[Last Episode: The three men were still heading back to the unknown village for an update on the goblins defeat as they kept chatting in the dark]
Chapter 83, Episode 83
[The scene shifted to the four warriors – Izar, Haschwalth, Avior, and Matthaus – along with Christo, the captain]
[They had been sent on a mission by Sagris, the ruler, to defeat the Wraithlord in the dreaded Dungeon]
[As they approached the Dungeon's entrance, a foreboding structure shrouded in mist and darkness, they paused to discuss their plan]
Christo: Alright, team, We need to be sharp in there. The Wraithlord is no ordinary foe. Haschwalth, what's your read on the situation?
[Christo said, his voice steady and commanding]
[Haschwalth, his eyes narrowed in thought, spoke quickly]
Haschwalth: Given the Wraithlord's reputation for manipulating shadows and draining life force, we'll need to stay mobile and watch for any signs of shadow manipulation. I'd suggest Izar leads the charge with his brute strength to draw aggro while Avior keeps an eye out for any traps or hidden threats.
[Avior nodded, his gaze scanning the Dungeon entrance]
Avior: I'll watch for anything unusual. Shadows, hidden passages...anything that doesn't look right. Matthaus, you keep an eye on our rear and make sure we're not flanked.
[Matthaus nodded, gripping his weapon tightly]
Matthaus: Got it.
[Izar grinned cockily]
Izar: Don't worry about me. I'll smash the Wraithlord into oblivion. Easy.
[Christo raised an eyebrow]
Christo: Izar, don't get too cocky. We need teamwork in there. Haschwalth, do you have any specific strategy for dealing with the Wraithlord's abilities..
[Haschwalth nodded]
Haschwalth: We should try to keep the Wraithlord in a tight space to limit its shadow manipulation. Avior's agility will be key in dodging its attacks while we chip away at it.
[Avior nodded in agreement]
Avior: I'll make sure to stay on my toes.
[As they finished discussing their plan, they stepped into the Dungeon, the darkness swallowing them like a living thing. Shadows twisted around them, and a chill ran down their spines]
[The air was thick with an otherworldly presence]
Christo: We're in, Stay sharp
[Christo said, his voice low]
[The warriors moved deeper into the Dungeon, their senses on high alert as they searched for the Wraithlord]
[The darkness seemed to writhe around them like living tendrils]
[Haschwalth suddenly spoke up]
Haschwalth: Wait. Do you feel that? The air's getting colder. The Wraithlord might be nearby.
Avior's eyes darted around. I see shadows moving...like they're alive.
[Izar cracked his knuckles]
Izar: Time to show the Wraithlord what we're made of.
[The team braced themselves, ready for the confrontation with the Wraithlord]
[The darkness in the Dungeon seemed to press in closer, anticipating the battle]
[As the team ventured deeper into the Dungeon, the shadows seemed to twist and writhe around them like living darkness]
[The air grew colder, and a faint, unsettling whisper echoed through the passageways, like the sighing of the dead]
Haschwalth: I think we're getting close, The atmosphere's shifting. The Wraithlord's presence is palpable.
[Haschwalth said, his voice low and focused]
[Avior nodded, his agile eyes darting through the shadows]
Avior: I see movements out of the corner of my eye. Like tendrils of darkness probing us.
[Izar snorted]
Izar: Tendrils? I'll snap 'em like twigs.
[Christo raised a cautioning hand]
Christo: We don't know what we're dealing with yet. Stay alert.
[Matthaus swallowed, his grip on his weapon tightening]
Matthaus: Do...do you think the Wraithlord is as bad as they say?
[Haschwalth's expression was serious]
Haschwalth: Worse. The Wraithlord is a master of shadow manipulation. It can drain life force and warp reality in its vicinity. But we have a plan.
