The Nightmare Wizard
Chapter 81: The Scarab Knight

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: The Scarab Knight

A deafening roar marked the start of the battle. William lunged like a hungry wolf into a flock of sheep. His sword, enveloped in a faint red light, cut through the beetles as if they were blocks of butter. Every slash was a beetle killed; no matter where the sword struck, it claimed the life of one of the beetles. Legs, mandibles, and wings flew into the air, accompanied by strident shrieks.

The shattered bodies of the dark beetles didn’t fall to the ground. As they were cleaved, they dissolved into a wisp of black smoke that swirled towards his finger, specifically towards the burning flame-shaped tattoo. The energy intoxicated him—a hot, violent, wild force. Every creature he struck down strengthened him: his wounds began to close with unnatural speed, his muscles tensed like forged steel, and his breathing, far from growing strained, became increasingly fierce.

He seemed possessed. His eyes glowed with a crimson light, his mouth slightly agape, showing teeth clenched in a furious grimace. For hours, he relentlessly destroyed waves of beetles that emerged from the abyss. The field transformed into a zone of death and black vapor. The ground was completely clean, but in the air, a large dark cloud seemed to have descended from the sky.

Until... everything stopped.

The remaining beetles froze as if a silent command had paralyzed them. Some began to spin erratically in the air, colliding with each other, as if searching for something that was no longer there. A low hum spread through the air, heavy and menacing.

William gasped, for the first time in hours. His finger began to burn intensely. The tattoo glowed like a living ember, throbbing with an irregular cadence. A sharp pain crept up his arm. His breathing became erratic, and a new uneasiness took hold of him.

"What... what the hell is happening...?" he murmured, his eyes wide.

The smoke he had absorbed seemed to be reorganizing inside his body. He felt his organs twisting. The burning sensation spread through his chest, as if something were burrowing within him.

"Angel!" he cried in desperation. "Angel, answer me, please!"

But there was no response. The swirling smoke was avidly absorbed by his finger, leaving no trace of the massacre that had occurred there.

The silence was broken by a dull crack coming from the sky. Looking up, he saw the moon begin to fracture, like a shattered mirror. Black cracks streaked across its surface, and from them, an eerie purple light began to emerge. A vortex slowly opened, and from within it, a figure emerged.

A knight.

He descended slowly, floating over the battlefield. His armor was black as obsidian, adorned with golden filaments that pulsed like living veins. From his back unfolded translucent wings, similar to those of beetles, though colossal in size. The top of his helmet was crowned with a single long, curved horn, like that of a Hercules beetle. In his hands, a black-hafted spear with a golden blade was held with terrifying solemnity.

The knight landed in front of William, his gaze unwavering. His eyes, visible through the helm, were such a deep purple that they seemed to devour light.

Without a word, he raised the spear and forcefully plunged it into the ground. A wave of energy vibrated around him, forcing the beetles to retreat.

Then he spoke.

"Rak’thol un’dem, Vharnak seo’khal..." he said in a guttural voice, laden with echoes, as if speaking from the depths of a tomb.

The language made no sense to William, but his mind was flooded with a clear meaning, as if the voice had bypassed logic and embedded itself directly into his consciousness.

"You... until moments ago, you were an outsider. But now you smell like one of us. Who are you?"

William took a step back. The knight’s voice enveloped him, rumbling in his bones. But he felt no hostility. The beetle observed him with a mixture of curiosity and distrust.

"Un’Telv khaari...", the knight continued, slowly extending his gauntleted hand. "Give me your blood to verify who you are. Your face... it’s strange. It doesn’t resemble anyone I’ve ever seen... white mask."

That last word chilled him.

William instinctively raised a hand to his face. So much time had passed since that night that he had almost forgotten that moment... that dimension... that damned object.

The mask.

The mask that had adhered to his flesh like a curse was there now; he could feel the screws, that sensation of being drilled alive was something he would never forget in this life. He broke into a cold sweat. The beetle continued with its hand outstretched, staring at him intently, but William wasn’t sure what it meant. Should he cut his hand to bleed, or was it referring to some other object that shared that name? He was more confused than ever.

As he considered what to do, the mask emitted a pulse like a beast showing its displeasure. The beetle recoiled, looking completely terrified, before kneeling with its head on the ground while emitting shrieks of terror.

"I apologize, ruler, I did not recognize your greatness. Forgive this humble one for being so careless. I was unaware of such a grand event and have humiliated the eternal."

The scarab knight’s new words filled William with doubt; he didn’t understand what was happening. Seconds ago, the knight looked large and powerful, and now he trembled like a dry twig in his presence. But William knew clearly that the thing on his face had intervened, making him feel an even deeper fear of this entity.

"You may leave," were the only words William managed to say. The knight put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch, which he handed to William before bowing again, saying, "I deeply regret offending you. I hope this offering helps you grow faster, Ruler. Anything you need, you can call me using this relic; in this area, I can assist you with anything you require."

After performing another bow, the knight leaped into the heavens, re-entering the cracks in the moon. The beetles on the ground began to disappear, but this time William clearly saw that they were being absorbed by the very ground. With an idea, he extended his hand, and the ring responded to his command, generating a dark vortex that began to suck all the beetles around him. The vortex only lasted a few seconds, but the amount that had entered his body was so massive that he could feel his chest on fire. Now, without Angel needing to tell him, he could feel the energy stored in his heart just as he felt mana in his brain.

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