Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

Devastating attack

Kan Golge watched in horror as the archer's fierce attack came. Hundreds of physical and magical projectiles rained down on him, when much of his miasma had been consumed by Eldi's attack. To make matters worse, he had burned some of his blood, which not only weakened him, but compromised his control over his new power.

The first ones exploded upon contact with the miasma, and undermined his hasty defense. Others fell to the ground and created several overlapping Light Traps, which bathed him in purifying power. Some managed to pierce through him or push him back, as he was trying to concentrate the miasma to restore his defenses.

He felt humiliated, although when he perceived the last arrow, there was only terror. The vampire could feel the threat of the Lethal Arrow, which contained all the energy the elf had had available.

In a panic, Kan Golge concentrated all the miasma he could, while trying to escape. However, the arrow seemed to have eyes watching him, thanks to Curved Shot.

"NOOOO!!" he screamed, terrified.

The arrow overcame his defenses. He still had enough miasma to stop it, but he hadn't been able to gather it in time. His blood expenditure and Gjaki's curses were to blame.

The arrow entered through his head and pierced him. It destroyed a large part of the flesh and blood that he still had. It was impossible to survive it.

Nevertheless, he tried to get up, staggering. His body, dominated by the miasma, was no longer a normal body. He wanted to get up, but a hammer hit his chest. It had been thrown with Almost Thor by Eldi, and with the high human holding on to the weapon.

He was thrown backwards, but two intertwined hands hit him from top to bottom, and made him crash against the ground. Eldi had prepared him for his friend.

Hundreds of small creatures pounced on him. They wanted to consume his flesh and miasma, to separate him from it. The vampiress had summoned a Marabunta against him. Many of the creatures were consumed by the miasma, but she continually summoned more.

Eldi switched to spears and began to stab him. With the hammer, he would damage too many of these mana creatures, which would also absorb part of the attacks. With the spear, they would barely bother. At most, some would be pierced occasionally.

He had no mana left, but he still had enough energy. Therefore, Eldi Impaled him with several of them, as he wanted to pin him to the ground, immobilize him. They couldn't let him escape.

Gjaki set threads around him, as she was trying to close any escape route. She had Premonition active too, to act if something unforeseen happened. The albino bird was also flying over them, as she prepared for any eventuality. Meanwhile, the lynx rested next to the elf. Both were exhausted.

They didn't know exactly when, but Pikshbxgra had appeared before them. Until then, it had been impossible for her to act, but now she had the opportunity. It was her mission.

"This power doesn't belong to you. It must be returned to where it belongs," she sentenced.

It wasn't the miasma that she sucked and purified. It was something deeper and more subtle, something that helped control and maintain the miasma. That power was part of the essence stolen from the deceased forest spirits that hadn't been corrupted and transformed into shadows.

From inside the Marabunta, an arm suddenly emerged. He wanted to escape from those mana bugs and recover the power that was being extracted from him. Gjaki cut it off with her daggers.

Little by little, he stopped trying to struggle, and finally the miasma dispersed. When the vampiress unsummoned the Marabunta, there was no trace of him left. Only the remains of a shattered armor and some objects in no better condition.

The only thing that survived was a fragment that Gjaki thought she recognized. It looked like others she had seen before, a fragment of the Aqtlua. She didn't hesitate to put it in her inventory. She would give it to Golgo later.

Everyone stared, some from a distance, unsure if it had finished, or if he had somehow fled. It was then that they received a notification from the game interface:

A great evil has been eliminated once and for all from the face of Jorgaldur. The magnitude of the feat is enough to break the limitations imposed.

They stood speechless for a moment, until euphoria took over. Eldi and Gjaki embraced each other. Goldmi did so with the lynx, and soon some tentacles and wings joined them. Her two companions reached her, and they all hugged each other again.

"You're all fine, thank goodness," a relieved voice was heard then.

"Maldoa!" Goldmi exclaimed.

The elf would have liked to get up, but she couldn't. Instead, she asked her water sister for a favor.

The drelf had traveled to them through the roots, with the blessing of the dryads. They were excited, and also busy expanding the plants as much as they could.

The dryads, who were watching them, giggled. Maldoa Had been caught by some tentacles and dragged to the others.

"EEEEYAAAAA!" she screamed, before falling among them.

She couldn't complain. The drelf had to surrender to the hugs, with her eyes watering. She had been very worried about them, as she had been watching them from the Origin through the plants.

In fact, Pikshbxgra threw herself at them as well, as it seemed funny.

The half-dryads burst into cheers upon receiving the news from their sisters. Soon after, there was a great celebration throughout the allied army. The Lost Forest was still there, but the heart of corruption had been defeated.

Few knew of the existence of a special operation in the very heart of corruption, which gave rise to speculation.

Many had fought there for years, and had lost friends or family due to the corruption. Now, at last, those lands could be restored.

It would take time and effort, but there were no shadows left. There were still corrupted beings, but an immense number had died in the various battles. In addition, there would no longer anyone to give them orders, to laid ambushes.

As if that weren't enough, the path that the dryads had created would serve as safe zones for them to penetrate the enemy lines.

Although, perhaps, it was the members of a certain heterogeneous group who celebrated with the most joy.

"To dad!" Liodon toasted.

"To Gjaki!" Kroquia raised her mug a while later.

"To Goldmi!" Elendnas said at another time.

"To the lynx!" Smashy laughed.

"To the kraken!" his brother joined in.

"To the goshawk!" Merlin added. He had a soft spot for the albino bird ever since he had seen her.

"To Maldoa!" the drelf's mother also toasted. She had appeared there at some point, out of nowhere, accompanied by her husband.

Their friends and family had emerged victorious and, most importantly, they had survived. They all wanted to celebrate again, but this time with them. There was a lot to tell them, and they owed them many hugs.

Of course, there were others who had received the news far from there, and many were crying with happiness. Like Melia, who was happy but also extremely nervous.