1232 One Shotting Silvaris
As Michael and Gaya concluded their transactions, their collection of rare artifacts had grown impressively. The adventurers who parted with their treasures did so with a mix of relief and envy, the sting of their loss softened by the cure but sharpened by the sight of their now richer, more powerful benefactors.
"Damn, to think my family's heirloom just bought me a tiny vial of hope," one adventurer muttered, casting a longing look back at the duo who were preparing to leave.
"Should've been us making that killing," another grumbled, eyeing the treasures now in Michael and Gaya's possession with barely concealed envy.
Yet, those without the mark, who had watched the spectacle unfold, couldn't hide their jealousy. "Lucky bastards, turning a curse into a fortune," one said bitterly, his words echoing the sentiment of many around him.
Unfazed by the mixed reactions, Michael and Gaya turned to leave, with their focus now on the distant castle. As they dashed forward, they left a trail of black lightning bolts, which still stunned the adventures.
Witnessing their departure, Elrion stepped forward, rallying the remaining adventurers with a resolute voice. "Let's not dawdle here. There's more to this dungeon, and we will soon leave this place," he declared, his leadership pulling the fragmented groups together.
In addition to the adventures, Lysandra also nodded in agreement before following them behind. Her calm demeanor and presence instilled confidence and calmness in the adventures.
As Michael and Gaya approached the massive gray castle shrouded in mist, they both paused to take in its ominous presence. "Creepy place, huh?" Gaya remarked, her voice echoing slightly in the open expanse before the castle. "Looks like something straight out of a nightmare."
The castle itself loomed over them, its towering spires piercing the fog like fingers stretching towards the bleak sky. Ancient, withered vines crept up its stone walls, and the heavy iron gate creaked ominously as Michael pushed it open with a confident stride. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with a foreboding silence, only broken by their footsteps as they ascended the worn stone stairs to the massive throne hall's doors.
Sensing only one life sign within who Michael undoubtedly knew belonged to Jin, pushed the heavy gate open with a determined push. The gate creaked loudly, breaking the eerie silence that surrounded the castle. They made their way up the winding stairs, the sound of their footsteps the only thing accompanying them until they reached a large door at the end of the hallway.
Without hesitation, Michael opened the door, revealing a vast throne hall. As they took several steps forward, the door shut with a resounding thud behind them. Then suddenly, an array of bright lights lit the hall, revealing the vastness of the room and the elaborate throne sitting ominously at the far end.
The grandeur of the hall, with its high ceilings and intricate designs, was momentarily breathtaking, but what caught their attention was the sight of Jin, hanging unconscious from his hands tied to the ceiling.
"Is he dead?" Gaya asked, squinting at Jin's motionless form.
"Not yet," Michael replied, a slight grin forming as he cracked his neck, ready for what was to come. "But it looks like Silvaris has left us quite the welcoming party."
As the two of them eyeing Jin, the assassin slowly opened his eyes.
"Someone... help," he gasped as his voice was filled with pain and barely audible over the silence of the grand hall.
Hearing Jin's call for aid, Gaya couldn't help but let out a snicker. "Look who's begging for help now! Thought you could steal our map and beat us to the punch, huh?" she taunted, her words sharp as knives.
"Hang in there, buddy," Michael said with a slight smirk playing on his lips at the situation Jin found himself in.
"Pun intended, asshole," Gaya retorted with a laugh, not missing a beat to poke fun at Jin's predicament.
Their exchange was cut short as an old man rounded the corner, his presence almost ghostly. The man's wrinkly skin, yellowish teeth hinting at years of decay, and milk-white eyes immediately put Gaya on high alert.
Without hesitation, Gaya whipped out her God Slayer crossbow and aimed it squarely at the old man. "And who might you be?" she demanded, her voice laced with suspicion and readiness for any sudden moves.
The old man let out an ominous chuckle, a sound that seemed too vigorous for his frail appearance. "Merely a frail old man," he claimed, carrying a weight that suggested otherwise.
"Yeah, right," Gaya scoffed, not buying it for a second. "Since when do frail old men hang assassins from the ceiling like some sort of twisted decoration?" Her finger tightened slightly on the trigger.
"Don't you see who this is, Gaya? It's the mastermind behind all this mess, Silvaris," Michael revealed, his tone steady but the implications of his words striking Gaya like a bolt.
The shock stemmed from her previous encounters with Silvaris's ethereal projections scattered throughout the dungeon. Those versions of Silvaris were of a young, charismatic man, worlds apart from the decrepit figure standing before them now.
