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 struggled to move her arms and legs, trying to get closer to the party fighting a knight at the far side of the dining hall. The agony in her chest from the infection writhing nearly paralyzed her.
Sparks danced across Alara’s body as her Thunder spell grew close to fully charging. She started laughing maniacally as the light from the arcs brightened and drove away the darkness of the room. As soon as the spell finished, the illumination vanished, and a stillness rushed in to fill the void. Then from overhead, through the darkness, a bolt of lightning struck the knight for 20% HP, bringing him down to 60% total health. Then the roar of thunder filled the space.
The knight then stopped engaging Emu and turned to dash for the mage, who began fast casting another round of Thunder.
Haru sputtered and gasped as she continued to drag herself closer to the fight, still greatly out of range from being able to heal any of the party.
Opti recovered from his stun, and leaped off the table, toward the knight. He used Provoke mid-air and landed with sword brandished. Then after a short moment, he used Line Breaker, closing the distance but dealing no extra damage as the stun didn’t proc.
In an instant, the knight spun on his heels and charged the legionnaire down. The moment he got in range of Opti, the knight auto attacked. The legionnaire’s shield procced, and he only took 15% damage bringing him down to 85% total HP.
Haru pushed herself to keep going, but each time she reached to pull herself forward, pain surged throughout her body.
Next to her, the demon appeared, sitting on the tabletop with one leg over the other and hands clasped over his knee. “My, aren’t you persistent.” Irae shook his head and clicked his tongue.
Haru ignored him. Though she was suffering and on the verge of collapse, hearing the demon’s voice fueled her desire to keep going. The thought of her best friend Leonora still in quarantine, on the verge of deletion drove Haru to keep pressing forward.
Taci auto attacked the knight for 2%, bringing him down to 58% HP.
Opti also auto attacked at nearly the same time, dealing 3% damage, bringing the knight down to 55% HP.
Irae turned and looked at the four fighting. “There’s no point in saving them. They’re lost. All of them.” Then he returned his attention to Haru. “Just accept fate. All good things must come to an end. It’s an ironclad rule of nature.”
She remembered her kitty friend Vernal was keeping her encounter going in her absence, suffering in solitude. Haru drove her arm forward to pull herself closer, despite the agony that rocketed from head to toe and back again. Her pace quickened with each fetid word the demon spoke.
Irae huffed and shook his head. “Sore losers are so annoying.” He looked to the knight and snapped his fingers.
The knight started charging the ability Hero’s Bane. Orbs spun around its body but this time they were black. A deep growl filled the space as the mob started to vibrate. Then after a long charge, the knight raised his sword. A purple mist formed around it and absorbed into the blade. In an instant, it drove its weapon outwards, away from its body and spun.
The attack’s radius was far larger than the sword’s length and it struck everyone that was engaged with him.
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Opti took 30% damage, bringing him down to 55% total HP.
Emu took 40% damage, bringing him down to 30% total HP.
Alara took 65% damage, bringing her down to 35% total HP.
Taci took 55% damage, bringing him down to 45% total HP.
With a satisfied sigh, Irae turned back to look at Haru, still crawling at an expedited pace. “Everything in this castle is under my control. Here, nothing happens without my say-so. Soon, the rest of the game will be as well. I commend your effort, but it was in vain, I’m afraid. But you—”
From the darkness above, the beating of wings echoed out. Then a raven appeared from the void and soared around near the precipice of the shade above for a moment before landing on the back of the chair near the fireplace. It was Oracle.
Irae’s head snapped to look at the bird. He scrambled to his feet, standing on the tabletop. “Kill that bird!” The demon shouted frantically at the knight while pointing at Oracle.
The knight lowered its sword and pivoted at the hips to look at Irae. Then he traced the demon’s digit to where Oracle in raven form was perched. The knight raised his sword and dashed past Opti to strike down Oracle.
With his enemy suddenly disengaging, Opti blinked rapidly and watched as the knight scrambled for the bird. The pain in Haru’s chest began to ease.
