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Chapter 112 - THE BATTLE AGAINST THE REANIMATED PT 4

Eun Gimyoung. A transcendent that surpasses the limit of a human. He found enlightenment that further transcends himself. There was not really any history documented for him. 

Auoun swings his hammer at Eun Gimyoung where he easily blocked it with his right forearm. His left forearm punches Auoun's face that sent him flying away. Thunder spells and fire spells are fired at Eun Gimyoung as his body easily tanked it all.

He leaped up in the air and his fist aimed for Amethia. A shield barrier formed around through blue shard that shattered upon contact with the fist. Amethia flew away in time as she fired more spells at Eun Gimyoung and casted barriers when he is close to her.

Auoun ran below Eun Gimyoung and tossed his hammer up high that smashed Gimyoung's left hand before it could touch Amethia. The hammer fall down as Auoun grabbed it before it could crash onto the ground. Al casted thunder spell at the tip of his mini staff to distract the transcendent.

Amethia fired a huge fireball that created an explosion that send Eun Gimyoung down to the ground. Seizing this chance, Auoun dashed towards Eun Gimyoung and slams both of his hammers at Eun Gimyoung's head. Eun Gimyoung blocked the attack with his bare forearms but even so Auoun's strength pushes the transcendent deep into the ground, creating a crater below the transcendent's feet. 

Eun Gimyoung pushed away the dwarf and leaped towards him while Auoun was floating in the air from the impact.

The transcendent kept punching him while Auoun parried all the attacks by blocking it with both of his rock hammers. Slowly, cracks formed from the hammers and Amethia sent a giant thunder spell at Eun Gimyoung.

"El Thundros, giganto!"

The thunder spell roared and fall on Eun Gimyoung as Auoun drew a distance by pushing the transcendent away. The thunder shocked him which Amethia descends from the air. She panted and they stared at the transcendent. Al healed Amethia then Auoun as the spell started to fade away.

The transcendent was no where to be seen in the smoke created by the aftermath of the spell. Suddenly, Eun Gimyoung appeared in front go Amethia with his right fist raised next to his face. Smoke were coming from him which they can tell he was burned but even so he was left unfazed as if he is not afraid of death.

Although the spell seemed to do no damage to him. Is this the ability of a transcendent?

Amethia casted a barrier but Eun Gimyoung easily destroyed it and punches Amethia in the face. From the behind, Auoun jumped up and swings both of his hammers down at Eun Gimyoung's head. It strikes his head and Al using this chance to rush to Amethia and healed her. Despite not blocking the attack, his head withstand the powerful blow and swings it back.

Auoun losses his balance and Eun Gimyoung turned his body around and send a powerful blow to his stomach that send him crashing onto the wall.

Blood rushed out from his mouth as his head was bleeding which Auoun had never experienced before. Al looking at the opposite side of him where Auoun reside then look at Amethia who tries to get herself up.

Suddenly, Eun Gimyoung appeared in front of Al and he punched him in the face so hard that his head almost turned 180 degrees if it wasn't for the buff and defence spells he casted on everyone.

Even so, Al was also sent crashing onto the wall like Auoun. Amethia finally gotten up and tried to fly up in the air but failed to do so. Eun Gimyoung stared at Amethia with his lifeless eyes deep into her soul. Amethia took a few step back out of fear and raised her staff at Eun Gimyoung while trembling.

She then gripped it hard and reassured herself. Eun Gimyoung did not attack first. Instead, he was standing there as if the body was trying to fight off the spell. Seizing this chance, Amethia casted ice spell to freeze the transcendent's legs and casted a few white beam and rock spells at him. 

Auoun got up and realise now it is the chance and ran toward Eun Gimyoung. He swings his left hammer followed up with the right. Even then, the transcendent did not take much damage and snapped back. His eyes now were gleaming in purple, showing signs that the warlock is now in full control. 

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The count was sweating heavily as he read the paper he was holding. Seeing this, the boy knocks onto the door and pushes his way in. 

"Father?"

"Yes my child?"

"What's wrong? Why are you sweating so much?"

"It's nothing dear, nothing for you to worry about."

Young Iapetus Torchem, the only child of the Torchem county. The Torchem county used to be one of the famous county in the Kingdom of Verkiz before a major downfall occurred 25 years ago.

"Hey, why are you eating that?"

Young Iapetus had lived his life as a lord, so he would never understand the suffering of the peasant. 

He would always questioned the peasant while never understood the experience as them. Not that he is prideful, curious.

"When are you gonna pay tax? You've been evading taxes for 4 months!"

"I will pay back, I promise!"

Iapetus stared at his father getting ridiculed through the seam of the door every time men with suit would come knocking on their door. But young Iapetus never understood the reason for it.

Despite this, his father would always carry a facade and they would live their life like nothing ever changed. 

Fire erupted and engulfed the mansion as Iapetus watches with his parents in teary eyes.

Why did this happened to them? Iapetus questioned himself and the Torchem county had fallen due to tax evasion. 

For the next few months, the Torchem family lived together as beggars, stealing food from the upper class while living in fear. It was finally Iapetus understood the live as a peasant. The very existence he always questioned. 

The few months passed like that. They had been eating either expired or leftover. It was until one day,

"...Father! I can't live like this anymore! It's humiliating!"

Iapetus yelled while they were having breakfast. 

"You brat! We spoiled you too much haven't we? You better appreciate what we have rather than nothing!"

"I want to eat meat! Look how thin we are! We are going to die either way if we continue to live on like this!"

