The Fool's Freedom

Mr. Muge wasn’t opposed to assisting them in the slightest. He even tried to recruit them, as losing his base of operation seemed to terrify the man. He relented quickly and gave them a few cleansing charms, to the joy of Ashlyn.

“These are crushing arrows,” Mr. Muge said, giving Ashlyn a bundle of the same type of arrows as the one the invisible man had given her. “Made a bunch yesterday, who knew it was just in time for the mutated crabs to descend? They apply force similar to a simple skill I know of.”

“Thanks. Very useful.” Ashlyn didn’t shy away from taking them and loading them in her enchanted quiver. Both Mr. Muge and Alan were surprised when, after a flash of light, it produced a perfect copy of the arrows. Copying enchantments seemed like a busted effect. Mr. Muge was drooling at the sight but somehow managed to control himself.

Their stay was short as both decided that it was better to go out and assist the Sanctuary’s efforts. The rewards promised by the System were very tempting, and Alan seethed about all the missed experience. His skillset was quite limited in its current form and locked him into a style of combat that was fun, but also not very versatile.

Ashlyn and Alan moved without direction, assisting random groups or directing lost children and crafters toward those willing to escort them. The killings went fast even without him utilizing most of his skills. While Ashlyn was doing the heavy lifting, he too grew more accurate with his [Shadow Slash] casts and managed to do quite a lot of damage. Most of the purespawn were of the smaller variety and not that hard to kill once one got over their weirdness.

The progress bar of the harvested energy was also climbing steadily.

Energy harvested: 18.3%

Alan smiled. If things continued like this the invasion was headed for an early end and all that would be left would be to gather the rewards and move on.

***

The body formed slowly, each muscle a mix of dirt and already degrading flesh held by strands of remnant divine energy.

Whatever divinity was left over in the region from before the merging of worlds, was being drawn to this place. Emerson’s murders were fulfilling their purpose now. His confusion was only deepening though, despite the reverence he held in his heart.

Why were there monsters invading the Sanctuary? Why were they coming from the light that was supposed to announce the coming of the chosen Hierophant?

It had to be some evil force making use of the situation. Maybe it was a last-ditch effort by the System to stop the salvation they would bring. Or maybe it was something sinister, trying to dirty the purity of the Goddess by bathing her messenger’s descent with blood.

To cleanse the world of evil was a Holy purpose if there had ever been one and it made no sense for the followers of the Goddess to assist in the killing of the innocent.

Maybe the falling monsters would target only those with impure hearts?

There was a movement and a hand rose to meet a knee. The man forming in the light, if he could call it that, was a strange being. Emerson didn’t even begin to try and understand how the body was being created or was supposed to function. Such Divine matters were above him.

The promised Hierophant still did not leave the pillar of light, and Emerson waited.

The destruction and screams that seldom reached his ears made his heart thump with conflicting emotions, but his faith was pure and steady. Despite that, a seed of doubt was born.

It was small and almost lifeless under the glow of the divinity before him, but one other thing had fueled it. The System message that still rang in his mind – he was to receive a punishment for sacrificing souls upon the end of the invasion.

Emerson exhaled and calmed down.

There was no way he had doomed the Sanctuary. This was no invasion.

The Goddess would help the people, and him.

***

Alan was unhappy. The invasion sensed his single positive thought and decided he had no right to think like that. With renewed vigor beams of light crashed into the Sanctuary, destroying what had been achieved by the hard-working people and leaving only destruction in their wake.

The System counter now read 30% and that seemed to have kicked things up a notch.

Alan cursed as a ball of light crashed into a nearby ruin's added wooden second floor, sending broken planks everywhere. It continued through the ruin, and seemingly buried itself into the earth.

There were screams as a few people who were too close suffered from the flying wreckage.

Then there were more screams as something new walked out straight through the wall. It was a twisted centaur-like creature. Its base was similar to the purespawn, but it also had a torso of twisting white that looked like a mannequin brought to life. There were no facial features – only segmented chitin.

