Ashes IX

"Isaac?"

Wing did not know how to react. He could feel it, a strong sense of regality emanating from Isaac. It was so powerful that it hurt to even look at him.

But, that was a given because unbeknownst to Wing, has donned partial divinity.

The Thunder Bird was a mythical creature that was told to children to make them behave. The tale speaks of a giant eagle with black feathers. It creates thunder with a flap of its wings. It perches on a lightning bolt when it decides to rest atop a storm cloud. It was said that it devours the hearts of children who misbehave.

The Thunder Bird was also a bird of both ominous tidings and safe ones. Sailors refer to it as the bringer of great storms that capsizes even the greatest of architectural creations and the giver of light as a single flap of its wings could make the sun peek from behind the clouds. This, in turn, made the Thunder Bird look like a capricious deity to others.

The legend of the Thunder Bird was spread across the continents of Arcadia. But, despite what its name represented and the terror it brought to sailors and children, it remained a Legend with its believer far and few between.

But, three years ago, at the place once considered the tallest mountain a fight that remains known to two people ensued for three days. The fight was brutally fought by a human and the specter of the Legend that was the Thunder Bird.

Who the human was clear, it was Isaac who tracked down the Thunder Bird and then went to the mountain that touches what's beyond the skies. Many followed the trails of the Thunder Bird back to the tallest mountain, but, all never descended. Isaac heard that the Thunder Bird was a wise being, thus, he set out to find its domain and exchange words of wisdom.

At the peak of the tallest mountain there, Isaac learned the truth of the Thunder Bird was just a wing that sends out its specter into the world seeking a worthy candidate. It was a weapon with an Ego that tested any and every man

Isaac only knows that an ancient Master Craftsman from a forgotten civilization created the Wings of the Thunder Bird and disappeared, leaving a weapon with an ego that spent hundreds of years searching for a worthy wielder.

This was the second time Isaac would awaken the Wings of the Thunder Bird. And as he slowly floated from the ground, he opened his mouth to say, "This form takes a toll on me. The moment I move my timer ticks down and with my Potions, I only have 54 seconds so, do your best and do what you're supposed to do."

"All right… be careful, Isaac…."

"Thanks."

"Oh, I almost forgot… though it is less likely to happen, in the off chance that I explode, you have my permission to loot my corpse."

"WHAT!?"

BOOM!

Isaac did not care to listen and sped towards his target with explosive speed.

ROARRRRRRRRR!

The undead roared in his general direction. They could feel it, the immensity of the force coming for them. The Undead Knight stood forward, he was a beast that stood at two meters high, his level at 570, and even though he functions solely on instincts alone now, the Undead Knight could still showcase his strength.

The Undead Knight took the front and raised a broad sword over his head. It was a straight, perfectly executed form without an inch of error. The Undead Knight reacted the moment Isaac moved, he swung his sword in order to stop his advance.

With his sword's descent, the world howled! The wind whirled and created a ferocious gale and then a spark of purple flame awakened a purple flame cycle. An Undead Knight or any mindless Undead for that matter could still use Skills they had with them when they were alive.

Skills were formulas written in the soul. To activate it, instinct was the only thing needed. The skill may be weaker, but it would activate without fail.

[Skill: Fire Gale Sword]

The sword descended into a magnificent blaze. It was so powerful that the ground was scorched at its mere presence. It was a wonder how Knight could beat such a thing in its prime, yet, it was now before Isaac, raging like a beast!

It descended, it raged, and yet it never even mattered for the sword descended forward, and with a simple kick to the side mid-flight, Isaac rolled to the side and then grabbed the Undead Knight's rotting head

BAM!

He smashed the head on the ground, crushing it upon impact!

[Level Up!][Level Up!][Level Up!][Level Up!][Level Up!][Level Up!]~

A string of level-up notifications echoed in his head!

But, Isaac did not stop. The darkness reacted to his arrival with hostility and sent a tide of Undead for him.

Zombies, Skeletons, Wraiths, they were all present to get a piece of him. Yet, Isaac did not panic.

Isaac took a deep breath before the swarm arrived.

'I was too weak to notice it back then, but… this

Isaac could feel his blood boiling. The injuries he incurred, and the raising of his bodily limits through the Avatar of the Storm bypassed his slow start in a single exchange.

At that very moment, surrounded by powerful enemies, his life was threatened by his power, his mind, his instincts, everything was forced to fit together.

He had always been a man who could concentrate beyond what's normal. But now, his breathing was laced with lightning, his body forced into accepting a sudden mutation, and with a deep breath added by the sense of emergency, Isaac entered a state he never reached before.

[Ding!]

[Awakened Wings of the Thunder Bird - Avatar of the Storm - Exclusive Form Skill Created]

HONG!

The world seemed to have stopped for a moment. Everything around Isaac seemed to have slowed down. They were far ahead of him in level, their strength and speed should've been beyond what Isaac could follow, yet, all of them seemed nothing more than clumsy training dolls in his eyes.

