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Seth Chapter 77
🕑 Added 2024-03-18 19:11:03 +0000 UTCChapter 77
Rebecca moved fast and her barrier floated around the room and moved on top of the both of them, protecting them from the flames.
As the flames kept on pouring down, she stacked her initial barrier with one more, giving them more breathing space.
Frowning, Seth used Flickering Step and landed right in front of them, being careful of only stepping where Tran and Sharan had before. He kept his distance away from the flames and opened up the bottles of the most expensive potions he had on himself.
They were the ones he had purchased just before coming here after borrowing from Rebecca. Known as Advanced health potions, they were used only for deep wounds that could potentially endangered a life.
Opening up the flask, the black tar-like liquid simmered under it and a strange aroma wafted up to his nose.
Not wasting any time, he poured the potion on the burnt parts of both Sharan and Tran, starting from their faces and then their arms and backs. As the potion touched their faces, they screamed once again in agony, twitching on the surface.
Tran looked up at Seth with tears in his eyes. A whole part of his face, including the ear, had burnt away and he looked hideous. His hair was singed alongside his lips. Blood was everywhere alongside his exposed raw flesh.
Sharan was the same, but rather than the face which had only burnt a little to the side of his face, his whole back was crisped. His armour hadn't been able to protect him and the flames had burned away most of it, revealing his exposed back which was blackened with blood coming out of it.
His arms and legs were scraped and he had lost all of his hair.
As Seth finished pouring the potion on their burnt parts, the flames coming down from the ceiling ceased to be.
He glanced at it for a second before looking back at Xarth and the others. They seemed to be hesitating to move forward, but their eyes fixed on their party members with frowns and tears in their eyes.
“Do you have more options? One won't suffice with this level of injuries,” he asked and Xarth immediately nodded. He looked at Zara and Log who promptly took out three potions from their back and threw it to Seth who caught it with his superhuman reflexes.
“Thanks.”
He used the remaining potions on the two of them, giving one each to drink and using the rest on their wounds. They let out low screams as the potions hit their wounds, but it was nothing compared to the guttural roars they let out when the flames washed over them.
Both of them endured it as they gulped down the potions.
Once it was over, Seth dusted his hands off and stood up. Rebecca still kept the barrier above the two of them, just in case it was a sadistic trap that would activate again.
“Okay, I think they will survive. The wounds are already getting better. Though, the pain would be like someone plunging knives on their back every minute until they completely heal,” he said, looking down at the both of them who twitched from time to time, but seemed to be breathing much better now.
Sharan was trying to speak, but only hollow words came out of his throat. He needed more time for the potion to heal before he would be able to speak since the area around his neck was burnt too, damaging his voice.
“Thank you for your help. If you haven't moved with the potions and the barrier, they would have lost their lives,” Zara said, bowing towards Seth and Rebecca.
Xarth also did a similar gesture, followed by the rest of the party. Seth had no idea whether it was a culture thing or it was their way of showing respect to him. Maybe both.
“It’s alright. Just, I think we should take traps more seriously from now on. We can't afford to lose anyone just because the traps haven't been triggered for decades,” Rebecca said and Zacky glanced up at his comrades.
“Yes, it was my fault. I would have gone ahead as the scout, but I let them be because I thought it would be an arrow trap at best.” Zacky frowned, gritting his teeth.
“No, both Sharan and Tran just got overconfident. I didn't stop them. It's on me as the leader,” Xarth roared, taking a deep breath. “Anyway, we could play the blame game after we are out of here. We should think about putting both of them to safety till their recovery. I don't think they would be able to move with those injuries.”
He masterfully changed the topic and Seth nodded. “Yes, we could put them out in the corridor since it's relatively safe. No one has come here aside from us, so it should be okay. As the potions start to show more effects, I think they will be able to move. A Cleric or a Master Healer could take a look once we are in the city.”
He proposed, watching everyone's faces with interest. A part of him felt like it was better to move back to send them back to the city, but that would waste too much time.
“Is that okay with you two?” Xarth asked, looking at the burnt adventurers.
Sharan and Tran looked at each other before they nodded.
“It's… okay,” Tran spoke, slowly. “We will rest by the walls… wait for you all.”
“Okay, that's fine with me.” Xarth agreed and Seth picked both of them around before flickering again. Putting them down on the safe corridor floor, he saw Zacky giving them one more potion and a dagger just in case.
After that, all of them moved.
It seemed like after seeing the potential repercussions of not listening to Seth, The Divers were much more attentive as they nodded at every word of his.
Since the area was one they had already dealt with before, they knew where to go. Rebecca's barrier did its work and they didn't have to deal with any arrows or flames striking them.
