“I wondered why it smelled like shit up here.” Marshall said, “Looks like I found my answer. There’s a walking pile of it right there.”

“Clever, boy. I do wonder, do you even know why you’re here?” Knox asked.

Marshall started to speak but Calvin stepped forward.

“Enough of your games Knox. We’re here to put an end to whatever bullshit you’ve got going on.” Calvin said.

The group was positioning themselves for a fight, something that had not gone unnoticed by Knox.

“Do you even know what I’ve got going on? What exactly do you think you’re trying to stop?”

“For one, you. You’ve been a raging asshole this entire time. Humanity is suffering, and you’ve taken advantage of that, bringing even more suffering to people who were weaker than you. Two, we can now see that you’re firmly entrenched with The Corruptors, unless you’d have us believe you just stumbled on all this mess.”

Knox looked around the plateau.

“I’d love to take credit for all of this. Honestly, this is all Void’s doing. Basically a genius if you ask me. Besides, taking advantage of people weaker than me? HA! Isn’t that what the system is already doing? Entire universes are pulled unwillingly into the system, forced to fight in the tutorial, forced to survive, forced to gain power they didn’t even want. That’s what you’re standing up for?”

“You’re right. We didn’t ask for this Knox. But here we are. We either pull together and help humanity thrive in our new existence or we die. Same goes for you.”

“Ahh, I see. Well thanks for the offer, but I’ve already got another gig. You see, Void isn’t exactly who you think he is. He wasn’t even born on Earth. He was there when we were pulled into this god damned place though. Void made me a better offer.”

“And what’s that? Be a complete douchebag and get a trophy? Well good job, you’ve earned it.”

“Honestly, it’s more along the lines of assisting him in destroying the local system seed before folding the galaxy into what you call ‘the corruption’ and then me getting a shit load of power to do whatever I want to in ‘our new reality’.”

“So this is all about just becoming stronger?”

“Boy, this is all about becoming a God. You have no idea what you’re playing with. You’re just some bumpkin who stumbled into some good fortune and waddled dick first into treasure. You think you came all the way up here to stop me, like it was some big surprise. I invited you up here. There are some things I want you to see before I dismantle you limb from limb and hurl you from this mountain. If you’ll kindly turn your gaze back out toward your pitiful town.”

A sickening knot formed in Calvin’s stomach as he glanced out over the lake toward Olympus. Another stone was fired from the rune overhead and slammed directly into the center of town.

Calvin turned to Knox with pure hatred in his eyes.

“Knox. I’m putting you down. Right now.”

Calvin activated Plasma Cage. A rune sprang into being below Knox as a plasma grid formed a shell around him.

“Oh no, Calvin. You caught me.”

Knox tapped the cage with his club, releasing a shower of sparks. Then he stepped right through it.

The plasma arcs forming the cage sliced right through Knox’s body. A grid of wounds was clearly visible on his skin before they knitted themselves closed with the same green corruption energy.

“I guess we’re done talking eh? I’m going to miss you Calvin. Nah, not really. I’m loving this shit.”

Knox slammed his club into the ground, sending a fissure of broken stone exploding toward Calvin. He then swung his club sideways and smashed a nearby boulder into shrapnel, sending shards of broken stone rocketing across the plateau.

Calvin brought his arm up and activated his bulwark. The obsidian shield easily deflected the shards of stone as he sprinted forward toward Knox. With furious slashes, he sent wind blades flying.

Knox planted his feet and charged forward. He had a movement skill and he barreled like a freight train right through the wind blades, deflecting the damage with his barrier. He slammed into Calvin, who went sailing over the edge of the plateau.

Knox turned to face the others, shaking his head.

“You all are a fucking joke. All of that, and now poor Calvin’s dead. I’m disappointed. Actually, I’m pissed. I thought this would be a fight. I really, truly wanted to kill all of you in front of him.”

