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Start of chapter music - click to watch Nightcore Marching On : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=308yehbCF6w
For a split second, the claws of the daemon would have reached Raine first before her fist could strike the daemon. However, there are no rules that say she needs to play fair. And against an actual daemon? Her religious belief already caused her mental psyche to burn with zealousness. Above all else at this moment, she desired to utterly destroy the foul being in front of her by hook or by crook.
“NAPALM BEAT!” Shouted Raine loudly as multiple magical orbs blasted from her palm and impacted full force on the snarling daemon face before its claws could even touch Raine’s faceplate.
The daemon spins mid-air from the impact and is violently thrown backward from the force of Raine’s magic spell until it hit the ground a distance away from her location. Apparently, it did not expect it’s prey to be able to resist its advance, and for the moment it is stunned on the ground.
The sight of Raine prevailing over a bloodthirsty bloodletter daemon also causes the rest of the combatants, both daemons and mortals to pause in their own life or death struggle. They simply stare at the motionless daemon on the ground before shifting their attention to her. For a few seconds, no one moved, until one of the daemons took advantage of the distraction and proceed to stab an old orc through the heart.
The unfortunate orc slave lets loose a terrified scream before the orc soul is reaped out of his body and his spectral form struggled on the edge of the two-handed blade as it is lifted by the victorious daemon. The orc physical body falls to the ground, unharmed and alive yet with no one home.
The rest of the combatants move again as if the death of one of the participant prompted them to continue their own struggle. In the midst of the melee, the form of Raine could be seen frozen in shock at the sight of an immortal soul in plain sight being held overhead by a snarling daemon.
Raine’s blood becomes chilled in her veins, as the victorious daemon then devours the spectral form of the orc. Just as if a child eats a corn dog during a carnival.
First, the daemon ate the flailing specter limbs until the spectral form was left limbless. Next, the lower body and then the daemon sucked the spectral matter down its gullet. The orc spectral matter disappears slowly from the bottom and creeps up until just below the orc’s neck before the daemon stops.
What is so horrifying is that during the process, the orc is still aware of its own form being devoured. The orc facial expression is in unimaginable agony, and the orc continues to scream in silence as death refuses to come to grant the orc soul salvation from its fate.
Before Raine’s eyes, the still futilely screaming orc head is bitten piecemeal by piecemeal like eating a caramelized whole apple on a stick. Until the head all disappear down the daemon gullet, even as the last piece of the head went down, one of the orc eyes is still moving here and there with a gaze full of despair and pain. With its meal finished, the daemon then licked its lip before shifting her gaze towards her as if looking at its next meal. The daemon walks lazily towards her with a brutal looking greatsword held in one hand.
Seeing this evil incarnate being walking threateningly towards her, Raine ready herself for another fight, by raising both of her hands and mentally readying a soul strike spell. She only needs the daemon to come closer to her to be certain that the spell would guarantee to be hit.
Step by step the daemon walked threateningly towards Raine, closing the distance between them. Surrounded by the noise of mortal struggles, in her mind the world only contain herself and the approaching enemy. Her muscles are tense and coiled with both hands raised, and her attention fully focused on every slight movement of her enemy, as if expecting the daemon to bolt and rush at her.
However, the daemon suddenly stops for no reason at the outside edge of Raine's comfortable range. The daemon simply stands there while looking at her, not making another step forward. The daemon action greatly confuses her and throws her equilibrium out of balance. For a time, both combatants are locked in a Mexican stand off for reasons she fails to understand.
Out of nowhere, from both sides of her faceplate, two clawed hands overlapped her sight and with a loud crack twisted Raine’s head 180 degrees. Now her sight is filled with a snarling daemon face. One of its eyes destroyed and a disfigured face snarling hatefully at her.
‘It’s the first daemon I blasted in the face! It’s still alive!’ Thought Raine with shock.
Thankfully, Raine‘s injury is minor and nowhere near being enough to kill her. Don’t underestimate a plant ability to survive! If there is a racial strength to being a plant, then it would be the extremely high life force or Hit Points!
After confirming that Raine is still in good condition, even if her head is facing the opposite direction of her body, she throws her arms overhead to grab the daemon neck with both hands and proceed to strangle the daemon with all her strength.
The daemon single working eye opens wide with surprise as it’s prey reverses their roles and instead become the predator. The daemon struggled as it released Raine’s head and tried to pry her hands from its neck.
