Chapter 70: The Ritual’s End and a Grim Discovery
The clearing was a scene of chaos. The cultists, their ritual disrupted and their ranks thinning, fought with a desperate frenzy. Corvus's fog magic swirled around the clearing, further disorienting them and making them easy targets for Drake's swift attacks.
"You know," Drake said, dodging a clumsy swing from a cultist's dagger, "I've been thinking. You guys really need a better marketing strategy. 'Cult of the Void'? It's a bit on the nose, don't you think? Maybe something catchier. Like… 'The Shadowy Snack Enthusiasts' or 'The Existential Dread Appreciation Society.' That's got a bit more pizzazz, wouldn't you say?"
He then used Shadow Rend, the shadowy blade slicing through another cultist's leg. The cultist cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground.
*Notification: "Skill Activated: Shadow Rend (Level 7). Cost: 70 Mana. Damage Dealt: 170. Bleed Status Effect Applied."*
*Notification: "Health Drain: 2. Drake Health: 63/100"*
Corvus, having dealt with the majority of the cultist priests, turned his attention to the remaining cultists. He unleashed a powerful blast of wind magic, sending several of them flying into the surrounding trees.
The remaining cultists, seeing the tide of battle turning against them, began to flee. Drake, however, was determined to capture one of them for interrogation. He used Void Step to teleport in front of a fleeing cultist, blocking his path.
"Going somewhere?" Drake asked, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Don't tell me you're leaving so soon. The party's just getting started. Though, I suppose for you, it's about to end rather abruptly."
He quickly disarmed the cultist and restrained him using Void Tendrils.
*Notification: "Skill Activated: Void Tendrils (Level 3). Cost: 60 Mana. Damage Dealt: 40 (each tendril). Ensnared 1 target"*
*Notification: "Health Drain: 2. Drake Health: 61/100"*
With the remaining cultists either routed or incapacitated, the clearing fell silent. The fog began to dissipate, revealing the shattered altar and the scattered bodies of the cultists.
*Notification: "Enemy Defeated: Cultist (+200 XP)."*
*(Repeated for each cultist)*
*Notification: "Experience Gained: Cultist Encounters (+5000 XP)"*
*Experience: 19200 + 5000 = 24200/10000*
*Notification: "Level Up! Drake has reached Level 12!"*
*Notification: "Stat Points Available: 12"*
*Notification: "Skill Points Available: 2"*
He allocated his stat points putting 6 into Dexterity and 6 into Strength.
*Notification: "Stat Points Allocated: Dexterity +6. Current Dexterity: 50."*
*Notification: "Stat Points Allocated: Strength +6. Current Strength: 53."*
He allocated his skill points, putting one into Void Embrace and one into Void Step.
*Notification: "Skill Point Allocated: Void Embrace (Level 4). Effect: Increased enhancement to darkness and void skills and further reduced health drain per turn to 1."*
*Notification: "Skill Point Allocated: Void Step (Level 4). Effect: Increased teleportation range, reduced mana cost, and now leaves behind a brief afterimage that can distract enemies."*
Drake turned his attention to the captured cultist, who was trembling with fear. "Alright, spill it," Drake said. "What was that ritual all about? And who's pulling your strings?"
The cultist, terrified of Drake's dark powers, quickly confessed everything. He revealed that the ritual was intended to open a larger portal to the Void, and that they were acting on the orders of a powerful being known as the "Voidbringer." He also revealed the location of the cult's main base of operations: a hidden temple located deep within a nearby mountain range.
"The Voidbringer, huh?" Drake mused. "Sounds like a real party pooper."
He then thanked the cultist for his cooperation (in his own sarcastic way) and left him tied up for the local authorities to find.
As Drake and Corvus left the island, they knew they were facing a serious threat. The Voidbringer was clearly a powerful enemy, and they needed to prepare themselves for a difficult and dangerous confrontation. But with the information they had gained, they now had a clear direction: find the cult's temple and stop the Voidbringer before it was too late.