Chapter Two-Hundred-and-Nine

The others gave Adam pointed looks as they gathered around the mask that’d dropped from the last horsemen.

“I didn’t know this would happen, so stop looking at me like that,” Adam told them. “If I’d known, I’d have prepared all of you ahead of time.”

“Who should it go to?” Diwa asked.

Everyone except Chien wanted it, Adam included.

The effects are too good. There has to be a stronger weakness than what is listed outright.

Chien would benefit from it, since he lost his headband and has so far gotten hit in every major fight… Of course, it likely would be no different to him than if I put on a First Light mask, given his patron’s opposition to the Forlorn Shadow.

< < Secret Relic Obtained > >

< Visage of the Horsemen (Legendary) — A veil of shadow protects the wearer from damage for a total of 5 times. 1-hour cooldown | Manifest a shadowy steed. 1-hour cooldown | Attacks deal 20% bonus Shadow damage | The Shadow protects you from recognition, but the protective effects from Defence upgrades and other damage-reducing boons are disabled | Unequipping the mask makes the wearer unable to equip it again >

The visage was a mask identical to what the three riders had worn. It had a leering grin, crescent eyes, and short demon horns. The metal was dark-grey and matte, with spots of rust all over. A faint wisp of shadowy smoke curled around beneath where it lay facing up at them.

“No one should take it,” Chien said. “It is evil. I can feel it.”

“Having a steed on command sounds really useful,” Natalia muttered.

Seo-Yoon nodded. “I will call him Gureum. I hope he can talk.”

Chien’s frown deepened.

“I think Diwa should use it,” Adam said, even though he wanted it for himself. “She doesn’t have a helmet anymore, and she would be able to swap to an armour relic that doesn’t slow her down as much.”

“It’s only fair since you destroyed my relic,” she added, though it really didn’t help her case. Her melody was a mix of relief, excitement, and righteousness.

“You can’t take it off again, but if you do, I want it,” Seo-Yoon said.

“Hey!” Natalia responded.

“You don’t need it,” Seo-Yoon told her, and it was the truth. Natalia had consistently been able to avoid the attacks aimed at her, and it was only Heiner’s arrow boosted by the ranger’s lucky charm that’d gotten past her defence.

“Not to mention, we don’t know what demerit it comes with,” Adam said.

Diwa grabbed the mask and lifted it up in front of her. Nearby, Chien tensed as he watched. “I don’t care what hidden weaknesses it has,” she said.

She turned the leering mask around, revealing the backside which was oozing with shadowy smoke.

Then she put it to her face and equipped it.

A cloak of shadow fell from the mask, spawning a hood over her head and concealing her body. Her melody also vanished, which Adam realised had to be part of the ‘recognition’ effect listed.

Chien’s melody suddenly turned violent, and before Adam could react, his war hammer swung through Diwa.

Fortunately, her Shade Barrier was still intact, so Chien’s weapon just tore through a clone of blood. He moved forwards with the swing, going for a follow-up to catch her while she was still off-balance by the sudden movement of the protective spell, but Adam shot out his raiment gauntlets and sabatons, stopping Chien by wrapping them around his hands and feet.

Natalia jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him to the ground with Adam’s help.

Chien’s usually stoic and calm melody was gone, with hatred and violence roaring like a thunderstorm inside his head. He struggled against their bonds, and Diwa watched in horror from a few metres away, frozen in place.

Seo-Yoon had the palms of her winter gloves pointed down at Chien’s head, ready to impale him with an ice spike.

“Keep him still,” Adam said. “I’m going to try something.”

He reshaped the gauntlet on Chien’s left hand so that a spike pierced into his skin. Adam forced a melody into Chien’s body, attempting to warp whatever madness had come over him.

It was immediately clear that it wouldn’t work.

The force making him violent is more powerful than me.

Adam looked back to Diwa.

“You need to take off the mask,” he told her.

“Why?” she asked, her voice turned deep by the leering demon mask. Her tone made it obvious that she was offended that she should give up what was hers.

“It’s making Chien insane,” he said. “But more than that, it may have a similar effect on the people of this stage, which would force you to stay outside settlements, and that is not a good idea.”

Diwa tore off the mask and threw it at Adam’s feet. Her expression was filled with anger and frustration, not to mention a lot of disappointment.

