Chapter 48: Arising

Chapter 48: Arising

Despite the strange status, Sofia was cautiously optimistic about the result of her madman act. As far as she could tell, she was already not dead, now the question was, what exactly was a Daughter of Sorrow?

The first thing that came to mind was the long-limbed atrocity she had blasted back in Skyreach kingdoms lost mage tower. The things had also had a long convoluted name, another link with her new self. All things considered if I become a long limb abomination I probably deserve to die too.

I dont feel like dying a third time today though. Im not even done with the second time yet. But the health is no longer zero, its going up. Maybe when its full Ill get back some senses. I can only wait.

Even if I somehow find another cheat death item in the real world, Im never doing this shit again.

If I could tell myself from back at the orphanage what I had to do today The me from back then would burn the book and never try to become a necromancer. Its been what? Two or three months?

Im already addicted to getting stronger.

I have so many questions about so many things now. I can never go back

This trial is too hard.

It better be worth it.

Watching the status number representing her health steadily but slowly going up, she got lost in her thoughts for what felt like forever.

It was the dings of system messages that tore her from her musings.

[Congratulations, you have overcome the first filter!]

[Initializing personal program, please wait]

[ERROR]

[Conflicting Scribe assignation]

[Initialisation canceled]

The glow of the duke's lightning finally reached her through the pits unnaturally dark atmosphere. The man was flying on wings of pure electricity, attacking a bulky and bald black man with his signature lightning sword.

The man wore nothing but a simple orange robe. Large stone shields hovered around him, protecting him from the dukes repeated assaults. He stood on a stone platform he had summoned out of the wall somehow.

[Hero - Lv. 299]

Sofia opted against directly attacking him, he had heard her coming anyway, negating any advantage of surprise she could have had. She instead perched herself like a gargoyle on a stone protrusion in the wall, slightly above them. Maybe I wont even have to fight, what if he sees me and gives up? Or we could negotiate.

That last thought of her didnt last long in face of what she noticed next. She was still adapting to her wider vision and that scene higher up the pit had escaped her, the mute beastman that had rescued her a few days earlier, Fox, was dead. His bloody lower body dangled from under a massive cube of stone that had pinned and crushed him against the wall. Nyse and Jen were nowhere to be seen, she hoped they had managed to teleport away.

As if to confirm her previous thoughts, the mage spoke.

Return to dust, demon! he yelled at her, waving a hand in her general direction. Following his hand movement, a large cube of stone flew straight at her.

Why cubes I wonder. Would've made spears instead.

Her instincts told her nothing. This meant it wasnt that dangerous. She had the impulse to dodge screaming from the back of her human mind, but her body didnt feel the urge, so she decided to trust her ridiculous health pool. As an experimentation on her durability.

The stone block slammed into her with tremendous force, but she didnt budge. The stone crumbled, it had impacted something much sturdier. Sofia didnt feel a thing. I dont think pain is part of this bodys package.

Health : 83256 / 89640

Damn. Six thousand health points, gone like that. I can definitely afford to take a few more but Im clearly not invincible And that was a random stone cube. Level 299 is no joke.

My turn, she answered in kind with a hoarse but still feminine voice.

The mana in Sofias legs whirred. She jumped forward in a somersault, delivering a strong revolving blow with her tail. The heros hovering shields layered in front of him to block the attack. Two stone shields broke on impact, leaving the other two and the relaxed man standing behind with his arms crossed, unharmed.

Sofia had used the recoil of her own strike to get back to her starting point. She stared at the man and he stared at her.

The duke could have succeeded at a sneak attack, had he coordinated his strike with hers, but he was staring at her too. He had an expression of utter disbelief.