The portal never materialized.
Unknown to Arthur’s Shadow, Neo had just slayed Lucas’ Shadow.
The Shadow could not escape.
Arthur didn’t hesitate.
He dashed forward with all his might.
In one swift motion, he plunged the dagger into the Shadow’s chest and smashed the vial of Shadow Ink inside its mouth.
The Shadow gasped.
Its eyes widened and it tried to puke the Shadow Ink.
The poison coursed through its veins and it died a slow death, unable to do anything.
Arthur almost collapsed.
He was exhausted beyond limit after pushing himself to fight the Shadow.
Despite the seemingly simple battle, he had to block multiple attacks of the Shadow that was boosted by Invincible.
He rushed to Leonora.
“Wait a second, I’ll use an elixir. Use your Holy Affinity too.
“That will definitely heal you.”
He tried to pull another vial and poured it over her wound with trembling hands.
Her body was limp.
Blood still trickled from the wound at her throat, but her eyes, though fading, remained fierce.
“Th-tha-”
Leonora tried to speak and choked on her blood.
She did not try to use her holy affinity to heal herself.
She couldn’t.
The last attack took everything out from her.
The elixir’s healing speed was too slow.
Leonora could not be saved.
Just then, Arthur sensed someone sneaking on them.
Clara’s Shadow pounced on the two before he could react.
Arthur tried to shield Leonora with his body.
Clara’s Shadow did not attack them.
It snatched Arthur Shadow’s elemental seed from the corpse and ran away.
Arthur wanted to stop the Shadow.
But he would have to leave Leonora alone during her last moments.
He was torn between the choices.
“N-no.” Leonora tried to push him away. “Go-”
Arthur’s expression worsened.
Suddenly, he noticed Sean on the path of Clara’s Shadow.
An idea came to him.
“Sean, stop the Shadow!”
Sean looked injured.
Although he had been teleported away by Lucas and he did not have to face Shadows, he still had to fight shadow monsters to return.
His body was covered in contamination.
“Stop the Shadow, Sean!”
Sean raised his sword towards Clara’s Shadow.
The Shadow came to a halt.
It tried to look for a way to escape but, before it could take more steps, Arthur wrung his blood dry and fired an Air Bullet Spell.
The attack, although simple, was powerful.
It tore through the air like a canon.
Clara’s Shadow, injured during the battle with Lucas, could not dodge.
However, Sean blocked the attack with his sword.
Arthur froze.
“What are you doing…?”
“She is my sister! I w-will protect her! I won’t lose her again!” freewёbnoνel.com
Sean shielded Clara’s Shadow with his body.
His words made the Shadow’s face contort into one of a fury.
It recalled how Sean’s Shadow, her ‘brother’, died at the hand of Sean’s friend.
Clara’s Shadow raised her sword.
“Dodge!” Arthur shouted.
Sean moved instinctively after hearing his voice and the blade grazed his back lightly.
He turned around, stunned.
“Why are you attacking me Cla-Clara? I’m your brother.”
The Shadow opened her mouth.
Her appearance changed.
From a shadowy figure of Clara to one that was more real.
The change was the proof of increasing synchronization.
“I’m not your sister!”
The Shadow glared at Sean.
“You killed my brother!”
She wanted to attack again, but she knew time was running out.
Neo, Lucas, and others would soon return.
Clara’s Shadow had to make sure Arthur’s Shadow survived if she wanted revenge.
Because she knew Sean’s Shadow was devoured.
She ran away.
Sean did not try to stop her.
Arthur was too exhausted to move after the last attack.
“Cough! Cough!”
Leonora’s voice snapped Arthur out of the stupor.
He tried to think of way to save her.
“Yes, Neo! He had a powerful elixir he used to attach your hand.
“We can save you with that!”
He hurriedly pressed the earpiece.
“Neo, I n-need your help! Come here quickly!”
“What happened—”
“There is no time to explain! Please, be quick!”
There was a short silence before Neo answered.
“Got it.”
After cutting the connection, Arthur hit Leonora’s cheek slightly.
He could not see more deaths.
“Don’t sleep. Just don’t sleep.
“Leonora, if you can hear me, use your Holy Affinity.”
It did not take him long to realize she was out of Divine Energy.
He took out a Divine Energy vial and tried to have Leonora drink it.
Before he could put the vial against her lips, someone grabbed his hand.
“Stop. She’ll overdose and die a painful death if she drinks more elixirs.”
Arthur turned around when he heard the voice.
Neo held his hand while Nathan, Lucas, and Harrison stepped through a portal.
Their condition made it clear they had a hard time against whatever they fought.
“Neo…? What are you saying?”
“The elixir I used to reattach her arm was a strong one. She needs to wait for a day before consuming any more elixir.”
“R-right! The elixir! You have a strong elixir, right? Use it!”
“…”
Neo exhaled.
“I only had one.”
Arthur’s face stiffened.
“T-then?”
He looked at Leonora.
Neo followed his gaze.
The presence of Death around her was thick.
“It’s too late for her.”
Neo knew it was his fault.
If only he had insisted on leaving Leonora behind at Depth Level 2.
If only he had saved the healing elixir instead of using it to reattach her arm.
If only…
There were too many things he could’ve done better.
She died because of his wrong choices.
Not just her.
Christian, Clara, Kendrick, Gwen.
Their deaths were his responsibility.
He was the mission leader.
He should’ve done better.
But.
It was already too late.
Neo was not going to run away from his responsibilities, or deny them.
He took a breath.
‘I will revive them.’
No matter how long it took, or how hard it was.
‘It won’t be easy to do that.’
‘I can’t let the information about resurrection ritual leak, I need to find perfect sacrifices and I have to make sure their bodies don’t rot until I can resurrect them.’
He clenched his fists.
Could he successfully do that?
How long would it take to complete the preparations?
The weight of failure was overwhelming him—
“Neo! W-what should we do?”
Arthur’s voice jolted him back to reality.
He stared at Leonora and made his decision.
She was in pain.
Neo crouched.
Red lightning crackled around his hand.
“I’ll end it painlessly for you.”