Chapter 2025: Facing The Evil Within The Tower
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Sailor, Norman, and Mark looked at one another, all thinking the same thing about her strange response.
"Isn’t she becoming a little too much like the necromancers now, acting like it’s such a waste that a strong monster left nothing behind to be turned into an undead?"
Although they all shared the same thought, they naturally kept it to themselves.
"Incredible..."
Mark looked down at the growing army of Sporeborns. The majority were Hollows that had only recently risen into Fungal Titans. Yet among them stood the older Sporeborns she had created earlier, including the ones built from the corpses of the three Death Generals and their monstrous forces.
Elayne’s skill, which should have been limited to ten, had glitched because of an unexpected error she later described as a "rage-induced error" when she smashed the class-changing crystal. That incident had somehow merged her class options, granting her this incredible power in an even more evolved form.
Above all, two of the powerful Sporeborns looked distinctly different from the rest.
"Wondering who they are?" Elayne asked.
BOOOM!
Just as she spoke, the last of the giant balloon-like jellyfish Hollows crashed into the ground and died, exploding into flames that spread in every direction.
"They’re Named Sporeborns. They can grow stronger if I give them names, but I can only Name ten of them," Elayne explained. "They were Evolved Hollows with a lot of strength that we defeated, and I raised them into Sporeborns. I’ve named the big one Wendigo. The girl is Lady."
"I see," Mark nodded as he recovered and stood on his own. "I can feel they have a deeper connection with you, similar to the bond between Familiars and a Summoner."
"Yeah. Named Sporeborns share a deeper bond. I was even able to learn skills from them..." Elayne sighed in relief. "It’s done for now. Let’s go regroup!"
They descended from the sky. Elayne walked toward the giant corpses of the jellyfish Hollows and then spoke clearly.
"Harvest of Duality."
She used Harvest of Duality to extract their leftover Death Energy and store it for her own use. Then she followed with another spell.
"Soul Liberation!"
The Soul Liberation spell freed their souls, allowing all those trapped inside the monsters to rest in peace and find tranquility as they passed away peacefully.
Once that was finished, she expanded her Dominion, which had already reached this far.
Mark, Sailor, and Norman noticed giant forests of mushrooms, spores floating everywhere, and dark forests of demonic and undead trees spreading across the land, along with patches of dark blue grass.
"Dark Mycelial Domain!"
The Domain expanded even further. Mycelial roots spread outward and pierced the corpses of every available host.
Because Elayne now possessed an endless source of Mana, Nether, and Spirit Energy once she claimed such a large stretch of terrain, she was capable of incredible things.
"We’re no longer a small band of vulnerable Undead," she declared as her group gathered around her. "We are not to be messed with, and we are not to be stomped either! This... what has happened to this poor city and its people shall be avenged! Whoever is behind this, Death Apostle or not... will pay!"
With a mighty roar, everyone surrounding her cheered, their hearts stirred by her inspiring words.
Then she spoke once more.
"RISE!"
RUMBLE!
Dozens of Hollows rose again as colonies of fungi grew over their bodies. The gigantic ones floated once more as well. Massive mushrooms sprouted across their forms, and their balloon-like structures inflated again with gases and other energies, lifting them into the air as they roared in obedience.
"Lisette is in that tower!" she said. "I can feel him! We will get our kid back at all costs! And we will avenge everyone here!"
"YEAAAAAH!"
They roared together as they climbed onto the giant Hollows and flew toward the massive tower in the distance.
Everyone was filled with determination to finally end this hell and escape this place, but not before recovering their child and discovering exactly what had happened here, and who the mastermind behind this terrible massacre truly was.
Inside that castle, something was indeed watching them.
Rainbow eyes glowed brightly beneath a mask.
He laughed.
"Hahahaha! This is way too much fun! There’s not a single day where I am bored around these kids, seriously!" he laughed happily while looking at the unconscious child floating beside him inside a small bubble formed from his powers. "Huhuh, don’t you think so, little Prince? You’re an invaluable asset to the Demon King’s army! If we use you correctly, we could get far enough to reach the Labyrinth’s core! We can’t give up on this opportunity, my baby boy."
He looked down and smiled at Elayne’s incredible feats.
"Hehhehe, I can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for me, Elayneeeeeee!" he laughed maniacally. "Because I have some amazing surprises for you too!"
As he laughed, the tower trembled and a gigantic gate opened, allowing Elayne and her army to enter its depths. Darkness swallowed them.
"Where are we?!"
They suddenly found themselves inside a gigantic pocket realm of its own. Dozens of powerful Hollows emerged from every nook and cranny of the twisted building interior, which resembled many houses and places mixed together.
Elayne stared in disbelief as a gigantic Jester appeared, floating above them and wielding a powerful energy that filled the air around him.
"Welcome, explorers of the unknown! To the great, the biggest... the most wonderful... Tower of Madness! Here’s your Host, the famous Death Apostle of Chaos and Madness, Jester! And today, ladies and skeletons, we’ve got a special guest! Elayne! The very leader of the rebel army!"
"OOOOHHHHH!"
An audience echoed from every direction. Tens of thousands of souls roared in unison. Elayne swallowed hard as she felt his immense presence, but then she narrowed her eyebrows.
"So you’re the one behind this!"
"Ohohoh, am I? Well, why don’t you greet everyone else, my dear?!"
"Everyone else? What are you talking about?!"
"Don’t you know? This is being broadcast all around the damn Netherworld!"
He laughed as Elayne noticed dozens of floating cameras, giant eyeballs, filming everything.
"Didn’t you know there’s a Livestreaming function?" Jester laughed. "Ah, right. You aren’t a Player but an NPC. Hahahahah!"
"...Player?"
In that moment, Elayne realized just how messed up things truly were.
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