Rise of Tyrus

“Blasted thing. I’ve always hated dealing with these models. The insistent beeping wears down the ears.”

Geroth frowned at Tracer. It had been beeping for the past three minutes now without rest. In contrast to the participants, the overseers were provided with a distinct model that incorporated an enchantment capable of monitoring the vital signs, location, and even the names of each participant. A beep signified one of them needed saving. Should an individual yield, the ring would forcibly reveal their whereabouts, necessitating the intervention of an overseer.

While the beeping was cause for concern and it was his duty to watch and save those in need, today was not the case. He had a much more important job, one that Branch Leader Selena purposely hid from the participants. It was the precise reason she sought the attention of a royal knight like him. A job that few could accomplish.

“I still don’t know what goes in that head of hers,” Geroth grumbled. “Why go through the trouble of conducting an exam in such a troublesome situation? Given the presence of corrupted mana and a malevolent sorcerer, I am concerned about the complications that may arise for the applicants.”

Geroth stroked his beard, deep in thought. Selena and Zephyr were somewhere in the Wasteful Wetlands, conducting their own duties. From what she told him in their first meeting, her job was to search around for any other anomalies they were unaware of. In simplest terms, she was to survey the Wasteful Wetlands for anything suspicious in its entirety.

As for Zephyr, he is doing most of the heavy lifting. To teleport individuals who have surrendered or are severely wounded, a substantial amount of mana and focused concentration is required. In addition, he must cover an area large enough to protect them at the right location. They must not be too far from the caster or else the effects placed on each participant dissipated. Of course, since its Zephyr, no one else was better fit for the job. That guy was one of the most skilled and powerful Elemental Sorcerers around.

“There’s also that one odd job Selena assigned to him last minute, but who am I to judge? They must know something I’m unaware of. Best not to dwell on it.”

For why they have split their forces, Selena deemed it to be the best course of action. It would do them no good if the three were to move as a group, as it would only slow them down and lessen their coverage.

“Everyone has a job to accomplish. Conducting an exam in these conditions isn’t my cup of tea, but trying to decipher her intentions will give me a headache. Better to just keep quiet and do my part.”

Geroth’s eyes sharpened as he surveyed the landscape. He stood on rocky land, surrounded by rippling waters and spires jutting up like crooked teeth. Lying in front of him was a bridge; more than half of the planks were missing, either swallowed by the lake or whisked away from birds seeking structure. At the end of the feeble bridge lay a tiny island overrun with corrupted mana.

How long has it been since he’s seen this much corruption? A decade or two, perhaps? In any case, it unfolded exactly as he had expected. The feeling of thousands of worms crawling along his skin, the dreadful knowledge that death waits around the corner, and the ever-present darkness hiding between the crevices of the dead swamp grass and scattered pieces of wood with mana sense activated. That an artifact could emit such a disgusting amount of corrupted mana was beyond him.

An entity of such wickedness had no rightful existence in the world.

Geroth clenched his sword’s hilt and reached deep within his mana heart. The energy stored inside immediately understood his intentions and began traveling all over his body in seconds. A solid layer of mana surrounded Geroth, forming around him until it was just a hairsbreadth above his skin. Not a single vacancy was left unfilled.

He crouched low, eyes set ahead as he mentally judged the distance. Once satisfied, he drew another sharp breath and leaped. He cleared the bridge in one bound, the structure nothing more than a blur. When he landed on the other side, droplets of water splashed the air, and his boots churned the muddy terrain like mulled grains.

The corrupted mana bounced off the mana shield as he strutted forward, hand still on the hilt. Geroth scanned the vicinity. All that lay in front of him were debris, dinghies that used to be transport, and a trail of skeleton remains. Most likely from a crocodile, as they were common among these parts.

