was still there, but the less I focused on it, the more it receded.
I couldn’t rely on my senses. Not my five senses, anyway. There were other things I could trust. My instincts and my magic.
[Spatial Sight]. [Passive - A Hunter’s Sense].
The world opened up around me, even as I ground my teeth in pain. I saw the world through a sphere of space magic. The Skill had leveled since I first used it, and now I could see up to twenty feet in any direction. And I saw no one around me.
There were trees. I sensed the dirt and rock. I was standing on an incline, at the edge of a hill. Powerful magic muddled even my [Spatial Sight], but I could pick out that it was a different thread of mana, one responsible for the illusion.
Next, I focused on my other Skill. It was almost instinctual. It told me when I was being watched with malicious intent, and it let me know if I was in grave danger. Not always, but often enough that I trusted it. And now, it only told me one thing:
Belzu isn’t here.
I wasn’t in danger. Nothing around me threatened to kill me. The voices I kept hearing— what Belzu was saying— was nothing but an illusion. This entire time, I had been speaking to… myself.
I spread my wings wide open and took off into the sky. I kept going, even through the intense pain, past the web of illusion magic, until I was hundreds of feet in the air. I broke free from the illusion and the pain, before finally opening my eyes.
“Where am I?”
I glanced down, seeing a dark cloud covering the entire hill Belzu had led me to. In it, I sensed his magic, but didn’t see him anywhere nearby. I cast my gaze towards the city— towards the army of monsters surrounding it— and I saw the insect-like figure.
Belzu hadn’t been wasting his time with me. He was in Vamont. And his army circled the entire city, cutting off any escape.
“Oh no.”
With a deep breath, I burst into action, rapidly returning to the city, in search of my companions.
Screams echoed throughout the streets of Vamont. A woman ran with a child as a giant monster gave chase. It tore through the buildings, cracking the roads with each step, and letting out a furious roar.
It smashed its fists on the earth, sending a tremor which broke apart the floor beneath the woman. She stumbled, turning around in terror.
“No—”
“[Crescent Fury]!”
Even from afar, Daniel’s sword tore through the [Prima Saeve]. The giant ape crumpled to the ground, easily defeated by a single Skill.
The [Hero] landed next to the mother and child, offering them a hand.
“Thank you…”
“Get out of here. Go!”
He didn’t have time to accept their gratitude. He heard the stampede coming their way. A horde of Scavenger Yetis charged down the street, freezing everything in their path. The woman and child scurried away as he braced himself, readying a Skill—
“[Arrow of the Flame Elemental].”
A single bolt of fire shredded the Scavenger Yetis before they even reached him. A red-haired woman ran up next to Daniel, panting, downing a mana potion.
“Are you alright?”
“Edithe… I’m fine. I thought you were—”
Edithe shook her head, dusting herself off.
“I took a little fall. Nothing too bad.”
She glanced around as Daniel sighed in relief.
“The city is surrounded from all sides. Half of the monster army broke off to block the only escape. We need to help them break the siege!”
The red-haired woman started for the southern gates, but Daniel didn’t budge. He looked over the death and destruction around them, speaking softly.
“Why are they doing this? Why are they…?”
Edithe hesitated.
“I… I wish I knew the reason behind it as well, Daniel. But it doesn’t matter right now. What matters is we save as many people sa we can—”
She was cut off by a scream. It was more like a shrill shriek. Daniel and Edithe exchanged a glance, before hurrying over to the source of the noise. They saw a man collapsing over some rubble, around a pile of corpses.
Daniel reached for the fallen man.
“Are you alright?”
“Wait!”
Edithe grabbed him, pulling him back. He blinked.
“What—”
And the fallen man spun around, clawing for Daniel. Edithe blasted him back with a [Lightning Orb] before he could touch the [Hero].
“That’s… a [Crypt Horror]. An undead.”
She stared at it. Then she looked over at a figure standing on top of a roof. Daniel identified it.
[Crypt Lord - Lvl. 74]
It raised its arms, and there were more cries. Edithe whispered.
“It’s raising the dead.”
Then she cursed.
“Fuck, it’s bringing the dead back to life. They’re trying to make an even larger army!”