Due to Raine’s supernatural strength, the daemon is not able to force her hands to stop strangling it. And as the daemon suffering continues, it changes tactic and instead retaliated by choking her as well.
The scene now comes straight out of a Simpson episode, as the larger and taller daemon strangles the smaller Raine while it is being choked as well. The only difference is the horror element where her head is twisted 180 degrees like a zombie yet it is still strangling the life of the living.
Raine’s heart is filled with pleasure as it sees the daemon eye filled with fear. As a religious person, there is a certain satisfaction about the prospect of defeating daemon. From birth, humanity is taught that daemons are evil and the reason humanity has fallen in the eyes of God.
Every misfortune experienced by humanity could be said to be caused by the original sin. Since then, stories of demonic forces treating people lives as plaything continues to plague humanity even to modern history.
Fate is cruel. Humanity is often powerless when faced with the predation of demons and evil. As often it is a threat unseen and immaterial, it is a problem that couldn’t be shot or reasoned.
For once, Raine is grateful to be reborn as a Dryad in a topsy-turvy crazy future. She has gained power beyond what a normal human being is capable of. So what if she is no longer human? Being a monster is excellent if she could even the score with demons that plagued humanity since time immemorial.
As Raine’s neck further cracked due to the demon strangulation, while her strength could barely crush the daemon thick neck muscle. She could see a glimmer of hope in the daemon eye. It seems that her neck is weaker than the daemon strength. She still feels fine, yet she feels irritated after seeing the hope in the daemon eye. At this rate, her head would come off first rather than the daemon’s own. She feels giddy, in expectation for the joy she will receive when she crushed that hope.
”Napalm Beat! Napalm Beat! Napalm Beat! Napalm Beat! Napalm Beat!” Shouted Raine in quick succession.
Five spells within two seconds in quick succession appear from both hands even while strangling the daemon and obliterated the daemon’s neck muscle point blank. The daemon head is decapitated from its body as it's neck disappear from the spell barrage. With one hand, Raine grabbed one of the decapitated daemon head horn while using the other hand to push away the headless body before the gushing blood could stain her back.
As the headless body falls to the floor, Raine used a free hand to rotate her head back 180 degrees to its correct position. Her sight now encompasses the second daemon, the one holding a demonic looking greatsword.
This time a third daemon was queuing behind it. Both of the daemon facial expressions show shock as both of their lower jaws are loose and closer to the ground than healthy.
Raine curses in her mind, it seems a second orc has just been devoured during her struggle. However, that doesn't explain why they have to pick on her! There are other options besides her! What about the dwarf, Bugman or the other orcs? Eat them! They are fatter and more substantial than her! As always, why does life keeps being unfair to her!
Even now both daemons are looking at Raine while communicating in a fiendish sounding language. She has no idea what they are talking about since nobody she knows of spoke the demonic language, and she does not wish to learn for God’s sake. However, since both are fiendish daemons, it must be something sinister. She threw away the head in her hand in disgust and took a ready stance expecting one of the bickering daemon to settle their argument and making a decision of who gets to eat her.
*From a higher dimensional beings perspective.
”I say sir Archibald, that is one mean piece of sweet birthday cake! She just decapitated sir Kenny! Even though we promise him a piece of sweet, innocent and tender young soul to consume, it seems pointless if the cake managed to slaughter the birthday boy instead!” Said the second daemon who first walk towards Raine earlier.
”I agree sir Lancelot. It's Balderdash, that is what it is. Even though we already booked the first slot if a new mortal soul hunt appears fifty years in advance, it is for naught if it poses a danger to us instead! Are we sure that is a mortal, instead of a cowardly pink horror of Tzeentch in disguise?” Said sir Archibald as he gestured wildly at Raine.
”I am quite sure old chap. I mean, it doesn't have any demonic energy for sure. Just this thick darkness centered on its face and veins. I assumed you were the one who put that darkness condiment there for Sir Kenny to enjoy at first.” Said sir Lancelot with confusion.
”Hell no! Damn you youngsters. Let an old hand show you how it is done. As always, I will be enjoying this morsel by myself. It is the proper etiquette for a daemon to start and finish it’s meal alone like a gentleman after all.” Said sir Archibald as he overtook Sir Lancelot in the queue.