[As they turned a corner in the Dungeon's twisting passages, they spotted something]
[In an alcove ahead, partially shrouded in darkness, they saw a throne-like structure made of twisted, shadowy material]
[On the throne, a figure began to coalesce out of the darkness itself. The air around the figure seemed to distort, like reality was bending away from it]
Avior: The Wraithlord's seat, its manifesting
[Avior whispered]
[The figure on the throne grew more solid, taking on a humanoid shape with features twisted like blackened bone]
[Eyes like burning embers flickered to life in its face, regarding the team with malevolent intent]
[The team stood frozen for a moment, sizing up the Wraithlord as it finished manifesting]
[The Wraithlord's ember-like eyes watched them, and a whisper like the wind through graves filled the air]
Christo: We ready?
[Christo asked, his voice steady]
[Haschwalth nodded]
Haschwalth: We have to be careful. This isn't going to be an easy fight.
[Izar cracked his knuckles again]
Izar: I'm ready to crush it.
[The Wraithlord didn't move yet. It seemed to be studying them, its presence growing more oppressive by the second]
[The team waited, poised on the edge of battle, knowing that when the fight began, it would be intense]
[As the team reached the alcove where the Wraithlord sat on its throne-like structure made of twisted, shadowy material, the atmosphere grew even more devastating]
[The Wraithlord's presence alone shook the environment, leaving a palpable sense of dread hanging in the air like a shroud]
[Shadows writhed around the Wraithlord like living darkness, and the ember-like eyes in its face watched the team with calculating intelligence]
[The Wraithlord spoke in a voice like the whisper of wind through graves, its words dripping with malevolent intent]
Wraithlord: You think you can defeat me? The master of shadows? The one who wields the darkness of the void?
[Haschwalth stepped forward slightly, his eyes narrowed as he analyzed the situation using his Infinity magic]
Haschwalth: We were sent by Sagris, the ruler. We aim to defeat you, Wraithlord. You manipulate shadows and drain life force. We know your capabilities.
[The Wraithlord's gaze lingered on Haschwalth, then moved to the rest of the team]
Wraithlord: Sagris thinks he can send pawns to deal with me? I am beyond his jurisdiction. I am the shadow that devours light.
[Izar snorted, his cockiness evident]
Izar: Talk's cheap. Show us what you got, shadow boy.
[Avior frowned slightly, his agile eyes watching for any sign of movement from the Wraithlord]
Avior: We should be careful. This one's not to be underestimated.
[Christo nodded, his captain's voice steady]
Christo: Agreed. Wraithlord, we know your powers. Shadow manipulation, life drain...we're prepared for that.
[The Wraithlord leaned forward slightly on its throne, shadows swirling more intensely around it]
Wraithlord: Prepared? You think being prepared is enough against the master of darkness? I will show you the true meaning of power in shadows.
[Matthaus swallowed, his grip on his polearm tight]
Matthaus: W-we should...maybe talk about strategy?
[Haschwalth Reeliio nodded thoughtfully, still analyzing the Wraithlord with his Infinity magic]
Haschwalth: The Wraithlord is intelligent and calculating. It'll use its shadows to limit our movements and drain our strength. We need to keep mobile and watch for shadow binds.
[The Wraithlord leaned back on its throne, its ember-like eyes glinting with amusement]
Wraithlord: You think you can strategize against me? I have lived in the darkness longer than you've breathed air. The shadows are my domain.
[The team stood poised, waiting for the Wraithlord to make its next move, the tension thick in the air like a living thing]
[The Wraithlord didn't attack yet; it seemed content to taunt them with its presence and words, playing a cat-and-mouse game with the warriors]
[The Wraithlord's ember-like eyes glinted with malevolent intent as it decided to end the verbal sparring]
[With a whisper like the wind through graves, it initiated the fight]
Wraithlord: You want to test your mettle against me?, Then let the shadows decide
[The Wraithlord said, its voice dripping with dark amusement]
[The Wraithlord unleashed a torrent of shadowy tendrils, wrapping them around the team like living chains]
[But this was just 1% of the Wraithlord's true power – a hint of its capability to overwhelm]
[Avior reacted swiftly, using his Thoughts/Mind magic to create a blast of mental force that shattered some of the shadowy binds]
Avior: We need to stay mobile!
