After tracking the scent of blood for a while, Kaeltharion and the giant hamster reached the graveyard. The scene before them was chaotic: an army of skeletal undead was relentlessly pounding against the hard rock walls of the graveyard. The guards stationed at the gates were desperately fighting back, their swords and spears clashing against the relentless tide of skeletons. But the sheer numbers of the undead were overwhelming, and the guards were being pushed to their limits.
As Kaeltharion approached, one of the guards noticed him riding the giant hamster and called out, "You! Are you an adventurer?" His voice was strained, but there was a flicker of hope in his eyes.
Kaeltharion didn't respond immediately, but the guard's eyes quickly caught the glint of the Orichalcum badge on his chest. The man's face lit up with relief. "An Orichalcum-ranked adventurer! Thank the gods! We need your help—we can't hold them off much longer!"
Kaeltharion dismounted from the hamster, his yellow eyes scanning the scene with cold precision. "Open the gates," he ordered, his voice calm but commanding.
The guards stared at him in disbelief. "Are you crazy?!" one of them shouted. "There's an entire undead army out there! If we open the gates, they'll swarm in and kill us all!"
Kaeltharion didn't bother arguing. Instead, he turned to the giant hamster. "Stay close," he said, then took a running start and leaped over the hard rock wall with ease, landing gracefully on the other side.
The hamster, despite its earlier nervousness, "Master, I will prove my worth to you!" not wanting to be left behind, scrambled after him. With a surprisingly agile jump for its size, it cleared the wall as well, landing with a ground-shaking thud beside Kaeltharion. The skeletal undead turned their hollow eye sockets toward the new intruders, their bones clattering as they began to shuffle toward Kaeltharion and the hamster.
Without wasting another moment, Kaeltharion raised his hand, and a chilling wave of energy erupted from his body. "Frost Aura" he muttered, his voice low but carrying an undeniable power. The air around him froze instantly, and a fourth-tier Frost Aura spread across the battlefield.
The undead army, caught in the icy blast froze instantly. Frost spread across their bones in an instant, encasing them completely. The once-clattering skeletons became motionless ice statues, their hollow eye sockets staring blankly into the frozen air. Kaeltharion had carefully controlled the Frost Aura, ensuring it didn't touch the giant hamster, which stood unharmed beside him, its beige fur untouched by the cold.
Kaeltharion didn't stop there. He drew his silver sword, the blade gleaming with an otherworldly light. With a single, fluid motion, he slashed the air, unleashing a technique known as the Thousandfold Slash of Light. The attack was so fast it broke the sound barrier, creating a deafening crack that echoed across the graveyard. Thousands of razor-sharp slashes of light tore through the frozen skeletal army, shattering them into countless icy fragments. In an instant, the entire horde was reduced to a glittering sea of bone shards and frost.
On the other side of the wall, the guards had heard the deafening sound and felt the ground tremble. One of them, his face pale, turned to the others. "Do you hear that?" he asked, his voice trembling.
The others frowned. "Hear what?" one of them replied. "All I hear is... silence."
The first guard's eyes widened. "Exactly. The undead—they've stopped."
Cautiously, the guards climbed the stairs to the top of the wall, their weapons still drawn. What they saw on the other side left them speechless. The once-teeming skeletal army was gone, replaced by a field of glittering ice and bone fragments. The ground was covered in frost, and the air was so cold it made their breath visible. In the center of it all stood Kaeltharion, his silver sword still glowing faintly, and the giant hamster, looking oddly proud of itself.
One of the guards, his voice filled with awe, whispered, "We're witnessing a living legend."
Without wasting another moment, Kaeltharion sprinted off, still following the scent of blood, with the giant hamster lumbering behind him. As he ran, skeletal undead occasionally emerged from the shadows, but Kaeltharion dispatched them with effortless slashes of his silver sword. The hamster, despite its size, kept up surprisingly well, its spiky tail swishing as it followed its master.
Eventually, Kaeltharion reached the center of the graveyard, where a group of priests stood before a looming structure. Clad in black robes with their hoods drawn, they encircled a bald, grotesquely ugly old man clutching a pulsating purple-pink orb. His twisted features and eerie presence marked him as their leader. The priests chanted in a low, guttural rhythm, their eyes shut in deep concentration, the air thick with an unsettling energy.
Kaeltharion approached silently, his yellow eyes glinting with cold amusement. "You should be more aware of your surroundings," he said, his voice cutting through the chanting like a blade.
