Chapter 171: Servitude Even In Death

The two brothers caught a glimpse of the explosion as they tried their hardest to vacate the area. They were aware that the result would not be simple however they hadn't thought that it would be this grand.

Thanks to various artifacts they had been gifted ahead of time with their father, it greatly increased their chances of survival with Kaissuss emerging in a more unfavorable situation in comparison to Zayne.

He was after all in the fourth tier unlike Zayne who had broken the threshold and bore enlightenment into the fifth tier. "Arrrghh!" His figure was thrown haphazardly across the woods as it came into contact with the trees.

Unluckily for him, his pursuer wasn't fazed by the explosion as it came dashing towards his figure. Before he could bear the weight of the situation he was in in his concussed state, a gaping maw appeared right in his face crushing his head like a pimple.

Multiple tendrils wrapped around his figure as they assimilated his every being. "Kaissuss!!" Zayne shouted as he hastily brought himself to his feet. He knew that if he fell or so much as stumble in his situation, he was as good as dead.

Before he could charge towards his body, the Felir that was pursuing Kaissuss changed its attention to Zayne. Grasping the situation that he was in, he quickly dashed towards the cave that his father had pointed out earlier however another problem presented itself.

…

Lirien whose figure glowed dimly before reverting back into her body had an ashen look on her face. Most of the traps that she had set up earlier were dismantled by the explosion not to mention she felt her consciousness slip through her fingers.

She recalled what had happened during the explosion. As her figure shimmered with a deadly radiance, Solaris's figure was ripped apart by the explosion easily ending his life as the two Felirs charged on regardless of the explosion.

As he closed his eyes and mused with glee about him ascending into the next life, fate played a cruel trick on him. His hazy pristine soul that was floating ever so majestically, asundered from his body was met with a cold and alien feeling.

He felt that this wasn't tranquility or bliss that he thought he would feel as he felt a chill all over his being. Looking back, he saw two shadowy figures which did not hesitate on engulfing him whole.

His soul was torn apart as the two Felirs were hellbent on getting the lion's share of it resulted with Solaris's soul being torn equally into two barely denting a fraction of the Felirs' hunger.

However similar to hunting a squirrel, they didn't put that much thought into Solaris as they shifted their attention towards their next target that was presenting itself to them. Zayne.

"Hahaha!" Lirien took in her victory. "After dealing with this insignificant worm, they'll set their sight back to Rien making the sacrifice of the royal family futile." Sure she would be the one emerging as the victor however this wasn't the outcome she wanted.

Her body was as dead as could be with her soul barely wavering on the fabric of reality and the next plane that she would be sent to by the heavens. 'But what is the point of this victory if both sides die. What would be the difference between the victor and the vanquished?'

She sighed as she looked at a figure slowly approaching her. Within a moments glance, she could tell who it was.

…

Zayne's figure attempted to dash past the two Felirs that guarded the entrance of the cave. He knew that death was the only outcome for him. Whether he ran off deeper into the woods or went into the cave, his fate was already set in stone.

With a narrow window present, he managed to pass through by the barest skin of his teeth as he entered the cave however now, he had four Felirs chasing him and knowing that he would be facing against Rhys or Ashley, he felt defeated.

'If you have already eaten the poisoned meat, you might as well lick the plate.' He sighed with a bit of hopelessness enveloping him. Looking back, he noticed something rather odd.

'Why aren't those creatures following me?' Looking at the entrance of the cave, he realized that the Felirs were hesitant on entering as they changed their targets back to Rien.

Zayne gritted his teeth as he went deeper into the cave with extreme caution. The deeper he went, the more off putting it was. Something about all of it felt wrong.

'If it was Rhys or Ashley, they would have already known about my presence. Are they trying to lure me out with the Felirs so that I can act as bait for them?' He couldn't help but muse.

With his guard up, he was able to barely perceive some of the traps that had been laid out. With him setting off another minor explosion which seemed to threaten the structure of the cave.

His body was riddled with exhaustion as he came to the end of the cave where he noticed a small campfire to cook game and a small tent however none of those drew his interest.

At the farthest corner was a body which was lazily leaning against the wall. He immediately put his guard up however he noticed that the figure was unresponsive. 

Looking closer, he realized that it was a vampire. Her figure seemed sick as if on the verge of death. However this didn't mean that he would drop his guard. She raised her head as she looked at Zayne.

She gave a light chuckle as she murmured. "Is this really how I die?" She lowered her head as she awaited her retribution. It was clear that she wasn't going to put up a fight.

Zayne marvelled at the situation. At first he thought that it was Rhys or Ashley but after realizing that it was a tier five expert, many more questions bore into his skulls.

