CHRONICLES OF AETHERIA - CHAPTER 74
The sky above was a dark, stormy canvas, reflecting the grim reality of the battlefield below. Amidst the shattered remnants of the once-proud city, two figures faced each other, their bodies battered and bloodied but their spirits unyielding.
Kael stood tall, though his strength was waning. His breath came in ragged gasps, his golden battle suit marred with scorch marks and blood. Across from him, Lord Arctic—possessed by the dark soul of Morith—loomed like a specter of death. His eyes glowed with an eerie, unholy light, and his aura radiated a malevolent energy that seemed to warp the very fabric of reality around him.
For a moment, neither moved. The wind howled through the ruins, carrying with it the whispers of the fallen, a haunting chorus that echoed through the desolate landscape. Then, as if driven by some unseen force, both warriors began to chant.
Kael’s voice rose above the wind, steady and resolute. His words, spoken in the ancient tongue of the Elves, carried the power of the earth and the blossoms that grew from it. “Yarael tulathil, Myel Thormin ves iral…”
The words flowed from him, each syllable imbued with the essence of life itself. As he chanted, the ground beneath him began to tremble, and from the cracks in the earth, vines and flowers emerged, their vibrant colors stark against the gray ruins.
This was Flower Magic, a potent force that drew upon the natural world, channeling its energy into devastating attacks. The vines coiled and twisted, wrapping themselves around Kael’s arms like living armor. The flowers bloomed with a radiant light, their petals shimmering with a deadly energy.
But Lord Arctic was not idle. His voice, cold and filled with malice, began to chant a dark incantation of his own.
“Norinthal caradim, Morith nathil voran…” The words dripped with venom, and the air around him grew cold, the warmth of the world sucked away by the dark magic he wielded. Shadows gathered around him, twisting and writhing like living entities, ready to strike at his command.
This was Dark Elf Magic, a forbidden art that delved into the deepest, darkest corners of the Elven heritage. It was a magic of destruction, capable of corrupting and annihilating everything it touched. The shadows coalesced into spears, blades, and tendrils, all aimed at Kael. The both warriors had finally exalted to using magic.
The first clash of magic was explosive. Kael’s vines shot forward, their blossoms glowing with a blinding light as they sought to ensnare Arctic. The dark tendrils met them mid-air, the two forces colliding with a thunderous crack. The resulting shockwave sent debris flying, and the ground beneath them buckled and split.
Kael pressed the attack, his voice unwavering as he continued to chant. The vines grew thicker and more aggressive, their blossoms turning into jagged thorns that slashed through the shadows. The flowers themselves emitted beams of light that burned through the darkness, scorching everything in their path.
But Arctic was relentless. His dark magic surged in response, the shadows multiplying and growing more vicious. The spears of darkness pierced through Kael’s defenses, striking him in the side. Blood splattered onto the ground, and Kael staggered back, gritting his teeth against the pain.
Yet he did not falter. He chanted louder, his determination unbroken. With a wave of his hand, Kael summoned a massive bloom—a flower of unparalleled beauty and power. Its petals, large and razor-sharp, spun like a saw, cutting through the shadows and striking Arctic across the chest. The force of the blow sent Arctic crashing into a nearby wall, the impact leaving a crater in the stone.
But Arctic was far from defeated. He rose from the rubble, his eyes blazing with fury. With a snarl, he unleashed a torrent of dark energy, the shadows enveloping Kael in a crushing grip. The tendrils tightened around him, their touch like ice, sapping his strength and thr_@tening to crush the life out of him.
Kael fought back, his Flower Magic surging in response. The vines erupted from the ground, tearing through the shadows and freeing him from their grasp. He lunged at Arctic, his blade wreathed in blossoms, and the two clashed in a furious exchange of blows.
The battle raged on, the two warriors pushing each other to the brink. Blood flowed freely, staining the ground beneath them. Kael’s armor was cracked and broken, his body battered and bruised. Yet he fought on, driven by an unyielding will.
