Michael's frown deepened as he processed the revelation that the assassin before him was indeed an angel of death. The shock was palpable on his face, and the assassin seemed to take amusement in it.
"Normally, encountering an angel of death would be your final moment," the assassin taunted, a smugness underlying his words. "But for you, I'll make an exception."
"Why?" Michael's curiosity pushed him to question, seeking understanding. However, before an answer came, the assassin's movement caught him off guard. In a blur of blue, the assassin appeared behind Michael. Reacting swiftly, Michael spun around, only to see the assassin swiftly retreat a few feet away.
"He's showing off," Ayag muttered, clearly unimpressed.
The assassin then took a moment to showcase his eerie fascination with his dagger. Licking its surface with an almost sickening relish, he charged at Michael with the dagger held high. Michael's instincts took over, and he raised his dark sword to block the incoming strike.
"Slow," the assassin remarked casually, as he attempted a swift slash toward Michael's throat. Reacting with lightning reflexes, Michael bent backward, his body forming a near-perfect arc to evade the dagger's edge. He countered with a powerful swing of his leg, aiming a kick at the assassin.
"Nice flexibility," the assassin commented, sounding like he was critiquing a performance.
In the blink of an eye, the assassin leaped into the air, disappearing from Michael's direct line of sight.
"Where is he, can you sense him Sarba?" Ayag asked, remaining in Michael's black coat,
"No," Sarba said.
Sarba's inability to sense the assassin's location added to the challenge. Michael activated his x-ray vision, scanning his surroundings for any trace of the elusive opponent. Yet, the assassin managed to surprise him once again, materializing above his head.
Reacting on pure instinct, Michael lunged backward, narrowly evading the assassin's aerial attack. The assassin adjusted his trajectory with uncanny agility, delivering a powerful kick to Michael's chest that sent him hurtling through the air.
Gritting his teeth, Michael quickly regained his bearings, using his momentum to stabilize himself. He charged forward, channeling every ounce of his physical speed into his movements. His dark swords sliced through the air with deadly precision, a testament to his combat prowess.
"You're quite the swordsman, but your skill with other weapons could use work," the assassin casually critiqued Michael's swordsmanship.
With an effortless grace, the assassin deftly dodged and parried Michael's attacks. Abruptly, he halted his movements, his gaze locking onto Michael as a smile graced his lips.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you," the assassin's words hung in the air, a promise of future encounters before he vanished from sight. The next moment, he materialized beside the king, who was still lost in his agonized screams.
The king's frantic cries for help seemed to take no notice of the angel of death at his side. Michael watched, a silent observer, as the assassin's blade traced chilling lines across the king's face. The sensation of the cold blade seemed to snap the king back from the brink of madness.
"Who… who are you…" the king's trembling voice quivered with fear, but his question was cut short by the swift, brutal motion of the assassin's blade. Blood sprayed, the king's gurgled attempt at speech silenced as his throat was ruthlessly cut. The pool of red expanded beneath the lifeless form.
As the angel of death rose from the king's body, his gaze locked onto Michael's. The temple seemed to hang heavy with the stench of death. The assassin's words were a chilling warning as he spoke directly to Michael.
"This temple reeks of death. Don't disappoint me by dying," his voice carried a hint of amusement and finality. A dark crimson-red smoke enveloped the assassin, obscuring him from view. And then, as quickly as he had appeared, the smoke dissipated into nothingness, taking the angel of death with it.
After the angel of death's departure, Michael's brow furrowed, and he pivoted toward the lamp as the assassin had instructed. The prospect of the temple "reeking of death" weighed heavily on his thoughts, a mystery he intended to unravel. For now, his purpose was clear – to investigate the hidden path that might lead him to Marli's worshippers.
Sarba's voice carried a heavy undertone as he questioned, "What did he mean by 'reeking of death'?"
The query echoed in the air, joined by Ayag's curiosity. "And why did he say you're quite the swordsman, but your skill with other weapons could use work? How can he know you suck at other weapons?" Ayag's curiosity danced with a touch of mischief, almost prompting Michael to swat her playfully on the head, were it not for their grim circumstances.
"We will find out," Michael responded with a steady calmness. He approached the lamp and, following the soldier's instructions, turned it. A low, ominous creak echoed as a hidden door opened before him.
The revealed passage led downward into darkness, and as Michael descended, the air seemed to grow heavier with the scent of blood. It stirred a growing unease within him. Despite his internal tension, he pushed forward, the need to locate Marli's worshippers driving him.
"We should be on high alert," Sarba's cautionary words were apt, serving as a reminder of the potential dangers lurking in the shadows.
Amidst the hush, the scent of blood invaded Michael's senses, heightening his alertness. The echoes of their footfalls reverberated off the walls, while his environmental scanning revealed no signs of life nearby. An unsettling sensation crept over him, a gnawing doubt that the soldier's information might have been fabricated.
