∼ Mistresses, Am I Right? ∼

Chapter - 92

‹ Nyx ›

Rain mercilessly pattered down as the hulking warrior toppled, Nyx striding past her dead corpse without as much as another glance.

He cracked his stiff neck and felt out revitalized muscles with a pained grimace. The lifeforce he had drained from the woman alone was many times greater than his own. Merely the afterglow of the stolen vitality, still to this moment, kept slowly mending whatever surface wounds it could find, scabbing over and stitching themselves back together at a visible pace.

Nyx's eyes were stone-hard as he stalked toward the fire-loving human and his crying companion. The demon's presence, however, seemed to finally spark some sense of the situation into the melancholic mage who had done nothing but mourn his lover's death during the battle. In a sudden burst of bravery - or reckless foolhardiness, that turned sadness to anger as if a switch, the man let go of the dead woman and moved to fire a spell of arcane energy. Hatred in his eyes. His emotions made the spell surge with power, coalescing to unleash quite the attack. He cried out, "You-!"

-But, Nyx was faster.

A [Demonbolt] was flung at the mage before he could blink or unleash the arcane spell - the man dying on the spot without as much as another sound, his cry of fury cut piteously short.

Of all those who remained on the side of this now lonesome mountain were only Nyx, Fisty, the fire mage who had started all of this, and what miserable remnants of the once-great mercenary band that still managed to draw breath. However, even as Nyx walked, Fisty was in the background going around and ending the last mercenaries in a macabre scene of executions.

As she slumped in exhaustion after ending the last man, he returned his familiar to the veil beyond so that she could recover. Nyx felt proud of how well she had performed. Something that certainly deserved a reward. That, however, could wait for later. He still had one more human to take care of.

Nyx stood in front of the fire mage, their hood down to reveal golden locks and a somewhat handsome visage. Yet, in the pouring rain, he looked more gaunt and pale than anything as his blonde curls clung wetly to his face, his eyes bereft of hope staring up at Nyx. His body shook from both cold and fright - noticing the claws poised to end his life.

He managed to just barely lift his head, finding some dredges of courage to speak. "Demon... or whatever you are." He said, struggling to not shiver. "-The consequences of what has occurred today will be great and many..." It was not a threat, nor a plea. Just a simple, resigned statement.

Yet, Nyx remained utterly unchanged in face of it as he said; "None more than you," then promptly ripped out the human's throat.

The demon had learned much over the months of growth and self-discovery. He even began to understand others and their motivations. Surprised to find that they had any. It hadn't really occurred to him before, thinking that he was the only one. Rather short-minded, Nyx realized with his newfound perspective and intelligence.

So he too understood what the mage had warned off. The Silver Fist - or whatever it was this slaughtered band of mercenaries had called themselves - wasn't an unaffiliated group. Meaning that those invested in these aspiring gold-ranks would be looking into this, not to mention the guild itself. All of whom were currently a great many times stronger than Nyx himself.

"Tsk, damn humans." He sighed - finding the politics that the humans seemed to like so much dreadfully tedious. It was all so bothersome having to worry about "consequences" and the like. Couldn't he just kill in peace for once?

In the beginning, Nyx had actually been rather pleasantly surprised by their initiative to start a fight. It had been a good excuse to slaughter them, after all. He had, however, lost all mirth the moment he nearly died. Cursing himself for underestimating the pyromancer. It truly had been amusing at first; being blasted with fire that did little more than make him feel comfortable. But those exploding orbs summoned by the mage would've either crippled Nyx or fatally struck him right on the spot if not for [Demonhide] and especially [Demonic Barrier]. With this life-saving grace, he also no longer had any qualms about that particular spell.

Nyx collapsed to the ground with an exhausted sigh, body beyond fatigued. Whilst he had put on a facade to look more intimidating in the eyes of his last victim - very vainly, of course - this battle had taken a lot out of him. Low on health, stamina, and mana - he also had various wounds to care of. Something [Drain] couldn't really do as it was more of a patchwork than proper regeneration or healing. At least, he wasn't dying at the moment.

He just sat there, not even caring about the muddy ground as the rain above continued to pour down the side of the mountain, its hidden peak amongst the thunderous clouds revealed by the occasional strike of lighting. Letting himself just take in everything, he forsook the worries of what will come after and simply bathed in the glow of victory, experience, and growth.

Nyx felt a little surprised that he had actually gotten less experience from the fire mage than he had from the female berserker. But thinking over it, he reasoned that it made some sense. Whilst the mage had nearly killed Nyx on a one-off attack he had underestimated, the female warrior had been ten times harder to kill. Even Nyx wouldn't kid himself in believing he could take out that insane woman with just his pure physical capabilities alone - forgoing any use of magic. Then he was rather lucky he had his trusty minion, Fisty, to do that for him, allowing him to simply take her down from afar.

It just proved that the strongest or most powerful wouldn't always turn out the victor whenever situations changed and shifted as they so often did during battles. But enough with reflection on the battle, Nyx had much greater - more exciting - things to take care of. Things that had been long-awaited for the power-craving demon.

Nyx smiled a toothy grin.

Evolution. Class advancement. It was finally time.

Nyx was initially a little surprised reading the prompt, however. That he right out the gate met the prerequisites for both his evolution and class advancement. Aria had been long steeling him for what might've come upon arriving at twenty-five. The possibility that he'd be locked out from evolving or advancing his class for possibly even years to come. Due to his thoroughly peculiar situation of dual systems, they hadn't the faintest idea of what to expect, in truth.