Freya howled. The plateau rumbled as clouds rolled in and thunder bellowed out of them. Lightning flashed out and assaulted the mountain top as if the Gods were announcing their presence. Wind kicked up in a furious uproar, sending debris slicing through the air.

Knox’s barrier was constantly flickering from the thousands of stone shards impacting it in a relentless barrage.

Above Knox, something materialized. It was Calvin, and he was furious. He’d activated Stormwalk just as Freya called upon the heavens to rain down their fury on Knox. Now, 20 feet in the air above knox, he mentally slammed down on his boots, increasing his momentum tenfold toward the ground. Like a meteor born of pure hatred, Calvin slammed full force into Knox’s back, first with his feet, then with the tip of his fully charged spear. The barrier had absolutely no hope of withstanding the force Calvin unleashed and it immediately shattered. Calvin’s spear drove straight through Knox’s shoulder before Calvin ripped it out, completely shredding his collarbone and taking a good chunk from his face.

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Calvin rolled off of Knox as six daggers plunged into the bastard’s back. Toxins immediately went to work, fighting against the corruption that was working to destroy them and heal Knox’s wounds. He did not give Knox a chance to recover. Two slashes enhanced by Primal Rage sent wind blades right through Knox before he rammed his spear through him again. Calvin planted a boot against Knox’s chest and kicked him off the end of his spear. Calvin spun the spear around and jammed the butt into Knox’s face, following up with a boot right to the teeth.

“Goodbye Knox.” Calvin said as he rammed his spear toward his throat.

A barrier sprang up, deflecting the blow.

Freya spun around and snarled, Void had appeared. He stood high on a tall rocky platform at the far edge of the plateau. His arms were raised up in the air and a green energy snaked between his palms and down his arms.

“You were saying?” Knox said as he slowly stood up. The corruption was slowly knitting him back together.

Freya tripled in size, letting out a fierce roar at Knox before charging. She sidestepped the barrier and swatted at him with her massive paws. He blocked with his club and swung hard at her side. The impact slammed home hard, but barely forced her to stumble. She leaped forward and latched onto him with her powerful jaws. Freya lifted Knox off the ground and shook him vigorously as her fangs grew into his body with Fangs of Fenrir.

Activating Storm Hunter she teleported high into the air, with Knox still in her mouth. Twisting her body she flung him straight toward the ground as she fell. Three lightning bolts followed him, punching through his body and blowing deep gouges into the rocky floor below. Three elemental wolves appeared, waiting for Knox to complete his journey.

Just before he smashed into the ground below, she activated Lightning Fang, arriving in front of one of her wolf companions and caught Knox in the air, shocking the absolute shit out of him with her fangs and throwing him hard across the plateau.

He smashed into the ground, bounced, bounced again and slid hard into a rock wall. The entire team charged forward.

Amy had already dipped into her miasma and was working her way around to Void. When she was close enough, she teleported to his position and jammed two corrosive spikes into his neck before drawing her daggers and slamming them into his body. With the daggers firmly anchored in his flesh, she activated her toxins and used her daggers as leverage to fling him from the platform to the ground below.

He smashed into the plateau right in front of Marshall. A fire attuned fist, courtesy of Marshall’s new gloves, slammed into his face. It sounded like a bat striking an old pumpkin as the bones in his face collapsed and his body smashed hard into the ground. Marshall followed up with a devastating stomp to his ribs before he drew his palms together and Force Pushed him over the edge of the plateau.

A doorway opened behind Void as he fell and he reappeared next to Knox, placing a hand on his body. Another doorway began to form.

Amy activated the second charge of Death’s Door and reappeared behind Void, slashing his arm off at the wrist. He fell backward into the doorway, leaving Knox behind.

Freya and her wolves set upon Knox, dragging him away from the portal and ripping into him.

Knox bellowed out and slammed his palm into the ground. A shockwave erupted from him and sent the party flying back. Debris fired up from the ground and caused small wounds among the party. Calvin shielded himself with his obsidian bulwark, preventing most of the damage to his head and torso.

