Lord Joyde The Madman: Heylo, Everybody! How are you all doing?
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So this chapter is proving much harder than I expected to think up much less type down.
I don't have a big desk like I'm used to sooo meh?
Anyways, here comes the next chapter of EUPHORIA! I sincerely hope that you enjoy, let us begin!
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Don't mind me guys and girls! I'm just a line break...
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Several Moments Later... - The Chittering Forest - Rhean's Point Of View...
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Warning; your Satiety/Napalm status is now FULL. Eating anymore will make you sick.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! RUN! RUN FOR YO-AGH" One of my current targets screams out loudly as my ember-colored teeth dig deep through his helmeted forehead, my jaws clasping down and tearing his head right off his neck before remembering I can't swallow it and then tossing it aside.
Scanning around myself with Living Aura, I notice a dark elf priest crouched into a corner, her eyes red from crying out in fear. Good thing people can't differ me from a mob... cause this is kinda over-the-top even for me. Grinning at her with my fangs fully shown, I promptly drag my tongue across her entire body before snapping her in half with a crunch.
Poor girl didn't even have the time to scream, but I thank myself inwardly for biting her upper half off instead of her lower half as I see the yellow liquid seeping down her thighs. Suddenly, a blue screen dominates my sight.
Because of your DND status, a message signed as URGENT has been saved into your inbox.
Do you wish to see it now? Y/N
Urgent? Well fuck that. DND off.
"-ust wish that he wouldn't be such a bloody sociopa-ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear." Justika says over the guild chat and I let out a laugh.
"Talking about me, are we?" I say with a laugh.
"Well if you didn't put yourself on DND, there would have been no need to say that, my *Emperor*." Oh god.
"Has Frey been preaching or something? Anyways, what's this about? Did you need me for something?"
"Dude, Frey's preaching about how awesome you are is basically this entire guild chat. Whenever someone new comes in, he makes sure they know what guild they just entered.. Anyways, we found your book."
"My Boo-Oh, you mean as in On Transcendence? Where? And who found it?"
"That would be yours truly, yer majesty. As for where, well its in a strange area called the Ancient Mine that's near town. Thing is, goblins stole it and their new War-god is using it as a weapon. I can see why you don't want anyone else to have that thing, its OP."
"An NPC is using it? What's it doing?"
"He's blasting us with some kinda red lightning, armor is useless, need health to beat him and lots of it."
"Good, I know where I have to go, summon everyone nearby other than those handling the caravan I set up earlier. If we get that book, there's a good chance our entire guild can get access to Chaos-related classes so give it your all!"
"Seriously?!"
"OMG!"
"OMW DUDES!"
"Is this a raid?!"
"Hell yes it is!"
Turning off Guild Chat as I let myself grin and open my map to see that the Ancient Mine is south-west of my location, I promptly turn my wolf form around and position myself. Time to see what this thing's *Traveling Speed* can do.
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Don't mind me guys and girls! I'm just a line break...
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One minute later... - Ancient Mine Outside - Rhean's Point Of View...
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Well now, that was pretty quick.
"They're pushing us back! Retreat back outside and wait for the boss to arrive!" Corez yells out at the top of his lungs as my guild members, around a hundred of them, all fall back outside, the ancient mine's giant stone doors closing as the goblins use metal chains to pull them inwards.
One of them turns around towards my charging form and has his eyes grow wide as saucers."EVERYONE! THERE'S A MASSIVE BOSS MOB RUNNING TOWARDS US!"
I let myself laugh, showcasing my molten jaw as their heads turn around just in time for me to leap right over them and transform back in midair."WTF?" Is the general response to my rather dramatized action as I do a rather classic hero-landing on the earth in front of them and then turn around to face my little legion with a huge, wolfish grin on my face."Well? Are you guys ready or not?"
They just stare at me with wide, gaping jaws and I let out a massive laugh."H-huh, maybe Frey isn't just a fanboy after all, maybe you really are as awesome as he keeps saying..." One of the group mutters out in wonder and I just roll my eyes.
Suddenly, a blonde haired and overweight gal leaves the group and extends a hand towards me as if asking for something and I blink."Found the book myself, expect it all for myself." She says simply as she puffs out her cheeks proudly and I finally notice her name- Justika.
