Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death-Chapter 48B2 - Armored

His energy reserves were depleting quickly.

Melach conjured [Spear of Aeryon] and pierced the chests of two unsuspecting Venocrancer Goblins with a quick release. The wind spear whistled through the air and swept through their hearts before they could raise their defense.

Not that it would have changed anything, Melach thought, remaining calm as a flock of Venicro descended. He shifted gears and willed the wind spear upward.

[Spear of Aeryon] surged toward the sky, but it was not fast enough. His target twisted its body, evading the brunt of the attack. The spear cut into the Venicro’s wing and would have passed through under normal circumstances.

Good thing we don’t live in normal times, Melach thought, casting [Sphere Explosion] on a whim. [Spear of Aeryon] exploded, ripping through the Venicro’s wing. The monster crashed to the ground like a meteorite, where earthen spikes greeted it. The Venicro, impaled and bleeding like a pig, screeched in pain and struggled desperately while Melach used [Nature’s Wrath] alongside the Law of Nature’s Intent, Sentient Seedling.

Vibrant green motes flickered with life in his hand as he approached the Venicro. It spat a yellowish substance at him, but [Mage Armor] repelled it. He conjured [Arcane Blast] in his other hand and fired it into the Venicro’s mouth. A sickening crunch resounded, making Melach shudder, but he pressed on, lowering his body with the green, semi-translucent seedling that had formed in his palm.

He pressed it against the Venicro’s back and watched as the seedling seeped inside. A moment later, the Venicro stopped struggling. It stared at Melach, who watched the life in its eyes fade away. A kill notification popped up.

However, he had no time to hesitate. He cast [Reinforced Mana Shield] a few times in quick succession, blocking the dive of the incoming flock of Venicro. [Nature’s Wrath] unleashed not even a full second after the first Venicro crashed heavily into the shields made of solidified mana. The first few shields shattered instantly, but the last pair held just long enough. The Venicro’s corpse twitched, and three roots as thick as a warrior’s lower arm pierced through it and toward the injured Venicro.

Melach nodded slowly before conjuring a dozen [Arcane Blasts]. He tapped into [Mana Manipulation] simultaneously and applied [Sphere Explosion] to all projectiles, creating a cacophony of explosions as the magical projectiles dashed left and right, bursting apart and ripping through the throats, wings, and chests of the aerial monsters.

Only two Venicro died on the spot, but the others were not far behind. At Melach’s will, the trio of roots extended toward the dying Venicro while he conjured more vibrantly glowing, semi-translucent seedlings with his Intent. He approached the Venocrancer Goblins first, planting the seedlings, then turned to the increasing number of dead Venicro, watching the roots pierce the winged monsters. Some, oddly enough, were strangled too. To be strangled to death by a root… Melach shook his head. He never thought his situation would turn out like this.

But so be it. Fate was a work of wonders.

He planted seedlings in the corpses of all the recently deceased in his proximity and waved his augmented Mage Wand next, summoning his Elemental.

The soil beneath him stirred, as did the fertilizing corpses. Roots burst from all of them, surging toward him. But they did not attack. Melach willed them to join the massive shape emerging from the soil before him. A humanoid more than four meters tall—and almost half that in width—materialized, but it was not even close to done when roots pierced into it from all sides. The humanoid Elemental stirred and froze, halting the summoning as the roots slithered through it, destroying it from the inside out. Except that they did not destroy anything.

They assimilated.

Melach smiled, sensing a drastic shift in the Elemental as the roots emerged and coiled around its limbs. They soon covered the rest of its body. He stepped forward and conjured a greater semi-translucent seedling, planting it in the Elemental’s chest.

The Elemental stirred again and expanded further until it was almost a meter taller than the tallest Earthen Elemental Melach had summoned until now.

But was that really an Earthen Elemental anymore? Melach wondered, eyeing the creature. Its body was now mostly made of roots.

He cast [Spiritual Dominance] on a whim and smiled at what he discovered. Melach didn’t have to think twice as he cast [Summon Elemental (Earth)] again.

A second Elemental emerged from the ground—this one was not pierced by roots. It materialized smoothly, like it was supposed to, and awaited his orders without moving. The Earthen Elemental appeared semi-sentient, capable of executing his orders but unable to do anything complex. However, Melach had no idea why he thought that—yet he was certain the root-covered Elemental could do more. Especially with [Spiritual Dominance] and [Nature’s Wrath] active, and enough life in the surroundings to regenerate.

A notification attracted his attention, bringing understanding to the situation.