Before the corpses could turn into [Crypt Horrors], Edithe blasted the [Crypt Lord] apart. The twisted bodies dropped back to the ground as the [Crypt Lord] fell. But that wasn’t the only one.
Daniel spun as he saw the undead marching down the streets all around them. A city was being turned into an army, all for a Demon to use. Their plans to evacuate Vamont fell apart as its entire population was decimated. If this was really Belzu’s doing, he would have an even larger army once he left this city.
“Behind us!”
A swarm of [Crypt Horrors] bounded after the pair of adventurers. Edithe raised her staff, conjuring flames and frost. But as Daniel drew his blade, he paused. His eyes widened as he looked overhead.
“A little help here?”
“There he is.”
Daniel stared at a figure, hovering at the very center of Vamont. He almost thought it was an insect buzzing around him at first. But it was simply because it was a distant figure. But it was there.
The Demon. Belzu. It floated, surrounded by a hundred Mindreapers. It had a bloated body, with a pair of rapidly flapping wings. Its red eyes scanned the city, like a careful leader, strategizing, moving his troops to adapt to the evershifting battlefield.
“We can end this now.”
Daniel stepped forward, a glow overcoming his sword, and power rippling through him. Edithe blinked.
“That’s… both your [Hero] Skills?”
But there was more. Daniel steeled himself as he raised his sword. He had reached Level 100. His Class advanced. He gained a second Class. And a new [Hero] Skill. Each equivalent to a Grand Skill.
He would finish Belzu now.
Daniel found himself running forward, his feet carrying him over a great distance in an instant. With a leap, his sword shone. [Hero’s Slash]. A Skill, on its own, that could bring down an opponent many times above his level.
But that wasn’t just it, was it? There was more. [Will of the Hero], and…
“[A Hero’s Rage].”
Daniel was shrouded in glowing plate armor. His sword tripled in size as it tore the sky asunder. Lightning and thunder struck Belzu as he brought his blade down and sheared the Demon in half.
“Die, you Demon!”
He saw the Demon’s eyes bulge wide. It was a combination of his greatest Skills. Even an Archdemon would perish to this. Belzu’s body split in half.
“How…?”
And his lips quirked up.
“You missed me.”
There was a laugh as Daniel tumbled back to the ground. He glanced up, seeing Belzu appear a dozen feet to the right of where the [Hero] struck.
“A [Hero]. How very interesting. I have only heard of your kind in stories and tales.”
Daniel landed with a crash. He stared at Belzu, mind uncomprehending. His [Hero] Skills, all gone to waste, just like that? Belzu shook his head and drew closer to Daniel.
“Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I am the Lord of Lies. It is a pleasure to meet you, [Hero].”
“Get away from him!”
An [Arrow of the Flame Elemental] tore through Belzu, and he once again appeared a dozen feet to the right of where he once was. Edithe ran over to Daniel, pursued by dozens of [Crypt Horrors].
“Daniel—”
And the world around the adventurers shrouded over. A darkness overcame them, with a wicked chuckle coming from Belzu. The pair were suddenly trapped in the dark.
“Reveal yourself, fiend!”
Daniel shouted, as Edithe narrowed her eyes. Belzu gave a simple reply.
“No.”
And the man was knocked onto the ground. A creature snarled and struck him as Edithe was tackled. The pair of adventurers struggled, trying to fend off their invisible foes.
I can’t see. He punched out, feeling something get knocked back. But something bit his shoulder and he winced. He couldn’t see. Neither could Edithe. They were attacking everything in a panic. They were surrounded. They had no choice. Not until they could break free from this illusion—
A scorching wave washed over Daniel and Edithe as the [Crypt Horrors] screeched and burned. The flames burned at the pair of Humans too, but it was weak. It wouldn’t have killed them. Then, before they could react, multiple pairs of hands grabbed them and took off into the air.
Daniel struggled, trying to push himself off whatever vile creature grabbed hold of him. But when they escaped the sphere of illusion, he saw who it was and paused.
“Salvos?”
The Demon girl was overtaken by her [Demonic Essence]. She carried both Daniel and Edithe with her five arms, wreathed in flame armor.
