Free Web NovelChapter 42: Threshold of Safety
Victor put a hand to his head, pushing the memories away, took a deep breath, looked at Elban and said:
"I may not be as powerful as you were when you were alive, but I believe I’m the only one in this village at the moment you stand a chance against a demon. So I’ll try to help, but I can’t promise anything. Where can I find this demon?"
Elban pointed in front of him, where the number of trees was greater and the forest was denser and darker. "He’s asleep in a hidden cave, guarded by undead from all over the region who have been attracted by the aura it emanates."
"Undead?"
"Yes, Gravisk is a necromancer demon. A piece of information I would have loved to find this before I fought it."
Victor knew that a battle against a necromancer wouldn’t be easy, but what could he do?
Should he deny the request of his fellow hero’s spirit and walk back to Agocester to watch it burn?
No, that wasn’t something Victor would do even if he had never fought demons.
"A cave, huh? Then that’s where I’m going." Victor said and left the clearing without hesitation, entering the forest again.
Elban looked at Victor’s back and smiled. Then the two of them set off towards the cave.
The air in this deep part of the forest was impregnated with a heavy silence and there was no sound, not even the sound of the wind, the crows or any other creature, not even the Blights.
"It’s this way." Elban said, flying forward a few meters to guide Victor.
"You seem to have learned some new skills even after death," joked Victor.
"Ah, being a ghost has its advantages!"
As they walked, or rather as Victor walked, he couldn’t help but notice the serious expression on Elban’s face, although the late hero was always trying to disguise it with a smile or a joke.
Elban’s spirit seemed to carry an invisible weight, an aura of sadness that Victor could sense even without words being spoken. It was as if Elban was caught between two worlds, struggling to maintain his identity and purpose, and he clearly didn’t like the idea of taking Victor to meet a demon, but he also seemed to be out of options.
"Elban, you’ve faced this demon before, right? Tell me about it." Victor asked.
The spirit looked at Victor with a deep gaze and looked straight ahead again. "To tell you the truth, I don’t remember exactly what my battle was like. I have flashes, but few things are clear."
"What about the demon? Any idea how to defeat it?"
Elban took a deep breath before answering. "You know, demons are ancient creatures, fueled by human flesh and the fear we feel of them. The more we fear them, the stronger they become in our presence. Their powers are usually vast, but this one is able to manipulate the dead. It is also practically immune to many spells and attacks, but there is one weakness that I have tried to exploit."
"What would that weakness be?"
"Gravisk is a demon, so it’s vulnerable to light. If we can expose it to direct sunlight, draw it into the sun, we can weaken it enough to defeat it. Otherwise, the only way to defeat it is to take out its three hearts."
At that moment, Victor looked up between the dry branches of the trees and saw the sky completely covered in clouds.
"And its seal became weak just in winter. We’re not lucky." Victor said.
"Yes, but it’s still a chance, because cutting out all its hearts is practically impossible."
"A chance? I hope I have others..." muttered Victor.
"What? Did you say something?" Elban asked.
"No, I’m just talking to myself."
The information about the demon’s weakness was crucial for Victor to start formulating a strategy in his mind. He was able to imagine the impending confrontation, but it would be very difficult to lure a demon into its own weakness. In other words, most of Victor’s ideas were related to taking out all three of Gravisk’s hearts.
As they continued to make their way through the forest, Victor noticed that the environment around them began to change.
The trees became more twisted and a strange smell was in the air. It was as if the forest itself was warning of the presence of evil ahead.
"We’re approaching the cave," Elban announced, his tone fraught with tension.
Victor took a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline pulsing through his veins. He was ready for the challenge, ready to prove his skill as a hero.
"Elban, you mentioned that you only have flashes of the previous battle. Does that mean you lost part of your memories when you became a spirit?" Victor asked, curious about the nature of Elban’s existence.
The spirit nodded. "Yes, when I returned as a spirit, many of my memories became hazy, especially of the days before my death. For the rest, I remember important moments that happened, but most of the details are hazy. My soul is trapped with the demon and it must have somehow managed to take even that away from me. It’s as if my mind is trapped in a constant fog." Elban put a hand to his face.
"It must be hard to live like this, trapped."
Elban nodded and held it up. "I’ve accepted the mission to protect this land and its inhabitants. That’s why I’ll help you in any way I can, Victor. I want Gravisk dead."
At that moment, Elban stopped suddenly, causing Victor to stop beside him. The hunter’s eyes narrowed as he looked around.
"What is it, Elban?" Victor whispered.
"We’re close. Very close," Elban replied quietly. "From this point on, we’ll be tapping directly into the demon’s aura."
"Its aura? Wait, how many meters are we from the cave where you imprisoned it?"
"A hundred meters."
"An aura of a hundred meters... He’s strong."
"Yes, and when we pass from here he’ll know we’re coming and he’ll be ready to face us." Elban said and looked at Victor.
They were standing before the line that separated the relative safety of the forest from the demon’s domain.
Then Victor looked at the hero Elban and declared:
"So this is where we should split up. I need to go alone."
Elban looked with surprise at the hunter. "What are you talking about? Of course I’m going with you."
"No, you’re not. From here on in, you’ll only get in my way." Victor turned his back on the spirit and positioned himself at the edge of the forest, a few centimeters inside the demon’s invisible aura.
It was then that Elban tried to put a hand on Victor’s right shoulder to stop him moving forward, but his hand passed straight through.
Victor looked at the hand passing straight through him, without touching him, and asked:
"See? Why would you go with me?"
"I may not be able to wield a sword anymore, or help with my shadows, but, I don’t know, maybe I can shout when an enemy is coming from behind you."
"Haven’t you tried that?" Victor asked, looking into Elban’s eyes.
The hero’s spirit immediately recoiled. "What are you talking about, Victor?"
"Before I came here, the guild receptionist told me that a group of hunters had taken on a mission to get rid of an evil spirit. For that reason, at first I thought it might be the evil spirit that was causing the thinning of the supernatural veil and consequently the appearance of the Blights, but there is no evil spirit, is there?"
Elban looked like he was going to try to argue with Victor, but gave up and bowed his head. "Yes, there is no evil spirit... I thought that by making trouble, I would be able to attract strong hunters to the forest and then I could guide them to defeat the demon."
"Your plan worked, but not completely, it seems. I can smell the blood coming from the area ahead."
"There were only three of them. A cleric, a swordsman and an archer. They didn’t stand a chance against the undead that were surrounding the cave entrance. However, it will be different with you, my friend. You and I have always been a good pair, haven’t we? We can finish off the demon."
"I’m sorry, but I’d rather do it alone. That way, my whole body will be focused on killing everything around me. Please, Elban, don’t follow me." Victor asked and, without giving him a chance to argue, crossed the invisible line in the forest, entering the domain of the Gravisk demon’s aura.
*
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