Xavier was high in the sky. He’d leapt to the greatest height his Strength could take him, and was observing the oncoming stampede with an impassive look on his face.
Seeing the Rhinoceros Monkeys stirred his blood, made the bestial part of him—a part that was growing—fill with anticipation.
He was here, once again, to fill his soulkeeping reserve—a reserve that was only becoming larger with each passing day as his soul spells continued to advance through ranks.
On his way to the stampede, he’d killed as many beasts as he could manage, growing his reserve until it held two hundred souls. It wasn’t a great deal, but he knew it would be enough to cause some chaos.
He grinned as he fell back to the ground. Offering up one hundred souls the last time he’d used Soul Sacrifice had given him ten seconds with the bridge to the Otherworld open. According to Rhaalir, each unit of ten souls equalled a single second of the bridge being open. That meant he had the potential to keep the bridge open for an entire seven minutes if he were to use up his entire soulkeeping reserve.
Xavier wondered if he would ever be in a position to do such a thing.
There was a downside to the spell, however—other than the chaotic nature of the spirits it summoned. It had a hard cooldown, one that never shifted. It could only be used once every twenty-four-hours. Xavier felt as though that was a rather severe drawback. It certainly made it difficult for him to rank the spell up. The only reason he could use it again so soon after the first time he had was because he’d gained a level on his way here.
He fell to the ground like a stone, landing with enough force to make a crater. Xavier’s body was so densely packed with muscle that he was significantly heavier than a normal human being. He didn’t know how heavy—perhaps four or five hundred pounds. Maybe significantly more.
Certainly more than would make sense when one looked at his build. But the Greater Universe did strange things to people, especially as they grew higher in power.
The stampede did not slow. He could see it through the trees, trampling everything in its path. This stampede was much like the last, and like the last from what he could tell it held at least five thousand beasts.
More than enough to refill his reserve.
Xavier wasn’t here to dally. He’d fought a stampede exactly like this before, and he found no pleasure in delaying the fight.
All right, that was definitely a lie. He couldn’t help but find some pleasure in it. In fact, there was a part of him that wished to linger here—to rip every one of the beasts limb from limb and feast on the marrow in their bones.
God, I’m beginning to sound like the dragon…
And he could feast on them, if he wished—these were E Grade beasts, all but their alpha. He would not be risking accidentally assimilating something from a being that he wasn’t ready for.
But he didn’t wish to give into that part of him—not fully—and he wasn’t about to start now.
Xavier cast Soul Sacrifice, using two hundred souls. The bridge opened before the stampede made it to him.
Chaos ensued as the spirits flowed out from the bridge. Just like the last time, the Spirit of Vengeance was the first of the spirits to emerge, the great dragon releasing a roar of triumph at being summoned to this world once more.
No. He’s not the Spirit of Vengeance—not right now. Right now, he is Volkarin. One of the seven most powerful beings in the Otherworld.
That was something he was still trying to come to terms with, but there was nothing to be done about it. He accepted that this spirit was close to him. It wasn’t the first time someone powerful had taken an interest in him, after all.
Though something he had observed was that the spirit wasn’t as powerful as it was when he used Summon Otherworldly Spirit to bring it to this world. There were limitations for how strong the spirits he brought here through the bridge could be—limitations that hadn’t been mentioned in the description of the Soul Sacrifice spell.
But it was something that made a deep sense to him.
Any spirit could potentially come through the bridge the spell created, which meant that even A Grade spirits could pass into this realm from his spell—but those spirits would be severely limited in power, a power that was relative to Xavier’s.
But, considering how powerful Xavier was…
A dozen spirits made it through the bridge. Three times as much as the first time he had utilised this spell. They tore through the stampede like a bull trampling through a rat warren. There was nothing the stampede could do to resist.
Xavier relished in the destruction his spell was causing and looked for the nearest target. He wasn’t worried about the alpha. He’d defeated one just like it, after all.
