Chapter 200. Shadow over Cerrigar

[ Main Quest complete - Entombed Legacy

Reward 1: 44,082 experience points

Reward 2: 3,000 gold coins. ]

[ Main Quest issued - Shadow over Cerrigar

Objective: Go to Cerrigar with Donan

Description: Donan wants to go to Cerrigar. You must try to stop Astaroth and cling to the hope that you can save Yorin before it is too late. ]

Seeing the description, Michael immediately called Celeste to send reinforcements to Cerrigar as soon as possible.

The woman didn't even ask why and immediately closed off the connection after providing an affirmative answer.

Then, Donan teleported directly to Cerrigar while the Necromancer ran outside and gathered the troops. They had already cleaned up the goatmen, and he urged them to follow him to Cerrigar.

After hearing what had happened, the Wanderers immediately summoned their mounts and ran to Firebreak Manor, but the Knights stayed behind.

No matter how he tried convincing them, they kept using safeguarding the ruins of this keep as a reason not to leave. More than two hundred residents and Knights alike died here during the attack, and they had yet to rescue the rest from under the buildings and the hiding spots underground. 

Not wanting to waste more time, Michael left them to their devices as he rushed back to the Firebreak Manor. All he could think about was how happy he was that there were no children corpses he saw in Eldhaime.

On his way to Cerrigar, he kept contacting Celeste and Mira. She was the only one not in a Dungeon, and she immediately sent support after hearing that Lilith might burn the place to the ground.

To his horror, as soon as he exited the portal, he heard a cacophony of noises and saw burning buildings around him. The damage wasn't as extensive as he initially thought, but plenty were injured.

[Momma...? Papa, where are you?!]

[It-it was a beast! A hound of Hell!]

The glenfolk were confused and terrified as they ran toward the walls or tried to find a place to take shelter in.

It was the smoke that made the situation appear worse than it actually was. 

[I know you're in there! *Cough* Open the door! *Cough* Let me in, damn you!]

He saw a woman banging on the inn doors, trying to get the people hiding inside to let her in as well.

Wanderers kept moving between people, healing them with their skills for those who had a Priestly Class or using Life Potions for those who didn't. As a result, the number of casualties was much less than he initially feared.

Especially after seeing the state, Eldhaime Keep was in.

'Is it because of the deal she made with Nafain? The Druid asked for the Knights Penitent to be destroyed, and the Keep was their base in Scosglen. On the other hand, Cerrigar belongs to the glenfolk. So this might not be Lilith's doing, but Astaroth's.'

Walking toward the Chieftain's lodge, where Celeste asked him to meet, he kept seeing the results of the three-headed dog and Astartoth assaulting this place.

There were burn wounds on all those in need of healing and nothing else. No cuts, no bites, just burn marks.

[Father *Cough* Inarius, please! Forgive us! Save us from the demon's fire!]

[My skin's charred to the bone, but I feel nothing... why do I feel nothing?]

Remembering the beggar soldier who suffered from similar wounds in the Days of Ash, the Necromancer kept quiet and moved forward, finally finding Mira and Celeste and talking with the local healer, Druid.

Upon seeing him, Celeste's eyes shone.

[You're here! Thank you so much for letting me know! As soon as we arrived, hundreds of goatmen attacked, but we easily subdued them with our numbers.](Celeste)

[That abomination with three heads also fled as soon as it saw us. Not sure if it's a good or bad thing...](Mira)

"Mira, Celeste. Happy to see you again and even happier to hear that the damage wasn't that bad. Miss Moira, it seems that you're working hard again."

Moira was the healing Druid Michael met after completing the Quest where he met Aidirah. After the fog was lifted, tens of wounded hunters and normal glenfolk returned to Cerrigar needing medical attention.

That's when the two got acquainted.

[It was these girls that looked to me for help. Bones crushed, flesh melted... by Vasily, the smell! Not sure I can take this much more.](Moira)

Leaving the healer behind as the trio left the lodge, Celeste brought him to a small clearing in the northern part of the village, where Chieftain Crannoch, alongside other people, including the sultry Asgail he previously met in Braestaig, were praying in front of a large altar.

The looks and voices of those praying were full of despair, as if their gods, ancestors, and anyone else who might have looked over them had vanished.

[Ghosts of my kindred, spirits of the wild, forgive my weakness... rise to our desperate need!](Chieftain Crannoch)

Just as Celeste was about to go forward and console the man and his wife, a loud commotion was heard beyond the walls, followed by fire and smoke rising from the ground, high enough for everyone to see.

Shocked, Michael ran to the walls alongside the two representatives and saw the portion of houses north of Cerrigar - called Lower Cerrigar - in flames.

[It's Astartoth! He's returned - to finish us!]

Before the panicked man could induce more terror, Chieftain Asgail smacked him on the head and loudly reprimanded him, calming everyone else down.

The two representatives immediately flew into action but only got to the northern exit until they stopped with dark faces.

Michael also saw the reason.

[ Warning! Lower Cerrigar has become a temporary Dungeon influenced by a Main Quest.

If other Wanderers unrelated to the Main Quest join, the difficulty will be raised, and all the restrictions placed on Duke Astaroth by the world will be lifted. ]

With the Sanctuary giving a warning, the two women had a desperate look on their faces as they searched the Necromancer's face for clues, hoping to see him help those living below.

As for the person in question... he was terrified to go. The three-headed dog wasn't much of a problem, but facing a fucking Duke of Hell wasn't something he was mentally prepared for.

"How many people live there?"

[...a couple thousand. We mostly use Upper Cerrigar for trading.](Celeste)

"Fuck..."

Opening his MAP, he saw a new golden area marked in front of the gates to Lower Cerrigar, and the Quest details remained the same: meet with Donan.

