Chapter 60: Unleashing the Legion

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Unleashing the Legion

"God is on the side of the big battalions." Napoleon Bonaparte

The fourth verdict never came.

Joel watched the Leviathan Priest raise its crozier, ready to strike again. Three glowing spheres floated around the creature, and the pressure inside the cathedral continued to increase.

Roan was barely holding on. His ward had dropped to nine percent, and Sybill was struggling to finish her hex.

Joel quickly considered his options.

The Priest had already shown that it could ignore most physical attacks. Its strange power targeted the soul directly, making it difficult to defend against. Fighting it with ordinary weapons would only waste time.

Fortunately, Joel had never planned to rely on ordinary weapons.

He had kept his strongest assets hidden since the Kole ambush. Even when the giant crustaceans attacked, he had refused to reveal them. There was no reason to show all his cards when he could win without doing so.

But the situation had changed.

"Roan, Sybill," Joel said, straightening despite the crushing pressure. "I think it’s time you met the rest of my team."

Roan turned toward him.

"The rest of your team?" he repeated weakly. "You mean there are more of you?"

Sybill looked up from the gray threads gathering between her fingers.

Joel smiled.

"Just two. Though one of them is practically a walking fortress."

Before either companion could ask another question, Joel activated his Fate-Bound Legion.

Darkness poured out of his body.

At first, it looked like black smoke spreading through the water. Then it thickened, covering the cathedral ceiling and swallowing the faint light from the algae lamps.

The entire building trembled.

Even the Leviathan Priest stopped moving for a moment.

[Ding!]

[Fate-Bound Legion: Deployed]

[ Nyx: Level 22 — Shadow Assassin. Active.]

[Vulcan: Level 40 — The Forge-Lord. Materializing.]

[Legion Slots: 2/2]

[All kills made by legion members will be credited to the host.]

[Note: Your legion has remained unused since the Kole ambush. Finally, some action!]

A huge figure began forming inside the darkness.

First came a bright orange glow, followed by a massive body covered in thick metal armor. Flames burned within its chest, and molten metal flowed through the gaps between its plates.

Vulcan had arrived.

The Forge-Lord stood like a giant made from steel and fire. His shoulders were enormous, his arms were as thick as pillars, and every movement sent waves of heat through the surrounding water.

Steam exploded around him.

SSSSSS!

The freezing water of the Necropolis began to boil.

Bright orange light spread across the cathedral floor, illuminating the ancient pillars and broken statues. For the first time since they entered the ruins, the terrible cold weakened.

Vulcan slowly turned his burning gaze toward the Leviathan Priest.

"Landlord," he said in a deep, metallic voice. "Vulcan is ready."

Joel pointed toward the creature.

"Good. Our tenant is causing trouble."

Vulcan studied the Priest before looking around the cathedral.

"The building is damp," he observed.

Joel almost laughed.

"Then warm it up."

"Understood."

Roan stared at the enormous figure with his mouth hanging open.

"I want to make something very clear," he muttered. "You are supposed to be F-rank."

"On paper," Joel replied.

"On paper?" Roan looked between Joel and Vulcan. "What kind of paper are they using?"

Joel ignored him.

"Vulcan, open fire."

The Forge-Lord raised both arms.

His armor shifted, revealing several glowing openings. A deep rumbling sound came from inside his chest as molten metal gathered within them.

Then the first projectile shot out.

THUMP!

A burning lump of metal tore through the water, leaving a trail of bubbles and steam behind it.

Another followed.

Then another.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Within seconds, twenty-four superheated projectiles were flying toward the Leviathan Priest.

The creature reacted immediately.

Its three glowing spheres collapsed, releasing Roan and Sybill from the terrible pressure.

The fourth verdict vanished before it could strike.

[ Ding!]

[Kinetic-Slag Barrage: 24 projectiles fired.]

[Hydrostatic Damnation: Dismissed.]

[Remaining Spheres: 0]

[Companion Ward Integrity: 34% and recovering.]

[Note: The enemy has abandoned its soul attack to defend against physical damage. An excellent opportunity!]

Roan gasped as the pressure disappeared. His damaged ward flickered, then began repairing itself.

Sybill took a deep breath. Without the crushing force holding her down, she returned her attention to the unfinished hex.

Meanwhile, the Priest fought desperately against the incoming barrage.

One of its tentacles swept through the water, knocking two projectiles aside.

KRUMP! KRUMP!

It swung its crozier, striking another with enough force to send a shockwave through the cathedral.

But there were too many.

Two burning projectiles struck its shoulders.

KRRUNCH!

Coral armor shattered. Pieces of its ancient robes were torn away, and black fluid spilled from the wounds.

The Leviathan Priest staggered.

Roan stared in disbelief.

"You actually hurt it!"

"Of course," Joel said.

"You made it cancel those horrible spheres!"

"That was the idea."

Roan looked at him as though he had finally lost his mind.

"How are you so calm?"

Joel gave him a sideways glance.

"Would screaming help?"

Roan opened his mouth, then closed it.

"Fair point."

Joel turned his attention back to the battle.

"Nyx. Take care of those tentacles. Use the steam."

A dark figure appeared beside one of the cathedral pillars.

Unlike Vulcan, Nyx made almost no sound. Her slender body was wrapped in shadows, and only the faint shine of her blades revealed her position.

She glanced at the Priest.

Then she disappeared.

SHNK!

One of the creature’s tentacles separated from its body.

Before it could react, another was severed.

SHNK!

A third followed.

