Outside the cave, Aurella's spear was a blur of golden lightning. She was locked in a fierce exchange with the original Alpha, her movements so fluid they seemed like a dance. But the Alpha Berserker was no easy target; even with her divine speed, his massive stone axe parried her strikes with bone-jarring force.
Malphas, meanwhile, had backed the clone into a corner of the camp. The werewolf phantom was covered in deep gashes, its murky aura fading with every drop of blood it lost.
Leo stood at the cavern's mouth, still invisible, taking in the scene. He could see Sylvia on the ridge, her brow furrowed as she scanned the area. Her arrows were flying with less precision than before; it was clear she was stressed about his 'disappearance.'
'Why are the others standing down?' Leo mused, watching the surrounding troops remain rooted in place, mesmerized by the clash of Epic-grade entities.
'Malphas, do you require aid?' Leo projected through the soul-link.
Malphas caught a desperate lunge on his attacker and sent the clone spiraling into the muck with a heavy front kick. A surge of cold relief flooded the knight's mind. 'Negative, my lord. I merely restricted the others from intervening to mask your movements. Now that you have returned, I shall erase this filth.'
Leo let out a low, dark chuckle. He had anticipated a desperate struggle after his brush with death, but his knight was more than capable of holding the line. 'Allow me to return the favor.' He gripped his dagger, his mind flicking to the dagger skill's description.
[Backstab: Critical strike from stealth. Inflicts high-tier neurotoxin and necrotic decay.]
'You wolf bastard, you dared to ambush me. Let me offer you the same.' Leo vanished, reappearing like a whisper in the wind behind the clone's flank. With a fluid, practiced motion, he buried the blade into the wolf's spine.
''Awoooo!'' The clone's howl was a mixture of agony and pure confusion. It twisted its head, searching for a phantom it could not see, even as the poison began to liquefy its internal organs.
The original Alpha was reaching his breaking point. Sensing his shadow-self was about to dissolve, he gripped his axe with white-knuckled fury. ''Show yourself! Face me, you cowar—!''
The roar was cut short. A blade erupted through his chest, piercing the very center of his heart. 'Impossible...' the Alpha thought, his golden eyes clouding. 'My senses... I am a legacy holder... how?'
Sylvia's emerald eyes sharpened as she finally understood the game. A melodic, mocking laugh rippled through the air. ''So you've been playing the ghost this whole time, neighbor? Well, it seems I don't need to hold back anymore."
She drew her bow to its breaking point. The storm clouds didn't just darken; they turned an absolute, void-like black. Points of starlight began to manifest in the artificial night, swirling around her arrow.
Grakul fell to his knees, his breath hitching in his chest. ''What kind of monsters am I witnessing today?''
Aurella's lips curled into a rare, satisfied smile. She vaulted backward, clearing the kill zone as Sylvia loosed the string. The arrow wasn't a projectile; it was a falling star. It streaked across the dark firmament with the roar of a collapsing mountain, a line of pure celestial fire aimed at the Alpha's head.
The beast looked up, the light reflecting in his dying eyes. ''NOO.''
BOOMMMMMM!!
Leo shielded his eyes against the searing afterglow of the impact. 'Damn,' he muttered to himself, 'what an absolute monster.'
When the veil of dust finally dissipated, the Alpha's mangled remains lay broken in the dirt, his features twisted in a permanent mask of shock. At that exact moment, the Vanishing Edict expired. Leo's form flickered like a dying candle before stabilizing into reality.
''LORRRRD!'' The Captain collided with Leo in a crushing hug, his massive frame shaking with sobs. ''Lord... you live! You live!'' The Contrast of his rippling muscles and his tear-streaked, youthful face was jarring.
Leo grunted as the air was knocked out of him, patting the hobgoblin's shoulder. ''Did you truly have so little faith in me?'' The Captain shook his head violently, unable to speak. From a distance, Vespar watched the reunion; a ghost of a smile touched her lips before she pulled her hood lower, retreating into her usual stoicism.
Sylvia glided to his side, her emerald eyes scanning him for injuries. ''You really had me worried for a moment, Leo. You're quite the heartbreaker, aren't you?'' She faked a dramatic sniffle, dabbing at an imaginary tear.
