The leftmost head burst into laughter, its expression a stark contrast to those of Scott, Orion, and the other heads. “I told you,” it said with a smug smile, gloating at the rightmost head. “Take that!” It roared with excitement, barely able to contain its giggles. This time, it was the rightmost head's turn to pout, muttering inaudible curses.
“Is that all you're going to tell us about the theatre?” Scott asked, eyeing the polite gargoyle.
“What do you want to know?” the gargoyle responded. “I will only answer what I'm permitted to say,” it clarified.
Orion took a step forward, beginning, “So, how does this theatre work exactly? And what do you mean by 'fight: you stop, you die'? Is death certain here? And how does this game take into effect the chances of us improving our ranks, and are there potential consequences that could reduce our ranks?” The mage asked in one breath, stopping barely ten steps away from the gargoyle.
The gargoyle bowed once more as it began, “I apologize in advance; I have no permission to speak about the theatre. You'll find out about it when you cross the door behind me,” it said softly before raising its head. “While the concept of death is still foreign to all floors in the ranking game, champions will experience a full-blown simulation of the feeling while enjoying the theatre. As for your ranks improving or decreasing, both are possibilities; however, they solely depend on your performance,” the creature explained slowly and patiently.
Orion nodded, grinning as he prepared to speak again; however, the gargoyle's wings unruffled behind it, its eyes shimmering with an ominous light. It levitated a foot off the ground while chanting arcane words that neither Scott, Orion, nor the asura could decipher.
A moment later, it landed on its feet, its ominous eyes meeting those of the curious champions. “The theatre will accept you now. Please, do have fun,” it declared with an eerie smile. Wordlessly, it marched back to its previous position, bowing like the rest of the gargoyles.
“What was that all about?” Orion muttered, barely restraining himself from approaching the nearby gargoyles.
“I think we should be more concerned about what's going to happen once we cross that door,” Scott interjected. The strange feeling he had earlier persisted, and it felt like the Warhammer of the mad god couldn’t wait to jump out from the mask. Even more reason the eldritch knight couldn't help but wonder what lay behind the padded door.
Orion chuckled softly. “Weren't you paying attention? It said we should have fun. What else is there to worry about?” he teased, an ominous gleam covering his eyes. “I don't know about you guys, but I intend to have as much fun as possible,” he announced, before slamming the base of his staff on the ground. Within a five-hundred-foot radius of the epicenter, all the gargoyles turned into stone.
The staff shed its unpolished exterior, revealing the spear hidden within. Simultaneously, the asura summoned its halberd, each brimming with the might of the elements. The duo turned toward Scott, who had yet to draw his weapon, silently questioning what he was waiting for. Unbeknownst to them, however, the Warhammer refused to heed Scott's call, leaving the eldritch knight confused.
“Are you going to be okay going in like that?” murmured the rightmost head from the side, still sulking over its preferred order not being chosen.
“We'll see, I guess,” Scott muttered before taking a step forward.
The asura mirrored his movements, and soon the duo caught up with Orion as the unlikely group advanced toward the padded door. Excited cheers and screams were drowned out by intense electronic beats, evoking the sensation that the mother of all parties was unfolding behind those doors.
As the trio approached within twenty paces of the door, a subtle creak echoed through the corridor. A small partition gradually expanded, emerging between the doors. Despite their curiosity, neither of the champions could discern anything beyond the barrier.
Undeterred, the trio pressed forward. Suddenly, the doors swung open wide, unleashing a burst of blinding white light that enveloped them. They were pulled into the room with a forceful tug before the doors slammed shut behind them. In that instant, the petrified gargoyles reverted to their original forms, all standing upright once more.
As Scott, Orion, and the asura descended, they plunged through a swirling cloud of auburn mist, engulfed in a cacophony of deafening, pulsating music emanating from every direction. Explosions erupted intermittently, their tremors synchronized with excited screams and woeful shouts that reverberated through the tumultuous atmosphere. Below them, expansive battlefields were torn apart by raging meteor showers, adding to the chaotic scene unfolding beneath their descent.
Mountains of corpses littered the ground, rivers of fresh and sullied blood flowing between the macabre corpse pile. Champions of all races, physiques, sexes, and temperaments brutally massacred each other in a massive free-for-all.
