Chapter Forty-Seven


    Tina looked bored as Ambrose, and the contigent of dwarves given to him by Throrvin and the other fighters went over the plan.


    “We will use our dwarven friends earth shaping ability to create a tunnel from this point here, just outside the start of fire giant territory, and use that tunnel to get underneath their base. Another use of the ability should allow us to launch a surprise assault. Any questions?”


    Tina raised a hand, sleeve of her hoodie drooping down her forearm.


    Ambrose pointed at her, rolling her eyes at the exaggerated way she wove her arm.


    “Have you tried talking to them, le chevalier? After all, you managed to convince our bearded fellows here to join in on an alliance.”


    Ambrose nodded,


    “I have. They won’t bother even saying anything to me, they simply attack.”


    Tina frowned, and Aleksei grunted,


    “Ah haven’t had a good fight in a while, but perhaps we should conduct some observations first, eh?”


    Ambrose was already shaking his head,


    “I’ve tried that, too. As I said when I first approached you about this, I cannot get past their shield, and the walls cover their activity. I will say that most I have encountered haven’t been much of an issue for me so far.”


    Throrvin stroked his beard,


    “Maybe so, but do not underestimate them. They are powerful foes.”


    Ambrose eyed the dwarf king,


    “Have you fought them before?”


    Throvin inclined his head,


    “Yes, I have. They force they sent here will not be too powerful, the System places limitations, but there will be at least one close to C-Grade.”


    Ambrose wasn’t that worried about that, as he could manifest his Icon. It was the weakest version of an Icon one could have, but it gave him a power unmatched by any foe he had yet to meet.


    The quiet hunter brings down the bold dragon, Akaroth mused in his mind. He had to acknowledge the dragons point. He couldn’t grow too cocky. Despite that, he couldn’t help but feel a little excited. This was the last Incursion, and then, finally, he could pursue Eric.


    “Is anyone from Avalon going to be joining us?” Tina asked.


    Ambrose shook his head,


    “No. It’s just me. I said I would handle the Incursions on my own, and this is me doing that.”


    Tina pursed her lips, looking as if she wanted to say something, but choosing not to. Stolen story; please report.


    Ambrose didn’t ask for her thoughts. He had told her she didn’t need to bring anyone else along, and she had chosen to bring them anyway. Not that it was a problem, he was merely speculating.


    After going over some the fire giants abilities Ambrose had seen in action, and a loose plan involving keeping a lookout for each-other, it was time to move out.


    Ambrose closed his fingers into a fist.


    Soon.


    ***


    Charging forward from the tunnel, Ambrose exploded into a little slice of hell made manifest in the world. All around him was black stone, a mini mountain with a waterfall of lava into a basin of the liquid fire that warped the air.


    Huge houses were made from obsidian and dark wood. Fire giants, tall creatures with hair of flowing fire, dark armor and molten colored skin, walked around, living what Ambrose presumed to be normal lives for them.


    They bellowed when they saw intruders and summoned forth weapons wrought from black metal and flame. They charged, shaking the very earth with their steps.


    Tina called fluff to her, turning her into a giant ram made of clouds. She engaged a fire giant with a massive cloud hammer,


    “BEHOLD, YOUR FLUFFY DOOM APPROACHES!” Tina called, a mad grin suffusing her face.


    Her hammer swung with the force of a thunderclap, smashing into the fire giant, and creating an impression on the hammer like it was a tempepedic bed. The giants face contorted, and red saliva spurted from its mouth.


    Arrows began to pepper other giants as Tina’s people let loose. Aleksei shaped earth into massive boulders of dark stone that he hurled at giants. Amnbrose used [Infernal Sanctuary] and his wraith like chains writing with ghostly black fire wrapped around giants, pulling them downward as they cried out in anguish.


    Dwarves hacked and slashed at the fallen giants, killing them in sprays of blood and cries of pain.


    A roar like burning fire shocked through the air and emerging from a larger building was a massive fire giant, holding an axe that was black as night and burning with scarlet flame. His eyes, filled with hatred, locked onto Ambrose, and he hefted his axe, muscles bulging, he threw the massive axe it at him.


    Ambrose felt his mouth twitch as he considered the irony of someone else attacking him in a similar fashion he attacked others. Calling on his skill, he willed his chains to block the axe which detonated in an explosion of crimson and abyssal fire.


    Bellowing, the giant rushed forward, holding his massive hand out, the giant recalled his axe and it slapped into his palm with a boom like crashing rock.


    Deciding to respond in kind, Ambrose hefted Akaroth and flung it at the giants head, hellfire and lightning surrounding the axe like a cloak. The fire giant struck his axe out of the air with his own, but Ambrose responded instantly by recalling it before it could hit the ground.


    A spark of fire in the giants left hand grew, twisting and blowing until it a tornado of flame was between them. Ambrose was already using [Infernal Aegis] and his spiritual skill was already protecting him, though his spirit was being countered by the giant before him.


    However, it was here that he used his connection to his Icon. Ambrose didn’t fully understand how he connected to the Forge. He understood enough to use the Icon in its absolute weakest form, but how exactly that power expressed itself wasn’t fully known to him.


    One thing Ambrose was certain of was that the Forge built things, improved them, and supported them. Like adding support structures to his skill, infernal aegis became deeper, became more connected to reality.


    As best as he could figure it, the giants attack had become more of a fantasy, on a different realm than he was.


    He had nothing to fear from the tornado, but his allies certainly did. Sadly, he could only worry about himself. Luckily, his allies had eyes, and worked to protect themselves. Tina called up a wall of fluff that burned like marshmallow in a campfire. Aleksei used a shield of stone, but he brought it up some ways away from him as to not have the heated rock burn him.


    Ambrose rolled through the tornado, not even feeling the fire thanks to his spirit and Icon. With a slash of Akaroth, he sent forward a slash of lightning.


    The giant was not expecting his attack to do absolutely nothing, and thus he hadn’t prepared a defense. Lightning tore into his skin, and pain tore from his throat in a scream of fury. Thrusting his hands forward, the giant sent forth a tide of flame from his fingers.


    Ambrose used [Hellfire Manipulation] and a portal split the air.


    It was time to end this.