The wave of monsters pulled into view, and I spun the spear in my right hand, opening my storage pouch I let every last spearhead I had fall to the ground. Rising up they hovered above me like a cloud, with a mere thought I sent them flying forwards into the front ranks of monsters. Screams and howls filled the tunnel as they fell in droves but more and more surged behind them faster than my spearheads could take them down.
The first beast, a combination of a lion and a bear lunged for me, ducking under it my spear took it in the chest. Purple flames spread from the wound consuming it as the curse damage began to ravage it. More and more beasts swarmed me, their claws and fangs breaking on my skin but dealing deep bruises, and the more powerful managed to inflict cuts.
The spear in my hands was a blur as black mist poured from my skin pours and wounds. My Might attribute soared with every hit I made, and I was flinging creatures five times my size around like toddlers. The spear spun in my hands like a baton, I jabbed, slashed, and lunged at the forms I’d been given to memorize and utilized in ways my instructors had likely never intended.
A huge ogre beast made of a mixture of flesh and shadow struck me in the chest and I went flying fifty yards down the tunnel. Rolling to my feet I planted my legs the way I’d seen Guinevere do dozens of times and met the charge of monsters. My roar met theirs and we clashed again in a mad display of aggression and lack of self-preservation.
---
Guinevere looked back but she couldn’t see Mordred behind the twists of the tunnel anymore. She could hear the roaring and screaming of monsters but how he was doing against the monsters she had no idea. The fact that the Warlord had just sacrificed himself went against everything she’d ever learned about the champions of Chaos. Pushing aside Mordred from her thoughts she focused on the here and now they had to find somewhere to hide or defend themselves to make Mordred’s sacrifice worth it.
Her body had changed radically from when she was a child, she didn’t feel muscle burn and her lungs breathed easily despite the mad run they’d been doing for the past five minutes. They’d already made it around four miles.
Gw@st (*ranted! 344% destroy.. the ..4*54^orce ..of the ….
Guinevere nearly crashed into a wall as the broken message flashed across her vision. She kept running, she slowed as the message reappeared this time much more legible.
Quest Gained, Reveal the Unseen: A large section of the underground has been blocked from the system for several millennia, correct this oversight by destroying the source of the block.
Reward: Tier III Artifact to all participants.
Not pausing her running Guinevere kept running. She wondered why she could suddenly get notifications from the system, for an instant she considered blaming it on Mordred and accusing him of blocking access to the system but that was ridiculous. No champion, no matter how powerful, could block access to the system. She considered going back for Mordred but if he was still alive he was surrounded by thousands of monsters in a section of tunnels without access to the system so she wouldn’t be able to help him. She had to keep running and get her party to safety.
They broke out of the tunnel into a massive cavern three times the size of any they’d seen before. White flora grew everywhere but this area looked very different than the ruins they’d come across before. Mounds of bones littered the ground, and skeletons from beasts she’d fought many times in these tunnels were scattered around like a child’s toys. Chew marks on the bones showed that whatever had killed so many of them was at least omnivorous although the tooth marks screamed carnivore.
The mushroom trees swayed as a creature moved toward them. Stepping forward Guinevere readied herself.
“We’ve got an incoming threat,” she said to her party. “We all have our abilities back so everyone gets back to your roles.”
The creature parted the stalks of mushrooms stepping into the clearing before the tunnel entrance. Its head reached nearly twenty feet into the air. Black carapace with violet markings covered it entirely giving it a beetle appearance which was enhanced by its six legs but its form and antlers revealed its true species as that of a deer.
Cerunn, the Fallen Prince; Gifted- ebon-stag/beast, Hero, Rank: 875
Guinevere sucked in her breath when she read its rank. This creature was only a few hundred ranks short of being an Exarch. Its head swiveled towards them as it scanned its surroundings. It had no eyes though the markings on its head vaguely resembled a face.
Pawing the ground purple flames burst to life along its hooves, antlers, and long whipping tail. With a huff of air that sounded like a hunting horn, the stag charged them. Guinevere held her ground as she readied herself to face a near-impossible challenge.
