I quickly but quietly adjusted to the tree lines at night as the Tyrant Army began mobilizing towards the body of water.
At the Tyrant Army's camp…
"My lord, Gustafson the Unfallen has fallen off the ridge along with the princess from our pursuit!" the messenger reports.
"What of the queen?" Gustafson asked. His voice was low and lazy.
"Soldiers of the frontline saw her leap off the cliff…" the messenger reported, "We're sending a search party to look for her corpse!"
"Good, as expected of you! Let's crush this THORN ON OUR SIDE!" Gustafson snaps, driving his soldiers forward to end it now.
Panic rips through the camp as fog coils in. Knights rip swords free—horses rear and scream.
"What's going on!?" Gustafson yanks one of his soldiers who was about to desert, "YOU! What's happening!?"
"T-THE DARK STAR BEARER!!! S-SHE'S HERE!!!" the soldier cries in panic.
Chaos tears through the camp. Gustafson freezes as a massive purple health bar flashes across his screen: x15. DARK STAR BEARER.
I stride onto the field. Black fire whips around me, hungry, snapping at soldiers, ready to devour everything.
"WELL- DON'T JUST STAND THERE!! SHOOT HER ALREADY!!!", Gustafson commanded.
"FIRE!!!" the commanders ordered.
Cannons thunder. Ballista scream through the air, all locked on me.
Cannonballs smash into me, ricochet off, and rip through soldiers behind. A ballista bolt bounces off my shoulder and buries itself in the dirt.
"Shoot her with MAGIC!! YOU FOOLS!! MAGIC!!" Gustafson commanded, "THAT Obsidian armor negates ANY PHYSICAL PROJECTILE!!"
Knights and war mages unleash ice shards, fireballs, and rock bursts. Spells crash against me, barely scratching my health bar.
Infantry swarms in, pikes stabbing. The pikeman lunges first—his pike snaps on impact. He yanks it back, but black flames eat up the shaft, then him. Screams rip through the ranks as the fire spreads.
The survivors break and run, terror driving them back to camp.
I breathe out, trying hard to recall the memory—purple meteors, ready to drop. A spell circle blooms under me, swelling bigger with every second I focus. The color shifts—light pink to deep purple.
Gustafson and his staff scramble, barriers snapping up. Mages keep firing spells, but they all miss or fizzle out.
The magic circle didn't stop. It just kept getting bigger and bigger, covering the whole field and even reaching all the way to where Noobie had hidden.
Kit and Exile, who see the spell circle, IMMEDIATELY START RUNNING AWAY FROM THE SPELL CIRCLE.
"SHE'S GOING TO USE THAT!" Kit yelled.
"WE GOT TO GET OUT OF RANGE!!!" Exile yelled as they both ran towards the outside of the spell circle.
As the magic spells continue to bombard me, the spell circle darkens and turns void-like.
"MASTER GUSTAFSON! Y-you must get out of here!!" one of the advisors advises him. "We'll buy time for you!"
"There's no point… she's casting the meteor of the Abysmal Dragon… whether we survive or not… is all up to luck now…" Gustafson resides as he slowly draws out his great sword.
As Gustafson resigns to his fate. His soldiers are stuck in the fog, banging against the edge with whatever they can—their swords, shields, and pikes —asking to be let out, asking for mercy.
I then looked up towards the skies as the clouds started their way, welcoming the oblivion to come through.
"ABYSMAL METEORS of the STAR BEARER!!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.
Meteors crash down, blasting craters everywhere. Tyrant soldiers caught in the blast are charred on impact. Most of them were praying to whatever god or belief they had gone under.
Gustafson slumps in his chair, head down, sword across his lap.
Meteors slam around him. His advisors throw themselves in the way, barely keeping him alive. Fifteen thousand soldiers were wiped out in the apocalypse.
I grin, wide and crooked. Evil. The feeling was so deliciously familiar—the thrill. My eyes widen brightly… SO MANY EXPERIENCE POINTS. What should I spend it on first? I roamed the aftermath of the entire event, not even feeling guilty.