Letting out a massive laugh as I hand over a pouch of gold to the girl with a smile."250 right? Well here you go, Justika. Now then, lets get to business!" I say with quite a bit of pride as I turn around towards the Ancient Mine.
She takes the gold and quickly invites me into their raid group and I can't help but notice their positioning."Frey's work?" Asking nobody in particular as the mentioned saint quickly approaches me."Indeed! Thought you might like not having to strategically position everyone."
A nod towards him is the answer he receives as I turn back around just in time to see a blue screen pop up in front of me.
Raid Group Detected There is a dungeon which would normally require 1-5 people to scale for its normal rewards/availability percentage.
Would you like the dungeon to be scaled to your raid? Currently you have 102 people inside of your group, making 100% of the dungeon (Ancient Azarestrian Mine) available.
Ah yes, I almost forgot about this. In Euphoria, the amount of and the type of experience you go through is limited or adjusted accordingly towards your own play-style."Yes, lets do it."
Phase One - An Uncultured Entrance! The goblins living inside of the Ancient Mine have long since mastered its teleportation pads and will use them to assault you on the outside as you attempt to breach the stone doors to their home!
"Everyone got the Phase One?" I ask as I take a look towards my raid and scan the nearby area. Ancient smelters showing little use over the ages litter the landscape in front of us, several runic teleportation devices which sadly work only one way are set near each one, previously used by my miners to efficiently drag carts of ore to the outside, where they would be smelted and then delivered elsewhere. Too bad that they had to be activated from inside of the mine, but if they didn't then assaulting them would've been easy.
At everyone's nod, I turn back around just in time to see an armored goblin with a black dagger with magmatic cracks around it's bladed edge strike me right in the shoulder. Quickly impaling the damned goblin with a scythe through the neck, I take out the dagger and exclaim."Tanks to the front, casters buff us up, rangers dps them down!"
And then I turn towards the dagger. I know what this metal is... Emberite, the same stuff that Iblis was made off, but without the volcanic energy necessary to awaken it. If the goblins have weapons made out of it then this must be an Emberite Mine. Good...
Shaking my head as I shoot out a Napalm Flare to melt a leaping goblin warrior, I yell out at the top of my lungs."THEIR WEAPONS ARE MADE OUT A MATERIAL BETTER THAN STEEL! LOOT THEM FROM THE DEAD GOBLINS!"
Following my command, Justika takes the makeshift claymore from the hands of the goblin I just melted and promptly swings it in a wide arc, cleaving right through the goblin warriors in front of her before stopping paralyzed with wide eyes."No way, we only managed to kill two of them before! GUYS RHEAN'S RIGHT, TAKE THEIR WEAPONS!"
"YES, SIR!" Throwing the dagger I picked up into the hands of a nearby rogue who manages to barely catch it, I leap towards the door."Push them back! We need to get to the door! Thieves protect the healers!"
Turning around, I notice Corez, one of the rangers inside of my group shooting his crossbow at random targets and I bite my lip in annoyance. However, I also see that the targets he's shooting at are goblin mages and that makes my annoyed frown turn into a smirk. Quickly, I appoint him as the leader of their group."Rangers! Follow Corez! Shoot the same targets he does!"
The Dwarf player is temporarily stunned as he hears me say that before showing another bolt into his crossbow and landing a rather sick head-shot onto a mob."I WONT DISAPPOINT YOU!" He shouts out dramatically as he scans the area for high-value targets and finds a shaman healing the goblins. Then he points towards the thing."There! That shaman's their healer, gun him down!"
"KUVERH!" The things pained scream echoes as a myriad of arrows and bolts and spells promptly decimates him, allowing our tanks and melee's to push further onward. Charging forth by myself, I tear a hole through the goblin warriors and leap towards the gates.
Spinning in mid-air, I blast another shaman with a Napalm Flare, thus melting its head out of existence as I switch back to melee mode and punch a goblin through his gut. Throwing him into another goblin that was charging at me, I impale them both upon my scythes and turn around as a goblin spear-man tears through me with a lance. My guild stops short as they see me bleeding and the goblins all begin laughing, but soon stop as I laugh as well."What are you all standing paralyzed for? KILL THEM ALL!" And with that, I tear out the goblins head, throwing it and his spine aside like a boss as I activate Blood Regeneration.
