The Star Of Annihilation

The Star of Annihilation

Chapter 11 – Ferneth (3)

Written by : eleven 

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Whoosh-

The space cracked apart in the middle of the forest and three children along with an Arch-Lich stepped out of it.

Around them, were several monster corpses that had been slain and strewed about. 

Roy looked at the gruesome mess with indifferent eyes. He had gotten long used to the gore of war and combat.

As his eyes shifted around the surroundings, he immediately started to feel the presence of the barrier around them in full. Analyzing the mana fluctuations of the barrier spell was his job and he was already working the calculations in his head.

Swik-

A slicing sound was heard and a monster corpse dropped to the ground, lifeless.

Stepping over the large body, was a slim but muscular-looking man. The sleek black armor did not hide much of his body’s well-defined build, and his spiky black hair was slicked back as he narrowed his eyes at the group’s appearance.

The sword in his hand was a thin, double-edged sword that was covered in a bright blue light.

Roy’s back started to sweat reflexively and he gulped down his saliva.

The man in front of them was a swordmaster. A man who used ki instead of mana and could manipulate an entirely different energy known as aura because he had mastered his art with the sword.

It was not nearly as suffocating a pressure when in comparison to the Dragons, but it was something not to be taken lightly as Roy had never managed to come close to a swordmaster in his previous life.

[Stand back.]

Ferneth murmured to the kids as they grouped together and stepped back.

[What business do you have here?]

Ferneth asked in a calm but non-submissive tone of voice.

It was clear who the aggressor was, but it was also not to give an immediately hostile response.

Lucius clicked his tongue as one of the priests that was centered towards the front, stepped forward and replied in a domineering tone.

“HA! It seems that there really was a dirty mongrel that summoned a Lich out here. With all this dead mana here, of course the thing can speak!”

Ferneth’s expression hardened slightly at the rude response.

The man who had spoken was dressed in a slightly more flamboyant and overdressed tunic compared to the other priests, and was surely the person in charge from the Holy Church.

The only problem was that this man acted like a complete child with his power, and the swordmaster Lucius, also had clicked his tongue in disdain.

[Are you capable of conversation here, or not?]

Ferneth spoke, already gathering his mana in his palms.

The priests and paladins from the Holy Church picked up on this change and either started to chant or drew their swords.

“It seems you have quite the disgusting presence here Lich. If you had any brain at all, you would know that there are no undead allowed in our gracious lands of the Empire!”

Tsk-
[Ice lance]
This time it was Roy who had clicked his tongue and had moved first.

A spear of ice materialized in the blink of an eye and immediately shot by the cheek of the Head Priest, leaving a small cut and the man wide-eyed.

There was an instantaneous cast speed and mana propulsion. None of the people there, not even Ferneth had been able to notice just how fast Roy had cast the ice lance.

Lucius’ expression hardened for multiple reasons.

The children were ones that he wanted to protect since he had been forced on this ridiculous expedition due to the Emperor owing a favor to the pope. He had a good conscience and didn’t even mind undead, especially when they were this powerful and non-hostile.

But Roy’s attack signaled that the kids were not being captive; something he could try to make up as an excuse to the church as for why the kids should be spared.

Not only that, the boy with the black bangs and saber at his side, was a 2-star mage and wasn’t even at the age of 9 most likely. The casting speed and quantity of mana was unbelievable for his age, and the only mage that Lucius knew to have that kind of sensitivity to mana and be able to disguise a cast spell like that, was the 8-star Grand Wizard of the Empire.

“Cut the bullshit and just start already.”

Roy spoke with an annoyed tone and the head priest immediately contorted his face and started chanting a spell.

[Earthen Spikes]

But Roy was faster as the ground underneath the Head Priest’s feet immediately changed and spikes dug into the soles of his feet. They were meant to kill the man on the spot and dig all the way up his body, but the Priest disappeared.

3 meters behind the spikes, the Head Priest’s face paled as he was being held by the collar by Lucius.

“It’ll be best if you take that boy…seriously.”

Lucius muttered to the Head Priest and turned to look at Ferneth.

“You can’t possibly think that you can protect both of these children and cast magic do you?”

[Don’t bother with your useless words.]

Ferneth replied in a monotone.

Lucius made the mistake that everybody here made. They thought he was just a summoned Lich like any other Lich and could only use elemental magic.

However, Ferneth was not a summoned Lich, and could control undead as well in the field of necromancy, a lost field of magic.

[Rise.]

Suddenly from the earth around the priests and paladins that were encircling the three children, arose hands, then feet and whole bodies of mangled monster corpses. The monster that had already died earlier had risen again as ghouls and a portal opened in front of the children with the wave of Ferneth’s hand, letting a set of 10 chimeras step out.

Hurggh~
The Chimeras grunted and drooled all over the place, only adding to their maniacal appearance.

Roy, Nate and Elizabeth immediately got into position.

[I told you… don’t bother with your useless words and tricks. You’ll have to do much better than what you have right now.]

Ferneth spoke as if setting an ultimatum.

Lucius furrowed his brows and lifted his sword in one hand as he took stance.

A bluish light that had appeared earlier, surged forth and burst like wildfire on the blade of Lucius’ sword.

As he summoned his aura and started to circulate ki into his body, Ferneth got ready as well, immediately blinking a few paces away and spreading his skeletal hands, letting the hem of his black robe flutter in the wind.

Whooooosh~
The same black and eerie light that Roy and Nate had encountered earlier when they first met Ferneth, reappeared in front of everybody here and encapsulated the space.

[Domain Establishment]

Ferneth immediately established his domain and the battle finally started at the sound of Lucius kicking the ground with a bang.

Chapter 11 – Fin