ROTLE- Chapter 195- Sir Aido Baragon (Patreon)

“We have the coordinates right. It’s perfect.”

Did they really, though?

Surrounded by trees and mana so thick he could taste it in the air, they could just as easily have everything wrong. Demonic mana did that to people.

Aido walked around the catapult. His steps were slow, gentle. He placed his hand against the wooden frames etched with enchantments. He read them with his fingers as the blind children still unclassed were taught to read among nobility. His hand stopped when he had made a full circle.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to look at the engineer. “And the [Cartographer]s and [Tracker]s and all the king’s men are in agreement?”

The engineer shook his head, chuckling condescendingly. “How about we let me worry about that.”

The old man with a boy’s voice was still as pompous as ever. He saw Aido as nothing but a vicious pet. Vicious, but a pet of the king nonetheless. Whatever happened, he believed Aido would not bite the hand that fed him.

It almost made Aido laugh. The man had no idea why he followed the king even though he was not system sanctioned. That was the problem with the king’s men. They had no idea why Aido followed him. They had no idea why Aido obeyed him.

But it did not matter.

These reasons were reasons of his own. Still, sometimes, it was only right to remind them of their place.

So Aido did.

He moved his hand and slapped the old man.

The man buckled under the force of the blow and was sent tumbling to the ground. Aido watched him fall, watched him roll a little. He cocked his head to the side, looked at his hand.

Was that too much force?

It wasn’t that he cared, merely that he was surprised. How much had he grown since he’d last fought?

Aido shook his head at the thought. His last level ten growth had been when he’d killed king Oyedi of Mba-chukwu. The man had only given him three levels, though. But it had been enough to push him into his next tenth level.

Waiting patiently, Aido kept his eyes on the engineer until the old man got back up to his feet. Nobody moved to assist him. Nobody moved at all.

Standing on his feet, Aido noticed that his blow had split the man’s lips. It left blood trailing from his mouth. It always baffled Aido how the weak adorned themselves with the mantle of hubris when they were under the protection of someone else. It made no sense. A weakling would bluster and boast simply because someone protected them. They always forgot that their protection existed far away while they danced in front of an enemy that could crush them in one blow.

Why did they not understand that it was not protection, not truly. They were not being protected, they were being avenged. For all their protector would do to the person that harmed them, it would not change the fact that they had been harmed.

Aido shook his head, keeping his eyes on the old man. “Has this been confirmed?”

“Yes.” The man nodded shakily.

This was good. Aido could see it in his eyes. Realization. It was an understanding that even if Aido was the king’s pet, he was the king’s pet. Not his.

Aido turned away and began climbing into the catapult. “Where am I to arrive?”

“At the heart of the chaos.”

“Nosrath?” he asked, looking up at the bright sky.

The engineer nodded as hate mingled with the fear in his voice. “There is currently a raid on the creature going on right now, but our scouts have confirmed that all those around are nothing but the weaklings. His majesty wants you in and out of there before the other kingdoms finally get those of significant strength there.”

Aido nodded.

Nosrath had respawned out of nowhere, sending the monarchs scrambling about. If only the system-sanctioned rulers were informed of the system update on the heart and the crystal, then how did his king who was not know? The answer was simple. The true system-sanctioned king that everybody in the kingdom spent hoping would return was currently in the king’s dungeon.

There was an existent deal. The man would give the king information he required in exchange for certain leeways. At least that was how the king put it.

But Aido did not care—he could not bring himself to. After all, of what concern of his was politics?

“PULL!”

The bellow tickled Aido’s ear and he held his breath. The sound of stretched ropes finally breathing a sigh of relief reached his ear before he was sent roaring through the world.

High in the sky, tearing through the air, Aido was graced with the sight of a black tall pillar of mana far into the distance. It reached so high that it dared the heavens and tore the sky. It was a single pillar, a pillar he had been to a handful of times in his life. It was as wide as ten men standing side by side but vastly more powerful.

The boundary between worlds. It was one of ten. The stories claimed that on the other side of them was a Nastild far beyond this one. A lot of monarchs and their trusted servants had been. He had not.

