Book 4: Chapter 10 |
Tears continued running down Noe’s eyes, he shakingly begged as he repeatedly bowed his head on the ground toward the angels, “Saint Michael, I know you reviving my mother was just like a finger snap to you. Please… please revive my mother.”
Saint Michael’s eyebrows started twitching as an indication that he wasn’t satisfied with Noe continued to beg instead of thanking him. He turned to look at the angel that had a big pair of Angel Wings and nodded. The angel nodded back letting Saint Michael know that he had understood.
“Noe…” A female warmly said as she placed her right hand on Noe’s shoulder.
Noe stopped bowing when he heard the female voice. He turned his head to the left and saw it was Darla. Continuing crying in tears, Noe hugged his mother while his knees were still on the ground.
“I knew it… I knew Saint Michael would revive you. Mother… Mother…?” Noe surprisingly asked as he saw his mother start fading away.
“I allowed the soul of your mother to speak and touch you one last time before I destroyed it. There is no way for her to be revived now so begging us would be useless. Her existence was completely erased from the universe which meant she won’t have a chance of reincarnation. This was the punishment for you daring not to thank Saint Michael for his kindness of saving you.” The angel had a big pair of Angel Wings boldly said.
A second later, Saint Michael and the other angel flew away as Noe helplessly cried while hugging Darla’s corpse on the ground. Noe could have never forgotten the face of the angel that destroyed his mother's soul. But regardless of how much he study of the Heaven Realm, there was an Archangel matching the description of the angel that was following Saint Michael that day. Ever since when Noe became the Protector of Toria Continents, he traveled to Hell Realm several times but couldn't find that angel as well. Noe believed that the angel had made it to God-tier and advanced into the higher realms.
Saint Michael was created to be the Protector of the Heaven Realm. He was granted a uniquely powerful physical strength and a magic system that was dedicated to him. But Saint Michael normally just carried out his battle using only physical strength and rarely cast any magic spells that were dedicatedly created for him. This seems like an unfair bias from The Creator. But in return, Saint Michael could never become God-tier and never had the chance of ever stepping into the higher realms. That was why Saint Michael deserved the title of a Saint in his name because he was born a Saint-tier and named the perfect creation from The Creator. Watcher Zorim was assigned to watch over the Heaven Realm, but she never once worried about the Heaven Realm because of having Saint Michael to protect it. Not only Michael is the strongest, but he is flawless. But in honor of the agreement between her and Noe Clerico, Saint Michael was prevented from visiting Toria Continents ever again.
Six years later after Darla Welfer, Noe's mother, was killed. Inside the arena of Flumen City, Bifjorkian Theocracy. Alvisio Gianella, who was still stuck at level 20 of Thunder Magic, led his team to victory in the second match representing Mages’ Academy of Glomer during the Student Mages Battle Tournament of Intermediate Mages. The other Student Intermediate Mages team that was sent to represent Mages' Academy of Glomer had lost in the first match which put more spotlight on Alvisio's team. Alvisio and his team went out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate their victory. Just win one more match and they would advance into the semi-final. That was when Alvisio received bad news delivered to him from a warrior that served his father.
The sad incident that happened in Noe’s village market about his mother and many other people being killed was investigated then closed, concluding that a Rogue Mage went wicked and wanted to kill people for his own amusement. Noe knew very well who hired the Black Mage that attempted to kill him, but he had no evidence to support his claim. The people who hired the Rogue Black Mage must be powerful enough to influence the outcome of the investigation that was why Noe didn’t say anything after the Mages Council concluded and closed the case.
Noe’s attitude completely changed after the day his mother was killed, the same goes for Noe’s father, Naen Clerico. Naen continued working hard to take care of Noe while he was still in the Mages’ Academy and refused to marry anyone else to honor his love for Darla. The hard-working happy Naen slowly changed into a sad drunkard because the amount of wine he consumed daily increased tremendously from being depressed. Noe on the other hand had never gone back home to visit his father even once because his heart aches every time he saw his father. Noe blamed himself for his mother being killed. If he wasn’t fighting back against Alvisio and his peeps that day then he wouldn’t accidentally kill them. Alvisio’s family wouldn’t hire a Rogue Black Mage to murder him and his mother would never be in danger. Noe knew the reason why the Black Mage attacked the village market was to create a cover-up making it look like Noe was killed accidentally, not that he was targeted. If Noe had thought carefully that day then he would have remembered about the underground tunnel and he wouldn't have to go look for his mother which meant Darla would have gotten home safely. If… There were many if. Noe continued blaming himself for the death of his mother on a daily basis. While it was true that Saint Michael killed his mother and the other angel destroyed his mother’s soul, both Noe and his mother would have been killed by the Black Mage if it wasn’t for Saint Michael’s interference.