Tens of thousands of champions within their sight each bared fatal injuries. Nevertheless, they clenched their teeth and fought with unwavering determination, giving their all in the battle.
Orion twisted in midair, his laughter echoing maniacally as he deftly manipulated the spear with his right hand. The mage's robes loosened and vanished into his inventory, along with his glasses, as if by their own accord.
“This is far better than my expectations,” the mage exclaimed, his eyes ablaze with lunacy. He turned towards the asura, and the champion's demeanor underwent a drastic transformation. Blood streamed from its eyes while a tangible, blackened miasma oozed from the mouth of its leftmost head, while the rightmost head seemed engulfed in flames.
As the mage shifted his gaze towards Scott, the eldritch knight narrowed his eyes in response, his displeasure evident. Scott's gaze bore into the champions below with intensity.
What's happening here? Orion pondered, following Scott's line of sight. His brows furrowed as numerous champions turned their heads towards the dim skies, their gazes fixed on Scott with a fervent desire.
Suddenly, flaming rods descended from the heavens, streaking towards the inactive champions like shooting stars. In an instant, the rods obliterated the heads of the champions, adding to the growing pile of corpses.
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Simultaneously, three projectiles hurtled towards Orion, Scott, and the asura, too swift for them to evade. The first projectile sealed the mage's mouth, while the second plunged into the asura's chest, eliciting a soul-rending scream as its magma-like skin darkened like cooling lava. The third projectile struck Scott's right eye, sealing the cracked eye but avoiding his mask.
The bottom half of the Warhammer of the Mad God emerged from the mask, and Scott instinctively grasped the ominous weapon. It was evident to the trio that someone, somewhere, had imposed restrictions on their abilities.
Orion swiftly retrieved a dagger from his inventory and drove its serrated blade into his cheeks. He carved his flesh mercilessly, laughter echoing from the bloodied cuts. “It's going to take a lot more than that to stop me,” he uttered, his voice slurred as blood dripped from his wounds.
At that moment, Scott's eyes stirred, and a clank followed by a bang shattered the metallic covering on his right eye, which disintegrated into fine dust. Meanwhile, the asura sank its halberd into his chest, desperately searching for the mysterious item rapidly distorting its body. The champion quickly located the item and sent it flying just as Orion removed the obstruction from his mouth.
The trio crashed onto the battlefield along with several meteors which obliterated several regions around them. Dust, smoke, and various gases filled the air, mingling with the stench of charred flesh, rotten corpses, blood, and indiscernible liquids. Amidst the chaos, electronic music thundered across the landscape, infusing the champions with renewed vigor as they embarked on their mindless massacre.
Scott swung his Warhammer towards Orion, who retaliated by thrusting his spear towards the eldritch knight. The Warhammer narrowly missed Orion's skull, cracking the air and causing fresh blood to erupt as a camouflaged lizard revealed itself. Simultaneously, Orion's spear breezed past Scott's neck, impaling a mist-like creature with ominous crimson lantern-like eyes. The ghastly champion exploded into a hazy mist, while a crack in space formed from the tip of Orion's spear. The cracks spread, and dozens of champions within their path instantly turned to dust.
Scott phased into intangibility, becoming like a ghost as he descended upon his next victim. Meanwhile, the asura unleashed a savage howl, its body pulsating with energy as elemental forces coalesced around its halberd. Scores of champions fell with each swing of its arm, and even more succumbed to the whirlwinds of elemental devastation.
“This is exciting! Come on, show me what you've got!” Orion bellowed, thrusting his spear repeatedly. Each jab created numerous fault lines that swallowed the surrounding champions.
Despite the chaos, none of the champions showed hesitation or fear. Instead, they hurled themselves at each other with unwavering confidence, seeking to vanquish the rampaging trio and other champions within their vicinity.
“You're the one who's been calling me out. I've been searching for you, you bastard!” a champion roared as he charged toward Scott, his fists glowing with power.
Scott deftly phased through the champion's wild lunge, re-materializing behind him. Without a word, he brought his Warhammer down, shattering the champion's skull. Ignoring the fallen foe, he shifted his focus to his next target: a mage surrounded by five swirling magic circles for protection.
The middle-aged mage fixed her gaze on Scott, a cruel smile stretching her parched lips. “It appears I'm not the only one plagued by your incessant summons,” she remarked. “Today, your head will be mine.”
