[Faisor]
Coming out from the ground after being almost buried alive, I cough heavily. Seeing my companions corpses splayed on the ground causes my heart to sink.
I clench my fists and slam it on the ground. "Damn it! It's all my fault!"
My companions warned me not to try and play a hero in order to save the village since our duty was to scout. However, I acted like an idiot and decided to help the villagers. If I knew it will turn out like this, I shouldn't have been impulsive.
Now, they are dead and the western devils are coming for the Central Region. There are thousands of them.
Even one of them was too strong that I can barely hold my stance against them. This is quite serious. In order to subdue this threat, the entire continent has to unite and form a coalition.
My leg is broken and I lost my arm, it's even bleeding severely. I decided to tie it with a torn cloth.
I end up limping on the battlefield, with several corpes on the ground, from the innocent villagers, their pets and even the children. It's quite a shame since I haven't saved even one person. If only I had more power.
A shadowy humanoid figure with sharp claws and sinister blue eyes can be found on the distance. Its mouth is open as a white glowing mist is being absorbed by this creature.
What is it doing? It's as if its absorbing the energy from the corpse.
Upon noticing me, it shrieks and advances to my direction.
This shadow devil grunt was probably left behind. I ready my sword and throw it at the devil's neck. With the devil being hit cleanly, it shrieks and falls down, which bleeds a dark grey that turns into smoke.
Oddly enough, these creatures blood quickly evaporates.
These creatures are out of this world. It's as if they don't belong here.
Regardless, I need to get out of here before more of them comes. And to my horror...
There is another wave of devil army coming from the west. They are advancing quick with no signs of stopping. Looks like this is my end.
I just got lucky earlier since one of my mage companion decided to bury me when she used her earth spell.
But why did she choose me? She could have saved herself at least.
I just decided to drop on my knees and accept my fate.
[Sasha]
That was fast. We actually arrived on the borders of the western region no less than a week. The monster we are riding on is something else.
In fact, I can see a ruined village from below with no signs of life. Everyone seems to have died. It looks like the western forces have already crossed the western region and have probably passed through.
It's sad that we missed it. Regardless, shouldn't we need to look for it or return to the Eastern Overlord.
The Lich decides to laugh eerily, "keke, I can sense that these are the underworld shadow devils of Cerberus. To think someone managed to summon them."
Seeing the Lich being knowledgeable, I come to him and make him spit out everything. "Alright, alright, calm down human." After giving him some space to breath, he begins to speak. "Cerberus is a mythical creature and the guardian of the shadow realm. Someone powerful had a contract with him and most likely summoned him to these world. However, it doesn't end there. Kekeke, these shadow devils will seek to consume the souls of the dwellers here and terraform this world for their benefit."
I fall on my knees shaking, "then it means, they won't stop until they kill every human out there."
"Kekeke, you are right. These shadow devils are hungry for souls and it's impossible for them to be sated as long as a human is standing. Worse, once they have enough souls they will keep multiplying until they conquered every part of the land."
Right now, I'm panicking since this is a big deal. It could be the end of Munren as we know it.
What should we do?
Looking at Selena, Nikolai and Kravos, they look awfully calm. Don't they know what's at stake here? In my years of adventuring experience, I never encountered this level of threat.
It might also be a smart move to ask for help from the adventurers across the continent, the countries and probably the church.
"My lords, it might be better if we return and report to the Eastern Overlord. We won't be able to solve this alone."
Kravos eyes the horizon with a fierce look. "So those are the shadow devils, huh?" He leaps to the top of the head of the bird and unsheathes his blade. His blade is odd since it's not made of metal but from molten rock, it burns brightly as he brandishes it.
"Sir Kravos, what are you planning to do?"
"Human, just keep quiet and watch."
He casts a spell before hand, and a circular glow can be seen being created around the shadow devil army. "Dungeon Absorption."
A circular glow surrounds the devil army on the ground. It look majestic but it seems to have no effect.
From the distance, the shadow devils look like humanoid shadows with claws. The devil armies shriek as they race across the fields. There are even a few giant shadows as tall as a bell tower straddling across the field almost reaching our height.
Something also catches my attention, from below, a man is on his knees which is about to get reached by the devils.
Peering closer, I notice it's Faisor. He's alive but he's also in danger. I quickly panicked and wanted to inform everyone.
However, I was about to say something but I was inclined to be silent since I'm allured by Kravos' confidence.
His poses to strike and his blade burns brightly that it turns into blue flames. He leaps from the bird and dives down several meters.
Upon landing, he sinks his blade and yells. "Hell's scape!"
The ground slowly cracks and magma creeps out to the surface. The ground becomes molten and hot lava spews out the surface, burning the devils in the process.
The area where the ground is influenced by lava spreads out throughout where the army of the devil ends. The air also becomes so hot that the devil unaffected by the lava ignites on flames.
Even us who are from this distance can feel the heat. Right now, I'm even sweating.