But the cost was great. With each passing moment, Kael felt his strength ebbing away. The yellow screen, his ever-reliable guide, flickered and vanished, its time worn out. He was on his own now, relying solely on his instincts and training.
And then, disaster struck. In a flash of dark energy, Arctic’s blade found its mark, slicing through Kael’s arm with brutal precision. The pain was excruciating, a white-hot agony that shot through his body. Kael cried out, his severed arm falling to the ground with a sickening thud.
But Arctic wasn’t finished. With a twisted smile, he drove his sword into Kael’s leg, the blade cutting through muscle and bone. Kael collapsed, the pain overwhelming him as blood pooled around him. The world spun, and for a moment, it seemed as though all was lost.
But Kael wasn’t one to give up. Not now, not ever.
Summoning the last of his strength, Kael gripped his sword with his remaining hand. His vision blurred, but he focused on Arctic, who stood over him, triumphant. With a surge of energy, Kael drove his sword upward, piercing Arctic’s chest.
The blow was deadly, the blade sinking deep into Arctic’s flesh. Blood spilled from the wound, and Arctic staggered back, gasping in shock. But even as he fell, Arctic’s body began to regenerate, the dark magic within him repairing the damage.
Kael watched in horror as Arctic rose once more, his wounds healing before his eyes. It was as if death had no hold on him. Arctic sneered, his eyes glowing with malevolent glee.
“You cannot ki|| me,” Arctic hissed, his voice dripping with malice. “I will rise again and again, no matter how many times you strike me down.”
Kael’s vision blurred, darkness closing in around him. He was at his limit, his body broken and bleeding. But he refused to surrender. With a roar of defiance, Kael channeled every last ounce of his energy into one final attack.
He activated Glacial Explosion, the icy energy surging through his veins. The ground around him froze, and a massive wave of frost erupted from his body, engulfing Arctic in a blizzard of ice and snow. The temperature plummeted, the air crackling with cold as the icy energy tore through Arctic’s body, shattering his bones and freezing his flesh.
For a moment, it seemed as though Kael had won. Arctic’s body was encased in ice, his movements stilled by the overwhelming cold. But then, with a shudder, Arctic broke free, his body regenerating once more.
Kael’s heart sank as Arctic rose from the ice, his dark magic pulsating with renewed vigor. He was unstoppable, a force of nature that could not be ki||ed.
But Kael wasn’t done yet.
With the last of his strength, Kael pushed himself to his feet, his body trembling with exhaustion. His breath came in ragged gasps as he raised his sword, the blade glowing with a fierce, golden light. He knew this was his last chance—his final stand.
Arctic charged at him, his dark blade aimed at Kael’s heart. But Kael was ready. He channeled all of his remaining energy into one final blow, his sword cutting through the air with deadly precision.
The two blades met in a clash of light and darkness, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the ruins. The ground beneath them cracked and splintered, the very air around them vibrating with the intensity of their clash.
And then, with a blinding flash of light, Kael’s sword pierced through Arctic’s heart. The dark energy surrounding Arctic dissipated, his body convulsing as the life was drained from him. The dark Elf’s eyes widened in shock, his mouth opening in a silent scream as the power of the attack consumed him.
With a final, desperate cry, Arctic’s body crumbled to the ground, his dark magic finally extinguished. The battle was over.
Kael stood over the fallen body, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His vision blurred, and he felt his strength fading away. But he had won. Arctic was dead, his dark reign finally at an end.
But the victory had come at a terrible cost. Kael’s body was broken, his arm and leg severed, his energy drained. As the adrenaline faded, the pain surged through him, a relentless tide of agony that thr_@tened to consume him.
He fell to his knees, his sword slipping from his grasp. The world around him spun, the darkness closing in. But even as he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, a small, satisfied smile tugged at his lips.
He had won. He was thinking why the Yellow screen has not activated the auto regeneration ski|| when it dawned to him that the screen has disappeared.
