Becoming Legend

Chapter 55: Shut Down

Despite his concerns, Sir Edwin found himself slightly amused by Ned's tone. None could have thought of fighting a Diamond Level Hunter, not even Hollows. But to think that non-magic users could scratch him. His curiosity about Ned was stirred once more. "No matter how canny you are Ned, someone, somewhere out there, there will always be stronger than you. Then you'll think 'That's what I forgot to consider'. Ignorance, wise people calls it," said Sir Edwin.

[Overclocking stopped.]

[Energy is at 70% percent.]

To think that a second of Overclock will drain thirty percent of my energy. Ned made another mental note. "I don't know what happened between you and my Master, but if you want this deal to develop, let's consider that we are allies at this moment," said Ned. "But never forget, for the things you've done to my Master, after all this, I'm going to end you myself."

Sir Edwin wondered if, between the two them, is he the one who's more like a child rather Ned? Sir Edwin smiled ruefully. "We'll see about that, sooner or later you might want to re-evaluate the impression you are giving your Master."

Ned shrugged his shoulders, turned his back away from the knight, and stood at the window to his right. "I'll be the one to decide that, not you," he said glaring at the horizon. "For now, let's focus on the task at hand, protect me if you badly want the Mark, show me how the Knight of this world shows their might."

Hearing those words, the knight jerked his head off. "How old are you kid? No, who are you?"

"Old for you to know," Ned replied, clinching a part of his sword. Far from the distance, the hill where the sun welcomed himself, hundred of ghouls stampede the distance. The horde reverberated the town, petrifying anyone that could hear their scream. "Here they come," said Ned drawing his Butterfly.

"If only we met at a different time, and different place Ned, with your calmness, and outstanding focus, I will take you as my disciple," Sir Edwin said. Waving his hand where his ring was. Chipped stone appeared on his hands, where embossed writing was engraved. "Take this"giving the stone to Ned "Barrier Rune Level two, not much of a defense, but able to block those miscreations for a period of time."

Ned thought if how big was the space the ring of the knight has. He's been showing items after items. Snatching the runes of the knight, Ned tucked it into his leather pouch that was left hanging empty for quite some time. "Let's go," Ned said pivoting towards the back door. "We don't have time left before the last merchant ship leave."

Exiting the room, a figure lunged towards Ned, drawing his sword, he twisted his body to evade the hungry jaw of the dead-human turned-ghoul. Before he could draw his sword, the head of the dead man propelled at the wall, making a thudding sound.

"You still here?" said the knight, whipping off the bloodstain before sheathing his sword back to its scabbard.

"So what's the plan?" asked Ned.

"Attack," replied the Knight severely. "If we can make it across the town hall, then I can guarantee your safety."

"If," muttered Ned.

For several minutes they ran, then even the chirping birds ceased their noise. The town seemed to be holding its breath. Ned and Sir Edwin pushed their luck through narrow paths, barely wide enough for a man afoot. Suddenly, the silence was broken by raucous hooting punctuated by a shriek. A ghoul came launching past Sir Edwin's head and a storm of shadow figures followed. Dozens of skinned figures jumped from behind the wooden structures, and bricked walls, howling furiously while jumping off the tall buildings.

Sir Edwin charged forward. Fighting to keep their survival under control. As did Ned. They steered through the alleys while ducking under the ghoul's attacks. As they moved toward four or five human-sized creatures that blocking their way, seeing how the Knight sliced the other ghouls, they shrieked in terror and leaped away in different directions. Sir Edwin singled out one, slashing half the creature's body before the rest vanished in the dark part of the alley. With the show of strength of the two fleeing humans, the alley was left empty, favored for Ned and Sir Edwin.

Exiting the alley, Ned and Sir Edwin had their swords drawn and reined in, ready to strike. Then all ire flowed out of Sir Edwin at the sight before him. The creatures made no efforts to attack them but instead backed as far as possible into the tangle. Hundreds of ghouls and alghouls showed an expression of pure terror on their ill-human faces. Leaving the two confused.

A thunderous roar broke their confused faces. Above the sky, where the beam of the sun laid to rest, was the Devourer, eyes enraged seeing the escaping Ned and Sir Edwin.

"This is it, Ned," concerned the knight. "I'm hoping that we would be able to reach the port before this Moraki-incarnate appeared, but it seems that we won't make it. Go forth! Remember the deal, your Mark for your Master's life. With the possession I have, our path will always be intertwined."

With the enraged Devourer incoming, Sir Edwin positioned himself in the middle of the lifeless structures. He squatted and gripped his sword with his two. Muttered some words then a light shined his entire body. Wind magic was encircling him, making a barrier of wind that was strong and sharp.

"You better be alive and survive this," Ned said. "See you at the Capital, knight."

Minutes later, without the horde of ghouls blocking his path, Ned escaped the town. Not far from his sight was the port, surrounded by mindless beasts, struggling to get their appetite on the last remaining survivors. Ned wasn't noticed, yet. But before he could turn his way for the port, Ned heard a deafening boom coming from outside the inner town's gate. "Edwin," Ned whispered. Realizing the severeness of the situation, Ned ran.

Sir Edwin shot a Wind Magic toward the incoming dragon. He heard bones clanging the more it gets closer to him. With its bony wings, the knight wondered if how it could fly having those wholes.

