Chapter 586: Moonlight Crossbow
Chapter 586: Moonlight Crossbow
Sier stared at the unmoving runemaster in front of him as the runic lights scattered to pieces. Then, his eyes turned toward his hand and the lingering violet mana surrounding it. The Seer Guardian laughed at Sier's reliance once again on his powers.
[She is so hot,] a voice appeared in his mind coming from Zas' direction. [You would think I have a girlfriend at this age.]
These were his thoughts, and he did not hold them back even knowing that Sier could read them. It was the same for everyone who knew about his ability. They feared him, he knew, but also accepted him.
At first, most of them wondered if Sier was listening to them. However, it happened at some point when they stopped wondering and forgot about the matter. Sier was left to hear the thoughts of his friends.
There was, of course, an exception. The calmest and most disturbing conversations he has are all with Arthur Silvera, who Sier could not read his mind. The reason behind that was a mystery even for Master Ronin, but a theory of Sier is his ability's dependence on spiritual energy.
There was a giant stats gap between Sier and Arthur, and their spiritual energy had a similar gap with different roles. But, being the vessel of the Seer Guardian, spiritual awareness was second nature to him.
[I should have killed her before Boss intervened,] thought William while cleaning his gun. [Of course, I know that you wouldn't like that, Boss.]
There were also people acutely aware that he was listening and would talk to him once in a while. As a result, Sier felt less of a creep for overhearing his friend's thoughts.
This was why he considered Arthur to be his sole genuine friend before. Sier did not fabricate his persona to make Arthur like him because he did not know what he liked. As much as that terrified him, it also made him rest easy because he did not need to act.
It was sad that the same thing he liked about Arthur made Sier suspect him. The fact that Arthur acted differently did not help to ease Sier's doubt that someone else had taken over his friend's body.
'If only I could read his mind,' sighed Sier as Hua walked toward Julia and picked her up. The runemaster was still breathing and conscious, but the damage to her integrated runes disturbed her control over her body.
"I apologize for using such barbaric methods," said Sier toward the genius runemaster. "However, I need a hostage and a helping hand to enter the ruins."
[How did he do that...] wondered the runemaster while staring at him with confusion. [A precision like this is at the level of omniscience. Is it possible that he is a fallen being?]
Sier smiled at her attempts to understand what happened. She mistook his energy for the corrupted powers, but he knew that was the most logical analysis. Sier turned and looked toward the ruins, but his head throbbed with pain.
The ruins were filled with runic inscriptions, which were too complicated for Sier to look into. Otherwise, he would have been the genius runemaster instead of the paralyzed one over Hua's shoulders.
"These ruins... will not... open for you..." muttered a weak voice from Julia's mouth, and Sier smiled.
"I know that runemaster, but I have a different plan. Serpent, use that weapon."
"It might blow apart the whole place," William said, and it was the first time Sier saw the man hesitate to bomb something. "Furthermore, the condensed mana will alert the rest of Runera."
"They can chase us all they want," said Sier. "We will be long gone when they get here. Furthermore, the runic guards seem occupied with something else."
"As you command," said William as he took out a metallic case from his storage ring. The gunman then assembled a prototype weapon that looked like a rectangular crossbow. Its silver engravings shone with every piece assembled, and its appearance made the runemaster squirm.
"How did you... obtain that..." she struggled to break free, but her movements were too weak. "This belongs... to Runera..."
"That's what thieves do," said Sier as William assembled the weapon. "We steal to survive. These ruins were built for the smart ones, but the smartest option is to use absolute power."
Sier took out a vial as William finished assembling the giant weapon. The weapon was just a container for the actual monster he was holding. The runemaster gasped as she reached out toward him.
"I cannot believe that the city of creation holds onto something like this," smiled Sier as he looked at the black crystal inside the vial. "Only something like this can host the power of destruction."
"...stop!" shouted Julia as she reached over to him. "This power... should never... be used..." her arms flailed around before Zas struck the back of her neck, knocking her out.
"This should keep her quiet for a few minutes," said Zas. "We don't have time to dwell here. The Runic Guards should be arriving soon."
"I know, but I am not sure about this. This is the thing we fought many times before."
"And we never killed," said Hua as she placed Julia down. "It is no wonder that a trophy for killing the immortal can be a weapon of mass destruction."
"That is only in theory," said Sier with a smile. "But we are here to prove that theory. Back away, everyone. Let us see some fireworks."
As he said so, Sier threw the vial toward William. The gunman snatched it midair and pushed a button on the crossbow, making a cylindrical tube pop out. Then, he placed the vial inside and pushed the tube into the weapon.
"This is the greatest moment of my life," smiled William as he aimed the gun. "I will be forever grateful for this joy, Boss!"
Sier ignored the cracked bomber as his worries were immense. Using this power was too dangerous, but there was no other solution. Whatever was inside these ruins was worth it, and it would be a lot safer to use in the outside world.
"Do it," said Sier with a hardened face, and William pulled on the trigger. Mana crystals exploded inside the crossbow before rushing toward the vial and creating a reaction. The arrays inside Runera and the ruins began to condense an opposing force to the powers of nothingness, and this only served to make the explosion bigger.
***
Arthur stared at the scattering runes of the arrays. The altar had been destroyed into nothingness, and the power of darkness still lingered inside, making it clear who the culprit was behind this.
It might not be Mistletoe because there was no way for them to use the Nameless powers to infiltrate the ruins. This made it easier for Arthur to help Runera find the culprit and made these ruins more urgent.
What was the message inside the ruins?
If Arthur left this place without finding out, he would never know what the warning was. This year, there was a day that was important enough for someone to leave him a message for countless years, and Arthur might lose the opportunity to know what it was.
"This is far worse than we thought," said Velos as he stared at the scene. "We need the Ancient Arts for this case."
"The Devils Hunters are far away," said Jumana as she stared at the destruction. "We need to handle this ourselves. This power does not belong to the Devils."
"What do you mean?"
"This destruction is too immense. It must be the Moonlight Crossbow."
"...that is sealed in the divine tree," frowned Velos as he gestured for his men. "There is no way that it got out without my knowledge."
"You needn't send anyone there," said Jumana as she jumped into the giant pit. "It has been stolen, and we need all the forces we can get. Whoever stole it has the power to start a global war."
"What is the Moonlight Crossbow?" asked Arthur with a frown. Velos glanced his way but did not answer, seeming secretive about the information.
"A weapon to utilize the destruction of nothingness," replied Jumana with a smile. "If you know what that means, you can understand how vile humans are. Unfortunately, we tend to make the most horrible choices and stick to them."
Arthur stared at the scene with a frown. This method should not exist except for Lusica, who utilized those powers using his help. That man might be dead now without Arthur, or he might have to do with this Moonlight Crossbow.
The Enders sought his powers to create a creature of nothingness that exists. A method to allow the host to unleash the full destruction of Nameless in this half-world. However, it seems humans also tried to utilize the powers of nothingness.
"I am not surprised," sighed Arthur as he stared at the giant pit that looked like hell. "It was a matter of time before something like this emerged. After all, we are approaching the unknown."