”By all means sir Archibald! The elderly first!” Said sir Lancelot as he steps aside and let Sir Archibald overtook him.
”Let me show you how a hunt is supposed to be done! Tally Ho!” Said sir Archibold as he rushed Raine with his greatsword held high.
*Higher dimensional being perspective ends.
Raine tensed as the third daemon rushed towards her direction with a greatsword swinging wildly overhead. Instead of throwing a soul strike spell, she unsheathed her nova knife and proceeded to throw it with all her strength.
The reason why Raine does this instead of starting with a spell is that she wants to test conventional weapon against these daemons. Based on what Bugman said, it seems that all of the races weapons are useless against daemon attack.
Hence why the old dwarf dropped his autogun to the ground and fought bare-handed instead. Certainly, it’s not because the old dwarf is trying to prove his manliness by fighting a daemon bare-handed, but due to necessity and experience.
The rushing daemon snorted derisively when it sees the action of its prey. The daemon doesn't even bother to try blocking or avoiding the incoming knife. It is certain of its futility, as only the immaterial can touch it's immaterial figure after all.
The Nova knife given to Raine by Mr. Jack spins in the air before coincidentally hitting the rushing daemon right on the forehead with its edged blade. Instead of stabbing deep into its brain, the Nova knife obliterated the daemon head and scattered demonic blood and brain matter everywhere.
The Nova knife in question then clattered on the floor not far from where the second daemon is standing. The daemon facial expression became ugly with rage as it roared at Raine.
”That’s neat. I should have opened with the Nova knife instead of using spells if it could one shot a daemon like that.” Grumbled Raine as she regrets throwing away the knife after seeing its devastating effect on infernal beings.
Raine attention is now focused on the location where the nova knife lay on the floor after slaughtering a rushing daemon. A motion copied by the daemon in front her. Her eyes narrow into a slit as the daemon eyes do the same. Without pause, both combatants rushed to where the knife has fallen.
Unfortunately, the daemon is closer to the Nova knife. Naturally, the daemon reached the Nova knife first, and it proceeds to stand guard by blocking Raine’s path to the weapon. However, the Nova knife was never her aim. She scooped up the third daemon greatsword, the one who died pathetically easy. Its weight should be heavy as all greatswords are, but her strength is enough to wield the greatsword with one hand.
With an infernal greatsword in one hand, Raine rushed towards the second daemon which is readying a stance to cut her down. She suddenly halted a short distance away before using her free hand to cast a level 10 Soul Strike spell.
It was a feint! Raine knows she is no swordsman, and she may have the strength to wield the greatsword but not the training and experience that came with being a swordsman. She’s a person from a modern era, not a knight wannabes. Just because she managed to be reborn as a race stronger than baseline human, doesn’t mean she is born as an Overpowered being straight from the start.
With that said, Raine improvised and cheated using her innate ability to gain an advantage over her opponent. The daemon didn't expect the spell, as five ghostly spirits appear from her hand and strike the daemon head on. Three spirits impacted the daemon torso, one spirit impacted the daemon face while the last spirit is blocked by the greatsword but cause the great sword to be blown away from the daemon hands.
The daemon staggered and howled as it is injured severely, both hands covered its bruised face. That was the weakness that Raine was waiting for and she exploited it mercilessly.
Raine rushed the disabled daemon again with the greatsword in tow, and she then jumps and cleaved the daemon from head to crotch. Thereby neatly separating the left side and right side of the daemon. Infernal blood sprays to the air and stains her faceplate and armor.
Sighing in relief and satisfaction on the demise of another daemon, she walked a short distance away from the body and picked up her nova knife from the floor. After some consideration, she sheathed her nova knife and ran toward the other piece of infernal greatsword which have fallen another short distance away.
Raine equipped the great sword in her free hand. Now she is dual wielding the infernal greatswords like a boss. She decided to dual wield because the greatswords have more reach compared to her knife and she would like to keep an ace in the hole as a backup weapon in case she lost any weapon in a battle.
As Raine looks around, the rest of her companions are still locked in a mortal struggle. The two orc slaves that have been devoured are the weak and the infirm members of the group. The individuals still in the fight are the stronger ones. Even Bugman is still in the fight as he nimbly danced around his opponent and staying inside the greatsword effective range.
However, Raine could see that there is a limit to the old dwarf stamina. Compared to the other combatant's struggle, she decided to help his fight first.
