Their teamwork was forged. They became a terrifying, two-person reaping crew. Kael, with his
impossible durability and his [Knight's Charge] that could break any formation, was the ultimate
"disruptor." And Lin Yue, with her path clear, was the "executioner." They cut a bloody swathe
through three more teams of hunters, their reputation as "The Witch and her Immortal Wall"
beginning to be whispered in the underworld.
But their hunters were getting more desperate. And more skilled. They were just two days from
the border of the Blood-Wind Territories. They were moving through a narrow, rocky canyon
when it happened. There was no warning. No sound. Just a whisper in the air.
A single, black arrow, humming with a power so vile it made Kael's [Aura of Protection] scream
in warning. It wasn't aimed at him. It was aimed at Lin Yue's back. She was scanning the cliffs
ahead, unaware. Kael's mind went blank. There was no time for a Vow. No time for [Guardian's
Stance]. No time to even shout. There was only her.
"[KNIGHT'S CHARGE]!" He moved. He didn't charge an enemy; he charged her. He
intercepted the arrow's path with the only thing he had. His body.
It struck him square in the center of his chest. [HP: 300/300 -> 299/300] The physical damage
was nothing. A pinprick. Then, the curse hit. It was not pain. It was... emptiness. A black, cold,
withering that spread from his chest, bypassing his armor, his Vows, his will. The system log
was a frantic, blood-red scroll.
[Status Effect: Withering Curse (Lethal)!] [Description: A soul-linked curse. Devours
life-force. Bypasses all known resistances.] [Max HP: 300 -> 250... 240... 230...] [Stamina:
Locked!] [All Skills: Locked!] [HP: 230... 220... 210...]
He fell to his knees, his sword clattering on the rocks. "Kael!" Lin Yue's shriek was a sound of
pure, primal terror. A single, cloaked figure on the cliff-top, a Core-Formation assassin, turned to
flee, his mission complete. He didn't get two steps. Lin Yue screamed. She didn't use an art.
She just pointed her hand, and the entire cliff-top, for a hundred meters, was encased in a block
of black, jagged ice. The assassin, and a good portion of the mountain, was gone.
She was at Kael's side in an instant. He was gray, his life-force pouring out of him like water from a sieve. "Kael! No, no, no..." She pressed her hands to his chest, pouring her pure, icy Qi
into him. The curse fed on it. [HP: 200... 180... 160...] "It's... it's eating it..." she choked, pulling
her hands back as if burned. She, the prodigy, was powerless. She could do nothing but watch
him die. "You... you fool..." she wept, real, hot tears freezing on her cheeks. "Why? Why did you
do that?"
Kael, his vision going dark, looked at her face, at the terror in her eyes. He had Vowed... "I will
be her shield." And he was failing. He was dying. He was letting her be alone again. "No." It was
a whisper. "No," he growled, his voice a rasp. He put his hand over the arrow-wound. He
focused on his Vow. On her. On her terrified face. "I... WILL... NOT... FAIL!"
[VOW OF CONVICTION (PERSONAL) CHALLENGED!] [VOW UPHOLDING!] [Path
Integrity: 100%!] [Iron Will (Passive) Lvl 3 -> Lvl 4!] [Iron Will battling Withering Curse...
Stalemate... FAILING!] [Vow of Conviction Challenging... OVERRULING!]
A second power flared in his chest. Not the Vow's bronze light, but a pure, golden light. It was
the Vow itself, sacrificing its own power to save its master. "RRRAAAAAAAAGH!" Kael roared
as the golden light did battle with the black curse. It was a war in his soul, an agony beyond all
imagining. The golden light flared, searing the curse from his very being.
[Withering Curse: PURGED!] [Vow of Conviction: Depleted. (Will regenerate in 24 hours)]
[Path Evolved... Vow Fulfilled under Lethal Duress!]
[New Skill Unlocked: [Sacred Shield (Active)]] [Sacred Shield (Active) - Lvl 1: Summon a
shield of pure conviction, linked to your Vow. Blocks a single attack, regardless of power.
Cost: 100 Stamina. Cooldown: One (1) use per day.]
[LEVEL UP! Level 5 -> Level 6!] [HP: 300 -> 350] [Stamina: 300 -> 350] [All stats restored!]
Kael collapsed, healed, his body steaming, but completely, utterly exhausted. Lin Yue was just
holding him, rocking back and forth, her face buried in his chest, making a sound he had never
heard before—a raw, broken sob. "You... you stupid, magnificent, stupid fool..." she whispered,
her voice thick. "Had to," he mumbled, his arms weakly coming up to hold her. "Was... in the
Vow." "Liar," she sobbed. "It was... you."