Chapter 176: He who slays the Fallen

He extended the field upon every point where the threads were connected. The curse of uncertainty paved the road for the other two curses. Curse of Oblivion used a concept similar to wave interference. Just like how waves could erase one another at certain frequency, he created virtual particles to erase the energy field created by the threads.

At the same instant when there was a momentary boundary between the threads and Pugalo, he used the curse of nothingness to erase those parts.

[Congratulations! You have defeated the Guardian of the Farmlands: Pugalo]

[Congratulations! You have earned the achievement: He who slays the Fallen (A)]

[…]

Zyrus barely held in the impulse to cheer out loud. Pugalo still had over 25% of his health left, and yet, it was deemed dead by the system. He knew that this was just temporary as the field created by him could at most fool the system for a brief moment.

He ignored the surge of exp and reward messages and used the last bits of his mana to activate the flag’s authority–Numen.

<-< Detected a special lifeform! Would you like to use the authority ‘Numen’? >->

-Yes/No

Zyrus didn’t hesitate and clicked Yes. In the next second, Pugalo’s crumbled into dark particles.

*ROOOOOOAAR*

Zyrus held his throbbing head and looked at the black whirlwind that was forming at the center of the farm. Unlike when he used the authority on Camazotz, there were two big differences this time. First, there was no medium to appoint the watcher– and second, Pugalo’s willpower was intact along with 30% of his life energy!

But Zyrus was already prepared for this. To solve the first issue, he was always working on using his summons as totems since the start of the flag march. Now was the perfect time to put the theories he came up with into practice.

And as for the second, it was even easier.

<Sweet Nightmares>

Create Dusk. ATK +100, Agility +5 for all allies and summons. You can use the skills [Vesper’s Blessing], [Nocturne], and [Erebus] at Dusk.

Vesper’s Blessing (Passive): Activates if Shadows are visible behind your enemy. You can link your attacks with the enemy’s shadows at 80% power.

Nocturne: Veil the ground in shadows for one minute. Ignore defense by 50%, increase weakness damage by 20%.

Erebus (Passive): Create halo spears for every enemy you have attacked. The spears will attack at random with 1-5% of your power. They are invulnerable as long as the skill is active.

Duration: 30 minutes

CD: 1 day

Zyrus activated Nocturne and Rage of the Jotunn at the same time. The entire farm was engulfed in dark gray shadows that bound the howling whirlwind. At the same time, his gauntlets glowed with starry radiance as he channeled his recovered mana.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Pugalo didn’t have a specific physical form at the moment, so its entire body was akin to its weakness. Rage of the Jotunn that built stacks after hitting weak spots and increased critical damage was perfect at a time like this.

Zyrus didn’t use any skills and just relied on the basic combo of Slash, Thrust, and Sweep to deal with the miniature whirlwind.

*Roooooar*

There weren’t any damage numbers or flashy effects of his skills, but he knew that he was dealing damage in five digits with every move. Pugalo’s energy became more and more hazy, and at the same time, a foreign will started to invade his consciousness.

*Scatter*

The whirlwind burst apart like a firecracker and spread across the entire 100 km radius. Be it the players who were busy defending their ships or the monsters who were attacking in droves, everyone was forced to stop after seeing this sight.

The dark particles were in a stark contrast against the evening sky. It was akin to looking at the night sky filled with dead stars.

“Go back.” Zyrus sent off Elsid and Zirnitra and beckoned the scattered amargs to the center.

This was the last thing he could do before both his consciousness and his source of origin were invaded by Pugalo.

…

<Should I thank you….Human?>

“Lost your temper after dying huh.”

<Indeed…>

Wills of Zyrus and Pugalo stood face to face in his consciousness. Even though both of them were incredibly strong in their past, this was an unfamiliar yet fascinating experience for them.

“What now? Will you submit or are you trying to take over my will?”

<Noone can take over your will…it would only result in a mutual demise>

Indeed, once his powers of void went out of control, both he and everything connected to him would be erased from existence.

“Submit then.”

<Convince me that mutual demise isn’t the best outcome>

Zyrus was once again surprised as he looked into Pugalo’s eyes. Compared to the blazing fireballs he saw before, the ones in front of him were nothing but dying embers.

“Don’t you think what I accomplished just before was amazing? I dare say I might be the one and only being who could use such unorthodox methods.”

He wasn’t just tooting his own horn. His achievement had a great impact on not only his but the entire sanctuary’s future. For the first time since the sanctuary was created, someone had figured out a method to subdue the field bosses.

Even if he died in the middle of his journey, Zyrus would leave the deepest marks in the sanctuary.

<That was a clever trick….but it can only take you so far>

“I know.”

<Do you?>

Pugalo stepped forward and pointed his straw finger at Zyrus’s forehead. No further words were needed in the realm of consciousness.

“A test huh, bring it on then,” Zyrus chuckled and bent his head forward.

…

A gentle breeze passed by the lush farmland. Zyrus’s vision was filled with swaying golden wheat and a soothing blue sky. It was a scene anyone would be mesmerized by.

The more beautiful it looked, the more fucked up it’ll be later on. Zyrus had no choice but to be a bystander in this scene. What surprised him was the fact that despite being a scarecrow he could feel the wind and smell the earth.

<This…was my homeland>

“Didn’t expect you to come as well.”

Indeed, unlike when he saw the past of Camazotz as a film, he was now merged with Pugalo’s body and mind. There was a big difference between witnessing a dead person’s past versus watching their life unfold alongside them.

Zyrus didn’t rush Pugalo and let it enjoy the peaceful memories. How long did it last? The sun went up and down and seasons passed by. The farm changed alongside the weather, as if it was becoming more and more alive. This experience also pushed his cultivation of Heavenly Eyes to the next stage. There weren’t any tangible differences, but Zyrus was sure that his soul was at least twice as strong compared to before.

“Is this how you gained sentience?”

<Indeed…the power of will is marvelous. Do you know what happens after one dies?>

“Yes…and No.”

Zyrus knew what happened after one died in the sanctuary, but Pugalo was obviously talking about something different. This was the question humans pondered upon since the moment they gained awareness.

There were many ideologies; and Zyrus used to believe in the scientific concept of life. But now, things were different. He was sure that one didn’t simply cease to exist after their death.

<Let me ask you another question then. What does it mean to be alive?>

“The ability to think, feel, and express oneself?”

<I believe the same way. How does one gain sentience then?>

“Not sure. As far as I know, it’s a natural phenomenon that occurs via evolution.”

<Maybe, maybe not. What matters here is this: Throughout one’s life, from a little infant to an adult, every sentient being builds their willpower whether consciously or unconsciously. You should know about the conservation of energy, correct?>

“Mhm,” Zyrus nodded his straw-stuffed neck at Pugalo, not that either of them were in this landscape.

<What about their will then? What happens to one’s thoughts, consciousness, soul…whatever you call it. What becomes of it after their death?>

“I see…” Zyrus already guessed what Pugalo was going for. He too had similar thoughts back on earth, it’s just that he didn’t believe them to be the whole truth.

<One’s ‘Will’ is scattered upon their death. These scattered fragments of will are what makes a place alive. These fragments are absorbed by newborns as a foundation for their sentience.>

Zyrus didn’t interrupt Pugalo and listened to it talk about the world’s will and cycle of reincarnation. Many of the doubts he had were solved at this moment.