Rise of the Devourer

Fire. That was all Aurelia saw in her vision. Anger boiled in her mind like a frenzied flame, ready to consume everything, including her. Everything she’d held back, every emotion, and all the rage now burst forth in an inferno.

Aurelia rushed forward, her fists glowing like the two suns as she struck Garett. Her fists created dents in his armor, turning the metal hot enough to flow from the impacts as she continued to pummel him.

The warrior’s claymore swung, striking at her, but she took the blow with her gauntlets, letting her flames bellow forth with a roar.

“How DARE you lie to me?!” Aurelia roared, as her fist landed in Garett’s gut, launching him backwards. Aurelia jumped forward as Garett flew, striking him down and plunging him into the ground. “All. Those. People,” she said, each word accompanied with a strike that landed on the warrior, breaking bones.

“All. That. Suffering,” Aurelia said, as Garett kicked her off, coughing blood. She pulled herself up, her injuries lighting up in flames and healing themselves immediately. She lunged forward, with a strike, matching Garett’s speed as her fist struck his claymore, pushing the man back.

“For what purpose?” Aurelia asked, as fire burned in her eyes. “Why did you do it? Why did you betray me?”

Garett didn’t reply, as a wave of energy gathered around him. He roared, the air pulsating as a red aura settled around him, as he swung his giant Claymore like a dagger. Aurelia took the blows with her gauntlets, each strike turning heavier than the last. Letting her flames flare, she roared, jumping up into the air, before striking the earth beneath her.

The ground erupted beneath them, flames flowing through the earth and launching upwards. Garett was flung backwards, his feet digging in as his blade left marks through the ground. Kneeling as he remained upright only with the support of his claymore. Embers burned his clothes as smoke filled the air between them.

“It was a job. You just happened to be an easy target with your solo questing and lower level,” Garett replied.

Aurelia stared at Garett. “That’s all? It was a job?” she asked, feeling her flames rousing around her. “All those nights… all those screams as one by one I heard the people around me being slaughtered. As I had to fight that abomination formed from their flesh, begging me to end their torment. All of that… because it was a job?” Aurelia said, finding her voice shaking.

“Yes. It was a job. They paid me good money, and I needed money. Simple as that. You would understand if you could look past your own inflated self-righteousness,” Garett said, spitting.

“You disgust me,” Aurelia said, striking her fists together as her fire rose once more.

“Good. I never liked you either.”

With a scream she rushed forward, her fist striking his chest as blood flew in the air, splattering all around them.

Garett roared, swinging his sword as the blade cut through the air, sending out a pulse that shot at Aurelia.

Dodging the attack, Aurelia twisted her gauntlets, as chained blades came out of them. Letting flames cover her weapons, she struck, swinging the chained blades at Garret. The blades struck true, finding purchase in his armor as she pulled the man closer, before she hit him in the gut, knocking him over.

Garett took the blow, rolling backwards, as he coughed up more blood. As Aurelia rushed closer, he roared, blue crackles gathering towards him.

Lightning burst through the area, striking Garett, as electricity crackled in a frenzy. Aurelia felt the electricity course through her body, burning through her skin as she was launched into the cavern wall.

Garett rushed closer, his claymore piercing the wall where Aurelia's head had been a moment ago. He pinned her body to the wall still, pushing his shoulder into her chest

“You never used identify on me did you?” Garett asked, lightning crackling all around him in a frenzy.

[Thunderclad Warrior - ??]

“What did you—”

Garett struck before she could finish, lightning crackling in a frenzied storm. Thunder mingled with fire as Aurelia’s fists caught Garett’s claymore, holding it back.

“This is the first time I’m seeing your wild side, Aurelia. Is this how you really are?” Garett asked, kicking her aside, before he struck the ground. Lightning crackled through the cavern, rushing at Aurelia, as she collapsed from the strike.

You have been paralyzed.

Flames of Fury has ended.

You cannot move.

“Show me more. Show me MORE. The anger, the fury, I want to see it before I kill you,” Garett said, smiling through his bleeding face.

“You’re insane,” Aurelia said, trying to push to move. Her struggles failed, with her body still numb from the electricity.

“No, no no. Not that, not that at all. That’s the boring you. The you I did not care to have killed. I want to see the you that burns with hatred and bloodlust. Show me the anger, show me the emotions!” Garett said, looking at Aurelia as she lay collapsed on the ground.

