6kv Chapter 43: Making Up For The Loss
Chapter 43: Making Up For The Loss
Ember stared at the spot Evian had stood at, confused at his disappearance.
A few seconds later she pieced together how his intangibility could have made it possible before shaking her head to refuse such an 'impossible' situation only to shake herself into believing what she had seen with her eyes before once again blocking it out and adamantly believing it impossible unless Evian proved it to her once again.
Meanwhile, Evian sunk deep towards the center of the world.
When the Grey-eyed Stygian finally stopped Phasing and allowed himself to be propelled back to the surface, he found he was still in the Larnak territory but now closer to the boundary line.
'I'm getting better at this," Evian thought with a smile as he put on his Merchant Hat.
[Luck Maybe?]
'Shut up!' Evian told his Assistant with a snort.
Avoiding the boundary line had never been Evian's intention. Unlike this afternoon, he had no reason to avoid drawing attention to himself.
He spent 500 soul points just to heal a cut last night and had already decided to regain it with the diligent Guards stationed by the boundary line before he left the Larnak Territory.
There was too much boundary ground to cover so no Captain was in sight. They were all lurking at a distance closer to the Larnak Estate while awaiting news of Evian's presence before they rallied over.
The Captains were limited in number already compared to the Elites and still had the primary duty of staying close to the Estate in case their Lord needed them. It was just not practical to stay at a boundary line where Evian's arrival/presence was not definite.
Evian appreciated their thought process. It made hunting for Soul Points even easier for him. Today was only the beginning.
"You! Merchant, state your name and business!" a Guard called to him thinking him a denizen who wished to leave the Larnak Territory before the eventual curfew.
The Guard's face was feminine enough but with aggressive features that likely came with the job.
Evian frowned at her, said nothing, and did not make a move.
"Did you not hear-? Hold on- your eyes," she mumbled, quickly bringing the features she was meant to be on the lookout for to the forefront of her mind,
"Take off your hat!"
Evian grinned but again, did not move.
"Did you not hear me?" the Guard yelled, "Take it off! Ack!"
She had only just finished talking when Evian's sword stabbed into her mouth and thrust out the back of her head. Her arms flopped almost immediately.
The sound of the sword going through her called the attention of her colleagues and they were all shocked at the sight of the homicidal sword-wielding Maniac Merchant.
Evian swallowed the soul of his victim before pulling out his sword and letting her body fall to the ground.
"Second Order," Evian mumbled, "Explains the ease."
"It's him!" said the sharpest of the Guards as they all took on attacking stances regardless of their Order.
Evian smiled and didn't wait to be converged on.
He eyed every single one of the guards, their uniforms, their pressures, quickly picking out the Elite Third Order Guards.
In response, Evian let out a cloud of Eldritch energy not only to coat himself from oppression but to push back against his oppressors.
The Second Order Guards quickly realized their place was not here, so they either took many steps back or left the boundary line entirely. Evian didn't stop them or give chase.
The real targets were still here. Five of them contending with him in unity with their spiritual energy and pressure and as they did, they retrieved bounds marked with strange Arcane symbols that they had been entrusted with to use against Evian should he show up.
Larnak still wanted him alive.
Evian had learned from last night and knew not to dilly daily so with his Eldritch cloud around him and his Merchant Hat still perched on his head, Evian advanced on the Third Order Guard he had contended with the most so far.
She was ready for him, contending with him on an equal footing and even gaining in her contest. Succeeding to gradually push him back but as she did, she failed to realize Evian's Eldtrich energy proved more useful than just for defense and contention against spiritual energy.
The Eldritch energy was eroding the coat of Spiritual Energy she and her colleagues had around them. All Evian needed was an opening. A slim one even.
He got that opening while their weapons were crossed in a stalemate and fired an Eldritch arrow into her body. Her eyes were wide in shock all through her subsequent shriveling until she keeled over. Dead.
Evian ignored his Soul Point counter and faced the remaining four who had yet to realize the eroding nature Eldritch energy was having on their protective layers and just kept supplying the layer with more and more spiritual energy to their detriment.
With a grin, he advanced on them.
The only one that proved sharp and wise enough to make it a contest was dead. The rest were cakewalks.
-
And indeed they were.
It took minutes. Took several clever phasing but it ended just as well as Evian desired.
Gorily killed and shriveled up corpses were what met anyone who came to the scene to offer support or to clear the dead.
•••
Evian approached the Stygian Estate Gates without his Merchant Headpiece on and with his robes stained with the blood of those he had killed.
The Guards were stunned. Especially since they thought the blood was Evian's. Almost like a consequence of their innate incompetence, they wondered if this was somehow their fault. Evian ignored them and walked into the Estate grounds.
The sun was setting and even as he took steady steps towards his destination, news of the state he had returned to the Estate in had already gone before him.
It was almost funny how news of his condition was being whispered around him without so much as an input from the 'affected one' but again, Evian ignored.
He approached the main buildings, walked to Lord Stygian's Study, and gave it a series of rapt knocks to announce his presence and seek an audience.
"Yes?" came Lord Stygian's weary voice from behind the door.
"It's Evian."
"Oh, come in my boy," Lord Stygian said and the door swung open.
When Evian entered the study, his Father was poring over a series of scripts that littered his desk.
"I apologize, son, the investigation of your attackers is taking longer than I- Evian, What happened to you?!" Lord Stygian asked with wide eyes once he finally looked up.
And so began Evian's confession...