No, right now, his mind was consumed by the next task after this one. He had told Rhaalir there were things he must do before the C Grade raid, but that time was fast approaching—only a few days away. He didn’t feel ready, not really, but he knew that this—fighting a C Grade enemy while he was only E Grade—would be an astonishing thing to accomplish.
What he needed to do before that was bring himself as close to advancing to the next grade as possible. He needed to be as strong as he could be.
Which meant he needed to get to Level 200 before the raid.
Xavier, having sighted his target, did not cast Time Alteration as he had the last time he was here. He wished to see his spirits wreak some havoc before he brought up the bubble, wanting them to do as much damage as possible in those twenty seconds.
Xavier felt death after death, harvested soul after soul. He tore through the ranks of the stampede with claw and fang, slicing and tearing through the enemies before him.
His mind was split, and a part of him was dedicated to one thing—counting the number of kill notifications.
In the first five seconds, one hundred of the enemies had been killed, but that had been because it took a moment for his spirits and himself to reach the bulk of the enemies.
In the next five seconds, over five hundred Rhinoceros Monkeys lay dead on the ground.
Blood did not stain Xavier’s robes, but it did stain his teeth and mar his claws. At one point in those first twenty seconds of the battle he heard a loud, terrifying roar. It was not the roar of one of the enemy beasts. His first thought had been that it must have come from one of the spirits who’d entered this world through the bridge to the Otherworld.
Then he realised it was he who was roaring—the sound had come from his throat, from deep in his chest.
In the mere twenty seconds that the spirits from the Otherworld were in the Mortal Realm, almost two thousand of the Rhinoceros Monkeys met their end.
The Soul Sacrifice spell ended. The spirits disappeared like smoke on the wind, returning to their natural domains. Xavier hadn’t seen them fight, he had been too consumed with the carnage he caused, but he saw the aftermath of their passing.
Another roar sounded the moment the spirits disappeared. This one, he knew, hadn’t come from him—it came from the alpha.
Xavier finally cast Time Alteration, then he carved a path of destruction through the rest of the stampede, until—just as before—the only enemy still standing was the alpha.
Their fight did not last very long.
~
Rhaalir stared at him. His expression was blank, yet at the same time intense. Xavier’s eyes seemed to be playing tricks, because he could swear the elf looked more solid than he had before.
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You truly are something else, Xavier Collins.
Xavier was sitting inside Hunter’s Home, sipping a mug of coffee that Liana had brought to him. He was the only one who could see the spirit of the elf standing before him—several times, other Champions had stepped through Rhaalir, and the elf would give them a sour look of disdain.
In the time since he had made the contract with the spirit, Xavier had brought his ranks up even closer to 100. His Soul Sacrifice spell gained ranks far faster than he could have hoped. Rhaalir told him that the calibre of spirit the spell attracted often gave the spell more power—and what spirit was more powerful than one of the Seven?
Xavier didn’t gain more time from the spell, despite how many ranks he’d achieved in it, nor did the cooldown shorten. But he did attract more spirits each time he cast the spell—that seemed to be the main difference in the rank. That, and the fact that the spirits had access to more of their own power.
Xavier savoured the taste of the coffee. Though as much as he loved what Liana brewed for him, it couldn’t live up to the coffee he’d been given by the older version of himself.
I don’t feel ready, Xavier replied with his thoughts to the spirit.
Even though he had reached Level 200, and even though the majority of his ranks had reached 100, he simply wasn’t feeling confident about this raid. He wasn’t about to back down—the rewards on offer were simply too great—but he still had his doubts.
He had asked Liana if she had any wish to participate in the raid. She hadn’t completed the expected number of Hunt Quests the raiding parties wished for, but he might be able to get Felecia to vouch for her.
The time mage didn’t want to have any part of the fight. She had taken a room at the Hunter’s Home, something Xavier hadn’t even considered doing, and was lying on the bed in a time bubble of her own that sped the passage of time for her and her alone, meaning she was basically frozen there while time passed around her.
