Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

"Stygian, you saved Daria— Can you save every one of them as well?" Arleen asked with furrowed brows while her eyes were locked on the sight in front of them, knowing it was only a matter of time before they were facing hordes of the corrupted.

Even worse was that those who were getting attacked were feeling agitated by being separated from the corrupted they actually wished to save and would likely soon stop holding back against the ones they were currently locked in combat with. The longer they used non-lethal force with the weakening effect of the Abyss affecting them, the sooner they were bound to meet their ends.

As Arleen was speaking, Daria retrieved a mending pill from her Spatial ring. Although she had been acting normal so far, the previous use of Eldritch energy with her Arcane Spear had unleashed a backlash that injured her internal organs and she needed to correct the issue before it got worse.

"Daria was a special circumstance so no, I can't help the others," Evian said to which Armin gave him a side-eye look but ultimately said nothing.

"Hmm, is that so?" Arleen asked with her brows furrowing even harder in her distrust.

Evian ignored her.

He could easily free everyone from the corruption with Eldritch Authority but he would be a fool to do so with Arleen's attention so intently on him. No, it was better to turn attention to something much more urgent. And far more doable.

'This is the second time I've been in a piece of the Abyss that's a long way from home. Karenssa linked herself to the Abyss through her summon and could access it like a pocket dimension. This is different.

Assistant?'

[You're on the right track. Tearing a piece of the Abyss away from it and turning it into a mini-domain is insane enough but I dare say this might be even worse.]

'I think I know what you mean. It's a room filled with Arcanists where I can't even let out my energy without raising multiple suspicious brows. Add that to the fact that the Cardinals were present, this was either a powerful spontaneous move of insane proportions or it took a bit of preparation.'

[Correct. What would be your bet on which is likely to be true?]

Evian put a hand on his jaw and stroked it as he went into deep thought,

'To have been able to make the required preparations to do something like this within the Sanctorum would have needed the help of an Arcanist without a doubt.

Assistant, show me the list of Wrathic Ranks.'

A holographic screen appeared in front of Evian's eyes and he looked it over with a frown,

'Just as I thought, the 'Wraith King' might sound impressive, and it definitely is, but it's still only the equivalent of the Seventh Order/Circle.

There's only one major Rank separating where I currently am as a Wraith Lord to the Rank of Wraith King. This can't have been spontaneous and if it had been, the Cardinals, all at the Seventh Circle at the very least, would not be at this much of a loss.'

"Evian?" Daria called seeing as a minute had passed and Evian was still silent.

"We need to find the Anchors," he said urgently.

"Anchors?" Arleen asked.

"Yes, Evian answered, "A trap of this size and this much power cannot have been hastily put together and will not be so stable without anchors.

This is practically a piece of the Abyss brought up to the realm of humans. It requires stabilizers to keep it here. We need to find and destroy them if any of us is to have a chance."

Even though he was not facing the threat of corruption and was not getting weaker because he was a Wraith, Evian was very aware that he was in the same boat as everyone else on the scene. Agenon was still too busy to notice him but once he did, it would either be surrender or death.

There was no in-between unless he spent all his current Soul Points on reaching the level of a Wraith King and it might damn well require that much.

"You seem to know a lot about this," Arleen said, suspicious.

"Yes, I've faced something similar before. It's in my mission report with the Martial Temple. Maybe reading that will soothe your suspicions, Priestess.

Now, let's find those anchors!"

*BANG!*

*BOOOMMM!!!*

At the end of the hall where the Cardinals were with Agenon, explosions and sounds of impact tossed them all around as they were at the mercy of the Eldritch Beasts. To them all, it was as though they had been pulled off the face of the earth and deep into the Abyss, left to fend for themselves.

Even when the Cardinals managed successful attacks, the darkness of their environment enveloped their opponents and replaced whatever they managed to cut off.

Agenon watched it all with a grin until he began to feel uneasy.

