Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Third Person's POV

Ethan remained calm and maintained his focus razor-sharp on the shadowy figures that lunged at him with their erratic twisting movements.

Without hesitation, he aimed his broken saber and unleashed a barrage of mini Shadow Frost Nova bullets.

Guided by his natural aim and soul sense, the bullets streaked through the air like spectral comets.

They struck true as each one pierced the foreheads of the twisting shapes lunging at him.

Their bodies recoiled violently from the impact as if struck by an invisible hammer.

Yet no thudding sound followed.

Before hitting the ground, the shadows dissolved into different streams that coiled like serpents and reformed into new figures though they were slightly smaller.

Tch. That won't work.

Ethan's expression hardened. He repeated the process once more, but the results were the same.

The shadows seemed to feed off the dark energy around them, regenerating almost instantly.

Gritting his teeth, Ethan realized that attacking the shadows directly was futile.

He needed to strike at the source which was the crimson skull perched atop the altar.

His DarkStorm wings flared as he ascended and swiftly flew towards the ominous altar at the peak of the pyramid while he ignored the dark shadows on the ground.

His magic energy which had recovered to around seventy percent after the earlier massacre of the goblins was a precious resource he couldn't afford to waste.

The Shadow Frost Nova bullets which were capable of fatally injuring a grade three being in a surprise attack, had failed to disperse the dark shadows.

Then, how could they harm the crimson skull which seemed to thrive on the very dark soul energy that fueled these creatures? Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

As he flew, Ethan's mind worked overdrive and a multitude of thoughts raced across his mind like lightning.

Is it because this energy is different from elemental energy or matter? he wondered.

The dark soul energy was born of despair, resentment, and other malevolent emotions that he had experienced himself.

He had even glimpsed screaming and warping faces within the dark fumes earlier.

Should I attack with a soul-based technique?

Or should I purify this dark soul energy itself and cut off the evil entity's sustenance?

The goblins had most likely performed some heinous and dark things in conjunction with an evil ritual to amass such a concentration of dark energy, and the altar was the focal point of their twisted efforts.

As he neared the altar, he watched the crimson eyes of the skull which seemed to flicker playfully, almost mockingly.

The disdain was palpable and Ethan could feel it even from afar.

Ethan's thoughts were a whirlwind but his movements were deliberate.

He landed on the black stone steps of the pyramid with his broken saber in one hand and a green dagger in the other.

The crimson skull's silent but mocking eyes gleamed as if daring him to try something.

Suddenly, the shadows below the altar dissolved into dark smoke and surged upward like a tidal wave.

Seeing this, Ethan didn't hesitate.

He released a surge of icy mist from his body and the cold fog spread rapidly and transformed into a swirling cloud of mist that rushed toward the dark smoke.

On the way, blue runes glowed on the misty ice cloud and it transformed into a small icy tornado.

The icy tornado that had chips of black ice rotating around it collided with the dark moke.

It was successful in freezing and dispersing it momentarily but the dark energy quickly regrouped and was undeterred as it arrived at the altar.

The skull's eyes flickered with amusement as if Ethan's efforts were nothing more than child's play.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

The dark smoke surged into the decapitated body of the goblin commander, and the corpse began to twitch.

The movements grew more violent, and soon the commander's body rose to its feet as its hand gripped the halberd on its back.

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

Corpse reanimation? But this feels different.

Necromancers of the Southern Shadow Lands reanimate corpses, but they don't retain consciousness or senses.

Heck, even the corpses of those Sky realm Necromancers do not possess corpses with their own consciousness.

But this thing… it's alive.

The body twitched violently and started convulsing as though it was gripped and shaken by an unseen force.

Then, in a sickening display, it rose to its feet and held its halberd that was still strapped to its back.

The goblin commander took heavy, deliberate steps toward Ethan as he dragged the halberd across the ground.

Sparks flickered where the weapon met the smooth black surface and glowed like embers in the dark.

A corpse should not be capable of intimidation.

Ethan looked on as the commander's headless body moved in a calculated and intimidating manner and exuded an aura of menace.

But Ethan wasn't fazed. His focus remained on the crimson skull, though he kept the commander in his peripheral vision.

When the commander was within five meters from him, the creature's massive body became a blur as a streak of dark energy closed the distance in an instant.

The halberd arced downward like a guillotine and carved through the air with an ear-splitting whistle.

BOOM!

Ethan sidestepped the attack with fluid precision, his movements almost too fast to follow.

But the sheer force of the strike sent a shockwave through the stone.

Cracks spiderwebbed beneath the impact as dust and debris exploded outward.

Before Ethan could counter, the goblin commander wrenched his halberd free and spun as he unleashed a devastating horizontal sweep.

Ethan ducked at the last possible moment as he could feel the wind pressure cut through the air above his head.

He retaliated immediately and twisting his body he launched a piercing stab toward the goblin's exposed midsection.@@novelbin@@

CLANG!

The halberd intercepted his blade just in time.

Sparks danced from the collision, but Ethan's muscles bulged, and adding more strength to his saber he pressed the weapon downward.

His press forced the reanimated goblin to skid back.