Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

The shadows around Daniel surged to life, forming stygian tendrils and tightly coiling around the countless rotten hands that had reached out for him.

Grunting hoarsely, he slowly rose to his feet, his eyes blazing with a murderous light. As he gazed at the mutated corpse golem, he readied his sword. The shadows swirled around his blade as he coldly said:

"No damned corpse is going to stop me from protecting my home."

With that said, he turned into a black flash of light. He erupted in a storm of shadows and steel and delivered multiple sharp cuts to his opponent. His bloodied figure moved with the grace of a cold killer. Red mists and rotten flesh swirled around him like a dark mantle.

In an instant, the underground chamber was filled with the sound of miserable screams as a massive portion of the corpse golem was hacked to pieces.

Seizing the precious opportunity, Daniel chose to rush toward the rectangular contraption instead of finishing off the abomination. The former took precedence above all, and time was of the utmost essence.

He retrieved the circular disk from his inner robes, then reached toward the circular slot on the contraption. His eyes gleamed with unwavering resolve. He did not care what would happen to him after the mechanism was activated.

All he cared about was saving what he valued… his home.

Daniel was mere inches away from setting the disk in place and activating the contraption. But at the last possible moment, the corpse golem's flesh warped. A thick tendril shot forth and lashed out toward him with murderous force.

The Councilor's heart sank. His goal was right within reach. The task that Sabrina had entrusted to him was just a breath away from completion. Yet, in the end, he was forced to abandon it and draw his blade to intercept the abomination's strike.

With a thunderous boom that shook the underground tunnels, he was hurled against the chamber wall… smashing through it, before crashing into the adjacent passageway.

Daniel vomited a mouthful of blood as he struggled to get to his feet. Every inch of his body was seething with pain. Forget getting to his feet, he couldn't even get to his knees.

And to make matters worse, the sound of their fighting had drawn the attention of the nearby zombies. Now, all of them were charging towards his direction. He could already hear the sound of countless footsteps echoing within the tunnels.

No… not yet…

He gnashed his teeth as he circulated mana throughout his battered body. The shadows danced around him, reacting to his mana. Slowly, but surely, he got to his feet. Through the gaping hole in the wall, he could see the corpse abomination standing between him and the contraption, as though mocking his struggle.

Daniel lowered his stance, angling his sword in a mysterious, but deliberate way. Mana surged violently through his body, pouring into the blade. The shadows around him reached out for the blade as well, coiling around the steel and sharpening its edges beyond limits.

Under the immense strain, faint cracks splintered across the weapon's surface. This would be his final strike. He poured everything he had, every last bit of mana, every last bit of his will and intent into a single, decisive blow.

On the other side, the grotesque abomination writhed violently, its massive body twisting and squirming as sections of rotten flesh warped and reshaped themselves. Thick tendrils emerged, each tipped with jagged bone-like spikes that gleamed with lethality.

It was clear… the corpse, too, was staking everything on this final clash.

Time froze in the underground chamber. The air grew thick as if the entire world was holding its breath. Only the ominous sound of footsteps echoed in the tunnels.

Daniel's eyes narrowed as they reflected the appalling visage of the monster before him. Across from him, the sharp tendrils of the abomination coiled tighter.

And then… Crack!

A single piece of rubble fell from the ceiling and then struck the damp floor with a muffled thud, heralding the inevitable clash.

In that instant, the abomination's tendrils lashed out in unison, stabbing forward with unmatched precision. At the same time, the air around Daniel rippled and distorted from the sheer force of his aura.

He drew in a deep breath, and then… his form vanished, exploding into a streak of black light.

SLASH!!

In the next moment, the bloodied and battered figure of Daniel appeared right behind the abomination, mana still swirling around him.

Behind him… the corpse golem staggered mid-motion. Then, its rotten body started to tremble violently as though resisting the inevitable. Then, one by one, all its tendrils fell to the ground, cut clean apart at their base.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. And then, with a sickening crack, the abomination's decayed body split down the middle, cleaved in a single, decisive stroke. Then, both halves slid apart and collapsed to the ground.

At the same time, hot blood sprayed into the air. A gruesome, savage wound appeared on Daniel's torso, running diagonally from his right shoulder down to his left waist. And in the same breath, the sword in his hand gave out one final cry… then shattered into countless shards.

Daniel almost collapsed to the ground as well, but at the last possible moment, he somehow held himself steady. He knew… that if he fell now, he would not be able to get to his feet again. His strength, stamina, and mana were depleted. Exhaustion threatened to engulf him whole.

He couldn't give in now. No, he couldn't. He still had one more thing to do.

As blood continued to spill from his torso, he turned towards the contraption, then slowly dragged his body there. He pressed his hands against his stomach, afraid his guts might spill out. The pain hadn't yet registered in his mind because all he cared about now was one thing… and one thing only.

Finally, he arrived before the rectangular contraption. His legs gave in, and he collapsed to his knees. With a trembling hand, he reached out for the disk once again. Then, he slowly but surely inserted the disk into the slot.

A weary smile appeared on his face as he heard a faint click.

The zombies from the tunnels nearby had already arrived inside the chamber, but he did not care. He had done his job. His home was now safe. With a relieved smile, he allowed his body to fall to the ground. He faced the ceiling of the chamber as he listened to the sweet melody of the contraption activating.

I did it… He thought to himself.

Sabrina, I did it…

I protected our home…

We… protected our home.

The moment the disk locked into place, the contraption came to life. Mana surged outward like glowing veins, racing through the underground tunnels like a sprawling web.

All around, the thousands upon thousands of barrels began to glow with a faint orange light. Then, one by one, they ignited. Thousands of barrels strategically placed beneath the Corvid Quarter exploded in a chain of fiery destruction.

Before the horde of zombies could close in on Daniel's unmoving body, the roaring flames had already swept over them, reducing them to ash in an instant.

And just as the searing heat was about to consume him as well, his fading vision caught sight of something strange… something that didn't belong amidst the fire and ruin.

Daniel saw the faint silhouette of a giant raven descending from above. Slowly, its vast wings spread and folded around his body, shielding him as darkness embraced him.

That was the last thing he saw, before the flames swallowed the entirety of Corivd Quarter and reduced the million and a half zombies to ashes.

Marcus Blackwood had failed to save one disciple.

But even after his own death, he ensured the safety of his other two.

It was a magic, born from love, that protected them from beyond the grave…