Chapter 23 — The Hidden Threat
Oreario. The guild. Early morning.
The day began with the usual hustle and bustle: guild members discussed new tasks, left the building for hunting or training. The Hulk, as before, stood in the corner, watching what was happening. His mind was on the last battle with Gra'n-Mor'ah. Although he had destroyed the pseudo-god, the feeling of anxiety did not leave him.
Loki approached him, holding the scroll by the shoulder.
— Listen, we have some new information here. We have heard about a new enemy that has appeared in the southeast. He's even stronger than the pseudo-god you encountered.
— How can he be dangerous? — The Hulk did not take his eyes off the map.
—This is Tarisan,— Loki replied. — He is a powerful magician with a rare gift: he can manipulate souls. He uses them to create new creatures to form an army, absorb and harness the power of other gods and magicians. The people he controls begin to live only for his will.
"Souls?" — The Hulk repeated. "It's more than chain magic.
- yes. He takes their soul, and their body remains empty, turning into an obedient shell," Loki continued. — We don't know how he operates, but his army is growing.
The Hulk clenched his fists. Something inside him shuddered, a cold wind permeated his consciousness.
"Then I'll go there,— he said. — Where is his exact location?
Loki nodded and handed over the map, pointing to the mountains to the southeast of Oreario. There, in the secret valley, according to her information, was his hiding place.
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Mountains. The dark Valley.
The fog thickened in the air, and the ground was covered with deep darkness. The Hulk and his allies were walking along a winding path when they saw a light ahead — a small light flickering in the valley.
—This... is not the light we were looking for," Riveria said, clutching her magic wand. It consumes everything around.
They quickened their pace, and soon found themselves in front of an ancient tower located in the center of the valley. Tarisan was standing at her gate, holding a shining amulet in his hands.
— You came. His voice was hoarse but powerful, as if he were speaking to dozens of voices at once. —That's fine. All the souls have been gathered, and now I will rule this world. I absorb them to create greatness.
—You won't get through,— the Hulk said, his voice full of determination. "I will destroy everything you have created. You won't take my soul.
Tarisan laughed, his eyes shining with an evil light.
"You don't understand. I don't take souls. I'm saving them. I give them eternal life by allowing them to be part of the great stream.
"But you're destroying their freedom,— the Hulk objected. "You're turning them into puppets."
Tarisan didn't respond, just waved his hand, and his magic penetrated the ground. Soul chains burst out of the ground, surrounding the Hulk and his allies.
"These chains are not yours," the Hulk said, activating his own skill. His body was filled with magical energy.
Skill activated: Chains of Rage III.
The curse is absorbed. The magic of the soul is destroyed.
The chains sent by Tarisan disappeared, but the magic did not stop working. Tarisan raised his arms, and dark silhouettes began to emerge from the ground. They were servants, but not ordinary monsters: their faces were human, mutilated.
"You don't understand," Tarisan said, forcefully creating new puppets. — I will give you immortality. Instead of resisting, accept my hand.
But the Hulk wasn't listening. He leapt to attack, his fist tore through the air, and he took down the first monster, breaking through its defense. At this time, Ais and Riveria stood next to him, striking with their magic attacks, while Bethe hacked the enemies with his axe.
Tarisan raised his hands again, and the ground shook beneath them. He shouted a spell, and the souls of the dead began to appear in the form of deadly monsters. There were more of them than they could handle.
The Hulk saw his allies struggling to fend off the onslaught. He realized that they needed to join forces. Summoning all his strength, he lifted his chains, and the magic of rage absorbed Tarisan's magic.
— The time is over. — The Hulk hit the ground hard, exploding everything around. Tarisan's chains snapped.
When the smoke cleared, Tarisan was on his knees, his magic disintegrating. There was a sense of fear in his eyes that had never been shown before.
"You... you won." His voice was as soft as his last breath. —But you... don't know what's going to happen next."
The Hulk walked up to him, his gaze steady.
"All I know is that I won't let you break your freedom.
Tarisan disappeared into the void, leaving only a faint echo of his voice.
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Return to Oreario.
After the victory, the Hulk returned to the Guild, where Loki greeted him with a smile.
"You did it again,— she said. — Tarisan is no longer a threat to the world.
The Hulk, a little tired but satisfied, nodded.
"But I feel that something else is nearby," he said."The dark chains don't end with his fall. This is just the beginning.