The Fifth Evolution
The Undead King roared, a disgusting ooze sputtered out of his rotted lips along with the roar. Having fully tapped into his raging strength as a Ghoul the Undead King sacrificed his sanity. Unable to manifest any words to describe his fury he instead desperately tugged away at everyone holding him back.
Givale ignored the ooze as it splattered upon her and continued to rip away at the King's face. A green energy pulsed outwards and she felt her body struggle to keep itself together from the force. Yet thanks to the hasty Formation formed by Kan'na no one was blown back!
Akiol unleashed a flurry of slices unseen by the eye. Several cuts formed on the Undead King's body and further worsened the King's state. Thrusting Stars forward he pierced the neck of the Undead King.
BWOOM~!
The green energy burst outwards and clung to the skin of the Undead King. With his almost severed arm he wrangled free of the Hydra head and gripped Mira's face. Ripping his other hand free from Ryolu's grip he threw Givale away and slammed Opportunity to the ground with one smooth movement. Pushing forward he shoved Mira into the dirt. His muscles began to balloon further, a green energy pulsing through his rotted veins.
"Wroough!", the Undead King cried.
Tilia grit her teeth, currently her kite shields were the only thing keeping the Undead King in place. If she morphed her War Sight into another form the King would regain his movement. So she was forced to make a sacrifice and continue defending with the kite shields. Summoning another she blocked an outstretched hand from the King. Gripping the shield the Undead King squeezed tightly.
Slipping Stars free Akiol flipped over the Undead King and pointed Stars towards the kite shield holding hand of the Undead King. A blackhole manifested and burst apart!
[Repulse]!
"It's a Berserk state! We pushed him this far!", Akiol could only say this much.
"Raghh!", letting go of the kite shield the Undead King slammed his fist against Akiol with a speed he failed to react to properly.
Barely managing to block the blow a green energy rang through his body and knocked against his core. Akiol's vision twisted as he tumbled across the ground. Swinging his fist the Undead King shattered the kite shield, Tilia felt a wound appear by her hip as she fell to her knees. Her consciousness barely clinging on. It took all her will to keep the other kite shields manifested, their bronze luster growing duller by the moment!
Slowly pushing them back the Undead King began to rise back to his feet. Ryolu sunk her talons into his flesh and attempted to infest the rotted body further but the green energy struck back. Flowing through her talons the green energy wrought havoc across her body, further damaging her already partially rotted body.
Opportunity leapt forward and swung her golden axes forward. Yet the Undead King's mangled face shot forth and bit down on the axes, shattering them entirely. Opportunity faltered for a moment too long and received a devastating blow to her abdomen.
"Mira!", Givale called out.
Rising through the ground Mira held his head as the Hydra shot forth. Gripping it by its neck the Undead King crushed it with ease, but the blood flowed back into position with little resistance. The Hydra head stared defiantly as it shot forth with jaws agape.
Smacking it aside the Undead King reached for the source: Mira. Givale flickered and drug her talons through the heavily damaged arm to slow its approach. The kite shields flickered and faded out and the Undead King fully regained movement! Launching himself off the ground he gripped Givale and smashed her against Mira with no remorse.
Travis flickered with [Truth Twofold: Existence] and appeared at the mostly severed arm. Gripping his blades he swung them in tandem, two lines following their movement like a trail! One of white, one of black!
Cutting through the last bit of muscle keeping the arm intact Travis severed the arm! Landing on the ground he immediately took several steps to the side and dodged a punch by a few hairs. Bones leapt from the ground and aimed to stab him but with just a few steps he maneuvered through them unharmed.
This was [Truth Threefold: Revealing]! The only way Travis was able to remain untouched!
Akiol stared through his twisted vision at Travis flowing through the attacks. Gritting his teeth he punched the ground and pushed himself up. Everyone else was fighting with all they had! He wasn't going to be knocked out by one hit like this!
His core stabilized as it spun, mana swirling through and into it like some sort of generator. Standing back on his feet he loosened his grip on Stars and inhaled sharply. His vision cleared, and his slime body returned to his control. The silver lining of Stars edge blinked a few times before fading and Akiol steadied his breathing.
He needed more strength, something equal to that of the Form of Fortification. Enough to deal a significant amount of damage to slow the Undead King. The mana he was utilizing to empower himself was a good start, but he needed more. A lot more!
Fight, like a slime!
His body shot out tendrils and began to absorb the fallen bones. Utilizing the Territory's effect all his absorbed items turned into an equivalent amount of mana. Immediately he turned this mana into more strength. He gathered the little Aura he was generating and condensed it to a point. To execute a technique with such precision it needed very little Aura cost!
Stars felt Akiol's grip turn tighter. Although Travis was doing great at surviving, there needed to be an opening! Immediately Stars called out through the link!
