Chapter 167

Demon Summoning Part II

The world was spinning and constricting violently. Just as all those years ago, when all the popular girls began spreading lies about Alexa, she could already feel the same underpinnings at work here.

Mentally Alexa knew she was being played, that the media and its perceptions of her were being turned about on their heads, but she was powerless to stop the inevitable conclusion. The end point of this whole operation was as clear as the ultimate forces behind it.

The conclusion to what was happening for Alexa was simple, she would fight and regardless of whether she won or lost the outcome would be skewed away from her. Worse, she could mentally see the contingencies forming in her mind, contingencies that spoke to the fact that she would have to take her pack and flee through the dungeons going far underground.

At least those were the thoughts going through her mind until she received system quests.

Precursor Sage Quest Found: Destroy the Corrupted Summoners: You have identified a group of Corrupted Summoners who conspired to pull a Demonic Knight to a pre-integrated planet. Remove the corruption from the Summoners and allow their souls to move on to the afterlife. Rewards: Levels, Class Unique Skill: Absolution – (Individual). Current progress 0 / 25.

Precursor Sage Quest Found: Destroy the Demonic Knight: You have identified a recently summoned Demonic Knight to a pre-integrated planet. Remove the corruption from the summoned Demonic Knight and allow its soul to move on to the afterlife. Rewards: Levels, Class Unique Skill: Purge – (Planetary). Current progress 0 / 1.

Seeing the quests form in her mind, Alexa felt a deep-seeded connection to her anger that was bubbling up to the surface of her thoughts. Anger at the fact that her life and pain were little more than a game to elves and orcs alike. Beings who had once been tasked with safeguarding the universe from the ultimate evil, demons. Now, rather than pushing through and eliminating the demonic menaces once and for all, they bickered with each other as if the hardest part had been completed. This was something that both she and apparently the Precursors would have taken offense to. That or maybe they still did, maybe they were still around, there were remnants of their powers and prestige that still lingered. Everything from the dungeons that were designed as universal training aides, and fast travel platforms, to their communications crystals that could amplify the use of power words. Even the fact that their magic was on a size and scale that was able to eradicate all magical patterns, somehow unweaving even the very fabric of Creation Magic itself, something that until recently Alexa had thought was impossible.

As for the rewards to the quests, Alexa knew that they were something that would only be granted to her. Something that only she herself could obtain, as she was certain that she was one of the rare few individuals who was able to not only Absorb Void Essence, but she was so far as she was aware the only one who had been chosen to be a Precursor Sage. The fact that the details of such a rare and unique Class were unknown was no real surprise to Alexa, especially given what she now knew about the state of the universe and the forces still assembled in the universe.

In her mind, she felt that there had at one point been at least one Precursor Sage per pre-integrated planet, though she feels that this is something that has gone missing of late.

Also, with the rewards for her class specific quests, while they did seem ominous, it was fairly apparent from the description that the two unique class specific skills being offered were ones that Alexa could choose to use or not use. Meaning that just because she got them, didn’t mean that anything truly terrible would happen, at least not unless she wanted it to happen.

These thoughts and more flashed through Alexa’s mind. Then as quickly as they began, Alexa dismissed them. One second, her mind raced on about possibilities of future actions, and the next she brought herself back to reality, noting that she needed to accomplish quite a few steps before she could get to those possible futures.

Moving forward, she decided to start with taking out the now Corrupted Summoners. The ones that the Demonic Knight had referred to as his minions. The summoners were fairly easy to notice, they were the now weakened humanoid creatures that were fighting their very natures as Void Essence began corrupting the lot of them from the inside.

The world blurred around Alexa, as she raced as fast as possible, ducking away from incoming Supers and Secret Service agents who had begun to move towards Alexa. Well not just Alexa, but the members of her pack.

“Should we go?” Kylie asked, her voice cutting through everything.

Alexa wanted to say no, but didn’t have time, instead all she could do was shake her head and look around for Gina. While Alexa had missed where Gina was, apparently, she had either read the future, saw Alexa’s head nod, or concluded the truth on her own. Regardless of the reason, Gina spoke the thoughts that Alexa herself had been thinking, “no, we should stay here. There is no telling what that corrosive energy will do to us.”

With that the look of the other members of her pack tensing up and preparing to join her in combat ended.

With a resigned sigh, Alexa saw the moment that Gina raised her hands high into the air, apparently having dropped the now empty orb to the ground.

Meanwhile the dark corrosive energy overhead continued to form and seal itself into a solidified bubble. One that even mundane humans could see.

