The Devil's Cage

Panda Novel

“Me? I am from Yort Fields… Aargh!”

Krack!

A clear cracking sound later, Kieran broke one of Ager’s arms, his agonizing screams sounding uncontrollably.

The screams grew louder by the second because within the next 10 seconds, Kieran broke Ager’s other arm and both of his legs.

He then threw Ager on the ground like a piece of garbage.

“This doesn’t look like what you people might do. I suppose you joined them quite late, eh? Well, that explains why you are here, carrying out this kind of mission.”

Kieran looked down at the doctor, he placed his foot over the doctor’s head and pressed it down gradually, trying to bury his face into the dirt.

Soon, dirt filled the doctor’s nose and mouth, suffocating him.

Ager struggled! All four of his limbs, despite being broken, shook out of discomfort.

Each time his limbs shook, immense pain followed, and each time the pain tortured him, his face twisted.

In the end…

A dash of electricity appeared in the deepest part of Ager’s eyes, swiftly growing stronger, enchanting his body with inconceivable powers.

A breath later, the electric current in Ager’s body grew strong enough to show itself to the naked eyes. An electric current as thick as a pinky finger danced around Ager’s body like a frantic snake. It didn’t just envelope Ager, Kieran was caught by it too.

Ager seized the window of opportunity, catching his breath with the sudden burst of electric current, since he had been suffocating for quite a bit.

“Do you know who you just provoked? I am telling you, you messed with the wron-”

Bang!

A heavy sound later, Kieran further exerted strength through his foot and the immense pressure crushed Ager’s head like a watermelon.

The electric current dispersed right away, Ager’s body twitching for a while like a frog being dissected in a lab. However, a faint illusory figure appeared out of the headless body.

“H-How dare you!”

Ager’s soul was obviously infuriated, it couldn’t even speak properly because of the anger. But right away, the ghost of Ager smiled coldly.

“Very well. You win this time, but you better prepare for the worst! I’ve prepared something big for you in Smochker Hills…”

The ghost spoke in delight as it thought of something, but Kieran turned a deaf ear and left.

He already got what he wanted.

As for the rest?

Every wrong had its cause, every debt had its debtor.

All life was given and all death was taken.

Huu!

A sudden wind blew across the plains. Cold and quick, it caused the newly formed ghost of Doctor Ager to shiver uncontrollably, even the lightning energy hidden in its soul unable to rest.

The wind whipped up a cloud of dust, blocking Ager’s sight.

“Ryan, what the hell are you up to now?” the ghost shouted, but it didn’t get a reply from Kieran.

It did get some replies from somewhere else though.

Soft whispers and chatter came with the wind.

They sounded like they were mumbling and muttering their unwillingness.

In the end, the whispers and chatters converged and reverberated through the sky and land.

“Give me back my life!”

Hundreds and thousands of souls, those of the plague victims, appeared around Ager’s ghost. The souls were wearing ragged clothing and looked dauntingly thin.

The souls’ appearances weren’t the ugly and horrible look they had when they were tortured by the Plague of Decay. Instead, they looked like their old selves, before they were infected.

Poverty and longing for their next meal were constant problems since their birth, but at least they were still alive back then. When they were alive, they’d listen to songs of minstrels and dream about their next meal.

Everything changed when one of the minstrels sang the song that ended their lives.

They became ghosts, and shortly after, they saw the truth.

They wailed in pain, holding a grudge against the one responsible, begging.

They didn’t ask for much, just the death of the one who had caused this disaster.

However, no one heard their prayers, no one reached out to them.

That was until they heard a voice: ‘I’ll give you all a chance, follow me if you want to get what you long for.’

The voice was cold and dull, similar to the calmness that remained when he turned around and left.

A chance was given to the hundreds and thousands of souls.

And the rest?

Roar! Rawr! Aaaargh!

Every single one of the souls growled angrily, flying towards Ager’s ghost like vengeful spirits.

“Go away! Go away you peasants!”

Ager’s ghost shouted, its translucent body releasing a bolt of lightning, eliminating some of the souls that jumped on him. However, the rest of the souls weren’t afraid, continuing their charge at Ager’s ghost.

The myriad of souls swarmed around Ager’s ghost, the souls overpowering the bolt of lightning, drowning their enemy.

The ghost of Ager was destroyed completely, its soul shattered into pieces.

The Wandering Doctor, Ager, was finally and truly gone from this world.

The myriad of souls had taken their revenge, their grudges were erased.

They were at a loss, crying.

They then bowed at the figure who was walking away, thanking Kieran from the bottom of their hearts, or at least what remained.

Their truest of hearts moved the ‘rules’ that was hidden in some unknown space.

Then, each of the souls emanated a shallow brilliance before all of them flew up to the sky.

Swiftly, all the souls vanished from the air.

The souls were heading to a place that summoned them.

There were high walls, a castle, a fortress; banners, soldiers, war horses.

A blazing red fire expelled the darkness, the bright light giving birth to dawn.

On top of the wall, a familiar figure, Wallun, looked at the souls that flew down from the sky like a meteor shower. He swung the warhammer in his hand and laughed out loud.

“There come the new warriors. Get these lads and lasses some armor and weapons!”

…

Kieran raised a brow as if he felt something. He carefully checked his surroundings but it was fruitless.

After making sure there wasn’t any lurking danger, he stored this moment in the back of his mind and continued back to Gordor Land.

He had been heavily delayed by this unexpected intervention of Ager, although he had reaped enough rewards for it to be worth it. Still, it didn’t mean he will be free in the upcoming time.

Kieran’s time was precious, and this situation was no exception.

He knew that after failing twice consecutively, that ‘bastard’ would not make a move for the time being, at least for the foreseeable future, but ‘it’ would not give up.

Kieran had to find the answer that he seeked and prepare himself to face the one and only, the God of Lightning.

When the Wandering Doctor Ager buffed his horse with divine spells, Kieran had a hunch that the doctor came from a temple.

The bolt of lightning Ager displayed in his soul form provided Kieran with even more evidence.

Ager served the God of Lightning, who was currently missing.

As for what Ager wanted to achieve?

Kieran had a hunch about his motives, but he had doubts as to why the doctor did what he did.

However, despite being troubled by questions, Kieran didn’t slow down at all.

“Your Majesty.”

Roffu, who was standing in the collection space in the manor, bowed at Kieran.

“I’ll leave everything out here in your hands. If you run into any trouble, ask for Luphus. Give me around two days and don’t disturb me.”

Kieran then walked into the tower of books. The door was slowly shut.

Roffu bowed again, turning around and facing the guards with a strict face, carrying out Kieran’s orders meticulously.