“I got you guys!”
Salvos flew higher and higher as Mindreapers flew after her. Her eyes were shut tight, but her brows creased as their mind magic settled on the three of them.
“Keep them off me, Edithe!”
“Got it!”
The red-haired woman sent them scattering with a wave of her own magic. Belzu almost seemed to squint at them, speaking casually.
“So, you escaped. Hrmph.”
Salvos soared past the buildings and fallen towers as the last of the Mindreapers were defeated by Edithe. The Demon girl made a sudden turn and flew up as Belzu sighed.
“[Desecration of the Mind.]”
She screamed as her body flashed. A pendant and ring flashed, before quickly fizzling out. Salvos bit her lower and whispered.
“[Haste].”
And they blasted into the air, further and further away. Belzu almost seemed amused.
“You survived its effects, how interest—”
Daniel couldn’t hear what else he had to say. They were already past the city’s walls, quickly leaving behind the city as Salvos almost seemed to fly for the stars. The [Hero] realized what was happening.
“What are you doing, Salvos?”
“Living!”
The city was nothing but a speck in the distance. All he could see was the orange glow of the dark sky, painted a furious red by the raging flames. Smoke rose in a single, billowing plume from Vamont. Daniel held out a hand. There had to be thousands of people, still trapped in the city sieged by monsters. But it was too late.
They were far from the city. Salvos wouldn’t turn back.
“We can end this now! We can—”
“Die. We’ll die.”
Salvos cut him off. She eyed him with a solemn look. He paused.
“We ventured to the Plaguelands, Daniel. We met with Kobolds far beyond our levels. We fought a Lich that lost his mind. But each of those battles? They were different.”
“I…”
“The odds were against us, yes. Perhaps we took greater risks than we should have. However, each time we fought, we stood a chance of winning. Even when we were reckless, we were never suicidal. But this? If we went back to fight Belzu, we would only die. Nobody will be saved. He would add us into his army. That's it.”
Daniel stopped struggling as she finished. He grew silent. The city vanished over the horizon as Salvos continued to fly further into the Sunmere Republic. Edithe said nothing either. She was too exhausted to speak. Neither one spoke for a bit. Not until Salvos whispered.
“I want to be like him.”
Daniel paused.
“What?”
He stared at her. Salvos nodded, glancing back.
“Him. Belzu. I want to be like him.”
Daniel wanted to snap at her. Be like that monster? Belzu, the Demon that wrought all the destruction and death behind them? He was razing an entire city to the ground! But… Salvos never cared about that, did she? She was a Demon. And to her, she was thinking of only one thing when she said that.
“I want to be stronger.”
End of Volume 3
Author's Note:
End of Volume 3. The longest volume in terms of time in real life so far. I had to take many breaks due to finals and school stuff, but it's finally over. Even the final chapter took a delay to finish. It even ended up being nearly two thousand words longer than I thought it would be.
3,888 words.
I tried my best to make it 'good' and give you a sense of how much stronger Belzu is compared to Salvos and her companions. He isn't a pushover, nor is he meant to be one. He's the real deal.
And as for the the volume as a whole? I always intended for this to happen. When I outlined Salvos Volume 3, I had a simple goal: escalate the problems until it becomes something Salvos and her companions can't handle. And while it didn't end too badly for Salvos and her companions... well, the people of Vamont ended up suffering a less-than-kind fate.
Volume 3 focused a lot on Salvos leveling and evolving, while focusing mostly on her companions' character development rather than hers. I'm not going to say much about Volume 4, but it definitely won't be the same as Volume 3. As always, each volume is different, and I hope you guys are looking forward to the next volume as much as I am!
Next chapter will be tomorrow, because I'm an idiot who doesn't take breaks ^.^
Also, here's a poll! Go and check it out and give me your honest opinion on what you thought of V3! End of Salvos Volume 3 poll
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168. Nobody
“Salvos! Salvos, where are you going?!”
Edithe screamed as loud as she could, but the Demon girl flew away from the walls, happily landing on a nearby hill instead of the crenellations. The red-haired woman clicked her tongue. She had to stop Salvos. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good.
