Galahad frowned. He knew that the young man could use magic well and that he could also use light magic which was effective for vanquishing those evil spirits but it wasn't right to just send him alone. "I can't let you do that. This is my territory's problem so I'll be resolving it."
"Pardon me duke but I don't think you won't be able to do anything once you enter that tunnel. I can protect myself and I have magic that can defeat whatever it is inside that place." Cygnus insisted as something bright flashed on his palms.
The duke was still reluctant because if something happened to Rigel, his friend might resent him. Besides, he was not sure if he could really take on whatever it was that had settled in that ominous place. He couldn't take the risk and lose more than what he could bear.
Cygnus heard the man's thoughts and it made him laugh. He couldn't help but think that the duke was a bit naïve and kind hearted despite his cold demeanor. "Let's do this then. If I don't get out within an hour, you can enter and help me. So let me try it alright?"
Galahad gritted his teeth. Rigel was stubborn and he could already tell that there was no stopping him from having his way. "Are you that confident in defeating whatever monster is in that place?"
The master chuckled, "Of course. I have never been defeated before." He even shrugged his shoulders and there was a smug look on his face.
Cygnus waited for a couple of minutes before the duke finally agreed. The man also reminded him that they will enter the tunnel after the one-hour countdown was up. Cygnus sighed and nodded before he took a step towards the tunnel.
The moment he stepped inside the tunnel, the resentment and evil energy were already pressing down on his body. He could feel how heavy the pressure was inside the place. The inside of the tunnel was damp and eerie and the only light he had was the illumination from the crystal ball he was holding.
He didn't encounter anything while walking and he guessed that whatever it was that was hiding in that place was deeper in the tunnel. The echoes of his footsteps were loud and it only amplified the silence inside that place. He was not sure how far he had walked but the darkness became deeper and darker so he knew that he was already near the center of the tunnel.
A hundred of steps until he stopped. He finally reached a wider space after walking through that tunnel and he could already feel a creature of malice was watching him. This must be the convergence of all that evil energy and resentment he felt. He could also feel traces of lower evil spirits from the malice he was feeling.
This creature must have absorbed all the evil spirits in the area hence the reason why they did not see any of them floating around. He remained standing on the same spot for a while now because the creature hiding in the dark hadn't made its move. Although his time was running out, he didn't care because he was not about to make the first move.
"I feel something evil inside you," a guttural and scratchy voice came from no specific direction inside the cave.
"I'm glad that you can feel it," Cygnus laughed. "So, are you going to still fight me because I am looking forward to venting off this stuffy thing inside of me."
He felt movement around the place and something tall came into his vision. He made the light in his orb brighter to give him a better view of what was standing in front of him. It resembled a man but it did not possess any face. It was wearing a cloak but his hands and feet were covered in black smoke.
"It would be my pleasure to fight you, oh venerable one, so I will give it my all. To be able to face someone like you after I have completely evolved is indeed my luck." The voice rumbled and the ground shook but the master remained still.
"Those words are too fancy for my liking." Cygnus threw away the orb he was holding and it broke to pieces.
His black eyes completely turned red which also gave him the ability to see even in the darkest of the night. The creature of malice changed into a smoke and attacked the master. It used its solidified claws to attack but the master blocked and used his palm to slap the claws away.
Cygnus once again felt the ground shaking and he could see boulders that were raised in the air. The enemy hooked his finger and the boulders went flying towards him. An ominous blood red appeared around him and protected him from the boulders.
The enemy also summoned the undead to attack Cygnus. These must be the slaves who died in that place but even so the master did not show any restraint. He only made one step forward and a wave of his power swept through the place which destroyed all the undead that his enemy summoned.
"Is that it? Why don't you show me your resentment?" The master was grinning while inciting the enemy.
Realizing that it has no way of defeating the man, the creature of malice decided to just go all out even if that meant that he would expend all the evil energy he had amassed for many years. It materialized again into its humanoid form and on his hand was a weapon shrouded with darkness. Black lightning was mixed with the smoke around the death scythe and there were veins on the surface of the weapon.
Those red lines were pulsing like it was alive. Cygnus grinned when he felt the power stored in that one weapon alone. "That's it. You should not hide your abilities when fighting me and just go all out!" His evil laugh echoed in the cave and it even caused the walls to shake to the point that it almost collapsed.