Ripping the lance out of myself, I throw it right into the head of another goblin before grabbing one by his arm and charging towards a smelter, grasping the machine by its entrance as I let the goblin fall into the mass of molten metal.
"We're almost at the gate! REDOUBLE YOUR EFFORTS, EVERYONE!" Frey screams out to motivate the group just as he stabs his sword into the ground, beautiful swathes of pure light erupting from his sword, healing and curing those nearby of any ails and wounds.
Grinning at him as I cleave through another set of charging goblins, I notice a pair of Chains laying in front of the gate and I realize those are what the goblins use to open the gates. Laughing to myself, I take both chains into my hands."CHARGE OVER TO ME AND PROTECT ME! I'M GONNA BRING DOWN THE GATES!" My scream seems to have gathered both the intended and an unintended effect of having all the goblins focus entirely on me.
Thieves and rogues are the first of my raid to comply as they leap across the warriors and dodge any incoming blow, forming a circle around me as I start swinging the chain in my right hand before throwing it around the stone door's hinges. I do the same with the left one and then grin with madness in my eyes."I'M GONNA TEAR THESE GATES RIGHT OFF!" And with that exclamation I turn around and pull with all my might.
The hinges crack and creak as the ancient, rusted metal fights against my 100+ strength stat and I feel my grin reaching ever greater heights as one of my warriors exclaims."D-dude, what are you, superman?"
With another pull, I spit out a bit of blood as the muscles in my arms feel as if bursting, the hinges creaking even louder as the goblins increase the intensity of their assault. Noticing an elite group of Goblins forming from the runic pad I turn to look at Corez before screaming."Corez! Focus your sights onto that elite grou-" As I yell, I notice a rather large stone hanging just above the goblins and I grin madly."Never mind, I got this."
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Tearing the chain on my right out of the hinges momentarily, I swing it in mid-air before striking against the weathered rope."MAGES! FORM UP A SHIELD OF EARTH OR ICE AROUND US, DON'T LET THE STONE ROLL OVER US!"
With that said, the massive thing falls out of its holds and begins rolling down, easily trampling the group of goblins underfoot, but also destroying one of the runic portals. Shit, I wanted to keep those. Complying with my order, the casters create a shield just in time to stop the boulder from crushing us too.
Having bought us some time, I reconnect the chain with the hinge of the door and start pouring as much essence as I can into my arms."GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARH!" An unearthly roar echoes outwards from my own mouth as my arms literally explode, torrents upon torrents of blood erupting outwards just as the stone door promptly drops downwards, cracking upon the earth below.
Taking in a massive breath, I feel myself smile as I watch the swarm of goblins pulling back to the remaining five portals and disappearing.
Phase One has been completed! Overall raid score - 987/1000
0 Deaths - 500
239 goblins killed - 300
1 teleporter destroyed - -27
Doors Torn Down by 1 player - 200 Your valiant invasion has caught the eyes of Mendrion! +25% healing done
Due to your leaders ridiculous feat of might, all melee members of your group receive a morale boost! +5% damage for the raids duration.
The Gaze of Yyl'rhiad falls now upon you... causing all offensive abilities to randomly curse or horrify opponents. All raid members receive two levels worth of exp, regardless of current level.
Personal Rewards Due to your contribution, you have gained 250 fame.
Your share of the loot of 9 gold, 73 silver and 93 copper. Your ridiculous feat of might has increased your strength by 10.
You have gained a new title, Gatebreaker!
Only ten points of strength? Then again, I'm already past the hundreds, easily considered superhuman... just goes to show how OP Chaos really is in the end."HOLY FUCK! I JUST GOT AN AWESOME NEW ABILITY!"
A warrior exclaims as he shows the blue screen to everyone.
You've gained a new passive skill, Essence Generation! "Every blow must be delivered with the intent to kill. There is no point in wasting yourself by holding back.. strike fast and kill quickly, the rest will take care of itself." - The Chronicles of Rhean, ch 7, pt 8. Essence Generation is a skill normally solely available to those afflicted by Chaos, but due to your innate talent and ability to comprehend it after watching the Archon himself in battle, you have been granted access to its awesome power!
Use to channel essence into any ability, spell or physical attack, in order to increase damage dealt up to five times depending on the amount of health sacrificed.