The pathways and corridors kept coming as they crossed each room. The Divers seemed very interested in the coins, but they didn't want to get slowed down by additional weight, so they decided to wait till they were on the way back.
Like that, they reached in front of the room with golems.
The same stormweaver’s guardians stood at each side with the wrath in the middle, looking down at them. The huge room was fitted with stone marbles which were idle for having a battle, giving them enough space.
Zara and Log looked at the golems in awe, specifically at the one in the middle. After staring at it for a while, she said, “I think it could use magic.”
“How can you say so?” Seth asked.
“See the runes. They aren't there to give it more defences, but spells. I don't know what kind, but it could certainly do spells. We need to be careful of it if we are going to go inside.”
“What do you know about the guardians?” Xarth asked, looking at Seth and Rebecca. “You fought them before.”
He thought for a bit. “They are rusty and walk like drunkards, uneven. I don't think they have been used for a long time, so expect a lot of wild, hard swings. You can move around and under them without problems, but keep an eye on a beam that might shoot out of their weapons. Oh, also, they might have more than one weapon hidden. Weakness is their eyes, break them and pull at the wires,” he said, then looked at Zara. “Also, spells that make an explosion should work well against them. I know you are good with those, so it should not be a big problem.”
Both Zara and Xarth were Level 34 respectively, while Zacky was 31. Log, holding up a mace, was the weakest out of the four of them, being at 27.
“Okay, leave me one guardian to handle,” she said, grinning.
“I think we should distribute who will take on what golem,” Xarth proposed, looking to see if anyone had any objections. “The guardians should be easier to deal with than the wrath, so whoever deals with it first should go and help fight the wrath.”
“Okay.”
They discussed a bit before and in the end, it was decided that Xarth would take on one guardian individually with Zacky and Log taking on another. The burly beastman was confident in his axe and despite having no visible confirmation, Seth had confidence in him.
As for the wrath, Zara and Seth were going to go for it with Rebecca acting as the support from the back with her barriers, protecting anyone who needed it.
It was the best strategy they could go for, so none of them had any objections to it.
Once it was decided, all of them took a deep breath and checked their equipment. Seth still had two health potions, so he knew he would be okay.
They walked inside the room with heavy hearts and resolute eyes. The doors locked in an instant as the guardians sprung to life.
Then, as before, they hissed with a grating voice, making Seth put his hands on his ears.
“Intruders Detected!”
They said at the same time, stumbling out of their platforms. One of them fell to its knees before holding itself up while the second one made a wild swing of its axe that didn't even reach any of them.
Seth's focus kept on the wrath which didn't seem to have any problems. More like, it didn't look like it was going to move as it stayed in one position.
“Intruders Needs To Be Eradicated!” It said, eyes coming to light with a red hue and the runes around its face started to glow. Seth prepared for an attack as the golem raised its head, fingers shifting to reveal a hole and from there, a blast of energy shot out, creating a large crack into the floor.
He gulped, looking at the size of the crater and made a run for it.
The wrath shot out more blasts of energy, but Seth didn't bother. He swiftly dodged each of them, partially helped by the aim of the aged machine which seemed to be terrible and reached in front of it.
Pouring abyssal mana into his blade, he swung at its sides, but only chipped away at its stone body. The wrath turned around, swinging it's arm to squat him away, but he jumped over it.
Balancing himself on top of the wrath’s arms, he quickly made his way towards its eyes.
“Seth, what are you doing?” Zara asked, fireballs floating around her.
“Trying to hit it in the eye.”
“I don't think that's a good idea.”
“Why?” He asked and prepared to swing his blade and break them, but its eyes shone suddenly. A crimson glow overtook them and then, his vision as a beam of light hit him directly in the face.
He flew in the air, directly hitting a wall as he felt his bones breaking and groaned. Blood came out of his lips as he coughed.
Looking up at the wrath with blurry vision, he saw Zara fighting it with her spells, trying to push it back by small explosions.
Frowning, he took out a potion and gulped it down, instantly feeling a rush of warm energy fill him even if the aftertaste was vomit inducing. Shaking it away, he stood up and conjured up blades and shot them towards the wrath, but they barely scratched the surface of it.
The monster was huge, even bigger than the guardians and its defences seem to be more sturdy too.
As he was wondering how to deal with it, the wrath suddenly turned its head to look at Seth.
“Intruder Detected… Level Detected… Preparing For Eradication Of Pest… Annoying!” Its voice was like chalk squeaking on a blackboard as it lowered itself and a panel on its back opened up.
Large arrows revealed themselves, their tips shining with a red sheen. They were all tucked in a rack and the wrath turned them around to face Seth.
“Oh fuck!”
Sweat formed on his forehead as the wrath launched them all towards him.
