RISE OF EROS-Chapter 579 - 577

Naraeth, a city built upon the ruins of an ancient civilization, lay hidden in a valley surrounded by mist-covered mountains. The remains of old towers and temples stood like shadows of a forgotten past, and the streets were always filled with whispers of stories buried by time.

It was here that the wisest scholars and arcanists of the continent had sought refuge, trying to understand the secrets left behind by the ancients.

When Elidyr and Zaros arrived, the city was in unusual turmoil. Hooded figures could be seen hurrying through the streets, some carrying ancient books, others debating over arcane texts in languages even the eldest barely understood.

Word of Arieth’s death and the release of an Abysmal had reached their ears, and worry spread like wildfire. At the center of the city stood an enormous stone library, its structure seemingly having withstood the ravages of time.

Upon entering, Elidyr and Zaros were greeted by Sereda, the great arcanist of Naraeth, a woman with piercing eyes and silver hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. She was known for her vast wisdom and her unparalleled skill in wielding arcane energies.

"Elidyr, Zaros," she greeted them with a nod, before adding, "I’m afraid our worst fears are confirmed. The seals holding the Abysmals in their prison are weakening, but we do not know why or how many more are on the verge of breaking."

Zaros, always direct, cut to the chase, "Do you know where the other seals are? And how can we reinforce them?" Sereda nodded, guiding them to a table covered in ancient maps and scrolls. The place was full of arcanists working on possible solutions, some conjuring small spells to study fragments of ancient power.

"We have located some of the sites where the seals were created," she said, pointing to various spots on the map. She added, "Some are in inhospitable regions, others underground, but there is one that concerns us the most. It lies in the frozen lands of the north, beyond the uncharted mountains. If that seal breaks..."

She didn’t need to finish the sentence. Elidyr and Zaros understood perfectly what that meant. The Abyss itself could open in that region, releasing any Abysmal sealed nearby, putting them all in grave danger.

"We must leave immediately," said Elidyr, his voice full of resolve. "We cannot let that seal break." Sereda nodded, but her face showed concern.

"It won’t be easy. The paths to those mountains are dangerous, and we haven’t had any contact with the scouts we sent months ago. You must be prepared for anything," Sereda said gravely.

"We are," Zaros responded, his voice hard as steel, adding, "But we need more than just an exploration team. We need those capable of reinforcing the seal, or at least stabilizing it until we can find a permanent solution."

Sereda pulled out an old tome, one that seemed to crumble at the touch, and opened it carefully, saying, "This book contains the ancient rituals used to create the seals."

Pausing, she continued, "They are incomplete, but if you reach the site before the seal breaks completely, you might be able to use these spells to stabilize it, but I warn you, this will require arcane skill beyond what many possess. Only those with a strong bond to primordial energies could perform it without risk."

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Elidyr looked at Zaros, and both knew what that meant. As warriors, they were not experts in arcane magic, so they would need someone who was if they hoped to have a chance. Sereda, as if reading their thoughts, smiled faintly.

"I will go with you. I cannot let this mission fail. And believe me, my power has not waned with the years." Zaros bowed in respect and said, "Your help is invaluable, Sereda. We will prepare to leave as soon as you’re ready."

The journey to the frozen lands of the north was arduous. The landscapes shifted from dense forests to desolate plains, and finally to snow-covered mountains. The weather grew more unforgiving with every step they took toward the mountains, and the shadows of the ancient seals seemed to pulse with a power they hadn’t felt before.

The natural fortress of the mountains protected the site where the seal lay but also isolated it from the rest of the continent.

With each passing day, the group felt a dark presence drawing closer. The nights were long, and during twilight, they could hear whispers in the wind, as if something beyond the veil of reality was watching them.

Finally, after days of grueling travel, they arrived at a vast valley hidden between the highest peaks. There, at the center of the valley, stood a colossal structure made of black stone and ancient engravings. It was the seal, and before them, the cracks running along its surface were a clear sign that its time was running out.

