Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 39B1 - Beckoning of Darkai

Thin tendrils of holy power seeped from the Skill Slates, curling toward David. He watched closely as the dimly glowing energy coated his hands before entering his body. The foreign holy power spread slowly, winding through his energy pathways, which squirmed under its influence. The energy circulated several times before settling near his Holy Sea.

Some tendrils sought out his existing Skill Runes, merging with and nourishing them. Simultaneously, others intertwined, compressed, and began engraving new Skill Runes beside the old ones. Closing his eyes to follow the process, David found it both slow and intricate, with multiple steps occurring simultaneously. Yet, everything felt right. The new Runes’ forms gradually stabilized as the loose tendrils aligned with their most compatible Rune.

Minutes dragged on until the stream of energy finally ceased. David opened his eyes to see the Skill Slates now dull and lifeless, their infused intent fully expended. They were empty husks.

“That took a while,” Elion grumbled, snatching up the three slates with barely concealed irritation. His glare lingered on David, sharp and unrelenting.

David shrugged, unfazed. He understood the merchant’s anger—who wouldn’t be upset after being forced to sell three Skill Slates at a 50% discount? Truthfully, David had originally tried to buy four for one Silver and 40 Bronze, but Elion’s murderous expression had quickly made him reconsider. After some tense negotiation, he’d settled on three Skill Slates at an even steeper discount.

The hard-fought deal had nearly sparked a blood feud, but it left David with five Bronze and plenty of Iron to stock up on other supplies. A fair trade, given the gains from the slates.

“I’m not in a rush,” David said with a shrug, his eyes drifting toward the notifications flashing in his peripheral vision.

[Skill Slate [Cure Wounds] has been successfully absorbed.]

[Tier-0 VIII] → [Tier-0 IX]

[Skill Rune has been successfully bound.]

[Shield of Faith: Tier-0 I]

[Skill Rune has been successfully bound.]

[Oasis of Harmony: Tier-0 I]

A thin smile spread across David’s face as streams of information about the new Skill Runes flooded his mind. The influx felt like someone was attempting to shove massive tomes into his already crammed brain. It wasn’t exactly painful, but the discomfort gnawed at him. David groaned, the pressure making him feel as though his head might burst.

He stood still, blocking other customers as he focused entirely on digesting the new information. It took time, but he unraveled the secrets of the new Runes bit by bit.

Both new Runes intrigued him, though neither was an attack-type Skill.

[Shield of Faith] created a protective shield around a target—a solid defensive option, especially when paired with [Bless]. David nodded in approval. It was a reliable addition to his arsenal.

[Oasis of Harmony] was another matter entirely. Cheap for a reason, it decreased the target’s appeal to hostile creatures. It likely wouldn’t be much use in the heat of battle—an enemy wouldn’t just stop attacking someone mid-swing. David doubted it worked like that. However, the Skill Rune’s potential couldn’t be dismissed outright. Testing would reveal its limitations, but in the worst-case scenario, the target might need to disengage from combat to make it effective.

Even so, David saw its value. If he could influence enemy aggression, it would give him a strategic edge—a step closer to controlling the battlefield.

Once the streams of information settled in his mind, David turned his attention to practical matters. He purchased a sturdy pair of black boots crafted from hardened monster leather and reinforced with thin metal plates. Stylish yet durable, they would steady his footing and protect his feet and ankles from serious injury.

Sure, he could heal most wounds, but losing a foot on the battlefield wasn’t a risk he wanted to take.

David considered checking other shops for armor. Elion’s aggressive discounts had forced competitors to lower their prices—though not as steeply—but he ultimately decided against it. He planned to rely on his Skill Runes for protection instead. [Shield of Faith] could outperform ordinary armor once he ranked it up.

A quick glance at the countdown reminded him there were less than four hours left until the Horde spawned. It wasn’t enough time for extensive training, but he could make use of it. The Recovery Serum in his possession would help mitigate fatigue.

Still, he needed training partners—or stronger opponents—to make the most of it.

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There would likely be a bunch of stronger Infected near Arc…

It was worth a try.

***

[0H:04M:35S]

“That was a pain in the ass,” David grumbled in mild frustration as he stumbled back into the Sanctuary. He didn’t see any guards on the outskirts, but that wasn’t surprising. Nobody was there. The outskirts of the System Sanctuary had been abandoned—temporarily, at least.