A large white crystal in the middle of its chest was the most eye-catching part of it. Its arms were triple-jointed and ended in blades similar to the legs. They were thinner though, and Alan felt himself grow wary when he looked at them.

A woman threw what Alan recognized as [Ember] towards the thing, impatient to start the fight. The skill harmlessly shattered against the white body. The spawn ignored her completely as it lunged at the one who had screamed last – a young man with a rabbit on his sleeve.

It moved fast but not faster than Alan with his armor. The swing though, was like lightning.

The man was cut into two in the next moment, without having a chance to realize death had come for him. Everyone stood rooted in place, too stunned to breathe or speak. Even Alan.

However, Ashlyn didn’t seem to have the same issue as she tested her new bow and arrows. The blunt-ended arrow easily caught on magical fire provided by a new implication of the [Imbue Fire] enchantment as she drew the string.

The shot was devastating but the monster still managed to turn in time and avoid being hit in the head. Its reaction time made Alan rethink going in with [Monochrome Armor]. He could outrun it, but not move faster than the blades.

The arrow shot landed with a sickening sound akin to a hammer striking a porcelain anvil, and shattered the monster’s shoulder, turning it into a broken mess. The bladed arm was still attached but now hung limply to the side.

The fire hadn’t done anything to assist the might of the arrows. Still, it was a very good shot.

Alan was about to whistle in wonder but shut his mouth when the creature turned and its five bladed legs started taking it closer to them fast.

Another arrow broke one of the legs at the very base, making the creature stumble to the side and slow down.

Alan noticed with horror that the shoulder was slowly trying to reconnect. He swung his staff awkwardly but efficiently and sent a few [Shadow Slash] blades flying at the thing. They did even less than before.

His skills were not very suited against the spawn, and most certainly wouldn’t be very useful against this new enemy.

It was not a good feeling. The Dungeon, as disappointing as it might have been, had given him some confidence. And after he had dealt with some of his issues and worries, he felt like a person reborn. Now it was going away. Even the mages bombarding the thing were doing more, as they could stay further back and use their range.

Still, most skills that involved elements seemed to do little to no damage to the thing.

There was another deafening landing not too far from them and Alan clenched his teeth. He and Ashlyn could escape if too many of those things came, but it would be a shame to give up the Sanctuary. Could they go live with the elves?

Ha!

Alan summoned the cube. The spawn reacted the most to sound, although they also knew where attacks were coming from, so there was more to it too. Still, it didn’t hurt to try his idea.

“Xil?”

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” the demon screamed as if Alan had suddenly stabbed him.

“Calm down, Xil”

“Calm down?! Put me back! There is divine energy here! Pure divine energy! Poison! Put me back!”

“I just wanted you to cast—,”

“You don’t understand, idiot! If I cast anything those things will swarm me, no matter what their purpose is! They are mindless freaks, led only by the tiny imprint of divinity inside of them. Put me back! If they sense me, we are dead!”

Alan quickly fulfilled the demon’s wishes. With a thought wisp of shadows enveloped the cube, but not before a strange sound came from the now struggling monster. Ashlyn had left it with only three legs, but it didn’t seem to care.

The featureless face was turned toward Alan and the crystal in its chest was glowing brighter and brighter.

Oh, no.

[Mortal Peril] rang in Alan’s head like a death knell.

Shadows enveloped him and took away his colors. He barely moved in time as a beam of light shot out, turning all in its path into dust. Alan looked back and saw perfect holes burned through ruins and debris. How far had it gone? Everyone unaware of the blast would have been completely obliterated.

He gulped. This was firepower on a new scale.

He had also used the second cast of [Monochrome Armor] which would last 45 minutes. Still, it had saved his hide so he considered it a good investment.

The creature had lost most of its mobility now and didn’t seem to even try. The crystal in the middle of its chest was cracked and small pieces of it were falling apart.