Following the trail, his eyes wandered inland, where tree stumps, and stone pillars remained. And among them was a massive altar that had seen better days. Decorating the structure were carvings depicting that of a woman and man bowing and holding up an artifact with praise. Between them was a figure wearing a cloak fashioned out of vines and leaves. In their outstretched palms appeared to be seedlings, as if they were offering it to the humans. Underneath the carvings were bowls of rotten fruits and vegetables.

What caught Geroth’s attention, hovering just an arm’s length away from the altar, was a cube. A sickening black light shrouded it; remnants of the corrupted mana coursing through. The ancient markings that ran across the surface were a dialect he was unfamiliar with. The surrounding air distorted from the massive amounts of corruption it emitted, billowing out like a sea of flames from a dragon’s maw.

Geroth whistled. “To think a relic of the olden era would be reborn into the world like this... Sthito be damned. If word of this gets out, it could set the world ablaze. An artifact this malevolent must be destroyed to preserve the order and safety of the populace. But, I suppose you wouldn’t agree, now would you?”

The air above the altar shimmered. A cloud of shadows materialized before its center. Black, bone-like limbs lashed out, giving it an almost undefined outline. From the opening of the shadows grew a cloaked man hidden underneath a mask.

“How did you know I was near?” he said in a smooth voice.

“Why, it is obvious, would it not? Your wicked nature burns fiercely through my mana sense. Those who possess an evil heart cannot escape from my vision.”

The man chuckled. “Is that so? I escaped from your grasp pretty easily in our first encounter. What would Johan think of his dregs allowing a dark sorcerer escape unharmed?”

Geroth arched an eyebrow. “That’s His Majesty to you. And I’ll admit, I have failed in my task of subjugating and taking you and your little friends prisoner. However, this time it will be different. I shall not let you go as freely again. As per my duty as a royal knight, I offer you this one chance. Surrender willingly, or we’ll have to do this the hard way. Do the right thing and stop this madness. Maybe then you’ll keep that head on those shoulders of yours.”

The sorcerer shook his head, clearly amused at his request. “As if I’ll follow the directives of an inferior. Pull out that sword of yours, royal knight, and save what’s left of your tongue.”

Geroth shrugged. “So be it. Don’t regret your actions after I’m finished with you. Once I’ve beaten you to submission, you’ll tell me everything that I need to know.”

Slowly, Geroth retrieved the sword out of its scabbard. A magnificent sword, he might say. Made from the depths of the Ironworks. The sword he wielded was both long and thick, featuring a double-edged blade adorned with intricate carvings that extended all the way to the magnificent hilt. Similar to the gear he wears on duty, it was not constructed using regular metal. A metal only found in the mines of Ironworks.

The masked man glanced at the sword for a second, not the least bit bothered by its appearance. Without an ounce of fear, he stepped forward, as if goading for Geroth to get on with it. Geroth happily obliged and approached with slow steps.

“Time to give this my utmost effort. May Sthito watch over my fate.”

“It won’t be long before your prayers fall upon death ears, royal knight,” the man sneered. "When the time is right, all will pay homage to the one and only God."

“Interesting! Care to reveal more?”

“No. It is not within your fate to know.”

With the flick of his hand, a Shadow Bolt from above materialized and shot toward Geroth. Reaching his arms high above, Geroth slammed his sword downward, severing the Shadow Bolt. The magic bolt exploded violently against him, but with mana shield activated it did nothing more than tickle him.

“Hmph. This will be more difficult than I thought,” said the masked man.

Geroth smiled. “Already regretting what you’ve gotten yourself into? It’s too late to correct your mistakes.”

"The only mistake I see is intervening in my master's work. Now stop prattling and fight, worm.”

“With pleasure!”

With the fury of a bull, Geroth charged towards his opponent. Once the dark sorcerer has been vanquished, the act of annihilating the artifact ought to be uncomplicated. He would figure out what to do with the sorcerer later. Eventually, he’ll make his plans known. For His Majesty, he will not fail. For all of Lethos, he will persevere.

As long as he put forth his utmost effort, failure was out of the question.