Iapetus's mother who was watching from the side reaches out her hand to calm young Iapetus down.

"Son, listen to your father. We should appreciate-"

"I don't want to die! I don't want to die like this!"

With that, young Iapetus ran off, leaving his family alone. His father furled his fist tightly and stood up. 

"Wait darling!"

Without a word, the former count left the scene, leaving the former countess alone. 

Iapetus ran for a while, the bustling street and the crowd pushes him further into the street. Once the crowd slowly subsided, Iapetus realises that he is lost. 

Trying to find his way back, he tries to recall his steps. As he was returning, a fleshy smell brushed past his nose which tempted him to follow after. He followed along and found a butcher selling meat. 

Meat of various animals hang above as Iapetus tries to grasp it.

"Hey kid! What are you trying to do?"

The butcher notices and grabbed onto Iapetus's collar.

"Wait a minute, you are that former count's son!"

Hearing this, the crowd all glared at Iapetus.

"Look what becomes of the count. To think they would evade taxes..."

"I know right?"

Some were whispering among themselves which made Iapetus felt something strong pulling him down. His heart felt heavy as if a rock was tied to it. 

Swinging his arms and legs around, he managed to escape from the grasp of the butcher and run away. 

"Hey kid! Where are you going?"

The butcher's voice sounded behind him as he ran into an alleyway. As he was running, he came across many that were like him. Beggars filled in the streets. Some were eating the lice of someone's hair. Some were finding food from the trashcan. And some's child were as thin as a stick. 

Iapetus soon realises the lesson his father was trying to teach him earlier. With teary eyes, he quickly ran past the alleyway. 

The sun set as Iapetus finally found his way back to his family. Bruises covered around him and dirt on his face. He returned to only see his mother there.

"Where's father?"

Instead of replying, her expression was shocked. She cupped her hands onto her mouth as a huge shadow casted over Iapetus.

He look back to see a man standing behind him. It was the former count. But this time, he has only one arm. On the other hand, he was holding a bag dripping of blood. 

"Let's eat meat."

That smile, Iapetus broke down in tears once again and kneeled on the floor.

"I'm sorry father, I shouldn't have said those things..."

Tonight, the meat was strangely red today. The texture seems off than what Iapetus remembered. But he didn't say anything for it's been a long time he had meat. 

"I'm sorry father...why is one of your arm gone?"

"Don't worry about it son. Just eat the meat."

With his newly taught lesson, Iapetus learned to be appreciative and for the next few days, he worked for his family. Doing small jobs that earn very little money while handling criticism.

A few weeks has passed by like that. Winter comes and the county was in a festive season. Today, Iapetus bought a long sausage with the money he earned for the past few weeks and returned home. It was about time they have real meat.

But what enters his gaze when he returned shocked him. 

"Hey! Are you listening? Look what you've done to the county. The new count is forcing us to become slaves while tax increases unreasonably! All of this wouldn't happen if it weren't for you!"

A few men beating up the former count as the countess watches hopelessly. 

Enraged, Iapetus ran up to those men and started beating them up. But one is never enough to beat a group of thugs. Blood trickled down his nose and saliva drool out of his mouth. He watches his mother being dragged away while his father laid dead. 

He stare into those lifeless eyes while he could do nothing about it. Hugging onto the long sausage, he crushes himself up and lean against the wall. How long has passed like that? 

Snow started coating the lifeless body as no one came to help. 

His stomach grumbling as he took a bite out of the sausage. It was raw. Despite that, he swallowed it, not wasting any bite. 

"Child, do you need help?"

A sweet and gentle voice sounded ahead and Iapetus raises his head. There stood a man wearing a witch hat. Feather-like thing wrapped around the tip of the hat as if he is a shaman. He wore a white mask with a poorly painted sun on it. 

He wore what seems to be bear fur on his back and his clothing was a black button on shirt and shaman pants.

"Who are you...?"

"I can help you. I know who you are, Iapetus Torchem. I know you desire the life of being a count again."

"No..."

His lips were dried from the cold weather.

"I can help you. I can help you regain that position. I can give you power!"

"I don't need power."

The man then reaches out his hand which reveals his wore a glove. A platinum glove touches his cheek as the man said,

"Remember that life?"

Memories flooded into his mind. It was his memory. Memory of him being a count. Eating meat everyday, dressed in nice clothes, sleeping on a cozy bed.

"I can give you money, power. You can rebuild your county again!"

"Can I...?"

"Trust in me, and we can avenge your father."

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Tap. Tap. Tap. 

A finger was tapping onto the bone throne. It was hollow so the sound was low pitched. The warlock Iapetus Torchem had already finished his meal and now watches the battle playing in the domes. 

"How interesting, my collection somehow resist the control. That's odd but ultimately, the reanimation spell is full control so there is no escape to it. But it still shocked me, was it because his dead mind somehow able to transcends beyond the body?" said the warlock Iapetus Torchem in an eerily gentle tone. 

Then, the warlock, Iapetus Torchem look up and saw a group of people standing before them. It was the previously exhausted and injured swordsman and swordswoman. Among them was the sword empress Viera Winston, the older sister of Raye Winston, the sword king Rodrim Raven and swordsman Lycorn Braveheart. Cynthia also was there and there were a few others swordsman and swordswoman that participated in the tournament. The police were busy at the borderline blocking off entrance and reassuring the residents there. 

"It seems that there are guests. Go, and 'entertain' them."

Iapetus pointed at the group of people and his group of cloaked heed instructions and flew towards the group of swordsman. 

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