She could sense the powerful magic, even amidst the fighting and battle. It drew Salvos to it. And Edithe was determined to stop it. Even if it meant that she had to leave the walls—
Salvos winked out of existence.
There was a flicker. Edithe blinked. And her friend was gone.
“What?”
The red-haired woman couldn’t help but stare. She didn’t know what happened. One moment, Salvos was there, the next, she was gone. Edithe grew worried. If something bad happened… but she couldn’t focus on that.
An army of monsters bore down on Vamont. Salvos staved off their approach with her efforts. But at some point during her attack, she must have gotten confused. She started attacking their flank, even as the vanguard pressed onward to the city.
Now, they were here. Edithe bit her lower lip as she saw the first of the Gatho Mammoths charging for the gates. They were followed by leaping [Rancor Mites] and hopping Saeves. The red-haired woman pointed her staff at them, focusing her [Storm of Ice and Fire] to allay their approach. The lower leveled monsters fell by the dozens as the flames and frost gathered in a sphere. A Gatho Mammoth fell, and so did another.
But the third one reached the gates. It slammed the metal bars open just as Edithe’s magic brought it down. She cursed internally as even more monsters poured through the gates. She had to concentrate all her magic on the broken gates. But something drew her attention.
A terrible pain set over. Edithe clasped her head as the [Mages] around her collapsed, bleeding from the mouth and screaming. She glanced up at the Mindreapers. A dozen of them hovered over her side of the wall. [Archers] and [Mages] struggled to loose their projectiles at them, but were quickly brought to their knees by the powerful mind magic.
Edithe turned her [Storm of Ice and Fire] towards them, but only one was caught within it. The others scattered around, still blaring their mind magic. The Mindreaper fell quickly as Edithe narrowed her eyes. Fine, if you want to play it like that—
Six Mindreapers circled over Edithe. They coordinated with each other— Mindreapers were known to be intelligent monsters. But that was their mistake. They blasted her with their mind magic at the same time, and she grinned.
“[Fiery Riposte].”
All at once, they were engulfed in flames. A powerful fire that could not be dodged. It was a replica of what they struck her with. It wasn’t exactly as strong as the magic they used against her, but it was enough to bring them all down.
Edithe hurriedly uncorked a healing potion and took a large gulp from it. She didn’t have the highest [Vitality]. And while that assault didn't come close to killing her, she needed to be at full health for the battle. There were tens of thousands of monsters out there. If she even let her guard down once, she could die.
And, unfortunately for Edithe, she did let her guard down. Just briefly with a single sip.
She glanced back up just in time to see a Gatho Mammoth ramming into the crenellations. The stone crumbled over as the red-haired woman was sent tumbling through the air. The walls of the city fell, and the evacuating city was left vulnerable to the encroaching horde.
[Hellprince - Lvl. 151]
The world around me vanished. It was like I was sucked into a darkness. The very same void which held me before I was born. Everything was gone, even if I could still feel the earth and grass beneath my feet. I saw none of it.
“H-how…?”
I shook my head, creating a Nebular Kusarigama. I couldn’t hesitate now. Only one thing was clear— the magic permeating the air was powerful. I was completely outmatched. I had to be on guard, ready for anything.
I glanced over at the shadows around me, hearing their whispers, threatening to lash out at any moment. I calmed myself, taking a deep breath.
“Lily said you were Level 138.”
It was a simple statement. I waited for any kind of a response. One came from my left.
“Lily? Ah, the Fairy who lived. So, you were one of those two rats she helped escape that night.”
I spun around and released a cone of flames in that direction, burning everything that could’ve possibly been hiding the darkness. It lit up the void. I saw flashes— flickers of a tree being burned. The grass was engulfed in my blue flames. But Belzu didn’t scream. He only chuckled.
“Did you think my illusions are limited to your sight alone? No. I can alter all your senses: what you see, what you hear, what you smell, what you taste, and what you feel. It is but a simple trick to fool a mind, no matter the level of the individual.”
His words came in scattered voices. Fragments broke in from below me followed by questions from my right. There was no way for me to discern where Belzu was. I narrowed my eyes.
“How are you Level 151 now?”
