Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

The darkness of the Abyss pulled away from around the party hall along with all the influence it had.

Although it was Agenon's Wraithic spell that had turned the Arcanists into rabid creatures who struck against their allies without the ability of discernment, the Wraith King had only been able to do so because of the saturation of dark Eldritch energy within the wall. With that gone, all those under his influence came back to their senses.

Alas, the fact that they had all just recently had Eldritch energy within them, an energy that went against their carefully built foundations for so long too, they felt a backlash that had them all spouting blood with a few weaker ones falling unconscious.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Agenon yelled again with a face of horror.

The presence of darkness surrounding one of the largest halls in the Sanctorum, a hall that currently held all the Cardinals along with all important members of the Arcane Church currently at Sacrosanct, had not gone unnoticed by the Arcanists outside the hall.

They had all trooped all around the hall, hurling their most powerful spells to no success so when the darkness was finally lifted, they took pills to replenish their Spiritual energy reserves in preparation to apprehend the culprit but they never got the chance.

The moment they took a step, a powerful wave of Spiritual energy spread all about, transforming into the Arcane symbols that came together seamlessly to create an Array that kept everything and everyone out while keeping everything and everyone in the hall inside it. Everyone including Agenon and his army of Abyss Beasts.

The Cardinals felt an in-flush of Spiritual energy the moment the darkness of the Abyss had been cleared. Their limitation was lifted and they were pissed.

Agenon tried to make a quick getaway as the Cardinals had suspected he would and they also grinned when they saw his look of annoyance at being thwarted.

The Wraith frowned deeply but when he found solace in his small army, he smiled and let out yet another gloat,

"You're happy? Oh well, no matter. I still have my Beasts…"

"You mean the Beasts who couldn't kill us when we were down and weakened?" Cardinal Callum Lorient said with a stoic face that was bruised by many successful attacks from those filthy creatures,

"Don't make me laugh!"

The glow he released was so powerful, it was blinding and from it, Callum commanded pillars to strike out and strike down three of the Beasts right that instant.

Of all the Cardinals, the young Cardinal Vorden appeared the least injured, and along with Callum, he took the lead and fell four Beasts as though intent to one-up his competitor.

The other Cardinals followed the lead of the two.

Meanwhile, when Evian, Daria, and Armin had been about to destroy the last three Anchors, Agenon had sent Beasts to stop their attempt, and although those beasts were much too late to stop the destruction of the Anchors they were right on time to become Evian's meal packets.

Armin felt the energy coming off the beasts and frowned as he was bored down by the equivalent of the Seventh Order and close to the peak of it too.

"Stay behind me, young master Evian," Armin said through gritted teeth. The Cardinals, while already turning the tides, would not look at them at least not before they were soon overwhelmed.

"No," Evian said, "We'll do it together."

On one hand, Evian knew all three of them had no chance in a battle against Six Beasts who possessed physical might at the Seventh Order.

They had the option of running and holding out until the Cardinals were ready to turn their sights to the stray beasts but that would mean surrendering so many Soul Points and even the mere thought of such hurt Evian more physically than any blow probably ever could.

However, preparations were important…

'Increase my Decadence.'

[Expending 200,000 Soul Points…]

[Congratulations on becoming a Cursed Wraith Prince.]

[Decadence: Cursed Wraith Prince {500,000//7,590,000 Soul Points}]

[You have received the Innate ability 'Master Of The Abyss'.]

Just like the last two major Decadence advancements, Evian received an innate ability and as its use flowed into his mind, he pushed it to the side. 'Master Of The Abyss' was useful but would do him no good, right now.

Daria stepped forward too with her Staff held tightly in her hands and her face screwed in determination. Evian smiled at her. It had been a long time since they were side by side in battle after all.

Seal Link!

Daria felt a throb above her left breast where Evian had placed his Seal and then that throb was followed by an infusion of strength that had her feeling heady with power. It didn't take more than a second and certainly did not require an explanation from Evian for Daria to understand what just happened.

As an Arcanist, she had never been interested in Physical might, but as Evian's was shared with her, she felt she might reconsider.

Strength equivalent to the Sixth Order and just what she needed to back up only Sixth Order Spell she knew but should never have dared to cast.

'Shifting Gale!'

A powerful gale of wind appeared and created a wall that slammed into the Six Beasts and kept them where they were for all of two seconds. As five of the Six broke free of the spell, one found itself under the Assault of Sir Armin the Knight.

It took one swipe by the beast to send Armin flying away but before he got too far, a Spiritual manifestation of a lotus flower appeared to be his support and sent him back to the ground where he wasted no time charging right back at Beast.

As he ran, Armin swung his sword in an arc and multiple lotus petals swarmed out, following the arc and imbuing the weapon with power to create a powerful discharge…

*BOOM!*

… that pushed the Beast five feet away, pissed and ready to attack again.

Meanwhile, Daria's body shook at the backlash of casting a spell her level of Spiritual energy did not allow but she gritted her teeth and prepared to cast it again.

Right then, she felt the strength she had received from Evian tick up by at least three strong levels and then she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry, you have to push yourself this hard," Evian told her and he did sound sorry.

"Nonsense," Daria told him with a scoff only then noticing that he had his Spear across his shoulder and it felt— different.

The double-ended Spear gave off the aura of a weapon that had attained its peak which was exactly the case. For the first since he had gotten his hands on this Spear, Evian could finally harness its might as it was meant to be wielded. Granted, he had corrupted it and now turned it into an Eldritch weapon.

He had spent, 500,000, 600,000, and 700,000 Soul Points to become a 'Fallen Wraith Prince' and had also spent 1,000,000 for the final upgrade of his Spear which brought his Soul Point balance down to 4,990,000 so he was all too excited to recoup what he had spent.

With the difference in Decadent Might reduced to a single major level difference, Evian could stamp his Spear on the ground and unleash Eldritch Authority on all Six Beasts including the one Armin was unleashing his petaled Wrath on.

The moment the Beasts were frozen in place, Daria struck her staff against the ground, five large Spell Circles appeared underneath every one of the beasts besides the one Armin was already cutting up.

The spells created thorns that stabbed into the legs of all five and dug into their bodies to use them as vegetation pots to spread all over the insides of their victims. The energy of the spell being only at the Fifth Circle, it wasn't enough to kill the Beasts but it was enough to torture them and weaken them for Evian to charge and begin swinging his Spear to strike with precision.

A Wraithic spell would be much too obvious to be ignored by the Cardinals even as busy as they were so fighting like a Knight was Evian's alternative and he handled it well.

[You have acquired 1,200,000 Soul Points]

[You have acquired 1,200,000 Soul Points]

As he killed the two, Evian looked over at Armin and saw that the Knight's relentless Assault on the frozen beast would soon lead to its death so he threw his Spear with a force backed by the might of his Strength as a Fallen Wraith Prince…

*BANG!*

*SKSH!*

Armin watched with his mouth gaped open as the Beast's head was knocked back and then split open.

[You have acquired 1,200,000 Soul Points]

Evian didn't pay attention to the look on his guardian Knight's face as he clenched his hand and the symbols etched all over the Spear glowed with the power of command before pulling free of the beast's head to return to his hand before the creature dissolved into the Abyss.

The ability to recall the Spear no matter where it fell or lay… Just one of the abilities of Evian's double-ended Spear, previously locked away behind the final, Six Star upgrade…

… Pending any future improvements, of course.