My eyes swept through the aftermath of my spell. My eyes landed on Gustafson, still sitting in his chair. His armor all battered, his cape in rags, his sword shattered, and blood still trickling out of his mouth.
I approached him. Step by step.
"W-what in the world are you?" Gustafson questioned, "Who are you? What makes you think you could kill and take life as you wish?"
I smirked, "I don't even know myself; what I do know is…"
I pointed my scepter spear at his neck. "You'd be worth a TON of EXPERIENCE POINTS FOR MY GROWTH!!!" I continued with delight.
Gustafson nods in defeat and resignation. "Know that if I fall, the other hands of the Tyrant will come to hunt you, just like the UNFALLEN."
I smiled, a bigger smile, "I LOOK FORWARD TO HOW MANY EXPERIENCE POINTS they'll be worth!" I proceed to jab him, killing Gustafson immediately as he tries to curse me some more.
I looked as he grunted in pain. "See, the thing is… they know the title… but they will never know what I look like, hehe!"
Gustafson becomes motionless as he pukes up blood.
Anyways… where was I?
Noobie and the Princess fell into the water, so I should check over there first. Oh, I should take his sword too. I take Gustafson's sword and stuff it into my bag, a trophy to show Noobie.
Noobie is shown downstream, dragging the princess out of the water.
"Your Majesty!!" Noobie tries to speak, water pouring from his nose and mouth.
Noobie presses his ear to the princess's chest to listen for a heartbeat, then tries to drag her onto his back. Noobie's health bar flickers. He's battered—no helmet, no shield, arrows and pike heads jutting from his back. He grits his teeth, yanks out arrows and pike shafts. Blood spurts. He uses Mist Edge to shove himself up, hauls the princess onto his back, and staggers to one knee.
"You know…if you wanted to die, you should've just asked," a voice answered him, stumbling.
Noobie turns to see Serina standing in a tree with two horses.
Noobie smiles, "How did you?"
Serina smiles as she hops off the tree to offer a hand to Noobie, "Though I may have fought you guys back at Atsushi Castle, that doesn't mean I can't atone for the wrongs that my clan and I have done. BUT, I can start by helping contribute to those who would much rather choose mercy over the killing cycle."
Serina lifts the princess onto her back and helps Noobie onto the other horse.
Kit and Exile arrive a little after the battle was finished to see Serina. They sheathe their weapons steadily and slowly as Exile gestures for Kit to stop.
Serina, upon seeing them, places her hand on her sword but stops when she sees Exile signaling Kit as well.
Exile breaks the silence: "Where are you taking them?"
Serina smirks, "The Guild tavern- it's the last place they'll believe him to be at."
Exile nods in approval as Kit hesitates to grab Noobie, but Exile reaches out a hand to stop him.
They follow Serina. I sprint after them, dodging debris.
"SERINA!?" I gasped, catching my breath, "H-have you seen-"
Serina stares at Noobie, who's resting on the other horse, barely alive.
I finally caught a glimpse of Noobie, Exile, and Kit.
"Where do we-" I started.
"The guild tavern, that'll be the best place to lay low for a while," Serina answered sternly. "Where'd you tell the queen to go?"
"The same place," I answered.
"How would she know the Tavern?" Kit, Exile, and Serina all ask, glancing at each other, embarrassed.
"Well… I did ADD details about a maid… a maid with blue spell circles on her wrists…" I smiled proudly, lifting my chin and nose into the sky. "My Maid! Oh, I must introduce you guys to her!" I said enthusiastically, my eyes widening with pride, like a mother who can't wait to brag about her daughter to her friends.
Back at the Guild Tavern…
A ton of adventurers had tied up the two dark knights who tried to start a fight with Cerelia. They were repairing the flooring, the ceiling, and even the windows.
Cerelia was busy sweeping up dust and dirt outside. The guild receptionist had a Band-Aid covering her cheek from the earlier slap, which had begun to swell and bruise from the sheer force used. She applied a bandage to the guild master's neck.
