Underdark- Unending Abyss Region

Eternal Night- Lower City Ruins

I studied the group below, a large [Dread Hound] with a quartet of [Imp] that danced around a brazier made up the bulk of the beings in the room. Yet they were back by two large Orcs with a Goblin we had come here to kill. The Goblin in question was stopped over a cauldron with a large leather book in one of the Orcs hands, assisting the Warlock with whatever the Goblin was doing.

It was readily apparent the Orcs were uncomfortable with what was happening, but it didn't stop them from being here. "June, call it like you see it," I whispered to the Drow.

"That Goblin will be able to throw some nasty Debuffs, but the Dread Hound and Orcs are the most powerful physical opponents. The Imps will be easy to kill in comparison. Can you grab them all in one go?" the Dark Ranger asked as she studied our opponents.

"Possibly, I will target the Dread Hound and hit the Orcs with my Shadow Bolts to grab their attention as firmly as I can. Concentrate on the Imps, while they are weak overall, their attacks will be a constant drain on my health." I told her as we moved slowly back from the doorway to relay what we saw to the others.

I did have one taunt skill, but it was not a sure thing, but between both the passive and active effects it should work. June quickly relayed everything to the others, and the group issued their buffs. Even though I didn't think the Demons, Orcs, or Goblin Warlock could wield Light magic, I still triggered Shadow Aura.

A burst of deep purple and black energy swirled around me then wrapped around the others as well as the group effects activated. While they were within fifteen feet of me, they would receive additional protection from any Light-based magic. Yet it also ate away at my Spirit Regeneration, the price of the active Aura. Once I reached Level fifteen I had access to Shadow Forge which boosted damage, and at level twenty-five, Dark Strength which would boost physical Attributes.

Of the three support spells, my Shadow Aura was the most important and only one I would eventually invest more than one Skill Point into. "Ready, once you walk out there we will give you three seconds to grab aggro," June told me and I nodded my head as I pulled Moonlight from its sheath as I felt a burst of excitement from the blade.

I stopped and looked at Drex, "Remember, as much as I value your assistance with everything here, your life is more valuable to my people. Stay alive." I told the Orc before striding out into the chamber that used to be a basement of a warehouse of some sort.

The Imps let out shrieks of alarm and the Dread Hound let out a snarl, both Orcs heads snapped around to me, but the Warlock kept chanting away. Not good. I triggered Charge of the Dark and with a burst of sooty black energy I was propelled foreword. The Orc holding the book hastily dropped the book and tried to get his ax up, but Moonlight cleaved into his chest as I triggered Tactical Blow.

Half of the Orc's health disappeared as he howled in pain and clutched at the gaping wound on his chest. I reversed my swing, slicing Moonlight towards the Goblin, hoping to take the Warlock out of the fight quickly, but the second Orc interposed himself intercepting the blow. I triggered the active effect of Dread Presence sending out a pulse of red and black energy outwards, but more importantly, every single enemy was focused on me intently and ignoring my companions as they entered the fight.

Arrows and Fireballs rained down upon the enemy ranks as I backed towards an outcropping of rocks to give me some protection. I could see Drex moving among the Imps, the small Demons were quickly overwhelmed by the raging Berserker. Of my three opponents, the Dread Hound was the most dangerous. It had both the keen mind of a Demon and the savagery of a Hell Hound, coupled with the fact every attack it landed dealt Hellfire Damage, and you had a very dangerous opponent.

I did my best to backpedal while parrying the ax blows from the Orcs, but even with Moonlight, I was hard-pressed, a quarter of my Health gone already. Then June helped out and triggered her crowd controlling spell, Bog of Strangulating Shadows. Black and purple shadowy tendrils appeared all around us, while they ignored me. The tendrils wrapped around the Orcs and Dread Hound hampering their movements and slowing them almost to a halt while applying crushing force and slowly causing damage to our foes.

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I smiled at the Goblin Warlock, who hadn't stopped chanting, and thrust my hand foreword. The Shadow Bolt slammed into the Warlocks chest, dropping its health by an eighth, but more importantly it interrupted Isra Cull's spellcasting. The Goblin shrieked in rage and started gathering green-black Hellfire in his hands, but before he could do anything Drex engaged the Warlock directly.