[Spell Modification has been discovered.]

[Summon Elemental (Nature) has been discovered and fused to your Mana Core.]

[Summon Elemental (Nature): Tier-2 I]

Melach’s lips curled upward, and he didn’t think twice before summoning another Nature Elemental. After all, most [Summon Elemental] skills allowed Mages to summon two normal Elementals or one superior Elemental. This time, Melach chose the former. Three Elementals were still greater than two, after all!

The third Elemental came into being, covered in roots, with a Nature Seedling in its chest.

Monsters’ screeches rang in his ears as both undead and the living charged at him. The Nature Elementals stepped forward to shield him, while the Earthen Elemental remained still until Melach ordered it to guard and attack. He cast [Mage Armor] on the Elementals and ushered them forward, charging at a group of trolls wielding heavy clubs. Their weapons crashed down, shattering the Earthen Elemental’s head the moment its protective barrier broke.

The Earthen Elemental didn’t collapse, instead crumbling into a pile of soil before sluggishly reforming. Meanwhile, the Nature Elementals withstood the impact far better. Though their Mage Armor shattered, the roots covering their heads surged forward, coiling around the clubs. Two were pierced and splintered, while the rest were yanked from their wielders’ hands.

The trolls, refusing to release their weapons, were lifted from the ground, giving Melach the perfect opening. He pierced their heads with [Spear of Aeryon], but they thrashed violently, refusing to die. Only when an [Arcane Blast]—amplified with an overclocked [Sphere Explosion]—detonated their skulls did their bodies finally go limp.

How are they still alive?! Melach cursed, eyes darting to the Elementals as they shredded the writhing trolls, tearing them apart limb by limb.

He realized, too late, that he had been too focused on the trolls. A mass of undead and living monsters had surrounded him. Panic surged through his veins, but instinct took over. He conjured dozens of magical projectiles, only to feel he was far from reaching his limit. With a flick of his fingers, he cast [Spear of Aeryon] in rapid succession, catching a glimpse of the crimson hue engulfing him as his projectiles tore through his enemies.

Several kill notifications flashed before his eyes, including those of the trolls—but then he spotted a familiar figure in his periphery.

David charged into the fray, leading a cavalry unit straight into the hordes of undead giants, trolls, and other monstrosities. Melach involuntarily shuddered as crimson light bled into David’s surroundings, bathing him in a violent glow. His throat tightened. He instinctively took a step back, unable to tear his gaze away from the carnage unfolding before him.

David was stronger than ever—his prowess on par with Torb, perhaps even greater now that he had acquired the Nature Elementals. But on the battlefield, David was something else entirely.

And, most importantly, David was insane.

***

David was hurled across the battlefield at Maja’s behest.

Watching as the life signals of thousands—including his own allies—flickered and faded stirred something deep inside him, pushing him forward. Every faint pulse in his vision registered in an instant, forcing him to adjust his tactics. He mapped out the battlefield through the network of those connected to him via [Blood Patch], ensuring he reached those who needed him most.

But no matter where he was, Maja always pulled him back. She needed him elsewhere. She needed him to do what he did best—aside from tearing enemies apart.

Back in the Sanctuary for the second time since the battle began, David faced far more wounded than he had anticipated. He scanned the open sickbay, noting the sheer number of bodies barely clinging to life.

His gaze snapped to the central tower, and his frown deepened.

Maja stood there, drenched in sweat, her eyes glowing vibrantly.

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She’s not holding back. A muscle in David’s jaw twitched. She wasn’t following his orders—his orders. His forehead throbbed, and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. But he didn’t have time to dwell on it. He forced himself to focus on the more pressing issue.

David turned to the wounded sprawled across makeshift sickbeds, assessing both them and the Clerics tending to them.

Most of the healers looked exhausted—some slumped to the ground, their lips pale, bodies trembling violently. Others had already collapsed, unconscious. The stronger Clerics still pushed forward, but their hands shook, their expressions twisted in pain. Their Holy Sea and magic reserves wouldn’t last much longer.

He took a deep breath, letting his gaze sweep across the injured warriors fighting to survive. Some were hanging on by a thread, but no one had given up.

The drive to live. The will to survive.

His Source churned, and he conjured over two dozen bulbs of crimson light. They expanded instantly, spreading through the sickbay and casting their healing radiance upon everyone in need.

David stepped forward, unleashing [Weave of Life] throughout the sickbay, stabilizing those who teetered on the edge of death. For those beyond its reach, he followed with [Greater Restoration], mending the wounds too severe for [Healing Sphere] alone.

