NOVGO.NET Chapter 101: An Angel’s Hypocrisy (Extra - )
***
Malik stood before an utterly destroyed faction base.
His white flames devoured it piece by piece, crumbling its walls, collapsing its towers, and burning bodies within it into nothing.
Alone, far from his army and anyone who might have helped him if things went wrong, he watched the destruction of his own making unfold.
He couldn’t have his people stretched thin.
There was soon to be an attack by millions of Demons, the daily wave.
So he left most of his army to face that threat.
Only a small fraction was involved in this campaign, and they were mostly spread out across the region.
More fortified bases faced stronger forces, but the majority of the attacks involved no more than a hundred soldiers.
And since Malik—at least when not weakened—could face many tens of thousands alone, he went alone.
He had called upon single-use Soul Glyphs so far.
One Ember’s Touch, which had resulted in the inferno before him, and one Goliath’s Fall for the previous one.
In a way, he had gotten his Fear Points back after using them, plus a little more.
Yes, he had even made something of a profit.
Of course, this was far from repeatable.
Each purchase caused the Soul Glyphs to double in price.
The system punished over-reliance on the same tools. Or rather, his past self wanted him to use all that he had.
’Anyhow, how are my people doing?’
—
╔═══════════════════╗
║NEW FACTION DISCOVERED!║
╚═══════════════════╝
[You’ve discovered Phoenix Faction (Class Four) — 20% Increasing!]
[You’ve discovered Red Dragon Faction (Class Five) — 23% Increasing!]
[You’ve discovered Kalahari (Class Five) —24% Increasing!]
—
They seemed to be doing well.
There were many more factions, hundreds of them, but as expected, the system didn’t account for those that were too weak.
Or, well, it did, but simply didn’t bother showing them.
They were too inconsequential to track.
—
╔════════╗
║FEAR GAIN!║
╚════════╝
[Fear Points: 7 → 58]
—
’Hm.’
—
{Shop}
[Soul Glyphs]
[Embers Touch — 16 → 32 FP (Single) | 64 FP (Peak)]
[Goliath’s Fall — 16 → 32 FP (Single) | 64 FP (Peak)]
[Scorpion’s Sting — 8 FP (Single) | 16 FP (Peak)]
[Devil’s Footsteps — 8 FP (Single) | 16 FP (Peak)]
[Zephyr’s Kiss — 16 FP (Single) | 32 FP (Peak)]
[Shifting Ground — 32 FP (Single) | 64 FP (Peak)]
[Eternal Life — 64 FP (Single) | 128 FP (Peak)]
[Thirst’s Quench — 128 FP (Single) | 256 FP (Peak)]
[Dust to Stone — 256 FP (Single) | 512 FP (Peak)]
—
Now that Malik had enough Fear Points, he finally decided to buy not only single-use Scorpion’s Sting and Devil’s Footsteps but also their peak versions.
The total cost came to forty-eight Fear Points.
—
Ding!
—
╔══════════════════╗
║SOUL GLYPH PURCHASED!║
╚══════════════════╝
[Scorpion’s Sting — Single: 8 FP, Peak: 16 FP]
[Devil’s Footsteps — Single: 8 FP, Peak: 16 FP]
{Fear Points: 58 → 10}
—
’Now what does it do?’
Malik asked the question casually, as if an entire base wasn’t burning in front of him.
—
╔════════════════════╗
║NEW SOUL GLYPH ACQUIRED!║
╚════════════════════╝
[Devil’s Footsteps]
[Rune Description: This Rune enables your feet to blossom hoofprints from Hell.]
—
’Interesting description.’
Once more, Malik automatically understood the Rune despite its short description.
In short, it could be described as his movement spell, aligning with his earlier expectation of it being a support Rune rather than a combat Rune.
Devil’s Footsteps allowed him to boost his feet with incredible fire, crossing insane distances almost instantly.
There was more to it as well.
It could be used alongside other Runes to do wondrous things.
Combinations that would let him strike faster, dodge quicker, and appear where his enemies least expected him.
Now that he was done with his purchasing spree, he proceeded to check all that he had.
—
╔════════╗
║Fear System║
╚════════╝
{Class: 9 (Veil of the World)}
{Unlocking Class (8): 0 / 1,544}
{Fear Points: 10}
{Soul Glyphs: Ember’s Touch (Peak) x 1, Shifting Ground (Single) x 1, Goliath’s Fall (Peak) x 1, Scorpion’s Sting (Single, Peak) x 1, Devil’s Footsteps (Single, Peak) x 1}
—
’A good haul.’