'Mira! Get up!' -Stars
Mira let go of his head and stared at the Undead King. A Hydra's eye looked about with a crazed intent. Immediately the Hydra head retracted and opened its jaw. Spirit swarmed through Mira's blood and to the Hydra head. Condensing into a ball. A crude and violent attack, befitting of a creature who long lost its sanity! The Hydra almost seemed offended at the Undead King's berserk state. A crude mockery of its own plight!
Akiol bent his legs and launched off the ground. The Hydra head shot the ball forward at point blank range! Travis frowned as his eyes revealed the outcome and he leapt back. The ball of Spirit and Akiol converged and their attacks synchronized!
{Way of the Galaxy: Luminous Red Nova}!
Silver Aura and red Spirit swirled together into an explosion similar to that of {Way of the Galaxy: Supernova}. The energy spun together and shredded against the Undead King. The Hydra head clicked in satisfaction and retracted back into Mira's body. Feeling his mind return to him he grabbed Givale and retreated back.
Akiol failed the landing and tumbled from the technique. Recovering he turned to face the swirling mass. Green energy burst against it to fight, but it held strong for a few more moments!
The swirl of energies burst apart and revealed a heavily breathing Undead King. Immediately he turned to face Akiol, a look of hated could barely be discerned from his mess of a face. Yet a large mass of gray slime formed behind Akiol, "Well done. I shall finish the job."
Travis spotted the quest being completed and felt relief course through his bones. Lurching forward the Slime King encompassed the Undead King once again. The two wrestled about, the Undead King tearing whatever slime he could with his one available arm.
Akiol watched the fight between Kings silently. If it wasn't for the Slime King's appearance this raid would've ended in total failure. Yet he could still not understand why the Slime King appeared.
He then spotted something that worried him. Through the swirling gray mass of slime Akiol spotted the core of the Slime King. A significant chunk of the core missing. As the Slime King fought, it seemed this chunk only grew larger.
Was it the effect of Rot? Had the Slime King been damaged during the initial burst? Akiol found himself growing concerned. The Slime King naturally noticed the intent of Akiol and the Slime King's voice steadily entered Akiol's mind.
"Rest easy. I was injured long ago. This damage to my core made me unable to properly absorb mana. The more mana I use, the larger the damage becomes."
"Then why? Why fight this battle?"
"The effect of Truth would've done permanent damage to your Core. Truth has such effects, I should know. I could not risk the sole slime born with mana to become crippled in a fight."
"Permanent?", Akiol's mind drifted to those who've already fallen due to Rot.
The Slime King ignored this echo, "It was only a matter of time before my time would arrive. A time that was very close to approaching. Thus I decided, to invest my very being to you."
The Slime King curved inwards from the Undead King's furious struggle. Twisting his body back he continued to absorb the Undead King.
Even while fighting the Slime King continued, "You've become something far beyond what I could imagine. You've fought against things beyond your strength, you've grown so much. As a King I could not be more proud."
"Even if I was permanently affected by this Truth, I've entered fights that could've killed me for good! So why here? Why now?"
"Because I have deemed you worthy enough. You have proven yourself to be worth investing my life for."
"So you're really sacrificing yourself for a fight I started?"
"Sacrificing? I told you, I am investing. I started it the moment I used my own body to remake yours. When I allowed you to become a Royal Slime. I've watched your growth, and now I find this is the right time."
"This isn't needed. This isn't-", Akiol's words were cut short.
"I had mere months left. If anything. . . I am glad to spend my last moments showing you the true way of Slime!"
The Slime King began to whirl violently as the muscles of the Undead King were absorbed, leaving only bones. Regardless the Undead King still fought. Green energy pouring out from the bones like a burst pipe. The slime spun and spun like a blender, tearing fragments of bone and absorbing them moments later. Until there was nothing of the Undead King remaining.
The Slime King's body shrunk rapidly, excess slime sinking into the ground. Akiol stumbled forward and reached out. The Slime King, one who guided him during his beginning days in A World's Legacy. Although he hadn't spent much time with the King, he still felt compassion. His ally, his King.
Although his race was one of coincidence. Even if their meeting was due to a bug. He never quite understood just how much he was being watched over by the Slime King. This apex being he respected and feared all the same. The giant Slime King was now no larger than Akiol was during his starting days.
Crouching down Akiol frowned, "All this. . . just for me?"
"There was more purpose to this, do not worry. For the death of a King gives way for a new evolution. So you may continue to grow. This is the way of the slime. Now fulfill the final requirement. . . absorb me too."
"You said I can't absorb things with a soul. . ."
"Don't you understand?"
Akiol's expression turned somber. The Slime King was already dead. The fact that the slime body was melting into the ground was proof of that. The core was no longer sustaining the body, and thus the slime was dead.