A young Cleric rushed toward him, frantic.

“Can you restore his legs?” she asked, pointing to a teenager on a sickbed.

David’s eyes flicked to the boy—barely more than a child—his lower half nothing but bloodied stumps. He wore plated armor like the other warriors, but he was the youngest fighter David had seen.

A brave kid.

But David shook his head. “I can ease his pain, but the rest will have to wait.”

He pressed a [Blood Patch] onto the boy and tethered a [Healing Sphere] to him. That was all he could afford to do. Even if he had enough Blood to restore everyone to their prime, he wouldn’t.

The Grand Horde hadn’t been culled yet.

David glimpsed toward the battlefield, unraveling the life signals of both allies and enemies, and his expression darkened. The tide of battle was not in favor of the Dwarven Sanctuary.

He turned away from the Cleric, who mumbled something, and released Bloodlust at Maja once he was done. The lives in the sickbay had been preserved, and David could return to the battlefield.

Maja spun around and glared at him, but David was glad she didn’t waste time teleporting him back.

He appeared behind Torb and the Mountain Defenders, their plated armor shining brilliantly. Their weapons looked strange—torrents of Aether pulsed within them as if alive.

Torb charged ahead, attacking one of the creatures with extraordinary life signals. The exchange of attacks went over David’s head, but he heard the dwarf groan. Several life signals flickered and weakened, much like those affected by the poisonous fog—except this alteration was more severe.

David cast [Blessing] and [Purify] on Torb and his allies while scanning the battlefield. He spotted Blighted Kobolds along with orcs, goblins, and trolls tearing through the defenders. Those lucky enough to survive their onslaught were severely wounded. Their deaths were certain, whether the monsters struck the final blow or not—or so David thought until the dying defenders vanished into small, golden portals.

As far as he knew, only one person defending against the Grand Horde could conjure spatial portals, but that knowledge did little to improve his mood. Maja was clearly not saving any mana for emergencies. Even if she was saving people, that was… David shook his head and hurled a fist-sized [Blood Blast] at a sickly green-skinned orc.

He spun around, applying [Blood Patch] to the allies in his range before casting the weakest version of [Greater Restoration] to heal the wounded Mountain Defenders. He released two healing spheres and surged forward, joining a group of dwarves fighting near Torb and the Mountain Defenders. However, before he could reach them, a small figure arrived first, and a loud scraping noise resounded.

One of the dwarves was decapitated before David arrived, while the others crumpled to the ground. He dug his right foot into the dirt, releasing a vibrantly glowing network as he cast [Weave of Life]. The Obsidian Blade materialized in his hand, shifting into a scimitar. He slashed at the tiny enemy but was forced to dismiss Rend when the creature took cover behind a dwarf.

It cackled and flashed a wide grin, revealing rows of pitch-black teeth. A moment later, it darted to the side and sped off.

So fast… David cursed, tracking its movements. He was too slow to catch up, but he could always heal the wounded. The headless dwarf was beyond saving, but the others were tougher. He cast [Greater Restoration] on both, sealing the gaping wounds in their chests. Their plated armor had been clawed open, but their wounds were no more. Not after he cleansed the venom coursing through their veins with [Purify].

“Join the infantry. Leave the strongest to Torb and the Mountain Defenders,” David commanded.

“But we want to—” One of the dwarves started, but David cut him off.

“I don’t give a shit about what you want. You’re in the way,” he hissed, turning to the Mountain Defenders.

Blood surged into Bloodthrone Dominion, and Words of Power flowed from his lips, expanding his access to the Blood Patch marks on his allies. A few dozen common signals surfaced, and he acted without hesitation, weaving more Words of Power to modify the Blood Patch marks.

A few seconds passed. The grunting dwarves behind him became mere background noise as he cast [Purify] through [Blood Patch]. The similar signals spread across all those marked changed simultaneously. While it seemed as though [Purify] had worked wonders, cleansing the poison and venom wreaking havoc in the defenders’ bodies, David knew the cost. A full-fledged Blood droplet had been consumed to heal them, and more would be expended as long as the poisonous fog and venomous creatures continued their assault.

David charged ahead, blending into the mass of struggling Mountain Defenders. At least, they seemed to struggle.

More small humanoids the size of dwarves entered his sight, but they moved faster and easily deflected incoming attacks when necessary. Thick brown plates covered their bodies, including their elongated heads. At first glance, they were intimidating. At second glance, they were horrifying. Their claws were longer than most daggers, easily tearing through defenses—each successful strike spreading venom into their targets.

