Haru: Acolyte 18/Apprentice 9

Optifex: Legionnaire 18/Initiate 9

ErcuEmu: Initiate 18/Legionnaire 9

Alara: Apprentice 18/Acolyte 9

Tacito: Footpad 18/Initiate 9

Haru followed the party from the decrepit hallway into the atrium at the far end. The bricks of the room’s ceiling, floor, and walls gave off light that was just bright enough to see the faint details of everyone else in the party along with the silhouettes of decorative tables that lined the outside of the room. But anything in the center of the area was impossible to make out. Looking around in the void, Haru furiously attempted to target anything that might be lurking in the darkness, without success.

The group huddled together in the dimness.

After a moment, Opti continued forward with an air of confidence. “Come, the encounters don’t start until we get out into the main hall.”

“How do you know?” Haru blinked.

“This is the first version of the Old Lord’s Tower.” Opti continued forward. “We removed it because the story was taken in a different direction and the area didn’t make sense to use anymore.”

Alara turned to look at Opti but said nothing. Emu and Taci were both equally as observant and silent.

Haru grew nervous with the three just staring at him.

“What do you mean ‘we’?” Alara broke the quiet.

Opti stopped walking just as half his form entered the shadows and he turned to respond. “It’s a figure of speech.” He turned his nose up. “As you might remember, I was in the beta. In a way it feels like I was a part of the team.”

Cringing, Haru wondered why he decided to lie so brazenly at a time like this. Clearly this area wasn’t a part of the game. Emu and Alara, at least, seemed like seasoned players that would recognize when something was not right.

“Perhaps,” Emu folded his arms, “I could see that being the case.”

Alara grumbled. “Whatever. Let’s just keep going.”

Taci shrugged and shook his head.

Opti passed a shamefaced glance toward Haru before turning and continuing into the shadows. “The main hall is this way, get ready for a fight.”

The four followed him into the void and they passed through a wide gateway into a vast dining hall. This room was lit by a pair of black chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. A wide stone dining table sprawled the great length of the room down the middle, with several dozen seats placed on each side. But there was only one seat on the end, in front of a cobblestone fireplace at the far side.

“Welcome, welcome!” Irae’s voice boomed out as the party entered the room. He appeared, sitting at the head of the table in front of the hearth. The demon wore a red robe with black pants and brown slippers. He sat cross legged, dangling a goblet from one hand, leaning against the arm of the wooden chair he sat in. His hair was combed over to one side.

“I found this shabby old place just… laying around. So, I decided to do some redecorating. You know, make it my own. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay.” The demon cackled and his form disappeared from the seat. The goblet fell to the ground and splashed red wine all over the stone floor.

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Alara let off an amused chuckle. “How tacky.”

Emu folded his arms and grumbled.

Taci yawned and scratched his head.

Opti shifted on his feet but said nothing.

“Are you sure there’s no way he changed this place?” Haru leaned toward and whispered to Opti.

“I’m sure.” Opti lurched into motion, walking around the left side of the table. “Judging what changes he’s made before, we’d have already been fighting by now if there were any.”

Emu looked at the legionnaire. “How would you know, and who is making these changes you’re talking about?”

Opti turned his head to look over his shoulder, and then returned his gaze toward the end of the table. “Just a hunch, I suppose.”

Haru felt the tingle of the infection rustling in her chest for just a moment, and then the sensation disappeared altogether. The fact that Emu’s question seemed to bother Opti caused her to worry. She sensed a sudden hostility coming from the legionnaire toward the three. And especially now that they were so close to the demon, Haru was concerned that would cause things to fall apart when everyone needed to band together now more than ever.

“Perhaps it would be best to talk about—” Haru started, her voice shaking.

Opti suddenly exhaling loudly and shaking his head interrupted her. He turned and smiled brightly at the acolyte. “Don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine.”

Haru just let it go seeing Opti’s sudden change in demeanor. Though the stark difference in how he was treating everyone made her nervous.

The clatter of metal armor echoed out in the distance. On each side of the fireplace at the end of the table were two doorways. From the leftmost door, a fully armored knight sauntered forth. The smacking of his armor rang louder with each step closer. It had black streaks of metal embossed diagonally from his left pauldron down to the right side of his faulds.

These imprints in the metal looked as if some sort of beast carved them, but it wasn’t damage. The metalwork was intricate, with flecks of red and purple shimmering against the light of the fireplace.

In a single leap, Opti jumped onto the table and drew his sword. He marched forth, walking upon the mahogany table toward the mob at the far end. “You’re a fool to use that. I’ll make you regret ever even considering it.” He called out toward the end of the table, as if the demon were still sitting there.

Suddenly the affliction in Haru’s chest flared wildly. The rushing onset of the pain threatened to cripple her. She recoiled from the shock and stumbled toward the table to keep herself upright.

Haru struggled and gasped as the infection caused her to writhe. She wanted to call out to Opti, to stop him, calm him, anything. But she could only muster enough strength to hold herself up using the edge of the table.

Irae’s bellowing laugh echoed out overhead, filling the space from nowhere. “This is my domain now. It’s best you learned that sooner than later.”

Alara rolled her eyes and advanced to keep pace with Opti, walking along the side of the table on the left. Emu and Taci walked in formation with her toward the unknown knight afar.

Haru struggled to move. She stumbled from the table to hold herself up with the nearest chair behind the three walking on the floor. Her legs were ready to give out. Each labored step sent pins and needles surging from her heel to her neck. By the time the other four were almost to the far end of the table, she had barely just made it two seat widths forward.

The legionnaire targeted the Wayward Knight and opened with Line Breaker. The stun was resisted, but still dealt 2% damage to the enemy. Opti’s auto attack landed, dealing another 2%, bringing the mob down to 96% total HP.

Alara let off a gleeful giggle as she started casting Thunder. Sparks danced around her open palm as the spell charged.

Emu used Line Breaker on the foe and dealt an extra 2% from the proc, and then also used Pummel, striking an extra two times along with his auto attack, dealing a total of 6% damage to the knight, bringing him down to 90%.

Haru tripped and fell onto her hands and knees. Still gasping, she continued to crawl toward the fight in unbearable agony.

Taci jumped onto the table and positioned himself behind Opti. He triggered Trick Attack, soared through both the legionnaire and the knight, and landed on the other side, pinning himself into the corner of the room next to the leftmost door. Then he spun around, used Sneak Attack and Pummel, dealing a total of 10% damage to the knight, bringing him down to 80% HP.

Then the Wayward Knight started to charge an ability, red orbs spun around him. After a short moment, he used Shield Bash on Opti and stunned him. Then the mob turned to Emu and auto attacked him, hitting the initiate for 25% HP, bringing him down to 75% HP.

Haru coughed and sputtered, struggling to move as she drew closer to the fight, barely a quarter of the way down the table and still too far out of range to use a heal on any of them.

The demon’s voice boomed overhead. “Can’t you see that you were always going to lose? That all of this effort was for nothing? This world is mine now.”