Supreme Monarch

As the Garuda's spell took effect, a dark wind gusted out of him and almost immediately, everyone that was once dead on the ward, that still had their bodies intact or at least in living conditions, came back to life. The spell also restored their vitality which enabled those that surveyed heavy injuries or where missing limbs to slowly heal themselves until they would no longer die on their own.

It was a shame not everyone could be revived which caused a frown to appear on Tyler's face but Zomatsu assured Tyler that he had done the best he could and this could've been worse if it wasn't for him. 

Albert's condition had also been improved as enough of his mana and stamina was restored by that spell. The effect also allowed Tyler to recover some more mana although he felt like that may have been a negative as the last time he exhausted his mana it expanded his reserves but now probably wasn't the best time for that as it also left him exhausted.

Putting that thought out of his mind, Tyler then proceeded to cast Mass healing on everyone and even on himself but couldn't regenerate his arm unless he got rid of the corruption. 

The Dark Garuda finished his spell and after observing the results for a bit, it spoke to Tyler in an eerily satisfied tone:

[With this, our deal is done so I'll take my leave now. Let's hope the next time we meet I'm able to kill you and eat your soul as well. I'm sure that would satisfy me greatly.]

With an odd chuckle, it raised an arm, and streaks of light shot out of the still dead bodies or body parts and ashes as they slowly gathered in its claws in a tight ball of pure white and almost colorless energy. It then turned its gaze back to Tyler and its eyes drifted to his arms.

[Umm... I guess I did enjoy my time here more than I expected so as thanks, I give you a gift. I sense a powerful undead in this domain so if you plan on ridding yourself of that corruption. One way is to gain the core of the powerful undead, at least an Eldar Lich. I'm sure you'll figure out a way to use it then. Fufufufu... to think I'll one day help a mortal of my own accord, how fascinating. Now I really want a taste of your soul.]

Saying those last words with a malicious tone, it turned around with the ball of souls in hand, and with a casual swipe of its other claws, the creature tore open space itself, splitting open a rift to another dimension and walking through it. Disappearing from the castle completely as the rift closed behind him in an instant.

Tyler didn't mind the creature's last rude remarks as long as it did what he had promised. Moreover, it had given him an unexpected bonus with the information about his arm. This corruption was one of the reasons he had joined the Zorak magic institute and even then he wasn't sure if they had the answers to his question or even if they did. Would they really provide such information to outsiders?

At least now he knew there was a little merit in the undead army that was headed here. Then again perhaps he was being a bit too optimistic considering what had just happened here. Still, he quickly put the thought to the back of his mind as he needed to focus and saving as many people as he could.

He moved around and continuously used light heal even though the spell was not as effective as he wanted it to be no matter how much mana he poured into it. However, he was already low on mana at the moment but even with that, he was able to stabilize everyone's condition in record time.

Thus, there wasn't anything else he could do for them, and with everything done now. He could finally calm down completely and focus on the army of more than 20,000 undead headed this way.

Just when Tyler was about to head back inside the castle to check on Erin and the others, a cold sensation suddenly swept through his body. This was a strangely familiar feeling and as he concentrated a bit, he instantly recalled where and when he had felt this strangely cold but familiar feeling from.

'Liz? No Snow? What the hell is going on.'

Turning his head to the south, he could see the vague outline of the Darkin mountain range in the distance. It was the same place he had sent the girls to and now he could sense something was wrong although he wasn't sure why and how.

"Hey Z, where are the girls."

Z turned around to face Tyler before he politely replied. "They should still be in the mountain range with the pair of trolls and the ogre chieftain."

"Huh..."

"Is something wrong?"

Tyler did not respond to Z as he closed his eyes and focused on that feeling. There was certainly a vague connection between him and the girls. Well not just them but everyone that had used a Demon's pact to swear loyalty to him. If he concentrated a little he could feel a connection with them.

It wasn't a strong enough connection to allow him to track their locations but it was still something, and perhaps that was why he had a feeling that Liz was in trouble as he felt that Snow— who was something like her alter ego— had awakened somewhere to the south.

Thinking of what had happened here, it made sense that they had been watching them for a while and had decided to attack when most of their forces were away. He had taken a lot of precautions against being tracked when he had left the castle. Going as far as to use spatial teleportation, which was just the combination of the skills, spatial distortion, and spatial movements at the time.

However, with the Kobolds working in the Grayad fields, it was relatively easier to crack everyone else's movements. Especially when none of them could use teleportation magic.

His anger that was already subsiding immediately surged forth. Knowing fully well that there was no time to waste, he immediately issued an order to Z.