The knight brought its sword high and readied to strike. Just before the blade lurched into motion, Oracle took flight once more, hopping to another chair nearby on the right side of the table. The mob swung, striking only air. Oracle cawed, looking at the knight, then to Irae.
“What are you doing?” The demon shouted at the top of his lungs. “It’s just a bird, kill it!”
The knight again stopped, pivoted to look at Irae, then obeyed by lurching into motion toward Oracle once again.
Alara’s Thunder spell, somehow not interrupted by the knight’s AoE, finished and dealt 20% damage, bringing the knight down to 38% total HP.
The knight turned to rush Alara down. She laughed deviously at the mob as she started to cast another Thunder spell.
“No!” The demon leaned forward, clenched his fists and splayed his arms as she shouted at the mob. “Don’t you dare disobey me! Get the bird!”
The knight stopped, turned to look at Irae, then spun around to rush for Oracle. As the mob rounded the table to close on the raven, she readied her wings once more.
Opti lowered his sword and started chuckling at the sight of the mob haphazardly bouncing between targets.
Taci lowered his bow and tilted his head at the demon. Emu’s pugilist hop slowed to a stop, and he also turned his attention at Irae with a cocked eyebrow.
Haru’s pain started dissipating even faster. She used the back of a chair to get herself upright and limped toward the party, using the seatbacks as a means to keep her balance.
The knight raised his sword once more, ready to strike. Oracle spread her wings and darted across the room, landing on a chair near Irae’s feet. Then she let out a booming caw at the demon.
Irae recoiled and stumbled backward, falling onto his backside before thrusting with his legs to get away from the bird.
Haru was within range of the party and started to heal Opti.
The knight continued to obey orders. After his strike met nothing but air, he burst into a sprint once more and charged down the raven.
Haru’s Mend completed, bringing Opti back up to 100% HP.
As the knight drew closer, the raven didn’t even react to its approach this time.
Irae nodded and cackled. “Yes, yes, get it!”
But the mob rushed past Oracle and continued to round the table, targeting Haru. Once again, the raven cawed at the demon.
Irae, exasperated, did nothing but watch what was unfolding in front of him, laying on his back and propped up with one arm.
Haru then started casting a heal on Alara.
Alara’s Thunder finished charging and struck the knight for 20% damage, bringing it down to 18% HP. In return, the knight targeted Alara, who was on the other side of Haru, and continued rushing toward the party. The mage passed a smug, satisfied glance at the demon.
Haru got ready to end this and tried to target Irae, wanting to put debuffs on him so the party could start attacking him once they downed the knight. But every time she tried, she could only pick out the knight from the list of valid targets. It was as if Irae was one of the NPCs that wandered around Fairbank for the sake of atmosphere. Untargetable, and unable to be damaged.
Taci strolled over to stand behind Alara.
Opti stepped forward and cast Provoke on the knight.
Haru’s healing spell finished casting and brought Alara back up to 100% HP.
To rush to Opti, the knight had to pass by Haru, Alara, and now Taci who stood behind the mage.
As the knight drew close, Taci positioned Alara between himself and the mob. Then he used Trick Attack, disappearing as he passed through Alara and the knight. Then he slid to a stop on the table just next the demon and spun, triggering Sneak Attack and Pummel, dealing 10% damage to the knight, bringing it down to 3%.
Just when the knight stopped to turn and attack Alara, her Thunder spell cast, dealing 20% damage and downing the knight. A cacophony of victory fanfare filled the hall.
Haru reached level 19!
Optifex reached level 19!
ErcuEmu reached level 19!
Alara reached level 19!
Tacito reached level 19!
“Don’t Trick Attack onto me!” Alara shouted at Taci.
The footpad looked down at Irae still on the flat of his back and they locked gazes. A smug smile was painted on Taci’s face. The demon stared, frozen with jaw agape. Then the footpad looked up at Alara and shrugged, returning to his stone-like mild face. “I didn’t feel like waiting for it to reach the tank.” He walked back to the party.
The demon stared at Taci and swallowed hard.