"So, this is what you've become? Hoarding souls has really done a number on you, hasn't it?" Gaya quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she eyed the old man standing under Jin. The information Pink gave to Gaya and Michael regarding how Silvaris not only steals valuables but also souls by hacking Seraphene's crystals.
For a brief moment, a flicker of surprise passed through Silvaris's ancient eyes. It seemed the renowned thief hadn't anticipated his secrets to be out in the open.
"Shit, and here I was, thinking my grand reveal would be a jaw-dropper. You've gone and spoiled the fun, God of Darkness," Silvaris grumbled, a tinge of annoyance in his voice.
"But I've still got a trick or two that'll fuck with your heads," Silvaris cackled with a dark glee.
"Enough with your damn games, Silvaris. Spill whatever twisted plan you've got cooking or I'll put an arrow right between those beady eyes of yours," Gaya snapped, her threat cutting through the tense air, only to be met with uproarious laughter from Silvaris.
"Oh, my fierce Goddess of Monsters, you do have a sharp tongue, don't you?" Silvaris taunted back.
"Help…" Jin's weak plea cut through the standoff, momentarily halting Gaya's retort.
"Just let him down, Silvaris," Michael demanded, his voice steady yet tinged with an underlying threat, fully aware that freeing Jin wouldn't be as straightforward as issuing a command.
If Jin weren't tied to the Assassin's Guild, Michael might not have cared less about his fate. Hell, he would've been the first to finish Jin off for daring to threaten Gaya. But Jin had become an integral piece in his future plans with the guild. With Rin already having taken out Gilrut, a key figure in Michael's strategy for harnessing runemaster skills, losing Jin wasn't an option.
"It's not that fucking simple, God of Darkness. You and I, we've got history, stretching back five thousand years, to your previous life," Silvaris revealed, a smirk playing on his lips as he reminisced about their ancient encounter.
"Back then, you nicked a treasure trove of souls from me. Quite the irony, isn't it? Robbing the grandest thief of them all," Silvaris mused, laughter veiling a thinly veiled threat.
The moment Gaya heard Silvaris, Gaya burst into hearty laughter, clapping her hands in delight. "Well done, previous Dark Lord! Robbing the master thief himself, that's just fucking brilliant," she mocked Silvaris, her voice dripping with sarcasm and amusement.
In response to her laughter, Silvaris chuckled yet it was laced with a chilling killing intent that briefly silenced the room. "Oh, the previous Dark Lord did pull a fast one on me, but let's not dwell on past glories," he said, his tone turning icy.
On the other hand, Michael remained calm as usual and tilted his head slightly. "So, how about we settle our old debts here and now, Silvaris? Name your terms," he suggested with an edge of challenge in his voice.
"You've always preached about thinking like a thief, right? So, what's your grand plan for outsmarting him, the God of Darkness? Steal his shadow?" Gaya smirked.
But to Michael and Gaya's surprise, Silvaris removed the thick brown robes covering his body, revealing his bony upper body with wrinkled skin and various holes which were the result of tubes stuck into him.
"Now I am really creeped out," Gaya rolled her eyes, looking at his body.
"Why don't we do this the old way, God of Darkness? A man-to-man fight with no tricks or godly powers," Silvaris said, preparing to settle the score by fighting Michael hand to hand.
Hearing Silvaris, Michael and Gaya both looked at each other as Gaya could barely hold her laughter.
"He is literally a god, and why would he ever accept your fucking stupid challenge?" Gaya asked, her face reddening with holding her laughter.
"That is exactly why I want him to face me man to man, Goddess. Or is he too afraid to face a frail old mortal like me," Silvaris snickered.
But before Silvaris could take a step forward, Michael raised his hand, firing a bolt of lightning that penetrated through Silvaris's skull. The old man's body stood there with a hole in his head for a moment before hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
"Okay, that was really an anticlimactic fight," Gaya frowned, looking at the dead body of Silvaris.
"Let me check if he's really as dead as he looks," Gaya said, taking a step forward when Michael stopped her.
"What?" Gaya asked, only to hear Pink's voice in her ears.
"Ghost, Gaya, I did some digging, and you won't believe what I found. Silvaris isn't who he claims to be. He's not the fucking angel of the God of Thieves, Valorix. He is Valorix," Pink revealed, causing both Gaya and Michael to pause in shock.
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