While Alexa had heard the voice of the corrupted demonic knight, she had not seen the creature. While she had likely missed the chance to play a trump card later at a critical point in the battle, she had stopped the summoning from being able to use her father’s corpse as an anchor point. While that clearly had not been enough to fully stop the summoning, at least it meant that Alexa would not have to deal with battling her father’s possessed corpse, a fact that she was immensely grateful for. This was the last free thought that filled Alexa’s mind before she made contact with the first group of Corrupted Summoners.

As she arrived the Summoners were weak, as they were clearly in just the beginning phase of Void Essence Poisoning. Alexa didn’t know how she knew this, other than a link to a historic database was suddenly available within her mind. The victims were all elves, and Alexa could do one of two options. The first was she could just Absorb the Void Essence from the body of the summoners, as their corruption was not far enough along to fully infect the body, mind, and soul something that was needed for a complete transformation. While it was obvious that if left alone these five summoners would change, they could of course be saved.

At this point, Alexa opted for option two, the faster and more expedient method of cleaning up the Corruption. With her hands imbued with energy, she punched her fists hard into the first summoner she could reach. Her fists, pulling the corrupting Void Essence cleanly from the body and the surrounding air, while cracking the thin elf’s rib cage. Then with an even stronger punch, she punched further, causing even more damage to the already cracked and fractured ribs. From there it was just a third quick tap that sent the ribs cracking inward, causing bone to impale loose organs. It was also on the third strike that any semblance of corruption was removed from the elf.

Gargle, cough.

The elf began choking on their own blood, as they collapsed to the ground. Seeing the first elf down, Alexa quickly made her way onto the next elf, but only after her psychic Analytical Eye (I), a power that worked in conjunction with her Analysis skill perfectly, letting her know that the elf would die if they did not receive proper magical attention. Alexa also knew that anyone who used Healing magic so close to the volatile Void Essence was all but asking for an explosive reaction.

From there, taking out the remainder of the temporarily disabled elven summoners was easy. Each was too busy grasping at their chests, trying to fight back the invasive nature of Void Essence to even consider the true threat placed on their path. When Alexa struck out violently, her devastating blows were met with a combined look of both intense relief, followed shortly by the dawning realization that they were in intense pain as well.

Devouring Palm Strike.

The attack came to her mind unbidden, as in essence that is exactly what her strike was. Her palms were able to expand on the core of a being’s energy and devour the different essences that were running wild within the body.

Each strike pulled forth more and more of the vile magical residue to reside within her. Days ago, this had been too much for her, and she, much like the elven summoners before her was temporarily disabled by the sudden exposure to the violent magical element. Now however she had grown, not only in terms of levels, but in terms of understanding the nature of this magical force.

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Flash of arcane energy.

In her mind, she broke down the patterns of energy. At the top tier was the energy wielded by the Precursors, this was a form of energy that transcended even the most advanced comprehensions of magic. In this category of force and life were divine artifacts like the golden orb, and the ability to use power words that were able to alter and override other forms of magic.

Next was the two-tier split of both Magic and Psionic powers, both equally powerful in their own rights. Magic was scalable and ultimately left to the whims of the creativity of the caster, but it had the drawback of being able to be overridden or completely negated by Precursor energy. Even now she attributed her base class of Absorber to somehow directly be related to the Precursor’s and their ability to take any and all energies and break them down to their base components. After having been exposed to the brilliance of the golden orbs, Alexa found that her Creation magic could also be broken down by her class’s innate powers, if she so directed her attention to doing just that. By and large her class seemed to be able to avoid destroying her own magical constructs, unless she actively focused her mind on using her class to break down and Absorb the very energy she used in her magical endeavors.

When it came to the realm of psychic powers and phenomena there was so much more to the branch of power than she first anticipated. First, she thought like many that the scope and scaling ability of psychic powers meant they were weaker, which in a grand scope of the world is true. However, she soon found that her Absorber class was seemingly incapable of dissolving parts of her Psychic powers, even when actively focusing on doing just that. This led Alexa to her second major conclusion about psychic powers, that being that they were limited in such a way that they became unbreakable by other powers. It was this second aspect that made psychic powers that much more appealing, as it seemed there was no true negation for them, at least not one that Alexa had found.

Her advanced mind held this thought in the midst of combat, and then just as quickly as the full ramifications of her thoughts came, she instantly dismissed them as this was not the time nor place for such thoughts.

Focus.

Mentally Alexa was screaming at herself to focus, to move faster, to take down these different pillars of magic that were still creating a portal to another dimension. Powers that were being used to allow a demonic knight the ability to transfer from its realm to her planet.