Raine rushed the battle between the old dwarf and the daemon with a greatsword. She approached the daemon from his blind spot until she is right behind it. She then lifted both greatswords and performed a scissor-like motion which intersects on the daemon neck with all her strength. Beheading the daemon brutally as it died without knowing who killed it.
“Hah..hah. I thank you lass for the quick safe. I wasn’t sure I could last much longer at that pace.” Said Bugman as he tries to recover his breath.
“Hngh.” Shrugged Raine noncommittally.
“I’ll just take a break. Don’t mind me lass. I will join you when I have recovered a bit.” Said Bugman as he picks up the recently slain daemon greatsword and holding it tight close to his body, as if afraid that someone will take it away.
Raine could understand his relief, the hardest part to survive is when fighting against an armed opponent while being unarmed. Now that the old dwarf managed to get a weapon that could harm his opponent, it has become an equal fight.
“Don’t go anywhere now.” Commanded Raine as she took a glance towards Ms. Iden who is still unconscious on the floor where she left her, but otherwise safe and alive.
Raine then rushed to the other battles and repeated her domination of the enemy by stabbing the daemons in the back while being supported by the orcs she has saved previously. This time, those orcs held a greatsword previously held by the slain enemies. After all the daemons are slaughtered, she took note of how many orc slaves are left. There are four orcs left after they manage to last until she can assist them.
Two have fallen to a fate worse than death. The survivors are down to seven individuals, including Raine. There are Four orc slaves, an old dwarf, the unconscious Iden and Raine herself. Now they need to decide what is their next step going forward. After discussing it for a while, a plan has been made that could work well.
“We have to push forward to the hangar bay, only by defending a choke position and letting half of our boys rest while the other half defend could we maintain the battle line until we exit the warp a little under three hours later. Once we exit the warp, then all this nightmare would be over as the daemons would disappear as they cannot maintain their form in real space.” Said Bugman decisively.
“I am not rejecting your plan… I just disagree why I have to take the point in this plan of yours.” Complained Raine bitterly as she heard about Bugman revised plan.
“Lass, you would ask me to lead? Obviously, you are much stronger than any of us. Before I realized it, you managed to kill three of those bastards. I don’t know how you did it, and frankly, I don’t want to know. Lai Dai mega-corporation is entitled to their secret. The cooperation between our two factions have been solid for decades, and I would respect that. Besides, I am lowering myself by becoming the pack mule, yet I would shoulder this burden if it means we could survive.” Said Bugman self-depreciatingly as he carries the unconscious form of Iden.
“Really? It’s not because you are scared to fight, right?” Said Raine skeptically at Bugman's behavior.
“By my ancestors beard I would swear! The dwarves of the house of flying boar do not fear any fight! We only fear failure and a task left unfinished if we die!” Denied Bugman passionately.
Raine still has a skeptical expression as she stares at Bugman facial expression, but then shrugged and decided to throw her lot in this plan. It does seem to be their best plan to succeed.
Raine then took the point in a battle formation. Flanked by an orc slave on her left and right side, forming an arrowhead with her as the edge of the spear. At the center of the formation, Bugman is carrying the unconscious Iden, while the rest of the two orc slaves are guarding the rear in case of an ambush.
The theory is, Raine would engage the approaching daemon while being supported by the two orc slaves. Once she managed to kill her enemy, she would then breakthrough the daemon group before making a u-turn and slashed the daemon being held up by the orc slaves from the back. If an orc slave is tired or slain, then it will be rotated with the orc slave guarding the rear who is still in a better condition.
“For the record, you have to fight in the front once Iden is back again. Honestly, who depend on a minor to fight their battle for them.” Grumbled Raine, ignorant of the awkwardness caused by her words to their pride.
“That’s fair lass.” Conceded Bugman as he piggybacked Iden on his back.
“Alright, let’s move out before we all die horribly at the starting line. I would like to at least reach the sight of the finish line before dying in this round.” Sighed Raine negatively, her life doesn’t matter as she could get a new body if she died, yet the same could not be the same for her companions.
It would… inconvenience her greatly if Iden or Bugman died on her watch after all. Think of all the interview and investigation that she has to go through to find a replacement. It would severely cut the time she could spend playing her video games. She sighed about her already reduced time for her hobby in this death trap, and then she held both of the infernal greatswords under her armpit while leaving one of her hand free to gesture forward.