The priests froze, their heads snapping toward him in unison. The leader's eyes widened in shock, his ritual interrupted. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear.
Kaeltharion smirked. "You don't deserve to know my name. And I certainly don't want to know yours—it's probably as ugly as your face."
The priest's expression twisted with rage, but before he could respond, Kaeltharion turned his gaze toward the building. "And you," he said, his tone sharp and commanding, "stop hiding. Come out."
A moment later, a woman emerged from the shadows of the building. She had striking orange hair and piercing red eyes, her lips curled into a sly smile. "Not bad," she said, her voice smooth and mocking. "You've got sharp senses. Mind telling me your name? I'm Clementine, by the way."
Kaeltharion ignored her question, his expression cold and unyielding. "Give me back the kid, and beg for forgiveness. If you do, I might grant you an easy death."
Clementine laughed, a sound that echoed through the graveyard. "Such a brave man," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. The priests chuckled in low tones.
The bald leader sneered, his voice cracking as he barked, "Clementine, finish him already!"
Clementine's smile widened, and she lunged at Kaeltharion with blinding speed, her stilettos gleaming in the dim light. But Kaeltharion was faster—so fast that his movements couldn't be felt or seen. In an instant, he struck, his steel sword poking her legs with pinpoint precision. Clementine's legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees, her stilettos clattering to the ground. She let out a grunt of pain, her red eyes wide with shock.
The priests stared in stunned silence, their laughter dying in their throats. No one had even seen what happened.
Kaeltharion tilted his head, his smirk returning. "Is there a gold coin on the ground?" he asked mockingly, his tone light and taunting.
Clementine gritted her teeth, her voice strained with pain and fury. "What... what have you done?!"
Kaeltharion didn't answer. Instead, he gestured to the giant hamster, which had been waiting patiently behind him. "Make it painful," he said simply. "And take your time."
With a flick of his hand, Kaeltharion used an air push sending Clementine hurtling to the side, her body skidding across the ground. The hamster lumbered forward, its spiky tail twitching with anticipation. Clementine's eyes widened in terror as the creature loomed over her, its dark markings and beady eyes making it look even more menacing.
The priests, now thoroughly panicked, began to back away, their leader clutching the purple-pink orb tightly. Kaeltharion turned his gaze toward them, his yellow eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. "Your turn," he said, his voice low and dangerous.
Without hesitation, Kaeltharion raised his hand and unleashed a third-tier lightning spell. Bolts of crackling energy shot through the air, striking the black-robed priests with pinpoint accuracy. They didn't even have time to scream before they were reduced to charred remains.
The leader, however, managed to avoid the attack, his eyes wide with shock. "You... you can use magic too?!" he stammered, his voice trembling. "But it's foolish to interrupt my plans!"
Before Kaeltharion could respond he glanced up just in time to see a massive skeletal dragon charging toward him from above, its hollow eye sockets glowing with an eerie light. Kaeltharion sidestepped the attack with ease, the dragon's massive form crashing into the ground behind him.
The priest laughed maniacally, his voice filled with triumph. "This is the Skeleton Dragon! A dragon immune to magic and with incredible strength! You're finished!"
Kaeltharion raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Oh yeah?" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. He raised his hand and muttered, "Yrden"
A purple barrier erupted around the area, covering a radius of 200 meters. The air within the barrier hummed with energy, and the skeletal dragon let out a roar of confusion as its movements slowed. Kaeltharion then pointed at the dragon and said, simply, "Lightning"
A third-tier lightning spell erupted from his hand, striking the dragon with overwhelming force. The creature didn't even have time to react before it was completely erased from existence, its bones disintegrating into nothingness. Kaeltharion tilted his head, as if considering the result. "Maybe a third-tier spell was too much," he mused.
The priest's face paled, his hands trembling as he clutched the purple-pink orb. "Impossible!" he shouted, his voice cracking. He quickly summoned another skeletal dragon, the orb glowing brightly as the creature materialized in front of him.
Kaeltharion sighed, clearly unimpressed. "Fireball" he said, casting a second-tier spell this time. A blazing orb of fire shot toward the dragon, engulfing it in flames. The creature let out a final, silent roar before turning to ashes, its remains scattering in the wind.
Kaeltharion glanced at the purple barrier still surrounding the area, a faint smirk on his lips. "Damn, this Yrden is really good," he said, clearly impressed by how much it weakened the dragon's magic resistance.
The priest, now sweating profusely and visibly shaken, tried to summon another dragon, but Kaeltharion was done playing games. "Mana Extract" he said, his voice cold and commanding. The spell instantly drained all the mana from the priest, leaving him weak and gasping for breath. He collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide with fear.
