Chapter 70: The Elven Hero Appears

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: The Elven Hero Appears

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

The sound echoed through the destroyed chamber. Arin slowly turned. A silhouette stood near the destroyed entrance. "You did well, Arin Rahman." The elf smiled as he approached. "Ah, you really did." Arin’s breath caught in his throat. Of all the people he expected to see, a specific silver-haired nobleman with a dagger-shaped nose was the least expected. Caelan’s smile widened as his gaze came upon Zarl.

’Hello Zarl Baghud.’ Zarl’s body tensed. ’I see you’re not dead yet.’ Zarl swallowed hard. Caelan clicked his tongue when the last strands of Neva’s body faded in the air. ’This is surprising,’ His gaze was still fixed on the spot where the Dungeon Master’s remains just were. ’I never thought the Authority Ten would have been able to resist my hold.’ Arin’s grip around his body tightened. Arin was honestly afraid. ’It’s gone, isn’t it. Your rage has ended..’

Arin’s crimson eyes regained their usual shape, the red-black aura of the Dungeon Master Rage fading away. The crimson lines on his skin also disappeared, leaving behind the tired body that was practically gasping for air. Arene’s voice echoed in Arin’s mind.

[Dungeon Master Rage Ended.]

[Physical reformation has begun.]

[Warning. Serious physical damage has been detected.]

Arin gritted his teeth. ’Your Rage is ended,’

Arin remained silent, forcing himself to keep his unease in check. Caelan’s smile widened just a fraction. ’Your transformation was... interesting. I would never have guessed you’d be the type to control that power.’ Arin opened his mouth to say something, but the response didn’t come. He was already wondering if he knew how ’interesting’ that power of his was. Caelan’s lips curled into a smile as he looked past Arin at the place where Neva’s body had just been. ’Neva’s body is gone,’

he said. "I wasn’t sure if the tenth Authority would resist my control for long.’ Caelan turned to look at him. ’All of them had severely damaged minds. The majority were unable to form coherent thoughts and actions. Some even reached a state of complete insanity.’ The Elven Hero looked around the chamber. ’So I just had to find the correct pieces to start putting the puzzle together.’

Arin opened his mouth to say something else, but clenched his teeth instead. ’You captured them,’ Caelan stared at Arin.B’Yes I did.’ Without hesitation, the Elven Hero stated the obvious. ’Ten of them.’ Ayan who somehow had the energy to get up due to Neva’s healing power, narrowed his eyes.

’You... what do you mean you captured ten of them?’ ’Dragon,’ Caelan turned to face Ayan. The latter took a step forward.

’You were somehow involved with this?’ ’A small part, yes.’ The Elven Hero inspected Ayan’s weakened frame.

’You have changed.’ Ayan’s gaze darkened.

’Do I know you?’ ’Elias servants.’ Ayan’s eyes narrowed. ’Elias? You knew master Elias?’

’Of course.’ The response didn’t sit well with Saira. She took a step forward and suddenly Arin pushed her behind him. Not that it did anything, since Saira’s feet were still on the ground. ’You were responsible for what happened to him?’ Caelan smiled. ’That is a question for another day.’ Saira’s hands trembled. ’You’re not even going to tell us what happened? Are you?’

Ayan turned to stare daggers at Caelan, but it seemed the Elven Hero didn’t have any intention of leaving. ’I haven’t answered the question that interests you the most.’

Arin narrowed his eyes. ’And that would be?’

Caelan turned his smile into a frown. ’Why I took them.’ A heavy silence followed for a few seconds as Caelan casually walked past the ruined battlefield as if it was his own home. ’Ten Dungeon Masters, different eras, different attitudes, different beliefs, different abilities.’ With every word Caelan seemed to get lost in thought. ’They were all Dungeon Masters at one point in their lives.’ He paused. ’And they all eventually... lost everything.’

Everyone was silent. ’Ten years I searched for them,’ Caelan said with a sickening smile. ’Ten years?’ Arin shot a glance at Caelan. ’Why?’ ’Curiousity,’ Caelan said, ’and I wanted to understand what made them different from regular humans or even elves.’ A slow smile appeared on his lips as he stared at the broken remains of the chamber. ’And why do they all just disapear leaving their authority until it’s passed on?’

Arin stared into Caelan’s eyes, wishing he could pierce through and see what was in there, but all he saw was endless darkness.

’’What makes them different?"

Arin asked.

Caelan shook his head. ’How about the System.’ Arin asked.

The Elven Hero burst out in a fit of laughter.

’I know nothing about it.’ Arene remained silent. Arin took a step closer to Caelan. ’But you know that everyone up until this point had it.’ Caelan nodded. ’Neva had it,"

He said, pointing at the spot where Neva just disappeared. ’Zerf had it," He said, looking at Zerf’s body. ’They all had it," Arin looked at Zarl, who was watching Caelan with both fear and disbelief in his eyes.

’You worked with Zarl.’ Caelan smiled. ’It was an excellent work.’ Zarl’s face twisted in disgust. ’Don’t make me sound like some legendary figure.’

’I found him useful,’ Caelan said, almost amused by that fact.

Zarl’s silence was enough of an answer for Arin. ’You experimented with the Chimeras?’