With a gesture, the mage activated the circles, casting an amber glow over them. Hundreds of corpses rose into the air, caught in a raging cyclone. With a grim determination, she prepared to unleash her magic. However, Scott diverted his attention, unleashing chaos missiles at unsuspecting champions locked in combat.
“You dare turn away from me?” Incensed; the mage prepared to unleash her attack, but a spear pierced through her abdomen before she could lower her hand. A crack echoed, and a mighty fist penetrated her defenses, shattering the head of the champion.
At that moment, Scott's right leg exploded into a gory mess, caught in an unforeseen mine hidden among the corpses. The eldritch knight flew several meters into the air, a rain of arrows striking him before he could land. However, the arrowheads could do nothing to penetrate his dragon scales.
Close by, Orion laughed with wanton abandon as he cracked the neck of another man. Unlike before, several clones of the mage mixed in with the original, making it hard to distinguish between who was real and who was a clone. Armed with spears, the clones ruthlessly massacred the surrounding champions with murderous delight. Several clones met brutal demises during the chaos, but from the embers of their fresh corpses, even more clones arose as an unending plague.
Meanwhile, the asura, besieged by countless champions both towering and small, suffered the most injuries among the trio. Sections of the leftmost and rightmost heads had been blown apart, but they showed labored signs of regeneration.
Although there were no alliances in the free-for-all melee, Scott, the asura, and Orion ensured they didn't stray too far from each other. Even so, the sheer disruptive nature of the battlefield prevented them from providing complete cover for each other. The chaos caller title actively drew all champions plagued with lunacy toward their direction, adding more fire to the chaotic battle.
Scott continued fending off the relentless attacks from his pursuers while regenerating his mangled leg. He shifted between the tangible world and the illusionary world, unleashing an array of attacks from his arsenal, including chaos missiles, the curse of the nightmarish fog, and the abyssal blizzard.
Attacks came fast and powerfully, leaving many champions with no room to think, let alone react. Scott, likewise, faced a similar barrage of cruel and devastating attacks. However, his ability to fade in and out of existence helped reduce the damage he would potentially suffer.
Scott evaded another laser beam attack while using chaos missiles to sear the eyes of a canine adversary. The moment he materialized, several clamps bound his arms and feet, sending the eldritch knight crashing to the ground. At that instant, a hulking figure with a mask made of bones lowered its scepter toward Scott's head. The silver weapon smashed against the back of Scott’s neck, but it shattered on impact. Before the stunned champion could comprehend what had happened, a gigantic foot kicked the figure thousands of meters away.
The rampaging giant fixed its gaze on Scott, who struggled to free his bound limbs while dodging attacks from nearby champions. The massive creature raised its leg, intending to crush everything beneath its feet. However, the earth suddenly trembled, and a sinkhole formed beneath the giant, swallowing it whole.
Another sinkhole formed beneath Orion, but the mage defied gravity, levitating in midair while battling the crazed champions around him. Unbeknownst to the mage, a massive mouth revealed itself from the sinkhole, swallowing the mage and his clones in one gulp. All the while, an electrifying guitar riff echoed in the background.
Scott managed to free himself from the shackles that had limited his ability to use void levitation, but a massive orc’s fist greeted him as soon as he stood up. The orc was impaled by a swordsman, who was then blown up by an arsonist, who also swiftly met their demise at the hands of an assassin.
The asura fared no better, becoming the victim of a massive golem intent on pummeling the malevolent creature. New champions descended into the chaotic battlefield every minute, ensuring the mayhem would repeat in an unending cycle. Meanwhile, champions who remained inactive for more than thirty seconds were swiftly blown to smithereens by flaming rods.
The ground trembled once more, heralding the return of the colossal worm-like creature that had devoured Orion and several other champions. It surged forward, its gaping maw aimed at fresh prey, but then abruptly halted, its form swelling rapidly. An explosion ensued, showering the area with a grisly mix of bloodied flesh and noxious fluid, catching the nearby champions off guard.
From the creature's innards, Orion and his clones burst forth, their laughter echoing with manic fervor as they launched into a frenzied assault on any nearby champions.
While some champions possessed the ability to regenerate severed limbs and injuries, none could withstand the relentless toll of the ongoing battle. Their only reprieve came from the electrifying music, which seemed to invigorate their weary minds and bodies, preparing them for further carnage.