Regardless, seeing Kravos in action made me realize how powerful he is. I must have underestimated these people. After all, they are the Eastern Overlord's army. To them, this issue might just be a minor since we live in different worlds.
Regardless, seeing Faisor is in trouble, I decided to grab the Lich and say to Nikolai and Selena. "Sorry guys but I need to save someone."
I quickly leap off the flying monster. The air hitting us, my hair swaying as we are approaching the ground.
We are falling for thousand meters thus I decide to use the Lich as a cushion.
The Lich panics seeing we are getting closer to the ground. "Ahhh! What are you doing?"
"You can fly right? Do something for our landing."
"Are you an idiot? Being able to float from the ground isn't the same as flying."
Damn it, he is hopeless. Upon reaching the ground, I gathered the mana I have and casted it unto a spell. With a quick chant, I spout, "Blessed wind magic of magus flow, blow gust!"
Before touching the ground, my body release a heavy pressure of air to cushion my fall but due to the height of my fall, I end up slamming very hard on the ground.
As for the lich, I just let go of him thus he lefts a crater and destroying a portion of the ground instead. He yells in annoyance, "hey! what do you think you are doing?!"
"Don't get mad at me. I know that it takes more than a fall to kill a lich."
"One of these days, I'll take your soul with me."
Regardless, I come close to Faisor and he is all in a hot mess. His arm is missing and he is barely conscious. I try to grab his shoulder and look him in the eye.
"Faisor, it's me."
Upon recognizing me, he shows a weak smile. "Sasha, is that you? No way you are here. That's right, I'm probably dreaming." He says in a weak voice and pass out on my shoulder.
I feel bad for Faisor. There are a lot of things I want to say to him but now is not the good time. I grab the Lich and pull him in. "Lift the curse! Now!"
The Lich gets annoyed but gives in due to pressure. "Alright, alright. Tsk, humans these days." He puts his hands on Faisor's chest and begins chanting some spell. Some dark smoke are being released from his body.
Faisor is getting some reaction. He grits his teeth as though uncomfortable but I can tell that the pain from his body is vanishing.
While I'm patting Faisor's head, I notice his companions' bodies are on the ground. It looks like he is the only survivor. I feel bad for him since I know he cared for them so much.
However, I can hear the ground shaking. On the distance, Kravos has eliminated all the smaller shadow devils. The only ones left are the giant shadow devils the size of towers.
It speaks in a creepy, shrill voice to Kravos. "Human, how dare you eliminate the shadows?!"
Hearing that voice sends chill to my spine but Kravos is awfully calm. Even the Lich is disturbed by that voice. "Those are the Great Lifters. They lift the islands for the gathered souls in the Underworld. Even if the shadow devils were taken care of easily, I doubt he would do the same to the Lifters."
"For a Lich, why are you sound scared?"
"Shut up! Even if I am an undead, those things can snatch our souls into oblivion. I suggest we take a break and do this somewhere else."
"Denied."
The Lich simply droops his head down in dismay.
However, I'm here to observe how Kravos will handle these creatures. I have faith in the Eastern Overlord's people.
The lifter's giant foot simply walks upon the hot burning lava as though it is unbothered.
The Lifter stops when it gets close to Kravos, trying to intimidate him. "Human, you will pay."
"So you are called a Lifter, huh? And from what the Lich say, you are pretty strong. Be sure to entertain me." Kravos grins with his eyes in bloodlust.
"The impudence!" The lifter raises its giant arms. The corpses of the shadow devil evaporates from the ground and coalesced into a giant ball above the Lifter's head.
The Lich is panicking. "This is bad! We really need to take a break right now?!"
The Lich stops his act of lifting the curse and casts another spell. Even though I don't want to cancel the process of the curse to be lifted, I feel like I have to trust the Liches' instinct.
Then a magic circle appear around us and we are quickly surrounded by a dark cloud. I can still peek what is going through with Kravos and the Lifter. This is a barrier.
The Lifter drops the giant dark sphere to Kravos and a catastrophic explosion follows, hitting our barrier. Even the Lich is shaking as he tries to maintain it but it is tearing apart.
I try grabbing upon Faisor tightly since the barrier is dissolving, we ended up being blown away after the barrier breaks up.
[Kravos]
[Ultimum Void has been casted]
"Kronous wrath!" I shout, creating a giant humanoid flames around my body, shielding against the Ultimum void. Looking around me, I can't see the human which my lord tells me protect from all the black dust.
[Kronous wrath
Summon the spirit of Kronous and increase Strength and Defense by +2000 and Tolerance by +1000]
This is bad, I have to end it soon!
I notice that the molten ground that got impacted by the Ultimum void has turned pitch black and more shadow devils are coming out from it. They are surrounding me and are trying to grab me.
After the attack, a large portion of the ground has turned dark and more shadow dwellers are coming out one by one. Seeing the situation, it seems the shadow devils that we eliminated earlier returned to its former numbers.
In my sight there are five Lifters and they are focused to me now.