Death Heir's Devouring System
Chapter 70: Flight Into Danger

Chapter 70: Flight Into Danger

Azrael flew silently above the blood lake, his thoughts still tangled around the Queen monster. The fact that he had managed to locate her was invaluable. It could play a crucial role in getting them all off this cursed planet.

His eyes narrowed as he saw his corruption progression.

Corruption Progression: [40/100]

’It’s higher than I would like it to be,’ he thought grimly, thinking about his next steps.

He knew the journey to the Hollow Tree, where the Proven were gathered, would take too much time; his hunger would take a toll on his body. Not to mention his scent of blood would attract trouble along the way.

Even with the help of Maiden Skin, there was no way to remain undetected by the abominations lurking around the Golden Lands.

"So, Seraphina’s camp it is. I can recover there and tell them I’ve found Proven on this planet."

He made up his mind and commanded Cinder to shift direction.

As always, they flew low to avoid unwanted attention.

’I wonder if Isolde would pick up on my approach?’

Remembering the way she had shown him that they could communicate telepathically should she wish to, he tried it but got no response.

He was either too far from her, or she was too busy with something else to notice him.

’Well, I will meet her sooner or later,’ he thought, soaring through the skies.

Cinder would screech occasionally, bringing Azrael’s attention to a certain direction, where patrols of Unworthy Knights were dragging monster guts towards the blood lake.

Familiar with the scene he simply went around them, not risking being detected.

"Hm?"

One patrol, however, caught his attention. Like the others, they were moving nonchalantly. But rather than monster guts, they were transporting what looked like remains of a human.

The man had his neck broken, barely clinging to his torso. His left arm was twisted into a weird angle, while his other was missing entirely. The lower half of the body was severed, it was unclear where it was... probably dragged by another patrol.

"I tend to forget that just because I can fight these creatures doesn’t mean every Marked can. Even the weakest knights, the Pawns, are still of the Savage Danger Level. Most would never survive a clash."

A weird feeling of pride spread around his chest. He was the one soaring through the skies while another had his lifeless body being dragged down like garbage.

Azrael was stronger than him. Mightier than most.

Testament to his power and growth after joining the Moon Breakers.

Name: [Azrael]

Race: [Human]

Inborn Trait: [Heir of Death]

Ascension Level: [Marked]

Purity Rank: [Blessed]

Corruption Rank: [Twisted]

Skills: [Inspect], [Blood Manipulation]

Items: [Document], [Gravebloom], [Frostflare Flint], [Maiden Skin], [Mother Needle], [Teapot], [Gray’s Cigar], [Truth Devourer], [Heartroot]

Remembrances: [Ashfeather]

He wasn’t one to be underestimated; not even the privileged Chosen that had grown with golden spoons in their mouths would be able to bring him to his knees.

But the prideful feeling was short-lived, as the memory of the Death Knight resurfaced in his mind. The way he barely escaped with his life by jumping off an impossibly high cliff.

Would Truth Devourer help him bridge the gap between their powers?

He shook off the thought, focusing on the present, as he flew past the slain Chosen.

Eventually the terrain became familiar; he was closing in. He landed and continued on foot. Not because he wanted to keep Cinder hidden. It wasn’t possible anymore; the Chosen he had sent towards the camp must have spread the news about his Remembrance a long time ago. He simply wanted some time to organize his thoughts. Moments where he could reflect back in the Rift were rare.

However, his peaceful walk was interrupted; the faint echoes of battle resounded far in the distance.

The memory of the midnight attack he had survived at the camp passed through his mind.

No doubt they were under attack once more, and by the sounds of it, it was more fearsome than the last.

He didn’t have any obligation or reason to rush and help, or at least he didn’t before. Now after learning how many powerful abominations there were in the cursed lands, Azrael subconsciously knew that they would need all the manpower they could get. Even if he used them as bait later on, it was better than them dying a worthless death.

With a sigh, he shattered the ground beneath him and shot forward like an arrow.

Exiting the forest a few moments later caused his eyes to widen in surprise. The modest camp from before was gone. Now there were sturdy walls towering at least ten meters (~33 feet) in the air. Even more impressive were the evenly spaced towers, perfect for archers and mages, granting a clean vantage over the battlefield.

From the side he was observing the camp; the towers were empty. The entire force of the Chosen had been moved to the northern side, where knights had attacked once more.

"Now, now, don’t die here. I might need to sacrifice you later down the line," Azrael muttered. With a flick of his finger, he called Cinder. Going over the camp would be faster than going around it.

As he passed through, he didn’t miss the chance to note that most of the buildings inside it weren’t tents anymore but stable houses made from pitch-black wood.

Before he could study the area more closely, an arrow cut through the space and embedded itself deep in Cinder’s body.

The Remembrance shrieked and began falling to the ground, unable to maintain its flight.

’An arrow? There are Nightfletch attacking so far in the east? I thought that they were clustered mainly around the western part of the Golden Lands.’ Azrael’s mind raced before he observed the battlefield beyond.

Numerous Chosen were battling Unworthy Knights. But worse, there were Nightfletch and Duskguards as well.

His eyes locked onto the most striking scene. Seraphina was dueling a Duskguard alone. Her movements were fluid like water, and her light sword met the rider’s weapon head-on. True to her words, it seemed she had indeed possessed stronger armor than the Truth Seeker she had given him. She was clad in armor of pure gold that seemed to differentiate her from the other Chosen, giving her an angel-like appearance.

The beauty of her movements, as well as her appearance, made even Azrael hold his breath momentarily, wondering if the scene before him was a dream.

However, despite her impressive performance, she was still outmatched by her foe. Namely, the horse the Duskguard was riding gave it an undeniable advantage.

His gaze shifted to Isolde; she also fought against a Duskguard. However, next to her sides were Chosen aiding her.

’The weak knights aren’t the problem, the Nightfletch are, and they are protected by the Duskguards. So we would have to get rid of them first before reaching the archers.’

Tensing his legs, Azrael jumped from Cinder; a second later, he dismissed it. The bird was just of the Feral Danger Level; it didn’t have a chance against these beings, much less with the injury it had just sustained.

His white hair swayed by the force of the air as he called forth his scythe.

In a heartbeat, he loomed over the Duskguard that was seconds away from overwhelming Seraphina.

Before the abomination could react, Azrael’s weapon cut through the air, aiming for the monster’s skull.