Chapter 25: Wake! Wake! Unfinished business
Queen Melissa gritted her teeth in rage, slashing her sword through yet another Night Terror, cutting it down in a single strike.
Around her, high-ranked Exorcists fought with relentless determination, their weapons clashing against the overwhelming numbers of Night Terrors swarming toward them. The battlefield was chaos—an endless tide of shadowy horrors pressing in from all sides.
But the castle bore the brunt of the attack. Fireballs rained down upon its walls, consuming everything in searing flames. The enemy's focus was clear—the castle was their main target.
Now, dozens, maybe hundreds, of Night Terrors stormed toward the survivors.
Some Exorcists were quickly overwhelmed, their defenses breaking under the relentless assault, while others banded together, fending off the creatures through sheer will and coordination.
"Queen Melissa, you have to stay closer!" a high-ranked Exorcist called out, noticing the Queen pushing forward alone, breaking formation.
Melissa gave no reply. Instead, she quickened her pace, her sword tearing through the monstrosities in her path. A powerful red energy surged from her blade, slicing through the creatures with deadly precision.
She refused to fall back. She refused to cower.
"No! I won't give up! I won't lose my children the way I lost him... Asher! Nimora, wait for me. Please... survive. I am coming."
She clenched her jaw, her heart pounding in her chest. But deep inside, she knew—she might not reach them in time.
---
Ding!
[You have gained resistance to poison.]
[Welcome back.]
Asher's eyes snapped open, his breath ragged and uneven. He sucked in air, his chest heaving. A deep, gnawing feeling told him how close he had come to death.
But he had made the right choice—picking the healing rune back at the store had saved his life.
"Asher, wake up."
A gentle yet firm voice pulled him back to reality. He blinked and lifted his gaze from the ground.
Fey.
The boy knelt before him, worry carved into his expression. He had stayed by Asher's side the entire time.
Fey's loyalty was something that Asher could never quite understand. Every time he saw it, it unsettled him. He could have run—escaped to the Oramon or simply fled from the beasts.
But he didn't. He stayed.
"I'm glad you're alright." Fey's voice carried relief, and a bright smile formed on his face.
"So... you actually killed one of these beasts on your own?"
The sound of another voice made Asher's ears twitch.
His heart lurched. His pupils dilated.
Nimora.
His eyes locked onto her as she stood there—battered, bleeding, and barely holding herself together.
Deep wounds marred her face, her body covered in cuts, bruises, and half-torn clothing. And on her back...
A girl.
Unconscious. Missing both legs, though hastily patched up.
Asher swallowed.
"Oh. I see you gained sympathy," he joked, a stupid grin forming as he rose to his feet.
Nimora answered with a small smirk—barely noticeable, but there.
Asher's heart skipped a beat.
"Wow, she's actually smiling... that's not something you see every day."
He took a step forward, scanning their surroundings. They weren't alone.
Other students—some familiar, some not—were still alive, though barely. Injured, exhausted, struggling to stand.
He had expected fewer survivors.
The air was thick with the scent of death. Smoke from the Oramon Monastery had fully dissipated, revealing the gruesome aftermath. Bodies—dismembered, scattered, lifeless—littered the ground.
Not just humans.
The Night Terrors that had crashed into this place had also been slaughtered.
His gaze traveled further, landing on the entrance of the monastery. It had been destroyed.
A massive wall of debris now blocked any more Night Terrors from getting in.
Smart.
Someone had thought ahead—likely a high-ranked Exorcist.
"Redrics..." Asher murmured, his eyes scanning for him. But the man was nowhere to be seen.
Was he dead? Or had he gone to scout the area?
"I hope Mother is okay."
Nimora's voice was quiet, blank as always.
Asher nodded. "She's the Queen of the Exorcist Kingdom. We should be worrying about ourselves. We aren't out of this yet... are we?"
"Where's Redrics?"
Nimora hesitated before replying, "He leapt over the wall after blocking us in. Probably scouting... or looking for backup."
Asher had expected that. He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. His skin still burned—the heat had faded, but the pain remained.
If they stayed here, the chances of being attacked again were high.
And if that happened...
The Oramon was their only hope.
He wanted to share his thoughts with Nimora. But...
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Would their mother approve?
Would the others even agree?
For now, he'd keep it as a last resort.
His mind drifted. Something nagged at him—his rewards.
Asher sat down, lowering his head. He needed to be careful. He couldn't let the others know he had a system beyond the general one.
[Would you like to see your rewards?]
Yes.
[You have successfully gained your Soul Ability.]
[You have gained 4x rewards on Body Training.]
A basic reward. And... something special.
Excitement surged through him.
"Finally..."
Asher quickly asked for more details.
[Only information about the first skill is available.]
[Your Soul Ability is what makes you an Exorcist.]
[Title: The Infinite Is as Darkness.]
[This skill will become a great asset to your Infinite Mana. However, you must remember: as you train your ability, you must also train your capacity to contain it.]
Asher grinned. "I'm finally starting to climb in power—"
Ding!
The sudden notification made the entire group gasp.
Even Nimora—who never reacted to anything—visibly tensed.
{Hint: You are failing the mission.}
{Keep the target from dying...}
{Protect the Queen.}