I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Chapter 572: The Looming Threat

The light of dawn finally pierced the sky, breaking through the darkness as the red vortex and swirling clouds faded into nothingness. The long, harrowing night had come to an end.

Erend stood there with his aching body, covered in bruises, cuts, and dirt. His scales are gone now. He was staring at what remained of the Great Calamity. A foul, bubbling pool of black liquid that reeked of rot and decay.

The stench was unbearable, but it wasn't just the smell that pressed heavily on his heart. The Great Calamity's words still echoed in his mind, lingering like a curse he couldn't shake.

"The worlds are many... enemies will come from all sides..."

Even in victory, Erend felt a gnawing sense of danger and threat. If what the Great Calamity said was true, this battle might have been just the beginning. His loved ones could still be in danger. The threat wasn't over. It might never be over.

Erend clenched his fists, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him harder than any physical blow. He had won, but the fear of what might come next and enemies even more powerful and twisted than the Great Calamity already burdened his mind. And that fear, the possibility that the battle could spread across worlds, haunted him even in this moment of victory.

"Erend!" a weak voice called out from behind.

Snapped out of his thoughts, Erend turned and saw Eccar lying on the ground. He was barely able to lift his head.

The faint glow of Magic that had saved him moments ago had faded completely from Eccar's hands. He looked utterly drained, his body motionless except for the small movement of his lips.

"Help me, damnit," Eccar rasped, his voice hoarse and weak.

Erend cursed under his breath, realizing just how badly Eccar had pushed himself. His friend had used the last of his power to save him from the Great Calamity's final attack. Now, he couldn't even move.

Without hesitation, Erend limped over to Eccar, each step sending jolts of pain through his battered body. Kneeling beside him, he saw the exhaustion in Eccar's eyes, the toll that the battle had taken on both of them. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and despite the exhaustion, there was still a fire in Eccar's gaze. It was a shared understanding of what they had just survived.

"I've got you," Erend muttered, sliding his arm under Eccar's shoulder, helping him sit up slowly. Eccar winced, his body stiff and unresponsive but he didn't complain.

"You did it," Eccar said, his voice barely a whisper. "You ended it."

Erend nodded but couldn't find the words to respond. Did he really end it? Or had they just delayed the inevitable?

As they sat together on the bloodstained battlefield, the first rays of sunlight warming their faces, Erend couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. Victory had come but the battle was far from over, not in the way the Great Calamity had warned. There were still countless threats lurking out there, hidden across the many worlds, waiting for their moment.

Erend glanced at the horizon, the warm morning sun slowly rising. It should have felt like hope, like a new beginning, but instead, it felt like the calm before the next storm.

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With a sigh, he tightened his grip on Eccar, pulling him up to his feet with great effort. "Let's get out of here," Erend said. "We need to rest, man."

Eccar gave a faint nod, his legs barely able to support him, but with Erend's help they managed to walk away from the carnage. Behind them, the battlefield was silent. The remnants of their hard-fought battle now nothing more than echoes in the dawn.

As they limped away, Erend couldn't shake the feeling that this peace wouldn't last. But for now, at least, the sun had risen, and they had survived.

From the distance, a group of shadows appeared on the horizon, gradually growing larger as they approached. Erend squinted through the morning light. It was Aurdis, Saeldir, Adrien, Billy, and several other Elves were riding toward them, their horses galloping across the blood-soaked battlefield.

As they drew closer, Aurdis was the first to dismount, rushing forward with worry written all over her face. Without a word, she threw her arms around Erend and holding him tightly. Erend winced from the pain but returned the embrace, feeling a sense of relief wash over him in her presence.

"You did it," Aurdis whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

"Yeah. Barely," Erend replied with a weak chuckle, glancing at Eccar, who was now slumped on the ground, breathing heavily.

Aurdis pulled back, studying Erend's bruised and bloodied face. "We'll get you both back to the palace," she said softly. "You need rest."

Erend nodded but gestured toward the foul-smelling puddle of black liquid that was once the Great Calamity.

"There's still a remnant of that thing there," he said, his voice hoarse. "It smells horrible, but I'm sure you'll want to take a look at it, Saeldir."

The Archmage nodded in understanding. "I'll examine it," he said in his calm, measured tone. Without delay, he dismounted from his horse and made his way toward the vile pool, while the rest of the Elves began assisting Erend and Eccar, preparing to take them back to the palace.

Aurdis supported Erend as he staggered toward one of the waiting horses, her hands gentle but firm as she helped him mount. Adrien and Billy took care of Eccar, lifting him carefully onto another horse, despite the fact that the Dragonborn could barely keep his eyes open from exhaustion. The others moved swiftly, ensuring that both men were secure for the journey back.

Meanwhile, Saeldir approached the pool with a deep frown. The foul stench filled his nostrils and he could still feel the dark energy emanating from the remains of the Great Calamity. His keen senses as Archmage detected the lingering malevolence, the twisted essence of the creature still clinging to the liquid.

"This is worse than I thought," Saeldir murmured to himself, his expression darkening.

He extended his hand, Magic shimmering faintly around his fingers as he called forth a vial made of smooth stone from within his robes. Without touching the liquid directly, Saeldir conjured a faint current of Magic that carefully lifted a portion of the black substance into the vial.

The liquid hissed and bubbled as it entered the stone container but Saeldir remained composed then sealing the vial with a flick of his palm.

He stared at the vial for a moment, his frown deepening. Whatever this substance was, it still held a dark power, a power that demanded further study. As much as it repulsed him, Saeldir knew it was his duty to contain it and learn from it.

He thenturning his gaze to the destruction surrounding him — the broken ground, the remnants of a brutal battle, and the shattered landscape — Saeldir couldn't help but feel the weight of what had transpired. This battle had left scars.

With a final glance at the vial in his hand, Saeldir turned away from the battlefield and made his way back toward the palace, where the others were waiting.

The fight was over, finally.

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