The Transmigrated Author-Chapter 198: The Abyssal Dungeon (5)

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[Maledictus Nihilus Has undergone an 'Awakening']

[Character: Maledictus Nihilus (Boss Of The Second Chamber) - Previous State: Past Prime]

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[Character: Maledictus Nihilus - Current State: Old Prime]

[A second phase has begun...]

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[...]

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FWANG!

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[Second Phase: Maledictus Nihilus, Scourge of the Void]

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Rel stared up at Maledictus, the bishop now a towering ten feet of skeletal fury, a full two feet taller than before.

His head was encased in reinforced armour, a spartan-like helmet guarding his source of power and life.

Rel's heart sank.

He had unwittingly stumbled into a boss fight with a second phase, and he had no idea how to handle something like this.

"I might actually die here..." he muttered under his breath.

The glowing white eyes of Maledictus flickered once more, and he roared at Rel, "If you will not attack, then I will!"

With both hands gripping his mutated obsidian blade, he slashed down onto the hard stone floor, unleashing three projectile slashes towards Rel.

BLASSSSSSST!

Seeing the slashes split into three, Rel imbued his blade with aura once again and gripped it tightly with both hands.

SLASHH!!

Rel's body pivoted with maximum force, his blade carving a wide arc that deflected the incoming attack.

In the blink of an eye, Maledictus appeared before Rel, his immense form filling the space.

The bishop's sword arced upwards, slicing through the ceiling, and a magical portal materialized above them.

RAHHHHHH!

With a guttural roar, Maledictus slashed downward, his blade a blur of darkness.

[Special Ability: Clockwork of Time [Grade 3] Has Been Activated!]

Time slowed, but so did Rel's movements.

Fatigue, the price of his earlier exertion, began to take its toll.

He managed to sidestep, creating a sliver of space between himself and the attack.

[Special Ability: Clockwork of Time Has Deactivated!]

Time snapped back to its normal pace.

[Warning!]

FWANG

[Mana Reserves: 42%]

BANNNNNNNG!

Rel watched as a massive black sword erupted from the portal and shattered against the ground followed by his mutated blade.

"...!"

The realization hit him like a thunderbolt: he wasn't fighting Maledictus at his full power this entire time.

This was a nerfed version of the ancient bishop.

"Enough hiding!" Maledictus bellowed, his voice echoing through the chamber.

He conjured portals around the room, creating a swirling vortex of blades that shot outwards from the ceilings.

Rel was forced to retreat towards the centre of the chamber, the only area untouched by the deadly projectiles.

It was a trap, designed to force him into close combat.

Maledictus had drawn the battle lines, and Rel had no choice but to face him head-on.

"I've caught you, remnant!" Maledictus boomed, his voice echoing with triumph.

"Now you will finally meet your end!"

[Trickster at Arms Timer: 2 Minutes 10 Seconds] - [Cooldown - 10 Minutes]

Rel's eyes flickered to the system notification.

Time was running out.

If Trickster at Arms wore off, he'd be utterly defenceless.

With everything on the line.

Rel will not take this fight lightly.

[Passive Abilities: Tenacity and Evasiveness Has Been Activated!]

[All Current Aura Techniques Are Now Active!]

He tightened his grip on his sword, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he watched Maledictus swing his massive blade downwards.

BANG!

Rel sidestepped with inhuman speed, his body fueled by the pain-numbing effects of Tenacity.

Maledictus's sword embedded itself deep into the stone floor, and Rel seized the moment.

huuup!

Leaping into the air, he raised his blade imbued with aura, high above his head.

"Caught you," Maledictus chuckled darkly.

KAWWWWW!

As his skeletal jaw opened, a ball of dark energy began to form, a sinister beam charging within his maw.

"HAWWWWWWWWW!"

Rel desperately activated his ability.

[Special Ability: Mitigation Phenomena [Grade 1] Has Been Activated!]

The barrier materialized, but not fast enough.

The dark blast grazed his left shoulder, sending him flying with a sickening crunch.

BANG!

Mitigation softened the impact with the wall, but the pain was intense.

Rel found himself on his back, clutching his shoulder, which was now ablaze with dark flames.

"Shit..." he hissed through clenched teeth.

[Passive Ability: Mana Control [Grade 6] Has Been Activated!]

He raised his right hand, channelling mana into his wounded shoulder.

Sssstttttt...

The healing process was excruciating, the icy sting of his mana clashing with the burning darkness, as the onslaught of blades relentlessly rained down on his dwindling barrier.

"Darkness will kill you before I can!"

Maledictus laughed, his voice echoing with confidence as he sensed the battle nearing its end.

Rel could only grunt in response, using his sword as a crutch to push himself upright.

"haah... fuck it... I have nothing to lose."

tap...

TAP...TAP...

TAP...TAP... STOMP!

He began running again, clenching his blade with every ounce of remaining strength.

Swinging horizontally with his right hand, he unleashed another attack.

