The Highest Place Chapter 19: Meeting Again, Laufey TitanBorn Back On Scene! (Patreon)

Purple lightning shattered the oppressive darkness of the stormy skies, unleashing torrential rain. Amidst the tempest, a haunting silence hung, broken only by the deafening echoes of thunder and the malevolent laughter emanating from the gruesome figure atop a mound of bones and rotting flesh. With arms outstretched, this abominable creature reveled in its sinister triumph, mocking the heavens above. Before it lay not the formidable warriors it had expected, but the unconscious forms of adventurers who had dared to challenge it.

"WHAT SAY YOU NOW!" The creature bellowed, an eerie purple aura enveloping it. "WHAT SAY YOU AFTER FAILING TO EVEN MAR MY COUNTENANCE!" It continued its taunts.

Surveying the battered adventurers, the Lynch found them struggling in the mud, unable to stand. "YOU ARE WEAK, FAR FROM MY EQUAL."

The creature's bony finger singled out Aric, who, though grounded, clung defiantly to his sword. "DID YOU TRULY BELIEVE SOMEONE OF YOUR ILK COULD VANQUISH ME?" It asked, dark green energy swirling around its skeletal digit, forming a malevolent orb of chaos. "HUH?" The creature paused, detecting movement in the distance—a youth with pallid skin, unruly hair, clad in tattered rags. The boy seemed barely old enough to be called a man, let alone an adventurer, yet an unsettling premonition gnawed at the half Lynch.

The Half Lynch observed as the young man, Duncan Chulainn, calmly strode past his fallen comrades. Its gaze pierced into Duncan's eyes, finding no fear, horror, or disgust, but a dispassionate apathy that concealed a hidden well of determination.

"YOU SHOULD BE ON YOUR KNEES, BOY," the Lynch growled, its attention now firmly fixed on its new target.

Duncan looked at the creature and spoke with an unsettling calmness, "If I were to kneel, would you spare these men?" He motioned towards the wounded adventurers behind him.

"SPARE THEM? WHY WOULD I DO THAT?" The creature's voice carried a sinister edge. "THEY INVADED MY DOMAIN, CHALLENGED MY POWER, AND ENDANGERED MY EXISTENCE," it hissed. "I HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF SPARING THEIR LIVES—NO INTENTIONS WHATSOEVER."

As Duncan's gaze remained locked with the Lynch's, a tense silence descended upon the darkened battlefield.

"NOR AM I SPARING YOURS," the Lynch proclaimed, its bony finger aimed menacingly at Duncan. A malevolent green energy coalesced into a pulsating sphere, poised to unleash its destructive force. "DIE, FOOLISH BOY," it hissed, releasing the energy beam hurtling toward its intended victim.

Duncan remained eerily composed, not flinching as the ground quaked beneath him and the air crackled with searing heat. Then, with an earth-shattering "BOOOMMMM!" a cataclysmic explosion erupted, engulfing the entire area. Pure force tore through the earth, and a violent shockwave rustled the trees, sending branches and leaves into a wild frenzy.

Amidst the settling dust and dissipating smoke, Duncan, seated on the ground with his hand shielding his face, slowly opened his eyes. Before him stood a figure, and he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Lyra?" Duncan's voice quivered with astonishment as he gazed upon the unexpected savior.

Lyra, her back still turned to him, held her daggers tightly, her body bearing the scars of burns and singes, her clothes in tatters.

"Why?" Duncan implored, his emotions swelling within him.

Slowly, Lyra turned her head, her face partially obscured. She uttered no words, but a enigmatic smile graced her lips, speaking volumes more than any words could convey.

Duncan's anguished eyes remained fixed on Lyra's lifeless form as her body swayed slightly before collapsing to the ground. Her comrades, still struggling to stand, called out her name, unable to bear the sight of what had just unfolded.

Yet, Duncan paid no attention to their sorrowful cries. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the woman who had shielded him, who now lay motionless before him. Memories of the moments before Lyra's fall flooded his mind—her lips forming the wordless plea to "Run."

A turbulent storm of emotions surged within Duncan, his heart racing, his thoughts drowning in confusion. His fingers dug deep into the earth as a familiar, malevolent voice whispered in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine. "Did you think anything was going to change?" The voice taunted. "She's dead now, you know that, right?"

Duncan clutched his head with both hands, shaking as if trying to dislodge the haunting presence. "Stop..." he pleaded, his voice trembling.

"If you had only unleashed your power from the beginning, you might have saved her," the voice continued with a sick satisfaction.

"No, that's not true," Duncan argued, his voice defiant.

The voice persisted, its words like venomous daggers. "Do you really believe that a halfling like that can withstand our might?"

On his knees, Duncan continued to shake his head, resisting the sinister temptation that threatened to consume him.

"It's not too late," the voice insidiously whispered. "You can still save the rest of these weaklings. Just let me out, let me take control."

"No," Duncan whispered, his eyes slowly turning crimson with inner turmoil.

"Let me have some fun," the voice cajoled, a sick excitement tainting its tone.

"No," Duncan's response was stronger this time, his determination solidifying.

"Let me out, and together we can cause some Damage," the voice urged eagerly.

"Nooo!!!" Duncan screamed, his skin drenched in sweat.

The Half Lynch observed intently as Duncan's body quivered, his eyes fixated on the heavens, pupils trembling, mouth agape.

"DOES YOUR SOUL TREMBLE, BOY?" the Lynch inquired, its form enveloped by a swirling, malevolent vortex. "THEN LET ME CEASE THE TREMBLING." The creature stretched its arms wide, conjuring an immense sphere of dark green energy before its chest. "THIS TIME, YOU WON'T BE PROTECTED," it sneered, its voice dripping with malice.

Then, an overwhelming force, much larger than before, erupted from the Lynch. "BOOOMMM!!!!"

The entire forest convulsed as an explosion of colossal proportions devoured vast stretches of woodland, its inferno tinged with dark emerald flames and suffocating black smoke. The explosion reached almost as high as the menacing clouds above. Trees were catapulted into the air, the ground turned a foreboding black, and deep, jagged cracks ruptured the earth.

"FINALLY, FINALLY, THEY'RE ALL DEAD!" The Lynch's laughter echoed ominously through the desolation. "NOW I AM FREE TO CONTINUE MY EVOLUTION!" it proclaimed with manic jubilation.

MM?" The Lynch voiced its confusion as the thick smoke began to dissipate, revealing an enormous silhouette lurking within. "WHAT IS THAT?" The creature questioned, its shock evident as it beheld the colossal shadow, towering hundreds of feet high.

Amid the devastation, Duncan, with his hands shielding his head, huddled into a defensive posture. He formed a protective barrier, his body steaming from the intense heat.

"DIDN'T I TELL YOU!" A commanding, feminine voice boomed, resonating with unfathomable power.

Duncan lifted his gaze, his eyes widening in disbelief as the colossal figure enveloped him. A massive wall of flesh surrounded him, boundless rivers of brown hair thicker than the sturdiest ropes. Directly above him, a colossal face beamed down with an expression he thought he'd never see again.

"Y-your... Laufey Titanborn," Duncan stammered, his voice filled with awe.

"SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE IN TROUBLE," Laufey spoke, her words alone carrying a potent force that ruffled Duncan's hair. "WELL, I GUESS I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO HELP," she declared, her eyes shifting toward the Half Lynch. "I'LL TAKE CARE OF THIS LITTLE CREATURE, THEN YOU'RE NEXT," Laufey asserted, her smile widening, radiating confidence and determination.