TS4: Chapter 49 (Patreon)

Haskell had never in his long life ever been so frustrated. His domain revolved around devouring, tearing away at his enemy's strength and endurance until nothing but tatters remained, waiting for him to wolf them down. Yet Thorn's endurance was immeasurable, and his strength couldn't be devoured. Even when Haskell thought he was going to get a large bite, he ended up snapping nothing but air, and a moment later that terrifying halberd was coming for him.

As a ninth-tier god beast, his defenses should have been almost impossible to pierce, but the thin, void edge of Thorn's halberd sliced through him like a hot knife through snow, forcing him to retreat rather than face it directly. Worse still, Thorn appeared to be getting faster and stronger the more they fought.

Thorn noticed it too. The longer the fight dragged on, the tighter, fiercer, and stronger his movements became. It was as if everything he had been learning and practicing in the last month was coalescing, transforming from idea to reality. His body moved incredibly smoothly, and rather than casting spells, he found himself bending the elements to his will. This restricted him to some degree, but thanks to Titan's Stephe was able to maneuver about the battlefield freely, using the earth, darkness, and arcane elements as he wished. Combined with his ever-growing mastery of the halberd, Thorn found himself reaching new heights in his abilities.

The entire time the fight raged around the crystal, nobody paid the Guardian any attention, and the Spectral Guardian had enough intelligence not to get in their way, simply cowering by the edge of the shard, attempting to avoid the raging domains around him. Finally, with a faint ding, Thorn saw the notification from Eve, alerting him that the third and final shrine had been captured. A small smile flickered across his lips, and Haskell, seeing it, felt his heart plummet.

"All right, time to end this," Thorn said. Jumping back, Thorn gained some distance from the Jackal god beast and lifted his halberd into the air. Letting out a slow breath, his eyes fixed squarely on Haskell. He was about to unleash his attack when a beam of light abruptly fell from the sky surrounding him. Thorn's eyes widened, but before he could react, he was gone, leaving the battlefield feeling empty.

Almost everyone unconsciously released a sigh of relief, though most had no idea why they suddenly felt that way. Haskell, who had been facing Thorn's strike, knew exactly why, and with a shudder, he fell back, looking around wildly, just in case Thorn reappeared. Realizing that something had shifted, Stello lunged forward, his sword sliding through Tessra's defenses, nearly gutting her. Snarling, she fell back in a flash of flame, her eyes flaring like two burning coals. Using the space he gained from forcing her backwards, Stello let out a shout and lifted his sword as his domain rapidly shrank. It had nearly fallen apart under the relentless assault of Tessra's flames, but now what remained seemed to gather together, forming a massive swell.

Stepping forward, Stello brought his sword down in a simple slash, yet the power behind it was anything but simple, as the swell transformed into a tsunami of flame that rushed across the battlefield, scattering the fighters wherever it went. Unable to avoid it, Tessra let out a loud shriek as it buried her, and without waiting to see what happened, Stello retreated, panting heavily.

"We need to go," he said, appearing next to Sparky, who had just batted Ascendant Quilla across the battlefield. Hearing his voice, Sparky turned to look at him. One of Sparky's heads shifted to look at him, and Stello found himself taking a small step back, clutching his sword tightly. After a moment, the fierce look in Sparky's eyes faded, and he nodded.

"Where's Thorn?" he asked.

"That's the problem," Stello replied. "He's gone."

With a grunt, Sparky summoned a blast of frost, sending it toward Ascendant Quilla, who was rushing towards them, forcing the Saint to dodge.

"Let's go," Sparky said.

The other members of their team seemed to be of the same mind, because they all began to retreat, quickly pulling back and distancing themselves from the battlefield. The giant wave of flame that Stello had created had forced all of the other fighters to retreat, and a lull fell over the battlefield as everyone pulled back.

"Where's Thorn?" Vengef asked, scanning the battlefield as he licked blood from his claws.

"Not sure," Skoll replied. "A big beam of light came down and whisked him away."

A blast of a trumpet interrupted Stello, who was about to speak, and a massive figure appeared above the ruins.

