Shadow of the Abyss

Before Superior Zombie could lunge, Altair disrupted the asphalt with Mold Earth, changing its properties from a solid to a liquid back to a solid so that its ankles were trapped. The Zombie tumbled over face first, hitting the earth with a solid thud, when the asphalt began to crack beneath its scrambling.

Altair pointed a finger as Mana coalesced into a sphere, igniting into a great ball of fire so black it appeared like shadows dancing beneath the moon. The presence of the Vale was tangible, commanding authority like a king over its subjects. The ball of flames shrunk to the size of a marble compressed by the Authority of the Vale.

'I wonder if it's possible to use heat convection to pull the heat of my surroundings into this flame? I ought to make a formula,' Altair thought, igniting the flame that blazed brighter than any sun; it pierced through the Zombie's brain, incinerating the head in the blink of an eye.

In his domain, Altair watched the fireball pierce through multiple layers of asphalt, reaching the earth until it vanished after losing all energy and momentum. He wondered if his fireball could combust when he deemed fit or would it have to be on a set timer to do so.

[Superior Zombie Felled. Exp Gained]

Having made a promise to himself to master the Arcane Arts, Altair began to experiment with his magic, using the Eye of Sacrilege to gleam insight after fireball after fireball lit the skies ablaze. Fireball was a mere level one spell that held the potential of being cast on a third level, but Altair had kept it at a level one, mindful of mana limitation.

With his current reserves, he figured he could cast any level one spell thirty times in a row without growing tired.

After his breakthrough, the Vale and his Mana merged in a way that allowed him a higher level of authority over the Mana that he had refined. He was inclined to believe that the Mana truly belonged to him now and that not even Azura could seal his Mana in her realm. The thought made him wonder when Azura would summon him again.

'I shouldn't be thinking of that. I'll have a lot to answer for now, as Azura knows I possess some relation with Lilith. The question is how I'm going to answer that.' Fiddling with the arcane arts for a while, he sighed when a message popped into focus.

[Divine Being, Arcane Lord of Wonders, is curious if you are interested in the Seven Schools of Magic]

Altair smiled. He'd learned fireball from Thanatos a while back but had been neglectful in using any spell due to fighting foes well beyond his level.

"I believe that it's the arcane arts and its seven schools of magic that'll propel me to heights only the gods see," he said.

[Ding]

[New Mission Available]

[Kill a Hundred Skeleton Knights using the Arcane Arts]

Reward: Arcane Mastery(Basics)

Altair accepted the mission without much thought. He smiled, "Arise, Therion."

The Shadow Demon appeared on one knee, cloaked by shadow flames writhing across his body like garments. He appeared every bit like a demon that had dragged itself up from the Hells, though that wasn't what his master intended. Altair frowned, tossing a few robes his way to mask his naked appearance.

Therion was quick to cloth himself, offering a bow, "Thank you, Master."

"Have your brothers and sister been teaching you well?"

"Yes, my lord. Sir Kirr has instilled in me all the basics. I shall not embarrass you, Your Grace." Therion said calmly.

Altair nodded, studying the Shadow Demon closely. His skin, unlike his brother's, was not a light, sultry gray but a darker hue that seemed to match the night. The whites of his eyes were a stone cold back, while his eyes blazed a sinful yellow. He was handsome, possessing two trident-like horns piercing through his long silver hair.

"Find for me a few hundred skeleton knights," Altair commanded.

Therion bowed, opening his Spirit Domain that seemed to span 150m, returning to himself. He moved, and Altair followed, scaling a nearby building. They ran two hundred feet east, pausing at a small skirmish between a familiar face and a group of skeletons.

The knight, whose armor seemed to have been forged of a night, was wielding a greatsword, cleaving her way through the hordes in a blinding fury. Each swing of her sword seemed to smash away dozens of skeleton knights raising their shields to defend. It hadn't done much in guarding themselves, but the mere fact that they held the perception to defend made Altair frown.

'These Skeleton Knights possess an average battle prowess. That Superior Zombie back there was also pretty strong for a zombie. Strange.'