David reached the front, watching as Torb fought one of the armored enemies while a second engaged five Mountain Defenders. The dwarves’ defenses were crumbling, one strike at a time, while the Mountain Defenders barely landed a hit. David overclocked [Blessing] on them and Torb, but it barely shifted the tide of battle.

A spiked club struck the armored enemy, breaking several plates with a single heavy blow. However, as the perpetrator retreated to make space for the next attack, the armored enemy leaped forward.

David cast [Blood Aegis], but the crimson shield shattered instantly.

His eyes narrowed as the creature appeared in front of the Mountain Defender, who coated his body in an earthy membrane.

Why is there life force in his plated armor? Is that even real armor? he wondered, watching as the broken plates covering the enemy recovered quickly.

The Mountain Defenders suddenly surged forward, presumably activating [Charge] in unison to protect their comrade. The club-wielding dwarf was clawed twice, but David’s [Healing Sphere] took care of that.

David didn’t have to divert his attention from the armored foe as it retreated, though it released a dark green haze. The Mountain Defenders charged through the haze, affecting their life signals again. David could not tell what the haze did, but he cast [Purify] preemptively before adding several instances of [Blood Blast].

He uttered Words of Power as he combined the bloody projectiles, compressing them into a tiny pea-sized sphere and imbued it with more Blood while adding the power of multiple Runes.

David waited just a moment until the Mountain Defenders gained the armored enemy’s full attention, then shot the compressed projectile. It accelerated rapidly, churning through the infused Blood, passing by the Mountain Defenders and missing them by a heartbeat before piercing the recovering plated skin.

The armored humanoid didn’t even flinch as the pea-sized [Blood Blast] bypassed its defense. Neither had much Sacred Aura been imbued, nor did [Equivalent Exchange] affect the target significantly. At least, not until the full power of the mark was unleashed.

David stayed back and watched as one of the Mountain Defenders collapsed. He was about to help when a portal opened beneath the fallen dwarf. Maja was watching the battle as well. He could take advantage of that, though he doubted it would be necessary—not to deal with one enemy at a numerical advantage. The armored monster was strong, but it did not annihilate them easily. It was not that strong.

He suppressed [Sacred Aura], willing it to stay inactive while spreading through the armored monster’s body, gathering information. As it turned out, the monster’s armor was actually part of its body—it had replaced its skin. David moved [Sacred Aura] effortlessly through the plated armor, analyzing it quickly. It appeared to be skin, except for the thick energy pathways running through it and its mutation—or whatever had turned the monster’s flesh into highly durable plates. But maybe that was enough.

He did not hesitate to discover more about the enemy’s anatomy and triggered [Equivalent Exchange] after a few seconds. The mark flared, and the armored monster froze for a moment. freewebnσvel.cøm

David licked his lower lip, spun the Obsidian Blade as it transformed back into its smaller form, and stabbed himself. He clenched the handle firmly as the blade pierced skin, flesh, and stomach in one go.

The armored monster screamed at the top of its lungs while David retrieved the blade. He stabbed himself again. And again. And again. Once the Obsidian Blade had sunk into his abdomen and sides six times, David deactivated the mark for a moment and cast [Greater Restoration]. Blood surged from the Source, mending his body. The bleeding stopped, and the wounds healed at a visible pace.

Faster than expected. Is it always this fast? David wondered. Was his body more attuned to Healing Runes? Or was it the potency of the Blood used in [Greater Restoration]?

He smiled at the armored monster and made eye contact. Its claws pierced through a Mountain Defender’s chest, while another dwarf was hurled through the air—all without the monster looking away from him.

A wave of haze surged from the creature as it dashed forward, weaving around the attackers and closing the distance to David.

His smile didn’t waver. Why should it? The events had turned out better than expected.

David compressed the [Sacred Aura] spread through the armored monster’s plated skin and, targeting the wounded areas inflicted by [Equivalent Exchange], unleashed its full power instantaneously. A faint cracking noise reached his ears—barely discernible—but he pushed forward, using [Aether Slash] and [Blessing].

David moved fluidly, feeling droplets of blood seep through the armored monster’s skin. He spun on his heel and drove the Obsidian Blade into its side. The blade pierced the monster’s plated, albeit cracked, skin as he uttered Words of Power and willed the Law of Blood to life.

The Obsidian Blade’s primary ability flared, bringing a smile to David’s face as he watched life drain from the monster’s body in streams—even as its claws dug deep into his chest.