--
Ducking under the snapping pincers of a scorpion snake I stabbed my spear through its jaw and ripped it out spinning around to block the blow of a gorilla-like creature who had its mouth in its chest instead of in its head; the mouth was filled with razor-sharp snapping teeth. I knocked it back than rammed my spear through that mouth spun to block the next attack.
Taking the blow along the shaft of the spear kept it from hitting me but it didn’t save me from the force which sent me flying. I’d gradually been pushed back farther and farther. A wolf with snakes instead of fur tackled me to the ground and we rolled as it tried to salvage my throat with its fangs as the snakes bit down on me over and over. A few of them managed to get their fangs into already open wounds but for the most part, they merely pinched harmlessly against my skin.
Using my Foresight, I lifted up the wolf using it to intercept a blow meant for me. The massive fist collided with the wolf’s skull shattering it and I tossed the limp corpse off me and rolled to the side dodging another colossal fist. Another gorilla creature rushed me. Goring it through its belly I left it dying on the floor as I charged back into the mess of bodies, claws, and fangs.
Losing myself to the heat and desperation of battle, blood flew from me and the creatures around me. A creature that vaguely resembled a goblin got stuck on one end of my spear and I ended up using it as an improvised mace to smack apart an entire tribe of similar little shits until its body finally fell apart spraying its brothers with its gore and blood. With my spear free I spun it around me killing the rest of the tribe. A sound reverberated through the tunnels, a loud clear horn that sent a shiver through the horde of monsters.
They started ignoring me and rushing past desperate to charge down the tunnel and get to the source of that sound.
“Oh no you don’t,” I snarled.
Grabbing onto the mane of a lion bear I was pulled along my spear spinning in my right hand as I cut down every other monster alongside me. Driving my spear through the lion-bear’s neck I was catapulted forward as it crashed into the tunnel wall. Teleporting forward I landed in front of the rushing hoard. I spun about me, but they just kept coming parting around me like a stone in a stream. Gritting my teeth together in frustration I teleported my maximum distance down the tunnel. I staggered as my senses were overwhelmed with a flood of notifications.
Quest Gained, Escort Mission: You have been given a binding oath by a member of Camelot nobility to escort at least her and her party to an area of safety where they have contact the system.
Reward: Title, Knight of Camelot, can add the suffix Sir before your name description and adds a minor amount of damage with melee weapons while you have this title equipped. You also have full rights and privileges as all nobility while you are in the Kingdom of Camelot.
Quest Gained, Reveal the Unseen: A large section of the underground has been blocked from the system for several millennia, correct this oversight by destroying the source of the block.
Reward: Tier III Artifact to all participants.
Quest Update, Conquer (Repeatable): You have been tasked with conquering your first region. Take control of the Forest of the Ancients by defeating the eight powers of the region and preventing any other faction from forming a presence in the region. Current progress 6-8.
Reward: One rank IV Artifact of your choice or creation.
Blinking away the notifications I ducked under a monster that leaped over men and kept rushing past.
Cracking my neck, I grinned my smile lost in the black mist surrounding me. “Well, looks like I don’t have anything holding me back anymore…. Chain Lightning!”
--
Rolling to the side Guinevere narrowly missed being trampled. She swiped at the stag’s legs and her sword connected but even weakened with her ice the armored carapace was only cracked or chipped. Its tail whipped around, and she brought up her sword blocking but the force sent her rolling across the ground.
Rearing up the stag’s horns began firing balls of purple fire towards her and her party. Regald held up his tower shield and a dome appeared around him and anyone within ten feet of him. The shield dome was holding but it was quickly degrading under the onslaught of the much more powerful creature.
Golden light spun from Kira’s hands healing the wounds they’d received in the fight, but she was quickly running out of mana. Fireballs blasted from Haldros’ hands and staff bombarding the stag’s flanks but doing little to its black carapace. Edrick appeared on its back his daggers passing through its carapace as he used an ability; the stag bucked and sent him flying. Disappearing in a puff of black smoke, he barely managed to avoid having his spine shattered.