The group moves forward in a battle formation lead by Raine as the tip of the spear. They start navigating the hallway with the goal of heading towards the cargo bay of the Cruor frigate ship.
However, it seems their movement and noise attracted the attention daemons as a group of daemons materializes into the hallway from the walls of the ship like specters. That group consisting of six blood letter daemons howled and rushed forward with madness in their eyes.
The daemon eyes are hungry for sustenance and the thrill of the hunt. This maddened rush of the daemon causes Raine’s group to stop and brace themselves once again.
Raine tensed at the approaching mob, she unsheathed her nova knife, aims once and throws it with all her strength. The Nova knife spins through the air before going through two blood letter daemons like a cannon through flesh and bone. The brutal slaughter left four daemons to contend with for her group, two for Raine and one for each orc slave flanking her.
Raine then grabs the handle of one of the infernal greatsword from her armpit and drop the other greatsword before catching it with her free hand. This way, she managed to throw the nova knife while quickly dual wielding her greatswords again.
The nearest daemon to Raine jumps amazingly far, before using both clawed hands to swing the greatsword towards her helmet mid-air. The daemon intends to cleave her from head to crotch. If she doesn’t know any better, it looks like this daemon is trying to avenge its friend by doing the same thing she did to slay one of the earlier group of daemons.
Raine crossed both greatswords above her head and managed to catch the powerful downward swing in between her twin greatswords with a loud ringing sound of metal hitting metal. The daemon exerted more power to pressure its blade downward, forcing her to kneel under the daemon’s onslaught.
Even in a weaker position, Raine managed to block the bigger daemon’s blade because she has a pair of the same greatswords to counter and parry her opponent. Not only that, she managed to trap the enemy blade in place, exactly like using a scissor to block a knife. When the daemon’s blade stop, Raine shifted the angle of one of her blade to take in more of the force of the daemon’s blade, easing the pressure on her other greatsword. This increases the pressure on that side of her arm, but it freed her other arm to pierce the daemon’s throat.
As the daemon choked on its blood, Raine slapped it’s blade aside and swing the greatsword through its neck, but she only managed to cut through halfway due to its thick neck muscle. Another swing from the other greatsword cut the opposite side of the neck halfway and met in the middle. The daemon groans even as a sliver of neck muscle still connect its head with its body, and blood starts gushing out from the wound. With a grunt, she sawed through that thin neck muscle by carving from both sides of her greatswords. Almost instantly the blades of the greatswords managed to breakthrough and decapitated the daemon in front of her.
Before the decapitated head could fall to the ground, Raine kicked the headless body away deliberately towards another daemon behind it. The headless body is then ruthlessly slashed into two pieces by its fellow daemon.
Now three daemons are left after the first three was slain by Raine alone. Two of the daemons have already reached the orc slave and are locked in a reasonably even struggle now that both sides have possession of the same greatsword weapon. After she has slain the fourth daemon in front of her, then she could assist the orc slave battle.
Her decision to kick the body towards her opponent and the subsequent slash that tore said body into half is what Raine is waiting for as the daemon is now open for an attack. She throws one of the greatswords in her hand with all her strength. The greatsword spins briefly in the air before hitting the daemon’s head with its handle instead of the blade part. This impromptu attack causes some bruising and dazzling the daemon instead of killing it outright.
Raine becomes disappointed that the throw is a failure, but consoled herself by reminding herself that real life is not a fiction where everything will go according to plan, and everything she does will be successful all the time.
Life is not that perfect and that convenient for her. In fact, recently it seems like fate keeps making things difficult for Raine. As if the notion of her living her daily life in comfort and enjoying herself playing video games to be a concept to be too dull to be allowed to happen.
When life falls short though, Raine has to make an effort to make up for the shortfall. Since the daemon became dazed after being hit in the face by the greatsword she throws, she needs to capitalize on the chance. She quickly dashed forward and stabbed the daemon through the heart with a savage thrill.
It should be enough to kill the daemon, but when Raine remember the persistence of the first daemon, she better make sure that this one is extra dead. Just in case, she dragged the great sword upward after stabbing the heart and proceed to cleave the daemon head into two as it is split in the middle. The daemon could still gurgle and reach one of its hand out even in such a state.