"Who... who are you?" the priest stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kaeltharion walked over to him, his yellow eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. He grabbed the priest by the collar, lifting him with one hand. "I'm Batman," he said in a cold, deadpan voice, before tossing the priest toward the giant hamster. "Finish off the woman already, and start with this idiot," he ordered.
After this, the hamster finished off Clementine with a series of comically exaggerated stomps and tail swipes, then turned its attention to the priest. The priest, too weak to even scream, could only stare in wide-eyed terror as the giant hamster loomed over him. With a final, decisive crunch, the hamster ended the priest's miserable existence, its spiky tail twitching with satisfaction.
Kaeltharion, meanwhile, stored the purple-pink orb in his system storage and walked into the crumbling building. Inside, he found Nfirea slumped against a wall, a strange, glowing tool attached to his head. Kaeltharion removed the tool, storing it in his system storage as well, and examined Nfirea. The young pharmacist was pale and lifeless, his breathing shallow and barely detectable.
Kaeltharion sighed, his yellow eyes narrowing slightly. "System," he said, his voice low, "I know I said I wouldn't use you for stuff like this, but... can you revive him?"
The system's voice echoed in his mind, its tone almost teasing. [I thought you said relying on me was cheating and not fun.]
Kaeltharion rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, I know. But this is different. Just do it."
The system complied, and a soft glow enveloped Nfirea's body. Within moments, the young man's color returned, and his breathing steadied. He was still unconscious, but he was alive. Kaeltharion slung Nfirea over his shoulder and walked out of the building, mounting the giant hamster with ease.
As they exited the graveyard, they were met by a large group of guards, their weapons drawn but their expressions filled with awe and gratitude. One of them, a tall man with a commanding presence, stepped forward. He wore a polished breastplate and carried himself with the air of a leader.
"I'm Captain Aldric Veylan," the man said, his voice firm but respectful. "Leader of the city guards in this district. And you, adventurer?"
Kaeltharion glanced at him, his expression calm. "Kael," he said simply. Then, gesturing to the giant hamster, he added, "And this is... Hamsuke." The hamster perked up at the name, its ears twitching as if it approved.
Captain Aldric bowed his head deeply, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you for saving us from the undead invasion. We owe you our lives."
The other guards followed suit, bowing in unison as a sign of respect. Kaeltharion raised a hand, his tone dismissive but not unkind. "Raise your heads. I was only doing my duty."
As the guards straightened, they began chanting his name, their voices filled with admiration. "Kael! Kael! Kael!" Amid the chanting, someone shouted, "The White Wolf!" The nickname spread quickly, and soon the entire group was chanting, "White Wolf! White Wolf!"
Kaeltharion smirked faintly at the nickname but said nothing. He nudged Hamsuke, and the giant hamster began lumbering toward the pharmacy, the guards parting to make way for them.
When they arrived at the pharmacy, the old lady rushed out, her face pale with worry. "What have you done to my grandson?!" she cried, her voice trembling.
Kaeltharion dismounted and gently laid Nfirea on the ground. "He was kidnapped," he explained, his tone calm but firm. "I saved him. He's fine—just unconscious."
The old lady's eyes filled with tears as she knelt beside Nfirea, checking his pulse and breathing. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "Thank you so much."
As if on cue, Nfirea stirred, his eyes fluttering open. "Wh-what happened?" he mumbled, his voice groggy.
Kaeltharion crouched beside him, his yellow eyes glinting with faint amusement. "You got yourself into trouble, kid. But don't worry—I got you out of it."
Nfirea blinked, his memories slowly returning. "Kael... thank you. I don't know how I can ever repay you."
Kaeltharion stood, his smirk returning. "The reward"
Nfirea chuckled, remembering the promised reward. Turning to his grandmother, he said, "Grandma, could you bring me 30 silver coins?"
The old lady hesitated for a moment before nodding, disappearing into the pharmacy. A short while later, she returned with a small pouch and handed it to Kaeltharion.
Kael took the pouch with a satisfied smirk, weighing it in his palm before slipping it into his pocket. "Pleasure doing business with you," he said smoothly.
The old lady helped Nfirea to his feet, her gratitude evident in her tearful smile. Kaeltharion, meanwhile, mounted Hamsuke once more, his expression calm but thoughtful.
Should I try shawarma or Chicken Alfredo tonight? he wondered. After a moment of thought, he smirked. Why not both?