The ocean waves were like giant hands smashing and devastating Mornet Bay; the sailing ships were torn apart, and bodies floated everywhere. The Naga warriors surged out like a flood, slaughtering Aster’s soldiers who wore not a single piece of armor; their tridents pierced through bodies, leaving deep, gaping wounds. Though Aster’s mercenaries were numerous, they were disorganized, and their training far too brief to face the highly skilled Naga. The Naga were further aided by their home-field advantage and the blessing of Serathis, their wounds quickly healed upon contact with seawater. Two thousand Naga soldiers crushed fifteen thousand of Aster’s troops like a ferocious tiger tearing through prey.

  “Slash!”

  Kar’Zeth swung his arm, cleaving an Aster soldier in half. The Naga yawned in boredom; the commander of this army, a weak Battle King, had been slain by him within a few blows. Standing upon the waves, he folded his arms and sighed in disdain.

  “A bunch of useless trash! Their commander is no better.”

  Beside him, Azhram nodded in agreement. These soldiers were indeed pitifully weak, just two thousand Naga, not even the elite units, were enough to completely crush them. Soon, Aster’s army would be annihilated without being able to kill a single Naga.

  “According to the agreement, Greaton’s army will soon arrive. We’ll withdraw before that. After all, Greaton has a protection pact with Mornet; we shouldn’t interfere too deeply.”

  “Fine then! Let’s wipe out more than half of their forces and return,” Kar’Zeth nodded.

  Greaton was still something far too terrifying. The Naga would one day rebel, but that day had not yet come.

  “Oh?”

  Suddenly, Kar’Zeth’s attention was drawn to a part of the battlefield, a human girl with purple hair was massacring the Naga outright. Shards of metal spun around her like deadly blades, cutting down every Naga near her. Wherever she went, the Naga fell dead in pools of blood, their hearts and brains completely destroyed beyond recovery.

  “Look over there! A strong human being! Her Will is strong; she’s an Archmage, like you, Azhram!” The Naga grew excited, as if he had found new entertainment, and quickly rode the waves toward the battlefield.

  “As strong as me?” Azhram frowned; he felt that the girl was far stronger than himself.

  Shelley calmly watched as the Naga attacked her in vain. The metal fragments around her shredded all who approached like a meat grinder. Around her, a thin barrier condensed by Will power kept her separated from the raindrops.

  “So this is the power of Serathis. The raindrops not only strengthen the Naga but also weaken those who are touched by them. No wonder Aster’s soldiers are being slaughtered like helpless beasts.”

  Suddenly, a surge of energy like a blade of wind slashed toward her. Shelley twisted aside to dodge; her Will wasn’t strong enough to block such an attack head-on.

  “Boom!”

  The energy blade struck the ground, unleashing a violent shockwave that left a deep crater. The force didn’t stop there. It continued forward, tearing apart a nearby structure.

  “Oh! She dodged it. Good reflexes,” Kar’Zeth sneered.

  “Attacking from behind isn’t very polite, Lord Kar’Zeth!” Shelley smiled in greeting.

  “You can speak the Naga tongue? You know who I am?” Kar’Zeth was surprised.

  “We are Writers, and our works are the heritage of the entire world! Learning another race’s language is quite simple. Besides, knowing your identity isn’t difficult at all. The thing you’re holding is Serathis, the weapon bestowed upon the royal heir of Deepsea.”

  “Excellent! Then since you know me, you’d better be prepared!”

  Kar’Zeth lunged forward at astonishing speed. He clearly preferred fists over words. The Serathis trident swung like a flash of lightning, slashing madly toward Shelley. Each clash rang out like an explosion.

  Shelley compressed the metal shards around her into a large shield, desperately defending against Kar’Zeth’s relentless assault. At the same time, she activated her first magic core, casting Iron Spikes, sharp metal stakes erupted from the ground, striking upward at Kar’Zeth.

  The Naga leapt high to evade, the ocean waves lifting him above the deadly spikes. He then hurled Serathis powerfully toward Shelley.

  “Bang!”

  The trident pierced deep into the iron shield; the impact still carried enough force to send it crashing into Shelley, shattering her Will barrier and throwing her backward through a building, bringing it down in ruins.

  Kar’Zeth raised his hand, summoning Serathis back, the trident shot out from the rubble and landed neatly in his grasp. Frowning, he stared at the wreckage. From the other side, Shelley stepped out as if nothing had happened, completely unharmed. A strange liquid coated her body like armor: her second magic core, Liquid Metal. Shelley could summon a mass of morphing metal and shape it at will. The liquid peeled away from her and condensed into a floating metal sphere before her.