“You, yourself, were not an Archdemon, were you? Tell me, [Changeling]— are you a [Changeling]?”
“I’m Salvos.”
“Salvos, then.”
Belzu sounded satisfied. At least he was using my name and not calling me other things like girl or fool, as others kept doing.
“Do you truly believe you are the only one who levels? The only one who pursues a higher power?”
He spoke as something shot out of the shadows. A boulder came sailing at me. I leapt to the side as it shattered on the earth. I stumbled back, snapping my gaze around me. This time, a tree tumbled my way. I raised my Nebular Kusarigama, slashing in half, only for it to vanish without feeling.
I blinked, and was struck from behind. I rolled on the ground and turned back, seeing Belzu disappear into the darkness.
“I have labored long and hard to reach the Mortal Realm of my own capacity. Now that I am here, I shall not remain idle. I have amassed my army, I have evolved beyond a mere Archdemon, and I shall prepare for his arrival.”
“His arrival?”
The world around me warped. The ground returned, but it was a pale white. Hills and hillocks rose up, towering over me, creating a familiar sight. The sky turned red, and Belzu buzzed overhead.
“Your King.”
I leapt up after him, flapping my wings as rapidly closed the distance. Belzu grinned. And I slammed straight into a wall. I tumbled through the air as the world around me rolled, turning itself over.
Now, I stood on the crimson sky, and straightened.
“I serve no King. Only myself.”
“Oh?”
The ground below me shot up, but I didn’t flinch. It was an illusion. It faded through me like it was nothing. According to Lily, Belzu could cast illusion magic and curses. As far as I was concerned, no curses allowed anyone to cast earth magic.
“Ah, you lack a summoning collar. I should have noticed it before.”
I walked through the false attack unharmed. It was as if an entire chunk of the red sky fell out, displaced, trying to strike the ground.
“I am Salvos. I have companions. I have friends. But I will do what I want, never what others tell me to do. If I ever listen to something someone else says, it’s only because I wanted to do it myself.”
“Such a simple reasoning. So, you do not serve Regnorex then?”
I shook my head.
“I do not serve the Demon King. Nor do I serve the Devil.”
“Then you are like the Beast.”
Suddenly, the world around me shifted. It was like I was being carried through the Netherworld, seeing the rapidly changing landscape. The mountainous terrain dipped into a massive crater, and a creature rested dormant in the center. Around it lay the corpses of thousands of Demons. Infant Demons, Lesser Demons, Greater Demons, and even Archdemons.
[Fiends], [Succubi], [Incubi], [Hellbeasts], [Legions], [Gadarenes], [Changelings], [Cambions]. Nothing was spared from this creature. It bore the body of a wolf without fur. Its legs were clawed, that of a bear. And from its neck were the heads of many serpents.
Belzu’s voice echoed as it cracked an eye open.
“An untamed creature, obedient only to your fickle desires.”
“I am not fickle—”
The Beast roared. It turned its thirteen heads my way and unhinged their crooked jaws. A black light shone within its mouths, before releasing a dark beam of terrifying energy at me.
It was supposed to be an illusion. I knew it was an illusion. But an intense pain gripped me. It made me curl up into a ball as a seering hit overcame me.
“W-what is this…?”
“There are more things than you can understand. More things than you know. Perhaps, if you have never interfered with my business, you could have lived. Alas, you shall die today.”
I screamed as the pain grew worse and worse. I tried to get up. I tried to move. It was too much pain. I knew this feeling— it was the magic of the undead. It was a curse.
I writhed and cried while it drained me of my health and mana. Trapped in a bubble of Belzu’s powerful curse. The level discrepancy between us was clear. He tricked me, toyed with me, and now he was going to kill me. Even with my protections— my artifacts and Skills— it was… it was…
My eyes widened, even through the pain. My Pendant of Greater Protection still covered my body. My Ring of Lesser Curse Protection didn’t flash its usual light. Even my [Title Skill: General Curse Resistance] didn’t activate.
The realization settled in, and I knew what this was. It was an illusion. Belzu had trapped me in an illusion of pain. He made me believe I was truly being cursed, once I figured out I didn’t have to avoid his false attacks. This pain wouldn’t kill me. It didn’t even hurt me. It was just a sensation I felt on my skin.
