Nightblade (Darkest night)

Chapter 228: The myth

The dark, searing flames around Gregory’s figure slowly disappeared, and with them, the terrible heat that was washing over the surroundings in waves.

The man himself stood tall, hovering calmly in the air. His grey hair had grown noticeably longer cascading down his shoulders to his back.

His grey swirled gently in the wind, the light in his grey eyes glinting in the sunlight. The ever-present jagged scar that ran down his face was even more prominent in the light.

Clad in a black gold-trimmed suit, he was the picture of elegance and regality.

At the moment, his lips were pursed in displeasure.

His piercing gray eyes bore into Merlin’s staring daggers, scrutinizing him intently with a steely gaze.

After a few moments, he spoke, choosing his words evenly.

"This form of yours, it’s almost as though you haven’t aged a day. In fact, it’s almost as though you’ve grown even younger."

Merlin smiled, his silver eyes glinting in the light.

"I guess you can say that I got bored aging, what can I say? So I decided to become younger."

Gregory glanced down staring at the carnage in the area below them. Large chunks of ice and frost were roughly scattered across the forest floor.

The trees and shrubs were covered in a thick layer of ice and frost that slowly cracked in the sunlight.

His eyes narrowed slightly at the scene of devastation below, noting the large swathe of trees that had been roughly blasted in half.

The forest now resembled the handiwork of a terrifying hurricane of ice and devastation that had rolled through it. The forest floor was covered in snow and crystalline icicles that sparkled in the light.

In the afternoon heat, the ice was slowly starting to thaw.

Gregory rolled his shoulders turning his attention to the revered figure hovering a few feet away from him.

Merlin was something of a legendary dark figure among the Talented. The man was undoubtedly among the most talented in existence, so much so that he rarely involved himself in the affairs of the Praesagius and the Talented.

Most of the undeniable facts pointed to the fact that he was probably immortal, his involvement in their paranormal world spanning several centuries.

That and the fact that the man standing before him was undoubtedly much younger despite the extraordinary amount of power he was exuding.

"You’ve attracted a lot of unnecessary attention with this..." Gregory murmured.

"Couldn’t you have arranged for something less..."

Merlin threw his head back and laughed heartily for a few moments. Gregory stared at his expression, the frown on his face deepening slightly.

Noticing the disapproving look on Gregory’s face, he shook his head in amusement.

At the periphery of the dome, several figures had appeared, standing nonchalantly with their eyes fixed on the two floating figures.

Merlin’s gaze drifted to the standing figures observing them for a few moments.

"This is quite the welcome party."

He sighed.

"Let me fix this first."

A wave of raw unbridled power burst forth from Merlin’s dark figure. His silver eyes burned with scorching intensity, the power he wielded washing over the devastation and rippling through the expanse of the dome.

The large fragments of ice and chunks of snow melted instantly, turning into small streams of water that rapidly seeped into the ground at an unnatural speed.

Spreading his arms slightly, the space around him rippled slightly, vibrating with raw power.

Small chunks of debris slowly rose into the air, swirling chaotically around him. A large chunk of debris quickly accumulated within the dome, floating eerily in the space.

Turning his gaze slightly, Merlin grinned, gesturing with a single finger. Emily’s unconscious figure gently floated through the air, coming to a stop beside him.

Gregory stared at the unfolding phenomenon with an uncanny triumvirate of foreboding, awe, and dread.

He could feel it.

In the spirit around him, and in every fibre of his being. The raw unbridled power that Merlin was unleashing upon this particular devastated section of the forest.

"For a mere man to wield such power..."

Could he even still be considered a mere mortal? But then again, which of the was.

The broken and mangled trees rose off the ground with a deep groan, then reattached themselves to their stumps.

In the next moment, Gregory’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The ground surged, the cracked ground slowly reforming, and the small bushes and undergrowth refined at a visible speed.

The cracked stumps regenerated, the swirling debris flowing and forming the broken trunks.