  “With the strength of your Will, though impressive, you still haven’t reached the level of a Sorcerer King. You’ve already shown all your tricks, haven’t you? Or maybe not! Call forth your Shadow, or you’ll die from my next strike,” Kar’Zeth declared arrogantly.

  In theory, an Archmage was equivalent to a Warlord in battle power, but in truth, they were far stronger. An Archmage not only possessed two magic cores but also an immensely powerful Will, while a Warlord had only an Ultimate Skill. In combat, the Archmage’s style was far more versatile, thanks to Will, and when combined with their dual magic cores, they could easily overpower a Warlord. That was why mages enjoyed greater privileges in society; a single Archmage was equivalent to a mighty Battle King.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Shadow was not a spell. It was a form of divine authority granted to followers of The Abstract Ones. The Abstract Ones took many forms; they were entities greater than gods, the creators of the ancient deities. Shadow was the creative power bestowed upon Writer, just as They had created the Old Gods. A Shadow was the manifestation of a Writer’s work. Theoretically, if a Writer’s creation were grand enough, their Shadow could rival an Old God in power. Of course, such a work had never existed.

  Shelley glared at Kar’Zeth with both anger and fear at the Naga’s power. This was the new-generation Champion of the Naga race, a being so strong that he hadn’t even bothered using magic or his Ultimate Skill, yet had already forced Shelley to exhaust nearly all of her techniques.

  Reaching into her cloak, Shelley pulled out an old, worn book. It flipped open on its own, and the letters within began peeling off the pages, forming a swirling black vortex. From within that vortex, a strange creature slowly took shape. It let out a roar filled with rage, and a powerful aura burst forth like a storm wind sweeping across the battlefield.

  “Very well! If that’s what you want!” Shelley said seriously, locking eyes with Kar’Zeth. She believed every word he had said.

  “Come forth! My creation! The monster of rejection - Frankenstein!”

  “GRAAAHHHH!”

  Frankenstein emerged, a massive giant, a chimera-like being pieced together from numerous corpses. Deep scars ran across its body, and a gigantic metal spike pierced through both its temples. Small arcs of lightning crawled over its flesh like writhing worms. Its blood-red eyes burned with madness and violence. The moment it appeared, it charged forward, grabbing Kar’Zeth in surprise and hurling him inland, creating a deep pit. It then leapt after him, raining down blow after blow. Boom! Boom! Boom! The pit collapsed further and further with each strike until Kar’Zeth’s body was buried deep beneath the sand. Frankenstein pounded its chest and howled in triumph.

  From a distance, Shelley watched calmly. She knew this wasn’t enough, no Champion could be defeated so easily. As expected, BOOM! A massive column of water burst from underground, sending Frankenstein flying. The monster roared in fury but seemed barely scratched, and it charged again. But this time "BANG!", the Serathis trident pierced through its body, dragging it across the ground and hurling it out to sea.

  Kar’Zeth reappeared, looking battered. Blood dripped from his mouth, and shards of his scales had fallen off but under the rain, his wounds began to heal rapidly.

  “Its physical strength surpasses even mine! Incredible! Among all Battle Kings, not one possesses physical power greater than that creature,” Kar’Zeth muttered in awe, watching the monster swimming back toward the shore.

  Just as Kar’Zeth prepared to continue his “fun,” Azhram appeared beside him. The sudden presence of another Naga made Shelley’s heart tighten with fear. She quickly called her Shadow closer for protection, while the metallic sphere wrapped around her body.

  “Withdraw, my lord! Greaton’s ships have arrived. We need not prolong the fight!”

  “Huh?” Kar’Zeth frowned, clearly disappointed. Then he gave a cold, amused laugh.

  “Very well, little girl. I’ll unleash one last strike. If you survive, tell me your name when we meet again so I can read your work someday.”

  Azhram’s eyes widened in horror at those words. He shouted desperately, ordering the Naga to retreat. Panic spread among their ranks as they rushed back into the sea.

  “Retreat quickly! Kar’Zeth is about to use that technique!” Azhram screamed.

  Kar’Zeth stood smiling, watching Shelley with a curious glint in his eyes. The Serathis in his hand pulsed with a mystical glow, while the water element around him grew savage and chaotic.

  “Survive this! Ultimate Skill - The Wrath of the Storm!”