I closed my eyes, immersing myself away from whatever sights Bezlu would conjure up. I had no reason to see what he showed me. It was never real in the first place. The pain was still there, but the less I focused on it, the more it receded.
I couldn’t rely on my senses. Not my five senses, anyway. There were other things I could trust. My instincts and my magic.
[Spatial Sight]. [Passive - A Hunter’s Sense].
The world opened up around me, even as I ground my teeth in pain. I saw the world through a sphere of space magic. The Skill had leveled since I first used it, and now I could see up to twenty feet in any direction. And I saw no one around me.
There were trees. I sensed the dirt and rock. I was standing on an incline, at the edge of a hill. Powerful magic muddled even my [Spatial Sight], but I could pick out that it was a different thread of mana, one responsible for the illusion.
Next, I focused on my other Skill. It was almost instinctual. It told me when I was being watched with malicious intent, and it let me know if I was in grave danger. Not always, but often enough that I trusted it. And now, it only told me one thing:
Belzu isn’t here.
I wasn’t in danger. Nothing around me threatened to kill me. The voices I kept hearing— what Belzu was saying— was nothing but an illusion. This entire time, I had been speaking to… myself.
I spread my wings wide open and took off into the sky. I kept going, even through the intense pain, past the web of illusion magic, until I was hundreds of feet in the air. I broke free from the illusion and the pain, before finally opening my eyes.
“Where am I?”
I glanced down, seeing a dark cloud covering the entire hill Belzu had led me to. In it, I sensed his magic, but didn’t see him anywhere nearby. I cast my gaze towards the city— towards the army of monsters surrounding it— and I saw the insect-like figure.
Belzu hadn’t been wasting his time with me. He was in Vamont. And his army circled the entire city, cutting off any escape.
“Oh no.”
With a deep breath, I burst into action, rapidly returning to the city, in search of my companions.
Screams echoed throughout the streets of Vamont. A woman ran with a child as a giant monster gave chase. It tore through the buildings, cracking the roads with each step, and letting out a furious roar.
It smashed its fists on the earth, sending a tremor which broke apart the floor beneath the woman. She stumbled, turning around in terror.
“No—”
“[Crescent Fury]!”
Even from afar, Daniel’s sword tore through the [Prima Saeve]. The giant ape crumpled to the ground, easily defeated by a single Skill.
The [Hero] landed next to the mother and child, offering them a hand.
“Thank you…”
“Get out of here. Go!”
He didn’t have time to accept their gratitude. He heard the stampede coming their way. A horde of Scavenger Yetis charged down the street, freezing everything in their path. The woman and child scurried away as he braced himself, readying a Skill—
“[Arrow of the Flame Elemental].”
A single bolt of fire shredded the Scavenger Yetis before they even reached him. A red-haired woman ran up next to Daniel, panting, downing a mana potion.
“Are you alright?”
“Edithe… I’m fine. I thought you were—”
Edithe shook her head, dusting herself off.
“I took a little fall. Nothing too bad.”
She glanced around as Daniel sighed in relief.
“The city is surrounded from all sides. Half of the monster army broke off to block the only escape. We need to help them break the siege!”
The red-haired woman started for the southern gates, but Daniel didn’t budge. He looked over the death and destruction around them, speaking softly.
“Why are they doing this? Why are they…?”
Edithe hesitated.
“I… I wish I knew the reason behind it as well, Daniel. But it doesn’t matter right now. What matters is we save as many people sa we can—”
She was cut off by a scream. It was more like a shrill shriek. Daniel and Edithe exchanged a glance, before hurrying over to the source of the noise. They saw a man collapsing over some rubble, around a pile of corpses.
Daniel reached for the fallen man.
“Are you alright?”
“Wait!”
Edithe grabbed him, pulling him back. He blinked.
“What—”
And the fallen man spun around, clawing for Daniel. Edithe blasted him back with a [Lightning Orb] before he could touch the [Hero].
“That’s… a [Crypt Horror]. An undead.”