[he shouted, using Precognition to anticipate the Wraithlord's next moves]
[Haschwalth raised a hand, employing his Infinity magic to warp reality locally]
[Using Veridian Weave, he manipulated the fundamental threads of reality to make gravity pull in opposing directions in a small radius, disrupting the Wraithlord's shadowy tendrils]
Wraithlord: Keep attacking!
[he commanded]
[Izar charged forward, using his Biological Manipulation to enhance his strength and speed]
[He conjured a blast of flames with Fire Manipulation, aiming to burn away the shadows closing in]
[With Gladiator Shadow Sword, he vaporized several shadowy attacks and slashed at the Wraithlord's shadowy extensions]
[Christo unleashed a wave of absolute-zero ice with his ice magic, attempting to freeze the shadows in place]
[Using Chrono-Rime, he froze some of the Wraithlord's shadowy constructs in time, immobilizing them]
Christo: We need to break its control over shadows!
[Christo shouted]
[Matthaus swung his Quantum-Halberd, using its ability to bend the laws of physics]
[He made the blade's density fluctuate wildly, striking with crushing force against shadowy constructs while dodging others]
[With Aegis-Shaft, he generated a protective energy field to deflect incoming shadow binds]
[The Wraithlord counterattacked with a mere 1% of its power, yet its shadowy assaults were overwhelming]
[Using Eclipsing Convergence, it opened portals within shadows, teleporting shadowy blades to attack from unexpected angles]
[With Shadowbind, it infected Avior's shadow, attempting to drain his life force]
[Avior countered with Mind Shield, blocking the shadow-parasite's influence]
Avior: Izar, burn its shadows!
[he shouted]
[Izar obliged, summoning a Phoenix bird with Fire Eclipse Saint. The bird boiled at 4000 degrees, causing the Wraithlord's shadows to writhe in agony and partially dispel]
[The Phoenix flew at the Wraithlord, causing it to momentarily recoil]
[Haschwalth used Nullisphere to create a localized zone where the concept of "shadow" didn't exist, momentarily crippling the Wraithlord's manipulations within that sphere]
Haschwalth: In here, it can't use shadows!
[he said]
[Christo took advantage of the opening, using Cosmic Ice to erase some of the Wraithlord's shadowy constructs entirely]
Christo: We need to push it back!
[he growled]
[The Wraithlord retaliated even with just 1% power, using Reality Warping Manipulation to twist space-time locally]
[It caused the team to stumble as reality itself seemed to bend and writhe]
[Matthaus held firm with his polearm's abilities, using Kinetic-Glaive to absorb and redirect some of the distorted energy back at the Wraithlord]
[The battle raged on, the team using their diverse powers to fight against the Wraithlord's shadowy onslaught]
[Though the Wraithlord was using only 1% of its power, it still vastly outclassed them, pushing them to their limits]
[Shadows twisted, ice crackled, flames roared, and minds clashed in a maelstrom of abilities]
[The team fought valiantly, moving at speeds that transcended the speed of light in flashes of their abilities]
[Avior darted with Thought Shift, Haschwalth warped reality with Veridian Weave to shortcut distances, Izar teleported with Teleportation magic, Christo flashed across space with movements amplified by his ice magic, and Matthaus swung his Quantum-Halberd in blurs that bent physics]
[Together, they annihilated the horde of shadow minions the Wraithlord had created]
[Shadows dissipated, shadowy blades shattered, and shadowy constructs crumbled under the team's combined onslaught]
[With a final sweep of Matthaus's Quantum-Halberd and a burst of Christo's Cosmic Ice, the last shadow minion was eradicated]
[The Wraithlord stood up from its throne-like structure, its ember-like eyes glowing with a mix of surprise and approval]
Wraithlord: Well done. You have defeated my shadow servants. Few have managed such a feat.
