Ke’an and System arrive at the temple to the sound of gunfire and battle. The pair had not stopped to go over their skills and a battleplan very long but Ke’an fears they might have failed. If Azeraath broke through the defenses of the town already it will be a bloodbath. Ke’an grits his teeth knowing all of this is his fault. If he never took Systems power none of this would have happened. The townspeople would be living normal happy lives not huddled up in the temple like sheep to the slaughter. He mentally kicks himself since if only he looked at his skills when he got them they might have been able to hold off Azeraath before he even made it to the town.

Now isn’t the time to self reflect though so he pulls his thoughts back to the moment and looked at his minimap. Ke’an let out a breath when he sees Azeraath’s red dot still outside of the temple meaning he had not made it inside. The pair speeds around the side of the temple and sees Azeraath engaged in battle with a bloodied… Tree-man? Ke’an takes a double-take at the battle seeing that the wood is actually some type of magic armor surrounding Benny, one of the monks he saw in the temple earlier.

The armor is cut to ribbons and slowly regenerates but the man is severely outmatched and his blood coats the ground. Both Ke’an and System notice Azeraath seems to have picked up a new weapon in the form of an ice saw which he uses in deadly combination with his sabre. The manic whispered is deflecting bullets or slashing at Benny with skill and grace that made Ke’an somewhat jealous. One particularly bad slice with the saw caught Benny in the leg, the large serrations cutting through the armor like paper and deeply ripping flesh. Azeraath raised his sabre, bringing it down to behead the monk and continue on his rampage.

“System!” Ke’an yells.

“I got him!” System responds.

In a flash Ke’an inserts himself between Azeraath and Benny, blocking the sabre with his machete. At the same time System grabs the downed Benney who is losing a lot of blood. She throws him over her shoulders in a fireman's carry and runs them to the wall. Azeraaths smile fades into a scowl as once again his blade clashes with Ke’an.

Azeraath locked his blade with Ke’an and leaned in with a voice as rough as gravel. “I will admit, you and that woman are nothing if not persistent. I offer you this, warrior. Leave and you and your woman will be spared.”

“Oh, you are talking now?” Ke’an says with some surprise and strain as he also leans into the bind of their weapons. “Remember what I told you before Azeraath? You have only one thing I want and fortunately I can’t take it from you while you are alive. So, do me a favor and die. Also if you could stop trying to destroy my wedding venue that would also be preferable.”

Azeraath and Ke’an continues to clash with Azeraath keeping the momentum from his previous fights. Ke’an moves at a controlled retreat as Azeraath swings his sabre infused with the destructive emerald energy and the ice saw polearm giving him more distance. The retreat is not perfect though and Ke’an found himself cut and burned several times. Azeraath quickly figured out that Ke’an is merely distracting him and drawing him further away from the temple. However, anytime Azeraath looks like he might disengage, Ke'an presses the attack, drawing his attention back to their fight.

Soon the pair found their way out of the plaza and back into the burning town. The fight between the two only intensifies as their energies clashed in a violent burst. Ke’an is thankful that the villagers managed to carve the mana siphans into so many trees. He can not help but feel jealous of the massive mana pool Azeraath must possess. Without the life force of the forest constantly fueling Ke’an’s magic he and System would have been dead many times over. If he were relying on his own mana alone he knows he would have run out in their first encounter. Yet despite the constant fighting Azeraath can use his magic with reckless abandon.

Azeraath finds an opening in Ke’an’s defense and plunges his sword forward in order to skewer him. He however didn’t notice the spell Ke’an was chanting at the same time.

“Frozen death come forth o’ demon, let winter’s kiss cover me in glory.” Ke’an says his words calmly and practiced as if he has said those words a thousand times despite it being his first time using the spell.

Skill: Cuirass of the Ice Demon 0.00%

Skill type: Summon

Cooldown: 1 hours

Magic cost: medium cost per second

Effect: Summon armor made from ice infused with the casters magic.

Transcendent: Spikes grow from the armor that causes [Stone Flesh] retaliatory damage on attackers.

Stone Flesh

[Stackable] [Affliction]

Cause paralysis on target for a short time. If instance(s) of stone flesh stack on target become debilitating or are not cleansed, the afflicted area will become stone.

Things seemed to slow down as the shards of silver light accumulated around Ke’an’s body. The shards quickly accumulated in number and size, filling in gaps and becoming a solid silver ice. Ke’an’s body is covered in what looked like a light armor cuirass, gauntlets and plated boots all made from magic silver ice. A smile stretched across Ke’an’s face as a full face helmet materialized completing the set.

The armor does not impede Ke’an’s movement as he manages to dodge to his right as Azeraath’s blade grazes the chest armor. The armor reacts to the attack as several ice spikes shoot out from the point of impact in retaliation. Ke’an is surprised as the spikes pass straight through Azeraath without him taking any damage. In fact it seemed as if he could phase straight through the ice without issue. The exchange shocks both of them and the two warriors jump back from one another, both assessing the changes to the other.

Ke’an extended his Administrator authority to look over Azeraath’s equipment. He wants to see if he missed some hidden greater wraith item.

Apprentice Administrator Reality Editor

You have selected Azeraath (Level 50), you do not meet the requirement to edit this item. Edits to individuals can be resisted if their level exceeds yours. You lack the Administrator level needed to edit this item.

You have selected Greater Snow Wraith Sabre (Level 48), you lack the Administrator level needed to edit this item. Edits to individuals can be resisted if their level exceeds yours. You lack the Administrator level needed to edit this item

View item description(s) (Yes / No)

You have selected Casidy Necklace of Frost (Level 19). How would you like to edit this item? Edits to individuals can be resisted if their level exceeds yours. This is a forged item under the control of a Forge Master, please note that changes made to this item can be resisted if the Forge Master’s level exceeds yours. You are an Apprentice Administrator your choices are limited to the following:

Reshape

Release trapped spirit

Infuse with magic

View item description(s) (Yes / No)

Ke’an lets out a cold breath when he sees the description of the last item. Casidy is dead which explains why Benny was fighting Azeraath alone. Ke’an was not fond of the monk but learning that his soul is captured in some trinket angered him. Azeraath has no right to rob anyone’s soul of their rest with the Goddess. The monk lived and died serving Batri and he deserves the dignity to rest in peace. The twisted abomination Azeraath has changed the monk into angers Ke’an to the core.

Ke’an feel something in the back of his mind rushing like a river crashing against a dam. It isn’t anger but instead power and hatred. It is pure rejection of reality as if it is the very antithesis to existence. Ke’an can not understand what is going on; it feels like something totally unlike the Administrator Authority and his mana. He does not have time to investigate nor the patients to figure out a power he can not comprehend at the moment. So he rejects the influence to focus on what he does understand.

As Azeraath’s eyes trace the armor his face twists into single minded rage. “My armor? Are you a Forge Master? You stole my prey and forged my armor. You wretch. You fake.”

Ke’an does not respond, instead he sheathes his war machete at his side as Azeraath charges him. He opens his arms presenting his protected chest giving him a clear target. Azeraath focuses his energy into his weapons and prepares himself for a follow-up and counter. However, Ke’an does not move even as the emerald energy sears into his armor and the sabre pierces his chest. The ice armor retaliates with spikes of ice that are unable to find purchase as they pass through their target.

Nothing can escape the destructive power of the emerald energy coursing through Ke’an leaving a nine inch hole clean through him where his heart, lungs and spine used to be. Azeraath is confused; he could tell the warrior had much more fight left in him but he just let himself be impaled. He looks into Ke’an eyes which are still locked on to him, boring into his soul despite his grievous wound.