Chapter 49: Dark Ones

Raegar relentlessly slashed through the Dark Ones, each strike dropping a creature before he drove his blade through its skull to ensure it was dead as he cleared the house Vesa was hiding inside. ''Now they're safe, it's time to cull the numbers,'' he muttered as more monsters appeared. When other monsters lunged at him, he ducked beneath their wild swings, seamlessly unleashing bursts of Stormfire Bullets. His spells slammed into the creature that exploded on contact, allowing him to escape them. Chaos engulfed the village as warriors clashed with the monstrous invaders, battling fiercely while the barrier flickered back to life. ''Drive them out!'' Theo bellowed, his voice cutting through the turmoil. Raegar smiled before rushing around and continued attacking the creatures as they tried to attack him, but he was too fast. An hour of straight fighting caused the Dark Ones to fall without a death. He was sitting on a bench while catching his breath before summoning his daggers that were covered in blood. ''I need a cleaning spell for this shit,'' he muttered. Following that, Raegar started cleaning the blades as Vesa approached him alongside a young man. The duo as she spoke with a smile. ''Thank you for helping us. Those things surprised us.'' ''Don't worry about it, but your parents will be mad at you,'' he replied while putting his weapons away. When the vampire woman heard that, her face paled, which made him chuckle just as Miranda embraced her. Theo followed behind and nodded at the young man. ''Glad you're okay, Jacob. But what were you two doing out last night?'' Raegar listened to Jacob explain that he and Vesa were out on a walk when the duo saw a Forest Man destroy the barrier, allowing the Dark Ones inside. When hearing this, he stood up and stretched before speaking. ''Can you point me toward either monster's home?'' The older man stared at him, eyes wide with concern. ''You can't search for them alone. It's too dangerous, plus they're devious creatures. They'll strike before you can even react.'' ''If I don't deal with them, the village will keep suffering,'' he countered. ''Plus, I love fighting in the forest. It helps me grow stronger.'' Theo refused to believe him, but over the following days, the vampire chief was proven wrong. The Forest Men bombarded the barrier with boulders and other weapons, eventually shattering its defenses. By the time the vampire finally reappeared, desperation lined his face. With a sigh, he offered five gold coins for him to rid them of the monsters. When hearing this, he accepted and was pointed in the direction. Following that, Raegar left after Miranda gave him some sandwiches, which was surprising, but he continued until coming across signs of the Dark Ones' clawed feet on the branches above. 'Looks like I'm on the right track,' he mused before continuing while readying his blades. An hour later, he stumbled upon a cave entrance reeking of decay, its mouth littered with bones and tattered remains. Grimacing, Raegar wrapped a cloth around his face to mask the stench before stepping inside, venturing cautiously into the darkness. Once inside, the darkness consumed everything, but his eyes adjusted and he started noticing figures moving around. A Dark One lunged out of the shadows and swiped at him. Raegar leaned back just as he struck out while twisting. 'That was close,' he internally panicked. His dagger tore through the creature's flesh and bone just before dropping dead, just as even more monsters appeared from the dark. Raegar skidded to a halt and cast Lightningfire Blast into the crowd. Flames engulfed the Dark Ones, reducing them to ash as he darted through the tunnel, striking down monsters with relentless speed. One after another, they fell, until one slipped through his defenses, landing a sharp blow. The blow struck his armor with crushing force, sending him hurtling backward. Even as he fell, he hurled his daggers at two approaching creatures, and both collapsed with a heavy thud. Gritting his teeth, he summoned Hydra Blades. Two glowing blue projectiles materialized in his grasp. Moments later, he unleashed them on the advancing Dark Ones. Their razor-sharp edges sliced clean through several monsters, severing heads and spraying blood across the tunnel walls. Raegar continued attacking the creatures by moving quicker than they could, but thanks to the tunnel getting smaller, it was putting pressure on him, as it was getting harder to block the strikes. The Hydra Blades