David POV
The forest was unnervingly quiet as I walked through it because of the terrain but because of the unmistakable presence of spirits lingering all around me. I couldn't see them, but I could feel them, a thousand eyes watching from the shadows. Which was weird since they were not attacking us at all. Beside me, my guide was a heavily armed dwarf named Ivan, his stout frame was clad in thick armor, and he carried a warhammer that looked capable of splitting a boulder in two.
"The peaceful ones linger here, trying to avoid the more hostile ones further ahead. As long as you don't provoke them, you'll be fine." Ivan advised.
"Is that not strange?"
"It is, but we'll take what we can, and we also advise people to not walk through here unless necessary, we can't take the chance of them attacking."
That didn't exactly put me at ease, but I nodded and kept moving. The air was thick with mana, almost suffocatingly so, and I could feel the faint pulses of spiritual energy brushing against my senses. We passed through the dense trees, the atmosphere growing heavier with each step. The occasional flicker of a spectral figure caught my eye, but true to Ivan's word, none of them made a move toward us. Still, their presence was unnerving.
"Is it always like this here?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the sensation of being watched.
"No," Ivan said, shaking his head. "This started recently. A few weeks ago, maybe. Before that, this forest was just...well, a forest."
After a while, the faintest vibration of power tugged at the edge of my senses. It wasn't just the ambient energy of the spirits anymore, this was something stronger, more focused. My steps slowed as I tried to pinpoint the source.
"You feel it, don't you?" Ivan asked, noticing my hesitation.
"Yeah," I said, my eyes narrowing as I peered ahead, "There's something up there. Strong."
"That's where the phoenixes are," Ivan said, gesturing with his hammer toward a faint glow in the distance, "They've been holding back the more hostile ghosts. Even for a guy like me, with little to no mana sense, I can feel it from here. You'll feel the real chaos when we get closer."
"Alright, let's go."
I tried to recall if anything like this had happened in this area before, but nothing came to mind. If this gathering turned out to be led by a demon... I clenched my jaw at the thought. A demon's influence could whip restless spirits into a frenzy, turning them from aimless wanderers into a coordinated force of destruction. That would make this place a death trap for the dwarves who lived nearby and for the phoenixes trying to hold the line.
The future had already shifted because of what I'd done over the past two years. Little changes here and there, ripples spreading out farther than I could predict. This might be one of those ripples. The dwarves would be the first to suffer. Without mana, they couldn't even touch ghosts, let alone fight a full-on war.
And then there were the phoenixes. In my previous timeline, things had gone horribly wrong for their kind. Their healing abilities made them living treasures for the desperate and greedy. Hunters started targeting them, capturing and killing them to harvest their blood. Entire flocks were wiped out in the name of profit and power. It coincidentally came about when Calvin died...the battle for the Joker card didn't help.
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There were now 2 large birds spewing out flames to cleanse out the ghosts of the area and exorcising them with ease, the phoenixes were holding their ground, but it was clear they were outnumbered. The spirits swirled and surged, clawing at their defenses with relentless aggression.
"David Hudson." a voice said.
The voice wasn't coming from the fight. It came from somewhere to my right. Slowly, I turned toward the source, every muscle in my body tensing. The voice came from a person who I couldn't detect at all, they were leaning against a tree. But I can say one thing for sure, they're a demon.
He was tall with 2 sharp horns curved back from his forehead with a face that was both monstrous and eerily human. He also has a long, muscular tail swaying behind him. Not all demons looked alike, I'd learned that much from the past. Some had wings instead of tails, others bore features that made them almost unrecognizable as humanoid. But this one...this one was the textbook nightmare. Because...the more human they look, the stronger they are.
Ivan and I then jumped away to get some distance and I had my grip held on tightly on the hilt of my blade. My mind raced as I tried to make sense of his lack of presence. Why was a demon here? As if reading my thoughts, he smirked, baring sharp, predatory teeth.
"I must say, this is a pleasant surprise," he said, "The infamous David Hudson, right where I hoped to find him."
"Huh, you know who I am?"
"Well, a friend of mine described how you looked like. He also drew you out...you look exactly like the sketch. Ah, I forgot, allow me to introduce myself." he said in a mocking clumsy tone, "Orick Follus. I have the distinct pleasure of being the one tasked with bringing you in. Alive, preferably, though I'll admit, dead wouldn't be entirely disappointing."
