'Through out the entire time that seemed like a week, his essence, as uncontrollable as it was, leaking and being drained out of his body, just wouldn't run out. Without any doubts, this unknown man bears the Mark of Myth. If I let him grow... If he later finds out I saw some of those memories he is desperately trying to hide, I... I would certainly be hunted down and killed!"
It is better to strike first when one has the advantage.
Astrid was on the offensive. Her blade rushed through the air for Timofey's ribs when a veil of blood suddenly splashed all over her body. With Timofey summoning and instantly pulverising a goblin to cover himself, he threw out a hit of his own, the mimicked might of de Chevreuse sending the spirit woman into the dark forest.
But of course he was not done. As the instant Astrid attempted to regain her footing, she suddenly appeared before his face, and received an uppercut to her chin launching her high up in the sky.
Astrid let out a grunt, then suddenly sprouted wings and rushed down to the earth in a ball of hot air.
With a snicker that soon turned to a look of surprise, Timofey had stretched his hand out, intending to remove Astrid's sword from her hand. The sword had come to him, yes, but so had Astrid, pressing the blade into his open palm.
Timofey took a few steps back, grabbing his arm in pain as a few blood lusting insects poured out of the back of his hand.
"Hmm. Is this a trait of Chevreuse's virtue, or simply lack of knowledge of the proper capabilities of his power?"
Astrid asked as she looked down at his bleeding hand.
Timofey sighed. "Of course these are the properties of 'his' Virtue. Did you think the monsters he carries are of endless supply?"
Astrid stood and pondered. 'This is Timofey I'm talking to.'
She quickly squatted as the appearance stealer summoned her in front of him, but realised she had made the wrong call when his knee struck her chin.
Before she could even get knocked back, she was summoned again at a lower angle where Timofey's palm was open to catch her face. Her plain face tore open a mouth as she intended to bite down on his hand. However, once again she had made the wrong call, her body instantly being summoned again by Timofey's other hand which punched right into her stomach.
Astrid was pushed back, her knee nearly hitting the ground as she grabbed her chest.
"Tsk tsk tsk." Timofey scoffed. "I must have hit you too hard on your head, Solstice's abomination. I'll give you the chance to back off now before I start fighting seriously."
Astrid could predict Timofey's movements, yet acting on those predictions now made her predictable. After all, she did not know Timofey more than he knew himself.
To add, Timofey was extremely insincere, so his method of fighting which Astrid thought she'd figured out could have just been a ruse to lure her into this situation. He suddenly felt like a stranger Astrid had just met, despite her having obtained knowledge about him before hand.
'Did he bleed on purpose intending to lower my guard, or was this a mistake he was just smart enough to work into an advantage? No! I should disregard the entire wound, and act as randomly as possible. But without proper technique, my fighting prowess would be reduced... Is that what he wants?"
"What are you doing? Now isn't the time to space out." Timofey shook his head.
'His heartbeat is steady— even more relaxed than before. He's planning something!' Just as Astrid finished her thoughts, a large man-like wolf suddenly leapt at her from the side. Her body jumped anxiously to quickly smack the creature away, however an image of Timofey's fist running through her head flashed in her mind, so she held her sword to block in front of her instead.
However, Timofey did not move.
'No matter, this beast cannot cause any substantial damage to my body. As long as I keep my eyes on him at all times, I should be fine.'
The wolf's claw slashed through Astrid's shoulder, while the woman raised one fist into its neck without looking at the beast. The wolf let out a whimper of pain as it fell.
"Come on now, Solstice." Timofey chuckled. "What are you even—" He suddenly lunged forward.
'Of course! He is coming towards me this time!' Astrid's blade struck downwards to cut down the man, however Timofey had only taken one step— not enough to be in her melee attack range yet.
'What?' Astrid's face suddenly appeared before Timofey's palm as he grabbed her head and slammed it into the ground. He then stood up straight and kicked her further into the earth with his feet, burying half her body in the ground.
"Where is that Seer." As if Astrid was not right beneath the soles of his shoes, Timofey turned his attention elsewhere.
Of the three prophets rampaging in the forest, Ikky was the easiest target— they were smart enough to realise it. But it was still quite the spectacle watching a few of those beasts that had littered the forest choose to run towards the two titans rather than the lone Seer.
Ikky did not know if he was fighting properly. If anything, he just acts the instant the thought to do so crosses his mind. More especially, he knows where it hurts.