"The shrine challenge has concluded," the voice of the Master of the Ruins said, "and achievements will now be calculated."

The first thing Thorn saw when the golden light faded from around him was an endless hall stretching in all directions. Fluttering tapestries hung from pillars scattered around him. Above his head was a vaulted ceiling painted to look like the night sky, set with glimmering gemstones that sparkled like stars. The first thing he heard was Eve's voice.

"Careful, Thorn."

He hardly needed the reminder. He pulled his domain tight around him, feeling a presence behind him. As he turned, he saw a familiar face. The Master of the Ruins stood there, watching him with curious eyes from a simple throne a few dozen feet away.

"Who are you?"

Hearing the question, Thorn thought carefully before answering. He had been well aware that the Master of the Ruins had been monitoring him. Though that hadn't changed any of his actions, he realized that it had finally caught up. Perhaps he was taking too long to answer. The mage stood up from his throne, seeming to grow in size as he stepped down from the dais. When he stopped, he was half a head taller than Thorn.

"You are a curious one," the mage said, "skilled in martial combat and in magic alike, with tremendous elemental affinity. You can clearly see through the illusions of this world, and yet you still remain. I find myself growing increasingly curious."

When he had faced the mage in the second area of the ruins, while undergoing the test of magic, Thorn had been able to faintly sense the incredible power the mage held. Now that power was on full display, and Thorn found his breath catching in his throat. It was a rare thing for him to find beings whose power made him tremble, but he could tell just by looking at the mage that this man's strength was far beyond his. Yet before he answered, a faint sound in the back of his mind alerted him that something was wrong. Taking a small step back, Thorn concentrated his domain even further, and in an instant realized what was going on.

Ever since he had entered the ruins, he had begun to realize that there was a strange magic woven into every single one of the illusions. It was a magic designed to seep into the unaware's heart and mind, slowly creating in them a specific impulse. He hadn't been able to clearly identify it, though he had surmised that it had something to do with taking revenge on whoever it was who had destroyed the Renith Empire.

As much as possible, Thorn had been avoiding it, attempting to keep himself clear of its power. Now, however, facing the mage in what he assumed was the central tower, Thorn found that the subtle influence was becoming impossible to ignore. It made him want to instinctively obey the mage, but he suppressed the feeling. As he opened his eyes and looked up, he found the master of the ruins staring at him with intense curiosity.

"What you are doing shouldn't be possible," the mage said, "so I find it incredibly curious. Never before has anyone entered this chamber and been able to resist."

Not trusting himself to speak, Thorn focused his mind on trying to find where the subtle influence was hiding. It seemed to be all pervasive, spread evenly throughout his entire body, infecting every inch of his manor. The only place that seemed to be free of it was his divine heart and the Atlas Star.

With a slight smile, the mage shook his head.

"You may think you can persist," he said, "but all who enter my domain come under my sway. Never fear, I don't ask for much, only compliance in one small thing. I would have you take up my crusade, destroying those who brought ruin to my world. It is a simple matter, especially for one of your skill, to crush them under your heel. And when you succeed, all that I have, all the power of the Renith Empire, will be yours. You may believe that the treasures stored up here are frauds, illusions created with my magic, but that's not true. The entire wealth of our empire has been hidden in these ruins, and it will be yours should you succeed in destroying my enemies."

Every word the Master of the Ruins spoke hit Thorn's heart like a physical strike. It was an incredible feeling, and Thorn felt as if he was bearing up under tremendous pressure. Doing his best to quell the surging desire to nod his head and agree, Thorn took a deep breath, his body leaning forward slightly, as he stared at the Master of the Ruins.

"No," his voice was quiet, but seemed to echo endlessly between the pillars of the hall.

Taking a small step back, the Master of the Ruins looked at Thorn intently. "Are you sure that you don't want to agree?" he asked, every word crashing down on Thorn like a massive weight.

