The Fate of The Reincarnated

17. Resurgence

The sound of destruction was enough to awaken Finn and Hiakam from their sleep amidst the rumbling ruins and shaking ground. As they opened their eyes to the mayhem after being dragged into a lower level of the tunnels, Finn couldn't help but question, "Where are we?" While Hiakam quickly collected his stat pad to record information, he rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of their surroundings.

"Are you both alright? The Keeper got to me, and I'm not sure where I am in the catacombs. Be cautious of the Keeper; it seems to have control over the catacombs," Hiakam conveyed Leia's message to Finn, now gaining a better understanding of the creature's abilities. He quickly composed a reassuring reply to let Leia know they were safe.

"I'm not sure, but it's the Keeper's doing." Hiakam put away his stat pad before swiftly standing up, spear in hand.

"What now?" Finn got up, coughing as he dusted his clothes. "Do we regroup?" Finn found it hard to make a plan since he had no idea how the Keeper's strength compared to theirs.

"The catacombs are large." Hiakam spun his spear around effortlessly. "Someone's gonna die before we can regroup."

"So what do we do?" Finn asked unaware of the sound of tapping feet that quickly approached them.

"We engage!" Hiakam declared, his voice resolute. [Cursed spear form 6: Delayed projection] He hurled his spear into the air with a rapid motion, striking it repeatedly with such force and accuracy that the air around him seemed to manifest as sharp prongs that extended from the tip of his weapon. And that ought to finish it.

The goblins screamed in terror as they were impaled by the spear's delayed projections as they had been closing in on them from the depths of the level. Finn was completely astonished by Hiakam's demonstration of strength and technique as he observed him in awe. He wondered whether all Iron-ranked explorers had such amazing strength.

"Wow!" Finn exclaimed and a grin formed on Hiakam's face.

Hiakam moved purposefully in the direction of the goblins' approach route, and Finn swiftly followed suit, using Dusk's [map] to find their way across the ruins. Hiakam reassured him that the strategy appeared to be simple.

"We cause damage and attract its attention. Leyla's message mentioned a Golden-back Keeper, which usually forms when the host has a high mana concentration upon death," Hiakam explained with confidence. Finn couldn't help but trust in Hiakam's capabilities, believing that they had a chance against this formidable opponent.

After a bit of walking through the ruins, Dusk's [map] started to show errors in its directions, probably as a result of the Keeper altering the surroundings. Finn sighed as he considered how many goblins they had already killed on their quest. They might have completed their primary goal, but until the Keeper was dealt with, there was no way to know for sure.

Hiakam rubbed his brow, trying to come up with a strategy to deal with the Keeper. But despite his attempts, he hit a brick wall, unable to devise a workable plan to draw the creature out. "If only I knew how to lead him to us."

"Sir, generally, Keepers, whether Golden-back or Silver-back, tend to be quite displeased with the destruction of their territory," Dusk warned, and Finn turned to Hiakam, taking note of the cautionary advice.

"I have a plan," Finn said with an awkward grin.

"Shoot." Hiakam listened intently.

"How good are you at breaking things?" Finn spoke and Hiakam's face lit up like a mana lantern.

Hiakam's practiced movements revealed a thorough awareness of the potential of the spear as he clenched it. Despite being completely aware of the enormous power he was about to unleash, he advised Finn to take a few steps back. Hiakam was the strongest of the party, and he was sure he could wreck the place, rivaling Milenna in his destructive abilities.

He quickly summoned [Cursed Spear Form 10: Hajun's Serenade]. The tip of the spear radiated a black aura, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. Leia's most strong spells paled in comparison to the destructive force of the spear technique, which completely destroyed everything unlucky enough to come into touch with it.

As Hiakam wielded the spear in a threatening manner, the ruins rocked. The ground trembled and shook as Hiakam swung the spear in a circular motion, carving a path of destruction that matched the force of a raging storm. The black aura tore through the surroundings, leaving a scene of chaos and devastation.

Hiakam's chest heaved with exertion as he sunk the pointed tip of the spear into the ruined ground. Concerned for his safety, Finn sprinted over to help, but he was oblivious to the price each move had on Hiakam's life. With each potent technique used, the cursed spear's deadly weapon progressively drained the life energy of its user.

"I'm fine, just a bit exhausted," Hiakam reassured Finn while trying to mask his stress. He was aware that they couldn't afford to let their guard down because the Keeper would probably be approaching after the technique had caused such massive destruction. Following Hiakam's directions, Finn prepared himself by taking equipping the twin daggers.

