Chapter 45: Father’s Judgment
Prince Markel’s three heads had already been shattered, and for a brief moment everyone believed the battle was finally over. Yet the air around his neck continued to churn with chaotic energy. Strands of red, blue, and golden light twisted together in a restless spiral, weaving around one another like living threads. Slowly, the three forces began to merge, compressing into a single point before expanding outward again.
Before long, a brand new head began to take shape.
During the second phase, Markel’s three heads had been little more than spectral projections, ghostly manifestations of pure magical power. This time, however, the head that formed was unmistakably solid.
Its appearance had also changed.
His hair now carried streaks of three different colors woven together: bright gold, blazing crimson, and icy blue, each representing one of the powers he had wielded before. His eyes had changed as well. One burned with a deep red glow while the other shone with a cold sapphire light. The strange combination gave his face a warped, unsettling appearance that bordered on grotesque.
The group instinctively held their breath.
This boss was turning out to be far more troublesome than anyone had expected.
The first phase had been manageable enough, even if mishandling the summoned enemies could lead to a wipe. The second phase, however, would have been an automatic failure without Edruson’s help in breaking the barrier. Even with that assistance, they had barely scraped through by relying on their damage output and quick reactions.
Now the three heads had merged into one.
If this new form truly possessed the abilities of all three at once, the fight might become far more dangerous.
As if confirming their fears, the newly reformed Prince Markel threw his head back and shouted, his voice filled with defiance.
"Peasants! I am eternal! Prepare yourselves for the righteous fury of the Prince of Ceylan!"
Before anyone could react, Markel suddenly surged forward with frightening speed. His shield slammed straight into Flynn’s head.
The impact sent the Rogue staggering backward with his body spinning out of control.
Almost immediately, a burst of radiant healing light washed over him.
"Bystander, take over!" Let-There-Be-Light shouted.
Not-A-Bystander had already reacted. His shield flew through the air in a clean arc, striking Markel and successfully pulling the boss’s aggro away from Flynn.
At that exact moment, Amy’s Double Shot whistled through the air. Two arrows struck Markel almost simultaneously.
The prince’s attention snapped toward her.
Seeing the sudden shift, Not-A-Bystander hurriedly stepped forward and followed up with a heavy Shield Bash, locking the boss’s focus back onto himself.
"Amy, what are you doing?" he barked. "That Double Shot was way too early!"
Amy stuck out her tongue slightly and muttered, "Sorry. My finger slipped."
"Your finger slipped?" Not-A-Bystander rolled his eyes.
That excuse might have worked in an old keyboard-and-mouse game, but this was a full immersion VR system. Accidentally pressing the wrong button was practically impossible. Still, he didn’t say anything further. Instead, he simply gave Amy a curious glance.
She was not the type to make rookie mistakes like that.
Meanwhile Flynn had already shaken off the stun and returned to the fight. As he slipped back behind Markel and resumed attacking, he quietly sent Amy a private message.
"Thanks, Amy."
"Thanks for what?" Amy replied, pretending not to understand.
"That Double Shot. You used it to save me, right? You were worried Bystander might not grab the aggro in time."
"I was not", Amy insisted stubbornly.
"Alright then. Guess I read the situation wrong", Flynn replied with a silent chuckle, glancing in her direction.
Even while focusing on tanking Markel, Not-A-Bystander caught Flynn’s expression out of the corner of his eye. After piecing together the situation, he let out a dry cough over the party channel.
"Alright, folks, we’re in the middle of a boss fight. If you two want to flirt, save it for the Twilight Heart later. The atmosphere there is much better."
The Twilight Heart was one of the most famous taverns in Moster, well known as a favorite spot for couples and a breeding ground for countless romantic stories, dramatic breakups, and the occasional bar brawl fueled by jealousy.
Amy’s face immediately flushed bright red.
Flynn, on the other hand, remained completely shameless.
"I’ve heard about that place," he said casually. "Sounds nice. Maybe I’ll drop by sometime."
As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Amy with a teasing smile. Her face turned even redder, practically the color of a ripe tomato.
Peerless Blood-Sword did not immediately understand what Not-A-Bystander had been implying. But when he heard Flynn’s response and saw the direction of his gaze, realization finally struck.
His expression darkened instantly.
With a loud curse, he raised his sword as if he were about to split Flynn in half rather than continue attacking the boss.
Let-There-Be-Light, who was watching everyone’s health bars closely, was startled by the sudden movement. His hand jerked reflexively, and the healing spell he had meant for Not-A-Bystander landed on Flynn instead.
He began pacing back and forth in frustration.
"Dammit, Bryer!" he snapped. "Are you trying to get us killed? Are we fighting the boss or fighting each other?"
In his agitation, he had even used Peerless Blood-Sword’s real name.
It was clear he had reached the end of his patience. If they had not been in the middle of a boss fight, he might have stormed straight into the guy’s room and given him a piece of his mind.
Unfortunately for Peerless Blood-Sword, the person he had chosen to clash with was Flynn.
He was completely outmatched in that department. After only a few brief exchanges and a couple of subtle provocations from Flynn, Peerless Blood-Sword finally snapped.
"This is absolute bullshit! He’s pushing it too far!" he shouted.
Although Let-There-Be-Light’s outburst made him flinch slightly, Peerless Blood-Sword remained stubborn. He even stopped attacking Markel altogether, standing there and glaring furiously at Flynn.
Let-There-Be-Light was genuinely furious now.
"If you pull another stunt like that, pack your bags and get out! I don’t need you here!"
Peerless Blood-Sword froze for a moment before letting out a cold sneer.