He had left Shifting Ground alone.
Again, that was his final deterrence.
He didn’t use any of his peak Soul Glyphs yet; those were to be saved for battles that required constant, overwhelming attacks.
This certainly wasn’t that.
A single attack from him had been enough to end the base.
Malik was more than ready for what was coming.
’They won’t know what hit them.’
Just as he thought that, a figure appeared in the distance, grabbing his attention.
’A strangler. How annoying.’
Malik didn’t want to waste his strength, Fear Points, or Soul Glyphs just to kill someone with a death wish.
But this approaching figure was no random.
He realized that from their... her demeanor alone.
The way she walked and the way she looked at him without fear.
She was a beautiful brunette, big in stature, wearing white knight armor that gleamed in the light of the burning base.
"Why do you ignore the rules of war so plainly?"
Malik said nothing in response to her words.
"We Angels ought to act properly before the world."
She stopped a safe distance from him, her face calm.
"They watch us and mimic our deeds."
Malik was seeing her for the first time, but he already knew who she was.
Angels were rare, extremely rare.
If she truly was one, she had to be from a strong faction.
Her hair wasn’t white, which ruled out the Order.
Her armor, however, was white and too similar to that of recent visitors.
She was from the Southern Cross, coming here to avenge that Cassius.
Their "Lady Angel."
"What’s the leader of the Southern Cross doing here?"
Though asking that, Malik sounded entirely uninterested.
"Are you perhaps avenging Cassius?"
An amused laugh escaped her lips.
"No, Malik. I’m not like you."
Her saying his name so casually confirmed it.
She was an Angel.
Only an Angel or above could speak another Angel’s name without consequence.
But Malik wasn’t thinking about that.
He had his head tilted, wondering just... what?
"You’re not like me?"
She scoffed at him.
"Yes, I’m not! You... you... How dare you target the weak?! It’s not proper!"
Taking a moment to calm himself from the absurdity that had just come out of her mouth, Malik let out a sigh.
"Your anger is unjustified, Angel. We both know this. He who fights by the blade dies by it."
The brunette let out another laugh.
"You said it! We’re Angels! They’re far too weak to matter to us! You’ve crossed a line by killing them! How do you not understand that?!"
Malik was the one who scoffed this time.
"I’ve crossed a line, have I? What damned line have I crossed? Hm? Tell me."
He began to step towards her, his golden eyes boring into her.
"How many of our fathers? Hm? How many of our children? How many of our brothers and sisters have you and your lot murdered, by blade or otherwise? How many have you enslaved and condemend to a life worse than Hell? How many have you stolen a future from? All simply for having been born under my banner, hm?"
She could not say a single word back.
"And yet you stand there, telling me that I’ve crossed some line. Who do you think you are?"
Malik’s anger was as obvious as his fire.
"If you’ve come here to kill me... then be honorable enough to state the actual reason. Not whatever you call this. And certainly not from a hate implanted in you."
It was an anger that burned.
"You are nothing, nothing at all. You don’t deserve the strength that you have."
Once he said all that he wanted to say, the wit of the Angel before him finally returned, as did her tongue:
"I’m here... I’m here to stop you from destroying your own planet."
Only for her to spit out a most ridiculous claim.
She was too far gone.
Nothing of what Malik said even registered, never mind being processed and debated.
’What is wrong with these people?’
How was he—the one defending his home—the one destroying it?
And they—the very ones invading it—claimed to be stopping him from doing so?
The logic twisted in on itself, a snake eating its own tail.
Still, somehow, against all odds, he calmed himself.
His voice remained steady.
"It seems you have got it entirely twisted. Nevertheless, your words will not stop me from continuing this campaign. If you truly wish to do so, you must lay down your life right here and now."
Without a change in expression, she took a stance.
Her weight shifted, and her hands rose.
In the next moment, a lance appeared in her right hand.
It was long, tipped with a blade that seemed to drink the light.
A massive steed materialized from beneath her, Rukh concentrated, shaped into the form of a horse with rippling muscles.
"If you won’t stop, then I’m afraid that I, Mata of the Southern Cross, will do just that."
Yes, Mata’s steed was massive and muscular, but that wasn’t what stood out about its features.
It had wings.
Powerful wings that stretched out on either side, their feathers gleaming white in the firelight.
With a single beat, the steed launched upward, carrying Mata high into the sky.
She hovered above him, her lance pointed down.
"Villainous Sultan, here I come!"
This was an Angel’s hypocrisy.