Tier 3+ - Accidental Champion (Book 2) - Chapter 21 - He’s Going To Get Through This

Siobhan gripped the parapet, her forehead deeply lined. She’d barely moved from that spot for the past few hours. She didn’t know how to.

They’d learnt so much in that damned library, and none of it would actually help Xavier. Not out there. Not right now.

All she could bloody well do was stand there and watch. Even if Xavier wanted her and the others in the fight, what possible difference would they be able to make now that he and the enemies were so far ahead of them?

“He’s in real trouble,” Justin said, biting his lip. It wasn’t the first time he’d spoken those words. “What… what do we do?”

Howard gripped his shoulder. “Nothing we can do, kid. This is all up to him. You know that.”

Justin lowered his head. He didn’t even have a flicker of annoyance for being called “kid.” He was glad Howard was here. The man was much older than the rest of them, and he had a protective streak—probably because he was old enough to be their father.

That protective streak is probably how he got his class.

The man must miss his wife and children dearly. Siobhan missed her little sister just us much—maybe that’s why she saw Justin as more of a little brother than a party member these days.

“He’s going to get through this,” Siobhan muttered. Not the first time she’d spoken those words, either.

Queen Alastea released a small gasp. The woman had grown more comfortable with them over the last few weeks. With her people gone, she’d slowly taken off the mask of nobility—of royalty—that she’d worn her entire life. The one that prevented her from showing her true emotions when not in the privacy of her own family or closest advisers.

“What is it?” Siobhan asked.

Her gaze swept back over to where Xavier was laying waste to his enemies. She was constantly surprised the man was still standing. Part of her wished he would just return to the castle and take them back through to the Staging Room, though she knew that was a selfish thought.

We let Queen Alastea die the last time we entered this floor. Trillions of iterations of her in the multiverse must have died here. That thought stabbed at her. Every iteration of her died… what Champions could have possibly ever defeated the Endless Horde?

This woman’s life always ends here. Perhaps it’s her destiny…

“Something has changed,” Queen Alastea whispered. “Don’t you see it?”

“What? What’s changed?” Siobhan narrowed her focus. It was difficult to see the details of what was happening from this distance. She wished she’d acquired a skill or spell that could improve her vision. It had naturally improved over time as she’d gotten more points in her Strength attribute, but it hadn’t improved near enough to see all of what was going on.

“There!” Justin said, pointing.

He wasn’t pointing at Xavier.

Is that… the wave boss?she thought, and said: “It’s killing its allies. Why is it killing its allies?”

Adviser Kalren, standing at the queen’s side, raised his chin. “Willpower.”

“What?”

“He unlocked his secondary core. He must have gained a spell: Willpower Infusion. It gives one the ability to influence an enemy, even control them. At least it can, if one chooses that path.”

Xavier can control the enemy?

Not long ago, learning something like that would have most certainly frightened her. She’d seen Xavier transform over a surprisingly short period of time, over those first few floors, until he was torturing beasts and reaping souls.

But controlling the minds of others… that sounded terribly sinister.

Yet what she felt wasn’t fear or worry for what the man might do when he returned to Earth. No. What she felt was relief. If he were able to do that, maybe he could turn the tide of these waves.

“He’s going to get through this,” Siobhan said, louder this time. “He’s really going to get through this.”

“Perhaps it is too soon to tally his wins.” Adviser Kalren nodded toward something. “The other wave bosses are moving.”

Siobhan flattened herself against the parapet, leaning over it as far as she could. She wished she could get a better view of what was happening.

But she could see enough.

“They’re all E Grade,” Queen Alastea muttered. “I fear he may not stand a chance, and so my life finally nears its end.”

~

Uthor Golbrack released a loud battle cry as he sprinted toward his enemy. The Champion of the Void who’d killed millions of the Endless Horde’s soldiers and beasts. Uthor didn’t much care about the losses. He just wanted to get this over with and get the hell off this stupid rock. He had better things to do than stand around and wait.

A red glow engulfed his entire body as he activated his most treasured spell: Berserk.

He’d had this spell since he’d chosen his class all the way back at level 10.

Uthor had seen what this Champion of the Void could do. Seen what he was capable of. The fact that he could control that weakling Wolven Patriarch meant nothing to him. Uthor’s Willpower would be strong enough to withstand such a thing—he was not a fool. He knew how to distribute his attributes.

And this Champion wasn’t even E Grade.

You are truly weak, Dradaldi.

The battle cry he released sent a visible tremor through the army. They heard him coming. He’d always taken a certain amount of pride at being able to frighten even those on his own side.

The Champion of the Void’s gaze locked onto his. Uthor grinned, expecting to see fear in those eyes.

There was no fear.

His battle cry cut off in his throat as he saw the Champion’s determination. The man’s jaw was set, muscles in his cheeks feathering. His dark robes billowed in the wind, whipping up behind him. His scythe, with its dark blade, loomed high above his head.

The Champion of the Void’s eyes bore into Uthor.

As though he can see into my soul.

The eyes glowed silver, radiating power.

Then the man released his aura.

