Overpowered Wizard

Chapter 99: Zarian Dies 2

Woo, fuck, that was a close one! Zarian thought, cutting off all his abilities, especially Void Layer.

That was a close one. He’d nearly bottomed out, and that would’ve been embarrassing. Nobody other than Para understood the panic Zarian felt toward the end while encased in void-layered dark armor.

He must’ve looked like an unstoppable fiend as he endured Bianca’s endless light show and heavenly wrath. He was actually cutting it close toward the end until Para knocked Bianca out with healthy doses of face-to-ground medicine.

Unfortunately, the gods couldn’t help but chime in.

“Ah, no. Don’t you dare! Don’t you freaking dare!” Zarian growled.

The gods carried on anyway.

...

Zarian growled as he felt his evil alignment rise. He nearly lost control. He nearly raised his boot and crushed Bianca’s head. Para, thankfully, restrained him as Zarian fought for control against the brainwashing alignment.

The initial change was always the hardest. It seemed like having evil +3 or good +3 hit the limit where anyone could control themselves.

Now Zarian understood why Bianca was so eager to unleash her goodness. She really had it hard. Having +3 in good or evil while under Level 100 was a lot to endure. Any more would definitely lead to total brainwashing.

Zarian refused to lose to his evil alignment while it was only +3.

“I’m not evil. I’m evil aligned. Evil is a tool. I’m not evil. I’m not evil. You won’t control me. You won’t change me. I will use you. You are a tool.”

Zarian stumbled back as he wrestled more control away from the evil alignment. He stuffed it down further and further into the depths of his profile. After a few minutes, he found equilibrium, but he was far from pleased.

Yes, he was more intelligent. Absolutely cunning, even. Hell, he could connect the dots to a few mysteries that hadn’t seemed so obvious to him before compared to now. But the price was too high.

The gods meddled far too much.

“Well, I’ll dole out some thanks. Shadowfell, Hisscreep, The Dragon, I appreciate your disapproval or inattention,” Zarian said darkly. “Everyone else, you’ve goofed up.”

Sinfeast, Goldhound, Sickspread, and Killall were officially on Zarian’s godly naughty list. That included Purgehunt, Purehome, Lawkeep, Kingsblood, and Hopeland.

That was nine gods out of fourteen who were enemies for sure, with Sinfeast being at the top of the list. Evil God Sinfeast had the honor of Zarian as his number one hater, after all.

Zarian huffed angrily and shook his head. He looked around at the devastation made from the super fight of light versus dark, good versus evil. It felt both ironic and proper that the biggest fight to this point came from Bianca. He wasn’t mad at that.

He was mad at the gods.

He took some time to recover his mentality and emotions. He had so much Mysticism he recovered plenty of his aura quickly, too. His wizard hat helped with that.

With Bianca scooped up in his arms, he cast Void Step. He found Gilbert on the northern wall, Hannah and Naomi beside him.

“Keep her tranquilized. Heal all the damage, please,” Zarian said, setting Bianca down gently.

“Yeah, I got her.” Gilbert knelt down next to their Light Princess.

He applied his Tranquilizer Touch +1. Meanwhile, Bianca’s wounds faded away quickly. She would look like her usual pretty and glamorous self soon.

Gilbert also extended his Healing Force +1 to heal Zarian’s eyes faster. The recovery sensation was itchy until they returned to normal.

He didn’t open them right away because Zarian was getting better at feeling out his environment and ‘seeing’ with aura manipulation alone. That might grow into being a useful technique the more he worked on it.

“So it really happened,” Naomi said gruffly, arms folded across her chest. “I’m glad you didn’t hold back too much.”

“I couldn’t really,” Zarian said.

“How bad was it?” Hannah asked. “We were watching from the wall. We didn’t want to intervene, but we were all worried.”

“She’s stupidly powerful despite some key weaknesses she needs to tidy up.” Zarian sighed as Para peeled back the armor and returned them to their usual appearance.

After he gathered his thoughts, he went on to explain his claim: “She’s reaching a point where she can nearly be as destructive as me. But her defense is terrible outside of evasion and outmaneuvers. She should’ve formed panels and walls to box me out. Maintaining my Void Layer spell while using Dark Affinity and Straight Darkness as unique armor was the biggest aura drain ever, and if Bianca had been more patient, she could’ve had me in a bad spot.”

Hannah hummed. “You know, Zarian, we can’t always multitask like you. I think Bianca pushed herself to the absolute limit just to challenge you with her best style.”

“You were freaking blinded and that couldn’t stop you,” Gilbert said.

Zarian shrugged. “I have spectral spiders looking out from a distance. And I used my aura manipulation to feel things out and ‘see’ by touch.”

“This freaking guy.” Gilbert shook his head.

Hannah sighed before saying under her breath, “Truly a demigod.”

“I was nearly out of aura, honestly,” Zarian said, trying to downplay himself.

“I would’ve jumped in if things turned for the worst,” Naomi said, looking out into the distance where the battle had happened.

The kobolds were massacred in the wake of two titanic adventurers of light and dark, of good and evil. There were wildfires spreading across the fields because of Bianca’s powers and the rampage of the hell gator.

The amount of damage Zarian and Bianca put out was incredible when looking at it from a distance. However, Zarian didn’t let that distract him from what Naomi had said.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I would’ve found another way.”