Nyx moved through the clouds of steam, appearing and disappearing so quickly that even Joel struggled to follow her movements.

The Priest released an angry toll from its crozier.

DOOM!

The water shook.

But Nyx was already somewhere else.

Her fourth strike cut through another tentacle.

SHNK!

Four enormous limbs drifted through the water, leaving dark trails behind them.

[Ding!]

[ Tentacles Severed: 4]

[Enemy Regeneration: Suppressed by sustained heat exposure.]

[Note: Nyx is performing exceptionally well. Your enemy is having a very bad day.]

Joel smiled.

"Now that’s teamwork."

With Vulcan keeping the Priest busy and Nyx destroying its defenses, the creature had little attention left for him.

It was the perfect chance.

Joel leaned forward and shot through the water.

His Abyssal Adaptation activated fully, allowing him to move without being slowed by the intense pressure. The water seemed to part around his body as he crossed the cathedral at tremendous speed.

In less than four seconds, he reached the Priest.

The creature barely had time to turn.

"Meteor Piercer!"

THWOOM!

Joel drove his attack directly into its chest.

A powerful blast tore through the Priest’s body, leaving a large hole in its coral-covered torso.

Black fluid spread through the water.

The creature’s glowing eyes dimmed.

But it was not finished.

Its crozier came crashing down.

KRRAK!

Joel crossed his arms and caught the blow.

A violent force passed through his body, but his Frame absorbed most of the impact. Pain shot through his shoulders as he was pushed backward.

He gritted his teeth and held his ground.

"Not bad," he muttered. "But you’ll need more than that."

The Priest tried to raise its weapon again.

Joel grabbed the shaft and pulled it toward himself.

Then he slammed his forehead into the creature’s face.

CRACK!

Its beautiful, lifeless features broke apart. A long fracture spread across one cheek.

Joel followed with two heavy palm strikes.

BANG! BANG!

The Priest recoiled.

For a brief moment, Joel thought he had gained complete control of the fight.

Then the creature’s eyes flashed.

DOOM!

A verdict struck him directly in the chest.

This time, the attack came from such a short distance that he had no chance to dodge.

Joel felt something tighten around his soul.

His breathing stopped.

The world seemed to shrink around him, and a terrible pain spread through his entire body.

For one dangerous second, his grip on the crozier weakened.

[Ding!]

[Integrity: 66%]

[Warning: Soul damage is accumulating.]

[Survival Accumulation: +8%]

[Current Survival Accumulation: 22%]

[Note: Your chances of dying remain dangerously high. The house recommends caution, although you have clearly stopped listening.]

Joel clenched his jaw.

"Caution is expensive," he whispered.

Instead of retreating, he tightened his grip on the crozier and forced himself closer.

The Priest attempted another strike.

Too late.

"Meteor Piercer!"

KRRUNCH!

His second attack struck the same wound.

The hole in the creature’s chest widened, tearing through what remained of its defenses.

The Leviathan Priest released a horrible, silent cry.

Its body twisted violently.

Then, for the first time since the battle began, it retreated.

Joel watched as the wounded creature pulled away from him and rose toward the altar.

Its remaining tentacles dragged through the water. Black fluid leaked from its chest, and the light inside its eyes had faded to a weak glow.

"Running already?" Joel asked.

But the Priest was not escaping yet.

Sybill finally completed her hex.

"Joel! Move aside!"

He immediately shifted out of the way.

The gray threads gathered around Sybill’s hands suddenly shot forward, twisting together into a thick cord.

They wrapped around the Priest’s remaining tentacles.

The creature jerked.

Its movements slowed sharply.

"Got you!" Sybill shouted, tightening her fingers.

The threads glowed as she poured more energy into them.

Roan raised his repaired ward and moved closer to her.

"I’ll cover you!"

Below them, Vulcan’s chest began glowing brighter.

His weapons were reloading.

Nyx moved silently between the pillars, keeping her attention on the trapped Priest.

For the first time, the three of them had pushed the ancient monster into a corner.

Yet Joel did not celebrate.

Something was wrong.

The Priest was wounded, but it was still trying to reach the altar.

Why?

Joel looked toward the enormous black stone standing at the far end of the cathedral.

The creature finally reached it and wrapped its damaged body around the altar.

The moment it made contact, the remaining light around the stone disappeared.

Then something moved inside Joel’s pocket.

His vault key.

He pulled it out and stared.

The key, which had remained cold throughout their journey, was now strangely warm. A faint vibration passed through its surface, growing stronger with every second.

Joel narrowed his eyes.

"So that’s what you’re protecting."

Above the altar, the ancient bell began to swing.

DOOM.

The sound was quieter than the Priest’s earlier attacks, but it carried through the entire cathedral.

The walls trembled.

Then Joel noticed something else.

The slow breathing they had heard throughout the Necropolis was growing faster.

Much faster.

The cathedral itself seemed to be waking up.

Roan looked around nervously.

"Joel... please tell me that’s normal."

Joel closed his fingers around the key.

"No," he said. "I don’t think it is."

He began swimming toward the altar.

"Vulcan, Nyx. Keep that thing from escaping. Roan, protect Sybill."

"And what are you going to do?" Roan asked.

Joel looked at the wounded Priest clinging desperately to the black stone.

Then he smiled.

"Find out what our tenant has been hiding."

The bell swung again.

DOOM.

This time, the key in Joel’s hand pulsed in answer.

And somewhere beneath the altar, the cathedral’s breathing suddenly stopped.