Raine blasted the daemon head with a quick napalm beat spell before it finally expired on the floor. Now she is free to assist the battle of one of the orc slave. As she starts to move to assist, one of the orc slaves managed to win its battle by parrying his opponent and robbing the daemon of his great sword before decapitating his opponent. The victorious orc roared in pride of its victory.
’Not bad, it seems that at least one of the orc has the strength to win its battle.’ Thought Raine as she changes direction to the last ongoing battle.
This time Raine shamelessly stabbed the daemon from the back. The daemon simply stared in disbelief at the blade which suddenly appears from its chest. Before it could react further, Raine repeats the same motion that cleaved the daemon head from the chest up. The daemon falls to the ground and could still feebly struggle before being ruthlessly and repeatedly stabbed by both orc slaves until only minced meat is left.
”Good job, now switch with the rear guard. They should do the next battle.” Advised Raine as she whipped the blood, gristle, and viscera from the greatswords away to the floor.
The orc slaves respectfully followed Raine words. It’s a little weird to see a big burly green wall of muscle following the word of a petite figure. Imagine if a group of hulk from marvel taking order from little red riding hood and that would be close to representing what the current scene looks like. However, the respect she gained come from the kills and the ease she expends to achieve those kills.
If only they know that Raine does not achieve the kills due to better skills. Especially since she never had, in this life and the previous life, handled a sword before today. Honestly, the reason she prevails is that her innate physical stats are better and she has the creativity to use her newly gained spells to cheat and create an opening that she can exploit on the battlefield. She supposes it's her experiences playing strategic video games like the X-com series that made her able to plan and carry out a successful set of moves, which happens to work when applied in real life against all the odds. So in other words, it works because she has dumb luck on her side, but unfortunately, fate is on the other team. So both factors balance each other out in the end for her.
The current strategy works very well, which is why Raine continues to support it by staying as the point of the spear. Only two more groups attacked them before they finally reached the pair of doors which lead to the cargo bay. Both failed miserably against her, and no one died on her watch. However, that is a given knowing who she was and who she has become in this life. So she feels confident of her chances to survive this death trap until the end.
Their group now stands behind another sealed door while Bugman is in the process of hacking it using only one hand, even while shouldering Iden. That is until they heard some muffled sound from the opposite side of the sealed door.
Raine could then hear the sound of battle and screams coming through the doors. It seems like Bugman’s subordinates manage to reach the cargo bay first since they have more people but from the sound of it… The other groups are not faring well against whoever it is they are facing.
”My boys are being slaughtered! Take over carrying your commander lass!” Shouted Bugman in a panic as he haphazardly passed the still unconscious Iden on his shoulder to Raine.
Raine didn't expect Iden to be passed to her so suddenly. She dropped both of her great swords to the floor as she has to use both hands to catch Iden instead.
Bugman quickly hacked through the sealed door only to despair as one of the metal containers block the path.
”Of all the rotten luck! This piece of junk has to be here!” Shouted Bugman as he kicked the container repeatedly.
Raine became happy instead, but for a different cause. What is a roadblock for Bugman is an opportunity for her to set up her fireworks! Raine gently puts Iden on the ground, before standing up and shoving Bugman out of the way.
”Out of the way old man! Let the ace tackle your problem aside.” Said Raine rudely with glee as she took out a few explosive discs from her black cat tail belt.
The offended Bugman took one look at the explosives in her hand before becoming pale and quickly distanced himself away from Raine. The rest of the orc slaves, seeing their master become afraid, wisely distanced themselves away as well while courteously bringing the unconscious Iden along.
”Let's see, Professor Dexter said to press the button below the disc and then either stick them to the wall or throw like a grenade.” Murmured Raine as she holds three explosive discs on her hands.
Raine closely observed the bottom and surrounding metal container for a gap she could exploit to slip the explosive discs. Shortly after, she found a crack below the metal container, which she decided to be suitable for her purpose. Steeling her resolve, she activated all three explosive discs and quickly slide them all into the crack. Expecting a big explosion, she immediately distanced herself from the metal container and sealed the door again. She then sits close to the ground, closed her ears and closed her eyes childishly, until finally a loud explosion and a strong rumble managed to lift her off the floor for about three centimeters.
Opening an eye, Raine confirmed that she is still in one piece. She stands up and proceeds to open the sealed door again. Only to immediately regret doing so. On the one hand, the metal container blocking the way is removed after the explosion. On the other hand, that metal container was the only thing shielding them from harm’s way. For in front of her eyes, a gargantuan daemon of horrifying might is locking her in its sight.