She glared down at where Chien was pinned, her melody and eyes filled with genuine hate. “I should’ve let you die,” she told him and stormed off, going back to where they’d left their horses.

Natalia glanced down at the mask, but then she ran after Diwa.

Seo-Yoon went over and picked up the legendary relic, hugging it to her body, before hiding it away under her crimson shirt. She cast Adam a grin.

“Sorry,” Chien muttered. “I do not know what came over me.”

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“You’re lucky we didn’t kill you,” Adam told him.

“How can I make it up to Diwa?” he asked.

“You can start off by staying as far away from her as possible,” Adam told him.

“She seriously wants you to die,” Seo-Yoon added unhelpfully.

“Until now, I have done what needed to be done in order to protect you all, but just then…” Chien paused, uncertainty in his melody. “I lost myself. The angel was there, telling me to destroy this foul knight of the Forlorn Shadow. I think I would not have suffered if I harmed or killed Diwa, despite the First Light forbidding me from hurting other players.”

Adam sighed. “I guess not even the First Light is without its issues… Awesome.”

“We should make sure the others return to the city safely,” Chien said and tried to stand, but Adam’s spells were still wrapped about his wrists.

“We’re gonna let them go back on their own. I’ll make sure they’re safe, but you’ve gotta stay far away from Diwa for now,” Adam advised.

“I see…” Chien replied.

Adam picked up Seo-Yoon and flew after Diwa and Natalia, releasing his grip on Chien's hands and feet. The Lightbringer slowly trudged towards his horse, talking to himself while his melody was full of uncertainty and shame.

Question is, does the First Light’s followers have a natural propensity towards violence like this, when someone accepts the powers of its nemeses, or is it the mask that carries the curse to twist them?

Adam would love to believe it was the latter, but given that Chien had heard ‘the angel’ talking to him, encouraging him to violence, it made him unsure.

He caught up to Diwa and Natalia by the time Chien had mounted his horse and set off for Gothershall. Seo-Yoon clung to his raiment, looking down at the two riders below.

A wave of tainted melodies washed over Adam from the east, where a carpet of darkness steadily advanced on the white walls of Gothershall.

They’re going to be here a lot sooner than I anticipated.

Good thing Natalia will have the ring off of cooldown by then. We’ll need it to get rid of the herald and bulwark.

Seo-Yoon followed his gaze. Her melody showed both excitement and apprehension.

“Can I experiment with the next true flame we get?” she asked.

“Are you planning on turning it into a mist?”

She giggled ominously. “You read me like an open book, Adam!”

“I don’t know if it would work, but when you used my white flame for your mist, it extended its duration significantly, so it’s possible the same will happen with a true flame,” Adam speculated.

“I was thinking it would prevent the army from getting back up,” she said.

“That’ll definitely be an issue. Given that they’ll be within the Shadow’s embrace, their revival will likely be swift. However, it would be a waste if it was not used to eliminate a forlorn knight.”

“You said the herald was leading the army. If he is at the head of the soldiers, there is no place for him to run to.”

“Let’s figure out the particulars when we’re on the walls defending the city,” Adam replied. “But I am not opposed to your experiment.”

“Should I tell the others?” she asked.

“And spoil the surprise?” he countered.

Seo-Yoon grinned.

Then she looked back down at the pair below them. They were slowing to enter the city.

Adam could tell Chien would catch up to them within a few minutes, so he waited in the air with Seo-Yoon while the other two went to the barracks where they’d been promised free lodging.

“You probably shouldn’t tell anyone that you took the mask,” Adam told Seo-Yoon. “It’s too much drama.”

“I will wait until I put it on,” she said.

“Don’t do it in this stage,” he warned.

“Unless necessary,” she added.

Adam sighed. “You know that’s not what I meant, but sure.”

“Do you really think the NPCs will be hostile like Chien if I wear it?” Seo-Yoon asked. “Or did you just say that to convince Diwa?”

“I’m almost certain,” he replied. “There aren’t that many First Light worshippers for it to be a big enough weakness, and all the other legendaries have significant drawbacks while generally offering much less power and utility compared to the mask.”

“Do you think it also imbues a weakness to true flames?” Seo-Yoon wondered.

He considered it for a moment, realising it actually made a fair bit of sense.

“It just might,” he admitted.

“What is the thing we’ll find in the castle dungeons?” Seo-Yoon then asked.

