CHAPTER 72 – King Zlatan’s palace under the lake (Part 3)

"Don't lose your formation! Stop his march! Mage's brigade, put your magic shields on the front-lane!! Don't let him get past them!"-The Rusalka at the top of the castle shouted orders with a worried face, while at the same time throwing both ice spears and invoking ice spikes out of the ground to stop my movement, but sadly for her, it has little effect on me as I either cut them or evaded them.

After jumping out of reach of one of her giant ice spikes I went towards the crossbowmen that were shooting incessantly, but the warriors jumped in front of me to try and stop me with shields, and even mana shields covering them from the front.

"…"-I looked at them with a frown, while making an upward swing of my arm, from the ground up at them, sending mana through the ground, which then got out from under them in the form of an electric wave that shocked and paralyzed them, which gave me the opportunity to just jump over the shields.

"*tch…*"-Sadly, a spike of ice was shooting out from the ground, waiting for me. "Wait for your turn, you damned woman!"-I shouted at the Rusalka on top of the castle before kicking the air and evading the spike, which I had to do multiple times in order for me to evade the multiple spikes that were growing out of the ground and the magic bolts that were coming at me in combination with the spells from the magicians.

{Such a pain!}-I thought, while swinging my left arm towards the woman, sending multiple fire bullets at her, making her lose her focus on me to defend with a mix of water and ice shields. Which let me finally land and rush again towards the shooting crossbowmen, cutting everything in front of me and evading anything else with as minimal moves as I could to don't stop my rush.

"Stop him!"-The Rusalka magician shouted after finally defending against my bullets. "Don't let him get to the rangers!"

{Too late.}-I was almost there, 30 meters. Perfect for a quick-step that put me right in front of them.

"I won't let you!"-The commander said while freezing the floor right in front of the rangers, while at the same time invoking a spiked ice wall in front as if making a shield.

"Ha!"-I said, stopping right in front of the shield while increasing the length of the sword and cutting through it, reaping the lives of a few rangers before me. "Try something better next time!"-I shouted at her while increasing the speed of my swings and killing as much of them that I could, before jumping over the now halved spiked wall to evade a new barrage of spells.

"What!? How!?"-The magician woman shouted.

{Well… I guess she didn't expect me to actually step on the ice as if nothing…}-I thought to myself while cutting an incoming water shark and swinging my sword once again to cut three more crossbowmen.

"We need reinforcements!!!"-The woman shouted at the magicians in the left tower. "Go and ask for reinforcements!"-This made one of them try and leave the place.

{Nope. I like this stage's setting.}-I thought while launching a barrage of fire bullets. But was stopped by the shield of the woman. "tch."-The guy escaped. {I'm an idiot. Really.}-I thought to myself while cutting through the rows of crossbowmen and warriors that came to their rescue.

Looking all around me, I decided to do something differently.

Thrusting my sword inside the ground, I created an electric field around me, stopping anyone from coming close to me for a few moments, while a quickly spinning shield of fire stopped the incoming projectiles and spells.

"Ietus Likonuos'ot El'Draco Eli, Rigusta"-I conjured, sending Natural Energy and Draconic Energy down my sword and inside the earth. {Not yet.}-I said while containing the power into the previous spell while conjuring a different spell. "Celko't Likon e Lorset, Sagus". A mighty pulse expanded with me as the center, sending everyone around me flying away while the fake sky turned grey with the appearing clouds, gathering Mana and Natural Energy from the environment while also absorbing my own Magic Power, Natural Energy, and Draconic Energy.

{Now, a gift for you.}-I thought while having the Rusalka commander on my mind. "Devourer of Golems"-I said, adding a final spell to the list, an invocation which created a magic circle surrounding a compass rose with hundreds of runes and symbols, and lines drawing the face of a roaring giant in the center of it. The new magic circle attracted the ever-increasing Magic Power and Natural Energy from the previous spell into it.

While I prepared and contained all the incantations, and as if feeling the pulsating mana, the commander looked all around, until locking her gaze on the sky over her.