Caelan’s look darkened. ’It was his idea," He responded, pointing at Zarl. ’Zarl was looking for a new form of life. The strongest possible creation. He delved into the old Dungeon Master archives in search of information that would make this idea a reality." Zerf’s eyes widened slightly as Caelan mentioned the chimeras. The Elven Hero continued, unfazed by the sudden change in Zerf’s demeanor. ’Zarl made a mistake. A rather unfortunate one at that,"

He said, looking at Mira. Arin’s tightened. ’So what happened to everyone else?’

’As I was saying," Caelan replied with a smile, ’I decided to test how far a regular living Dungeon Master would go in the same environment ten different Dungeon Masters failed at entering.’ Arin frowned.

’Therefore you used them against me,’ Caelan nodded. ’Yes.’ Ayan suddenly moved forward, only for Caelan to immediately look in his direction. ’Don’t,’ he said. Ayan tensed, whether from the simple word itself or the unnoticable pressure Caelan used, no one knew. What was known however, is that Ayan halted in his tracks at the command.

Caelan looked back at Arin. ’Don’t misunderstand. You were quite the suprise to me as well.’ Arin’s brows furrowed. ’Was I?’ ’The first time I watched you, you were another rookie Dungeon Master.’ The Elven Hero’s smile returned. ’But then again... you were different. You survived.’

Arin’s gaze became harder. ’Survived what?’ ’The dungeon,’ Caelan said, raising his hands slightly. ’You survived Zarl. You survived the other Authorities and you survived... this." Arin’s fist tightened again as he stared at the spot where his Dungeon Master’s Mark burned. Caelan’s smile never faded. ’And now Neva has given you a part of his power before he faded.’ Arin looked at Caelan. the Elven Hero walked closer. ’Neva was different. He resisted longer than the rest of them. He rememberes who he was," A small amount of impatience flickered in Caelan’s eyes. ’And you made it so much easier for him.’ Arin opened his mouth in surprise. ’You made him stronger.’

’Yes, I did. And it seems I forced his powers into you by accident.

Caelan glared at Arin. ’Now that he’s free of my influence, he is no longer useful to me.

But still... You are what interested me the most.’ Arin’s stomach twisted. ’What do you mean by that?" Caelan smiled. ’You see, Arin Rahman, unlike most other Dungeon Masters, you aren’t obsessed with power. You don’t care for ruling over others. In fact, you don’t seem to care for becoming a great Dungeon Master at all. Yet, each time the dungeon tries to finish you off, you adapt and learn. That Unique Ability of yours is proof enough." Arin didn’t respond right away. Instead he narrowed his eyes at Caelan. The Elven Hero’s smile only widened. ’Neva is gone because of you. The others fell because of you. And now you have claimed part of their power as your own. You interest me, Arin Rahman. You are precisely what I was looking for.’ Arin didn’t say anything. A tense silence lingered in the air as Caelan continued staring at the young knight.

[Arin.]

[He is preparing something.]

Arene’s voice echoed in Arin’s mind, but he didn’t flinch as Caelan suddenly turned away. ’Not today.’ Arin narrowed his eyes. ’What do you mean not today?’ Caelan turned his head slightly. ’Don’t be silly. You’ve already lost your Rage, half of your body is broken and your friends are worn out. There would literally be no point in this battle.’ A strange feeling of vulnerability twisted in Arin’s gut as he stared at the back of Caelan’s head. It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t anger, but a mix of the two emotions Caelan didn’t want to fight without a challenge, but there was no way Arin could continue on like that.

Besides, his smile suggested that Caelan already knew what today’s outcome would be. ’You see, Arin Rahman. I have waited ten years for the perfect Dungeon Master to appear. That was Neva. And he was the tenth. Which means... you will be the eleventh.’ Arin’s lips tightened into a thin line. ’You are going to make me the eleventh? Over my dead body.’ Caelan laughed. ’We will see about that.’ The masked elf that until this moment has been silent finally moved forward shielding Caelan. The young man who wore black clothing and a mask that shaded his face was holding a long sword with one hand.

Arin’s Dungeon Sense told him that something about this stranger wasn’t right, but what exactly it was he couldn’t say. The masked elf had too much control over himself, not to mention the unnatural silence he exuded. ’Be safe, Arin,’ Caelan said, walking toward the exit. "And don’t die before I return," he added, casting a meaningful glare at Zarl. Zarf’s face darkened. Caelan and the masked elf left him, but Arin kept staring at their retreating backs well after they had disappeared into the shadows of the dungeon. He wanted to chase them. He wanted to, but he couldn’t.

Every fiber in Arin’s being was screaming at him to move, but his legs refused to listen. The sudden dizziness made him sink to his knees, but Ayan’s arms wrapped around his back just in time to support his weight.

’Arin,’ Ayan said. A low growl rumbled in Arin’s chest. "I’m fine." Ayan studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "You don’t look fine to me." Arin didn’t respond. His eyes were locked on the door Caelan and the other had just disappeared behind. Caelan captured Neva authority! He knew about Elias, he knows about Arin... or at least he will soon enough. And that also means he had plans for him. One of capturing him and making him the eleventh of his puppets. The thought made Arin’s blood boil, but then the last of Neva’s dust particles dissapeared and the young knight reminded himself why the man in black was going to be his opponent in what seemed to be a final battle.

Defeat him, boy.

Arin’s grip tightened around the newly aquired piece of Neva’s power.

I will.