"Fine. I’m leaving. You think I care?"
He actually turned around and began walking away from the fight. But before he could get very far, Flynn spoke calmly behind him.
"Sure, go ahead. But if you leave now, you’ll never see Mimi again."
Peerless Blood-Sword stopped mid step. Flynn continued in an almost casual tone.
"If you stay, you might still have a chance. Walk away now, though, and well... it’s game over for you."
Peerless Blood-Sword slowly turned around.
His sword came down on Prince Markel with a heavy strike as he roared at Flynn, "If you ever call her Mimi again, I’ll kill you!"
Flynn simply grinned and raised a playful middle finger.
"Come back after you’ve practiced a few more years."
Peerless Blood-Sword let out a frustrated grunt. As much as he disliked Flynn and saw him as a rival, he could not deny the man’s skill.
Seeing him return to the fight, Let-There-Be-Light finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he noticed Amy’s dark expression and immediately felt another headache forming.
He glanced over at Not-A-Bystander, who was quietly snickering to himself. The more Let-There-Be-Light thought about it, the more convinced he became that the guy had stirred the whole situation on purpose. If he had not made that teasing comment earlier, and if Flynn had not played along to provoke Peerless Blood-Sword, things probably would not have spiraled into this mess.
For a brief moment, Let-There-Be-Light felt less like a party leader and more like a coach trying to manage a team of incredibly talented but extremely troublesome players while chasing a championship.
Despite all the internal chaos, Prince Markel had not yet unleashed his full strength, which gave the group enough breathing room to avoid any real disaster.
Soon the prince began demonstrating his true power. He switched rapidly between different attack patterns, sometimes striking with brutal melee blows, other times unleashing bursts of elemental magic. The constant changes forced everyone to stay alert.
Fortunately, the real difficulty of the encounter had been the second phase.
Earlier, no one had realized that Edruson could be used to break the boss’s barrier, which was why the dungeon had remained uncleared all day. Now that they had passed that obstacle, Markel did not have many surprises left.
Although his attack power had increased noticeably, the party was also heavily buffed by potions and temporary effects. Bit by bit, they pushed the fight toward its inevitable conclusion.
Finally, Amy’s Piercing Shot struck the decisive blow. The arrow tore through Prince Markel and drained the final sliver of his health bar.
The prince, who had held his throne for only thirteen days, staggered backward and let out a cry filled with disbelief.
"No! I cannot be defeated! I possess the artifact! How could I lose to mere mortals?"
Until that moment, Edruson had remained silent after breaking the barrier during the second phase. Now he slowly stepped forward.
"An artifact?" he said calmly.
He bent down and picked up the stone that had fallen beside Markel. A thin crack had already formed across its surface.
"The true Trinity Stone is indeed an artifact," Edruson continued, studying the object in his hand. "But the one you hold is nothing more than a counterfeit."
Prince Markel stared at him in disbelief.
"No... that’s impossible. The Trinity Stone was recovered by my ancestors from ancient ruins. It has been passed down through generations. It cannot be a fake!"
"If it were genuine," Edruson replied with a cold sneer, "how could I have damaged it so easily?"
He tightened his grip and the stone shattered in his hand. Dust trickled between his fingers as he shook his head with a faint sigh.
"What a pity. So many people believed the Ceylan family possessed a legendary artifact. No one ever realized it was merely a replica. A true artifact would never be so easily obtained by ordinary mortals like us."
Markel watched in stunned silence as the powder slipped through Edruson’s fingers.
Desperation filled his eyes.
"No! This can’t be real! Our sacred stone... my father gave it to me himself! I saw him use it with my own eyes! It was the true Trinity Stone!"
Edruson curled his lip, about to respond. But suddenly the energy in the air began to twist violently.
He turned sharply toward the center of the hall.
A pillar of pitch black light erupted from beneath the floorboards, surging upward like a fountain of darkness. From within it came an ancient voice that echoed throughout the chamber.
"Markel... my child. Do you still not understand? There was never a Trinity Stone. It was merely a ruse, a trick I left behind when I knew my end was near."
Markel’s body trembled violently. He looked up toward the pillar of light, his voice shaking.
"Father? Father, is that you? You’re still here?"
The ancient voice answered calmly.
"It is I, my child. I have always been here. I watched you grow, and even after my death, I watched as you seized my castle."
Markel’s face drained of color.
"No, Father!" he cried desperately. "Let me explain! I never wanted to kill you! I only wanted to help you... to take some of the burden from your shoulders!"
The voice remained steady and unmoved.
"No, child. Do not lie to me, and do not lie to yourself. Your pursuit of power filled your heart with greed. You wanted everything, and so you could not wait for my death."
There was a brief pause before the voice continued, quieter but no less firm.
"But did you never stop to think? After my death, everything would have been yours anyway. Why did you do it? If you had not fought me for control of Ceylan... if you had not turned my own subjects against me... perhaps our kingdom might have endured."
"No, Father... I know I was wrong!" Markel cried, tears streaming down his face. "Please forgive me! You are still the one I respect most!"
His voice trembled with desperation.
"Father, come back! We still need you! You must lead us! Even as a kingdom of the undead, we can still stand strong on this continent!"
The ancient voice released a long, weary sigh.
"It is... too late."
As the final words faded, a beam of black light shot from the pillar and pierced straight through Markel’s chest.
"No! Father, you can’t do this to me! No!"
Markel’s scream echoed through the hall, but the life force within him rapidly drained away until nothing remained.
His body collapsed lifelessly onto the floor. Around him, a glittering pile of equipment and items scattered across the ground.