Cerunn pawed at the ground with his hoof again then charged towards the shield dome. Guinevere intercepted it her hand brushing across the ground.
“Winter’s Touch,” she said.
Ice spread out across the ground in a thirty-foot radius. Cerunn hit the ice and his legs began skidding as he tried to correct his path. Guinevere struck with her sword, but Cerunn managed to duck his head blocking her sword with his antlers bucking his head up he ripped the sword from her hands and it flew a couple dozen yards away. Guinevere rolled to the side dodging his flashing hooves; annoyed by her trick with the ice Cerunn focused on her charging after her as she raced for her sword. Cerunn let out another bugling below that rumbled through the cavern.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
As if in response the sounds of howls and roars could be heard down the tunnel they had come from. Guinevere’s heart fell in her chest, Mordred had fallen and now they would have to choose between being killed by this beast or the horde of monsters. Pushing aside her doubt she slid across the ground grabbing her sword and rolling to her feet.
“Stand-your-ground!” she shouted, activating her ability.
Blocking a kick from one of Cerunn’s hooves she ducked its swiping tail. The stag began to dance around her, but her defensive ability let her block its massively more powerful attacks without being sent flying. Angling her blocks to absorb as little force as needed she held her position as her party regrouped and charged the stag.
The sound of thunder rumbled from the cavern. The echoing of it gave it a distorted sound as if the tunnel were the throat of some beast letting out a roar. Then over the thunder came another sound, Guinevere had only heard it a few times, but the horrible unearthly sound gave her some hope even as it chilled her blood. The Warlord was coming.
--
My spear spun in my right hand as I used it one-handed like a combine harvester to reap the bodies around me. My left hand rose and fell point all around me as I let loose blast after blast of Chain Lightning. The lightning continued down the tunnel spreading its various effects as it left charred sparking corpses, whenever it killed a creature, it didn’t count against the number of targets affected and the lightning chain went farther and farther.
A sonic roar escaped my throat as I used Voice-of-the-Chasm knocking back the incoming horde and liquifying internal organs. As soon as the roar had faded Helheim’s Scream came off of cooldown and I activated it again. The monsters in its vicinity went insane, some tried to flee others started attacking their allies while others collapsed in writhing mounds on the ground trampled by their brethren.
“Chain Lightning!” I screamed.
Quest Updated, Blood and Souls: 2,048 Rank Points Added.
Even this much larger tunnel began to be stacked with bodies as the mounds piled up. I struggled to the top of the hill I was creating using my spear like a walking stick to maintain my balance on the bloody corpses. Smoke obscured the air and the hot iron smell of blood was overwhelming.
“It’s good to be back!” I snarled backhanding a monster that tried to rise up from the pile of corpses. Its skull shattered when my fist impacted it. I was maxed out on Black Rage now, the instances I was acquiring were dropping off as quickly as I acquired new ones. At this moment in time, I might have been the most physically powerful creature on the planet.
“Chain Lightning!” I shouted out again. The roaring thunder blasted out as it arced from creature to creature. “Chain Lightning! Chain Lightning!” I repeated it like an insane mantra.
The beasts, goblins, and monsters were climbing over the mound of corpses blocking the tunnel but were pulling each other back and trampling each other in their desperation to continue. My spirit cannon fired from my shoulder each shot killing a creature.
My vision was red and I acted on instinct and muscle memory to strike and kill my abilities firing off over and over as fast as I could get them out. My chest heaving with exertion and rage I looked around for another target to kill but nothing moved in the hazy smoke and no sound but the squelching of blood under my boots and the sound of flames crackling. A bugling roar sounded behind me and my head whipped around honing in on the source.
I started running teleporting off the mound of bodies landing on the ground in a blurring sprint.
Blood and Souls (Repeatable): Kill 20,480 monsters or humanoids. Current Progress 2,500 out of 20,480. When you complete this quest, you will gain 4096 Rank Points, and the next quest will require double the amount to be completed but will award double the rank points.
Dismissing the notification, I headed towards the sound eager to kill anything that stepped into my path.