[The Wraithlord's voice was like a cold wind through a graveyard as it congratulated them]
[But as it rose to its full height, its aura alone erupted like a shockwave of darkness and power]
[The team was blasted backward with such force that they crashed into walls, bled from ruptured wounds, and struggled to even breathe]
[The devastation was palpable]
Wraithlord: Now...you face me..
[The Wraithlord growled, its aura continuing to push them back like a living thing]
[The crew groaned in agony as they tried to pounce on the Wraithlord despite the crushing force of its aura]
Avior: G-gods...How do we...fight this...?
[Avior gasped, bleeding from his nose]
Haschwalth: Impossible...He's overwhelming...in every category...
[Haschwalth Reeliio grimaced, his Infinity magic straining to comprehend the Wraithlord's might]
[Izar snarled, using all his Biological Manipulation to enhance his resistance to the Wraithlord's aura]
Izar: We can't...back down...now! Shadow Blaze...!
[He tried to push forward but was slammed back again]
[Christo coughed blood, his ice magic faltering against the Wraithlord's onslaught of powers]
Christo: A-all our powers...aren't enough...Wraithlord is...too much...
[Matthaus struggled to keep hold of his Quantum-Halberd as the Wraithlord's aura twisted space-time around him]
Matthaus: N-no...this can't...be...
[The Wraithlord unleashed its full array of powers against the team – using Shadow Manipulation to bind them tighter, Gravity Manipulation to crush them downward, Probability Manipulation to make their attacks miss, Reality Manipulation to twist their perceptions, and Elemental Manipulation to blast them with waves of fire, water, earth, and air]
[It employed Sound Manipulation to shatter their eardrums, Light Manipulation to blind them, and Darkness Manipulation to suffocate them in shadows]
[With Life Manipulation, the Wraithlord accelerated their wounds' severity]
[With Death Manipulation, it loomed over them like an inevitability. Mind Manipulation twisted their thoughts into chaos, and Memory Manipulation muddled their recollections]
[The Wraithlord used Aether Manipulation, Blood Manipulation, Flesh Manipulation, and Bone Manipulation to further torment them on a physical level]
[The Wraithlord's Etereal Voidweave created tangible shadowy constructs that pinned them down]
[Chronomancy of the Void warped time around them, aging them in spots or freezing them in agony]
[Nocturne Assimilation let the Wraithlord phase through shadows to strike from impossible angles]
[Singularity Genesis created shadows out of nothing to ensnare them further]
[The team bled profusely, crying out in pain as the Wraithlord overwhelmed them in every category with the powers you gave it]
Avior: W-we're...being...destroyed...
[Avior sobbed, his thoughts shattered]
Haschwalth: Ugh...Infinity magic...fails...
[Haschwalth groaned]
[Izar screamed as shadowy bindings cut into him]
Izar: Can't...take...this!
[Christo's vision blurred as the Wraithlord's powers crushed him]
Christo: O-over...we're...over...
[Matthaus's grip on his Quantum-Halberd faltered as the Wraithlord's omnipresent powers crushed him too]
Matthaus: D-done...we're done...
[The Wraithlord loomed over them, its powers a maelstrom of darkness and manipulation, overwhelming the team utterly]
[The team was on the brink of total defeat, bleeding, broken, and battered beyond recovery]
[Despite being battered and bleeding, the team refused to give up]
[Fueled by determination and rage, they continued to fight the Wraithlord with everything they had]
Avior: We can't...let him win!
[Avior snarled, using Mind Shatter to blast the Wraithlord with a wave of mental force. The Wraithlord countered with Mind Manipulation, twisting Avior's thoughts into confusion momentarily]
[Haschwalth grit his teeth]
Haschwalth: We need...to break...his rhythm!
