Teleportation
Leylin was growing more vicious in his attacks, seemingly blinded by the killing. He was going to beat them at their own game, and after looking at which opponents were going to attack he would show his strength and intimidate the rest. He was basically exhibiting his full power here.
That was the full power of a demigod! The support of an endless stream of faith and emotion combined with his experience as a near rank 7 Magus, giving Leylin a battle might he himself was surprised by.
He tore two of the giant mist creatures apart with his bare hands, and suddenly jumped. Once he touched the ground he’d caught up to Jeffries, who was quickly retreating.
Having been hit with the Greater Disjunction, Jeffries’ spear had been destroyed, as well as a silver necklace on his neck. That was followed by his robes, his boots…
“As a legendary, you still have some dignity.” Leylin’s evaluation was apathetic, though the movements of his hands never showed. A colourful Mage Sword formed in his grasp. This sword, moulded by his spiritual force, was now comparable even to divine weapons.
“Save our ally!” A few priests wearing the uniform of Helm’s church were startled, and quickly cast a holy shield for Jeffries.
“Don’t bother me!” Leylin frowned slightly, and the Mage Sword created a few beautiful cross-shaped slashes in the air.
*Swish!* Two of the priests were hit by the slashes, and the many defensive spells on their bodies were ripped apart. Afterwards, their bodies were cut open. It was still a slight breather, though, and Jeffries continued to retreat.
“While I do admire you, it’s impossible for you to change your faith…” Leylin quickly chased up to him with a look of pity in his eyes. The Mage Sword in his hands pierced forward, breaking his last layer of defence.
“Hehe… I didn’t think you’d be so powerful… Cough cough… What a shame. I will never be able to see the gorgeous Summer Warbler Flower of the northern seas ever again…” Jeffries was now heavily injured, and no longer had the ability to retreat. Hearing Leylin’s words, he slowly closed his eyes to await death.
“Please pardon Jeffries, Leylin Faulen.” A slender palm grabbed Jeffris’ collar, and teleported out of the battlefield in an instant.
“Xena… no, my Lady!” Jeffries gazed at ‘Xena.’
The gold priest had originally been scared stiff, so weak she was cowering in a corner. She’d been lucky enough not to get involved in the battle, but she looked frozen and pale.
Now, although she maintained that appearance every action of hers was filled with absolute dignity and confidence. She wasn’t even a legendary; Xena could not have such a divine lustre on her body, nor could she rescue Jeffries.
The only explanation was that she’d been possessed by a powerful existence. The only being that a priest would give their mind and body up for was naturally the god they worshipped.
“Nice to meet you, Lady Waukeen!” Leylin bowed elegantly, and then easily decapitated two more priests of Helm’s church. Such savagery and poise were very conflicting.
“I apologise… You were a child that I thought well of, but I already had a deal with Mystra, and I need to play by the book…” Waukeen pulled at Jeffries as she moved backwards, speaking calmly and with grace.
“It was only a singular deal, though. I can assure you that your territory will not be affected, but only if you survive this and grant them the glory of a true god…”
By the time the last word was spoken, Waukeen had already brought Jeffries away from the valley. A dazzling golden arc quickly left Xena’s body, forming the image of an elegant woman wearing gold robes. Only half her body was shown.
As the one who’d been a container for her goddess, Xena had been abandoned. She paled again and fell into a coma, obviously not in a good state. It was likely that this incident would reduce her lifespan.
“Divine ability: Space-time Shift!” Waukeen’s figure pointed towards Leylin while in mid-air and then exploded, disappearing into nothingness.
Leylin, on the other hand, felt like everything was spinning. By the time he regained his senses, he was almost out of the valley, and at an area he had been in before. Tens of giant mist beasts were eyeing him like he was prey.
‘An intermediate god has such mysterious abilities…’ The corner of Leylin’s lips quirked up in a smile, ‘Was what she said at the end out of goodwill or a threat? At the very least, I can be sure that she plotted against me because of the deal. After this, they don’t owe each other anything anymore…’
“There are only three true enemies then.” Although the people from the church of wealth had left, the powerful beings who had fallen apart due to Leylin’s sudden outburst had time to regroup.