--
Guinevere rolled across the ground pushing up with her hands and was on her feet again. Dodging backwards she dodged a kick from one of Cerunn’s hooves. It turned from her to Edrick and reared up to trample him, Regald wasn’t close enough to tank so Guinevere teleported in between them. The hooves came down and she managed to block and parry them away saving Edrick from an instant death, she rolled out of the way of the hooves but was off balance. Cerunn’s tail whipped around hitting her in the chest. Her armor gave under the force of the attack links of chain mail snapping as her breastplate dented inwards. She was thrown across the ground coming to rest at her party’s feet. Kira bent down pulling a knife and cutting the straps of her breastplate. Guinevere heaved in a breath as she was able to breathe again but coughed up blood a moment later.
Cerunn pawed the ground and then charged them; his antlers were afire with cursed purple flames. Golden light shone from Kira’s hands as she desperately tried to get Guinevere back on her feet in time, but everyone could tell it wouldn’t be fast enough.
A roar shook the cavern as a black shadow emerged in front of Cerunn. The armored stag struck the vaguely humanoid figure, but he didn’t go flying; instead grabbing Cerunn’s antlers and sliding back across the ground.
"Hell Dragon’s Armory,” the figure snarled.
The earth by his feet shifted in color and flowed up his legs halting his sliding and Cerunn staggered under the sudden loss of momentum. The stag was ten times the size of the man holding it but its struggles to shake its head loose from his grip were in vain as the man held tight not budging an inch from the ground. Another roar tore from the man’s throat as his body strained then there was a crack as he tore free one of the stag’s antlers.
The roar of the man and the scream of the stag sent vibrations through the earth. He released the other antler and Cerunn staggered backward reeling in pain.
“Hell-Dragon’s Armory,” Mordred said again. For a moment he turned to face Guinevere and she looked into the glowing molten eyes, the only clearly visible feature on him behind the black mist surrounding his body. The earth around his feet melted back into the ground and he strode towards the stag still holding its antler in his right hand.
The stag reoriented itself and focused on the man approaching him. Rearing up Cerunn fired a torrent of purple fire from its remaining antler. Mordred disappeared reappearing above the stag. Landing on its back he drove down the antler like a spear into its back. Carapace cracked and broke under the strike; bucking the stag tossed Mordred off him and whirled about charging the man again as he rolled back to his feet. Lowering its head with its remaining horns Cerunn went to gore him.
Mordred stood still then sidestepped, the movement was so fluid it was as if he could see what would happen before it did. Lunging forwards Mordred drove the antler up into Cerunn’s chest. The carapace there had slowly been chipped at by Guinevere and now under the force of colossus strength, it shattered completely. The tips of the razor-sharp black antlers drove up into the stag’s heart and lungs.
Cerunn staggered backward bellowing in agony. Mordred strode forwards, he held out his hand and a double-ended spear flew into his palm. Driving it forward he thrust it up under the stag’s jaw into its brain. The stag shuddered then went limp collapsing to the ground. Mordred looked around him and paused. Crouching down next to a pile of bones he tossed some aside. The black mist around him began to fade revealing his gore-splattered body and armor and the tattered fur cloak draping his shoulders.
He rose holding a glossy black helm trimmed with gold, its style identical to his pauldrons. Dust fell from inside the helm, removing a cloth he wiped the helm clean, and his face as well as all the gore covering him vanished instantaneously. Placing the helm on his head he turned to face Guinevere and her party.
--
I had sensed the feeling of magic with Bestial Senses and found the helm which radiated power. It was filled with gross corpse dust but that was easy to remove with my cleansing cloth. Placing it over my face I found it miraculously didn’t obscure my vision at all. Finally, something blinked into my vision as I got the rewards for my kill.
145 rank points gained.
Ability Gained, Dark Guardian (Rank 1): You have shown the willingness to sacrifice for others and can sacrifice your flesh and blood to protect those you choose. Allies within thirty feet of you heal a minor amount for every Severe wound you take.
Cost: N/A
Upgrade this ability to increase the range and amount of protection you grant to others. Each upgrade increases your Toughness by 1.