“What goes around, comes around. You wanted to kill me but ended up killing my mother. I will kill your family members so you will know the feeling that I and my father are going through. I swear to Watcher Zorim that I won't allow myself to fail.” Noe made a promise to himself as a gray aura appeared on him flashed several times indicating that he stepped into level 30 of Conjuration Magic and gained the ability to use [Second Life] spell.
No one knew Noe had advanced into level 30 because everyone thought Noe was still stuck at level 20 which was still impressive for an eighteen years old boy. Shortly after Alvisio left Glomer city to attend the Student Mages Battle Tournament in Flumen city, Noe asked the Principal to allow him to train in the forest by himself because he felt like he could have broken through the barrier of Intermediate-tier to step into level 21 of Master-tier at any time. Training environment sometimes could be the key potential for success in advancement, that was why the Principal had no problem allowing Noe to temporarily leave the Mages’ Academy per his request.
Noe traveled to Emwood city where he rented a hotel room using the money his father sent him. Noe started doing research about Lord Gemigio Gianella and his family. At the age of eighteen, Noe was no longer a juvenile and could easily blend in with other people in the public. Two days after staying in Emwood city, Noe discovered that Lord Gemigio Gianella had four sons including Alvisio and two daughters. All of Gemigio’s children were older than Noe and they had the same mentality as Alvisio, who looked down on the regular peasants and often treated them like slaves. Alvisio was born with a Thunder Soul, Noe could have guessed how happy Gemigio was when he knew that he had a magic caster as a son and spoiled that idiot the best he could. Killing Alvisio alone wasn’t enough for revenge. Noe wanted Alvisio and Gemigio to feel the pain that he and his father were going through. That was why Noe targeted Alvisio’s family members instead.
Noe patiently waited for eight more days where he found a perfect chance and opportunity to attack as Gemigio’s eldest son had a birthday party in his private mansion. Gemigio, his wife, and his other children were at the mansion as well; that was why the mansion was heavily guarded. Nevertheless, that was also the perfect chance Noe was looking for as well. Gemigio was the city lord of Emwood, it made sense when he was the target of an assassination by others who wanted to become the next City Lord which means his bodyguards would be focused on guarding him instead of the other.
Noe infiltrated into the mansion as one of the cooks who was hired to prepare the banquet for over two thousand guests. The guards checked him very carefully but Noe didn’t have any weapon on him and he was allowed entry after showing the entry pass that he stole from another cook. That cook was knocked out, kidnapped, and tied to a big tree in the nearby forest by Noe hours earlier. Noe placed a Skeleton Warrior to guard the unconscious cook where Noe commanded the Skeleton to kill the cook if he woke up before Noe finished executing his plan of revenge.
Using Gazhorn wasn’t an option because that would expose his identity. Noe carefully calculated his mana pool and knew he could conjure up to ten Ice Gargoyles. Even so, because too many guards were present, it makes more sense if Noe conjured just two Ice Gargoyles and used the remaining mana to conjure more creatures such as Fire Demons, Thunder Eagles, and Phantom Knights instead. Skeleton Warriors conjured by a level 30 Conjurer Mage would be powerful enough to fight against a sixth-tier warrior, but that would be unwise because Noe planned to kill fast and run fast before other city guards get to the mansion for backup.
Approximately two hours into the party, guests were having fun when they were suddenly being attacked by two Ice Gargoyles, three Fire Demons, four Thunder Eagles, and five Phantom Knights. Noe secretly instructed the Phantoms and Eagles to attack Gemigio to lure most of the guards to protect him while the Ice Gargoyles and Fire Demons targeted Gemigio’s children. The warriors that were guarding the exterior of the mansion heard fighting inside and they immediately rushed in leaving only a few to guard the entrance gate. Unlucky for Noe, there was a magic caster who used Wind Magic among the party guests. That Wind Mage was recently hired as the head of the Magic Division serving Lord Gemigio Gianella.
The Wind Mage casted [Wind Detection] spell to quickly observe all movements within the mansion and he noticed a single individual stood out among all other people. The Wind Mage casted [Wind Strike] spell toward Noe but Noe activated [Warp Infusion] spell on time to switch places with the Skeleton Warrior that he conjured earlier to the nearby forest. The Skeleton Warrior already had his shield raised and managed to block the [Wind Strike] spell from the Wind Mage on time without being killed.
The Wind Mage couldn’t detect Noe within the mansion anymore, he turned toward Gemigio and said, “Lord Gianella, the Rogue Conjurer Mage had escaped using [Warp Infusion] spell. Do you want me to chase after him?”
Gemigio noticed that he was being heavily guarded by many strong warriors and there would be no problem for the Wind Mage to leave. Gemigio said, “Taegen, bring that Rogue Mage back to me, dead or alive!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