"Z, I'll leave you in charge until Abert recovers. Have Zelda and Nadine help you move everyone inside. If another enemy comes when I'm away, don't engage and hide in the concealed part of the castle, understand?"

"Understood Lord." Although Z was a little startled at Tyler's sudden order. He was smart enough to read the mood and understand that something had gone wrong with the girls so he promptly replied in an assured tone that would make his master not worry about them for now.

Without a second thought, Tyler immediately activated his skill, Spatial Teleportation. His target, the Darkin mountain range. While he could still not teleport to places he hadn't been to or couldn't see. The upgraded form of spatial movement which is spatial teleportation allowed him to travel anywhere he was even vaguely aware of. 

Meaning, he did not need to have been there before, nor did he need to already have seen the place as long as he was aware of the coordinates or receive a detailed description of the place. However, that was not how he planned to teleport to the Darkin mountain range in which he hadn't been to before.

His aim was the airspace above the mountains as that was the only place he was sure wouldn't have any obstructions that would hinder his transfer. This was because he hadn't taken any time to examine his skills so he was currently unaware of the effects of Spatial Awareness that would prevent something like that.

He had only chosen the fastest way he was aware of at the time and since he could now fly, teleporting above the mountains would not lead to any problems and would give him a birds-eye view of the situation there.

He promptly extended his vision using the skill, •Keen eyes of a Demon•, and appeared above the mountain range, leaving Z behind to handle the rest. It would've been good if he still had the Dark Garuda as the creature should be able to help him locate the girls but it was too late to wine about that now.

As his figure appeared several miles above the ground, gravity took hold of him and he began to plummet so he activated Spatial Flight and his rapid descent was promptly halted as he hovered in the sky. Taking a look down at the mountain range, he could see nothing but snow so he immediately close his eyes and used another one of his new skills.

•Spatial Perception•

This skill was a little different from magic sense as it could perceive space itself and everything around him without limit. Of course, if he attempted to expand the range it would consume more mana but Tyler didn't need to do that now as he immediately confined he was in the right place.

He flew for only a minute before he saw a few massive stone-like golems that seemed to be trapped in the snow struggle to move as they tried to chase after a tiny figure that had just crawled out of the snow and was trying to flee.

Well, the figure was not that tiny but in comparison to the mountain golems and the height at which Tyler observed him, he did look tiny. Tyler's eyes cross the distance once more as he finally recognizes who that tiny figure was.

His figure suddenly disappeared as he appeared next to the running troll and teleported them out of the mountain range. Kazko was surprised at Tyler's sudden appearance but before he could even greet him, his field of view had changed in an instant.

"What happened here?"

He could hear the seriousness in his master's voice that did not allow him to mess around as he quickly opened his mouth and explained the summarized version of what had transpired with the girls.

"They headed back to the castle?"

"Yes, the Lady Rain was in need of urgent medical attention so Lady Liz was taking her back to the castle the last time I saw them."

Tyler's expression sank. If they had left a while back then why did he sense something was wrong. Indeed, they must've met something even more troublesome on their way back and since he teleported here, he could not meet them along the way.

"Okay, meet up with the others and decide for yourselves if building a base here is still feasible. If not, you may head back to the castle for now."

Saying that his figure shot forth through the skies in a flash, leaving behind a sonic boom that Kazko only heard a moment later as his eyes could not even follow his master's flight speed that was sure already beyond hypersonic.

Tyler flew rapidly in the direction of the castle with his eyes closed as he expanded his senses using his new perception skill so as not to miss anything along the way. 

It didn't take long for him to pick up on something on the ground and immediately came to a halt and slowly descended as he scanned the area he was currently in. There was a figure laying on the snow under the protection of an ice-type magic barrier and being surrounded by two furry creatures.

Tyler immediately descended in an instant and cut his momentum only an inch from the ground as his foot gently touched the snow near the barrier as he didn't hesitate to approach it. It was a barrier in the shape of a prism made of only a thin layer of ice that was almost invisible and maybe it would be in the eyes of an ordinary person.

The prism looked as though it would crack at the slightest touch but naturally, Tyler knew better than to believe such a thing would be possible especially given that those two monsters that encircled the prism hadn't been able to do so just yet.

The two creature quickly turned their heads around the moment Tyler was close enough for them to hear his footsteps as he hadn't bothered to hide them. The monsters were visibly startled by the fact that they hadn't even sensed another creature approach them but snarled at that person as they move towards him since apparently the one behind the prism was protected by something and this one was easy prey.

Well, those were probably the last thing that went through their thick skulls at it immediately exploded in quick succession as Tyler casually walked by the dead monsters and approached the ice prism.

As expected or maybe feared, the one unconscious in there was Rain and only her as Liz or maybe Snow was nowhere to be found.