"There isn't a need for you to fight," Altair ordered Therion. "All I require you to do is protect me from danger that I can't react to in my sealed state."

'As you command," Therion said stoically.

Altair glided down from the skies on a bolt of Lightning, conjuring seven small orbs of fire that blazed a light beyond the stars and pointed toward the Skeleton Knights charging at the Black Knight.

The orbs of fire all shot forward like arrows expanding ten meters at the moment of contact, incinerating everything they touched in a matter of moments, leaving only the molten remains of sword and shield held by the skeletons.

Altair tsked. 'It still didn't combust.'

The Black Knight snapped an eye at Altair, pointing a sword at him. "I don't need your help!" she said in a masculine voice. Had it not been for Tasha, Altair might have thought she might have been a man.

"Help?" Altair smiled. "My Lady, I believe I'm helping myself."

The Black Knight stiffened. "How—" she paused, staring intently at Therion, silent as a shadow behind his master. " A Demon!"

Another fireball fell like rain, incinerating a skeleton knight as it was about to land a blow. "My Lady, I'd be a bit more aware of your surroundings." But the Black Knight wasn't hearing it as she launched herself skyborne, cleaving her sword down at Therion.

"Are you trying to die?"

Whatever intention the Black Knight held faltered beneath the voice of the Emperor, laced with authority echoing from his depths. At the sudden lapse of judgment, her sword missed, forcing her earthbound.

Therion only stared.

"What are you?" The Black Knight demanded.

Altair didn't respond; rather, he opened his palm, allowing the Mana to coalesce once more into a sphere of raw energy before fusing his Infernal Lightning.

The air grew acrid as a pulse of Mana rippled across space like a still lake. Altair closed his eyes, imagining an ocean of rain pouring over the land. When he opened his eyes, a shadow of omnipresence flashed across his eye like a knife, imparting endless knowledge as his fingers wrote the infernal Rune for Rain.

Annihilating energy ran across the skies like a shadow as he spoke the words that came to him, "Infernal Rain."

In that single instance, as all the Mana he'd retained vanished and the sigil in his eyes ignited, Altair realized his mistake, as the Ancient Heavens then turned into the Hells. Heat turned to fire, and fire to light. In a blinding moment that constituted an instant, light turned into plasma as a downpour of infernal raindrops came like a raging storm upon the ruined city.

Infernal Lightning dripped from the skies, lashing at the earth like rain, drowning the clanking of armor and the decoration around him. Altair heard none of it as the Infernal rain annihilated everyone and everything for nearly twenty miles.

Buildings that had been sure to have survived for more than a hundred years were gone in an instant. Survivors who still clung to hope were annihilated before any perceived notion of survival entered their minds.

The spell only lasted five seconds, but in a mere five seconds, everything was gone.

"Oops"

[DIng]

[Skeloton Knight Felled. Exp Gained]

[Skeloton Knight Felled. Exp Gained]

[Skeloton Knight Felled. Exp Gained]

[Superior Zombie Felled. Exp Gained]

[Superior Zombie Felled. Exp Gained]

Superior Zombie Felled. Exp Gained]

[Skeloton Lord. Felled. Expp Gained]

…

…

…

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

Experiencing over twenty levels in a single moment, Altair frowned, plummeting for the skies, unable to maintain his platform. He landed with a lithe step, scratching his cheek in embarrassment.

[Mission Acomplish]n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

[Reward has been sent into your System Storage]

"Superbe job, your Grace," said Therion with a look of striking fascination. "You are indeed a King without equal. The Pinnacle of All, that I shall strive to become to stand in your most venerable shadow."

Altair did not know what to say. He was embarrassed. He'd never meant to do that. He'd only wanted to grasp the fundamentals of rain and fuse it with Infernal Lightning. He didn't mean to cast a level-four spell. If his power hadn't been sealed, Altair feared he might have annihilated more than just twenty miles.

He wasn't even sure why the range was set at twenty miles.

"You asshole!"