The voice Akiol heard was not coming from the Slime King's body.
Reaching out Akiol grabbed the partial Slime King core. He felt it in his palm for a moment before absorbing it. The Territory shattered, and Akiol's surroundings changed. Somehow returning to the Slime Kingdom he found himself surrounded by the last remaining slimes. They rolled, slid, and bounced their way towards him. He felt the same feeling from them all. A feeling of worship, praise, and loyalty.
These intentions turned to words: All hail the Prince.
Akiol looked upwards, and his slime body rippled as he underwent another Evolution. It did not feel painful this time, and it did not make him sleep. His body readily accepted it, as if born for this purpose. The result of the Slime King's careful investment.
He had become a Prince Slime.
The Slime King's final intention resonated through his body. A sort of final guidance. It pointed him westwards, to the Western Continent.
"Find those who still remain, and gain their loyalty as well. Only when the Slimes acknowledge you, can you become King."
Unsure how to feel at this moment Akiol decided to spend them remembering the Slime King and his interactions with the apex being. To think that from the first moment the Slime King realized what Akiol was, and slowly helped him to become an Heir. The Witch, and her potion to improve his mana regeneration, the Slime King assisted with the ingredients. Had he known already? The body replacement, giving him a body from the Slime King itself. The protection from his core, the mentions of War Sights that lead him to Aura.
To Akiol, this raid could not be counted as a victory. He had lead many to this raid, and because of it they suffered and lost a significant amount. The Slime King had his final battle. The injuries those who still stand have suffered. The permanent effect of Rot that others were unfortunate enough to experience.
He reflected upon it all, and only felt regret. Even if he heavily benefited from the fight, he didn't feel it was worth it. In his haste to remove those that threatened what he cared about, he ended up losing more than he could protect.
And so, he reflected. He could regret, but more importantly he needed to ensure he didn't make the same mistake again. No longer will he be caught unawares by the strange and unique aspects of A World's Legacy. He would truly understand it, and through this effort find its purpose.
So he took a seat, mingling with the enthusiastic slimes, and began to plan.
Meanwhile at the ruined battlefield of the undead. The others looked about and felt their bodies actively recovering from the Rot. Travis looked about at the others before dashing back towards where the castle once was.
The effects of [Averoth's Lust for Battle] now ended. While he was weakened anything could really catch him off guard, so he wanted to find Averoth's piece before escaping to recover. It was only a matter of time before players combed this place thoroughly, especially since the Guilds were involved.
Sliding through the sand he utilized [Truth: Revealing] to find anything. It was then he noticed a dug out section of ground. Gritting his teeth he entered it and ran through to find a hidden room still of stone. It seemed the Undead King intentionally did not affect this place with Rot.
It was here that he found somebody unexpected to him. Jarvis, who was standing at the end of the hall holding a book within his hands. Another individual standing next to him looked towards Travis and said, "Mister, someone else is here."
Jarvis turned around, "Dot?"
"That book. . .", Travis read its description with [Truth: Revealing].
Shaking his head Travis decided it wasn't worth the headache, "You come here to loot? We were fighting with our lives out there."
"This fight was something Akiol orchestrated out of his want. Not a matter of necessity. I assisted as long as my tames weren't threatened. The fight against the Undead King very well could've killed one of them. Instead I came here to try and find. . . anything that could help."
"You're far too late for that."
"I am aware."
Travis felt his eye twitch. What was this sense of priorities? Was Six Lights a group that only acted when their interests convened? No matter, he was done getting mixed up with them anyway. Looking about he found Averoth's piece and grabbed it, "Well no matter. I'll take my leave."
Travis fled the scene without taking anything else. Jarvis watched him leave and asked, "You think he knew about the curse?"
Kiro shrugged, "Would explain why he only took one item. Weird thing to choose though."
"I agree.", Jarvis moved his gaze back to the book in his hands.
A book of aged pages, a leather-bound tome who's name was faded. Yet Jarvis knew what it was.
[Tome of the Dead]
Rarity: Legend Creating
An ancient tome used by the Witches to create the first undead. Despite its long age it still holds a significant part of that power.
-End-
The description only gave him a bit of lore regarding the book. Clearly he lacked the abilities to pry further. However something about this book. . .
Pulling out his Book of Life he held the two and they hummed in response. The pages of the Tome of the Dead began to flip about and tear themselves free from the leather binding. The pages flew across and added themselves to the Book of Life. Kiro watched this with an incredulous gaze, "Mister?"
"I'm. . . not sure myself.", Jarvis watched as the leather Tome of the Dead fell apart in his hand.
< Congratulations! You have a hidden piece of the Book of Life >
Hidden piece?