[You don't have to...](Celeste)

"I'll go. Donan is there as well, and he'll need help. If the Sanctuary restricted Astaroth to my level, I should be able to take him down."

[Be careful. If we lose you, I don't know how we could possibly explain things to Helen.](Mira)

"Mhm. Don't tell her anything for now. I don't want her going into Nightmare Dungeons worried about me. I'll get moving."

Summoning his mount and rushing to the spot marked on the MAP, Michael saw large footprints - or rather pawprints - on the ground, burning as if a small meteor might've fallen there.

There were also signs of a fight, signifying that someone attacked the creature.

'No wonder I couldn't see Donan anywhere. He chased the creature while searching for Yorin.'

The devastation left in the trail of Astaroth was horrifying, with everything burned to the ground, and the people turned into charred corpses.

Probably hearing the sound of hooves, Donan turned around and saw Michael hurrying to his position. With a waning smile, he greeted the Necromancer.

[They're here.](Donan)

"Did you fight Astaroth on your way here?"

[Only that strange abomination. I didn't see traces of Lilith or my boy.](Donan)

"Do you think Yorin..."

[Yorin can resist! My boy... he's strong.](Donan)

The Horadrim's strong confidence was only a mask hiding his fear and desperation. Michael was truly worried about the boy as well, but the lives of thousands were at stake here.

Without hesitation, they entered through the smashed gates, and Donan used his magic to extinguish the fires surrounding the houses while yelling at the top of his voice for those inside to get out and flee to Upper Cerrigar.

[Astaroth's demon fire. I spent half of my life studying it, finding a way to combat it. At least I didn't waste my life in vain.](Donan)

"The guard said that most people were evacuated. There are a few more stragglers ahead, and probably... Yorin as well."

[I know. Let's go, Wanderer! Let's save my boy.](Donan)

The man's energy was overwhelming. Michael couldn't understand why the Sanctuary barred Celeste, Mira, or other Wanderers from joining but allowed a man who was probably much stronger.

After finding more villagers with burn wounds and asking them to leave, Donan finally couldn't stand still anymore. Imbuing his voice with energy, he yelled with all his might.

[Yorin!](Donan)

His voice made the flames shake and the buildings tremble. It could probably be heard even from the walls of Upper Cerrigar, ten kilometers away, where Celeste and Mira were waiting for a resolution.

[Yorin!](Donan)

Unfortunately, his calls didn't produce the desired effect. Walking on the paved road through the burning buildings, he kept waving his hands, sending fire and smoke away.

It was then that both he and Michael noticed blood petals raining from above. The Sanctuary's way of greeting its Mother.

Lilith was here!

Just as Donan caught one of the petals in his hand, a gentle voice finally answered his calls.

[He has been waiting for you.]

On top of a ruined stone house, the demoness stood calmly, watching the two people below.

It was Michael's first time meeting her directly rather than through visions. And the difference was massive.

She was beautiful, yes, and her mere presence was akin to countless seductive whispers tempting one's reason away. But she was equally terrifying.

It was as if he stood before a raging storm, making the Necromancer feel small. Infinitely small.

Lilith also glanced at him for a moment, but there was no response from the demoness. There were no microexpressions, no words being exchanged—it was as if he wasn't relevant to what was going on at the moment.

[Where? Where is he?](Donan)

She glanced to her lower left, displaying a derisive smile. The smoke was thick, but a shadow could be seen within it.

[Hm. Come forth.](Lilith)

With the order given, the ground began shaking as something walked toward them.

Michael was put face-to-face with the 'Cerberus' once more, but he couldn't be bothered by it. Instead, it was a man, slightly taller than Yorin, standing on top of the creature that drew his attention.

In his left hand, he held two thick chains that were embedded in the creature's head, while a long spear, which appeared to be a combination of a halberd and glaive, was firmly held in his right.

The man was probably over two meters tall and wore a strange pair of pants adorned with spikes. His upper body was bare, showing a large cavity in his chest that was hollowed and glowing as if an ever-burning fire was housed there.

His skin was red, and there was enough demonic energy around him for Michael to identify this being without using his energy vision. The four horns he saw in the vision when the soulstone's shadow overlapped with Yorin's... 

Furthermore, the soulstone was still implanted above his forehead, glowing as brightly as ever.

"The Charred Duke..."

[My boy...](Donan)

[He called for you... wept until his tears became fire.](Astaroth)

Hearing the rumbling, hoarse voice he recognized as the one inhabiting the soulstone, Michael knew they were too late.

Donan was desperate but not foolish. Upon hearing the Duke's words, he collapsed to his knees. He couldn't form words, but whimpers and intelligible mumbles overlapped with the three-headed beast's growls.

[Do as you please, Astaroth. I have what I came for.](Lilith)

With a victorious smirk, the wind stirred, and smoke covered Lilith's body for a brief second. Then, a moment later, she disappeared.

His gaze lingering on where the demoness vanished, Michael turned his head to Astaroth, who was grinning viciously. 

'Donan is a mess, just as I expected. To think the Sanctuary would allow such an overpowered Mage to assist was stupid of me. It looks like I'll have to deal with this mess on my own again.'

Walking before the Horadrim and moving closer to the Cerberus, the Necromancer called forth his minions and drank an Elixir of Demon Slaying. 

He was nervous, and his heart was practically pumping out of his chest, but there was no way he could back out. If he did and failed the Quest, there was a chance of Astaroth running loose and wrecking not only Cerrigar but Hell knows how many other settlements until he was somehow dealt with.

A notification of a completed Quest appeared, and another being issued popped up in his vision.

He didn't bother with the rewards for the first one but glanced briefly upon the last Main Quest he would get related to Lilith in Scosglen.

[ Main Quest issued - As the World Burns

Objective: Defeat Astaroth. ]