Isaac breathed out, outstretched his wings, and loosened his body in accordance with what his instincts told him. His muscles moved, his veins widened, his breathing changed, and his lightning momentarily settled and Isaac whispered, "Purple Carnage."

ZOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Slash!

With his bare hands, Isaac ripped apart his enemy without mercy. But, he was invincible. Isaac could feel his body being torn apart. He was bleeding, his limbs were screaming, and he was crying blood.

The enemy may die upon impact, but his body deteriorates with every movement.

He could feel his body being whittled down, from time to time he would down three of the potions at the same time.

His fingers that had long been broken were now just cracked! But, he did not stop. Instead, Isaac was laughing.

'more… More… MORE!" He wanted to continue fighting. He wanted to feel the surge of electricity run in his body some more. He wanted it, as he was just about to rip the heads of another Undead Knight, Isaac's body just… stopped.

He could not exert any more strength as he tried to rip apart an Undead Knight's head and what he got was a fist of the face, sending him tumbling across the forest!

Crssssssssssh!

His feet touched the ground and he stopped his movement.

"COUGH!" Isaac coughed up blood from the attack and the self-inflicted damage he had from using Avatar of the Storm. Blood came out from all of his orifices, he was in pain and the Avatar of the Storm form was already losing its steam.

'Even if they make a wall now… they won't make a difference.'

But, one last time, Isaac planted his feet. the numbers of the Undead had dwindled to 43 percent of what they originally were. He gathered his lightning and took off once more.

The ground was scorched by his lightning and he razed through every single Undead that got in his way with brutality. He destroyed his left arm, and it dangled behind him as he ripped part two of Undead Knights for the last time.

He broke through the wall of flesh and he arrived just a meter away from the cyclone surrounding Yulia. The swirling darkness coalesced, becoming an impenetrable wall!

'It's stronger than before!' It hadn't been a few minutes yet it was already ten times stronger than when he broke out Wing.

Isaac forced everything he could but the wall of darkness did not budge and as a response, the cyclone manifested spear-like objects in order to dispose of the pest trying to disturb the ritual.

Isaac was about to be impaled and the only thing he could do to stop it was to destroy the wall of darkness barring him. Without thinking of the repercussions summoned drew more and more energy from the Wings!

But, Isaac absorbed every single thing from the Wings and when it was not enough, he tapped into unexplored regions of the Wings.

And the Wings responded to its wielder's desire!

The Wings existed for such a long time that its specter got venerated by people as a God, partially becoming a God. But, it could never become one as it was still just a weapon with an Ego.

It was bestowed upon partial divinity, but it could never achieve purity.

But, a variable was added.

Something that Isaac received when he entered Avalon.

And that was True Divinity from slaying the God Leviathan.

Isaac gritted his teeth, and activated everything he could not know that the metallic wings behind him, for a split second transformed into that genuine feathers! Black feathers of legends that summoned Clouds of Thunder with a single flap!

SCRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Thunder Bird screeched and Isaac roared!

"BREEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAK!"

CRASH!

The shadow spears were shattered as an opening was forced open.

The Undead sensed this and desperately tried to rip apart the transgressor but before they could come for Isaac, a figure appeared passed Isaac and pulled him inside the Cyclone of Darkness where it was unusually tranquil.

With unknown strength, Wing actually managed to rescue Isaac and placed him on the side.

The young man had already used up his health potion, but two of his stamina potions remained. Isaac was forced to down them.

"Thank you… Isaac."

"Don't… mention… it. Now… go… and save your… daughter." Isaac responded with broken sentences.

Wing smiled and thanked him in silence once again.

Isaac was tired, too tired to even be conscious.

Danger had already been averted, after all, the wall of darkness protected them from the outside and it was clear that the cyclone could not interfere with what was going on inside. It was a flaw in the design that was only meant to keep anyone from coming in.

Isaac observed Yulia's body which was once the embodiment of purity transformed into its polar opposite. Her hair was gradually turning pitch black where half of it had already been changed. Her pristine skin was now tattooed with weaving symbols Isaac could not understand.

Around her neck, a red glowing line was slowly forming.

It was halfway on its way to meeting its other end to complete a circle.

Isaac was too tired, but he did not close his eyes. He watched as his friend walked over to his daughter.

"My daughter… I am here." Wing spoke and lifted his broken sword. He lifted it in front of him with the blade pointing towards his chest and drove it in his heart, " Don't worry, I'll save you."

His body crumbled as well as his armor. After he drove the sword to his chest, the Death Knight's body, which forcefully sealed his soul in its body right before its defeat, crumbled.

Wing, who failed in his role of keeping himself alive to stop the curse, no longer had a reason to keep being the Death Knight.

Wing... the Death Knight died.

Isaac then whispered, "Good luck… my friend.