Thorn was positive that he had never been in such a battle before. His mind and even his body were under siege by the tremendous influence the Master of the Ruins wielded. In the back of his mind, Thorn wondered if the figure in front of him was actually even trying. It seemed to be more of a passive effect of the ruin that had been concentrated here.

As his lips parted to once again say no, Thorn's mind was swept back to the horrifying scenes that he had been shown during the Test of Magic. The terrible, sore-ridden body of the woman transformed into something between life and death, a state of eternal suffering. The woman's features began to morph in his mind, and even though he knew it was simply because of the illusion, Thorn's breath caught in his throat, and the word died on his lips.

Slowly, the woman in his vision began to change, her ears lengthening, her straw-like hair darkening, and after a moment, Velin's pain-wracked eyes stared up at him. Thorn knew it wasn't real, knew that the woman he was seeing was just a figment of his imagination. He knew that Velin was safe on Verdant, protected from the terrible disease that had destroyed the Renith Empire. And even though he knew each and every one of those things, he found it impossible to stop the fierce, burning anger that appeared in his heart. It was as if a tiny ember sprang to life in his chest, swiftly transforming into a towering pillar of fire that swept through his body. The Master of the Ruins, a slight smile on his lips, walked back to the throne and sat, watching Thorn, who was practically trembling from rage.

"I am bound here, unable to leave, lest this world and the memories it contains fall apart. And so, I seek a champion, one to take my crusade into the wider world, into the endless worlds, finding and slaying all those responsible. Use that fire, use that flame, and crush my enemies under your feet," the Master of the Tower said, his voice calm.

The smile on the lips of the Master of the Ruin grew wider, turning slightly savage, as he gestured for Thorn to approach.

"Come, pledge yourself to me, and I will give you wealth beyond measure, and the power to crush anyone in your path."

Thorn's body jerked, as if he was going to take a step forward, but his feet remained firmly on the floor, as if they were nailed there. Confusion flashed across the mage's face as he stared at Thorn. He could clearly feel his magic working in the titan, and sense the deep and burning flame of anger in Thorn's heart. Yet ultimately, Thorn did not take a step forward.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked.

Thorn didn't answer. Lost in a world of flame, he seemed to have fallen into a daze, completely oblivious to the world around him. Finally, the mage lost patience. Slamming his hand on the armrest of the throne, causing the entire space to tremble, the mage stood up.

"If you will not join me, you, like all the others, will die," he said, his voice fierce. "Your only chance of walking out of here alive is by agreeing to serve me."

The mage's ultimatum seemed to snap Thorn out of his daze, and slowly his eyes rose to meet the mage's.

"No," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "I will not take up your crusade."

Clearly unable to believe his ears, the Master of the Ruins stared at Thorn, and then lifted his finger.

"Then you, like my enemies, shall be confined to the inferno, to be burned forever."

As the mage finished speaking, his figure began to fade, and from the distant end of the hall, a crimson glow erupted. Thorn's head jerked to the side as he stared at the giant wall of boiling flame rolling towards him. It filled the room, and even though it seemed to be a thousand feet away, he could feel the intense heat it gave off, burning his skin.

"Uh, Eve. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

[You have got to be kidding me, Thorn.]

Despite the danger of his situation, a small smile quirked up on the corners of Thorn's lips. It was clear that Eve knew exactly where his mind was going.

[This is a bad idea, Thorn.]

"Only if it doesn't work," he said. "Speaking of which, will it work?"

There was the briefest moment of silence, and Thorn felt as if he could sense Eve's prodigious mind making a billion calculations. The small smile on his face bloomed into an absolutely massive grin as he heard her sigh in disgust.

[Ugh. Yes, probably.]

“Likelihood of success?”

[Greater than 90%.]

"That's what I'm talking about!" Thorn said.

A gleaming red crystal appeared with a twist of his hand, pulled from the dimensional ring he wore. Currently, all of his mana was infected with the strange influence of the ruins, and he needed a good way to purify it. He could, in theory, feed it through the Atlas Star, breaking it down and returning it as pure mana once more, but that would take a long time, and the Master of the Ruins had just presented him with a perfect opportunity to purify it in a different way.