Chapter 1056 Specter of the Peacekeeper
...
Earlier, near the entrance of the Night Lord's Crypt...
"General, that aura..." Aurie said with a troubled expression as she furrowed her brows.
"Yes, it would seem that the worst we've feared has come to pass," Solomon stated with a cold gaze as his eyes landed on the formless figure before them. Or, to be more precise, his gaze was drawn to the thick hard-covered black book levitating before the formless figure.
The black book emitted a sinister aura that put those within its vicinity on high alert.
Solomon's gaze drifted to the skies over the Night Lord's Crypt. The mysterious figure that appeared before them could not be underestimated; however, that individual was not the one responsible for the release of the terrifying sound that paralyzed the allied forces.
That sound originated from the skies over the Night Lord's Crypt. But, more importantly, Solomon could feel the difference in mana contained within that sound—it did not match with that of the Antumbra of Darkness, Night Lord Xenthula.
However, even though it did not match the Night Lord's mana, that frightening dark feeling it gave off was similar. Also, it was well on par with Xenthula's mana. To Solomon and those who were able to pick up on the differences between unique mana signatures, this could only mean one thing—another Night Lord had arrived on the battlefield.
"General, please allow me to deal with this thing while you and Commander Aurie proceed into the Night Lord's Crypt," Ezra stated firmly as he tried his best to conceal his heavy expression.
"Commander Ezra, you..." Aurie wanted to protest; however, she could not find it within her to do so.
With the presence of another Night Lord on the battlefield, if they failed to take action soon, it would be increasingly more difficult to accomplish the task at hand.
Besides, Aurie was also aware of a great secret that even Commander Ezra did not know about. Nevertheless, it was still dangerous for Commander Ezra to handle the entity blocking the entrance to the Night Lord's Crypt alone.
A few seconds later, the formless figure morphed into the form of a man. The man was roughly two meters tall and extremely thin to the point that one could see clearly see the outlines of the bones of his rib cage. He had withering white hair and possessed a pair of beady black eyes and a face that lacked any signs of life.
He wore a set of black robes that appeared to constantly move on its own as if it were alive and made him look like an apparition stuck between the world of the living and dead.
"We are a Faceless One. Here, we shall ensure that peace is preserved." The man said in an eerie voice that seemed to echo naturally.
NPC Name: Specter of the Peacekeeper, The Faceless One(???)
NPC Level: ???
NPC Faction: League of The Eidolon
NPC HP: ??? (100%)
Faceless One—this was the name given to an individual under the control of one of the League of The Eidolon's famed cursed weapons known as the Four Blades of The Faceless One.
Although they were referred to as blades, it was not in the literal sense. They merely served the League of The Eidolon and acted as the organization's tools of destruction. Wherever they were pointed, a tragic event was bound to unfold.
This particular Faceless One was different from the one Izroth faced back at the Tiger's Mouth near the Proximus kingdom's border. For one, it was not a greatsword, but rather a grimoire.
Furthermore, the aura being given off by the Faceless One blocking the entrance was leagues ahead of the one that wielded that greatsword. However, this was not too surprising due to the nature of their existence.
"Handling a Specter alone will prove dangerous even for you, Commander Ezra. Are you certain you wish to accept that heavy burden?" Solomon asked as he glanced over at Ezra.
The Four Blades of The Faceless One were cursed weapons that completely consumed the mind and soul of the person wielding them. But, despite the massive boost to one's strength provided by the cursed weapons, it did not mean that every host was capable of withstanding its true might. That's why there were two types of hosts.
The first type of host was known as Shells. Just as their name implied, they were but simple empty shells of their former self and were typically discarded by the cursed weapon after a single use. Those chosen as Shells ranged from the devoted followers of the League of The Eidolon who volunteered all the way to any random unfortunate soul who dared to take the cursed weapon in their hands. This was the type of host that Izroth and his party confronted during the Guardians of the Caravan quest.
However, the second host type was vastly different in terms of power and commonality. These hosts were called Specters.
Specter-type hosts were raised and specially trained by the League of The Eidolon for the sole purpose of acting as the main body for one of the Four Blades of The Faceless One. Because of this, Specter-type hosts could withstand the near totality of the power unleashed by the cursed weapons.
This particular Faceless One was controlled by the Cursed Weapon: Peacekeeper, which took on the physical form of a grimoire.
"Compared to what the High General is facing and the mission that the General and Commander Aurie are about to embark on—this much can only be considered a light warm-up," Ezra stated without wavering as he brandished the weapon in his hand.
"Very well. I will leave this cursed thing in your hands. Commander Ezra, I order you to open up a path to the Night Lord's Crypt!" Solomon declared.
"Your orders have been received, General!" Ezra replied as he dashed forward at incredible speeds towards the Faceless One.
"We are merely here to keep the peace. Those who protest... Must perish." The Faceless One stated as the grimoire shot open and flipped through several pages before stopping as it emitted a dark purple glow.
Woosh! Woosh! N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.
Ezra thrust his spear forward, aiming directly for the Faceless One's neck. Even though the cursed weapon was powerful, in the end, they still relied on their hosts to move about and perform actions. And ultimately, their hosts were still living beings that could be eliminated. Therefore, Ezra's goal was simple. He wanted to immobilize the host and deal with the cursed weapon immediately afterwards.
Rmmmble! Shiiiii!
Ezra's eyes widened in shock as he twisted his body.
Phhhtk!
A small shallow cut emerge on Ezra's left cheek as he lowered his stance and swept his spear out in a half-moon shape towards the Faceless One.
Woosh! Woosh!
Ezra's spear sliced through the Faceless One. However, a frown appeared on his face. That attack just now—there was no feedback.
Tssssst!
Suddenly, the Faceless One's body turned into black smoke that dispersed in every direction.
Ezra narrowed his eyes as he abruptly kicked off his back foot.
BOOM!
A series of explosive dark spikes emerged from the ground, but Ezra was able to avoid them at the very last moment.
Not long after, the black smoke converged to a position several meters away from the entrance to the Night Lord's Crypt and reformed the Faceless One.
Without missing a step, Solomon and Aurie charged into the entrance of the Night Lord's Crypt, along with many of the central forces.
However, Solomon did not enter the Night Lord's Crypt with all the members of his Legion. Instead, he positioned most of them outside the entrance to guard it and prevent any reinforcements from the enemy side from pouring in. Additionally, there were to provide support where needed to Commander Ezra.
"General, our communication has been cut off," Aurie warned after she set foot on the descending staircase.
The group had already prepared light talismans and light magic casters, so they had no issue seeing as they made their way down.
"Strange, there should be nothing here to prevent communications from flowing in and out since the High General destroyed the barriers guarding it," Solomon commented.
It did not take long for Solomon and Aurie to reach the end of the staircase along with the members of the Legion who accompanied them.
"Everyone, be on guard. Once we go through this portal, there will be no turning back until we've completed our mission. Is that understood?" Solomon stated.
"Yes, General!" The members of the Legion answered in unison.