Herald of death

"She's back from the dead, and she's a powerful spellcaster," Ethan says, blocking another slash. He deflects the blade and conjures a fireball in his offhand.

Valeria prepares to snap her fingers as she notices his spell. 'She dispelled Silence just like that. Why isn't she stopping me from casting now? How limited is her range?' Ethan wonders. He hurls his fireball at her, quickly followed by another aimed at the ceiling above her.

She snaps her fingers, making the first fireball vanish. The second one spreads like napalm on the false ceiling, causing burning plastic to rain down on her shield, setting the room ablaze. Thick, black smoke rises, giving Ethan the cover to leap unseen to the upper floor.

"Melee Weapon (long sword) leveled up, Melee Weapon (long sword) leveled up," the system announces.

'In just one exchange?' Ethan thinks. 'She's drawing in an enormous amount of Ether, far more than I can. Just how immortal is she? Can she survive another killing blow? Do I need to Silence her to end it?'

A sphere of red light emanates from her, passing through the walls and Ethan. A luminescent powder forms on him and on his footsteps, highlighting his path and presence through the walls.

'Insight,' Ethan thinks.

Mary Jones

Lv.0/1 (Villager) Human

Strength: 10 Charisma: 16

Dexterity: 10 Perception: 10

Constitution: 10 Willpower: 10

Intelligence: 12

She extends her hand towards the remains of her three guards, drawing their souls into her palm. An unnatural wind sweeps through the hotel, extinguishing the electric lights.

'She's summoning demons,' Ethan realizes. He rushes back towards her, summoning his enhanced assault rifle just as he reaches the edge of the floor.

"By the pact that binds us, I summon thee, O demon of the Abyss," Valeria intones, her voice shaking the Ether. "Be my weapon to slay the righteous, for I offer you souls to feast upon."

A crack appears in the wall closest to Ethan. Two clawed fists, armored with yellow, spiked chitin, pierce through, followed by their owner. The creature, a towering humanoid, summons a halberd in his hand.

Ethan fires at the creature, but the bullets merely scratch its armor. The beast swings his weapon, cleaving the rifle in half. Ethan drops the shattered gun and leaps backward.

'Strengthening,' Ethan thinks, absorbing as much Ether as he can. 'My range is too small, and Valeria is already siphoning too much Ether.'

Long, dark hair flows from a face made of bones, too alien to be human. Horns pierce it from within, forming a five-peaked crown above his head. Threads of Ether connect Valeria to the creature, digging into his skull and along his spine.

He moves his jaw, revealing three rows of teeth and a serrated tongue. Words spill out in an alien language, causing Ethan's mind to spark with pain as he feels Maelor's presence behind his eyes.

"Adding the Language (Abyssal) skill. Based on Maelor Halvern experience a level of 19 has been applied," the system says.

'I am Azagoth, executioner of Malakar, champion of the Abyssal coliseum,' Ethan translates. He summons the Abyss Watcher long sword in his offhand. 'This guy's presence is insane; he must hold ten times the Ether I can.'

Azagoth steps forward and lowers himself to swing his halberd. The blade cuts through the walls effortlessly. Ethan dodges by a hair, his Prescience barely keeping up with the speed of Azagoth's movements. The walls ignite from the cuts, spreading fire through the corridor.

Azagoth redirects his blade, following up with rapid thrusts. Ethan retreats into a corridor, dodging the speartip of Azagoth's weapon.

Ethan sprints down the corridor, gripping his blade with his thumb as he extends his left hand. He casts a lightning bolt, sending it crackling through the air. The spell pierces Azagoth from front to back, but the demon charges forward undeterred.

Azagoth swings his weapon wide, forcing Ethan to halt his spell and parry. They clash with relentless ferocity, with Ethan barely managing to parry and dodge the onslaught, unable to find an opening.

The demon halts his attacks, momentarily exposing himself. He tenses his muscles, causing his armor to bulge. Ethan seizes the opportunity, stabbing at the shoulder joint with the Abyss Watcher blade, but the chain mail stops the blow.

Azagoth burns a vast amount of Ether, red scars forming on his exposed skin. His muscles swell, releasing a heat that turns the surrounding moisture into vapor.

Ethan unsummons his offhand blade and wields Phantom Reaver with both hands. He swings at Azagoth, but the demon parries with incredible speed. Azagoth follows with a downward slash that Ethan barely parries.

The force of the blow collapses the floor beneath Ethan, sending him to the level below. He rolls to his feet as the demon lands where he was. His boots set the carpet ablaze.

"A pity that so few of your kind can challenge me. I long for a duel like the one I had against your sovereign centuries ago," Azagoth says, approaching slowly.

"If you long for a worthy opponent, you should give me a decade to grow instead of killing me now," Ethan says in Abyssal.

Azagoth stops, stunned. His maw opens wide, letting out a laugh that shakes the room. "Perhaps I should. But by the contract that binds me, I am bound to my summoner's commands."

A beam of fire enters Ethan's Prescience, piercing his chest from behind. He dashes to the side, hurling himself through a wall to dodge the attack. Valeria's spell cuts through the building, scarring Azagoth's armor.

As Ethan regains his balance, he sees a mad grin form on the demon's face. The Ether threads binding him to Valeria shatter, and he laughs louder, cracking the walls around him. His thundering voice drowns out the noise below.

"Melee Weapon (long sword) leveled up," the voice announces a dozen times.

The demon charges at Valeria, breaking through walls as if they were nonexistent. He stops in front of her, his weapon poised. "Eternal torment is the only sentence for those who trample my honor," he growls.

"Obey me, demon!" she yells, moving her ornamented hand towards him. One of the stone emits a bright blue glow in the lightless building. Lightning bolts surge from her hand, piercing him in his chest, arms, and legs.

He swings his halberd, sending her head rolling to the floor. The cut ignites, searing her flesh and boiling her blood. Her burning head levitates and reattaches to her neck as Azagoth watches. She bends and screams, tears forming in her eyes as smoke spews from the seam.

"Did he mention the pain when you gave him your soul?" Azagoth muses. "If you exhaust your Ether to kill yourself, I will give you mine so you may survive until it corrupts your flesh. Of the minutes you gave me in your world, I'll make sure that you suffer each second I remain."

'I'll reach her the moment he disappears and cast Silence on her,' Ethan plans. 'If that isn't enough, I'll have to drain her Ether with Dark Fate or pull it out using mine.'

"Hakeem took a kid hostage," Kyle says.