"What… Is that…?"-She said. Before getting on alert. "Everyone. Get to cover! Magicians! Use your strongest formation for protection!"-She shouted before her orbs suddenly surrounded her and extended while forming a big pentagon with her at the center. Quickly, blue lines extended out from these orbs and formed a pentagram and a circle, creating a fast blue magic circle that was sent over her. It then shined in an icy-blue light, forming an ethereal barrier over her that covered almost all the castle's ground, leaving behind only the walls.

{That was a quick spell activation.}-I thought to myself. {But too late… And not enough.}-I finally stopped containing all the spells. Releasing one last pulse of Magic Power, Draconic Energy, and Natural Energy into the ground and the sky.

The grey sky turned even darker in color, with now black clouds covering it almost completely, while the earth trembled, creating cracks all around, with a shining brilliance escaping from them.

The next second, everything stopped.

"Agtus". I released the spells.

*RUMBLE!!!!!*

The sky and earth trembled as if everything was being devastated. Thunder spears raised from the ground as if dragons were ascending to the sky while twisting and turning everywhere, killing and destroying everything they touched. While from the sky, a rain of lightning came down. Each passing second, tens of lightning came down, targeting each building and enemy on the ground.

"AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!"-An encouraging shout came from the Rusalka Commander.

Her shield stopped the thunder from the sky, but knowing that it wouldn't last for long, she decided to reduce the size, only protecting the castle's main building that was just under her, leaving the towers and soldiers unprotected, reinforcing the shield to hold on as much as possible, with her arms raised high in the sky as if supporting the entire shield with her thin arms.

But even then. The thunder spears that moved as if they were living dragons, still managed to devastate everything they touched, whether they were walls, windows, living beings, everything.

Even the reinforcements that were getting out from the barracks in the backyard of the castle couldn't do anything against the symphony of destruction that decimated everything on its path.

{Stage cleared.}-I thought to myself. And right then, the magic circle with the wind rose on top of the castle shined. While the circle rotated to the left, the wind rose rotated to the right, while the outline of the screaming giant shined brighter and brighter each passing second.

*RUMBLE!*

A new rumble appeared, and the entire magic circle turned into lightning that concentrated into the mouth of the screaming giant as if a black hole was sucking in everything into the giant's mouth, even some of the thunders that fell from the black sky were sucked into the mouth of the monster, slowly transforming into a big sword that looked like a giant fang, curved, pointy, and with a dangerous edge that could cut with the mere sight of it.

"… Oh… My king… It seems I've failed you…"-The Rusalka Commander said while closing her eyes. "I was saved by you. So, my life was, is, and will always be at your service."-She said, with a tear flowing down from her right eye. "Even after my death."-Her eyes opened, returning a bloodshot glare towards me.

"Sanguis Sacrificium – Torrentem Mors!"-She shouted, and inside her raised arms, neck, and face, her veins started to turn swell, turning into a dark purple color that covered every showing part of her skin. "I'll take you with me! AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!"-She shouted, before letting out a scream of pain once her eyes burst with blood flowing out from them and uniting in front of her chest.

The eyes were only the start. As all the veins in her body started to exploded and the blood leaked from her skin, flowing towards the orb of blood that was in front of her chest. Each time a vein burst, she screamed, but even then, she stood up, with her arms raised, miraculously holding her shield, even when it seemed she was already dead, only showing her existence with each scream that came out of her throat until all that could be heard was a ghastly cry.

"…"-I looked at her, before pointing my sword towards the giant sword made of thunder, and swinging it down. Making the giant roar with the sound of a hundred thunders rumbling in the sky, sending the giant sword down towards the Rusalka with impressive speed.

In less than a second, the sword was already in front of the shield of the commander, destroying it the next moment, before passing through the commander, turning her to ashes, and destroying the top of the castle, all the way towards the ground, leaving unseen damage inside the place and making the entire kingdom under the lake tremble from the impact. Even the barrier that held the entire lake at bay couldn't help but tremble and crack at the impact of the Devourer of Golems, but it still survived, even with cracks all around it.

"*Tch…* It lost too much strength…"-I said while looking at the palace where the Devourer of Golem fell, just before looking around.

The spears of lightning were already disappearing and the black clouds on the sky were slowly dissipating. What remained were burned corpses here and there, some of them with missing body parts, others completely burned black, I could see that a great bunch of monsters also disappeared from the place, leaving no corpse behind.

