“I’ve used your sword to link your blessing to you. You should be able to feel the blessing’s effect when you unsheathe it.”
“What about the God Blood? It doesn’t seem like you’ve taken it.”
“Indeed, I haven’t.
“I’ll take your God Blood after you’ve returned from this mission. Until then, use the blessing to complete the mission.”
Paimon closed the fan.
“I need to return to the Underworld. Barbatos is complaining about unsealing your blessing.”
Her figure started to disappear.
Before she left, she flew and patted his head.
“May you be in good health and prosperity when we meet next again, child.”
Paimon disappeared.
“Thank you,” Neo said.
Although she had left, Neo had a feeling she heard him.
Suddenly, Neo’s earpiece came to life.
Arthur’s voice followed through it.
“Neo, I need your help!
“Come here quickly!”
He sounded desperate.
“What happened—”
“There is no time to explain! Please, be quick!”
“Got it.”
An ominous promotion seeped into Neo’s heart.
He turned to Lucas.
“We need to regroup with Arthur.”
Lucas nodded.
Since Arthur was not within his line of sight and out of the range of his senses, he had to create multiple portals.
They returned as quickly as possible.
…
Depth Level 3, North-east side
Fifteen minutes ago
The white mist curled around Arthur and Leonora.
Arthur held his daggers in reverse grip and waited for his Shadow to attack.
Leonora stood with her back against Arthur’s back.
Her breathing was labored.
She was exhausted due to the aftereffects of Neo’s elixir and her Divine Energy had barely recovered.
“Stay sharp.” Arthur warned her.
His heart thumped against his chest.
He was nervous and… afraid.
‘The Shadow can use Invincible already.’
‘Did it kill itself to reset the skill countdown?’
It was bad news.
“Leonora, don’t let the mist disperse.
“My Shadow should be able to sense us with the Sound affinity, but the mist still blocks its vision.”
“Okay.”
She was used to fighting in the mist.
It didn’t hinder her as it did others.
Leonora used an ice defense Spell to create an armor.
The sound of lightning crackling echoed from all directions.
Arthur tried to concentrate and use his Sound Affinity to locate the Shadow.
It was of no use.
The Shadow was faster — much faster — thanks to the Invincible skill that Arthur could not use himself.
“It’s near,” he whispered.
“Mhm.”
Leonora prepared to cast Spells.
Her Holy Affinity was their only advantage against the Shadow, but she was too exhausted to make full use of it.
Suddenly, there was a sharp shift in the mist.
The Shadow appeared at the corner of their vision.
It looked no different from a black lightning running around.
A portal flickered open at its side, conjured by Lucas’ Shadow, and it stepped through it.
Arthur’s breath was caught in his throat.
Portals.
Lucas’ Shadow was helping it.
Arthur’s expression worsened.
Lucas Shadow’s ability to sense them inside the mist spoke volume of Lucas’ talent.
Unfortunately, it was no time or place to praise him.
The Shadow reappeared next to Leonora without warning.
It swung the dagger towards her neck.
Leonora reacted just in the nick of time.
She created a wall of water to block the strike.
The force of the blow sent her staggering back.
Her ice armor cracked.
“Leonora!”
Arthur rushed forward to shield her.
Another portal opened beneath his feet.
His Shadow jumped out from it and slammed a fist into his gut.
Arthur doubled over in pain.
The air was forced from his lungs.
His vision blurred for a split second.
The Shadow’s speed was terrifying.
It was enhanced beyond anything what Arthur and Leonora could match.
Leonora struggled to regain her balance.
She summoned a shard of Holy Ice and threw it with all her strength.
It shot through the air, glowing with divine energy, aimed straight at the Shadow’s heart.
But the Shadow turned into lightning ad dodged it effortlessly.
Another portal opened, and the Shadow vanished again.
It was toying with them with its overwhelming speed and the portals to stay untouchable.
Arthur gritted his teeth.
He focused on the faint ripples of sound around him.
His Shadow was close—too close.
A flash of light erupted and the Shadow reappeared behind Leonora again.
The Shadow’s dagger coated in black lightning moved toward her throat.
“Leonora, watch out!” Arthur shouted.
He was too far to intervene.
Leonora’s eyes widened.
Time seemed to slow down.
Her body too tired to react.
She could see the blade coming.
The strike that would end her.
If only she had trained like others…
If only she did not laze around, drunk on her talent…
She would’ve known how to fight even if she was exhausted.
She could’ve pushed herself beyond her limit.
But.
There were no second chances.
The dagger slid across her throat.
Blood poured out from the wound.
“No!”
Arthur’s scream tore through the mist.
Another person died because he was too weak.
Because he could not defeat his own Shadow.
In that moment, as death loomed closer, something shifted in Leonora’s mind.
This was it.
Her last chance.
The Shadow thought it had won and let down its guard.
Leonora’s hand glowed with one last surge of holy energy.
The moment the Shadow’s blade cut her, she unleashed her magic in a blinding explosion of light.
Holy magic—the Shadows were weak against it. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Arthur’s Shadow staggered back.
Its body writhed in agony as the holy energy seared his flesh and broke through its mimicked Invincible.
The Shadow never expected it.
It thought it had won.
It should’ve won.
But Leonora used her own impending death to deal the final blow.
“De…defeat it,” Leonora spoke as she tried to stop the blood flowing out of her wound.
Arthur gritted his teeth.
He rushed forward.
His gaze was filled with desperation and fury.
He pulled a small vial from his coat before uncorking it with his teeth.
Shadow Ink.
The trump card against the Shadows, even his Shadow.
Arthur’s Shadow remained calm.
Although it was injured from Leonora’s attack, it could escape through the portals easily.