"Divine Severance."

SLASHHHH!!!

The crescent-shaped aura slash flew forward, its form still large enough to stretch across the arena Maledictus had created, but noticeably weaker than before.

Maledictus, seeing the incoming attack, reacted swiftly.

He ripped his blade from the ground, lifting it with surprising ease.

"Although I can no longer use Qi..." he snarled, "this will do!"

huooohhhhhh...

Dark violet energy swirled around his mutated blade as he imbued it with his elemental attribute.

With a single arm, he raised the massive weapon high, timing his swing perfectly to meet the attack head-on.

Rel's slash, crackling with black lightning, rushed towards Maledictus's blade.

CRACKLE...

Mere inches from impact, Maledictus felt a surge of confidence. "At this moment, I win," he thought.

CRACKLE...CRACKLE...

But then...

CRACKLE...CRACKLE...CRACKLE

...

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SLAAAAAAA?AAAAAAAAASH

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...

As his blade met Rel's slash, a massive eruption of black lightning coursed through his weapon, completely overwhelming and removing his elemental attribute.

"Wha-"

SHAWWWWWWWW!

"AHHHHHHHH!!! THE... PAIN!!!! I CAN'T FEEL PAIN BUT THIS?!... WHAT IS THIS?!!!!!"

The eruption of black lightning coursed through Maledictus, stunning him into paralysis.

THUD!

He dropped his sword, and the remainder of Rel's aura rushed from his hands, enveloping his entire body.

CRACK...CRACK...CRACK...

Rel, surprised by Maledictus's vulnerable state, didn't hesitate.

His body, though screaming to finish him now!

Because he knew that this was the decisive moment.

If he didn't end it now... it would be over.

As Maledictus watched Rel charge towards him, his eyes flickered, a flash of recognition twisting his skeletal features.

Rel's eyes, once dark blue, now burned with a crimson red, just like that person from back then.

Rel, channelling every ounce of his remaining aura into his sword, knew this attack had to be the finishing blow.

HUUUUP!

He leapt into the air, the blade held high above his right shoulder, his grip tightening with all his strength.

Reaching the apex of his jump, Rel twisted his torso and swung his sword in a downward arc.

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"Shattered Judgement."

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SLASHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

The momentum of his descent amplified the force of the blow.

The eruption of aura and steel tore through Maledictus's body diagonally, shattering bones and sending fragments flying.

The impact of the aura exploded outward, obliterating everything within Maledictus, leaving only his severed head to clatter onto the stone floor.

Landing on his feet, Rel turned to find Maledictus's head lying in the center of the arena. The portals still rained blades, but the bishop's body was gone, leaving the spell uncontrolled.

"I've... lost?" Maledictus's jaw hung open in disbelief.

A hand reached down, lifting his skull to face Rel.

"I win..." Rel spoke, his voice strained with exhaustion.

Maledictus could only stare, the familiar feeling of that other man still clinging to him.

Words failed him, but a burning curiosity remained.

He yearned for one last answer from the warrior who had given him a battle he hadn't experienced in a long time.

"Thy warrior... what tis thy name?" His jaw moved, the voice barely a whisper.

Rel looked into the flickering eyes and hesitated before answering, "Rel... Laurence."

A chuckle escaped Maledictus's skeletal lips.

Rel tilted his head in confusion.

"A truth filled with many lies... please, remnant... tell me your real name, so that I shall pass in peace."

Maledictus saw through Rel's lies, a flicker of understanding in his fading gaze.

"My real name?" Rel sighed.

"Yes-"

"▇ ▇ ▇ ▇"

Maledictus's eyes flashed rapidly hearing Rel's voice.

"Ah... a beautiful name... it is a blessing... and a curse... you seem to be weary... do not fret..."

He paused, his voice growing weaker. "It is very similar... indeed, though... I can't remember."

Rel lifted his hand and was about to end it when Maledictus spoke again.

"Before you end me... at my frontal lobe there lays a fraction of the memories I've had here... I met a person like you..."

***

{Rel's POV}

"A person like me?" I muttered, scepticism evident in my voice.

With this body I now inhabited, there was no way someone could be 'like' me.

This was the body of a nobody.

There was no telling if this person had family, friends, or any significant ties to this world.

I couldn't be sure if Maledictus was being truthful.

"If you open it and imbue mana into my core," the bishop's voice rasped, "I can project these memories to show you."

His offer filled me with suspicion as my brow furrowed.

"I can no longer wield magic without a body," he explained, "and because of that disgusting qi, my mana and everything within me has been neutralized... so what do you say?"

I stared at the skull, a mix of curiosity and wariness battling within me.

Finally, I sighed, "Okay, fine..."

Maledictus's skeletal head pried open the frontal section of his skull, revealing a small, dark orb floating within.

Sparks of black lightning danced around it, radiating an eerie energy.

With mana flowing through my hand, I reached out and touched the orb.

SWANG!!!!

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To Be Continued!

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