Chapter 589 They're Fine
Archer saw Zarina looking at the beasts who appeared from the darkness, but he quickly cast Cosmic Shield around her as the attackers slammed into it.
Once he protected the redhead, Archer activated his Shadow Prince skill and transformed into his second form. The beasts saw and felt his dark and ominous aura wash over them, causing them to stop the attack.
They directed their attention to him, yet his response was merely a smile that revealed his fearsome, razor-sharp teeth, instilling fear in both the beasts and Zarina, who visibly paled.
But Archer grabbed the scared girl and sliced the heads of the closest creatures, allowing him to meld into the shadows. He traveled through them until he got to an empty chamber.
When they arrived inside, he popped out of the darkness, but a bad feeling washed over him, causing him to cast Gate to the outside.
Just as Archer was going to step through, he saw a humanoid figure covered in a dark robe pointing something at him. He quickly stepped through and closed it behind him.
Once they were safe, he returned to his humanoid form and opened a portal to the domain. Zarina scrambled to get away from him with wide eyes.
Archer frowned and commented. ''I won't hurt you, Zari. Just calm down.''
Before entering the domain, he cast Mana Manipulation to collapse the dungeon entrance, allowing him to return when he's stronger and take out whoever that robed figure was while stopping anyone exploring it.
Zarina followed behind him, and when she saw the treehouse and the three girls who had vanished, she was sitting on a comfortable sofa chatting away like it was nothing. When they entered, Nala turned to him with a big smile.
She hugged him tightly while the other two walked over to them. Teuila and Talila greeted him with a kiss just after the lioness.
After that, Archer informed them of what happened, and all three agreed that getting out of there before they were attacked was a good idea. Once they were happy, Ella was informed of his arrival.
The half-elf and the girls were happy to get his message. But then, he got serious and told them, "We still have some quests to do, so let's finish them and go back to college."
Everyone nodded, but Teuila asked in a curious voice. ''What have we got left?''
''Ermm. Kill some Bugbears who keep ambushing villagers and traders, Kill a swarm of rats under a city, Some Trolls are causing trouble somewhere, and the Marauding Minotaur Subjugation quest, which we have to do with others which we will do with some adventurers and knights in the town of Shadow Pine.''
''Where are we going first?'' Talila asked as she stretched her arms, causing her silver ponytail to bounce everywhere.
''We'll deal with the Bugbears, then head toward Silvervein City to the west,'' Archer responded.
The girls smiled before he opened a Gate to the road that led to the college. They started heading south, but Archer got frustrated with the walking after a little while, so he told everyone to give him space.
Once they backed off, he whispered. 'Draco.'
A bright light shone and blinded the girls. The people passing by were shocked to a standstill as Archer's large limbs smashed into the ground and a long, slender tail that was so long that it uprooted some trees.
His carriage-sized claws dug deep trenches into the frozen ground with ease. He stretched out his massive wings that cast a shadow over the grasslands and road they were near, scaring some passing merchants.
A group of knights tried approaching, but when he turned his large head toward them and saw his massive violet eye glare, they quickly turned their mounts around and headed back to the city.
Archer internally laughed as he lowered his body. The three girls jumped up, but Nala dragged a moody Zarina behind her. Once they got comfortable, he took off and headed toward the villages near the Shadowleaf Forest.
He enjoyed flying and causing mayhem wherever he went. With a flap of his wings above, a city would cause destruction, but he chose not to because it would become a headache. The girls were enjoying the view from his back, and even Zarina was smiling.
Archer soared gracefully above the vast stretch of open grassland, which was pristine white covered in untouched snow. A peaceful scene was disrupted only by the rhythmic beating of his massive wings.
His white scales shimmered, reflecting the sunlight as he glided through the crisp, chilly air. Panic ensued as he descended toward a quaint village at the edge of the snow-covered fields with a forest on one side and the river on the other.
Villagers, bundled in thick layers of winter clothing, scattered like startled birds, their shouts and gasps mingling with the howl of the wind. Children clung to their parents, eyes wide with fear and astonishment, while livestock stampeded in a chaotic dance.
Archer's colossal frame shadowed the village as he touched down just outside its perimeter. His claws dug into the snow, causing the ground to quiver and sending shockwaves through the frozen landscape.
When Teuila saw this, she thumped him on the head, which didn't affect it apart from gaining his attention.
''Don't hit me, your brute! I am an innocent dragon!'' He complained in a deep voice.
''Well, don't scare the people with an entrance like that! They were going about their day, and a dragon landed outside the village, which would make anyone panic. Think Arch, or people will be frightened of you.''
After that, Archer saw a group approaching them and decided to tease them. The girls jumped off and waited for him to return to his humanoid form, which he shortly did and brushed his shirt off.
His skin and scales quivered as the chill made contact. Teuila, wearing a smile, handed him a cloak. With that, he wrapped it around himself and thanked her. ''Thanks for the Teu.''
The blue-haired girl nodded before a voice was heard. ''Excuse me? What are you doing here?''
Archer turned and saw an old man standing with two younger men. He smiled at them before inquiring. ''We're here to hunt the Bugbears. Now, if you don't mind.''
He walked off toward Shadowleaf Forest and summoned his Shadow Creatures. Once they surrounded him, they stood out to the white landscape, shocking the villagers and causing them to flee the village.
Teuila let out a sigh as she reached his side. "Why bring them out here? Couldn't you do it inside the forest?"
Archer shrugged. "Don't worry about them. They're fine."
Once he was done speaking, he ordered them to find the Bugbears and report back to him. The creatures bowed as the tallest and scariest spoke. ''Yes, Shadow Prince. It will be done.''
His eyes widened alongside the other girls. Archer shook his head before commenting. ''You can speak?''
''Yes. We woke up and were ready to serve the new Shadow Prince.'' The shadowy figure said as it waved its arms, and the horde of creatures rushed into the forest.
They pursued their Prince's target by weaving through the trees and skimming through the shadows. Archer glanced back at the creature trailing behind and gave a nod. "Alright, your name shall be Nyctros, the first commander of my Shadow Army."
Nyctros knelt and bowed, allowing Archer to see him more clearly. The being stood eight feet tall and was humanoid but made from pure shadow. He wanted to get more shadows and asked. ''How do we increase our numbers?''
''Get stronger, Prince. That's all you can do.''
Realizing it would take time, Archer decided not to hurry. After deciding, he told Nyctros to find the Bugbears with the others, who quickly rushed off.
Once Archer finished speaking to the shadow creature, he turned around to see the four girls staring at him with strange expressions, but the redhead commented with suspicion. ''Are you evil?''
When the other three heard this, they started giggling, catching Zarina's attention. She turned on them, but Archer asked her a question. ''What is good and evil, Zari?''
Zarina turned to him with narrowed eyes but answered. ''I don't know. Why don't you tell me?''
He chuckled before using Mana Manipulation to create five chairs for everyone. After that, he explained. "Listen. In this world, there's no clear line between good and evil. It's all shades of grey."
The others exchanged glances, intrigued by Archer's words. Nala tilted her head in curiosity while Zarina, the redhead, watched him intently.
"What I do, some might see as evil. But others might see it as necessary or even good. It depends on perspective."
Teuila asked, "What are you trying to say?
Archer leaned back, staring at the cloud-covered sky. "Imagine a city plagued by bandits. If I swoop in and remove the threat, the people there might call me a hero. But those bandits, or someone compassionate to them, might see me as the villain."
Zarina frowned, "So, it's all about how people see things?''
[If there are any mistakes, point them out, and I'll edit it. Thanks]
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