Sir Edwin jumped to evade the dragon, making a booming sound the moment the dragon made contact on the ground. Shaking, some structure made a cracking noise. After he evaded the dragon's glide, the knight shot wind magic, only to recoil on the Devourer's armor of bones.

Looking from behind, the Devourer's hollow socket shined with vicious blue energy, gazing at the knight. It howled, then shot a beam of purple to dark energy destroying everything on its way. Reverberated with a noise aimed toward Sir Edwin.

The Knight has hunted monsters since the day he got his license as a Hunter from the guild. Fought hundreds of varieties of monsters, learned their habitat, their culture, and most notably, as a Hunter, he must learn the pattern of the monster's attacks.

Seeing the beam of light forged towards him, he calculated that evading was too late. With no options left, he brandished his sword, steeled his resolved, and clash the Devourer's attack head-on. Encouraging himself not to give up, he cried. "For Dema!"

Under the bright light of the knight's wind magic with the Devourer's deadly attack. The surrounding turned barren with the impact. Making an unforgettable boom that traveled the entire island.

Structures turned ashen, trees timbered, and, aside from the ground where the knight stood, remained untouched, everything turned barren. Making a circle of crimson cobblestone, inside this circle was the Knight, bleeding to death. His endearing figure showed itself without his breastplate, long muscular arms torn with blood without his gauntlets. What remained was his cuirasses and greaves, but even then, cracked were still visible. Not far from his blooded body, was his sword shattered and half of it remained. The knight remained unmoving.

The half-conscious knight heard a breeze of flapping wings, he forced his body to turn from his upside-down position. Rolled, and expected blood to spill some more. He was right, the moment he moved his body, blood squeezed out every wound he had. Making him shout in agony.

The blue-dampen sky was covered with the figure of the Devourer. Landing in front of him, looking at its face, Sir Edwin noticed that even with its skeleton face, its smirked showed the same. Sir Edwin's size was taller than the average human size, yet, looking at the Devourer, his figure was only the same as the skeletal dragon's foot. "Well, at least, I died as a Hunter. Not a traitor, nor a vengeful man," he muttered with a mouthful of blood.

The Devourer's tail whipped left and right, making a whistling sound that made the knight cursed. "Fuck you!" He cried, accompanied by his hand, throwing a finger.

Taunting the Devourer was a success, without a delay, it whipped its tail to impale the knight, closing his eyes, he braced.

Without feeling anything hitting his body, the knight heard a clang, then thwack. Opening his eyes, he saw a figure of a kid, holding his own against the vicious dragon's attack. "You, why did you return," stammered Sir Edwin.

"I'm doing this for my Master," said Ned. Barely holding the Butterfly with all his strength to block the dragon's tail. Steam oozed, making Ned difficult to look.

"You're an idiot, now it's onto you," muttered the knight. He forced his self to stand. "I told you to leave, sh*t! Now I'm gonna have to use it." Coughed the knight.

"Use what?" asked Ned. Gritting his teeth, he was barely holding his own against the massive strength of the dragon. "I can't hold this any longer!"

The knight squatted and forced his limit to be able to stand. "My Life ForNo! Ned!" Blood sprayed into his face. Warm and familiar.

The knight saw the defending Ned struck with the Devourer's tail, its bony tail made a whole right into Ned's chest. Mixed with his own blood, the ground was dyed crimson red.

"No! No! No!" cried the knight.

After the Devourer pulled its tail. All Ned could hear was the knight's shout. Slowly disappearing into the void of his thoughts. Feeling the hot sensation into his chest. He let go of the Butterfly. Aside from ICE's series of alerts, Ned couldn't hear anything.

[Warning. Fatal wound detected.]

[Warning. Fatal wound detected.]

[Warning. Fatal wound detected.]

[Warning. Multiple injuries detected.]

[Warning. Energy rapidly decreasing.]

[Warning. Mana rapidly decreasing.]

[Warning. Oxygen level rapidly decreasing.]

[Warning. Life Energy rapidly decreasing.]

[Life Energy is at 80%.]

[Life Energy is at 60%.]

[Life Energy is at 20%.]

[Life Energy is at 5%.]

[Warning. Host's Life Energy reached a critical level.]

[Notice. Attempting to reconstruct wounded organs.]

[Redirecting Nanites.]

[Warning. Attempt failed.]

[Warning. Life Energy rapidly decreasing.]

[Life Energy is at 1%.]

The lifeless robotic voice of ICE echoed into Ned's thoughts. Ned felt the hot prickling sensation slowly decreasing. He then let out a rested breathe. His last breath, together with the last beat of his heart. Ned stopped moving.

[Life Energy 0%.]

With the last beep of ICE's prompt. Ned fell unconscious.

[Notice: Subject 000179. Terminated. All major and functioning organs stopped.]

[Notice: No Mana detected.]

[Notice: No energy detected.]

[Notice: No Life Energy detected.]

[Notice: Temperature rapidly decreasing.]

[Notice: Forcing Nanites to attempt recovery.]

[Ned?]

[Notice: Host achieved the needed conditions to activate Administrative Protocol.]

[Activating Becoming Legend Protocol.]