"Just one more stage."-I murmured to myself while starting to walk, but I stopped the next moment, startled by an incoming projectile that felt as if it came out of nowhere.

A completely straight spear of blood came flying towards me, with enough speed to compete with that of lightning, threatening to pierce my heart. And against all odds, this projectile couldn't be defended against.

Using lightning to accelerate my body to the limit, and even combining Draconic Energy, Magic Power, and Natural Energy to boost my speed, even more, I tried to duck down to my right, but I noticed it too late, and even if I evaded a nasty injury, the blood spear still pierced through my left shoulder before striking the ground and splashing blood everywhere.

"Urgh…"-I held my left shoulder, from where a lot of blood was coming out. "Bleeding and parasitic curses… *tch…* She truly knew how to make a good parting gift…"-I said while frowning and clenching my teeth to stop the pain, while all my Mana, Draconic Energy, and Natural Energy were working inside my body to destroy the curses.

My left arm's veins instantly swelled and my arm took a reddish-purple color that traveled all the way from my left shoulder to my left hand. It was pretty hard to move my arm or even my left hand's fingers.

{Shit! If I wasn't that limited!}-I thought to myself while focusing on destroying the curses that tried to expel my blood and parasite my organs to destroy them. {Shit… This happens to me for being overconfident! I never learn, seriously…}-A sigh escaped my mouth, followed by a moan of pain.

***

"*sigh…* Why isn't he answering… It's been so long…"-I murmured to myself while looking at my smartwatch.

It's been almost a week since I texted my uncle asking him to investigate Kim Hajin's past.

"It shouldn't be so hard for him to look into him with his gift…"-I looked at my laptop where I had opened a list of data about a few of the most important cadets in Cube that could be a potential candidate to enter Essence of the Strait.

I've been reading through all my notes, starting from Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak, all the way to Kim Hajin, and at the end of the list, Cristopher D. Lamas. A nobody.

"Mm? I really don't know too much about him… Huh…"

[Cristopher D. Lamas]

[Physical: 5/5 - Intelligence: 5/5 – Utility: 3/5 – Potential: 5/5 – Gift: ???]

[Orphan / Reason not known / Raised in Locket of Hope]

[While every point is at maximum, there's a grey area, as nothing is known about his limit, his gift isn't known to anyone, any kind of limit has been shown, nor physical, with magic power, or even with his use of weapons, as he's demonstrated fine use of both the spear and the sword.]

[More information is needed, but just what's known from him is enough to believe that he holds great power, and even greater potential. Only problem, his temperament, and personality. It tends to be problematic, asocial, and conflictive. He seems to hold almost no care for others out of his immediate connections, and a truly difficult personality even in the eyes of his closest friends. He also showed concerning behavior mocking his opponent during a public duel, provoking and/or insulting other cadets, and even a tendency to commit violent acts without previous consideration.]

[He has shown great control over Magic Power, being able to show an amazing spectacle with the basic magic "Light Sphere", showing not only a masterful use of the said magic but also vast control over it, to the point of being able to instantly summon and move multiple Light Spheres at will.]

[Note: Most of the information above must be confirmed. Too little time of observation, and even less time of contact.]

"*sigh…* Honestly… I don't know what to think about him… Just with his strength, he's a perfect candidate for any guild or group… And he even showed some amazing control of his body and his magic power during his fight against Ruiz Olivia…"-I said while tapping the pen's point over my notebook that was just beside my laptop. "If it wasn't for his personality and erratic behavior… He would be a perfect candidate to scout… But… Just thinking about trying to scout him gives me the chill… And after everything that's happened on the exams… He's mostly going to take one of the first ten places on the ranking… If not the first… It all depends on the final exams…"

Cristopher was an enigmatic character, no matter from where you see him. At first, it would seem that he doesn't want to show up too much, but just as he's being treated as total nobody, he suddenly goes and gets second and first places in theory exams, while also beating the second-ranked cadet from first-year with his hands, not even using his weapon, and even daring to take his opponent weapon, all the while behaving in a worrisome way.