He clutched the daggers with a seasoned grasp, showing a willingness to protect Hiakam and face whatever challenges lay ahead despite his lack of experience compared to the others

Hiakam managed to rise while holding onto his staff to catch his breath despite the earth shaking beneath the echoing flaps of furious wings. Despite the effort, he was nevertheless prepared for whatever would happen next. With the help of Dusk, who he believed would give a call out if the Keeper was approaching, Finn was also ready and quickly scanning his surroundings.

The massive wings of the Keeper continued to flap ceaselessly, making an almost unbearable noise. Hiakam couldn't help but wonder whether the beast had them in mind as its intended prey or whether it had another.

He thought about it and then realized that one of his party members may have made the loud noise that had woken them up earlier. Was it possible that whatever made the noise was what the thing was after?

Hiakam carefully analyzed every move the Keeper might take as he surveyed his surroundings. But just as he let go of the handle of the spear for a moment, the Keeper sprang up out of the earth, surprising him. Hiakam was shocked and in pain, as the creature pushed him with great force into higher levels of the ruins. "Damn it, I let my guard." As Hiakam was being thrown violently towards the top floors of the catacombs, blood dripped from his mouth.

"HIAKAM!" Finn's desperate cry echoed through the ruins. "Dusk, help me! What can I do to assist him? Please!"

"Your skill! Utilize it!" Dusk's urgent response reverberated in Finn's mind, as the [map] was sent to him, revealing the levels above him.

[Boost] Finn accelerated forward with such great speed that he thought his skin might rip off his body, shooting ahead like a bullet from a gun. But he gritted his teeth and continued, quickly making it to the Keeper's side. He slashed at its back with a decisive blow, causing enough damage to force the creature to fly into another area of the ruins. The three of them were rattled by the impact and landed rudely.

Wondering about Hiakam's well-being, Finn turned to face him. But he wasn't certain that the Keeper would permit him to take a break with his companion.

"You, humans, despicable." The Keeper made noises that sounded like words, words that sounded like gibberish but due to Finn's perks, he could translate them into actual English.

"It can speak?" The beast again surged at Finn, attempting to overpower him the same way it had Hiakam. Finn braced himself. nevertheless, horizontally this time. Swiftly reacting, Finn rolled out of the Keeper's way and slashed his dagger at it as it went by. To his surprise, the dagger was deflected as if it were striking a metallic surface, most likely the Keeper's wing.

[Needle, twin dagger form 2] Once more, Finn prepared his twin daggers, taking on the second form to find the creature's weak spots. However, given the size of the beast this time, the lines and places indicated by the technique were practically beyond reach.

The Keeper threw its arm towards Finn as he was lost in thought, surprising him. Due to his slow reaction time, the attack's impact drove him flying into a side wall of the chamber. "Well, that hurt," groaned Finn, realizing that Boost was useless because he couldn't control the creature's speed and Needle was useless because he couldn't get to the creature's head, which was its weak spot.

The beast charged again towards the frail Finn, who was unable to summon enough energy to dodge the assault. His mind and body were unable to respond, thus despite his best attempts, he was unable to use Boost regardless of whether he could completely control it. "Dodge, Sir," Dusk shouted but Finn remained rooted in place, fragments of his past life as well as his new one flashing before his eyes.

[Spear return]

"Oh majestic Hajun, God of darkness, I grasp your cursed weapon, seeking your dread power. Aid me in vanquishing my adversaries, Take over my body, wield me as your instrument of destruction!"

[Cursed spear function: Hajun] The room had been cast in a murky black by Hajun's spell. The Keeper's lunging attack on Finn was stopped abruptly as Hiakam materialized in front of the demon. As a hunter might in the dead of night, emerging from the shadows.

[Cursed spear form 5: Crescent] The weapon's point shone with a strong darkness as the darkness that had filled the space was drawn into it. Hiakam tapped into this force, performing a skillful vertical swing that mimicked the moon's elegant crescent shape. The Keeper was hit by the blow, which caused it to fall even farther into the present level of the ruins.

A glimmer of hope returned to Finn's head as Hiakam dealt a successful blow to the beast. But a strange feeling began to wash over him. His fingers grew numb, his eyes filled with tears, and his throat felt dry as he stared at Hiakam. It appeared as though he was terrified.

"It has been far too long since I had the chance to indulge in some play," Hiakam remarked, stretching his neck with a distinct crack.

"Who... are you?" Finn stammered, terror gripping him in the presence of this altered Hiakam.

Hiakam's eyes now possessed a menacing darkness that made Finn shudder. Hiakam, despite his wounds, grinned menacingly and proclaimed, "I am death."