"Something's not right here," Michael murmured, his instincts on high alert as he moved around a corner, further descending into the dark underbelly of the temple.
The next turn revealed a scene that froze him in his tracks. Looking at the horrifying scene, even the usually calm and quiet Cain widened his eyes.
"What the fuck happened here?" Ayag's voice trembled with shock and horror. The dimly illuminated room before Michael was a chilling tableau of gore. Blood seemed to coat every surface, and the air was heavy with the stench of death. His eyes scanned the gruesome scene, revealing bodies nailed to walls and strewn across the floor, their tortured forms bearing the marks of unimaginable cruelty.
Amidst the grisly tableau, Michael's gaze settled on a lifeless woman, a faint glow emanating from the medallion around her neck. As he cautiously approached, his steps mingling with the blood underfoot, he reached out to pick up the tree-shaped medallion. A pulse of energy coursed through him as he held it in his hand.
"They must be Marli's worshippers," Sarba's voice trembled, the weight of the tragedy evident in his tone. Even his normally sharp demeanor was softened by the heartrending scene before them.
"The damn orc was talking about their corpses," Ayag's voice quivered with anger, her frustration at the senseless violence palpable.
Michael wasn't prone to sentimentality or shedding tears, having taken lives when necessary, but even he felt a pang of empathy for Marli's followers. The fate they met was a gruesome one, and as far as he was concerned, no innocent beings deserved such a horrifying end.
"Rainar clearly meant business," Michael muttered, his gaze sweeping over the carnage and devastation.
"I now understand why the angel of death mentioned the reek of death," Sarba observed somberly.
The weight of the situation pressed down on them, leaving Ayag seeking answers. "So, what's our next move?"contemporary romance
"There is nothing we can do. We should report this to Marli and let her decide how to handle it," Michael's response was a mixture of resignation and practicality.
Ayag, however, held a different perspective. "I think we should do something, Ghost."
"Like what? Challenge the entire pantheon of corrupt gods and try to purge this world of evil?" Michael chuckled darkly.
"Listen, I feel bad for them, I do. But we're not strong enough to take on the gods. Hell, we have no idea about the full extent of their powers. Any wrong move and we will have gods and angels chasing us," Michael countered, his voice laced with a touch of frustration at Ayag's impulsive suggestion.
However, as Michael uttered those words, a sudden headache throbbed in his mind, accompanied by the system's voice echoing in his consciousness.
[The host should seek justice for the innocent.]
[The host has unlocked quest functionality...]
[The quest "God Killer" has commenced... Seek retribution against Rainar and avenge Marli's worshippers...]
[Upon completing the quest, the host will receive the location of a hidden base of operation in the realm of gods.]
Michael stood in a mix of surprise and shock as the words from the system reverberated in his mind. While it wasn't the first time the system had provided suggestions or guidance, this instance felt different. It was as if the system was compelling him to undertake the quest and see it through.
[You won't be able to accumulate badass points in the realm of gods as you did in the mortal realm. Embrace your destiny as the assassin you were meant to be and establish your legacy within the realm of gods,] the system's voice resonated with a sense of finality.
Michael refrained from discussing his decision with Vedora and silently resolved to undertake the quest. After a brief pause, he exited the system interface and cast one last gaze upon the grim scene of lifeless bodies. His attention then shifted to the tree-shaped medallion he held in his hand.
Focusing his intent on the medallion, he activated his analyzer skill.
[The medallion of Marli possesses the ability to conjure a vortex leading directly to Marli's forest. This medallion can only be used once,] relayed the analyzer skill's information to Michael.
Taking a steadying breath, he injected a thread of arch energy into the medallion and triggered its power. Soon, a swirling vortex materialized before him.
"Let's go," Michael uttered resolutely and stepped into the vortex, his form vanishing from the confines of Rainar's temple.
In an instant, the world transformed as he emerged within the embrace of Marli's forest. Sunlight filtered through the lush canopy above, a stark contrast to the nighttime he had left behind in Nimbosia.
"Marli," Michael's voice reverberated, carrying across the expanse of the divine forest. He pivoted, his eyes falling upon the portal which promptly dissipated, severing his connection to Nimbosia.
As he turned back, several figures emerged from the shadows of the forest, their forms gradually becoming clear. To his astonishment, their attire mirrored that of the gray-armored angels he had encountered in Nimbosia, complete with wings reminiscent of Rainar's servants.
A voice cut through the air, laden with lethal intent. "The God of Darkness..." The words dripped with a chilling welcome. The speaker removed his helmet, unveiling an elven countenance adorned with silver hair and pointed ears.
"I heard no one extended a welcome to you in the realm of gods. Let's rectify that," the elven angel announced, his hand moving to draw his sword.
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