“It’s an egg for a special vendor on Interim Island. It should allow us to break down several relics to obtain a specific one of our choice.”

“Could you use it to obtain a legendary?” she asked.

“Possibly. I’ve only been described how it works, so I’m not completely sure on the specific details yet.”

“Why would it be in the dungeons?”

“Same reason why the Weaver was in a hole in a goblin hut, the Builder was in a termite nest, and the Fisher was hiding inside a floating donut-shaped island,” he replied.

“I don’t get it. What’s the reason?” she asked.

Adam shrugged, or at least as best as he could with Seo-Yoon clinging to him. “You tell me,” he said.

She laughed. “So it’s nonsense?”

“Possibly.”

Chien finally reached the last stretch of road before the enormous wall of Gothershall, so Adam floated them down towards the gate, casting a final glance at the incoming horde.

There was no way the city wouldn’t know what was coming, given that they’d already be able to see it clearly from the wall itself.

As Adam and Seo-Yoon followed Chien inside Gothershall, the guards took one final look at the road, before sealing the gate completely.

If we had been any slower, the gate would’ve been closed before we got here.

Hundreds of melodies crowded the massive wall, and although Adam couldn’t see them as he walked under it, he knew they were armed with bows and crossbows, ready to take down the invaders.

Having the true flame’s crown here would’ve been particularly useful in the fight.

The last stand’s fervour effect had been quite strong in stage four where the Elphin had truly been outmatched, but here, with a city ready to defend itself and armed to the teeth, it would’ve been absurdly powerful.

Like one last hurrah for the powerful relic before it would trigger the Forlorn Shadow fight and revert into a useless hunk of metal.

Chien stabled his horse and followed Adam and Seo-Yoon to the barracks.

“They’re not inside,” Adam told them, sensing their companions’ melodies further into the city.

“Their horses were also not in the stable,” Seo-Yoon pointed out.

Adam frowned.

The other two must’ve caught on to what he was thinking, because Chien immediately ran towards the market, while Seo-Yoon grabbed Adam’s raiment before he flew off.

“What are they up to now?” Adam muttered to himself.

Natalia’s melody had a bit of apprehension, while Diwa’s was full of righteous indignation and anger.

Adam couldn’t tell if it was his tremendous bad luck or just human nature working against him, but every time he didn’t keep an eye on someone, they turned around and did something insane.

Chien quickly fell behind as Adam flew after Diwa’s melody.

They weren’t in the market, but somewhere deeper inside the city, closer to the church in the northwestern corner up against the mountain wall.

Adam suddenly had the feeling he might’ve missed something crucial.

When they finally caught up to the pair, they were standing next to a large decorative stone well, with their horses nearby. Natalia was trying to convince Diwa not to do something.

The city was dark in the shadow of the mountain, and only a few streetlamps lit their surroundings.

Candlelight caught on something in Diwa’s hand.

It was a coin.

“Adam?” Natalia asked, turning to look at him as he landed in front of them.

Diwa didn’t hesitate and immediately threw the coin down into the well.

“I want my Tagpi back,” she said loudly.

Adam sighed. “Are you fucking serious, Diwa? How long have you been holding on to that thing?? What if reusing the coin—?” Adam started to scold her, before he was interrupted by a wet pop announcing the arrival of a relic into Diwa’s hands.

It wasn’t an amalgam helmet.

It was a mask, not too dissimilar from the legendary she’d been forced to abandon, except it was made of bright blood that spiralled around its central point.

“What the hell is that?” Natalia asked her. “What did you wish for?”

Diwa didn’t say anything and just lifted the mask up to her face. The movement somehow not her own. Her melody was frightful.

As it equipped itself, the mask sunk into her face and warped her features along with it.

Then her body started to change too.

Diwa’s skin unzipped from the top of her head and down to her navel, while she grew long ears and a needle-toothed smile, with two black pits replacing her real eyes. The fingers on her hands cracked and popped as they elongated and the nails turned to claws.

Adam had already fired off his gauntlet fingers in a rapid volley the moment he understood what was happening, but it was too late.

The flayed woman gestured vaguely and Adam’s finger bullets returned to sender, blasting into his raiment and almost fully destroying it in the process.

Natalia and Seo-Yoon were locked in place, their blood and flesh turned against them.

“Oh, Adam, why must you always play so hard to get?” the Flayed Lady’s voice said out of Diwa’s transformed mouth.