Tim, Tina, John, and Shadow Hunter were keeping a VERY CLOSE eye on the two knights. Every time the knights grunted or moved. Tim's eyes were like a hawk's, staring right at them as if he could see the very depths of their souls. Tina rolls her eyes at Tim's behavior, but who can blame him for being protective and cautious. John and Shadow Hunter bump their shoulders and lift their chins to point at Tim, only to snicker at how a tiny being can have such an overwhelming aura in front of two tied-up paladins.
The Platinum enforcers arrived, and the guild receptionist explained the situation to them. She had explained in detail the dark knight who had deliberately harmed both her and the guild master, which prompted Cerelia, a cleaning maid, to intervene and defend them against the knight's corrupt behavior. The two knights would be apprehended by Duncan personally.
Serina, Kit, Exile, the princess, Noobie, and I made our way as quickly as possible through the night. We arrived at the back of the tavern to avoid suspicion. We quietly helped put Noobie in the employee bunks, with the princess in another bunk.
"I must thank all of you; all of you have persevered through the hardships that the tyrant has bestowed upon us." The queen gracefully thanked us. The queen turns her gaze towards me: "I can't thank you enough."
I blush, scratching my cheek. "I-it was nothing!"
Serina asked, "How did you know this was the Guild Tavern, Your Majesty?"
Covering her mouth to stifle her amusement, the queen chuckled, "Missy directed me to find the tavern with the maid whose wrists glow blue. I didn't have to ride Noobie's horse very far; she was already outside sweeping when I arrived, so I knew instantly that this was the exact place I was looking for."
Everyone smiled, holding back their laughter as well.
The guild receptionist enters the room, "Noobie and the princess are fine. Noobie will have to rest, though- no more adventuring for the next few days."
Everyone sighed in relief; the storm had passed.
I nod and step into the tavern. The place buzzes with life again.
Upon noticing me, Cerelia immediately drops her broom and comes to hug me.
"M-MASTER!!!" Cerelia cries.
"Wh-what's wrong with you!? Get a hold of yourself!" I yelled, trying to pry her away.
"Did I do well? Did I? Did I?! Please tell me!" Cerelia begged as she sank to the floor to hold my thigh with her hands.
I smiled, reached out, and patted Cerelia on the head. "You did great."
Cerelia loosens her grip. I keep patting her head. She beams.
Exile, Kit, and Serina came out into the tavern but were shocked to see Cerelia.
"THIS IS YOUR MAID!?" Exile yelled.
"SH-SHE'S NOT A MAID!!!" Kit yelled, immediately tugging at his sword.
"Sh-SHE'S NOT A TYPICAL SUMMON!!!" SERINA begins panicking.
Eh? I didn't get it at all. Did I mess up or something?
"How did you come across her?" Exile asked. His hands were trembling. From excitement? Fear? But the look in his eyes was disbelief.
"I don't know; she was apparently abandoned on the side of the road just begging for money," I answered and shrugged, like anyone could find someone like her if they just walked down any road.
Kit, Exile, and Serina all three put their hands on their own foreheads. SMACK!
"What?" I asked, wincing at their gesture. "She's not harmed anyone at all; in fact, I think she's done well." I lifted my chin as if to say, "Look at me, I am a peafowl, a proud peahen, fanning my feathers."
The guild receptionist chimes in, "That's right, she helped defend the guild Tavern while the Knights that the Platinum enforcers apprehended tried to hurt me and the guild master!"
The three of them finally concluded and explained Cerelia to us.
Exile clears his throat as he drags me and the guild receptionist to explain it to us in private, "She's a Battle Maiden summoning, one that can only be PURCHASED through the PREMIUM store items!"
"So please explain?" I asked.
Exile sighs, "She's basically a summoning that regular players like Noobie, who are cheap, wouldn't be able to buy or afford. Why? Because the battle maids reflect OFF whoever their owners WERE!! How she fights is the most important! What are her weapons? Her stats?"