"Hooh? You got that after watching me fight?" I ask the guy with a smile on my face and he freezes on the spot, a shaking hand rubbing the back of his head as he replies."Y-yeah, sorry if that seems like I stole it."
I shake my head in negative."Nah, that just means you get me. What's your name?"
He steels himself and salutes me."Its Andrew, your majesty!" And then he bows, causing much of the nearby people to groan and cringe, but an acknowledging nod from Frey. I just let out a sigh."Well alright then, Andrew. Keep on staring at me, you might get more abilities like that."
Shaking my head as the pain of my imploded arms makes me fall onto the ground, I manage to mutter out."Grh! A-anyway, could someone heal me? Having imploded hands isn't exactly comfortable."
A myriad of healing streams enters my body as the healers cast their spells and I let out a breath of relief."Wait, Frey said that you always play on 100%.. but with your arms like that and you're just groaning.. that can't be true right?"
I shrug and show them my reality meter, causing most of them to have their eyes grow wide."W-w-what the hell dude? How are you even standing?"
Another shrug from me as I stand up, stretching my back as I turn around towards the newly-opened mine."Dunno, guess I got a resistance from all the time I spent on 100%. I'd advise that you guys also get your meters on 100% or at least 70% because you get MASSIVE BENEFITS for doing it. For instance, if one of us dies here, they'll only need to pay like 1 silver."
Murmurs echo within the unsure crowd as I begin walking towards the door."Stealth classes, I want you guys to get healed and buffed up because you're going scouting. The rest of you.. well, rest up, I guess."
"Sir, yes sir!" They all do a dramatic salute as I repeat my guilds name in my head with a laugh."Lord Rhean! I see you've already started the reclamation of the mines?" A familiar figure rushes towards me as Luciana appears in the distance, a small army of guardsmen following behind her, alongside my new General and Tiara.
The General in question salutes me and speaks."We've arrived to assist you, your lordship! Orders?"
"Charles, I want you to secure the local area and block off those runic teleporters with spikes or lances, any goblin that tries to back stab us needs to be removed. Luciana, I hope you've brought me supplies, my troops can use them." She tilts her head in confusion."W-well, I did bring supplies but.. troops?"
I point towards my guild-members and she oohs before bowing and running off towards the caravan they brought with them.
Turning around towards the general, I speak."I know you and your men aren't going to like this, General, but I'm afraid that currently the best role I have for you is a supportive one. We go in, crush everything and you make sure nothing comes out unwanted, got it?"
He bows with a grunt."As you wish, your majesty... please, do let at least a dozen goblins run outside?"
I let out a laugh."We'll do our best. Just to be clear though, the only reason you guys aren't going in there is because if you die, then you die."
My soldiers eyes lit up with fire."Y..you and the rest of these Destined Ones are suffering in our stead just because you'll come back eventually if you die?"
Corez shrugs in a very dwarf-like way."Meh, don't take it personally laddie. We's expendable, ye ain't, that's all."
"E-e-expendable?!" The soldier exclaims in disbelief as he and his mates stare onto my guild in wonder and respect.
System Notice Due to the actions of your raid's members, the Town Of Incerum will view you as heroes should you succeed!
+all members of the guild "CIL CIL" shall receive special treatment from its inhabitants.
+Imperial Soldier class has been unlocked for the members of the guild "CIL CIL".
+Imperial Mage class has been unlocked for the members of the guild "CIL CIL".
+Imperial Ranger class has been unlocked for the members of the guild "CIL CIL".
+Imperial Shadow class has been unlocked for the members of the guild "CIL CIL".
+members of the guild "CIL CIL" are now counted as citizens of Incerum, belonging to The Unbound class. All members of the guild "CIL CIL" receive a bonus of 100 fame!
"Its common knowledge that Destined Ones eventually return after death... most of the time... but to have absolutely no fear of dying is.." Charles shakes his head in disbelief as I let out another laugh.
"They would not be my allies if they weren't special." And with that, the general and his men bow before us and march away to do what they've been told to do.