He might've been locked out because of needing to fulfill some incredibly obscure and strange requirements. And he might've even never been able to advance or progress purely for the reason that he somehow had broken his status. Yet, he had met the prerequisites for both, right from the get-go.

It was weight off his chest - replaced with giddy excitement.

This would be his biggest leap in power yet. The culmination of all he had done and accomplished so far. But as much as one could ponder and imagine what he will become and how much his power would increase, what better way to find was there than to simply do it?

Nyx had barely gotten back to his feet before something caught his attention. On the lonesome mountainside, standing in the middle of the blood-soaked battlefield of a one-sided slaughter, Nyx saw a figure approaching. Descending from the mountain road, walking a staggered, drunken gait, a gaunt figure pattered his way along the wet, muddy road.

A human. An old geezer in tattered clothes, patchy beard, and hair - face pockmarked with age. He looked more a beggar than even the wretches wallowing in Borean slums. The old hobo didn't even have shoes or any type of footwear to protect those gnarled feet of his. The old man's only possessions were a belt of gourds clattering against each other and the drunken smile on his wrinkly old face.

Nyx felt no presence or danger from this old man. For all Nyx knew, it might've just been a drunkard from the town who had somehow managed to get all the way here without being picked off by the mountainous beasts. Yet, it didn't make him any less uneasy.

Even as the old man drunkenly stumbled into the crime scene with body parts bestrewn everywhere, the muddy ground soaked in blood, and corpses abound, he seemed utterly unfazed by it all. "Just how drunk is this human?" Nyx thought warily, if not a little amused.

There was a moment when the demon started think the old man blind, but his gaze suddenly landed on Nyx, proving him very capable of seeing still.

"Quite the mess you've-" He hiccuped with a groan, thumbing his thin chest that somehow caused a rattle. "-you've made here, young one."

Nyx tensed. "So he did see the slaughter..."

Yet, despite this, the human remained utterly unperturbed, merely throwing away a gourd of what smelled like alcohol to retrieve another from his belt. He bit off the cork between rotten teeth and did not wait to gulp down the smelly liquid.

"You're... human?" Nyx asked hesitantly, genuinely not sure. There was something very strange about this man, besides the obvious. But Nyx just couldn't quite explain it with words alone.

"Of course I am!" He laughed, alcohol trickling down the side of his mouth. "What, you've not stumbled upon one yet? You seem to have found plenty alreadly." He eyed the slaughter pointedly with a crooked smile.

"I have..." Nyx merely replied eyes narrowed.

"Then why you askin’?" He asked rhetorically with a gap-toothed smile, taking another swig of the gourd as he looked off to the distance. As if to admire the view when a thought seemed to strike him. "But well, you're a bit far home, aren't ya? What exactly brings you to this green little world?"

Nyx didn't answer, finding himself suddenly more apprehensive than ever. He knew he wasn't from this world. That he, in fact, was a demon. Something was seriously wrong with this situation. Just who was this old man? And why did he know so much? Understanding the situation was one thing. But pointing it out without the faintest hint of worry?

"Bwah! Don't mind this wandering hermit. I forget myself at times. I'm oftentimes more curious than for my own good, I must admit. It's just that I find it rather intriguing that such a young babe is to be the fulcrum of so much. You've got quite the journey ahead of you. Curious stuff, indeed."

"You're not concerned about... that?" Nyx tried, trying to decipher whatever manic mutterings the old man was saying.

He just raised a brow, looking back at him. "Why would I? You're as wet behind the ears as a newborn wyrm. Hm! - cute, those lil' whippersnappers. Hmm, no. Get a little stronger, kid. Then we can talk real talk."

Nyx was dumbfounded, not really understanding what babbling nonsense this old fool was spewing. But just as Nyx was about to see if the man was insane or something, the old man suddenly cringed - as if beset by a painful headache.

"Gah! Go away you old hag! I'm busy!" He cursed, swatting at the air as he put the gourd to his head in pain. "-Go screw yourself! - that'll be over my dead wrinkly corpse!"

Nyx just stared, almost horrified at the insane human.

But he suddenly appeared to be relieved of his pain for a moment as he seemed to be listening to the wind. "Ohh - I know. I know..." A malicious smile formed on the old man's lips. "And that's why it'll be the last thing I ever do!"

"Gah!" He exclaimed in another onset of pain. "Enough of you!"

Nyx wasn't sure what happened next, whether it was a figment of his imagination or a blip of his focus - but something just felt... off for a split second. Like he had missed something.

However, the so-called wandering hermit finally turned back to face him. "Mistresses, am I right?" He just smiled.

Nyx just looked at him like he was crazy. Which he very well might be.

"Anyways, kiddo. Gotta get going. World's fate - and some such - awaiting." He took a deep drag on his gourd. "Oh, and tell ya' mother hello from me,"

"My mother?" Nyx frowned in confusion, but the old man had already turned, stumbling his way down the mountain with nothing more than the tattered rags on his back and the gourds of alcohol on his waist.

Just standing there in stunned silence as the rain continued to patter down all around him, letting the earth soak in the blood, Nyx watched the old man's back retreat into the distance - not quite sure how to react or even respond.

As the demon finally came to terms with what had just transpired, Nyx briefly considered sending a [Demonbolt] at his back, making sure that no witnesses of his involvement in this slaughter remained whilst the old man was still in sight. However, as the lightning thundered high above, it drew Nyx's gaze. In the stillness of the moment in between lighting, Nyx just peered into the dark clouds. But as a flash of lighting finally lit the dark skies above, he forgot all above the old man merrily disappearing into his distance.

Had his fatigued eyes deceived him - or he had seen a monstrous creature large enough to blot out the sky following the old man?