He glanced sideways, watching Erwest fighting the Abyssal chief before he clicked his tongue. “The cultist will die soon as well. What a shame.” Turning back to Aurelia, Garett pointed his claymore at the Paladin. “Will you show me that anger if I kill the Paladin?” he asked, in a voice calm enough to send shivers down Aurelia’s spine.

“You’ve lost… your mind,” Aurelia said, trying to put strength into her limbs, but they refused to work.

“No, then. How about the other one? What if I kill him?” Garett asked.

Aurelia looked up, trying to push herself up as she grit her teeth.

“Ah, he’s the one then,” Garett said, turning around.

“No, Garett, stop!” Aurelia screamed as the man rushed ahead. Putting ineverything she had, Aurelia tried to push her body, but it refused to work. In a rush, she reached into her storage ring, taking out her single C grade mana stone, before swallowing it whole.

You have eaten a C grade mana stone.

Power fills your body.

Your mana has regenerated to twice the capacity.

All attributes have been strengthened by 100.

Aurelia ignored the flaming words of her Astral script, as she put everything she got from her mana stone into activating her Flames of Fury again. With a kick, fire erupted around her body once more.

The flames of fury strengthen your body.

All attributes are increased to twice their strength.

Aurelia Fauster, Rank E.

Path of the Flame Warden is at level 92.

Path of the Warrior Monk is at level 95.

Flames of Fury has 120 seconds remaining.

Your Power is 488

Your agility is 380

Your Constitution is 384

Your Mystic is 400

May your Path light the dark.

Aurelia rushed ahead, chasing after Garett, but she was too late. She watched as he stood, Claymore plunged into Noah’s chest.

With a scream, she threw her chain blades at him in a frenzy. Fire erupted across the chains, an explosion throwing the mad adventurer back.

“I will NOT lose someone again,” Aurelia screamed, as a storm of fire engulfed her.

“There’s the anger,” Garett said, laughing as lightning erupted around him. Aurelia rushed the man, fire engulfing her body. She swung her chain blades, swirling them around in an inferno as sparks flew from where they struck Garett. Using her blades as leverage, she pulled herself closer, her fists striking hard and fast. Lightning mingled with flames, the electricity numbing her body, but she pushed through the sensation.

You’ve grown resistant to lightning.

Aurelia ignored the words, single mindedly focused on her enemy. Grabbing Garret by his leg, she tackled him to the ground, and using her chain blades, she stabbed him in the knee, before dragging the blade to destroy his knee cap. Fire melted through his armor as Aurelia’s fist hit his chest, breaking his ribs.

Aurelia roared, letting her anger take over. Her fists continued to strike, over and over and over and over and—

“Aurelia!” A shout came, as a hand grabbed her fist. She blinked her eyes, realising that she sat upon a corpse, with only burnt, fleshy pulp in front of her. “Stop. He’s dead.”

She looked back up, and saw Erwest grabbing her hand. “He’s been dead for a while now.”

“I…” Aurelia muttered, as she looked at the flaming scroll in front of her.

You have slain a Legendary Thunderclad Warrior - lvl 121.

Flame Warden is at level 100.

Warrior Monk is at level 100.

You can rank up.

“Noah?” she asked, turning around as she rushed towards him, but found her limbs not cooperating. “What about Noah?” she asked, as Erwest lifted her up. It took her a moment to realise her fists were broken and her ankle had swollen red. Blood pooled in her mouth with her ribs cracked and flesh burnt from the attacks Garett had sent.

“I tried,” Erwest said, glancing back where the Abyssal Cultist chief lay unconscious, and tied up. “But between fighting the cultist chief and capturing him alive, I couldn’t save him.”

Aurelia moved over to Noah, watching him lay unconscious. Blood covered his torn clothes, his breath still and unmoving.

“No, there’s no way,” Aurelia said, pressing her hand against Noah’s chest, yet despite how long she waited, no heartbeat returned. “I… I was the one who said he should come even when Nae tried to stop him. Because of me. I can’t…” Aurelia found her words breaking.

Erwest walked closer, kneeling as he took his sword out, putting it on Noah’s chest. Closing his eyes, he said. “I had misjudged him,” Erwest said, glancing back at Aurelia. “But there is one thing I can try. His life has not been vanquished completely. If he is righteous, then mother Hellion will protect him,” the Paladin said.

Closing his eyes, a golden light engulfed Erwest as he spoke. “O warrior of justice, mother of light. Grant this soul a blessing of life.”

Light rose from the blade, turning into a bright flash as it swallowed Noah whole.

Erwest stepped back, as the two of them watched. “Now, everything will be decided by Hellion.”

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