  The ocean roared; dark clouds rolled in as thunder cracked across the heavens. A colossal vortex formed over the sea, racing toward the shore. It swallowed half of Mornet Bay’s structures in an instant. Shelley and her Shadow were engulfed, dragged into the storm’s heart, and vanished without a trace.

  Kar’Zeth departed, leaving behind a ravaged Mornet, Aster’s army nearly annihilated, only a few thousand men surviving.

  "Terrifying. Mighty. Destructive."This was the true power of a Champion.

  The Noman forces quickly wiped out all the scattered guards around Mornet’s capital. Noman himself approached Aster’s chamber, kicked down the finely carved wooden door, and pointed his sword at the figure standing by the window.

  “Surrender, Aster! You’ve lost! Surrender, or you die.”

  Aster didn’t turn around. He stood calmly, gazing out at the distant maelstrom roaring across the horizon, a mad hunger for power gleaming in his eyes. If he could wield such strength, he wouldn’t have to appease the merchants anymore, wouldn’t have to rely on those Writters, nor listen to Jacor’s endless nagging.

  “Surrender? Do you really think you can capture me, Noman?”

  Aster smiled slyly. The Writter Guild truly was terrifying. Those they sent out possessed immense power. When Shelley left, Aster could feel a dreadful gaze from the shadows fixating on him. Fear had instinctively surged within him, but he managed to suppress it. Only then did that hungry stare vanish, leaving Aster feeling as though he’d been locked inside an icy tomb, death brushing past like a chill wind.

  “What nonsense are you babbling, Aster? Hmph, soldiers! Bind him for me!”

  “What soldiers?”

  A warped, distorted voice echoed from behind Noman. The Battle King spun around in alarm, only to see his men already lying dead on the ground, butchered into pieces, and not a single sound had been made. From behind the doorframe, a grotesque figure stepped into view. It leaned its head into the room, grinning hideously. Its skin was pale as death, its mouth unnaturally wide and filled with jagged fangs, eyes bulging open beneath a bright red clown nose.

  “A… a clown?” Noman stammered, horrified. He swore he had never seen anything so grotesque. He’d witnessed countless deaths on the battlefield but never like this.

  The monstrous thing was twisted and terrifying beyond comprehension. It opened its maw and swallowed the corpses whole, then turned to Noman, staring at him like a delicious piece of meat. Its voice was high and distorted, like a demon whispering straight from hell.

  “I can smell the fear inside you… it’s delightful.”

  “No! AAAAAAH!”

  Aster closed his eyes. Crunch… crunch… The wet sounds of chewing and bones breaking echoed in his ears. He fought to suppress the primal terror clawing at his heart. He knew that even the slightest slip, one flicker of fear, and he would become the creature’s next meal.

  After a long silence, the monster shrank and reshaped itself into the form of a normal man. Except for the blood around his mouth, everything else looked disturbingly ordinary. He wiped his lips with a handkerchief like a refined gentleman, though he was still dressed as a jester.

  “Open your eyes, little friend! I don’t bite,” came the shrill, cheerful voice.

  Panting heavily, Aster slowly moved to a chair and sat down across from the creature that had just slaughtered a BattleKing like a chicken.

  “May I ask who you are?” Aster said politely, his voice trembling slightly.

  “You may call me Ti. I am the Shadow of King, the Guildmaster of the Writter Guild. I’ve been sent to protect you,” Ti replied, his tone playful and sing-song, as if he were just an ordinary man, no one would guess he’d devoured a hundred soldiers moments ago.

  “Shadow... Can ... Can talk?”

  “Don’t lump me in with those worthless scraps,” Ti frowned, clearly offended.

  “I really do like your work, you know! War is such a grand feast and I intend to enjoy it thoroughly.” His grin stretched from ear to ear.

  “Th-thank you… for the compliment,” Aster stammered, sweat trickling down his face in heavy drops.

  “You seem uncomfortable around me, hmm? Well, perhaps you don’t appreciate my sense of humor! I’ll take my leave then.”

  Ti stood up and walked straight through the wall, vanishing. But a moment later, his head poked back through, whispering in a low, chilling tone:

  “Don’t worry! I’ll protect you. I’m always here… watching.”

  Aster stared at the wall for a long time, until he was certain the monster was gone. He sat down on the floor, trembling, and took a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.

  “Damn it, Shelley! Where the hell are you? Come back right now!” Aster cursed furiously in his mind. At this point, he wasn’t sure he’d ever dare to sleep alone again.