Now that I think about it, I tell Exile how my armor's flames couldn't burn her. He listens closely.
"I see… magic negation!" Exile concluded, "It seems Cerelia, as you named her, is a magic-canceling class, which means one more clue…Guild receptionist, how did she protect the Guild Tavern earlier? Did she punch the knights? What did she do exactly? This will change whether she can stay!"
"Y-You can't just decide!" I pointed Exile out.
Exile then shouts at me, "SHE MUST PROVE whether she can stay! We are low on options, as there's only so much we can do against the Tyrant!"
The guild receptionist shared with us, in great detail, the encounter with the double knights who had stormed into the Guild Tavern earlier that day, and how Cerelia fought them single-handedly. She even mentions the hues of the glow in her eyes that change from blue to teal after absorbing Tim's aegis spell, and eventually to purple after absorbing the Knights' dark regime spell. She also goes into detail about how Cerelia fought using the spell circles as hula hoops to reflect and rebound the spells…
"It appears I was correct," Exile muttered to himself.
"About what?" the guild receptionist and I asked.
Exile sighed in deep remorse and in deep concern as he peered out the doorway, seeing Cerelia gently sweep the place as Serina talked with her, "She's a Mage Shifter class, just like her previous owner. She uses spell circles that can expand, withdraw, and retract like a hula hoop."
I tilt my head, not understanding anything he was saying.
Exile looks at me and sighs again, "Basically, she can reflect, redirect, and even store the magic for later uses. Her eyes reveal the elemental or even the priority of the spells that she's learned to absorb."
"So what you're saying is that she is like a sponge…" I smiled, not even understanding anything, but nodded my head like I understood every word.
Wait… what is a sponge?
Exile blinked a few times at my analogy, but then, after looking at me twice, he nodded, agreeing. However, he looks down at the ground, "Yes, you can.. Say that to simplify it. Though Mage shifter classes are horrible in melee and bruiser engagements…Guild receptionist, can you identify her stats for me?"
The guild receptionist, "Oh sure!" She pulls up Cerelia's window stats.
TYPE: BATTLE MAID
CLASS: MAGE SHIFTER
LEVEL: 310
EXPERIENCE POINTS: (Her EXPERIENCE POINT bar is greyed out, meaning she'll still level up, just not by herself.)
SKILLS: Determined by command
HP: MID
ATTACK: Low
DEFENCE: Low
SPEED: HIGH
AGILITY: HIGH
MAGIC: (Off the charts)
MANA: (Off the charts)
Passive: Magic negation per touch; can redirect or deflect spells accordingly.
Exile rushes out of the back room to show the guild receptionists, and we try to stop him.
"OI, Cerelia!" Exile yells as he shoots a fire spell at Cerelia.
Cerelia reacted by dropping her broom, and, by instinct, she absorbed the spell, causing no damage to herself or those around her. Cerelia's now-glowing blue spell circles her wrist as she tries to hide herself. Cerelia was embarrassed as her blue spell circles hummed, her eyes now glowing a red hue.
"Cerelia!" I held her close to my chest, protecting her.
Exile now confirms, closing his eyes and relaxing, "Protect her well…show her what it means to be a part of the Omega family…"
Exile and Kit would leave the tavern to buy more fruit to make an ingredient they'd learned about: a Fruit sundae.
Serina, confused, decided to ponder and ask me more about Cerelia, "So…when her wrists glow, she negates the magic?"
I nodded.
"Master, you're not going to abandon me like my old master, are you?" Cerelia makes eye contact with me; anxiety and fear of being abandoned once more reflect the light in her eyes from the oil lamps. The red hue slowly fades as time goes by. "I… I promised I would fulfill your commands… and I did… please…"
I shook my head.
Cerelia's panicked eyes finally dim and soften just a little. She put her head on my lap while we sat by the window. She was so relaxed that she didn't even notice she was falling asleep, despite the noise from the tavern.
I didn't move her. I just stayed there and talked with Serina for the rest of the night. We played rock-paper-scissors and kept score.
I think I won more times.