A man screamed and jumped at the thing from his hiding spot, holding a sword. An attempt to finish it, or something else. It was foolish. The monster made one last lightning-fast move and cut the man at the stomach, sending his blood and intestines flying all over before it completely stopped moving.

Alan didn’t get a kill message and frowned. Had he done so little damage?

Useless. He could kill most people twice over, but against the godspawn his strengths meant nothing.

“What are its name and level?” he asked.

Ashlyn looked at him with surprise which quickly turned into understanding.

“Purespawn. Level 65.”

Alan nodded. They seemed to change in strength and appearance every ten levels. Although level didn’t seem to play the most important role in a monster’s strength. The two-headed werewolf had felt stronger, but the whole fight from the Dungeon was a blurry haze.

Though if any 70’s showed up they would be fucked. He already was, and the only reason he was alive was that he had an extra sense to warn him and the speed to react.

Fuck.

The demon was deathly afraid of the so-called divine energy. Was it the reason his skills were next to worthless? Were shadows weak to the divinity? It made sense for them to lose out to light, maybe. Magic didn’t care that much about logic or physics and his shadows were obviously more than something created by an object blocking the light. They were concentrated, solid, darkness.

There was a strange sound behind and Alan turned, only to see another smoking hole a few meters behind him. If he died because of a random beam coming from the disgusting purespawn, he wouldn’t be able to get over it.

He and Ashlyn continued moving, much more carefully, and many people followed and did the same. There were some holding large weapons or throwing rocks and debris towards the spawn that were doing well. No one was foolish enough to get close after the first few had been cut into pieces.

All Alan cared about was that his skillset had proven inadequate.

He had not grown in days, and he was already thirsting for a new skill. There were some unknowns such as the [Friend of the Spirit World] title or the so-called manifestation of will promised by his new trait.

Not that he could do anything with that... And relying on enchantments would only get one so far.

I need to level and get more skills at my disposal. Or do I need to advance some of those I have somehow? Fuck.

The next few hours were eventful. [Mortal Peril] activated a few times, helping him narrowly avoid death due to a random beam of light shot by one of the new purespawns. It was ridiculous.

He saw some of the people who didn’t have his skill or speed get killed in an instant. The beams just created holes where they passed through, without burning or melting. It was just erasure.

Alan was on his third cast of [Monochrome Armor] which lasted for 30 minutes. He felt weird about casting the skill as he had, as it had come with a warning of potential physical changes occurring if he overused it… Still, it felt better and better to use it each time and when it wore off, he felt almost naked.

It was like an addiction to the speed and the way the shadows welcomed him.

The problem was that the next cast would only last for 15 minutes, and then he would not have his strongest skill for the rest of the day. He would become a shitty caster without much range and semi-decent physical attributes, comparable to most who had yet to get a class.

The fights led them back toward the World Temple, which was possibly the only building still intact in the whole Sanctuary. The System percentage bar was reading 57%, having grown very fast after a few of the 60+ leveled spawns had died.

Alan saw groups of children, with a few grown-ups and elderly in between watching from the steps, some were crying, others stared vacantly. A shimmering barrier, like a curtain of golden water stood between them and the destruction.

Healers were running around and helping those missing limbs or those who had suffered major wounds. Tim was among them and Alan nodded to the man. Their conflict seemed very petty at the moment. He couldn’t even think of anything major, apart from Nadia’s attempted murder.

He also saw Walter. The older man was pale and tired, but still in one piece, and talking with a group of survivors near the barrier of the World Temple.

The spawn seemed to be avoiding this place for now, making it a gathering for all who needed rest. There was an improvised wall circling the World Temple. It was made of broken rocks and fallen ruins built by those with relevant skills. It wouldn’t slow the spawn down at all, but at least it gave the illusion of safety.

Alan felt his third [Monochrome Armor] end and almost cursed in displeasure. He needed the shadows.

As they walked further in he saw an unlikely person beeline for him.

What was her name again…? Ah.

“Reba? Do you—,” the old woman grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him to the side with surprising strength.

“We need to talk. Now.”