Arc’s residents had been given shelter in the market square and its surroundings, reducing the area the guards had to protect at Arc’s center. That worked well enough, but the market square was crammed, filled with curses, complaints, and shouts that reached his ears.

Nobody was talking to him, which was probably for the best. He wasn’t the right person to console the residents. If anything, he would probably make everything worse even if he tried.

Some cried, bawling their eyes out. Others complained about their situation. Mostdidn’t believe they could survive, frightened and certain that this was their last day alive. No one wanted to die, but their actions didn’t help anyone. If anything, their behavior made the guards’ lives harder. The complaints, curses, and screams only added to the chaos.

The Horde had yet to emerge, but chaos had already seized control of the System Sanctuary.

David turned toward the market square to check on the other combatants when a shout from his left caught his attention.

“If you’re looking for the others, they’re outside. The Familia established a small camp behind Arc’s northern exit,” the guard said, gesturing northward.

“Thanks,” David replied, waving goodbye as he departed immediately.

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Jogging lightly, he released traces of [Holy Touch], drawing in the surrounding Aether. His pores opened, absorbing it into his energy pathways. It wasn’t perfect—most of the Aether in his pathways had already been annexed—but the lingering effects of the Recovery Serum helped sustain him.

The Recovery Serum still lingered in his system, steady and potent. Even after three hours, it showed no signs of fading, much to his surprise.

David reached the northern exit shortly. His eyes scanned the makeshift camp ahead, taking in the situation.

Some hasty defenses had been set up, though they wouldn’t last long. Pressing his lips together, he squinted and began counting the fighters scattered across the area.

Probably over a hundred, but certainly less than three hundred. Will that be enough?

“Common Rifts usually summon a few Mini-Bosses, stronger monsters, and a constant stream of ordinary creatures,” David murmured. “The Fang Den wasn’t open for long, but there were close to 100 ordinary monsters. Compared to that… no demons have spawned for several hours. There should be—”

“You cannot calculate like that,” a familiar voice interrupted.

David turned to see Torb and Melach approaching. The dwarf was clad in thin-plated armor covering most of his body, along with a new shield and a neat helmet. David almost didn’t recognize him. If not for Melach’s presence, David might have missed Torb entirely.

But Melach had also changed. David raised an eyebrow, noting the sharpness in Melach’s tone. His posture was different, and his bright bluish veins had turned purple.

David watched as Melach emptied a vial of crimson liquid. “As I said, you cannot calculate like that,” the elf reiterated.

“Each monster type has a different spawn rate, depending on the Rift’s grade and ambient Aether,” Melach continued, clearing his throat. “Demons are considered demonic creatures and are thus on a higher level than Fangs, for example. That’s why they won’t spawn en masse—not in Common Rifts, at least. However, since we’re about to face a Horde, we can assume the demons that would have spawned over the last six hours will emerge simultaneously, along with a few dozen, maybe more, that formed from the Aether overflow.”

David was still scrutinizing Melach and his changes when a dark screen materialized before him.

[The Main Rift to the Nebulus Hell nourished. A Horde of [Darkais] has been formed. Commence the Horde’s descent.]

[Good Luck.]

“Good luck? Fuck you!” David grumbled just as a shockwave of utter darkness swept through the makeshift camp.

The shockwave startled him, but the sinister force infused within it was even more unnerving. It clawed at his skin, pushing deeper into his body.

[You came in contact with ‘Beckoning of Darkai.’ A trace of Demonic Essence has rooted in your Soul.]

[You have been corrupted.]

David felt little but instinctively used [Cleanse] as soon as the notification appeared.

[Proficiency of Cleanse reached 100%.]

[Tier-0 IV → Tier-0 V.]

[Cleanse reached the first minor threshold. Cleansing efficiency and potency increased. Energy consumption decreased.]

“Isn’t the Demon Rift a few kilometers from here? How did a shockwave infused with some sort of demonic ability or curse reach Arc this fast?”

“Yep,” Torb murmured, his face paling as he turned to David.

This was going to be a hard nut to crack. David retrieved a Mental Fortitude Serum, popped it open, and downed it in one gulp. The sour taste mirrored their bleak future if the defenders’ morale crumbled before the real battle began.

David used [Cleanse] on Melach and Torb before leaping toward the other defenders.

He scanned the crowd of nearly two hundred faces, all tight with confusion and panic.