Leo pushed Captain aside and met her gaze. "Sorry for that. I had no choice if I wanted to stay alive, and I couldn't communicate without giving away my location,'' he said, his voice regaining its cool edge.
Sylvia's eyebrows shot up ''Oh, you're even apologizing now? How rare. Anyway, let's move inside.''
She offered a knowing smile and led the way into the cavern, Aurella following like a silent, golden shadow.
Leo followed, a sharp cough escaping him as he tried to mask his rising anxiety. Behind him, Malphas's visor shifted, his keen senses picking up on Leo's uncharacteristic tension as they approached the inner sanctum.
The cave was empty, and the guards vanished the moment their Alpha died. They reached the grotto where the golden pond shimmered in the twilight.
Leo's fingers curled into his palms. Sylvia stepped to the water's edge and inhaled deeply, the sweet scent of sandalwood filling the chamber. She knelt, cupping the liquid and bringing it to her lips. A look of pure triumph crossed her face. ''Finally.''
Leo let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. 'She's here for the dew,' he realized. 'The womb is safe.'
Aurella, however, was not so easily satisfied. Her golden eyes swept the grotto with clinical precision. 'The Spirit Womb is missing,' she projected to Sylvia. 'Where is it?'
Sylvia stood up, smoothing her tunic. 'The boy took it. It was the only reason for that peculiar disappearance.'
'Then we should reclaim it. It was not part of the bargain,' Aurella's wings tensed, her spear beginning to hum with suppressed lightning.
'Let it go, Aurella. I have the Ambrosia Dew for my mother's sake. Besides, I find our neighbor far more interesting than a lump of stone. Let's see what he does with it,' Sylvia replied. She pulled several bamboo-carved vials from her inventory and began to fill them.
Aurella shook her head in silent disapproval. 'Always playing games,' she thought, watching Sylvia approach Leo with a playful glint in her eyes.
''For you,'' Sylvia said, holding out the vials.
''And these are?'' Leo asked, maintaining his mask of ignorance.
''A little something for your troubles,'' she chuckled, repeating the description of the 'Eternal Beauty' dew almost verbatim before pushing them into his hands with a suggestive wink.
They emerged from the cave into the cooling rain. The Captain was already busy, directing the skeletal units to scavenge the camp for usable materials and hides. Suddenly, the air fractured. A magnificent, purple-ornamented chest materialized between the two Lords- the Epic-grade reward for clearing a high-level encampment.
Simultaneously, a thunderous system announcement shook the sky, broadcasting their achievement to every Lord in their respective regions.
Leo stepped toward the chest, his hand hovering over the lid.
[Epic Grade Clear Reward: Werewolf King's Treasury]
[Skill Book: Berserker's Roar (Rare)] - A mental-type skill that stuns enemies and buffs allied strength.
[Oathbreaker's Ring(Rare)] - A dull silver ring engraved with fractured runes. It warms when lies are spoken nearby.
[Unique Item: Crest of the Pack-Hunter] - A token that allows the lord to command or recruit canine-type monsters with a 40% higher success rate.
But at the very center, glowing with a soft, blue hue, was a small, ornate box.
[Relic: Legacy Stone]
[Details: A vessel containing the crystallized soul and talent of a fallen Lord. This relic acts as a gateway; any individual who enters and overcomes the internal trial will permanently inherit the stored talent.]
'A gateway to a Hero's power,' Leo realized, his mind flashing back to the "clone" he had just helped destroy. This was the source of that impossible duplication talent- and now it belonged to him.
Sylvia peered over his shoulder, her emerald eyes reflecting the violet glow. She didn't look greedy; she looked satisfied. ''A fine haul, neighbor. A talent trial is a rare find. It's worth every drop of blood we spilled today.''
Before Leo could respond, a system announcement boomed over the entire 86th regional channel.
[Regional Announcement: Congratulations to 'Crimson Lord' and Lord 'Sylvia Starlight' for the first successful Joint-Raid of an Epic-Rank Outpost!] [Rewards have been distributed. The reputations of both Lords have increased significantly.]