The gargantuan daemon, standing upon piles of fresh skulls and accompanied by three of the bloodletter daemons, are dual wielding a pair of greataxes, which makes her greatswords look like toothpicks.
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“By the ancestor's hairy back! That is a bloodthirster greater daemon! We are frickin doomed lass! I have heard that a single appearance of that type of daemon managed to slaughter most of the crews of a blood raider battleship before they managed to banish it by drowning it in orc warriors body!” Shouted Bugman with despair beside Raine, as he recognizes the figure of the greater daemon in front of him.
“Nope, not doing this.” Said Raine as she rejects reality, sealed the door again before turning her body and walking away.
Bugman was running away even faster as he quickly passed the walking figure of Raine.
Raine felt her decision to walk away went quite well, and she began to congratulate herself. Unfortunately, she does not account for a large demonic arm that phased through the door and grabbing her midriff. She screamed as the arm withdrew and dragged her back before hitting the door with a thud. The daemon arm might be immaterial, but that does not mean her physical body could say the same.
Raine felt the crushing force exerted against her body, and try as she might, she is not able to free herself from the clutches of the giant demonic hand. The rest of her group rushed to help her, but none of them can make even one of the giant finger budge an inch.
Meanwhile, the metal door starts to form an indent as the arm keeps trying to pull Raine through the sealed door forcefully. She could feel her drop suit armour cracking as seconds goes by, yet the pain is still manageable. A human being would have broken their bone and punctured their lungs by now.
”Your body won't hold at this rate! Sorry lass but I have to cut you loose. Better be dead quickly than slowly crushed to death!” Shouted Bugman grimly before he opened the sealed door again.
”Wait!” Screamed Raine as she panicked when the door opens and her body passes through to the inside of the cargo bay.
Raine’s sight is now encompassed by a hideous and terrifying greater daemon face. The giant daemon hateful eyes stare as if into her soul. She struggled with all her strength to no avail as the hand binding her brings her closer to its open mouth lined with sharp teeth. Teeth that are already bloody with the blood of dwarves and orcs alike, the remains of Bugman’s subordinates and orc slaves.
Raine flinched when the giant daemon placed her head on its tongue, and then suddenly everything went dark and silent. She has no idea what just happened. All she knows is that at the moment she suddenly became blind and deaf simultaneously. She could still feel her body and limbs, so she ruled out being paralyzed. Unfortunately the giant daemon hand is still holding her tight, so she stops resisting and resort to playing dead instead.
After a while, Raine could feel herself being thrown in the air as she could briefly feel being free and weightless. Seconds later, she feels the pain of hitting the ground and then bouncing a few times before finally becoming motionless on the floor.
Raine waits for roughly ten seconds before she tried moving her fingers. She feels uncomfortable as she has an inclination of what just happened. Thankfully, she remembers that she has the perfect spell to assist her in this kind of situation. She never used this spells before, and at this point, there wasn't a point of keeping it a secret if they would be all be dead anyway.
It's the lvl 1 Sight spell. The description said that it enables Raine to see hidden enemies, but there is a good chance that it will give her sight back.
’Sight!’ Thought Raine internally as the spell activated.
Suddenly the view of the world returns to Raine, albeit different than what she is familiar with. Instead of a first-person point of view. Her current sight is seen from the third point of view, somewhere above her figure. Similar to what players see when they play league of legends or Dota. Furthermore, the sensation of moving remains the same, yet her sight is separate from her body. It would be a while before she gets used to the current set up.
Raine focused on her prone body on the ground, and as expected, her head is gone. She shifted her ethereal attention back to the distant figure of the giant daemon, and she sees the scene of the giant daemon picking up her head from its tongue and putting it on a pile of freshly decapitated heads under a bloody shrine of a malevolent entity.
The giant daemon then moved again towards the rest of Raine companions, intent on doing the same to her group what it did to her.
Raine has half a mind to escape alone, but unfortunately she would need them as her meat shield if she is to survive until the ship exits the warp. She has no interest to know whether the daemons would eat the corpses as ration after they finish consuming the soul. Or… She could bite the bullet and use her secret weapon.