Aido watched it until his descent began. At first, he braced for the leaves and branches that he would tear through, only to realize that all there was beneath him was a clearing and a monster and countless men dying in battle.

I see, he thought to himself, then braced for single impact.

He tore through another very thick layer of mana that left him slightly disoriented. Before he could reorient himself, however, he hit the ground like a meteor.

Everything boomed on impact, rending the floor with a small crater. It rose dust and rocks and grass. His interface popped up in front of him.

[Class skill Untimed Flesh is in effect]

Aido frowned as he pulled himself out of the ground, bones healing along with every other damage he had taken from the fall. [Untimed Flesh], like almost every other skill he had, was a passive skill. It kept him in a constant state of regeneration, mending anything broken without his permission. It was one of countless skills that would not let him die.

When the dust cleared and he stood there, looking at the chaos around him, his interface lit up again, making him frown.

[Class skill Blood Reversal is in effect]

…

[Class skill Life Pulse is in effect]

The first healed him by thirty percent of every damage taken for a period of time, while the second healed him by a medium amount for every person that died within a certain radius around him. The positive side was that the first had a cool down. It would activate, staying active for almost three full minutes, then would go into cooldown for almost half an hour.

Aido ignored it all and turned his attention to Nosrath. The beast was covered in blood and injuries. However, for some reason, it was frozen, still as a statue while five people charged it, dealing as much damage as they could. Of the five one used a bow like an [Archer], another commanded summoned creatures. One was dressed like a paladin. One was just a fat man with anger issues, then he couldn’t be certain but it seemed like the last was a female [Mage] with a raised staff.

Such a phenomenon was unknown to him. Nosrath was never known to just stand there—or in this case, lie there—and take whatever others did to it.

Then there was the mana in the air.

Something shot out of nowhere, wrapping itself around his shoulders. Aido looked at it just as his interface popped up.

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Binding]

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Lightning]

[You have been electrocuted]

He moved slightly, basically shrugging, and tore himself from the binding. It was like a thorned vine trying to keep him in place. As for the electrocution, it was nothing but a tingle against his skin. Interestingly enough, the binding had also felt as if someone had slammed into him forcefully.

Ripping free of it, Aido took a hesitant step towards Nosrath. Another binding shot out. This time it wrapped around his neck.

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Binding]

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Lightning]

[You have been electrocuted]

Reaching up, he took a handful of the binding and pulled it free. As the mana dissipated, he caught glimpse of what it had been. The first had been a vine of thorns, this one had been chains.

This was interesting.

There was either a very skilled [Enchanter] around, or there was someone with a very interesting enchanted item.

Ignoring Nosrath, he panned his gaze about. Everyone around was under the effect of the enchantment. There were those who struggled against their bindings. None with half as much luck as him, though. The few who managed to pull out of it, ripping themselves free, only found themselves rebound, pulled to the ground.

It wasn’t long before his attention settled on the potential caster. He wore a green jacket that almost swept the ground and had a hard look in his eyes.

They were focused on Aido.

Beside the boy, for he was not old enough for Aido to call him a man, stood a man in armor. The man was befitting of being called a man. Sword in hand, he had himself ready for war against Aido.

It was almost as if they knew exactly who he was and wanted some kind of revenge. Perhaps that was a wrong analysis. The armored man knew who he was. The child was the one with vengeance in his eyes.

Aido walked towards them.

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Binding]

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Lightning]

[You have been electrocuted]

Ignoring it, he continued forward, the binding shattering as he moved.

The boy raised his hand. Aido cocked his head to the side at it. The hand was red and each finger came to an end like tipped claws. It was all red, Aido saw no fingernails.

A chimera? He wondered, remembering all the monstrosities that had been described to him that existed in a place he had once been but had no recollection of ever being in.

He watched the boy’s index finger tear golden trails in the air. He was fast, interestingly so, but not so fast that Aido could not see what he was doing.

Still walking forward, the boy was done within one of Aido’s steps. Aido saw it now. the boy had carved an enchantment in the air, done the impossible. He had just engraved the world.

