Chapter 67 67 – The Catalyst

And when she checked her own body, she didn't see a single thread. She was completely naked, like the mage she had pranked.

"Okay, maybe I deserve it." She shrugged and covered her private parts. "Well, whoever brought me here, please get out. Or do you really like to peek at me naked? What a pervert."

The cave entrance was blocked by flying boulders, and Emily felt that the place's walls were moving away from her. This cave became much broader.

Not long after, black smoke appeared from all directions and formed a large plume.

Emily felt a chill down her spine when she saw that twenty-five feet of thick smoke. There were hundreds of faces formed on that thing.

All of them show great agony.

"We've been trapped here for years." The faces speak in unison. "We should have moved to the next realm, but you enslaved us instead."

Emily lowered her hands, trying not to look daunted, even though the souls she had used for hundreds of years could intimidate her to this extent.

"Next realm?" Emily chuckled a little. "You mean the afterlife? Do you guys know what's in there? Why are you so eager to go there?"

"It's not about us knowing what's in there or not!" The black smoke figure snapped. "It is the instinct of every living being when it dies! We should have gone there, but you kept us here instead! Do you know how tormented we were!? We just need peace!"

Emily gulped. She could make them die forever, make their souls go to that place.

Even so, she had reasons to keep them. If she wanted to fulfill her master's dream in the past, now she is obliged to help Lord Vorn.

She had sworn allegiance to the demon lord.

"I will free your souls later!" The supreme undead responded. "But before that, I begged you guys to fight with me again."

The faces in the massive plume of smoke screamed in horror, causing Emily to cover her ears. The supreme undead felt immeasurable sorrow from them.

"You also died once! You should have gone to the afterlife! You should know how it feels to have your souls pulled back into your body!" The black smoke figure shrank.

"Yes, I do feel like I've been to the afterlife. I was angry when I was pulled back into my body." Emily was starting to be more alert. "But I don't care anymore. After all, I don't remember what that place was like."

"But, you live your second life normally!" The figure of smoke was getting smaller and smaller. "Unlike us!"

"I don't think keeping watch in a quiet cave like this is normal."

"You still have freedom over your body!" The figure's tone got higher and higher. "Meanwhile, we must obey your orders and cannot resist! Even if we are not under your orders, we can only stand still, even though our minds are intact!"

Emily sighed and rubbed her face. "Well, I'm sorry. There's nothing else I can say about you guys."

She didn't know that those undeads she used still had souls. All this time, she just thought they were mindless beings. She had thought that only those like her--who could act as she wished--had their souls returned.

The black smoke continued to shrink and condense and finally formed an armored humanoid figure.

"That's..." Emily was very familiar with that figure's black armor. Of course, it was the armor she usually wore while guarding the cave, complete with the helmet.

The dim purple light from parts of the cave turned red. As well as the armor, the accents that adorned it also glowed crimson.

Emily concentrated entirely on bringing out her own armor. She knew this was only in her mind, and she could come up with whatever she wanted.

It didn't take long until her body was wrapped in armor too.

"What?" Emily was bewildered when she saw that her armor was silver with lavender flowers engraved.

Those were her gears when she was still a royal warrior five hundred years ago.

The black armored figure started to step forward and lowered its giant sword from its back. Emily also does the same and finds her sword also from her past.

It is also decorated with carvings of lavender flowers.

"Whatever." Emily hissed and leaped forward.

The two swords clashed, making loud noises and sparks. Emily tried to push the figure, but the abilities of the two were balanced.

The supreme undead could guess the enemy's movements and vice versa. They can dodge and block each other.

Emily felt like she was fighting with herself.

"Stop! This will never end! No one will win!" Emily ducked to avoid the swing of her opponent's sword. "You and I will continue to be trapped here."

"Then, let us go!" This time, the figure blocked the slash from the supreme undead. "Or you will be with us here forever!"

Emily noticed the enemy's attack was getting faster, and she was getting overwhelmed. She even began to struggle to counterattack.

If this situation persisted, Emily knew she would lose.

The supreme undead rolled to the side, dodging the blow from her opponent. However, the timing was too late.

"Shit!!!" She cursed when she found that her left arm had been severed and she was bleeding.

​ Even in a dream like this, she could still feel immeasurable pain.

She looked at her enemy, who was still trying to release its sword stuck in the cave wall.

Does she have to give up to get out of this limbo? But she couldn't forget Lord Vorn's orders. He's the one who has given her a new purpose.

Then, what to do now? Using a different way of fighting because the enemy already knows her every move? It was impossible. Since five hundred years ago, she only practiced these moves.

The supreme undead widened her eyes. She knew a move she had never made. Perhaps that figure couldn't predict it.

However, it was a gamble and seemed stupid.

The sword looked like it could almost be pulled out by the armored figure. Left with no choice, Emily dashed, then threw her sword forward.