[He unleashed a Paradox Wave with his Infinity magic, attempting to disrupt the Wraithlord's manipulation of causality]
[The Wraithlord resisted with Causality Manipulation, adapting to the paradoxes and maintaining its flow of attacks]
[Izar roared, summoning a torrent of flames with Fire Eclipse Saint]
Izar: Burn...you shadow!
[The Wraithlord tanked the flames with its mastery of Elemental Manipulation, using water to dampen the blaze and earth to shield itself]
[Christo charged with a burst of speed amplified by his ice magic]
Christo: Ice...Crush!
[He attempted to freeze the Wraithlord solid with Cosmic Ice. The Wraithlord evaded with a flicker of Shadow Manipulation, teleporting aside and countering with a wave of Probability Manipulation that made Christo stumble]
[Matthaus swung his Quantum-Halberd in a desperate arc]
Matthaus: Quantum...slash!
[This time, the attack hit true – the Wraithlord was stunned momentarily as the laws of physics bent around it in a localized quantum flux]
[The Wraithlord stumbled back, its ember-like eyes widening]
[As the Wraithlord regained its balance, it spoke in a voice like the wind through ancient ruins]
Wraithlord: Two hundred years ago...I fought the Luminari...masters of light...in the wars of shadow and dawn. I shattered their lines...twisted their realities...and danced in the shadows of their defeat. Now...you are but a footnote...in the annals of my power.
[The Wraithlord retaliated with a storm of powers – using Reality Warping Manipulation to twist space-time around them, conjuring shadowy constructs with Etereal Voidweave, and employing Temporal Manipulation to slow their movements]
[The team fought on, battered and bruised, but still refusing to yield]
Izar: We...won't...lose!
[Izar screamed, using Gladiator Shadow Sword to cleave through shadows]
Christo: Not...yet!
[Christo growled, trying to freeze the Wraithlord again]
[The battle raged on, the Wraithlord overwhelming them with its vast powers but the team clinging to their defiance]
[Switching the scene to the Abyss Sea World]
[In the twilight depths of the Abyss Sea World, Antoinette navigated through twisting currents, seeking a way to help the guardians – Laxcarseel, Pandorami, Jeannette, and Lilura]
[They aimed to manipulate the Pillar Kings, rulers of this strange realm]
[So far, they had evaded detection by the Pillar Kings' guards, slipping past sentinels of coral and darkness without alerting any of the kings themselves]
[Antoinette found a hidden pathway of luminescent jellyfish leading toward the spire where the Pillar Kings held court]
Antoinette: This way...we can get close without being seen...maybe manipulate them without alerting the entire realm.
[Laxcarseel nodded, his eyes glowing softly in the dim light]
Laxcarseel: We need the kings to...do our bidding...without them knowing our true intent.
[Pandorami smiled slyly]
Pandorami: We have practiced...the whispers of influence. We can guide them...if we get close enough.
[Jeannette checked their surroundings with sharp senses]
Jeannette: No guards nearby...the jellyfish path is clear.
[Lilura breathed softly, attuning herself to the currents of the Abyss Sea]
Lilura: The kings are...in council...debating the balance of power in the depths. Now is our chance.
[Antoinette led them forward, careful steps in the watery twilight]
Antoinette: Then let us...manipulate...without being detected.
[The guardians moved with silent intent through the jellyfish path, heading toward the spire of the Pillar Kings to begin their subtle manipulation]
[The guardians moved with silent intent through the jellyfish path, heading toward the spire of the Pillar Kings to begin their subtle manipulation]
[Antoinette led them, her eyes fixed on the luminescent trail as it wound through twisting coral formations and dark pockets of the Abyss Sea]
Antoinette: We must be careful.. The Pillar Kings are powerful, and each controls a fundamental aspect of this realm. Lionet Sai, the First Pillar King, commands the flow of life force. Hypnos, the Second Pillar King, crafts the laws of creation itself. Arthurio, master of Necromancy, wields death's power as a tool.