The ability wasn’t something I would have chosen but at least it would increase my Toughness. Several more notifications filled my screen and I read over them as I kept an eye on Guinevere and her group.
Quest Updated, Heir of Ares: You have found the helm of Ares lost beneath the earth for nearly a century. You have gained part of the set bonus for your armor. Find the other three pieces of the armor of Ares. 2 of 4 total set pieces acquired.
Pteruges of Ares: Location unknown
Maninca of Ares: Location unknown
Reward: Title, Spirit of Ares
I would have to check the armor description in a second, but I had another quest notification to deal with first.
Conquer (Repeatable): You have been tasked with conquering your first region. Take control of the Forest of the Ancients by defeating the eight powers of the region and preventing any other faction from forming a presence in the region. Current progress 7-8.
Reward: One rank IV Artifact of your choice or creation.
I had killed Cerunn, the sacred beast of the now-lost Stag Clan. The Wolf and Bear Clans must have pledged their support to me after the defeat of the Dragon Clan. That left the greatest challenge of them all to complete, the Hell Dragon.
I was able to look at my notifications in a heartbeat thanks to having advanced my perception and mind attributes so far. I brought up the description for my new helm reading over its description and the effect I got for pairing it with my pauldrons.
Helm of Ares (Artifact IV): One of the four pieces of the armor of Ares earned with the blood of four nations he conquered to complete the quests of Kelesa and crafted by her with the aid of the system. This helm is part of a larger set that gains more power the more pieces of the armor the wearer possesses. Made from black mithril, celestial gold, and the leather of a deep ocean dragon and enchanted by Kelesa herself. Those who are not the Champion of Kelesa and wear this may incur her wrath.
Odikinesis: The power of the Greek god of war to make his enemies turn on each other, you can unleash an aura extending 50 feet around you that fills creatures around you who fail a Spirit check with rage and hate, people in your aura are driven to fight and kill even their allies if no other creature is within range. Every twenty ranks the size of the aura increases by 50ft, starting radius of 50ft.
(2 Pieces) Battle-Hardened Warriors: Your aura extends to your allies; they receive a hardness bonus to their skin equal to a quarter of yours and are immune to the negative effects of your abilities and equipment.
(3 Pieces) Battle Glory: When you kill an enemy your allies within 100ft are Heartened increasing their damage stages by one for the next 5 seconds.
(4 Pieces) Authority of the Warlord: You can telepathically speak to any of your vassals within your Aura.
Weight:
4 lbs.
Dismissing the notification, I focused entirely on the people before me. Crossing my arms, I waited to see how they would react.
“You’re the Warlord!” Kira said stepping behind the tank as everyone, but Guinevere went into panic mode.
A shield dome popped up around them Guinevere on the outside as the four others moved into position. I didn’t move and watched somewhat amused as they prepared their defenses. Nothing happened for a long moment as they waited for an attack that didn’t come.
“That’s enough,” Guinevere said. “I’ve known who he really is for a while now. He won’t attack us unless we attack him. He’s done his job and gotten us to safety we owe him the courtesy of treating him as a human and not a monster.”
Quest Complete, Escort Mission: You have been given a binding oath by a member of Camelot nobility for escorting at least her and her party to an area of safety where they have contact with the escorting at least her and party to an area where they have contact with the system.
Reward: Title, Knight of Camelot, can add the suffix Sir before your name description and adds a minor amount of damage with melee weapons while you have this title equipped. You also have full rights and privileges as all nobility while you are in the Kingdom of Camelot.
“But he’s the Warlord!” Kira said. “We need to kill him!”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because you’re a threat to us,” the tank said.
“Everything’s a threat to you,” I corrected him. “I am who I am, and that is someone much more powerful than you. Guinevere is the only one in your group who can fight me…the rest of you will just die.”
Kira turned to her three companions and made a series of strange hand signals. I looked to Guinevere but she looked equally confused as me.
“What’s going on?” Guinevere asked.
Kira gave her a dark look and turned to me. “Then it’s a shame that she died fighting against the Warlord.”