However he focused at the task at hand as he brandished his sword, aiming it at Lirien. "This is for the havoc you have brought to Rien." He proclaimed as Lirien's figure fell to the side.

She couldn't activate her soul state and her body had been chipped away by the demonic influence invading her soul. She closed her eyes, awaiting death.

*Stab*

The sound of flesh being ripped apart could be heard. Lirien had knew that it had to be her body. Her body was that of an undead thus she lacked sensory nerves in most of her body parts save for a few places.

But ever since the corruption began, she felt less and less till she couldn't feel aunting but a chilling coldness that invaded her body. She lacked the strength of opening her eyes thus she could only wait.

The resounding sounds of footsteps could be heard approaching her however to her, they sounded extremely distant and far. Darkness overwhelmed her vision as she felt as if she was drowning in an unforgiving and cold abyss. ]

Her soul seemed to illuminate the dark abyss that she felt that spiraled on for eternity. 'Is this it? Is this my purgatory?' She knew with the acts that she had committed that no peaceful tranquil awaited her.

As she fell ann embraced the coldness, the dark abyss grew all the more white. It seemed to lose its darkness and malice that it once had at the begin till it was nothing but a silky white tapestry.

 She was bewildered as the silky and murky tapestry began to unfold till it all coated the abyss in its white splendor. She couldn't understand what was going on but the only thing that she could do was sit and wait.

The silky threads of the tapestry seemed to stretch out to her as she heard a faint voice echoing through her mind. "You can't escape your fate even in death!" She was extremely wary as she had never heard such a voice in her life.

'It definitely isn't Ashley's.' She mused as she thought of any other people that were capable of heaven defying feats. If not for the duo that she knew, no one else stood out in her mind.

The slime started to wrap around her figure similar to the tentacles manner. 'It looks like my soul is being devoured...' She gave a final sigh as she succumbed to her fate.

A bright light assaulted her eyes before everything fell dark. Looking around, she saw that she was back in the cave that she had passed away in. However this time, there was a figure which had crouched down to her level.

At first glance, she couldn't identify who she was before her eyes landed on something that shook her to her core. Her entire being was wrapped around in a dark and murky slime which covered her entire figure save her face.

Her short pink hair was cleanly cut, and her face ever so cold as she looked down on Lirien's figure. She was shook as she subconsciously backed away from her. 

"Who are you?" She asked as her senses covered the entire room before landing on the figure before her. Standing up, she realized how short she was but not by much which gave her an adorable figure.

"Arabella and we have the same objectives." She sighed as she looked at Lirien's figure. Wondering what was wrong, Lirien looked down and quickly realized the slime that was wrapping around her own figure.

Her mind was in a mess. 'Who is she? It seemed that she helped me but why?' It was now that she realized that the agonizing hunger that once used to plague her was no longer there.

"I'll meet you outside." Arabella finished off as her figure turned into a shadow and vanished right in front of her. Lirien was taken aback as she realized something.

'I couldn't sense any form of mana coming off her. A familiar feeling to the Felirs...' As she readied herself to leave, her mind was assaulted with a familiar pain however this time it wasn't constant as it faded right after.

She looked at her palms which were fully coated in slime. A mountainful of information rushed to her brain regarding the slime that was on her body. About its healing properties and all its heaven defying ability to manifest to whatever she liked.

*Whoosh*

A small dagger appeared in her palm to which she shot at the wall.

*Tang*

The dagger dug deep into the cave walls disappearing however she could clearly sense it. Stretching out her arm, the dagger returned to her palm in the blink of an eye.

Looking at her right palm, she realized that the crescent mark was no longer there. 'Have i finally escaped her clutches? But it wouldn't be that easy.' Recalling that Arabella was still outside, she made her way out to see the four Felirs surrounding her.

Not in an aggressive manner but rather in a docile manner as she had a small smile on her face as she pet them. "Let's go." Arabella raised her arms ready to leave however Lirien posed a question.

"What about Rien?" Arabella pointed out to see a kingdom which seemed rather calm and peaceful. Looking closer, she could see mountains of bodies all over the place.

However there wasn't a single drop of blood which made it more haunting. "It seems that you passed master Andrew's test." She said flatly as she then proceeded to snap her fingers.

Her shadow enveloped both their figures along with the Felirs as they vanished out of sight.

...

Looking at the sigh presented in front of them, Lirien was taken aback by the futuristic buildings that were erected. Her senses were rendered useless as she realized the dome that was put in place.

The four Felirs wandered off out of the dome as Arabella made her way forward towards the main building. "Come on, they're waiting." She spoke as she made her way, without glancing at Lirien.

Lirien could only follow Arabella as they made their way inside. The majesty and splendor of the building was breathtaking which she was absorbed in however seeing how nonchalant Arabella was, she kept on going with her pace.