soared past his head and took out dozens of Dark Ones as he added fire Aether to it, causing the weapons to turn into Plasma Blades that sliced around the cave, taking out most of them with ease. In a blur of motion, he weaved through the remaining horde, his daggers flashing like streaks of silver lightning and fire. Every slash found its mark. Every strike was fatal. He danced between them, each movement a perfect balance of precision and power. The air filled with the wet sounds of bodies falling, the sickly scent of burning flesh. Within moments, the once-crowded tunnel was littered with the corpses of the fallen. Raegar exhaled, the surrounding flames dimming. The last Dark One stood trembling, its grotesque form quivering in fear. He stepped forward, eyes blazing as his smile grew wide. ''You should have run, but it's too late.'' With a single strike, the creature's head left its shoulders. The silence that followed was deafening. He shook his head before dismissing the Hydra Blabes and searching the cave for any loot and found a bunch of Greens Aether Cores. Raegar collected twenty of them and when reaching the main part of the cave, he stepped into a large chamber and quickly noticed the piles of rotten corpses of humanoids and monsters. A foul stench seeped through his face protection, hitting him like a wall of rot. His stomach twisted, and before he could stop it, he doubled over, heaving. Minutes passed before the nausea finally subsided. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out his waterskin, rinsing the vile taste from his mouth. With a flick of his fingers, he used wind Aether to get rid of the lingering odor. ''That was disgusting,'' he muttered, shaking his head. As Raegar regained his composure, his eyes locked onto something tucked away in the chamber's shadowy corner. Curiosity flared, and he strode toward it, his steps cautious yet eager. Sitting there was an old chest covered in cobwebs. Beside it, several cotton cloth bags lay haphazardly stacked. He brushed them aside, his fingers grazing the rough fabric before turning his attention back to the chest. Raegar bashed the lock with the butt of his dagger, causing the lock to fall off, allowing him to open it. Sitting inside were several pouches of gold and silver coins, which made his eyes go wide. 'A merchant's caravan, maybe? It's the only thing that makes sense,' he thought while glancing around and noticing humanoid bones lying all over the cave floor. Moments later, he took all the coins, then noticed several small boxes full of health, Aether, and stamina potions. Raegar stored everything in his magic bag before getting ready to leave, when a shuffling noise echoed from behind. Raegar spun around, senses on high alert, but the chamber was eerily empty. Unease prickled at the back of his neck as he turned to leave. Seconds later, the creepy growls came. Dark Ones slithered from the shadows, their hollow eyes gleaming with malice as they encircled him. A chill ran down his spine, but instinct took over. One suddenly lunged while trying to bite him, and quickly he dropped low, sliding beneath its outstretched claws. With a burst, he cast Lightningfire Blast at his feet and propelled himself into the air, soaring over the creatures. As he flipped, his blades struck out, carving through flesh before he landed in a crouch. Bodies hit the ground with heavy thuds. No time to breathe. He cast Stormfire Bullets that streaked through the air and slammed into the horde like vengeful stars. The cave roared with a series of deafening explosions. Thanks to the sudden action, the ground fractured under the sheer force as the floor gave way. Raegar's heart pounded as the cavern crumbled beneath him, revealing a dark abyss eager to swallow everything whole. Panic flashed through him, but he reacted instantly and cast Flash Step. Lightning crackled at his heels as he blinked through space, reappearing just in time to land at the entrance tunnel. Behind him, the last remnants of the battlefield collapsed into oblivion, along with the Dark Ones, who howled in rage. He exhaled, steadying himself. 'That was too close,' he thought while wiping the sweat off his face. Following that, Raegar summoned his dagger before leaving the horrifying cave behind as his body ached and Aether was low. By the time he stepped outside, it was early afternoon, causing him to find a place to rest. [Drop some powerstones, comments, and gifts to help the novel grow; I appreciate all the support you can give]