The tremor that ran through the army at Uthor’s battle cry was nothing compared to the shudder that came now as that man’s aura was released. It was as though he were a boulder frown into a lake, and the soldiers and beasts around him water rippling outward from him.

The Endless Horde never broke. No matter how much death it faced—it never broke.

And Uthor never broke either.

But that wave of power made him stumble. He’d felt more power before—far, far more power—but he’d never felt something like that from an F Grade Denizen. When he scanned his enemy, it said he was only level 60.

How… how is this possible?

He released a second battle cry, his strides becoming sure again, and barrelled toward the Champion.

It does not matter. He will be dead in moments.

A purple mist flowed out from the man’s staff toward Uthor. Uthor grunted.

That will not work on me.

He didn’t bother trying to move away from the mist. He ran straight into it.

And the mist dug into his mind.

~

Talber frowned as the Champion of the Void’s aura unleashed and sent a ripple that ran through the army around him.

The elven archer tilted his head to the side. For a moment, he felt bad for this Champion of the Void. This human had a potential far beyond anything he’d ever seen before, and now that potential was about to be snuffed out.

But when it is, I will return home and find my peace once more.

The arrow nocked in Talber’s bow glowed a brilliant white. Power built up and up as he pulled the string until his hand touched his ear and the string touched his cheek.

Breathe out, and… release.

The arrow flew true. The man might be able to block it with one of his soul apparitions, but Talber was confident it would break right through—

Uthor, that insane human Berserker, leapt in front of the arrow as though he were trying to headbutt it mid-flight. Talber’s eyes widened. The arrow lodged itself straight into Uthor’s left eye, and though it didn’t kill him it weakened him incredibly. Talber knew a little something about the man’s Berserker skill—it doubled the man’s strength and speed, making him incredibly deadly and able to dodge enemy attacks.

But at the same time, it weakened the man’s defences.

Uthor stumbled backward, the glowing white arrow sticking out of his head. The light in the arrow pulsed, causing the man to convulse wildly as it caused its secondary damage, weakening him even more.

Then a long black blade sliced straight through his neck and his head was came clean off.

Uthor Golbrack was dead.

Such a thing couldn’t have happened if Talber’s arrow hadn’t hit Uthor. Uthor wouldn’t have been weak enough to be taken down by an F Grade.

Could he?

Talber stepped back. For the first time since he’d joined the Endless Horde, fear’s icy fingers gripped his heart and squeezed. When Uthor’s head and body fell, it revealed the Champion of the Void in the black robes with the vicious scythe, covered in the blood of thousands, standing behind him.

A sinister grin split his lips.

~

Foolish human weaklings.

Crel’s Strength Infusion thrummed through every muscle in her body. Each of her muscles were close to twice the size as they’d been before. She would be strong enough to rip the head straight off that damned Champion of the Void’s body when she got close enough.

How did that Uthor let himself get killed by an F Grade child? The very thought made her grumbling roar turn into a bellowing laugh.

That pointy-eared Talber took a step back in surprise. Crel yelled at the man as she passed him.

“Do not pierce me with those sticks of yours!”

Talber’s arm shot out, his hand grasped hers as she ran past. She shrugged it off with a growl.

“Be wary, Creledifisda! He is more dangerous than he looks!” the elven archer called from behind her.

Crel scoffed at the man’s words. She need not be wary of a child.

Though as she saw Uthor’s head roll along the dirt and thud to a stop against another soldier’s corpse, a shiver of worry ran up her spine, the fur on her back no doubt sticking up as though she were some frightened pup.

Arrows flitted past her as she sprinted. Four of them, in quick succession, each glowing white. She did not worry that those arrows would hit her. Talber’s accuracy was godlike.

That didn’t help Uthor.

Crel activated a spell of mental defence—Fortify Mind—one she’d picked up a long time ago. It was rare she needed to use the spell. She hadn’t encountered a great many opponents able to control other people’s minds with the amount of strength this F Grade Denizens had.

Does he have a Legendary class that allows him to do such a thing?

It did not matter. She had to kill this child, and she would do just that.

Something heavy slammed into her exposed upper back. An arrow.

Then another.

And another.

Crel stumbled, turned. A slight purple sheen was visible around Talber, the elven archer. Despair filled his eyes as he loosed a fourth arrow. Crel dodged to the side but something stopped her—like running into a brick wall. It slammed her straight into the arrow’s path.

Telekinesis?

The arrow struck her in the neck.

~

No, no, no.

Talber’s hands trembled. The spell that had taken over him fell away. He was once more in control of his own body.

He’d thrown up every mental defence that he had. The spell… it had only taken over him for two seconds. But two seconds was enough.

I killed Creledifisda.

Talber swallowed. Not a single one of his arrows had struck the Champion of the Void. He narrowed his eyes… where had the Champion gone?

He’s disappeared.

Something slammed into Talber’s side, sending him careening to the ground. The other beastman. The Wolven Patriarch from the thousandth wave. The beastman dug its claws straight into his neck. Talber pulled a dagger from his belt and fought the Wolven Patriarch with everything he had.

I’m playing into that Champion of the Void’s hand. Fighting his battles for him. Weakening us both.

But what could he do?

Then a ghostly apparition slammed into the both of them, and everything went dark.