Though she had been the one to counsel patience in him, she had reached the end of her rope when it came to remaining in this floor. She still believed Xavier might find a solution to her problem, and for this reason alone she didn’t leave the floor. But that didn’t mean she wished to spend an extra moment here than she had to.
Xavier almost felt guilty, keeping the woman here. He’d made a promise to her that he didn’t know if he would be able to fulfill. Certainly the doubts were creeping in right now, when he was about to face his first C Grade beast.
He didn’t count The Nightmare. That beast had never been aware of his presence. If it had been, he was sure his control over it would have been short-lived—then his life would have likely been forfeit.
When you told me of this goal of yours, I thought you were the most foolish, arrogant Denizen I ever had the misfortune of encountering in all the different universes. However, now that I have seen the way you fight, the way you excel, I think perhaps it was I who was foolish in my prejudgement of you. Even if you’re not an elf.
Xavier smirked and shook his head, then he sipped from his mug once more. Ah, coffee, glorious coffee. Perhaps this brew was better than he gave it credit for.
I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Xavier replied.
There wasn’t long for him to linger on these thoughts. Felicia had told him that today would be the day of the raid, and that the leader of the raid would be gathering everyone out the back of the tavern to talk about their Hunt Quest, and the strategy that would be used against it.
Xavier had tried asking questions about who the leader of the raid would be. He didn’t spend a whole lot of time at Hunter’s Home, and didn’t really know any of the Champions who were there.
The barkeep was being oddly tight-lipped, simply stating that the Champion was a competent one.
“They’re gathering now,” Felicia said. “You can take that mug out back with you if you wish.”
Xavier had been grasping the coffee mug with both hands. He’d almost drank the entire beverage, but he wasn’t about to abandon it. He gave the woman a curt nod then headed to the back door of the tavern.
The door was propped open, and he was only one among many who were filing out of Hunter’s Home. There was a large, tiled area here that Xavier hadn’t seen before. A fence surrounded the area, and he sensed there was something magical about it. Perhaps it kept beasts from entering.
This does feels like an extension of the Safe Zone.
Several hundred Champions, each in groups of four, stood mulling around, facing the back of the courtyard. There was a small box on the ground, but no sign of the Raid Leader Felicia had mentioned.
Xavier glanced about at the different Champions. When he had first heard about these raids, Gimble had told him that the raiding parties didn’t accept a Champion unless they had completed at least one hundred Hunt Quests—which meant that every single Champion before him had done just that.
There was a general murmur and excited chatter buzzing around the area. A few people glanced his way with curious looks or frowns, but none tried to speak to him.
The chatter died down, and an expectant silence reigned over the courtyard as someone stood on top of the box.
Xavier blinked, then chuckled to himself. He knew the person standing there—the Raid Leader—it was none other than Gimble the dwarf.
Which meant the dwarf, for one reason or another, had lied to Xavier about who he really was. He’d made it out like he’d only made a few kills in this place. Xavier’s curiosity outweighed his frustration about being misled.
Why would the dwarf have cause to lie to him? There must be a reason, and Xavier was keen to find out what it was.
Gimble’s party, Tam, Elinae, and, Lilta, stood arrayed in front of him as the dwarf cleared his throat and spoke in a strong voice that could be heard by everyone in attendance.
“Welcome, welcome, to my fifth raid as Raid Leader of the one hundredth floor.” Gimble puffed up his chest, raising his chin in the air. The pride he felt at being here was evident. “It is good to see so many eager faces. Some of you have been through these raids before, some of you have only just qualified. You all know the dangers we face, and the commitment you make by participating in this raid.”
Xavier glanced around at the others. He wasn’t sure what commitment the man was speaking of. He was beginning to feel out of place, standing alone. As far as he could tell, he was the only Champion there that wasn’t actually in a party. Though he should have known that already. Liana was the only other Champion he’d encountered soloing this floor.