He would smash his elbows into the goblins' noses and teeth, shove their clubs down the throats of the wolves before bending it at least ninety degrees inside their mouths and slam his knee into the tail bones of the bipedal monsters. His methods provided no efficient ways to kill, so as long as his victims at least were on the ground, disabled enough not to move properly, he would go onto the next.
Those with softer flesh and skimpier limbs get their bodies dug out by his claws and their bones used to stab them.
Ikky's movements were slippery and so he was incredibly hard to catch. But even still, if a heavy mace fell on his back, the one who threw it down would either back off first or get to try again if it was lucky.
There were those creatures that would attempt to mimic what the man was doing, but they could only come to the thought that they were doing it wrong. His own tricks never seemed to work on himself.
However in time, things started to look bad even for him.
"Throw an arm to the side. It's in the beast's mouth, so pull its tongue out." Yaga spoke.
The flesh was scraped off Ikky's arm as he pulled through the wolf's sharp teeth.
"Run!"
Ikky did as she said again and ran forward. The goblin ahead of him slammed down on his shoulder with its mace. Ikky fell to the ground, reached for its leg and smashed his head into the heavy creature's knee, causing it to bend in the opposite direction.
Ikky could no longer see. Blood that was not his own, and more of those that were his had covered him from head to toe. But for some reason, he moved as lively as ever.
So Yaga did what she could to guide him... or at least try to. Ikky could after all, not navigate just through her voice cues alone.
The creature who's knee had just been knocked inwards cried out in pain, then whimpered as Ikky's knee hit its crotch before he found its neck and dug his thumbs into it to pull it apart.
Timofey blinked multiple times in a surprised stare. "That's a damned virtue if I've ever seen one. A shame seeing as it's the perfect trait for mindless soldiers. But if it requires me to go through that, I might as well not have seen it at all."
He stretched his arm out in an attempt to summon the seer by his side. However before he could go through with it, he suddenly stopped, his eyes opened wider as if the crimson light in the forest was no longer enough to see clearly.
The near-dead Seer tore off a cloth from a grey goblin to wipe his eyes. This fabric was cleaner than the others he'd come in contact with.
Ikky clicked his tongue from the irritation, however with a bit of his sight returned to him, he raised his fist to the side and slammed into the stomach of an approaching anthropomorphic pig beast, shattering its ribs and launching it into a brittle tree.
That creature's flesh was huge— filled with more muscle than fat, yet Timofey had clearly heard its bones break amidst the roars.
The others of the same species of pig humans shook their heads as they turned to each other, before running back to hide behind the trees. The damned monster was still standing.
Ikky looked down at his bloody arm. He could see beneath that red was a layer of starry midnight. This arm had been shattered before, but it could still function. In fact, it hit harder than ever.
The charm had spread all over his body, glowing with dark light.
The "Vrykolakas of the puppet knight" is a charm with the ability to absorb most of the essence Ikky spills out by mistake, eating it and storing it for later. In fact, the weapon's real colour was like that of the white sword it was made from, but only turned black because of how much essence it had caught seeping out of the Seer.
Ikky can no longer use that essence for anything else since the charm itself only absorbs energy, not release it.
It's other combat use however— the main function— is to expand and replace any shattered bone or fortify any torn out body part of its user's body.
And while it replaces Ikky's broken limbs or shattered bones, that charm itself did not have the limits of flesh. If a vein had been replaced by the Vrykolakas, it would pump blood better, if an eye had been torn out, it would become something that can see farther, if a limb had been broken, it would become something that was even harder.
It was in its name. This charm made whoever uses it into a zombie.
But why would it not be preferable to other charm users? Well for starters, not many had the amount of essence a Dream grade Mark had to cover the charm's expense.
Secondly, not everyone has the mental tolerance to still be awake after their bodies had suffered the immense levels of pain Ikky could endure.
Most would want prevention from getting hurt, not getting hurt and keep a cure for later. But Ikky's curses could not be prevented. Three out of three curses had paralysed him so far without prior warning. The charm is very valuable.
The bloodbath began anew. But by this time, Timofey had seen enough.
The Believer raised his index finger in front of his face, his disguise wearing off and bright dust accumulating into an orb in front of him.
At the summon of his Totem, the chaotic forest quietened— even time seemed to have stopped in attention to Timofey's command.