She stared at it. Then she looked over at a figure standing on top of a roof. Daniel identified it.
[Crypt Lord - Lvl. 74]
It raised its arms, and there were more cries. Edithe whispered.
“It’s raising the dead.”
Then she cursed.
“Fuck, it’s bringing the dead back to life. They’re trying to make an even larger army!”
Before the corpses could turn into [Crypt Horrors], Edithe blasted the [Crypt Lord] apart. The twisted bodies dropped back to the ground as the [Crypt Lord] fell. But that wasn’t the only one.
Daniel spun as he saw the undead marching down the streets all around them. A city was being turned into an army, all for a Demon to use. Their plans to evacuate Vamont fell apart as its entire population was decimated. If this was really Belzu’s doing, he would have an even larger army once he left this city.
“Behind us!”
A swarm of [Crypt Horrors] bounded after the pair of adventurers. Edithe raised her staff, conjuring flames and frost. But as Daniel drew his blade, he paused. His eyes widened as he looked overhead.
“A little help here?”
“There he is.”
Daniel stared at a figure, hovering at the very center of Vamont. He almost thought it was an insect buzzing around him at first. But it was simply because it was a distant figure. But it was there.
The Demon. Belzu. It floated, surrounded by a hundred Mindreapers. It had a bloated body, with a pair of rapidly flapping wings. Its red eyes scanned the city, like a careful leader, strategizing, moving his troops to adapt to the evershifting battlefield.
“We can end this now.”
Daniel stepped forward, a glow overcoming his sword, and power rippling through him. Edithe blinked.
“That’s… both your [Hero] Skills?”
But there was more. Daniel steeled himself as he raised his sword. He had reached Level 100. His Class advanced. He gained a second Class. And a new [Hero] Skill. Each equivalent to a Grand Skill.
He would finish Belzu now.
Daniel found himself running forward, his feet carrying him over a great distance in an instant. With a leap, his sword shone. [Hero’s Slash]. A Skill, on its own, that could bring down an opponent many times above his level.
But that wasn’t just it, was it? There was more. [Will of the Hero], and…
“[A Hero’s Rage].”
Daniel was shrouded in glowing plate armor. His sword tripled in size as it tore the sky asunder. Lightning and thunder struck Belzu as he brought his blade down and sheared the Demon in half.
“Die, you Demon!”
He saw the Demon’s eyes bulge wide. It was a combination of his greatest Skills. Even an Archdemon would perish to this. Belzu’s body split in half.
“How…?”
And his lips quirked up.
“You missed me.”
There was a laugh as Daniel tumbled back to the ground. He glanced up, seeing Belzu appear a dozen feet to the right of where the [Hero] struck.
“A [Hero]. How very interesting. I have only heard of your kind in stories and tales.”
Daniel landed with a crash. He stared at Belzu, mind uncomprehending. His [Hero] Skills, all gone to waste, just like that? Belzu shook his head and drew closer to Daniel.
“Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I am the Lord of Lies. It is a pleasure to meet you, [Hero].”
“Get away from him!”
An [Arrow of the Flame Elemental] tore through Belzu, and he once again appeared a dozen feet to the right of where he once was. Edithe ran over to Daniel, pursued by dozens of [Crypt Horrors].
“Daniel—”
And the world around the adventurers shrouded over. A darkness overcame them, with a wicked chuckle coming from Belzu. The pair were suddenly trapped in the dark.
“Reveal yourself, fiend!”
Daniel shouted, as Edithe narrowed her eyes. Belzu gave a simple reply.
“No.”
And the man was knocked onto the ground. A creature snarled and struck him as Edithe was tackled. The pair of adventurers struggled, trying to fend off their invisible foes.
I can’t see. He punched out, feeling something get knocked back. But something bit his shoulder and he winced. He couldn’t see. Neither could Edithe. They were attacking everything in a panic. They were surrounded. They had no choice. Not until they could break free from this illusion—
A scorching wave washed over Daniel and Edithe as the [Crypt Horrors] screeched and burned. The flames burned at the pair of Humans too, but it was weak. It wouldn’t have killed them. Then, before they could react, multiple pairs of hands grabbed them and took off into the air.