One of the hands of the headless figure of Raine moved a little and removed the other hand’s gauntlet. From the back of that hand, a leech vine slithered out from her bark opening. The leech vine stealthily moved upwards to her decapitated neck and slithered into her chest from the drop suit armor opening.
The leech vine slithered further downward until it reached Raine’s underwear, then it took a special blood-red branch from a secret pocket stitched to her underwear. When the blood-red branch is secured by the teeth of her leech vine, it retracted all the way back to her bark opening and deposited the branch to the palm of her hand.
Raine focused on the precious piece of branch in her hand, a piece given to her by the Yggdrasil council not too long ago.
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Raine has to wonder whether now is the right time to use it as she only has a single piece of the bloody branch. However, if she doesn’t use it now, then there is a good chance that she would lose it forever anyway. Steeling her resolve, she tightly grips the blood red branch and quietly snaps the special branch into two pieces.
The two pieces of the blood red branch float from Raine’s hand and proceed to consume itself to open a rift, and from within that rift a giant figure emerges snarling and growling while carrying an equally large giant cleaver. This is the appearance of a boss level monster from the Ragnarok System, a familiar of one of the Yggdrasil council member sent to assist its younger member in case of dire emergency.
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The moment the boss level monster fully emerge into the ship hallway cargo, the rift which has just open suddenly closed and winked out of existence as suddenly as it came.
The boss level monster sudden appearance did not go unnoticed by either the daemons or Raine’s companions. Both sides attention are fully on the boss monster she has summoned, with eyes showing shock and confusion.
The figure of the boss level monster who could only be described as a giant werewolf with a massive two-handed sword then shifted it's attention to the prone headless figure of Raine.
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’Mistress, my name is Atroce. Here as summoned. What is thy will and it will be done.’ Projected the boss monster telepathically to Raine.
Raine became happy at the reliable looking support the citadel council has sent her. And it's ability to communicate telepathically to her is advantageous in the currrent situation. She remain motionless on the ground and keep playing dead. In case her summon is defeated, then she still has a play-dead card on play instead of foolishly opening her hand to the enemy. Besides what if the daemons thought that by making sure she is extra dead, then the boss monster will be banished as well. Yeah, she will continue playing dead shamelessly, thank you very much.
’I command you to eliminate every daemon here until it is safe for me to move again. And safeguard my body as well. I regret to say that I would not be able to support you when you carry out my order as I seem to have lost my head earlier.' Projected Raine telepathically to the boss monster ”Atroce.”
‘As you wills it, Mistress.’ Projected Atroce telepathically to Raine.
‘Oh, and I have some companions there as well, an old dwarf and some orcs. Save them if you can, but not at the cost of your life. Prioritize the old dwarf, and the orcs are expendable so you can force their participation in your battle.’ Projected Raine telepathically as an afterthought.
‘I hear and obey Mistress.’ Projected Atroce telepathically to Raine.
‘Very well, now go wild and unleash retribution to my enemies.’ Projected Raine telepathically finally.
The boss level werewolf grins with anticipation, showing it’s sharp fangs glinting under the artificial lighting of the hangar cargo bay. The silence is broken when it suddenly let loose a loud and long howl, startling the daemons, terrifying the dwarf and intimidating the orcs. “Atroce” then runs on all four limbs towards the group of daemons and mortals who are still confused and uncertain whether the approaching figure is a friend or foe. That is until the werewolf beheaded many figures of bloodletter daemons as it passed through them with ease, then it made its position clear for everyone.
Atroce's target then recognizes that the figure in front of it as an enemy. The bloodthirster roared in fury as it chopped its own smaller brethren blocking its path in its rush to meet Atroce head on. The greater daemon eyes become mad with pleasure as it lusted after a battle with an enemy that looks to be it’s equal in size and ferocity.
The bloodthirster greater daemon flapped its wings as it launched itself into the air before flying straight at the approaching werewolf with both great axes raised and poised to swing downward.
Atroce, recognizing the unspoken challenge, roared as it also jumps high to the air, almost matching the altitude of its flying enemy. The boss level monster is ready to unleash a level 5 ‘Pulse Strike’ midair, while at the same time, the bloodthirster greater daemon is about to bash Atroce head from a higher position.
Thus the primal battle between an incarnation of fury and rage versus the incarnation of destruction and death is about to begin.
End of chapter music - click to watch Nightcore Wolf : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldNK9xWfCmI
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