"Who's the friend of yours?"
"He works as a sketch artist for the strongest assassin I know."
"...The Severance?"
"The assassin's species does go by that name." he nodded, "Well, why don't we do this the easy way? Turn yourself in and we'll take these ghosts away, oh, the location of that elf and a man named Calvin."
"Kid, run." Ivan ordered.
"What-"
"Go get Calvin." He said as his grip on his hammer tightened, "I'll delay this guy along with those phoenixes over there...Go! We don't have much time."
"No need, I'm here." A familiar voice responded.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
I turned to see that Calvin walked out of a portal with Leah and Duke.
"What's up, Ivan?" He greeted, "Miss me?"
"I don't." Ivan answered.
"Ah, a demon, so buddy, I don't want to take too much of your time, but can you and your buddies vacate our premises? You've been living rent-free for a while now." Calvin asked.
"Are you Calvin Silver?" Orick responded.
"Yes, and it's a 6-month down payment with the lease going for at least a year."
"Hmm, it seems like you haven't retrieved the holy sword yet."
"You can sense it?" I asked.
"Of course, there's a heavily protected chamber under that dwarf town. I would try to get it, but the magic...it seems that ghosts or spiritual beings aren't allowed to get near it, it extends to that town as well."
"Oh, so we're safe? We can just leave then." I chimed in.
"Well, there are many humans who are willing to do anything for the right price, unfortunately." Orick smirked, "As you know, a human's worst enemy is always another human. Nice try though. Now, why don't you all surrender? I'll make sure that my servants will treat you well."
As I stood there, staring down Orick, I was thinking about how all of this would go. I knew that Calvin was one of the strongest people in the world right now, so I know that this demon stood no chance. But the collateral damage? That was another story. This forest, the phoenixes' territory, the town nearby? It would all be in ruins. I'm sure this place could not withstand that kind of clash.
Before I could dwell further, a sudden, sharp crack split the air. it was a gunshot. I jerked my head toward the source of the sound, Calvin had a revolver in his hand. The bullet struck Orick square in the forehead, leaving a blackened mark on his grey skin. But that was it. No blood. No wound. The demon didn't even flinch. But based on his reaction, it seemed that even he did not see that coming.
Orick's smirk widened though, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement as he casually wiped at the mark with his hand, as though brushing off a smudge of dirt.
"Really? That's your big move?" the demon laughed.
"Tch. I was hoping to end this early." Calvin clicked his tongue.
"Then so be it."
Without warning, the air around him exploded with magic. It is overwhelming and suffocating. The ground beneath me trembled, and the mana in the air began to churn violently. It was like the world itself was recoiling from the force of Orick's power. I staggered, clutching my stomach as nausea rolled over me. My knees threatened to give out. I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't strong enough. Not yet.
The atmosphere felt heavy and oppressive like it was trying to crush me. My breathing quickened, and I fought the urge to vomit. Orick's grin widened as he raised an arm, and the ghosts that had been scattered throughout the area began to converge. One by one, they ascended into the sky, their ethereal forms glowing faintly before exploding into particles of light. The particles swirled in a chaotic dance, forming a massive vortex above us. The energy it gave off was terrifying.
Orick extended his arms, as though welcoming the ghosts into himself. The vortex descended, pouring into him like a waterfall. His body began to shift and grow, limbs twisting and reshaping in ways that defied logic. In moments, he was unrecognizable. Orick had transformed into a colossal black bear, its fur crackling with arcs of red lightning. The beast towered above us, its hulking form the size of a building.
Its red eyes glowed like molten coals, and the air around it shimmered with heat and static. Every step it took shook the ground.
"Calvin..." I muttered, barely audible over the rumbling of the ground.
"Yeah, got it." He replied, "Can you help Leah and Duke hold this guy back for 2-3 minutes? I'll take Ivan to help evacuate the town nearby.
"Sure, but I think 2 might be too much."
"Great."
He then grabbed Ivan and left through a portal, leaving me, Duke, and Leah to deal with him. I gripped my sword tightly, my hands clammy with sweat. The sheer size of the monster made every instinct scream at me to run. But there was no time to hesitate. Leah didn't.