Maybe, Aido dared to hope. Maybe a boy capable of doing the impossible could do one more impossible.

He doubled his steps, hurrying. Maybe… just maybe…

There was hope as he moved faster, excitement bubbling within him.

Most of the symbols he had engraved in the air disappeared, leaving a single bright symbol announcing itself to the world.

Aido leapt forward, [Dash] throwing him at his opponent. The armored man stepped forward, moving through a sword stance, ready to cut him down as the others fought Nosrath back.

Nosrath…

The creature and its heart had become unimportant to Aido.

He closed the distance between him and the boy in the blink of an eye.

The armored man’s sword came down.

The symbol in the air exploded, and Aido was sent blasting through the clearing.

Tumbling through corpses and tearing through the ground, Aido was only thinking about what the heck had hit him. It had to be the symbol. It couldn’t be anything else. But it had hit him hard, harder than a lot of the things that he had ever been hit with.

He tasted blood, smelled it too. Something trickled down his head as he finally came to a stop on his knees. His eyes fastened to the boy and the man in armor. The man looked as surprised as him.

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Binding]

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Lightning]

[You have been electrocuted]

…

[Class skill Blood Reversal is in effect]

…

[Class skill Critical Anchor is in effect]

Aido snarled at the notification and its implication. [Critical Anchor] prevented him from losing more than five percent of his health from any single hit and was designed specifically for critical hits as [Fatal Anchor] was designed for fatal blows. They took away the effects of a critical blow or a fatal blow. Such things had no impact on him.

Still, a child had dealt him enough damage in a single blow that the skill had gone into effect. It was… amazing.

Aido laughed. He couldn’t help it. The king had finally given him a task that just might kill him without even knowing it.

Taking his attention away from his excitement, he charged forward. The boy was already scribbling in the air again, enchanting the world. He looked strained, though, but Aido did not care.

He was halfway through the distance when the new enchantment exploded. He braced for the blow again. He would take the hit and keep moving. It would not throw him this time.

Shock registered in his eyes as the new symbol came alive and exploded. It was not the same symbol. He watched something pierce the air, a single thrust of something black and deep.

Aido ignored it. He never had a need to dodge.

It struck him in the neck, tearing a precise hole in his throat.

Blood spluttered and for a moment air did not enter his lungs properly. Still, Aido did not stagger. He kept charging forward, moving towards his prey.

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Binding]

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Lightning]

[You have been electrocuted]

…

[You have been dealt a fatal blow!]

[Class skill Fatal Anchor is in effect]

…

[Class skill Divine Endurance is in effect]

Aido ignored it, still charging forward.

The boy was already engraving another. It was as if every engraving was compounded by the enchantment of lightning and binding while carrying a heavy blow.

It made Aido’s blood tingle to know what was coming next. The symbol exploded, unrecognizable to Aido’s eyes.

What’s next, boy?

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Binding]

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Lightning]

[You have been electrocuted]

He ignored it, tearing through the binding. This time it was something that had tried to tie his hands. It felt like cloth.

Something tore through his neck and Aido staggered. It had come out of nowhere.

It took him only a moment to realize what it was as he staggered forward, his head seemingly disoriented. His center of gravity shifted. It was as if his head had separated from his body for a moment.

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Binding]

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Lightning]

[You have been electrocuted]

…

[You have been dealt a Fatal Blow!]

…

[Class skill Fatal Anchor is in effect]

…

[Class skill Divine Endurance is in effect]

…

[Class skill Sovereign Crown is in effect]

Aido almost laughed.

The boy in front of him was as skilled as he was heartless. [Sovereign Crown] and [Sovereign Form] were two skills that did almost the same thing. [Sovereign Form] boosted his healing so that if he was dismembered, his limb healed as it was being dismembered. Sometimes he was dismembered faster than the healing. [Sovereign Crown] did the same thing but only applied to his neck.

The boy had just cut off his head with whatever engraving he had just used on the world and had almost blown his head off with some type of force.

But how?

