Chapter 36
Doors to Hell [https://i.imgur.com/qHosmTU.png]
As soon as they stepped to the other side of the portal they rushed back as if their lives depended on it. Caravan men pushed one another in order to get back to safety first.
“What even is that place?” Orla asked clutching a spear gifted by the caravan leader with both her hands.
Her sentiment was echoed by all the people standing around entry to the place where the cult leader was supposed to disappear. Iron doors laid broken in front of them and caravan men stood mouths agape at the portal entrance anchored in the wooden wall.
On the other side of the portal wasn’t located a small space pocket like the caravan master suggested. Whatever was that place it was not the cult master’s personal chambers. That place was not small. And was certain, that place was not silent.
On the other side of the portal laid whole another world colored in red. Red soil under the red clouds with a red river flowing through the reddishly green vegetation. They looked at this crimson world from an advantage point as the portal was situated on a hill with a great view over this crimson landscape. The heat coming from there was like they were standing in molten lava.
The land in front of them was neither empty nor barren. Sounds of distant animals and birds washed over the land and through the portal entered the wooden hall filled with humans and blood.
But some vegetation or far away animals were not the most prominent thing in their field of view. There were similar portals scattered all around theirs. Each portal had its own runic circle with shining rocks and purple glowing glyphs and lines encircling the openings in the mid-air.
And even further away stood a group of the most exquisite buildings Jack had ever seen. More than forty mansions stood close to each other with no defense walls or guards in sight. Manors were built in an ancient roman style he had seen in illustrations with large columns and complex level systems with at least four floors on every building.
This place looked like a well-off aristocratic residential area somewhere in some big city, only these estates were surrounded by red wilds of this strange dangerous-looking plane.
In between the estates Jack and everybody around him could see some people with elk heads just walking around at a leisure pace, conversing and drinking. But with doors broken sound of sharp alarm resounded through the valley of Blood Cult. A sharp screech made every single cultist in the valley look up and upon seeing the caravan men standing on the other side of the portal leisurely atmosphere disappeared like it was never there.
Cultists began screaming and running around in a mess. Somebody of great importance was called and in the next moment, caravan men could see heavily armored people run out of the building with only antlers sticking out of the iron helmet openings betraying those who hides behind the iron suits. They looked more like metallic demons, knights of blood and iron, than humans or elkmen.
“Close the fucking portal!” Giogio screamed in fear.
“How?” somebody asked.
“Hit the fucking sides with something heavy! Start fucking hitting you fucking inept fools!” Giogio roared at the men and show with example as his fists began shining and he pummeled his right one into the side of the portal opening.
Space flickered and Giogio was thrown away through the hall where he stopped after crashing into the wall. Blood seeped from the side of his mouth, but he didn’t stay laying down. Caravan leader pushed himself up and seeing that all his men looked at him in worry he shook in anger.
“What are you looking at idiots? Hit the fucking portal! Our lives depend on it you cowshits!”
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Men finally overcame their stupor and started to act. In the same brutish fashion as their leader, they launched their strikes against the portal one after another. After each strike, energies pushed them away and they were flung around the room crashing into other caravanners or wooden walls and tables, some unlucky folks landing in exceptionally unlucky positions and breaking their bones. Some didn’t stand up at all and stayed laying down with their necks broken in unlucky falls.
Yet their sacrifice was not useless or at least not completely so. After each strike portal flickered and with each strike flickering became stronger. The Portal shook and flickered with increased intensity. Wild magic energies seeped out from it with every hit. Mana in the air was almost tangible, making air hot and thick, hard to breathe.
Yet time was running out and the portal was still up.
The first armored cultist was already making their way up the hill. Swords and shields were glimmering in the red sun and eyes under the helmet slits didn’t promise anything but pain and suffering. Cultists of the Blood cult were fast. Armored behemoths closed in the distance with the speed of galloping horses. And there seemed no end to them as at least a hundred of them were already running up the hill in a chaotic crowd.
Now that the first rows of them were closer it became evident why they were moving so fast and also why the caravan master was so deathly afraid of what will happen if they cross the portal to their side.
Elken Brute - Lvl 59
Blood Vanguard - Lvl 79
Blood Vanguard - Lvl 79
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Blood Vanguard - Lvl 61
Blood Vanguard - 79
Blood Vanguard - 71
One thing was crystal clear, they were in deep trouble.
Cult members, they faced just now, were not their main force. They killed a bunch of initiates and apprentices. Chicks with no mother hen in sight. Harmless critters. And now they were faced with the real deal and they were completely not prepared to deal with the consequences of their actions.
Caravan men in their foolish nature opened Pandora's box and were faced now with the true force of the cult. The force they had no hope to win against. A small trade caravan and its guards were no match for a force consisting of tier III and tier IV class bearers.
Classes from level forty and from level sixty didn’t only show their respective strength. It showed that these were men, or whatever their race now after transformation, who did not flee from conflict. Their hands touched the blood, and all of them faced foes and emerged victorious through their respective challenges.
Tier IV warriors were not so numerous. They can be easily called elites, and to see more than a hundred of them rush up the hill towards you would make any man’s knees go weak. It is a force to be reckoned with. For caravan men, for merchants and their guards, they were a death sentence.
And mentioned death sentence was running up the hill with determination to destroy them. Men panicked and threw themselves at the portal with doubled reckless abandon striking it with their weapons and flying off from the force one after another.
When cultists were on the very precipice of reaching them, the Portal finally shook for the last time and collapsed with a loud boom.
Enraged screams were heard from the other side as the portal closed, but when they thought it was over a black bird flew through the portal last second before it collapsed on itself. Men looked in fear as the bird soured through the hall, made a somersault in the air, and with all his speed dove towards the closest man standing.
It dived straight at Linus and disappeared in a black cloud as it struck Linus' chest defended only by a thin leather layer and his own skin.
Linus' eyes went wide as he read through the notification flashing in front of him.
You have been cursed with the Mark of the Blood Cult! You can not hide heretic!
“Fuck!” Linus said.