With a battle cry that shook the ground as much as the bear's footsteps, Leah charged forward as her skin started to transform into metal and her spear had wind swirled around it.
The ground trembled as the giant black bear roared, its crimson lightning cracking the air with every step. Her shield smashed into the bear's foreleg with an ear-splitting clang, forcing the beast to stagger. Sparks flew as her spear scraped against its dense, lightning-infused fur, cutting deep but not deep enough.
The beast roared, its massive claws swiping at her with devastating speed. Leah didn't retreat. She planted her shield in front of her, bracing herself for impact. The claws connected with her shield, the force of it sending her sliding back several feet, but she held firm. Taking advantage of the bear's focus on Leah, I darted to its flank and unleashed a flurry of attacks with my sword. Flames erupted along the blade as I struck, each hit aimed at vulnerable spots behind its other leg and along its sides.
I barely nicked it, but it didn't stop me from trying. I cast a ball of light to fly to its eyes and explode into a super bright flashbang, blinding it, and grabbing its attention away. The beast roared in fury, swinging its tail wildly. I ducked just in time, the tail missing me by inches and instead splintering a tree behind me into a cloud of debris.
The bear raised its claw again and brought it down at terrifying speed toward Leah. She met its advance head-on, her shield raised high. The beast's claws struck, a deafening clang erupting as her shield absorbed the blow once again. Without hesitation, she spun, her spear a blur as swirling winds coiled around its shaft. The thrust came with devastating force, her spear meeting the bear's other claw mid-swipe. The impact rippled outward, splitting the air with a shockwave that sent dirt and debris flying in all directions.
The force of the blow cracked the earth beneath her, but she used the momentum to whirl her spear around, slashing across the bear's forearm. The winds around her weapon howled, tearing apart the fur and flesh of the beast's thick hide. The bear reared back, its paw smashing down toward her like a hammer. Leah darted forward, ducking beneath the strike. With a feral cry, she leaped high in the air, landed on a debris midair, and used that to jump in the direction of the bear's shoulder, using the momentum, she drove her spear downward, piercing its shoulder. The winds surrounding her spear erupted, sending shards of fur and blood scattering like shrapnel as she then landed on the ground.
The speed at which they both were fighting was way too fast for me to catch up as I can only help heal Leah every time she took an injury using my light magic.
The bear roared, slamming its claws into the ground in frustration. The impact sent a wave of broken earth hurtling toward her. Leah lunged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. She didn't stop moving, her spear a relentless blur of motion as she circled the beast. A downward slash cleaved through its hind leg, the wind spiraling off her weapon ripping apart the ground in its wake. The bear stumbled, its massive form shuddering under the relentless assault.
Leah leaped, landing on its back with the grace of a predator. Her spear struck down repeatedly, the winds tearing into its shoulders and spine. Each impact sounded like thunder, the beast's howls echoing into the sky. The bear twisted, bucking to throw her off, but Leah dug her shield into its flesh for leverage. She slammed it down with force, driving the beast's head toward the ground.
With a roar of her own, Leah raised her spear high. The winds howled louder, a tempest swirling around her as she drove the weapon down one final time, the force of the strike splitting the earth and blasting the bear backward in a surge of raw destruction.
"I preferred you alive." Orick roared, "But since it has come to this..."
An instant later, he exploded with power, red lightning crackling violently and enveloping him in a blinding storm.
"David, I'm almost out of mana." Leah reported.
"Already?"
"I told you, I'm part dwarf, despite my mostly elven look."
Orick charged, closing the distance in a blur. His arm swept out, and with a single strike, we were both sent flying, crashing hard and skidding across the ground, pain flaring everywhere as we only stopped once we slammed into a giant boulder. I then activated my healing magic as quickly as I could, but the bear appeared right before us again, we were only saved by Duke, who used his mana to solidify them into a pair of hands in the air and pulled us away.
He then let out a deafening howl that tore through the battlefield, shaking the ground beneath us. My gaze snapped upward as Duke's form began to expand. In moments, he grew to an enormous size, still only half as massive as Orick's monstrous bear form, but radiating an overwhelming presence.