Tiara approaches me with yet another blank look on her face, although a slight aura of self-accomplishment radiates around her."Master, my task has been completed with utmost success. My men and women are hard at work cutting down trees in the nearby forest and using the wood to fulfill our given job. It should not take us more than to the end of this day to finish gathering the necessary materials and then two more to complete the school. I have also hired several housewives from the town to clean the blood-stained mansion. I would say that your new school is about 50% complete, your majesty."
A nod as I sit down next to a fire and down some cold water provided by a random guildmate."Good job, Tiara. You've done well. Would you be able to reform the mansion quicker if I got you access to some more manpower?"
She blinks in surprise."Y-yes, t-that would be g-great, your majesty!" With that exclamation, I open up guild chat.
"Hey guys, if there's anyone out there that isn't currently raiding with us but wants to earn some quick fame, find an NPC named Tiara near the old-noble's mansion. We're making a school for kids out of that place. Don't expect payment for any labor she asks you to do but you're almost certain to catch the eyes of Mendrion or Lunarie."
"A school for kids? How adorable!"
"Sounds about right... anyone wanna go?"
"Yeah, lemme just finish selling my junk and we can go."
"Holy fuck, three separate events in a single day? Dude, you are an awesome guild leader!"
And that's that. Closing off guild chat, I turn my gaze back onto Tiara, causing the poor cat-girl to shiver."If you go stand around the Mansion, Destined Ones are bound to approach you and ask what they can do to help, for free of course. Just make sure you make yourself easily noticeable."
With a nod and a deep bow, the girl speeds off into the town."Woah, you can do that?" Justika asks me from behind with a rather flabbergasted voice.
"Do what?" I quirk an eyebrow at her as those close-by widen their eyes at me."Dude, you just basically created a damn quest, how is that even possible?!"
Shrugging at them as I take another deep gulp from my drink, I reply."Its just the way you word things.. Euphoria is a living, breathing world after all, who said that the things one of us does only have to apply to that person? I mean, as the Town's Lord, I can tell a guard to find a Destined One to gather some wolf pelts in exchange for a sum of money. Sure enough, that guard will be actively looking for a player who is willing to do so and thus, creating a quest."
They all blink in wonder."Huh... never even thought about it that way... just goes to show how experienced you are compared to the rest of us." Justika shrugs as she chomps on a piece of cooked meat.
"L-lord Rhean! T-the supplies you've requested are here." Luciana says after rushing towards us once again and I nod."Good! Please distribute some of them to my friends here as we will be leading the offensive further into the mines after our rest."
With a bow, she orders several maids around as they bring my guild mates food, water, potions and any other supplies necessary for this kind of expedition.
System Notice Due to having an active supply line, all members of your raid group receive a 20% bonus to all regeneration!
Due to having an active supply line, all members of your raid group cannot fall beneath 40% satiety, with the exception of character Rhean, due to his special satiety meter!
Well that's a way to call me out..."Special satiety meter? How dafuq can that be special?"
I shrug."Remember that Napalm Flare spell I used? Well, it takes Napalm to cast it and that's another resource bar for me... it replaced my Satiety."
"So you what, fabricate it inside of you before using it?" A random dude asks with a chuckle and I nod, causing his jaw to drop."Woah..."
Standing up, I walk over to the smelters and remember that the goblins had special weaponry."Guys, we need to loot ALL of the goblins weapons. We can salvage them for much stronger ones later on."
Blinking at me, Justika and the others all stand up, promptly scaring the NPC soldiers."W-whats going on? A-are you going back in there already?" One of the soldiers asks and I shake my head in negative.
"The goblins are using weapons made from a special alloy and, although very makeshift, the weapons are much better than common steel. We need to loot all of the corpses so we can use the metal later on." The soldier makes an audible oh sound before relaying the unsaid command to his friends, turning the relatively peaceful encampment into a mass of voices and running bodies, making me laugh as I turn towards the broken gates of stone."Heh..."
I close my eyes in remembrance."I'd almost forgotten how good it feels..."
Taking in a deep breath, I down the last of my drink before adopting a massive grin upon my face."...to be an Emperor?" Corez asks with a bearded smile and I laugh."Yeah... that."
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Don't mind me guys and girls! I'm just a line break...
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Well that's it for this chapter of EUPHORIA!
I'm sorry if it seems rushed or short but my computer is overheating... damn summer.
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Anyways, read and review! And Good Morning/Day/Night to you all! ADIOS FOR NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!