I sidestepped the next ax swing, but the Dread Hound slammed into my side. Its claws raking my side dropping my health nearly to half when a cooling wave and healing magic washed the pain away. I drove Moonlight's hilt into the Demons head causing it to stagger backward before driving the blade into its back as I triggered Shadow Strike.

A pulse of healing energy entered me as the Dread Hound whimpered and coughed up blood as its back legs collapsed. I ripped Moonlight out of the Demons body and brought the blade down on its neck ending the existence of the thing and sending it back to the Abyss. I looked over to check on the Orcs, but both had collapsed under a steady barrage of Fireballs and were smoldering corpses.

I looked back at the Warlock, Isra was doing her best to keep Drex at bay with a whip of Hellfire, but it was only a delaying action. I saw the Goblin pawing at her chest and I triggered Charge of the Dark, but with a flash of Hellfire, the Warlock was gone. "FUCK!" I screamed as my blade swung through the space where the Warlock had been.

I pulled up the map and zoomed out and sighed in relief. If the information was correct, the Warlock had teleported to where the Orc, Treg Burrows, was currently located. It was both good and bad, the Orc would be on his guard now, but both were in one location. "You know where that little shit went?" June asked, for some reason the Drow took it as a personal affront the Warlock has escaped.

"Yes, with our finale target, the Orc Treg Burrows.' I told her as I closed out my Interface. 'Who knows how long they will be there and begs the question what she was up to with the ritual here." I commented as I moved over to the book the Warlock had dropped. It was crafted of a material that was a mix of bone and substance that seemed to absorb the light around it. Not like my aura, but unnatural none the less.

"We can and should destroy it, my lord.' Drax called as he strode up. 'It is a Warlocks Grimoire, like a Shamans Totem, it is an item of power capable of augmenting the power of its wielder. It will be Soulbound and will eventually return to its wielder if not destroyed." the Shaman informed me.

I bent down in picking it up and immediately felt a jolt of power and overwhelming pain, but then Moonlight roared in anger causing the pain to dissipate and dwindle to almost nothing. "THAT'S RIGHT BITCH, BACK THE FUCK UP!' Moonlight yelled in my head causing me to wince before tossing the book into the flames. 'Sorry boss forgot to warn you, but picking up items that are Soulbound to others can cause problems. For a little thing like that, I won't have too much trouble. It felt like it was crafted by a lesser Demon so the fire should kill it." the blade commented.

I shuddered slightly, "So how were you able to push it back? I have some Mental Resistance, but not enough to overcome that." I told the blade and the other looked at me oddly and I waved away their concerns and pointed to the blade.

Moonlight laughed, "Well boss, I am a Living Weapon and while I can't do that every time, for a nasty piece of shit like that I can." the blade replied before yawning and going silent. I assumed to rest since the blade was still only Level two and had expanded its resources in protecting me from the book's psychic attack.

"Well?" June asked as she studied me carefully.

I wave off her worries again as I cleaned my blade, "Moonlight was just telling me there are consequences for handling Soulbound items belonging to another. I assume without their permission there are defenses in place and I tripped the books' when I picked it up. Moonlight protected me." I told them before putting the blade back in its sheath.

"So where do we go from here?" Drex asked and I smiled.

"The Shaman isn't far from here. If we move quickly we can hit him before he has time to prepare any defenses." I told them and they nodded in agreement.

As we cleared the entrance of the warehouse I spotted two patrols immediately. I cursed as they let out shouts and whistles, "Back! Make a stand at the entrance! June get up on the roof, don't let any escape. Sessa, call out anything I miss!" I snapped out my commands as I ripped Moonlight from its sheath as I triggered the active effect of Dread Presence as I launched three Shadow Bolts into the oncoming Goblins and Orcs causing two of them to go down in a tangle of limbs.

Drex stepped up beside me, a red glow already suffusing his skin as he triggered his Frenzy Skill. Not for the first time, I wish I had a shield, but then I wouldn't be able to cast magic and wield Moonlight at the same time...it was all about tradeoffs. Then I was too busy to think as the two groups plowed into us.