"If it wasn't for the fact that he hasn't shown any kind of blood-lust or hostile actions towards other cadets, while at the same time having an important known connection with the princess of England and the only gunner, while also helping in the detention of a Djinn, Cristopher would perfectly be deemed as a dangerous person. And even taking into consideration all of that… He stills looks like a dangerous person to me… *sigh…* Maybe I should just take him out of the list…"

{But… It's just… Well… Let's see how all of this goes on.}- I thought before stretching and turning off my laptop.

***

"*Sigh…* Fucking finally…"-I said while trying to move my left arm, which felt slightly numb, and even if it pained me greatly, it wasn't totally unusable. {Still… It's better if I don't go around doing crazy stunts with it for the moments…}- I thought while looking at my left arm, where all my veins were swelled up and showing thanks to the parasitic curse.

It took me at least ten minutes to stop, attack, and disperse the curse, meaning that it was a powerful curse, even if I focused all of my energies on it. I was considering using Spirit Fire for a moment, but that one takes too much of my stamina and energy, and I still had a Boss to defeat, and probably some outside reinforcements to take care of, as I've been taking my sweet time to end this dungeon.

"*sigh…* To think she would pay with her life to make a last attempt to kill me…"-I murmur while looking at the now destroyed top of the castle, where that Rusalka Commander was shouting her orders from. "I guess I shouldn't underestimate these monsters… Even if everything has been basically a trip to the beach since I came to this world…"

I then stood up, grabbed the Magic Sword that I dropped when the spear pierced me and started making my way through the corpses of humanoid monsters, towards the Castle's main building's door.

I walked for a little while until two enormous doors made of silver, gold and some kind of weird white wood stood in front of me. The doors showed cracks all over the place, looking as if an army has been trying to cut it down using axes.

"…"-I looked at it, before putting both hands over it. Frowning. {A defensive spell? It's almost totally destroyed…}-I thought, moments before kicking it down with a mana reinforced kick.

The defensive spell was already weakened thanks to the impact of the Devourer of Golems, which makes great damages to magic formations, runes, and even spells or magics. The fundamental principle of that particular invocation is the total annihilation of golems' cores. Which makes it a perfect attack towards any kind of magic circuit or formation.

And that's not even the most powerful part of the spell. As it actually devours the magic power inside the cores or magic formations and circuits of any kind and turns them into fuel to increase the damage made to the next enemy. Easily increasing its power's output and making it harder to stop on the way.

With those thoughts in mind, I make my way inside the castle, and what greets me it's an amazing view. A group of fifty armored guards in golden armor, wearing red capes, decorated swords, lances, halberds, and all kinds of different weapons, all ready to engage.

Behind them, a row of twenty armored crossbowmen, that also held swords, spears, and other weapons either on their side or their backs, were positioned all over the place, in different levels of the castle's main building, that now had an immense hole going from the top of the building, all the way to the basement, were ten giant humanoid monsters started to jump from.

They were at least five to six meters high. Also... they had a humanoid body, but they looked more like aquatic animals turned into humanoids versions. Sharks, rays, crabs, and even a crocodile and a dolphin were present among the monsters.

"That's a weird lineup you have here…"-I said while frowning, looking all around at the welcome committee. "I guess there's no mid-boss here, huh…"-I looked at all of them, but instead of looking at some kind of mid-boss, it was just like looking at the same groups of warriors and rangers, with the only difference of having better equipment.

{Just like the other two stages… The monsters just increase their power the more I get close to their King, but the formation is almost the same… I'm sure there should be some kind of magician group around the place… Or at least… Some kind of magic warriors… And a commander.}-I thought while looking at my next opponents. {Either way… I just have to do what I've been doing all this while, fight my way through. Just without an arm…}-I looked at my numbed left arm.

"Well, let's start this party, shall we!?"-I shouted as I activated my magic sword, this time not only infusing Magic Power but also Natural Energy with lightning attribute. Which thankfully, did work, albeit, forcing a little bit the Magic Sword. "Who wants some sushi? Huh?"-I smirked while the two-meters-long sword in my hand adopted an even more bluish color, with lightning flowing through the sword.

{I guess putting Draconic Energy in the sword will break it.}-I thought before going forward.