Within moments, the gritty rough bark reformed over the woody inside of the trees’ obs using from view.

The sharp scent of ozone disappeared completely replaced within moments by the familiar earthy scent of wood and dirt.

After less than a minute, the whole area was reverted to its original state.

Gregory stared at the restored flora in a daze.

After a while, he regained his voice.

"What...how did you do it?"

Merlin smirked, clapping his arms behind his back. His appearance rapidly changed, within moments. His dark hair gained a few silver grey accents, a burnished beard growing over his youthful face in a matter of moments.

Beneath the dark clothes he wore, his muscles bulged in size stretching out the sleek fabric. Within moments, he’d dramatically increased in size towering over even Gregory.

At this point, Gregory didn’t know what to expect anymore.

Merlin stretched slightly, the sound of a few popping joints filling the air.

"Much better."

He grinned revealing a row of perfect pearly white teeth.

" And for your question, I simply reversed the flow of time in this particular area." He scoffed shaking his head slightly.

"You didn’t think that I’d come, storm this place recklessly, and level an entire section of forest casually without a solid backup plan."

He snagged shaking his head in amusement.

"What kind of mindless brute does that?"

Gregory resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Merlin shook his head in what appeared to be genuine bafflement at the thought.

He slowly descended to the ground with Emily’s unconscious form before gently carrying her in his arms.

" From what I can tell, the girl is quite dear to you, but I’m afraid for the meantime you can only hinder her progress with her powers."

Gregory’s face darkened slightly.

" And what makes you say that?"

Merlin smiled faintly.

"In a way she resembles me. Come, walk with me."

He turned striding towards the forest’s edge with slow confident steps.

The dry leaves on the forest floor crunched underneath his dark boots with every step he took.

Gregory noted the characteristic moistness of the soil beneath his feet.

"There’s no trace of the snow or the ice from the blizzard. In fact, it’s almost as though the harrowing destruction had never transpired."

Merlin spoke softly, the sound of his voice floating tranquily around them.

"As you know, I’m the one who created the device that is now known as the Chronobox. But in fact, that machine is designed after one of the abilities that I wield."

Gregory stopped, freezing for a long second before following the man.

"That’s..."

Gregory bit back the word "impossible" before it left his mouth staring at the figures in front of him with renewed reverence.

The powers the man wielded bordered on myth. But then again most of the things Talented did could be considered mythical.

"And before you ask, I possess the ability to see the rankings of other Talented. It is a que albeit strange ability."

Merlin stopped, the smile on his face growing wider.

"Which is why I had to test her and see. This girl...is a rare find indeed. "

"And what makes you say that? Gregory asked quietly.

Throughout the entirety of the fight, Ii Iosely monitored the amount of powers she was able to produce. And she is undoubtedly a Class A-2 but perhaps one of the strongest I have met."

"Once upon a time, I was like her. And as such I believe I’m better suited to help her on this journey with her and your permission of course.

Gregory went silent, peering throughtfully in the distance.

"Why would you go out of your way to help a girl you barely know. Do you know how many Tamenred would kill for even an opportunity to work under you?"

Merlin shrugged, an innocent smile playing on his lips.

"That is of no consequence to me. And I’ma little bored."

"Do the Videntis know that you’re here?"

Merlin smirked.

"Well, with all this chsos they probably do now"

"Do you think they’ll allow it?"

Merlin stopped, cooking his head to the side.

" You should know, though. I do not answer to the Videntis. What I do is my business, and mine alone."

Gregory’s lips twitched slightly.

"Well,l you have a point. Very well then. I’ll leave the decision up to her.

The two men soon reached the edge of the forest.

A sea of assassins waited for them, staring at the middle-aged man with apprehension.

The large dome slowly dissipated, and with it the glow in Merlin’s eyes.

"Ah, my apologies gentlemen," he laughed shamelessly, shaking his head in the perfect picture of bafflement.

"It appears I got a little bit carried away."

Gregory threw him a bewildered sideways glance.

" A little bit...huh..."