“I have her tranquilized, but how brainwashed is she?” Gilbert asked, still knelt.

“Are you sure the Star System will respond?” Naomi asked.

“It has to,” Zarian said.

The Star System, however, didn’t respond.

Zarian frowned as he looked into the air. Then he asked, “Are you ignoring me because you don’t want to respond or because you don’t have an answer to changing the alignments?”

The Star System didn’t respond.

Zarian sighed. He rubbed his eyes. He glanced over at Naomi who was looking more and more worried.

Something clicked behind her eyes.

She had him figured out, and he knew she would.

“No,” Naomi said.

Zarian smiled a little. “I think it’s time to call in those connections.”

“The cost is too big.” Naomi stepped forward. “We can find another way. Maybe Bianca has to go solo for a while.” Naomi gulped. “Or maybe you need to leave us for a while. Then, after we hit Level 100, Bianca would get in control of herself.”

Zarian shook his head. “The gods are playing hard ball. More so now than for anyone in the Lesser Worlds, I bet. And it’s because of me. They won’t let things go normally for Bianca or me.”

Naomi looked down and balled her hands into shaky fists. She spoke through gritted teeth. “Leave us behind, Zarian.”

“No.”

“What you’re planning is so colossally stupid we might lose you forever. What makes you think your origins are enough to make a big sweeping change and ... and ... bring you back to us?” Naomi asked. “You’re proposing that solution, aren’t you? You’re going to off yourself!”

She clutched the medallion with one hand while breathing hard. Zarian had never seen Naomi panic like this.

He didn’t know why he wanted her here for this, either. It would’ve been easier if he were alone. But maybe he needed to see her reaction before making a decision that could change everything.

“It has to work,” Zarian said. “Either that or the Star System makes another change for me. It did it once. It can do it again.”

A blue alert appeared that both he and Naomi could see.

“See! The Star System can’t do what you want, Zarian!” Naomi shouted. “Please consider other options.” She bit the edge of her lip before saying, “Sometimes, we can’t always get what we want. That’s ... just how things are.”

Zarian looked at her like she wasn’t Naomi Washington anymore. He couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. It disgusted him a little.

She must’ve picked up on that and backed away, more so out of shame. He hated to see that from her.

There was a long silence. So many things could be said, but they were left unsaid instead.

Zarian sighed and rubbed the back of his neck again. Then he let out a low chuckle that turned into a hearty laugh.

Naomi looked at him like the madman he was.

“Sorry, sorry, it just hit me that the martyr classes were actually fitting,” Zarian said. “I love my friends. Even when you’re not always the best of people, you’re the type I like to be around. I’m willing to sacrifice everything for those types of friends. I’m willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for Bianca, Gilbert, Hannah, and you. So ... I can’t accept the idea ‘that’s just how things are’ when I know deep down I have something that can make a change. I just ... have to trigger it. Maybe my real parents will finally show up or something.”

Naomi looked at him hard and long. Then she said with a croak, “What if you’re wrong?”

“What if I’m right?” he asked with a grin.

“This isn’t the evil alignment talking?” Naomi asked. Then she shook her head. “No, the evil alignment wouldn’t do something like this. But Zarian ... you’re more likely to be wrong.”

“I’m Zarian Darkrun, and I like my chances.” There was a hint of magic behind his name when he said it with more weight, intention, and meaning. It was enough for them both to feel it.

Naomi shivered. Goosebumps covered her exposed skin.

Ariana Darkrun appeared in the room’s corner behind Naomi. No dream this time. His ghostly little sister was here for a reason, as if what Zarian was about to do summoned her.

Ariana smiled silently. He kept her appearance in his peripherals, not drawing attention to her, while he focused on Naomi.

Naomi shook on the spot, ignorant of the ghost, before striding forward all the way. She grabbed him by the front of his leather armor and lifted him off his feet. She shook him a few times as she growled.

“I swear on all the gods, good, evil, I don’t give a damn, that if you screw this up, I will revive you and kick your ass!” Naomi threatened, with tears in her eyes. “Don’t you dare screw this up, okay? Whatever is on the other side, you get what you’re looking for and come back!”

“Aye, ma’am,” Zarian replied, reaching down to pat her on the head.

She let him go and stumbled back. She looked twitchy. Like she wanted to run in again and stop him.

Her eyes were watery and puffy. She was all rage now, barely held back by her will.

She looked beautiful that way, which was a messed up thought, but Zarian was in a messed up mood. It didn’t help that he had to hold back his evil alignment.

It was no surprise that evil was self-serving and didn’t like major sacrifices of self. He had to fight it the whole time, and he was too stubborn to let it win.

Zarian gave Naomi a two-finger salute. Then he pointed the same fingers against the side of his head.

A gold notification appeared in the open this time.

Ignoring the Star System, Zarian spoke to his literally closest companion, his cloak. “Sorry, Para, for what’s going to come. I hope you don’t mind sticking all the way through with me.”

“I’m ready,” Para said. “We will help our friend ... and eat the gods!”

“Atta girl. You’re really the greatest cloak anyone can have.”

Another notification appeared. This time, it was a red alert.

“I alone am the Honored Outsider,” Zarian said. “I do what I want.”

Naomi watched, her tears streaming. Ariana grinned widely and revealed her hidden fangs. And Zarian pulled the trigger.