He looked all over the hall, using his connection to the Abyss prison he had enacted to pinpoint the targets of his unease and he frowned,

"What in the devils are they doing?"

What WERE they doing?

Well, Arleen stood in place. As the one with the most sharpened senses of them all, she spread out her Spiritual Perception and actively fought against the pushback she received from the Dark energy to find points of interest to send their little group to.

"There," she said, pointing toward a corner of the hall.

"On it," Daria said.

Evian had given them all tips on destroying the anchors;

"It can't be that strong. It was prepared in advance but likely won't be more than an inscription cleverly drawn to resemble Arcane symbols while mixed in with symbols of the Abyss. Eldritch symbols."

Evian kept his voice level and professional, like an expert in the matter but he was slightly bullshitting. For all the perception Arleen had, she was getting push-back from the Eldritch forces in the hall but Evian did not have that problem. He had already found an Anchor and what he observed was what he told them all with the air of 'informed guesses'.

Anyway, Daria went to where Arleen had pointed and found just what Evian had described. The key to destroying it was actually quite simple and as an Arcanist who worked with symbols infused with power, she knew all she had to do was hamper the smooth flow of energy. Didn't matter if it was Spiritual or Eldritch.

She raised her Spear, feeling slightly sore from her mended internal organs, but still in enough of a good shape to strike at her target.

*Bang!*

The impact was fairly loud but it was the shockwave that followed that was most impactful. It didn't strike at Daria though but rather outward toward the darkness that had surrounded the hall— weakening it.

"What?!" Agenon let out in surprise.

Evian and the others heard the sound and it told them they needed to hurry things along.

"There, there, and there," Arleen pointed quickly in quick succession.

Daria went off to her second target of the night while Evian and Sir Armin went to their firsts.

On his way, Evian saw Dolan snarling. His good-looking effeminate face twisted in a grimace that would have pushed the Ambassador to tears had he been in his right senses to observe it in a mirror. Arleen was busy and far away so Evian could have simply healed Dolan and left it at that but what's the fun in doing only that?

He healed the Ambassador and right when he was coming to, Evian delivered a heavy bow that sent him over to an opposite wall where he slammed with a powerful impact…

*BAM!*

… And was promptly knocked out.

Without sparing Dolan a second look, Evian arrived at the Anchor Arleen had directed him to, and with a quick slash of his Spear, he interrupted the flow of energy which again released a shockwave that reduced the Abyss' effect on all Spiritual energy wielders.

"NO!" Agenon yelled.

Armin destroyed another Anchor and the Wraith's gaunt face twisted in rage,

"Stop that!"

With that yell, he summoned more Beasts of the Abyss and sent them out into the battling crowd to kill anyone who got in their way while keeping a continuous forward charge to stop the group of four who were starting to be a menace.

The Knights of the Martial Temple had been busy fending off rabid Arcanists so the addition of hulking beasts to fight off did not make things easier. Impacts were made, bones were cracked and one skull was crushed.

"No, Daeon!"? Olivia yelled in pain she felt at the death of one of her men before she unleashed her Spiritual energy reserves to their limits. The others did the same in solidarity and with the look on their faces, they appeared ready to burn all they still had to take down the Beast that dared kill a comrade.

But it wasn't only the Knights who suffered a loss.

A Priest fell to the Beasts, three more were tossed aside, injured. While six Arcanists who had been corrupted lost their lives and only in death were they free.

Arleen paused her sensing duties. She raged at the deaths. She was close to some while others were rivals or just acquaintances but that didn't matter. She wanted revenge.

But she also felt the need to stay where she was and continue what she was doing. After all, it was important work.

"If you want to fight, fight," Evian called to her as he went toward an Anchor she had not pointed out to him, "I'll find the Anchors and we'll lift the trap. Fight and buy us time."

It sounded like Evian was giving her orders but at that moment, Arlene didn't care.

With her body glowing with divine light, she resisted the weakening effect of the Abyss, summoned multiple weapons made of Spiritual energy, and attacked.