Fifteen strikes in ten seconds, that is how many strikes Alexa had used to disable the already stunned corrupted elven summoners. With the last of their bodies falling, Alexa stomped her foot into the center of the still pooling Void Essence. In her mind she saw everything with just a scan of her eyes.

Over to the left was a sealed case, one that the elves apparently used to move and deal with Void Essence crystals. Why they were in such a case to begin with was unknown to Alexa, maybe they treated it like nuclear waste and thought that exporting as much of it as possible to newly and pre-integrated worlds it would be a cheap and effective way of dealing with the waste product. It was also clear that somewhere along the lines the elven researchers found ways to use the Void Essence, ways that were meant to create a scorched earth effect. Had infighting really gotten so bad between the elves and the orcs that they would resort to such tactics? Alexa had the thought, then with a scoff she instantly dismissed it, as the thought was foolish as she believed that the elves would use it against a rival faction that was gaining too much favor.

Alexa’s thoughts surged out of control, even as she raced her way towards the next glowing pillar of magic. In her mind, she knew why her thoughts were roaming so wildly. First, her emotional mind was fully awake and engaged as she felt the thrill of new and foreign energies entering her. Now, aided by how advanced her class was, she felt the Absorption of Void Essence, as little more than spicy flavoring for her food. If you weren’t prepared for it, it might go down the wrong pipe, but if you were prepared it would add much needed flavor. No, the combat with the weak and often moaning for death summoners was not her concern. What was her concern was the final boss, the demonic knight that had been or was still in the process of being summoned. Alexa didn’t know for certain, she assumed he was here, otherwise she wouldn’t receive a quest to destroy the monster.

No, what concerned her the most was the shape of the demonic knight, or to be more specific whose shape the demonic knight would take. In her mind, she had felt him, her father, it was a quick and painful glance, but it showed the fact that her father’s soul was being used as part of this obscene ritual. That in so doing this ritual the elves who had willingly thrown themselves at the casting of this ritual opened themselves up to the very corruption that now ate at her father. The very corruption she was now tasked with removing. Honestly, it was a good thing the system, the Precursors, or whoever was left watching over everything had given her a class quest to remove the Void Essence, otherwise she would have left the elves to rot in their eternal pain. As it was, she was moving from group to group, Absorbing the Void Essence that each had used to corrupt her planet. The very same essence that was now destroying them from the insides, making them more than rotting punching bags.

A quick glance at her quest tracker showed she was even making good speed.

Precursor Sage Quest Found: Destroy the Corrupted Summoners: You have identified a group of Corrupted Summoners who conspired to pull a Demonic Knight to a pre-integrated planet. Remove the corruption from the Summoners and allow their souls to move on to the afterlife. Rewards: Levels, Class Unique Skill: Absolution – (Individual). Current progress 15 / 25.

Just two groups left, and it seemed that this first quest would be over almost as quickly as it had been given to her.

“What have you done!” The voice of Vibranium the leader of The Clan, Europe’s most powerful group of supers cried out. His purple uniform taking on an ominous hue against the blood read backdrop that was their would be prison.

Of course, things could never just be easy. Alexa unheeding of the call charged forward, the fourth and final group of her system appointed mission being right there, just within reach.

Thunderclap!

A bolt of purple lightning surged down from the heavens, the impact landing directly in between a charging Alexa and the fourth group of corrupted elven summoners.

The only thing was, the spark landed on the ground that was fused with Void Essence, essence that reacted violently with any other type of magic.

Whoosh!

There was a quick nuclear reaction of energy, as the Electrical Magic of Vibranium met, and then was violently repelled by the Void Essence. The results were as one would expect for anyone with a basic understanding of magic and the way magical properties interact through the medium of physics. Namely, they reacted violently, the bolt of glowing purple lightning first struck down, then was instantly met with a force of energy that was both equal to the direct sending path and exponentially increased in terms of magnitude and severity.

BOOM!

A reverse Vibranium powered infused burst of energy followed the inverse path it had used to hit the ground, causing a gigantic bolt of power to strike Vibranium squarely in his outstretched hand. The blast didn’t end there, as the blast continued up the arm, and burst into his chest, where his internal organs flashed brightly for a second, before dissipating.

The blast was not linked to just Vibranium, as everyone on the ground was also affected by energy dispersal. The corrupted elven summoners felt their energy surge into their bodies and instantly cause internal explosions to occur within their own bodies, causing them to bleed out and nearly die.

That is when the world seemed to stop, as Alexa was met with a message.

Precursor Sage Assistance: You seem to be met with a force of enemies far greater than originally anticipated. Since you are still level 1, would you like to deploy the forced assistance mode? Yes or no?