Aido had not even seen it coming. Was it just that fast? Was it—

His brain froze in realization as he started walking again, his charge disrupted by his stumble. His interface popped up in front of him.

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Binding]

[You have been affected by Enchantment of Lightning]

[You have been electrocuted]

He looked at the notification, dismissing it as he shrugged off whatever was binding him as well as the force of it. The binding he had torn through had been enough distraction for him to miss the actual activation.

But it had been nothing but a fraction of a second.

That’s all it takes in a fight.

Was this the boy’s plan? All the bindings and lightning playing the part of distraction so that he could land the hits that he wanted to land.

It was impressive. The boy deserved the accolades.

But that was all it was. He could see it on the boy’s face. He was running out of mana. Whatever he was doing, he could not keep up with it. He would run out of mana while Aido still had his entire health prepared.

His eyes flashed to the armored man with his sword. He had hoped to die today. Sadly, hope had betrayed him once more.

The boy turned to the man beside him and said something that Aido did not catch.

It did not matter.

All that mattered was Aido’s disappointment. Then again, he had been the fool for putting his hopes on a child. Perhaps if he let the boy grow, allowed him to reach his prime…

But it was nothing but hope—hope that had failed him once.

It mattered not.

Aido activated [Dash]. Unarmed and suddenly angry, he tore through the world. As he did, he watched the armored man take a careful step away from the boy and raise his sword. He held it high in both hands.

What in the name of the gods were they trying to do?

Nosrath roared in pain somewhere in the clearing. Aido ignored the beast.

His eyes darted from the boy to the man and back for only a moment. He only needed a reminder that it did not matter. He would die one die, he swore it.

But that day was not today.

Today he would—

The boy’s mouth moved. Something shook in Aido’s very soul. He didn’t hear the words, not with his ears. But he felt it.

He felt it with every fiber of his being. Everything buckled within him as the world came alive.

He read it on the boy’s lips.

“Die.”

His body obeyed. Aido staggered just before he reached the boy. The boy staggered backwards, as if the single word had taken everything out of him.

The mana in the air that had been thick suddenly dissipated. The people struggling through their bindings no longer struggled, ripping free of them very easily.

The boy dropped to his knees.

Aido’s interface came alive in a panic.

[You have been affected by ????]

[???? has applied debuff ????]

[You have been afflicted with debuff ????]

…

[Class skill Fatal Anchor is activated]

[Class skill Divine Endurance is activated]

[Class skill Eternal Regeneration is activated]

[Class skill Undying Source is activated]

[Class skill Untimed Flesh is activated]

[Class skill Nosrath Vitality is activated]

[Class skill Divine Resilience is activated]

[Class skill Critical Anchor is activated]

[Class skill Blood Reversal is activated]

[Class skill Crystal Veins is activated]

[Class skill Life Steal is activated]

They all came alive. Curses seeking to never let him die.

[You are under debuff ????]

[Class skills do not take effect]

Aido barked a derisory laugh. Blood coughed up from his mouth.

They had failed. All of them. They could not keep him alive.

He staggered once more, then fell to his knees right in front of the boy. Both on their knees, they stared at each other.

The boy bled from his eyes, nostrils, ears and mouth. Whatever he had been doing had done a number on him.

The boy grinned at him.

Aido could not spare a grin. Not yet. Instead, he was painfully aware of the man next to him with his sword held high.

He knew, Aido realized, with a touch of peace.

The boy had known that whatever he had just done would unmake Aido. A child had bested the Immortal. It was as hilarious as it was poetic.

“Sir Aido Baragon,” he said suddenly.

The boy’s eyes was stained with surprise. He rallied himself quickly, though. “Aiden Lacheart,” he answered.

“Aiden Lacheart,” he muttered, tasting the words. “A good name. I will remember it.”

Aiden Lacheart nodded. “Take it to your grave.”

The armored man’s sword came down.

Aido strengthened his resolve and answered.

“No.”

He tapped into the primal part of him as the sword came down on his head and opened his mouth.

He would die… But not without a fight.

[You have used Nosrath skill Wail of the Immortal]