Daniel struggled, trying to push himself off whatever vile creature grabbed hold of him. But when they escaped the sphere of illusion, he saw who it was and paused.
“Salvos?”
The Demon girl was overtaken by her [Demonic Essence]. She carried both Daniel and Edithe with her five arms, wreathed in flame armor.
“I got you guys!”
Salvos flew higher and higher as Mindreapers flew after her. Her eyes were shut tight, but her brows creased as their mind magic settled on the three of them.
“Keep them off me, Edithe!”
“Got it!”
The red-haired woman sent them scattering with a wave of her own magic. Belzu almost seemed to squint at them, speaking casually.
“So, you escaped. Hrmph.”
Salvos soared past the buildings and fallen towers as the last of the Mindreapers were defeated by Edithe. The Demon girl made a sudden turn and flew up as Belzu sighed.
“[Desecration of the Mind.]”
She screamed as her body flashed. A pendant and ring flashed, before quickly fizzling out. Salvos bit her lower and whispered.
“[Haste].”
And they blasted into the air, further and further away. Belzu almost seemed amused.
“You survived its effects, how interest—”
Daniel couldn’t hear what else he had to say. They were already past the city’s walls, quickly leaving behind the city as Salvos almost seemed to fly for the stars. The [Hero] realized what was happening.
“What are you doing, Salvos?”
“Living!”
The city was nothing but a speck in the distance. All he could see was the orange glow of the dark sky, painted a furious red by the raging flames. Smoke rose in a single, billowing plume from Vamont. Daniel held out a hand. There had to be thousands of people, still trapped in the city sieged by monsters. But it was too late.
They were far from the city. Salvos wouldn’t turn back.
“We can end this now! We can—”
“Die. We’ll die.”
Salvos cut him off. She eyed him with a solemn look. He paused.
“We ventured to the Plaguelands, Daniel. We met with Kobolds far beyond our levels. We fought a Lich that lost his mind. But each of those battles? They were different.”
“I…”
“The odds were against us, yes. Perhaps we took greater risks than we should have. However, each time we fought, we stood a chance of winning. Even when we were reckless, we were never suicidal. But this? If we went back to fight Belzu, we would only die. Nobody will be saved. He would add us into his army. That's it.”
Daniel stopped struggling as she finished. He grew silent. The city vanished over the horizon as Salvos continued to fly further into the Sunmere Republic. Edithe said nothing either. She was too exhausted to speak. Neither one spoke for a bit. Not until Salvos whispered.
“I want to be like him.”
Daniel paused.
“What?”
He stared at her. Salvos nodded, glancing back.
“Him. Belzu. I want to be like him.”
Daniel wanted to snap at her. Be like that monster? Belzu, the Demon that wrought all the destruction and death behind them? He was razing an entire city to the ground! But… Salvos never cared about that, did she? She was a Demon. And to her, she was thinking of only one thing when she said that.
“I want to be stronger.”
End of Volume 3
Author's Note:
End of Volume 3. The longest volume in terms of time in real life so far. I had to take many breaks due to finals and school stuff, but it's finally over. Even the final chapter took a delay to finish. It even ended up being nearly two thousand words longer than I thought it would be.
3,888 words.
I tried my best to make it 'good' and give you a sense of how much stronger Belzu is compared to Salvos and her companions. He isn't a pushover, nor is he meant to be one. He's the real deal.
And as for the the volume as a whole? I always intended for this to happen. When I outlined Salvos Volume 3, I had a simple goal: escalate the problems until it becomes something Salvos and her companions can't handle. And while it didn't end too badly for Salvos and her companions... well, the people of Vamont ended up suffering a less-than-kind fate.
Volume 3 focused a lot on Salvos leveling and evolving, while focusing mostly on her companions' character development rather than hers. I'm not going to say much about Volume 4, but it definitely won't be the same as Volume 3. As always, each volume is different, and I hope you guys are looking forward to the next volume as much as I am!
Next chapter will be tomorrow, because I'm an idiot who doesn't take breaks ^.^
Also, here's a poll! Go and check it out and give me your honest opinion on what you thought of V3! End of Salvos Volume 3 poll
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