Seeing the message Alexa blinked, or at least she tried to, but it was as she had thought, time or at least her ability to comprehend facts had slowed down around her. At this moment, she realized this moment would take as long as it took for her to come up with an initial reply. Never wanting to turn down help, Alexa chose the immediate response. “Yes.”

Precursor Sage Assistance Mode Activated: Minor Purge Field Activated: For the next thirty minutes anyone who attempts to harm or hinder your progress towards the completion of your Precursor Sage prescribed goals will be Purged from the system.

Reading that message, Alexa didn’t know quite what it meant. Logically she knew it had something to do with the class specific skill she would gain from defeating the demonic knight, but she still had no clue where that creature even was.

“What?”

“Huh?”

As it turned out other Supers who had been coming to assist Vibranium received a similar message. Alexa didn’t know what it meant, other than someone was finally looking out for her. With that in place Alexa focused her efforts on cleansing the Void Essence from the quickly dying elven summoners.

“Stop in the name of Justice!” The voice of Wondra boomed out shaking the ground and causing Alexa to turn to see the famed Apex Super staring at her with her eyes glowing with a golden flare, as even her hair began to flow and ripple.

Shaking her head, Alexa turned away from the Super and focused on trying to free the elves from the corruption that clung to their very souls even now. These elves were dead, not in the dying state that Alexa had left the others, but they were clearly passing onto the spirit world as she wasted time dealing with Wondra’s power play. Not wasting any time, Alexa charged forward, and struck at the closest elf, the one that received the majority of Vibranium’s dispersed attack.

Wham!

A quick strike to the elf’s head was enough to absorb the remaining Void Essence that hadn’t been dispersed by the blast. While the blast did spread the Void Essence over a larger area, it did have the alternate effect of not being as potent as it was before. Meaning that now rather than three strikes per elf, now Alexa only needed one to completely clear the corruption.

“I said stop!” Wondra shouted, but Alexa was already in her cleansing pattern striking out in quick succession four times.

Alexa was so wrapped up in freeing the dead elf spirits of the corruption that bound them, that she failed to noticed the enemy to her back.

OOF!

Power Shield Strike of Justice.

The strike was as apparent, as it was who had sent the attack. The shield struck Alexa, throwing her forward.

Crackle pop.

Alexa’s back and vertebra broke, as a shield summoned by Wondra’s immense power slammed into her, causing her to fly over the fifth and final body. Only the fact that the blast hurled her forward, and dragged her over top of the last body allowed her system appointed quest to be saved.

“What? My powers!” Wondra shouted, as the golden powers that had fueled her path of righteousness for so long suddenly left her. Instantly Wondra went from being a woman at the peak of her life and health, to having the body of an eighty-year-old woman. Who crumpled to the ground due to the weight of the ridiculous titanium plated armor that she wore.

Pain.

Ridiculous amounts of pain coursed through Alexa as she cried out, even while her Regeneration powers began fusing the disks in her back, back into place. She was still directly in the center of the dispersed Void Essence, essence that would react violently to any magic she cast, even Healing magic. That was why all Alexa could do was wait. She waited as the other supers all gathered around in a semi-circle, preventing her from moving. Pinning her in like she was a wild animal.

“What did you do?” Night Wing declared, and from her point of view Alexa had clearly done something. First she had killed no less than four groups of elves. Second she had seemingly taken down both Vibranium and Wondra, two of the most powerful Supers in the world with two retaliatory attacks.

Panting.

Just when Alexa thought it couldn’t get any worse, she saw him, the demonic knight.

“HAHAHA! I am so glad you all apparently never learn your lessons on playing with fire.” Alexa’s father, or a demonically possessed abomination of her father appeared, wearing his Warder outfit, that now had red spikes and scales protruding from it. As her father’s once handsome face smiled back maliciously, as a squad of five corrupted elven summoners stood behind him. Each elf was in the throes of making a last and final transformation into a demonic foot soldier.

Despite the pain, despite the fact that her back hadn’t fully reformed itself, Alexa forced herself to stand. Each movement agony, but she used that pain to let her realize one thing. At least you know you are still alive.

And like that, a malicious smile filled Alexa’s face as she fought to square off against the rest of the world’s supers, and the newly summoned demonic knight and its squad of soldiers.

Nodding to herself, she realized this was it, Earth’s defining battle, one that would forever change the course of the destiny of her planet, and she welcomed the challenge.

Gentle breeze.

Somehow a breeze of air blew within the ominous blood colored dome. In her mind Alexa wished it was the Precursors whispering words of encouragement to her, urging her to keep trying. Finally after a long moment, she spoke.

“Let’s do this.”

And like that, the first true battle for the status of Earth began in earnest.