“Haha… you’re fated to fall here!” Veins visibly bulged in Benedict’s eyes, like he was a crazy gambler who’d been at it for three full days.
“Oh? You’re so confident that you can take me down?” Making quick work of the paladins and giant mist beasts, Leylin shot a glance at Benedict who looked like he had a card up his sleeve.
‘Demigods are practically the peak of the prime material plane. Unless the true bodies of the gods descend as saints, nobody can match up to them void of a group of high-ranked legendaries unfearing of death. Another option is for several avatars to mount a sneak attack, but he probably won’t be willing to pay such a huge price. There’s only one method left…’
Even greater gods had to abide the rules of the World of Gods. Avatars weren’t all that powerful in the prime material plane, and the only thing that would make a difference was their numbers. However, it was too much of a waste for a few avatars or high-ranked legendaries to fall for the sake of killing Leylin. Unless there was such enmity between them that it could only be resolved by death, it was unlikely for them to go that far.
“It’s done!” Benedict’s gleeful voice sounded at that moment, and the mist in the surroundings quickly dissipated to reveal a huge, four-sided magic formation.
*Bzzt! Bzzt!* One grey pillar of light rose into the sky after the other, forming a terrifying cage that sealed Leylin within. Benedict used a crystal core to control it.
“This undulation… Looks like it really is…” Leylin’s eyes flashed, and he pointed straight at Benedict, “Order of Law, Death!”
“Get away!” The surrounding priests quickly yelled.
Had he let go of the crystal at this moment, Benedict would definitely have had a chance of survival. However, he did nothing. He seemed ready to die as he continued to transmit energy from his body to the core.
*Bang!* His corpse crumpled to the ground, and the grey pillars shrunk, turning into a sealing-cum-teleportation spell formation. With a flash of light, Leylin’s figure disappeared from within.
“Benedict…” A few paladins gathered, gazing at Benedict who breathed no more. There was a slight satisfied smile on the corner of his lips.
“You shall obtain light. May your soul rest in the divine realm…” After a few sorrowful words, the rest of the survivors gathered and began to pray for Benedict.
“We may fall for eternity, collapsing on our paths as we root out evil. However, justice shall always follow!” A paladin who had broken his arm from the scuffle with Leylin sighed as he spoke. Such thinking immediately garnered the approval of Helm’s church, while Mystra’s priests all went quiet.
However, the silver-haired priestess suddenly exclaimed, “NO!”
“What happened?” This sudden action immediately gave rise to glares from the paladins. The priestess continued without hesitation, “There are no traces of him in our master’s divine realm! The false god was not teleported there!”
Due to the powerful suppression of the prime material plane, the gap between avatars and demigods was minimal and they were almost on equal grounds. Things were different in the outer planes though. Although a lesser god’s avatar wasn’t much different from a greater god’s here, the gap between them there was like that between the heavens and the earth!
This was even more evident in divine realms. No matter which divine realm Leylin entered, his only fate would be death as he met the true bodies of the gods in their own nests.
This had been their plan all along. Since she was a greater god, as well as the person who planned this, the teleportation formation that had been set up led to Mystra’s divine realm. That was why it was so difficult to activate.
However, while the spell formation had worked successfully, it had not achieved the expected results. The group turned grim, looking at their companions’ bodies and Benedict’s smile in death. It had become the greatest irony in the world.
……
Two gods stood shoulder to shoulder in the vast spatial cracks. Be it spatial turbulence or the expulsion of the four elements, everything before them was automatically dispersed, forming a safe zone. This strength indicated that they were at the very least avatars of greater gods! Leylin was also extremely familiar with the two of them.
Amongst them was someone who looked like an old veteran with his right hand and eye missing. The other was a young girl who looked like a wizard, the power of the Weave surging within her body. This was Mystra and Tyr, the Goddess of the Weave and the God of Justice!
It took a long while for Mystra to open her eyes and speak, “The teleportation was disturbed. He did not reach my divine realm.”
“I checked the area here, including the dimensional cracks. There’s no sign of the floating city,” Tyr replied.