The Yellow screen was a treasure he stormed on in the Valley of Shadows. It’s a memory that can only be used once in 72 hours. He has used it up with all the ski|| it granted. He believed now that he don’t have the regenerative ski|| anymore but he’s glad that he had ended Lord Arctic or he thought because his ear twitched when he heard a chuckling sound and he looked up to see Lord Arctic rising.
“I have many souls in me.. You ki|| one.. There’s another.” Lord Arctic said when he released something nefarious from his hand. A blast that sliced through Kael’s Armour, destroying it all at once.
He charged at Kael when he grabbed his face and punched him into the ground. He made to match his head when the infernal spirit beast cut off his head but in no time his head got regenerated.
The two spirit beast came out defending their master as they keep on ki||ing Lord Arctic who just keep coming back alive. Thier energy was soon used up and Kael was now left on his own.
Lord Arctic was also drained as he got weaker and weaker anytime he died. He had died more than twenty times and that has caused his evolution to sped up.
“I must really appreciate Kael. You sped up my evolution. I never knew it’s going to be sooner..Thank you Kael.” Lord Arctic said as he stared into the sky with his knee on the floor.
“What.. What are you saying?” Kael stuttered, blood dropping from every part of his body.
“Anytime I die I used up a soul and got weaker. If I’m to stand against King Jade or powerful beings now.. I won’t get a chance but now the souls serves as a fertilizer and boost the process of my evolution. Now look at the sky..”
Kael looked up at the sky and see that a part of it’s red and bloody. The clouds were thick and crimson red.. It was as if it want to rain but it not raining.
“I’m going to be awakening.. Awakening as a Demon Lord.. The Elf Demon Lord… The Lord of the Reapers.” He chuckled out loudly while Kael stared at him with shock written on his face.
He knew if anything of such happen, Lord Arctic will be undefeatable and will wipe all of them out in no time. He was thinking of what to do when he heard the thunder rumble as lightning descended on Lord Arctic who spread his hands to receive his tribulation when suddenly everywhere changes into a white void.
He looked around and see nothing not even anyone.
“Where’s this place?” He asked confusingly when he turned back to see Kael behind him, standing with his knee. His both legs has been cut off and one of his arm.
“This is my Domain Expansion.. You should know what I mean..” Kael replied causing Lord Arctic to chuckle.
“Your domain expansion can’t withstand the heavenly tribulations.. It’s gonna crash in no time and I’m still going to be awakened so don’t stress yourself much Kid.” Lord Arctic replied amidst chuckling when Kael grinned silently as he activated the ultimate predator ski|| as a purple substance came out of his hand and wrapped Lord Arctic’s body.
“What’s this? ” Lord Arctic asked trying to get the substance off his body but as he cut it, it spread more and more till it covered his whole body.
“That’s my ultimate ski||… It’s my last ticket.. You maybe more powerful than me Lord Arctic but I stormed on the Key to all Knowledge.. It’s my Servant and it lived to serve me forever.” Kael said when Lord Arctic voice filled the whole domain as the purple substance shrinked and shrinked as it rushed back Into Kael’s hand after consuming Lord Arctic.
The Domain Expansion vanished as he coughed out blood… A lightning struck him there and he collapsed on the floor, battered and bruise as his blood was forming a heart shape on the floor.
Rose rushed to his side but as soon as she touched him, her eyes shone great blue and she collapsed on the floor beside him while he succumbed to darkness with his heart stopping for a moment and continued breathing but again stopped finally.
His eyes were wide open but lifeless as he laid there with Rose in the midst of destruction, war, ruins… He laid lifeless.
Kael, the Eleven captive of the Reapers, the student of Nevermore Academy, the knight of Ralix Empire, the Adopted Son of the House Stoneforge, the Master of Freya has no sign of life in him.. his tablet stone had broken in the Armed Nation of Dwargon.
He died….