[Antoinette whispered, her voice barely audible over the gentle currents]
[Laxcarseel nodded, his gaze drifting over the shadowy spires ahead]
Laxcarseel: And Zarathustra manipulates the void, drawing power from the absence of all things. Storm Vinx wields the fury of tempests, Luxias bends gravity to his will, Ignatius commands flames both wild and precise, and Kato governs the vast waters of the Abyss Sea.
[Pandorami's eyes gleamed with intrigue]
Pandorami: Each Pillar King is a force unto themselves. But together...they balance this realm like the points of a compass. If we manipulate them subtly...we could shift the balance of power here to our advantage.
[Jeannette frowned slightly, her senses tuned to the surroundings]
Jeannette: But if detected...the Pillar Kings would not hesitate to crush us. We need precision...whispers of influence rather than shouts of command.
[Lilura nodded softly]
Lilura: The currents here carry whispers of their debates...the kings are discussing the allocation of power among themselves. We might use this...to guide their decisions without them knowing.
[As they approached the spire's outer chambers, the guardians slowed their movements, becoming almost motionless in the water]
[Antoinette raised a hand, signaling caution]
Antoinette: We observe first...see how the kings interact in council. Then we strike with whispers.
[The spire loomed ahead, its walls embedded with glowing gemstones that pulsed in rhythm with the Abyss Sea's strange heartbeat]
[In the central chamber of the spire, the eight Pillar Kings sat in a circle of thrones carved from living coral. Their voices were whispers and growls mingling in debate]
Hypnos: ...allocation of dominion over the shadow vents.. must follow the patterns of creation we've decreed.
[Hypnos was saying, his voice like the shaping of clay into laws]
[Zarathustra leaned forward in his throne, shadows swirling around him like a cloak]
Zarathustra: The void claims those vents. They are mine to govern.
[Luxias shook his head, his voice like the pull of unseen forces]
Luxias: Gravity dictates the flow of power there. I should oversee.
[The other kings spoke in turn, each asserting their claim according to their domain]
[Antoinette and the guardians listened from their hiding place, absorbing the nuances of the debate]
Antoinette: This is our moment, We plant suggestions...guide their decisions toward what we need...without them sensing our touch.
[Antoinette whispered finally, eyes gleaming]
Antoinette: We plant suggestions...guide their decisions toward what we need...without them sensing our touch.
[With subtle movements almost like breathing, the guardians began to weave whispers of influence into the currents of the Abyss Sea]
[Their powers merged like tendrils of thought, nudging the debate of the Pillar Kings toward outcomes favorable to the guardians' aims]
[The kings continued their council, unaware of the gentle prodding by the guardians. Slowly, the debate shifted toward conclusions that suited the guardians' hidden goals]
[Now switching the scene to the Cosmos Universe]
[In the vast expanse of the Cosmos Universe, Kai, the ruler, sat on his throne of stars and nebulae]
[His eyes were narrowed in deep thought as he considered his ongoing conflict with Stella, ruler of the Phueno Universe. The war between their realms had raged for eons, burning stars and twisting the fabric of space-time itself]
[Kai's fingers drummed a slow rhythm on the arm of his throne]
Kai: Stella...she is a force like darkness and light intertwined. Her moves in the Phueno Universe mirror my own in the Cosmos Universe. We are locked in a dance of destruction.
[Before him, projections of star charts and battle simulations played out in holographic displays]
[Kai studied them intently, weighing strategies against the might of Stella's forces. Yet he knew...the war was draining both universes]
[Stars dimmed, life faltered in contested systems, and the balance of power grew unstable]
Kai: We need...to end this, Not through victory of one over the other...but through agreement. A truce that both sides can abide by.
[Kai murmured himself]
[Kai activated a communication channel spanning the boundaries between the Cosmos and Phueno Universes]
[After moments of negotiation through intermediaries of light and shadow, Stella agreed to speak with him directly]
[In a void between universes, a construct of pure energy held the holographic representation]