“By joining this raid, you agree to follow the orders of me, the Raid Leader, during the Hunt Quest against the C Grade monster I’m about to tell you of. This will mean every single Champion here will be signing a contract to that effect. Without a clear chain-of-command, a raid is utter chaos. I understand the reluctance many of you feel at doing something like this. It is a difficult thing for a Champion to follow the orders of one from another world, but if you wish to remain in this raid, there is no other option.”
A moment later, a contract appeared in front of Xavier’s vision. He narrowed his eyes as he read through it. Rhaalir, able to read Xavier’s notifications, kept making hmm sounds in his mind.
What is it? Xavier asked the spirit. He had read through the contract and not seen anything amiss. Though it did worry him that if he agreed to this, he would not be allowed to retreat without the order of the Raid Leader or one of his subcommanders should the Raid Leader fall.
Just appreciating the contract. It is a sound one, and a wise one for the Raid Leader to have. It is a risk, bringing so many different Champions from different worlds and backgrounds together.
There was a clause in the contract that said a Champion could refuse an order if they knew it meant throwing their life away, or if the order had nothing to do with the raid. That, Xavier was glad for.
Still, he couldn’t help feeling wary agreeing to this. He wasn’t used to taking orders, he was barely even used to giving them. Though he knew he might just be being foolish. If there was no organisation in this fight, Gimble was right, it would be utter chaos—there would be no way they could take down a C Grade enemy if they weren’t working in harmony.
Which made him wonder if perhaps he should have been practicing fighting with these people earlier.
Too late for that now.
Gimble waited for the amassed Champions to sign the contract. As far as Xavier could see, none of the other Champions even blinked at signing the thing. Xavier supposed most of them must have signed something like this in the past. Xavier, biting the inside of his cheek, signed. He was committed to this fight. He might not wish to follow orders, but he supposed it would be better to face his first C Grade enemy within a group of experienced Champions than it would be to face one all by himself.
Gimble rubbed his hands together and smiled broadly when everyone had signed the contract. “Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?” He gestured to the space beside him. A moment later, a transparent image of a beast appeared. Xavier’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t seen a hologram like this since he had first entered the Tower of Champions and they had gone through orientation. He tilted his head to the side and got a good look at the monster they were all about to face.
It was a wolven. He shook his head in slight surprise. A C Grade wolven. But this beast wasn’t to scale. The dwarf explained that it was fifty-feet tall.
A fifty-foot-tall beast? Xavier asked Rhaalir.
It is not unusual. Beasts advance through the different grades in a way that is vastly different to how Champions do. They have a choice of becoming larger as they grow. Some Denizens have this choice, but it is much more restricted. A human could become ten, even twelve feet tall if they so wished, but they would have to change their race if they wished to become taller than that.
Xavier nodded idly to what the spirit said and focused on Gimble’s words.
“This is the Iron Wolf,” Gimble said. He sighed. “Not a very interesting name for such a ferocious beast, I know, but as you’ll see, it’s not one to be underestimated…”
The hologram became larger. The wolven was grey furred, like the alphas Xavier had faced in the forest, except the fur… well, it wasn’t strictly fur. It was metal. It reminded Xavier a little of the Stone Bear, but he knew as a C Grade beast, this thing’s Toughness would be on an entirely different level.
“The Iron Wolf commands a host of D Grade beasts, roughly three hundred of them. At any time, it can call upon those under its command and teleport them to its location. This D Grade beasts will prove quite a nuisance if they are not swiftly dealt with. We do not want to be fighting a battle on multiple fronts if we can help it.”
For a moment, Xavier wondered where the dwarf had gained this information. But he supposed Gimble had access to sources all over the Greater Universe—something the System had barred Xavier from being able to do.
“I will separate the parties into several different groups. First among those groups is the Vanguard.”
Xavier leant forward as the dwarf began to assign the different Champions amassed in the courtyard into these groups.
Xavier wanted to be in that vanguard.