Knox stood up slowly and gritted his teeth. His muscles began twisting and bulging as his body started growing. His bones cracked as they reshaped themselves and he grew almost a head taller. His body was massive before, and now he was like a grotesque mutant ogre. He reared his head toward the sky and let out a blood chilling roar.

He thundered toward Calvin, each step carved deep gouges in the terrain as he brought his club up for a swing. Calvin StormWalked just as the club fell and reappeared behind Knox. He thrust his spear deep into Knox’s back and summoned two spectral copies. Each weapon independently attacked Knox, forcing him back as he smashed at them with his club. He spun, swinging his club sideways and hurled it at Calvin, who dove to the ground to avoid the flying weapon. The air ignited as the weapon flew past him at incredible speed. The shock wave from its passage wounded Calvin as the pressure slammed him back down before the heat seared his skin.

Knox held out his hand and his club returned to it with a force that would have brought down skyscrapers.

Freya and her pack were on him again. They alternated their attacks in a practiced and efficient manner. Three of them would stay just out of reach while one slashed at him from behind and retreated. When he turned to engage, another would slash at him and retreat.

He slammed his club down, obliterating two of the pack with a powerful fissure and kicked out at a third, sending it splattering into a rock wall where it dissipated back into elemental energy.

Knox was strong as hell, but this time, the group was not giving him any leeway. Toxic daggers peppered him ceaselessly. Dozens upon dozens of them skewered his body.

Stalagmites spiked out from the ground, skewering Knox in the legs. Flames wreathed his body as Ian dumped mana into Combust.

Calvin slashed with wind blades. Launching them back to back as he stepped closer to Knox.

The amount of punishment this man… beast… thing was taking was just unreal. Knox planted his feet and charged again at Calvin, he meant to crush this god damned pest into paste.

Calvin jammed his spear into the ground and called forth his loyal Storm Legionnaires. Each of them struck out with their lightning spears as Knox barreled through them and smashed directly into the bulwarks. His charge destroyed them entirely, releasing a cataclysmic wave of lightning that course through his body, scorching flesh, bursting blood vessels and ripping all of his armor away into carbonic dust. His momentum carried him forward right into Calvin.

The massive behemoth of a man grabbed Calvin in a tight bear hug and squeezed. Calvin could feel his bones cracking as the air was squeezed from his lungs. Calvin head butted him repeatedly, but caused nearly no damage.

Marshall was behind Knox, pounding his fists into his spine, but Knox kept walking forward, toward the edge of the plateau.

Freya leaped on his back and bit down hard on his neck, trying to tear out his spine. The unnatural strength of Knox’s body made this feat impossible, as if his bones were unbreakable.

Knox plodded forward, step by step as he squeezed the life out of Calvin.

Amy slashed at him over and over with her daggers, the toxins spread but seemingly did nothing to slow him down. She withdrew her bola and sent it flying toward Knox’s legs, entangling them in their strong nanoweave fibers. He stumbled slightly before the fibers tightened up completely.

They were just feet from the edge now, and Calvin only had moments remaining.

Ian had one last ace up his sleeve. He had his fully charged Nanite Capacitor and he dumped all of that energy into Combust. Focusing, he conjured the skill directly into the space inside Knox’s skull.

The excess energy from the ring supercharged Combust to insanely destructive levels. Knox’s eyes burst from his skull followed by jets of fire. He released Calvin and stood completely still for a moment before falling onto his knees right at the edge of the plateau.

Calvin fought through the agony of his broken bones, heaving for breath as he slowly tipped a potion back into his mouth and stood up. He raised his spear and jammed it right through the back of Knox’s head before kicking him over the edge of the mountain. The group watched as he plummeted all the way down and smashed into the ground below.

The group looked back up toward the rune, which had dimmed significantly. Only two more beams remained.