Free Web NovelChapter 23: Ember Skyfall (2)
"Do you need my help?" Seraphina’s voice came through in his mind.
"Don’t worry, your husband should be able to pull this off. There’s this move I have been waiting to try," he replied. His voice was steady, even as his hands trembled.
Seraphina fell silent. She watched the battle.
When Lucien was sent flying, she had almost made a move, but she reined in her anger because of Lucien. She knew he wouldn’t like it. Otherwise, she would have taught those boars a lesson.
The Thornback Boars charged again, but their speed was different. Faster – blurring the air.
Before he could process what happened, they were before him with their tusks.
By instinct, he brought his blade before him to defend.
But the crushing force behind their charge was felt by him, and he was sent flying again. The impact knocked the breath from his lungs.
This time, 25 of his HP was shaved as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Copper flooded his tongue.
Since the journey to the Haewun Forest, this was the first time he had been this injured. Every nerve screamed.
He smiled and jumped to his feet. He began recovering his MP, his physique driven at maximum.
The battle prolonged, with Lucien at a disadvantage, until his MP was filled to the brim.
Lucien backpedaled, putting distance between himself and the two boars. His MP bar flickered – full. 300. A sliver of hope.
Now or never. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
He stopped running. Planted his feet. Raised the Fang of the Unnamed Dark toward the sky.
The blade didn’t glow. It drank the fading light.
He closed his eyes. Heart-Mind fusion was still active. His breathing slowed. His heartbeat became a drum in his ears. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Then he whispered.
"Ember Skyfall." The word felt ancient and heavy.
The sky cracked.
Above the clearing, a massive circle of runes appeared – burning gold, each symbol unknown, each one pulsing with heat. The circle spanned twenty meters, its edges flickering like a dying sun. Inside the ring, the air shimmered. Heat pressed down on his shoulders.
The boars froze. Their red eyes looked up. For the first time, fear flickered in them.
The runes spun.
Then the first blade fell.
It was not a drop of fire. It was a sword – a meter long, forged from condensed Originat, its edge white-hot. It struck the ground between the boars, embedding itself with a hiss of steam.
Then another. Then ten. Then a hundred.
They fell like rain – silent at first, then roaring. Each blade left a trail of molten light. The air filled with the sound of metal piercing flesh, of thorns shattering, of bone cracking. The boars screamed – a sound like tearing metal.
The boars squealed, tried to run, but the rain followed them. The circle above turned with their movement, never missing. Blades struck their backs, their flanks, their heads.
The ground turned into a forest of burning swords.
When the last blade fell, silence returned. The quiet was deafening.
The two boars lay still. Their bodies smoked. The thorns were gone. The tusks were cracked. The grass around them was ash.
Lucien lowered the Fang. His legs buckled. He caught himself on a tree trunk. Bark bit into his palm.
His MP: 1.
He could barely stand. His vision blurred. But he was alive. Somehow, he was still breathing.
Ding!
[Host has killed two level 6 Initiate Realm Thornback Boars. You are rewarded with 160 EXP and 32 SP.]
[Host has leveled up to Level 10. Awakened Realm – Peak Stage.]
[Breakthrough condition met. Host may now attempt to advance to the Initiate Realm.]
Lucien let out a shaky breath. Worth every point. His lungs ached, but the words were true.
His legs trembled. He couldn’t walk. His muscles felt like wet cloth.
"Seraphina."
He called out, but there was no response. Only the rustle of dying leaves.
His chest tightened. A cold knot formed in his stomach.
Where was she? What was happening?
The forest was silent – no chirping, no rustling leaves. Even the wind held its breath.
It was strange.
Suddenly, he felt a wave of energy. His hair stood on end. His body screamed – a primal, violent warning.
Ding!
[Detecting killing intent within 20m of Host.]
His neck went cold. He knew. He was being assassinated. Someone had been waiting for this moment.
He tried to move, but his body failed him. The pressure was overwhelming – like a dragon facing an ant. He couldn’t even lift a finger.
In that moment, he understood the difference between strong and weak. A chasm he hadn’t known existed.
But he wasn’t giving up. There was no way he would die here. Not like this.
Heart-Mind fusion snapped into place. He didn’t think – he forced his body to move.
At the face of death, every fiber and cell of the body focused on survival. Muscles tore, but he didn’t care.
He threw himself to the side, dodging an attack he couldn’t see. The blade whispered past his ear.
He avoided the first danger.
But something felt wrong. The attack had been too easy to dodge.
He looked forward. Seraphina had just appeared. Her eyes were wide – disbelief. Then he watched the light in them dim, turning to darkness. The world slowed to a crawl.
He followed her gaze. Slowly, he lowered his head.
A sword had pierced through his back. The tip jutted out from his chest. Cold steel bloomed inside him.
The attack I sensed was a feint. This was the real one. They had known he would dodge.
Strangely, he felt no pain. Just an empty, hollow void. As if the sword had stolen everything at once.
He coughed. Blood spilled from his lips, soaking his torn clothes. Dark red against the black silk.
He looked at Seraphina. Tears were already falling from her eyes. She mouthed his name, but no sound came.
How could I be so foolish? He had let his guard down.
He had been caught up in the joy of cultivation – dulled his thoughts, lowered his guard.
Darkness began to creep into the edges of his vision. The world faded like a snuffed candle.
He didn’t want it. Not yet.
How can I die? I have so much left to see.
I haven’t even seen much of the world.
"Seraphina...." Her name was a dying breath.