Sereda stepped forward, her face stern as she began to channel the arcane energies flowing from the surroundings, but something else stirred in the shadows of the valley. The members of an organization called Purgatory were already there, their hooded figures watching from a distance, waiting for the right moment to strike. Read the latest on novelbuddy

"We’re not alone," murmured Elidyr, unsheathing his sword. Zaros, frowning, clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms until blood formed into a robust, dangerous axe. "Let them come. We’re ready."

And so, in the heart of the frozen mountains, a battle began that would decide the fate of the continent, while the seal holding the power of the Abysmals hung by a thread.

The icy mist wrapped the valley, thickening as if the very air resisted the presence of the intruders. The wind blew fiercely, carrying with it the echoes of ancient voices, whispers of a forgotten era.

The seal, cracked and weakened, pulsed with dark energy that seemed to escape through the fissures. Sereda, her gaze fixed on the colossal block of black stone, began chanting her initial enchantments.

A shimmering blue halo emerged from her hands, slowly connecting with the ancient lines that traced the seal. "I must stabilize it before it collapses completely!" Sereda exclaimed, her voice tense with effort.

Elidyr and Zaros kept their eyes on the shadows moving around the valley. The hooded figures of Purgatory advanced with calculated slowness, like predators stalking their prey. Each wore dark robes, and their hands glowed faintly with profane energies. Though they had yet to strike, the tension in the air was palpable.

Elidyr, sword firmly in hand, approached Zaros. "How many are there?" he asked, his eyes trying to decipher how many enemies awaited them in the mist. Zaros, his senses heightened by the magic linking him to the environment, responded in a grave whisper, "More than we thought, but we can’t turn back now."

With a deafening roar, one of the hooded figures launched the first attack. A purple bolt of energy crackled through the air, shooting straight toward Sereda. Elidyr moved with astonishing speed, positioning himself between the bolt and the arcanist. His sword, imbued with light, deflected the attack with a sharp sound like shattering glass.

"Don’t let them get close!" Sereda shouted as her body began to glow intensely. The power she was channeling was immense but also dangerous. Each second she spent reinforcing the seal drained more of her strength.

Zaros let out a fierce laugh as his blood-forged axe vibrated with an insatiable thirst for battle. "It’s time to fight!"

The members of Purgatory charged at them, unleashing chaos. Some cast blasts of darkness that turned the ground beneath their feet into pools of living shadows, while others wielded cursed weapons.

Elidyr surged forward, his sword dancing through the air with lethal precision. Each strike resonated with a force that echoed through the mountains. He blocked attack after attack, but the number of enemies seemed endless.

Zaros, meanwhile, charged at the hooded figures with his blood axe, tearing through the air and his opponents with brutal force. With each movement, the ground beneath him turned a vibrant red.

Yet, the Purgatory figures did not fall easily. Many of them, their robes billowing around them, muttered incantations as they rapidly regenerated, their wounds healing almost instantly.

"Damn them!" Zaros growled, watching as some of his enemies, who should have been dead, rose again and again. As the battle intensified, Sereda began to tremble.

The flow of energy she was manipulating to stabilize the seal was immense, and every passing second seemed to push her to the brink of her abilities. The seal, though still cracked, began to emit a faint blue light, indicating it was responding to the arcanist’s power.

"I can’t stop now!" Sereda cried, her voice breaking. "If I interrupt the ritual, everything will fall apart". Elidyr, observing the battle around him and understanding the danger they were in, decided to act immediately.

"Zaros, we need to buy Sereda time!" he shouted as he disarmed another attacker with a quick twist of his sword, but then he felt it, a vibration in the air that made his skin crawl.

The ground trembled beneath their feet, and from the shadows of the valley, something much worse than the hooded members of Purgatory emerged.

A massive creature, an Abysmal beast of undefined shape, rose from the depths of the seal. Its skin seemed to writhe with an inner darkness, and its multiple eyes glowed with a malevolent intelligence.

Elidyr and Zaros watched it in shock. The Abysmal should not have been able to escape, but the cracks in the seal had allowed it to release part of its essence. ’No!’ Sereda shouted, struggling to maintain control of the magical energy. ’It can’t be happening this soon!’

The creature let out a roar that resonated like thunder, shaking the mountains around it. The figures of Purgatory stepped back, observing the beast with a mix of reverence and fear.